With a curt nod, Hunter felt himself hold his breath.
“You know I am all for going out and having a good time with a woman. Hell, that’s usually all I enjoy doing. This thing with Violet…you know it’s temporary. You can’t let your feelings get all involved in it because she’s going back to Nashville and then on to whatever trip is on her calendar next.”
“I know, but…”
“There are no buts here, Hunter. That’s what her life is. And do you really want to get in any deeper with a woman who you already know isn’t interested in sitting around and growing old in a small town? Didn’t you learn anything from Melissa?”
When Hunter went to argue, Kyle held up a hand to stop him.
“You knew all the way back in high school that she did not want to stay in Magnolia Sound forever and you thought you’d change her mind. Then you thought having a baby would change her mind.” Another pause. “I don’t want to see you get hurt like that again.”
Well, damn. Who knew his dufus of a brother would be the one to toss genuine logic his way?
“So what do I do, Kyle? How the hell do I stop myself from having feelings for her?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe just don’t…you know…see her.”
“She’s living with Katie. I see her every time I drop off and pick up Eli.”
And on top of that, he really wanted to see her.
Letting out a long, weary breath, he shook his head. “I’m so screwed.”
“You could just talk to her. Maybe if you do, you’ll get a little more clarity. You’re a very level-headed guy, Hunter. I think you can handle having a no-strings affair for the next month. Hell, you might even enjoy it!”
Somehow, he didn’t think it was going to work quite like that for him.
But if given the option of seeing Violet or not seeing Violet, he’d always opt to see her.
And if he had to choose between making the most of the next month or breaking things off? Well…only time would tell.
Eight
“That was…amazing.”
Hunter leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Thank you.”
“No, seriously. How do you do it?”
His laugh was so deep and masculine she was practically in a puddle at just the sound of it. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“Oh, believe me,” she countered. “It is.”
Straightening, he smiled down at her. “Okay, the key is to get the bacon extra crispy before you stuff it in the middle of the uncooked meatloaf. You put half the ground beef mixture in the bottom of the loaf pan, then add the bacon and cheese, then top with the rest of the meat and bake. It’s fairly simple.”
“I never even thought about stuffing a meatloaf!” Then she laughed. “Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I had meatloaf!”
“We happen to love it,” he replied, clearing away the dinner dishes. “Plus, it allows Eli to make a mashed potato volcano, so…everybody wins.”
Smiling, Violet got up to help him with the cleanup.
If anyone had told her she’d be happy having a date night that consisted of meatloaf and watching Toy Story 4, she would have said they were crazy. And yet…here she was.
And not hating it.
They worked side-by-side–talking about the school kids who had come to the firehouse for a field trip today, and the vacation to Greece Violet had booked for a senior’s group–and it was all so very domestic that it should have made her twitchy.
But it didn’t.
Once that was done, Hunter took Eli to bathe him and get him into bed while Violet checked her emails and looked over some new incentives the people at Visit California had sent her. All the trips sounded terrific, and there was a part of her that would love just to spend a month there and experience as much of it as she could. It would make one hell of a road trip–similar to the one she’d helped Katie and Brian do for their honeymoon–only longer. Plus, she’d love to follow the travel bureau’s route and be able to tell clients all about it.
The idea had merit.
Once Brian was home and she returned to Nashville, she didn’t have anything else on the schedule until after the new year. Maybe it would be the perfect time to go and see what else California had to offer.
Of course, she’d want to spend a few weeks at home just to check in with everything and plan properly…
“Hmm…” Pulling up the notes app on her phone, she made a notation to take a closer look at her calendar in the morning and start thinking about the logistics of making such a trip and what she would realistically have to spend to do it right. “I do love when a plan starts to come together,” she murmured.
“What are you planning?” Hunter asked with a smile as he walked back into the room.
“Just looking at some travel opportunities in California.” Holding up her phone, she showed him a promo picture from the Visit California site. “I’ve never done a road trip vacation before personally, but I’m thinking of trying it after the baby’s born.” Putting her phone away, she rubbed the spot on the couch beside her. “Eli asleep?”
But Hunter wasn’t smiling.
If anything, he seemed…sad.
“Is everything okay?”
When he sat down, it was at the other end of the couch–effectively confirming that something was bothering him.
“So you’re going to leave here, go home to Nashville, swap out suitcases and then…what? Fly to California?”
Weird question, but…okay. “Well, it’s not quite that simple. I’ll go home for a few weeks–maybe more–depends on how long it takes to plan everything out. I’m going to want to start in Northern California and drive all the way down so I see the whole state from end to end. I know I’m not going to see everything, but enough of it to be able to offer some fantastic options for clients. And I can do blog posts and take pictures to put up on my website and do Instagram stories on it,” she went on, smiling. “I think it will be a lot of fun!”
He nodded but didn’t comment.
After a moment, she sighed, “Okay, out with it. What are you thinking right now?”
“Honestly? I’m wondering how you can live like that.”
Frowning, she asked, “Like what?”
“Out of a suitcase!” he said with more than a little heat. “By the time Katie has her baby, you’ll have been here for almost two months! I get that your job makes it easy for you to work from anywhere, but don’t you want to see friends? Relax in your own home?”
“Hunter…”
“No, I’m serious, Violet. I just don’t get it. I can’t imagine having zero interest in my own home, my town!” He made a small growl of frustration before he leaned back against the cushions. When he finally looked at her, he looked miserable. “What are we even doing here?”
And that’s when it hit her–he was having all the same anxieties she was.
This was just his version of it.
And strangely, that made her feel better.
Scooching closer to him, she rested one hand on his denim-clad leg. “You know why it’s so easy for me to pick up and go?” she asked. “It’s because that’s how my life was growing up. We didn’t stay in any one place for long, and when you go into foster care, you can’t get too attached to a home or the people because you never know when you’re going to have to leave. Some psychologist would probably have a field day with me right now, but there it is.”