Her lips parted, preparing to argue back, but I didn’t give her the chance. I grabbed her waist and hauled her closer, fingers digging just enough to tickle her sides. She squealed, twisting against me, laughter spilling out so loud that others walking by glanced over.
“Hunter! Stop!” she cried, kicking her legs.
“Not until you admit you’re nosy.” I teased, pinning her lightly against the bed of the truck, her laughter echoing in my chest.
“Fine!” she gasped between giggles. “I’m nosy!”
I let up, chuckling as she shoved at me, her cheeks pink and eyes shining.
“Ridiculous,” she muttered, trying to fix her hair, but she was smiling too, even if she was pretending not to.
And damn, she was beautiful like that. Loose. Laughing. Walls are coming down without even recognizing it.
“Your laugh is everything. Worth every moment and every unnecessary question.” I said without thinking.
The truth was, yeah, she frustrated me sometimes. She didn’t see herself the way I saw her. She asked those questions as if she were bracing for me to say the wrong thing, to confirm her fears. But what she didn’t get, what I wanted to shake into her, was that none of it mattered. Not the kids, not the past, not the so-called baggage.
Having grown up with siblings and a single mom who juggled work and family, I’d learned early on that life was never a straight path. Relationships came with a mix of chaos and clarity. It was something I understood, having experienced it personally. Perhaps that’s why I felt I knew her struggle, the feeling of being caught between responsibilitiesand relationships.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, a reminder from the VA office lighting up the screen. I barely glanced at it before silencing the noise, turning back to her instead. In that small moment, as she laughed and rolled her eyes, I realized she was the reason for all of it. The point, clear and simple.
Our reflection shimmered in the truck window. She was laughing, loose and unguarded, her eyes bright, while I sat steady beside her, a quiet smile tugging at my mouth. I knew I’d keep teasing her, keep finding ways to make her laugh, if that’s what it took to remind her. Even if she couldn’t see it yet, I did. Clear as sunlight.
Chapter Thirteen
Camille
By the time the weekend circled back around, nerves had settled into my skin. They sat there humming beneath the surface as I got ready for our next date. Just days before, we sat on the tailgate of his truck, sharing lunch.
We’ve been texting every day, trading late-night FaceTime calls that stretched long past midnight, his jokes catching me off guard and making me laugh even as I folded laundry. Still, this felt different.
I was beginning to see there was truly no man like him.
He was the perfect blend of everywhere he had been and everything he had seen. There were the small-town mannerisms from his childhood in upstate New York, like the way he always held the door a second longer just to make sure it didn’t close on anyone behind him. Or the way he loved the outdoors, the smell of fresh-cut grass after rain, and late drives down back roads with the windows down.
Then there was the edge of the west coast woven in withthe easy confidence, the way he styled his clothes, and the calm assurance in how he carried himself. Every piece of him told a story, and the more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to listen. Taking another step forward, the kind that made my heart trip over itself, afraid I’d find a way to ruin it.
I’d spent the last twenty minutes pacing my living room before finally giving in and heading outside. Now I was standing at the curb, waiting outside as Hunter’s truck came into view.
He drove a massive F-450 in a muted blue-gray, the kind of color that looked different under every light. It gleamed like polished steel, clean but not overtly flashy, and purposeful in the way he was. The cab sat high, tall enough that I’d have to climb, a reminder of how small I’d feel beside it.
And him. It was sohim. Solid. Grounded. Larger than life. A little intimidating at first glance, but the kind of intimidating that made you feel safe once you got close.
When he parked at the curb, the engine cut off with a growl, and the silence left behind seemed louder than before. For a moment, all I could do was stare at the shadow of his frame behind the wheel, my pulse already racing. I nearly tripped over my own feet getting to the door.
Before I could reach for the handle, Hunter was already out of the truck. The slam of his door broke the quiet as he rounded the front, moving with that easy confidence that always made my stomach dip.
“Hey, Beautiful,” he said, that grin tugging at his lips before his hand extended toward me.
I hesitated for half a second before slipping my hand into his. His palm was warm, solid, and steady in a way that made my pulse trip over itself. He helped me up into the truck, hisother hand brushing the small of my back as I slid into the passenger seat.
“Careful,” he murmured, his voice low enough to vibrate through me.
I looked up, our eyes meeting in the soft glow of the streetlight. “You always this chivalrous?” I asked, aiming for casual, even as my heart pounded against my ribs.
His mouth curved, slow and deliberate. “Only when I’m trying to impress someone.”
I bit back a smile. “And how’s that working out for you?”
