‘I have accepted I can’t change their minds and let it go.’ There was no point staying churned up over what she couldn’t alter. ‘But I still get bitter at times. What’s so wrong in talking to me? And how could my mother not even tell her family about me?’ That had really hurt, deep and hard, a hurt that wasn’t going away so easily. Was she so unlovable her own mother hadn’t wanted her? But her stepmum had accepted her straight away, buck teeth and temper tantrums and all. People did leave her. Some people. She raised her eyes to the man before her. He’d left her.
Yeah, and how hard did I fight to keep him?
She gasped. What?
‘They’re the losers.’
‘Pardon?’ Who were losers? Her and Hunter?
‘Your Aussie relations.’
Phew. ‘I reckon.’ Brenna also reckoned this wasn’t the time to be thinking about where she and Hunter had gone wrong. She was emotionally exhausted and anything she came up with could be utter nonsense. It was something to think about later. Not now. Taking a big sip of wine, she studied the man who’d broken her heart and yet had managed to walk back into the perimeter of her life without too much resistance from her. Meaning what? She had no idea and right now all she wanted was to unwind, enjoy her wine, eat dinner and maybe even enjoy the company. ‘Can we eat? I’m suddenly starving.’
His gaze was steady, but there was a question in his eyes. Had he picked up on her thoughts? Of course he had. He knew her, remember? But all he said was ‘Sure. Everything’s ready. The rice has been steaming for hours.’
Brenna watched as he began plating up, relieved he’d kept whatever was causing that shadow in his eyes to himself. Yet his movements were relaxed, his focus on what he was doing calm, as though dinner was the most important thing on his agenda at the moment. Glad to follow his example, she asked, ‘So Poppy sealed the deal about getting a dog?’
‘Not just any dog. A Poppy dog.’ Hunter grinned. ‘Can you put me in touch with her breeder?’
‘No problem. Step one in settling into that house you’ve bought.’
His grin diminished, became a tight smile. ‘Yes.’
‘You’re not changing your mind about moving here?’ He couldn’t. As he’d told her, this was as much for Dylan as himself.
‘Not at all.’ The tightness backed down a little. Placing their meals on the counter, he reached into the drawer for cutlery. ‘It’s just that I feel bad about the location I chose. It’s your home turf, and I don’t want you thinking I’m deliberately trying to upset you.’
She picked up a fork and toyed with the rice and gravy. ‘At first I was annoyed. It’s a big city, why chose Kitsilano?’ Where we’d been so happy once. Because he was over them. As she was or should be. ‘But then I came to see that it’s the area you’re most familiar with. More importantly, your friends are here, which will make the move easier over the coming months.’ Raising her laden fork, she tasted the food. The flavour explosion from the gravy was delicious. ‘Oh, yum. That’s good.’
‘But you’d rather I’d not landed on your patch.’
‘No, I’m a big girl. I’m over my funk.’
‘Not so big.’ Back to grinning at her.
‘Let it go. Short, slim and big on attitude. That’s me.’
His laughter filled the room, and her heart unfortunately. ‘I’ve been missing that.’
And I’ve been missing you since you turned up. You’re here and yet you’re unavailable because I can’t have you. I’m too afraid. I’m over being left behind by those I love. Except Dad never deserted me. Mum’s still a huge part of my life. My sisters give me grief, but they’ve got my back as much as I’ve got theirs.
If they got back together, would Hunter leave her again when he was needed elsewhere? When his parents called? If something happened to Dylan? Of course, he had to do whatever was necessary to keep his son safe and well. But he could let other people help, share the load, not walk out of their lives without looking back. Gulp. The emotions were building again, this time not about dad. Not good.
She swallowed the heaviness in her throat and filled her mouth with chicken. Savouring the delicious flavours bursting across her tongue, she dug deep and moved on to something light and easy. ‘Eat your dinner or I’ll have it after I’ve finished mine.’ It was that tasty. She was that hungry. ‘When did you learn to cook like this?’
‘Evie was an exceptional home cook and taught me the basics, and then I didn’t want to go back to boiled vegetables and steak every night of the week, so I used what she’d shown me, along with the internet, and found a passion for putting cheese with broccoli and meatballs and making something flavoursome.’
Brenna settled into enjoying her meal, almost effortless now that Hunter had helped her relax by listening without criticism, by understanding her without having to go into details. He’d known her family well. Dad had been thrilled when they’d first talked about a wedding. Then the dementia had begun raising its ugly head and they’d thought about getting married while he could give her away knowing what he was doing, but with her studying, Hunter working long hours, and the family trying to cope with her father’s illness, they’d never got around to organising it.
If they had, the last six years would’ve been very different for one of them. Probably her, as she’d have moved east to be with Hunter while he sorted out his family’s problems. But then he wouldn’t be a dad. Or would he? Would they have had the children they’d talked about sooner than first thought? Children. Her a mum. Yes, that had been one of her dreams.
Hunter was shaking her arm. ‘Go sit in a comfortable chair while I clean up.’
Blinking up at him, she asked, ‘Did I just nod off?’
‘More like you were miles away, thinking about who knows what. You were about to fall off the stool.’ Mischief twinkled in his eyes. ‘I’ve already picked up one person from the table tonight. Must be something about the food I cook.’
‘Leave the kitchen. I’ll fix it.’ In the morning. ‘You need to get Dylan home to his own bed.’
‘Shortly.’ His hand was still on her arm, sending pulses of heat over her skin.
She shouldn’t, couldn’t, give in to those light beats ripping through her. But, hell, she wanted to. More than anything. It had been a long, hard weekend, and this was the balm she needed. Hunter. His touch, his scent, his heat. Some things in life were impossible and turning away from Hunter right now was one of them. Placing her hand on top of his, she squeezed gently before lacing her fingers with his.
He moved closer. Lifted their hands to his lips. Ran the lightest kiss over her knuckles so that she tightened her hold on him. Next he’d... Lick between her fingers on that super-sensitive spot. A shiver ran down her back as desire rose from deep inside. Then Hunter’s eyes locked onto hers, and their silver grey darkened with heat and desire.
Tugging their hands her way, she slid her mouth over his thumb and ran her teeth over the pad, felt the shiver rippling through Hunter.
Then he took her head in those large, familiar hands and, holding her at just the right angle, leaned in and began kissing her blind.
All the emotions swamping her twisted into a new shape—hot, craving, desire for this man. The only man who’d ever made her feel so wanted, so sexy and desirable. It had been a long time, but the moves hadn’t changed. His kiss was like a switch. Every sense in her taut body was on full alert, her mouth on his, their tongues dancing together. She leaned closer, needing his strength to stay upright as everything but the feel of Hunter’s mouth on hers disappeared.
And then his hands were holding her upper arms and that beautiful mouth was slowly sliding away.
As air came between them Brenna jerked her head back. ‘What?’ They couldn’t stop. Not now when her whole body was vibrating with need.
‘I can’t, Bren. I’ve got to take Dylan home.’
?
?You haven’t got time to finish that kiss?’
Poke me in the eye, why don’t you? You can’t just stop kissing me like that—unless it meant nothing.
Concentrating hard, she lifted her shoulders and her chin, stepped backwards. He was right. They shouldn’t be kissing again. The first time had been a mistake, this time foolish. They hadn’t talked about the past, and that wasn’t going to disappear in a cloud of desire. If they’d ended up making love it would still be there to haunt them afterwards. Hunter had been right to stop. She should be grateful his brain was obviously in better working order than hers.
‘Goodnight, Hunter.’ She wasn’t thinking about the other option—that the kiss meant less than nothing to him. That would keep her awake all night.
* * *
At three a.m. Brenna admitted defeat and climbed out of the large, now chilly bed, because she’d forgotten to turn the heating up, and went to put the kettle on for a cup of tea.