“Excuse me.”She quickly walked to Greg and the clients he was talking to, feeling Hunter’s eyes on her every step of the way.
Chapter Sixteen
Hunter put hishands in his pockets.It was either that or he was going to punch something.Hayden and Becket were all smiles, but they were deliberately stretching out the meal.Luke had fallen asleep hours ago, the women were all yawning but the two of them kept ordering the next thing on the menu.
Willow was upset.He’d seen the surprise and delight on her face when she’d seen him here tonight, so what had happened since then?Had someone said something?Had he done something?
Finally, Willow’s mom leaned forward.“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed.”
Willow signaled the waiter.“Let me just pay…”
“I’ve already paid,” Hunter said as he got up.
“But I invited you,” Willow protested.
“Thanks, Hunter,” Hayden said, looking slightly less irritated with him.“Willow, we are all so proud of you.You are so special, and I hate to see you unhappy.That’s why I’ve been…”
“Rude?Impolite?”Laura laughed, slipping her hand in his hair.
“Okay, yes.But we’re just looking out for you.Hunter, I’ve always liked you, but you live in Colorado now and Willow is in Montana—I don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“What he said,” said Becket.
Hunter got up and put his hand on Willow’s shoulder.“If you’ll please excuse us?”
For a moment he was worried Willow wasn’t going to join him, but pushing her chair back, she got up.“Thanks all of you for being here.I love what I do, you know that, but to have you here to share tonight with me, means the world to me.We’ll talk in the morning.”
Willow’s mom and Cooper shared a look.They’d both also picked up on Willow’s mood.
Jade also got up and touched his arm.“I’ll call you tomorrow.Maybe we can do breakfast or lunch?”
With a quick nod, he steered Willow toward the door.“Let me get a Ride-share car.”
“My place is just around the corner.We can walk.”She looked back over her shoulder.“Will Jade be okay with my family?”
He smiled.“Jade can hold her own, you don’t have to worry about her.Besides, she’s got Wilder with her.”
It was nice to breathe in the fresh air.Willow didn’t pull her hand from his, but she was quiet all the way to where she was staying.
There were other people in the elevator, but ignoring them, he pulled Willow close to him.She didn’t move away, but she wasn’t leaning into him either.What the hell was wrong?
*
The elevator ridetook a few seconds, but it felt like the longest ride ever.When Willow finally closed the door of the apartment behind her, she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
Hands in the pockets of his jeans, Hunter walked to the window.“You have a beautiful view.”
“Hunter…” Thank goodness, her voice was quite steady.“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”
He turned around quickly, his hands on his hips.“You were happy to see me.What happened since then?Have I done anything to upset you?”
She began to pace.“No, of course not.I… I’ve missed you so much, I couldn’t believe you’re here but… let me try and explain.I’ve had a strange restless feeling over the last few days.It’s what usually happens when something is wrong with someone in my family.Everyone was fine, though.This morning, the feeling intensified, and I didn’t know what it was until after you’d seen the portrait, and you looked at me.Everything you felt in that moment”—she motioned with her hands, trying to explain—“crashed over me.It was so intense, so strong, I… I’ve never experienced anything like it before.It’s too much, too intense.I can’t do it, I’m sorry.”
“Can’t do what?”
She may as well go for broke.“Hunter, I love you, you have to know that after you’ve seen the portraits I’ve done of you.Because of that, I can feel what you feel.I thought I couldn’t but for some reason or another, that has changed over the last few days, and now I feel every single emotion you have.I’m not strong enough to survive if anything should happen to you.”
He didn’t move but his frustration and pain washed over her.“You love me?”
