Page 56 of The Bitterroot Inn (Jamison Valley 5)
“That is awful.” I laughed. “You’re sure this will work?”
He nodded. “I’m very sure.”
The tension I’d held in my shoulders floated away. “Then it’s all yours for as long as you need it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you letting me rent this out.”
“Oh, I’m not letting you pay.”
Hunter frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Maisy—”
I held up a hand to stop his protest. “No arguments on this one, Hunter. Please? I cannot charge for this room. It’s far below the standard I want to set here, so please, don’t try and pay me. Please? Please, please, please? I’m begging here. Paying for meals is important to you. This is important to me.”
He stared at me for a long moment but then dropped his arms and frowned. “All right.”
Phew. I had been practicing that speech all week.
“Thank you.” I was exhausted and really should go to bed, but I didn’t say good night and go home. Instead, I crossed my fingers behind my back. “I’m going to have one glass of wine before I go to bed. Would you like to join me?”
“I’d like that.”
Yes!
When I turned, his hand found the small of my back. It stayed there all the way outside, back through the lobby and up the stairs to my loft.
“Beer or wine?” I asked.
“Beer.”
“Okay. Make yourself at home.”
He went to the couch as I hurried into the kitchen. The prospect of time with Hunter had given me a fresh burst of energy. I joined him in the living room, handing him his beer before settling into the corner of the couch with my legs stretched out in the space between us.
“So you had fun tonight?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, it was awesome. It was, like, the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen.” The minute the sentence was out of my mouth, I automatically pinched my leg.
The sting in my skin was still sharp when Hunter touched my ankle. “What was that?”
“Huh?”
“Maisy, you just pinched yourself so hard your whole body flinched.”
“Oh.” My cheeks flushed but I waved him off. “It’s nothing. Just an old habit.”
His eyes softened. “Listen, I know I’m new in your life but I’d like to stick around until I’m not so new anymore. Part of that is getting to know each other. I appreciate that you haven’t minded that I don’t talk much about my family and life in Chicago. I know I haven’t been forthcoming these last three weeks, but please believe me when I say, that’s temporary. I want to give you that same c
oncession, but you sitting here hurting yourself, that’s not okay with me. You’ve got to tell me what’s going on. Is it me? Did I say something?”
“What? No!” I sat up straighter. “No, it’s not you.” I closed my eyes and admitted the truth. “I pinched myself because I said ‘like.’ ”
“Like?”
I nodded. “Like. I said, ‘It was, like, the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen.’ Like. A valley-girl like.”
“Oh,” he said, now understanding. “And how does that lead to you pinching yourself?”
I took a deep breath. I didn’t want to get into the reason tonight but I could tell he wouldn’t let this go.
