His mouth twisted into a smirk, giving me a flash of those dimples. “Trying to figure out what you’re doing for the rest of your life so I can do it too.”
Relief and disbelief flooded me as I struggled to grasp Hunter’s words. “What?”
“Can’t live without you, Madison,” he rumbled, his voice deep and sure. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”
I choked back the cry that tried to escape me and reached for him just as an excited gasp echoed behind me.
“Hunter friend!” Avalee came barreling toward us, barely stopping in time as she crashed into me and reached for Hunter’s hand. “Guess what, guess what!”
Hunter’s blue stare moved between us before settling on my daughter, a smile taking over his handsome face when he focused on her. “What’s up, little friend?”
“We’re moving to where you and my other friends, Wyatt and Quinn, are!” She swung his hand around wildly, but Hunter’s stare snapped to meet mine, his expression filling with restrained hope as she continued. “So, now I can teach you to dance all the time, even when it’s raining ’cause that’s the most fun!”
Hunter’s breaths grew steadily deeper as he studied me. “You moving back to Amber?” he asked, voice so, so low and sending a shock straight to my core.
“Tonight,” I confirmed.
The weight that lifted from him was visible. The relief and excitement rolling from him were palpable. “So, you’re moving to Amber, huh?” he asked Avalee, turning those Dixon dimples on her and earning the brightest smile in return.
“Uh-huh!”
“You know, my animals sure miss you—especially the goats.” A rumble of laughter built in Hunter’s chest at the outright joy that burst from Avalee. “I bet they’d like to see you when you get back.”
“Mommy, did you hear?” she asked excitedly.
“I did.” And I still didn’t know how we were having this conversation. How any of it was real. I brushed a hand over her head and spoke in a mock-whisper. “Why don’t you finish your lunch and then hang out with Daddy? I need to talk to Hunter.”
“Okay! Daddy, the goats miss me,” she cried out as she darted away.
“Mini Madison, through and through,” Hunter murmured as we stepped outside, all soft amusement.
“Is this real?” I asked as I closed the door behind me.
His amusement immediately faded and was replaced with a captivating mixture of understanding and need.
“Are you really here? Wait—how are you here?”
“Emberly bribed it out of your mom the first time y’all left,” he explained, his head slanting slightly. “In case you decided to stay here.”
“Of course she did,” I breathed, though the corners of my mouth twitched into a grin. “So nosy.”
“You’re really moving back?”
“With my parents, for now,” I confirmed. “After we find somewhere to live, we’ll get our things from Raf’s new place in Dallas.”
Hunter nodded, something strong and impossible to define swirling deep within his eyes. “I should probably get a flight home then.”
“When was your return flight supposed to be?”
His head tilted, letting me know he hadn’t gotten one. “Told you, I was waiting to hear your plans first.”
I blinked slowly as I realized the depth of what he was saying. “Hunter . . . wait, what if I’d said I was staying here?”
He shrugged indifferently, but his tone was all calm determination. “Told Cayson if you weren’t coming back, I was selling Dixon over to him.”
My mouth parted as shock rippled from me. “Why . . . why would you—Hunter, you—” I shook my head quickly. “Going back has been my plan. I told you I was.”
“And then you left again,” he reminded me softly.
“No, that—” I rubbed at my chest as the reminder threatened to pull me back to the place where I was drowning in the knowledge that I’d destroyed so many relationships and lost Hunter even though he was standing in front of me. “You and I needed to talk, and the plan here was to move once we got the divorce papers signed. The whole process went really fast thanks to money and Madelyn demanding it. But I didn’t wanna wait until it was finished to talk to you. Your birthday was that weekend, and it fit perfectly between Raf’s games and a charity function so that I had twenty-four hours to go to Texas and back.” I lifted one of my hands. “We just never got around to discussing that part.”
“So, you didn’t leave because of what happened?”
“No,” I said breathlessly. “I mean, not that I expected any of you to wanna see me after what happened. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that you’re here. What happened that day—” The words gathered in my throat, choking me.
Hunter slid one of his large hands around my waist and pulled me closer, leaving enough space between us that our bodies weren’t touching. As if he was leaving it up to me to close the distance.
And I wanted to. I wanted my body against his. His mouth on mine. Claiming me and erasing everything that had happened.
Except it had happened. And we needed to work through it, not erase it.
“I wanted to be mad at you—I wanted to hate you both,” he began. “I tried to cling to that. But I can hardly breathe without you, and I’ve already lost you once because of what happened. I can’t do it again.”
My heart pounded, filling my veins with hope and bliss as I tried to keep my head clear for what we needed to get through. “But, Isabel . . . Hunter, I saw what that did to you.”
“Then imagine what it was like for me when I lost you the first time. Or when I thought I’d lost you this time.” His eyes searched mine. “You, in every situation, are my life.”
I swayed toward him as his vow nearly brought me to my knees.
My hands lifted to my chest as I struggled to find the right words. “Hunter, I—” A sound of grief crawled up my throat. “I love you. But, wondering if you’re thinking about her when you’re with me? I can’t do that.”
“You won’t—I won’t,” he said quickly. “Madison, I hurt her. Knowing that, watching it happen, wrecked me. She was my best friend. She was the person who helped me through what happened with my dad. My family. You. She helped get my business running again. So, to hurt her? To lose her? It was fucking painful. But losing you? I can’t survive that.”
“You love her,” I gently reminded him even though the knowledge cut through me like a dull, jagged blade.
“Yeah, and I fought falling for her because I was still waiting for you after thirteen fucking years.” He gestured to the door behind me. “I asked what you would do if Raf wanted you back. If Isabel ever came back? I’d be fucking ecstatic that my best friend was there, but that’s it. Because I will never be the person for her, and she will never be you.”
He leaned closer and curled his hand around my cheek, his voice dropping soft and low. “If you tell me we’re done right now? Believe that I will wait every day of the rest of my life for you to change your mind. Because I know, at the end of my life, you’re the one by my side.”