Page 118 of The Bitterroot Inn (Jamison Valley 5)
“I don’t know. Maybe the money’s gone? Maybe she doesn’t care anymore? I’m not sure.”
“Are you going to turn her in now?”
He shook his head. “If she tries to take Coby again, I will. But I’m hoping she’ll just disappear once and for all.”
“Why didn’t you tell the judge about any of the money stuff?”
“Stuart said it wouldn’t matter. He figured the judge would still have ruled for some visitation in her favor. He agreed I should keep this quiet unless it was vitally necessary. Just in case I need to use it later.”
I inspected my empty wineglass as I thought everything through. “No matter what you did, Nell had always planned to get back at me, huh? This was her way of punishing me for killing Everett. Which means you moved out here for nothing.”
“No.” Hunter’s hand still on my knee gripped tighter. “Not nothing. I might not have realized it at the time, but I moved here for you. I was a different man when I sat waiting in that maternity ward all those years ago. I was focused on my career and didn’t want anything more than to step into my father’s shoes. But that all changed when I saw you. It took me a while, but I realized that I wanted different things for my life. I came here thinking I was looking out for you, when really, I was looking for you.”
“Then why didn’t you come find me the first time you lived here? And why did you move away only to come back?”
His thumb drew a circle on my bare skin. “I was still tied to Chicago. I only took a sabbatical from my job and the hospital here only hired me on a temporary basis. I didn’t come and find you because I knew I’d be leaving again. Mostly, I didn’t want to bring all this shit to your life.”
“Why was it different this time around? What changed?”
“I hadn’t planned on seeing you. I had planned to come back temporarily until Nell backed off, just like the last time. But the day I got to Prescott, I saw you downtown. From that moment forward, I couldn’t stay away. Then you kicked me in the balls and I knew I was in love with you.”
I smiled at his joke. If I hadn’t felt that strong pull between us, I might have doubted his reasons, but as
it was, I knew exactly how he’d felt.
“I need you, Maisy.” He scooted closer. “Please believe that. I know I fucked this all up, but please know, I did it all for you. And I’d do it again.”
“This is fucked up, Hunter,” I whispered. “You’re Everett’s stepbrother. You’re Coby’s uncle. I just . . . I can’t do all this crazy. I can’t do all the secrets.”
He took my hands. “I told you once, I’d only leave if you made me. I mean that still. I’m not going anywhere, but this is your call. I’ll fight, don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving you up easily, but if you really can’t get past it, I’ll go.”
“I love you, Hunter,” I admitted. “But I don’t trust you.”
“I’ll win it back. I’ll prove I am the only man you’ll ever need and I’ll never, ever keep anything from you again.”
I didn’t doubt his determination. I did doubt my ability to trust him again. “I need time.”
“Take as much as you want. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He stood from the step, bending down to kiss my temple. “Good night.”
I looked up at the stars as his footsteps echoed down the staircase and crunched on the gravel when he hit the last step.
“I love you, Maisy. Tell me you believe that.”
I didn’t break my gaze away from the sky. “I believe that, Hunter. I just don’t know if I can believe anything else.”
“Why is your last name Faraday and not Carlson?”
Hunter chuckled into the phone. “Hello to you too.”
I stayed quiet, waiting for him to answer.
Over a month had passed since Hunter’s staircase confessional, and in that time, he’d given me space. And answers. Whenever a question popped into my head, I’d call and ask. Yesterday, I’d called twice with questions about his extended family. Today, I wanted to know about his last name.
“Faraday was my mom’s maiden name,” he said. “I changed my name from Carlson to Faraday before I started medical school because I didn’t want to be riding Dad’s coattails at his alma mater.”
