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For a second, it distracted her, but then she refocused on him. “You are a good man, and I do forgive you. I’m grateful to you, and I’m so proud of how tough you are. Not just in a flexing way.”
A smile played at his lips. “I told you the next flex is going to cost you.”
She let out a light laugh, and she hated how easy and familiar it was to tease him this way. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever have to pay for a flex.”
She wanted to kiss him.
Hunter grasped her other hand. “You mean it? You can really forgive me for hitting you with the motorcycle and for acting so horrible this past year?”
For the first time, she thought she saw fear in his eyes. Her gaze dropped to his lips. Her heart fluttered, and she felt so many things that she didn’t want to feel. But she couldn’t help it. These things had always been there, but now it was like they were at the forefront and she couldn’t deny them. “Already forgiven. You know that.”
Hunter’s gaze roved across her mouth, then up to her eyes. “Reese, I want to kiss you. I want to. But I’m not going to.”
She wanted to deny him. She wanted to tell him she had a boyfriend. But there was that feeling again. The feeling that belied any of the words she could say.
Hunter let out a sigh and let go of her hands. He had this weird expression on his face, like he had eaten something sour. “I should go.”
“Okay.” As much as she wanted to protest, the words wouldn’t come.
Hunter put his eye patch back in place. He hesitated, then caressed her cheek. “I’m grateful for your forgiveness. And I’m grateful that you are letting me help you. I want your friendship in my life always, no matter what.”
So many mixed emotions rushed through her. She hadn’t been willing to look at them until now, and she wasn’t sure she could bear them. “Good night,” was all she could say.
Chapter 26
The next week fell into an easy rhythm. Hunter didn’t have to do as much, since Cheryse was put into a boot that she could hobble around in. Often, he showed up and found her already prepared for the day, with dinner in the Crock-Pot, and ready to go.
It felt so easy and normal for Hunter to take on more and more at the salon. People around town had heard about him working there, and they often dropped by to shoot the breeze with him. Pastor Henry was one of them, of course. There was also Lucy. His siblings liked to swing by, too, and he actually liked their company. Marshall brought him the pop fizzes he liked. Trey brought baby Trey, and they spent most of the visit trying to herd the kid away from the street.
On one visit, when Marshall, Trey, and baby Trey came over, they left the salon for a bit and walked to the park. They talked about how many guests were at the inn, and Marshall told them about how many motorcycles he was selling.
Then Trey turned his full attention on Hunter. “So what’s the deal?”
Marshall sat on a park bench. “Yeah, what’s the deal?”
Hunter couldn’t help but laugh. “The Stone brothers ambush. Where’s Brooks? Couldn’t get him to come along on this little jaunt?”
Marshall waved a hand. “Brooks found another lead on Banks, and he’s been trying to track him down with some of his old FBI buddies.”
That made sense. Hunter let out a long sigh. “Well, Reese told me last night that she forgives me, so there’s that.”
Trey and Marshall didn’t make a move to show they’d heard him. Hunter knew what they were silently asking; he just didn’t know how to tell them. So he waited for them to say it out loud.
Marshall stood and kicked at a rock. “You going to make us do the big ask, bro?”
Hunter smiled. “What do you want to ask, bro?”
Trey let out a light laugh. “If I understand the situation correctly, Reese has forgiven you for breaking her ankle?”
Hunter nodded.
Trey glanced at Marshall, and they both smiled.
That put Hunter on edge. If his brothers were good at anything, it was keeping him on his toes. “What?”
Trey shook his head and then corralled baby Trey from running to the beach.
Marshall turned to Hunter. “So what’s the deal with you and her? I mean, you said the other day that you guys went treasure hunting together, and you have been spending a lot of time together. I know it’s helping her, but …”
