Page 78 of The Bitterroot Inn (Jamison Valley 5)
Day three after my fight with Hunter and I was a mess.
My entire body ached, my eyes were rimmed with dark circles, and my stomach was so knotted I hadn’t been able to eat.
But I was putting on a good front for Coby’s sake. At least I was trying.
“Mommy, is Hunter still going to come to my T-ball game tomorrow?”
Tucking his blanket around Coby’s shoulders, I sighed. “Maybe, buddy. But Hunter has a really important job and he might not be able to make it. Do you want to know what he does?”
He nodded and snuggled further into his pillow.
“Hunter is a doctor. He works at the hospital helping sick people. Sometimes that means he might not be able to hang out with us or go to T-ball games because he’s working. But isn’t that awesome? That he can help other people feel better? He’s a superhero, helping other people kind of like police officers do.”
“And Captain America.”
I nodded. “And Captain America.”
Coby’s forehead furrowed. “But if all the people are better, Hunter can come to my game, right?”
I caressed his hair. “Maybe.” It broke my heart that I’d put a wedge between Hunter and Coby, but before I could tear up, I changed the subject. “Now, tell me what you want to dream about tonight. Monster trucks? Dinosaurs?”
“Snakes!”
“Snakes! Blech.” I cringed. “No snakes.” I made a hissing sound and slithered my fingers along his neck until he giggled. “Good night, buddy. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Kissing his forehead, I tucked him in tighter and then walked out of his room. As soon as the latch caught, my shoulders slumped. Every cell in my body was tired. The only thing three days of wearing myself to the bone had done was make me realize just how much I had overreacted.
Hunter wasn’t Everett.
I’d been holding things against Hunter that weren’t his fault. I’d been afraid of being hurt so I’d driven him away. But in these last three days, I’d learned I had something bigger to fear.
Losing Hunter.
Which meant the voicemail I was about to return was days overdue.
I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then I put on some pajama pants and an old T-shirt to climb into bed. Cuddled deep underneath my covers, I opened my phone and touched Hunter’s number. When the ringing started, my feet started tapping beneath my sheets.
Please answer.
By the third ring, the bouncing in my feet had spread up to my legs and the entire bed was shaking.
“Hey.”
My legs stopped moving and tears flooded my eyes at the sound of his voice. “Hi,” I choked out.
We both stayed quiet for a moment until Hunter spoke first. “I’m sorry, Blondie.”
I inhaled a shaky breath and whispered, “I’m sorry too.”
He sighed. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” Three days of stress and anxiety erased with just one simple call.
“I shouldn’t have gotten so pissed on Sunday, and I really am sorry I didn’t tell you I was a doctor. Please believe me when I say I honestly thought you knew. I mean, you’re Gigi’s best friend. You talk to her all the time. I’ve always got my phone in case I’m on call. I just assumed you knew and understood why I couldn’t talk much about work.”
I’d just assumed he was as attached to his phone as me and most other people in the world. “It’s okay. I’m sorry too. It wasn’t fair
