Page 18 of Now and Then

“What? No way.” I unbuckle my seat belt as he pulls alongside the water.

“Yes way. You’d watched Luke and me play for years, but you never joined in. I always hoped you would.”

“Really? Why?” I jump out of the ATV and grab our picnic blanket and basket while he grabs his tackle box.

“Because it’s something I love, and I hoped you would too.”

“Why would it matter whether or not I liked baseball?”

“Sutton.” He kneels down and sets about baiting his hook. “Sometimes I can’t figure out if you’re playing dumb or maybe we’ve both always been blind.”

His words pierce through the cracks in my armor, landing right in my heart. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hunter moves toward the water and casts his line out. It’s several minutes before he looks at me over his shoulder.

“I liked you.” His confession hangs in the air between us.

“Sure you did,” I tease.

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“The college guy who could have anyone liked me? Some lowly high school kid?” I lie back on my blanket, crossing my feet at the ankles and leaning on my elbows.

“I’m serious, Sutton. I liked you. A lot,” Hunter says.

We lapse into silence, each of us lost in our own memories.

It’s nice being this secluded from the world. No service, no clients, no noise. It’s just us. I’m glad he brought me today. It’s exactly what I needed to clear my head.

“Were you really that shocked that you didn’t get the job?” Hunter’s question pierces the silence.

“Honestly, no.” And it’s true, I knew it was a long shot. Still doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. “I hate it though. How can I get more experience if no one will give me a chance?”

“What about doing some simpler jobs and using those people as references? You know, start small before you go big.”

I sit up straight, staring a hole through his back. “You think people would hire me?”

“You won’t know unless you try.”

“This is why I like you,” I say. “You always see the answers that I’m too blind to see.”

I stand, brush off the back of my pants, and step up next to Hunter. He looks down at me and nudges my shoulder, offering me his fishing pole. I shake my head. I was never very good at fishing, but that never stopped me from tagging along. I liked sitting beside Hunter more than catching anything.

“You know,” he starts, casting his line out again. “I was thinking maybe you could work on the house.”

“Your house?”

My heart speeds up, having longed for this day to come. Hunter’s house is every designer’s dream. It’s spacious and has good bones. Aside from the kitchen and bathrooms, most rooms would be simple cosmetic upgrades.

“Why not?” he says. “It’s been almost two years since I moved in. I’m actually surprised you haven’t started yet.”

“Because it’s your house. I wouldn’t want to insert myself where I don’t belong.”

His line dips into the water, and he jerks it back. “You belong wherever I am,” he says. His words echo in the quiet.

My chest tightens before I can stop it. The words land warm and terrifying all at once. I’ve belonged somewhere before. I’ve lost it before.

“Hunter, we can’t.”