AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She turned, her expression caught. “I was kidding. Mostly.”
“I want you to though. It would make things easier.”
“Not sure about that. I barely know them. Anyway, how would that even work?”
“We could figure it out.” Bennett pushed off the chair. “Seriously, Mom. You’d like Montana. You’d get to know Hazel better. And meet José and his wife, Rosalina, and Janie and Mama B and Hunter . . .” All the people in Bennett’s life who had marked him for the better over the past year.
“I—“ Mom shook her head.
“Luna could use a nurse practitioner. They don’t have anything, really. A school nurse at the county coop school twenty minutes down the highway. Nearest doctor is forty-five minutes away at the critical-access hospital in Big Sky.”
“You don’t live in Luna.”
That was true. But . . . but a whole new plan exploded in Bennett’s mind. He hadn’t intended to stay in the house he was in in Bozeman—it was a fix and flip. And it wouldn’t work with two kids anyway. Being closer to Hazel was always his goal. And now with his involvement with Hunter’s lodge, the move made even more sense.
“Mom. It could be your next chapter.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve started a new chapter.”
“Right.” Bennett clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “It’s time.”
“Then you’ll say yes to the kids?”
“On the condition that you come too.” He glanced back at the chair, still feeling the hard lumps that had balled against his back and seat. “And you leave this awful furniture behind.”
Mom laughed. Bennett took that as a yes. And he felt a fresh burst of excitement—the first he’d had in weeks.
Five
Hunterstaredoutthewindshield of his truck, his eyes fixed on the broad window set in the middle of the log structure that was Janie’s Café. Two days ago he would have had anticipation buzzing through his veins, and he would barely have had the engine shut off before leaving his vehicle to head through that jingling front door. Two days ago all he would have thought about was seeing those blue eyes—even if they were piercing and likely mad at him.
Two days ago he hadn’t felt the panic triggered by the knowledge that another man had flirted with the woman who refused to budge from his mind. And she’d flirted back.
Snowflakes drifted lazily from the light-gray sky, dusting the chilly late-September ground. Usually Hunter liked the first snow. How could one not smile at white flakes lazily drifting against the backdrop of the deep-purple layers of majestic peaks? It was quintessential Montana. And that first dusting felt clean and fresh and wasn’t yet a problem when it came to the simple tasks of daily living.
That late-September day, however, Hunter didn’t pay attention to the dancing flakes. He couldn’t see anything, really. Not the layers of indigo and plum mountains at the west end of the dirt road Luna called Main. Not the remaining vestiges of bright-yellow aspen leaves rustling in the cold westerly breeze. Not the crisp flag flying on the pole in front of the Elk County Sherriff’s building. Not Mama B waving at him from the boardwalk in front of Luna Pantry.
He just felt . . .
Desperate.
I’m gonna lose her all over again.He didn’t even have her. How could he lose someone he didn’t have?
But the thought circled back even louder.I’m gonna lose her . . .
“You just going to sit there?” Hazel’s sharp tone drilled into his chaotic mind.
“Huh?”
“I’m getting a cinnamon roll before I grab supplies. Guess you can sit and stew all you want.” She popped out of the passenger seat, smacking the door shut behind her.
The hollow sound made Hunter startle. Sheesh, he was some kind of mess that morning. Two sleepless nights could do that to a guy. That, and the sight of a green Game and Parks truck parked on the other side of Luna Pantry—something that had registered in his mind. The intruder who was trying to steal Janie was still in town.
Hunter’s gut clenched. And then resolve locked into place.
If it was to be a battle, then let it begin. He was not one to back down, and Hunter was not about to let Janie just go ahead and fall in love with some other guy. They had too much history together.
They had too much future together.
