Britt: *thumbs-up*
Hunter: Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
Britt: You were helpful. I just needed someone to listen.
Hunter: I’m here any time you need me.
He paused, wondering if he’d gone overboard. This was all so new to him, having to measure his words and actions. He didn’t mind, but the margin of error was razor thin sometimes.
Britt: Thanks, Hunter. Good night.
Hunter: Good night.
He set down his phone and turned over on his side, his covers bunched halfway up his bare torso. He’d been drifting off right before she texted, but now he was wide awake. He thought about watching another one of her videos but changed his mind. Earlier today he’d almost spilled the beans about falling asleep to her calming voice. If she found out he’d done that, it would set his progress with her way back.
Add another secret to the list.And he couldn’t even say his reasons for keeping secrets from her were noble. He wasn’t protecting her, although he tried to convince himself of that. He was chin deep in self-preservation. Maybe he hadn’t changed that much after all.
He flopped over on his back and stared at the ceiling, barely visible in his darkened bedroom. He needed to set a deadline to tell her the truth, but he also needed enough time with her so that when he did reveal his past, she wouldn’t be shocked and tell him to take a hike.
After Dad’s party.That was in nearly a month, plenty of time for he and Britt to get closer. He could reveal some things about his family too, to enable trust.
He shut his eyes. This all sounded so calculated. But he didn’t have a choice. Not if he wanted to keep Britt in his life. And he wanted to... desperately.
Chapter 16
For the next two weeks, Britt was floating close to cloud nine. She and Hunter continued their mutual lessons—she taught him art and he taught her confidence. He’d even started arriving earlier at K&Bs so they could have lunch together in the education room before instruction, and a few days ago they’d made a return appearance at Yo Jo’s. She’d managed to make it through Double Shot Monday again and actually enjoyed herself.
Maude was all aflutter and did little to hide it. For once, Britt didn’t care. If her friend wanted to think she and Hunter were an item, she could go right ahead.
Britt was wishing the same.
But she was also realistic. He hadn’t said or done anything to make her think he considered her anything more than a friend. And she was okay with that.Sort of.It wasn’t his fault that the more she learned about him, the more she liked him. She found out his father was a lawyer and his mother had been a stay-at-home mom all his life. He had two brothers and two sisters-in-law. He liked to run, swim, and play football and basketball, although he rarely did the latter two. He wasn’t a great student, which was why he’d gotten his GED.
Then there were the personal things. He revealed that he didn’t want to work at The Warehouse for the rest of his life, but he wasn’t sure what to do. “I guess I could try community college,”he’d said last week as they drank their decaf at Yo Jo’s. “It’s been years since I cracked a textbook, so I don’t know.”
“Is there anything you’re interested in?”
His gaze met hers, his gorgeous eyes turning bright. “Art, believe it or not. I really enjoy it. I’ve even been reading online articles on classic painters during breaks at work. I’ll never understand Pollack or Picasso, though.”
“They’re an acquired taste,” she said.
“I don’t have a toothpick’s worth of skill or talent, but I think it will be a good hobby for me.”
“It could be more than a hobby, Hunter. You’re really good.”
He ducked his head. “Nah.”
His humility irked her a little. “Are you saying I don’t know what I’m talking about? That I can’t recognize good art when I see it?”
His head jerked up. “No. I’m not saying that at all. It’s just hard to believe... Well, I can’t believe I’m good at anything other than sports. And I’m so rusty now, I doubt I’d be competent at that either.”
This was a side of Hunter he rarely showed. But she knew it wasn’t an act. He quickly recovered by making a quip about being a former jock, but his words stuck with her. Somehow, she’d have to convince him that he had talent. Raw, unformed talent, but it was there.
The following Monday, they both sat down at the table while Maude prepared their usual snack. She’d been plying them with various baked goods during their lessons, enough that Britt had started taking walks around the neighborhood in earnest, sometimes with her mom. She still hadn’t told her about Dad, and that gnawed at her. But like Hunter said, she would know when the time was right.
Britt set her huge canvas tote bag on the table as Hunter stood close by. He leaned in and tried to peek into the bag. She nudged him in the side and put her back to him, hiding the contents. “All will be revealed soon,” she said, smiling.
But it quickly faded when she realized her back was against his torso, and he wasn’t moving.
