I decide to look up a family tree to see if there are any other members of the family that I could possibly try and find out about. It feels icky writing about Hunter. I grab my phone and go to Google, then start typing in the different Waverly names. I find a number of articles about Preston and Enid, their children, and several about Hunter.
It looks like he disappeared from all public appearances about a year and a half ago. He'd been in a high-profile relationship with a famous model-turned-actress, and one of the last articles states that she was excited because she thought an engagement was coming soon.
I wonder then if it turned out to be true.
Was the celebration for his engagement?
Though she hadn't been there last night. I am almost positive of that fact. I would have noticed a famous, beautiful model at the party. And, he flirted with me. He'd also gone skinny-dipping in the ocean last night, and I am pretty sure that he saw me when he got out.
I close my eyes, feeling sick to my stomach. There are so many things going through my mind, and yet I just don't know how to process any of them.
Hunter Waverly is a billionaire.
Hunter Waverly is not a gardener.
Hunter Waverly is the head of the Waverly Corporation. He now runs the business—not Preston, not his father. Hunter Waverly was last known to be dating a gorgeous supermodel. And now, Hunter Waverly is in Whisper Cove. There's a story there. I know it. But I'm scared to dig deeper. I'm scared of what I'm going to find out, both because I don't want to cross any linesand because I am attracted to him. My phone rings again, and I see that it's Holly. I decide to answer this time.
“Gina, where have you been?”
“I am at the Waverly Estate.”
“Gina. Tell me you've got some good news for me.”
“I may have some good news for you,” I say, though I don't feel happy about the conversation we're having. “I've made contact with the grandson,” I say softly, “and he's here in Whisper Cove, celebrating something.”
“Celebrating what?”
“His engagement. Possibly.”
“Yes!” She sounds positively ecstatic. “Tell me you've got the story.”
“I don't have the story yet. They're keeping it very hush-hush,” I say, “so I assume whatever the story is, it's bigger than just a simple engagement. Maybe he was engaged, then broke it off, and they got back together, or maybe there's a reason he's not announcing it yet. Like she’s pregnant.” My heart drops.
“This sounds juicy.” She's practically cackling. “I can see the headline now.Elusive Billionaire Knocks Up Supermodel. What else do you have?”
“Nothing,” I say, wanting to throw up.
“You need to get the story, Gina.” Her tone is no longer excited. “Like yesterday.”
“I'm working on it. You know this.”
“If you want to save your job and actually make a name for yourself in this industry, I'm going to need the best story of your life. I'm going to need you to provide information so skin-tingling that everyone in the world is going to wish they had gotten this story first. I want TMZ and thePostto be in shock that we got the scoop before them. You hear me?”
“Yeah,” I say, swallowing hard, because the fact of the matter is I don't want TMZ in shock over me.
“Gina?”
“Yes, Holly,” I say, scared as to what she's going to say next.
“Good job. I didn't have faith in you in the beginning, but you're proving me wrong now. Bring it home.” She hangs up on me before I can say anything else, and I just stare at the phone in my hand. I feel uneasy, like I'm going to throw up. I need to get a story that I don't know I can get.
There's a knock on the door, and it opens. I look up, thinking it’s going to be Enid telling me to come back downstairs, but instead, I see the twinkling blue eyes of Hunter.
“Hi,” he says, looking at me curiously. “Enid and Amethyst told me that you might be in here.”
“Oh,” I say. “Yeah.” He heads over and takes a seat at the table and gives me a wry smile, and I can’t stop my heart from racing.
“I think I owe you a bit of an apology.”
