Laughter bubbles up from inside me, and I shake my head. “You want to tell me why you were there?”
His eyes flick to Halle’s store across the street, and his hand drags through his hair, leaving it sticking up in parts. His jaw tightens, the muscle ticking. I don’t push. I don’t demand answers. I let the silence stretch between us, giving him the space to think through his thoughts. Trusting that he’ll tell me when he’s ready.
“I had to do something,” he says finally, his voice low. “Something I’ve been putting off, and I…” He pauses, eyes locked on the table between us. “I didn’t want to do it alone. But I couldn’t ask you, so I kind of just got in the truck and drove. I ended up there without thinking.”
He shrugs, and my chest pulls tight. Without thinking, I reach across the table and wrap my fingers around his hand. His eyes snap to mine, lips parting as he exhales slowly. I give him a half smile, squeezing his hand just a little. This isn’t something friends do, and maybe that should scare me, but if holding his hand reassures him, then I’ll hold it.To hell with my rules.
“Hunt…” I whisper, knowing he’s about to say something important. Something real.
His thumb traces the edge of his coffee cup, his other hand tightening around mine like he’s afraid I’ll pull away. “I found?—”
“Yo! Hunter! Madi!”
I flinch, yanking my hand back as my heart crashes into my ribs. Connor jogs across the street, Ace following at his side, tongue poking out happily. The moment between us shatters, the air shifting into something heavy. Hunter forces a small smile, the kind that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. I take a sip of my coffee, hoping it hides the disappointment coursing through me, just as Connor drops into the seat between us.
“Didn’t know you two were on coffee terms.” He grinswidely, clapping Hunter on the shoulder. “This is a good sign, fam. A damn good sign.”
Rolling my eyes, I lean over, scratching Ace behind the ears. “What if you were interrupting something important?”
“Oh, shit.” Connor’s eyes bounce between us. “I can—uh—go? If I was?” He half stands, the chair scraping against the pavement.
“Nah, man. You’re good.” Hunter waves him off.
I arch a brow at him. He’s lying, and we both know it. Connor did interrupt something, and I get the sense that it was something big, something that matters. Whatever he was about to say still lingers in the air, unspoken, tugging at me to know more. My foot nudges his under the table, not hard enough to draw attention, but enough to remind him that I won’t drop this. His eyes flick to mine, that storm whirling in them, as he mouths,Later.
Connor sinks back into his chair, oblivious, while I fight the urge to grab Hunter by the hand and drag him somewhere quiet, somewhere he can finish what he was about to say.
“So,” Connor starts, drumming his fingers on the table, “you two finally decided to be civil, or is this some kind of kidnapping situation?
I snort into my coffee. “Kidnapping? What?”
Hunter shoots him a dry look. “If I kidnapped her, do you really think we’d be sitting here drinking coffee?”
Connor grins. “Well, unless you have some crazy basement set up none of us know about, this would be your next best bet. Madison. Coffee. It’s a no-brainer.”
“Wow,” I deadpan.
“Oh, come on. You know if someone offered you free coffee, you would follow without a second thought.”
I shrug, because he’s not wrong. It doesn’t take much tomake me happy. Great sex, good coffee, and I’m a happy gal. Pretty simple, really.
Hunter glances down at Ace. “Your dad’s an idiot,” he mutters.
“Hey! Language around my child.” Connor covers Ace’s ears in mock horror.
A giggle slips out before I can stop it. “There was no kidnapping. We’re just friends.”
“Yeah,just friends.” Hunter drags the words with a look that sends heat racing up my neck.
“I feel like I’m missing something here.” Connor’s voice cuts through our heated look.
“Nope. Not at all. Just friends,” I say, a little too quickly.
“Well, on this lovely note, I’d better head out. I promised my sister I’d help her out today.” Connor stands, unhooking Ace’s leash.
We say goodbye, watching him take off down the street. The silence he leaves behind feels heavier than it should. When I turn back to Hunter, ready to bring up everything from earlier, he’s already standing. My breath catches in my throat, and my shoulders drop. I cross my arms, waiting for him to speak, waiting for his next excuse.
“I have to be somewhere, too. I didn’t realize that was the time,” he says.
