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“Or maybe Pinker, like Hunter. Since he won her for me.”
“I like that idea.”
“Was it weird?” Opal asked. “Since we didn’t know him and he saved me, then won me this bear?”
“A little. Don’t you think?”
Opal nodded. “A little. But he seems okay to me. Does he seem okay to you?”
“I think so.” Vanessa hugged her and kissed her forehead. “You let me know if you see him again, okay? Like at school or anywhere else.”
“Okay.”
Vanessa turned out the light and stood in her doorway. “Night night, Livy. I love you.”
“Love you,” she mumbled.
Vanessa sat in the living room with a cup of tea and reflected on the day. So much had happened and so many different emotions ran through her. Here was this man who had saved her daughter’s life while taking the risk of being hurt himself. Then he shows up at the fair—a huge public event—and she’s suspicious of him. He wins Opal a huge bear that she loves and still, she’s going to distrust him? He was probably just a nice guy. And she was thinking the worst of him.
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over to run down her cheeks. She hated to feel this way. To look at everyone with a skeptical eye, assuming they were out to harm her or Opal. She longed for the normalcy they used to have. Even though the rest of it was awful, she missed not looking at everyone like they were a threat, not having to watch over her shoulder, not making her daughter lie and use a fake name. This was necessary for now, but would they ever have a normal life again? Or would they forever be on the run, hiding out from her ex?
She wished meeting Hunter was like meeting anyone else. Like he was just some nice man, helping them out. Like she didn’t have to watch him and question him and think he was out to hurt them. She’d been distrusting everyone she came across these days. It didn’t feel right.
There was one thing more important than normalcy, though. She needed Opal to be safe. As many times as she told Opal to wait for her or that she’d protect her, she was losing confidence in her ability. Hadn’t Hunter come from out of nowhere and snatched Opal away? Sure, it was to save her life, but if someone came along and tried to take Opal, how would she stop them? Hunter had moved so fast, she hadn’t had time to react. That, more than anything, had her shaken and worried. It was one thing to know Opal was almost hit by a car, but another to realize that she would have no chance if someone came to take her.
But if she had someone like Hunter around, maybe Opal would be safer. Another person there to protect her. And he was someone who looked like he could do a lot of protecting if it came down to it. His body was so toned and strong. She finished the last sip of her tea and thought about Hunter’s wavy caramel blonde hair, his sparkling blue eyes, and those lips… She imagined what they would feel like pressed against hers.
It was strange to think of any man like that. She’d been married for the last eight years, and had been just starting college when she met Jeremy. She didn’t have a ton of experience with men, and the experience she’d had while being married had not been good. She’d been so focused on Opal and keeping her safe for so many years, that she never stopped to think of things like a romantic relationship.
She climbed into bed, thinking again about what life might be like if things were closer to normal. Could she date someone like Hunter? What would it be like to date anyone at all? And what if it turned out just as bad as her marriage had?
As Vanessa drifted off to sleep, she fell into a dream. She stood in the dining room of her old house—the one she’d shared with Jeremy. Only this time, the room was painted a bright yellow instead of the tan it was in the real house. She happily set the table and called for Opal.
“Go get Daddy,” Vanessa told her when she bounced into the room.
Opal danced away and came back tugging a man by the hand.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, laughing.
When they entered the room, Vanessa put her arms around her husband and kissed him deeply. She pulled back to look at him, and she was staring into the eyes of Hunter Perrin. The dream shifted and they were standing on a beach, alone, still wrapped in a tight hug.
“I’ve waited so long to make you mine,” he breathed into her ear.
Even in her dream, chills ran through her at his touch.
“Now that we’re alone, nothing is going to stop me.”
Before she knew what was happening, Hunter had her lying down in the sand. The soft grains caressed her skin, more like a bed of satin than sand. He kissed along her neck and chest. His hand slid down her body and lifted her skirt. Then he was inside her, making love to her on the beach. She cried out in pleasure and sat up in bed.
Heart racing, she clutched her sheets and looked around to orient herself. The beach was gone. Her home was gone. Hunter was gone. She was alone in her bed in her apartment, as she should be. But her body still thrummed with the sensation of his touch. It had felt far too real, and as she lay back down to get back to sleep, a small pang of desire settled in her chest. She wanted the feel of strong arms around her as she slept, to protect her and keep her safe. She wanted Hunter.
