The door to Emma’s room was wide open, and I could hear Hutch’s low, mellow, beautiful voice telling her a story.He was speaking, but even so, the effect of his tone was like his singing.
Hiding my body to the side, I peeked around the doorframe to see Emma tucked tight in her bed, turned with her back to me, but her front to Hutch sitting on the floor, reading.
At this tableau, my chest caved in, I pivoted until my back was to the wall, slid down it to my ass on the floor, curled my knees up to my chest and hugged them.
My life.My luck.I’d meet this amazing man, and get the hint he was mine, only to find out he wasn’t.
And now, in that moment, I knew, after all I’d gone through, that would be the thing to end me.
Game over.
But Hutch Hutchison was Hutch Hutchison.
I knew it from the first song I heard him sing.
He was the biggest risk I ever took.
But he was the only risk that was worth anything.
THIRTY-FIVE
Maybe Not Now
Mabel
After Chrissy returned, Hutch and I left, and by the time we hit CR 10, the sleet was snow.
Only a dusting, but it already looked crusty on top of the wet that had iced over, and it was collecting on the roads, which Hutch, when he gave me his mountain-man-to-city-girl lecture about winterizing my truck, said could hide black ice.
However, with Hutch taking it slow and careful, we made it.
And the good news was, during the drive, Brett texted,Home with Abigail.It’s just this flu.She’s in no danger.I’ll keep in touch.
That was promising.
When we got to Hutch’s cabin, as had become routine when we came home together, I dealt with Hannibal and Tonks’s bathroom breaks, and Hutch went to the puppies.
After our dogs saw to themselves, I got them in and went to help him.
We watched them in their run as they frolicked and played, squatted and lifted, and once we saw all five of them had done their business, we scooped them up, gave them praise and did the back and forth to get them inside.
Only then did we take off our coats, our boots, and Hutch went to the stove in the always warm and cozy kitchen to add wood.
I wandered to the living room, realizing I was jazzed but exhausted, still a little concerned about Abigail and Lillian, but now that we were home safe and sound, and everyone we cared about was too, it was time.
Time to talk to Hutch.
So I was back to anxious.
Hutch came into the room in his thermal and stocking feet, looking all mountain-man-at-home amazing, and he headed to the fireplace in the living room.
I was standing behind his couch.
“Want a fire in here?”he asked.
“I’m gonna drop soon,” I told him.“It was a busy day at the shop.”
“Weekenders,” he murmured as he moved to his chair.
