Aaron stood and closed the top of the empty pizza box as he spoke. “Like Hunter said, it’s all on track. Not to mention we’ve got a couple of days yet.” God, she was annoying, looking for anything to pick at, and she’d barely glanced at what they’d done so far.
“I think it looks amazing. I can’t wait to see it finished,” Brooke said. “Keep up the good work, boys.”
“Maybe you’d like to help, Brooke?” Hunter suggested.
“Of course, ordinarily I’dloveto,” Brooke said in the most exaggerated voice, “but I’d hate to interfere. Surely you want all the glory once you have this place looking all pretty and sparkling? Plus I need to go pick up the kids. But, hey, like I said, you’re doing a great job.”
“Typical.” Hunter groaned.
“All right, well do let me know if you run into any issues. I’m trusting you”—Melody stared at Aaron—“not to let the committee down.” She gave a curt nod to each of them and headed toward the door.
Once her mother was out of earshot, Brooke grabbed Hunter’s arm. “Hey, I wanted to say thanks so much for replacing the Christmas tree ornament that Cameron broke. The poor little thing was distraught thinking Mom would find out. I still can’t believe you managed to clean that whole mess up and replace the star so quickly to be sure she never noticed it missing. You’re a lifesaver, little brother, and you have one very grateful little nephew.”
“Anything for you.” Hunter kissed her on the cheek.
Aaron was stunned. He’d thought Hunter was an arrogant, entitled asshole when he’d burst into the store wanting that star, but the whole time all he’d been trying to do was save his nephew from getting into Melody Cavendish’s bad books. Now it was him who felt like an asshole.
11
Hunter lifted a glass of champagne from the tray. He took a sip, rewarded by a burst of effervescence. As he lowered the glass, he spotted his grandparents entering the room arm in arm. His grandmother was a tiny woman but held herself with regal bearing. His grandfather was still a tall man, although not the imposing figure that Hunter remembered from his childhood. Once upon a time, Hunter had been intimidated by his grandparents, but with each year that passed, he’d gained the courage to stand up to them and their expectations. He still hated the confrontation that was almost guaranteed, and he wished they could be on better terms, but he knew he’d never be happy trying to live the life they envisaged for him. Their perfect Cavendish world demanded a well-behaved straight heir who would take over the family empire and produce a bunch of baby Cavendishes to continue the line. They were now starting to understand that would never happen.
He took a deep breath and crossed the room to greet them. “Grandmother, you look lovely.”
She took his hand and he leaned down to bestow a kiss on her powder-soft cheek. “Thank you, Hunter.”
“Sir.” He nodded at his grandfather as he shook his hand.
“It’s good to see you here. I had doubts about you actually turning up, so it’s a pleasant surprise,” the old man said.
Hunter chose to ignore the comment, instead bestowing a smile on his grandmother. “Congratulations on your anniversary. It’s a wonderful party.”
“It is, isn’t it?” she said. “Make sure you try the canapés. We found a new caterer who’s done a superb job.”
“Not too many of those, son,” his grandfather said, nodding at the champagne flute in Hunter’s hand. “There are a lot of well-connected guests here tonight, and I’m sure you’ll want to take advantage of cultivating some business opportunities. Your father mentioned he’d discussed the refurbishment project with you. Perhaps you can start with the Haven Spa Resort, so make sure you connect with Garrett Whitehall.”
Hunter clenched his jaw—not at the prospect of talking to Garrett, because he’d quite enjoyed his company while they were chatting over pizza—but because his father wouldn’t let the contract drop. It was as if he thought not acknowledging Hunter’s lack of interest would make him change his mind. He’d just railroad him into doing it.Well, it isn’t going to work.He wouldn’t say something now, not wanting to ruin the party, but he’d absolutely have words with both his father and his grandfather in coming days. “I’ll leave you too to your other guests. I see someone I’d to talk to now.”
He left the two of them and skirted through the guests milling in the living room, head down to avoid making eye contact and being stopped, until he found a quiet corner. He sipped the champagne and observed the crowd. If partying was a competitive activity, he’d have to give most of the attendees top scores—glamorous designer outfits, full cocktail glasses, meaningless conversation, laughter on cue. He adjusted his own tie, hating the penguin suit, and looked around for a server to refill his drink.
As he searched the room, he spotted Garrett on the other side.I really should try to make more of an effort.They’d been friends once, the three of them—him, Aaron, and Garrett—hanging out and having fun. He snorted as he thought of losing Garrett in the “break-up,” but really, he was only ever in town temporarily, and Aaron was here all the time. It made sense that Garrett would have chosen to stick with his friend, but there was nothing to stop Hunter from offering an olive branch. Surely, they’d put all that behind them? He pushed off the wall and headed across, snagging another glass of courage on the way, although he wasn’t sure exactly why he was nervous.Liar. You know exactly why; rejection sucks.
Before he reached his intended destination, Aaron approached Garrett. Hunter felt a frisson of excitement. He hadn’t expected to see Aaron here tonight and hadn’t even thought of inviting him. He kicked himself for not issuing the invitation. But really, Hunter hadn’t even wanted to be here himself and was only here because of his grandparents, so he hadn’t thought Aaron would be remotely interested. Why inflict his own torture on Aaron?
He guessed the relationship between Garrett and Aaron was so tight that Aaron would sacrifice himself to attend a boring function and keep Garrett company. Briefly he wondered if Aaron would have accepted if the invitation had come from him. It would have been nice to have a plus-one, particularly if that plus-one was Aaron.
“Hey, guys, what sin did you commit in a past life to have to be here tonight?” Hunter joked.
“Hey, Hunter, it’s good to see you,” Garrett said. “How did you pull up after the decorating effort? I think I worked every muscle in my body. This guy’s a slave driver.” He elbowed Aaron.
Hunter chuckled. “I hate to admit it, but I actually enjoyed it. And it looked great by the time we were finished.”
“Thanks again for your help,” Aaron said. “And itdoeslook good. Garrett’s just a whiner.” He elbowed Garrett in return.
“Ow,” Garrett uttered with an exaggerated flinch.
Hunter grinned at their antics. “Are you looking forward to the dance?” he asked Garrett.
“Oh yeah,” Garrett replied, with an eye roll. “It’s the highlight of my year.”
