And I Love You (32 page)

Charley listened to Ella’s heartbroken recitation, trying to find the words her sister needed. She wasn’t always known for her tact, but if ever there was a time for the right words it was now.

Ella wiped away a flood of new tears. “You can’t tell anyone about this. I know we gossip like crazy fools in our family, but this isn’t for public consumption. I couldn’t take it if everyone knew.”

Charley drew her sister into a hug. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” Holding Ella as she sobbed, Charley wished there were something she could say or do to fix things for her. But what was broken in this situation couldn’t be easily fixed.

“I need to give up on him,” Ella said. “I know that, but knowing it and doing it are two different things.”

“Maybe he just needs some more time.”

“It’s been seven years, and he’s worse off now than he’s been since it first happened. He tells me I deserve better. I deserve someone who isn’t broken inside, but I don’t want someone else. I want
him
. I’ve always wanted him.”

“I’m so sorry you’ve been suffering in silence over this.”

“I haven’t been completely alone with it. Hannah knows.”

“She does? What does she say about it?”

“We haven’t talked about it recently, but the one time we did, the day of Homer’s funeral, she said she loves us both and would love to see us together. But even she knows I’m facing an uphill battle where he’s concerned.”

“It’s so sad.” Charley rested her head on the back of Ella’s sofa. “The worst part, of course, is that Caleb died so young when he had so much living left to do. But the fallout for the people around him lasts a lifetime.” She took hold of Ella’s hand. “I don’t have any words of wisdom for you. All I can tell you is I’m sorry you’re hurting. I’m sorry he is, too, because he’s a great guy. Caleb would hate that his death has ruined Gavin’s life, too.”

“It hasn’t completely ruined it. He’s poured his grief into building that incredible business, and he’s been so good to his parents. But it’s ruined some aspects of his life. That’s for sure.”

“The way I look at it, you have two choices. Continue to hope that he’ll get to the point where he’s capable of a relationship or give up and move on.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about those two options since yesterday.”

“And?”

“It might be time to give up and move on.”

“I hate to say that might be the right move because I know it’s not what you really want, but Caleb’s been gone a long time now, and Gavin’s not getting any better. In fact, it seems he might be getting worse. I have to give him credit for not wanting to take my lovely sister down with him.”

“How sad is it that part of me would rather go down with him than live without him?”

“It’s not sad. It’s love.”

“Yeah,” Ella said with another deep sigh. “Is everyone talking about me after I ran out of there yesterday?”

“Not really.”

“Are you lying?”

“Not really.”

Ella laughed. “I’m sure they’re all abuzz over me having a thing for him.”

“They’ll leave you alone about it. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Aww, Charlotte Abbott. Are you finally growing up?”

“Make a thing of it, and I’ll take it all back.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“Did you get Mom’s message about denim day at dinner tomorrow?”

“I’m not going.”

“You have to go! Mom’s got Izzy coming to take the dreaded family photo.”

“Cameron can Photoshop me in.”

“Mom will never go for that. If you don’t want everyone up in your business, you have to come and put on a happy face. Just for an hour or two.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“I’ll be with you.”

“Thanks for coming, Charl. It means a lot to me that you brought me Cherry Garcia and listened to my pathetic tale of woe.”

“Happy to listen, but I’m sorry you’re sad. Hey, you know what we haven’t done in ages?”

“What’s that?”

“A sleepover.”

“You want to sleep over?” Ella asked hopefully.

Charley was pleased that Ella seemed to like the idea. “If you’ll have me. I’ll even let you watch
Pretty Woman
for the nine-thousandth time.”

Ella took another huge spoonful of ice cream. “Maybe I should become a hooker. Things worked out well for her.”

Charley lost it laughing. Ella’s joke made Charley feel more confident that her sister would get past her heartbreak over Gavin. Eventually.

M
egan couldn’t believe Hunter had talked her into Sunday dinner at his parents’ house. He’d gotten her to agree to go when he had her hovering on the brink of an orgasm that he’d denied her until she acquiesced—a dirty trick of the highest order. She’d make him pay for that later. She couldn’t wait. He’d returned from Rutland with a huge bag of silk lingerie that he’d insisted she model for him.

They’d made it to the third item before he was pulling the silky fabric from her body and making mad, passionate love to her.

After yet another incredible night with him, she could no longer recall what her life had been like before he declared himself to her, before he told her he’d been into her for years and had dreamed about being with her. He was completely irresistible as well as funny, sexy, thoughtful, smart, charming, caring and more than a little bossy when he wanted to be.

She couldn’t get enough of him. Even the thought of Nina’s looming departure on Wednesday couldn’t dim the light that glowed inside Megan thanks to Hunter’s love and attention. Nina and Brett had gone to spend some time with his family today. They’d invited her to come along, but she’d declined. There was no time like the present to start letting Nina go.

After Hunter got her to agree to dinner with his family, she began to regret not taking Nina up on her invitation. Wearing a denim shirt with khakis, Hunter looked as gorgeous as ever while he drove them from her house to his parents’ barn on Hells Peak Road.

As they crossed the one-lane covered bridge, Megan’s nerves went into overdrive. Everyone would be there. They’d all be looking at her and wondering what he saw in her.

“Whatever you’re thinking, knock it off.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?” she asked, unnerved by how tuned into her he was.

“You’re doing that thing with your hands.”

“What thing with my hands?”

With his wrists propped on the steering wheel, he twisted his fingers around in circles. “You do it when you’re stewing over something, and since we’re on our way to my parents’ house for dinner with my family, I assume you’re stewing over that, which you shouldn’t be.”

“Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Knowing me so well. You shouldn’t know me so well yet. It’s not right.”

Hunter laughed, a sexy, gravelly sound that she’d come to adore, especially when she made it happen. “Hannah is a moose whisperer. I’m a Megan whisperer.”

“Did you just compare me to a moose?”

“Not at all.” He reached for her hand, wrapping his much larger one around hers. “Relax. I promise it’ll all be fine.”

“Easy for you to say. Your boyfriend’s family isn’t large enough to be a baseball team.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Is that really all you heard there?”

“Did you say something else?”

“Hunter! I’m serious. This is very intimidating to me.”

He pulled to the side of the road and put the SUV in park.

“What’re you doing?”

“Giving you a minute to calm down and contemplating how soon I can trade in this freaking truck so I can get one that gives me access to you when I need it.”

Megan needed him as much as he seemed to need her, so she unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled across the console, landing in his lap with an inelegant plop that made him gasp. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he said in a high-pitched, female tone. “I’ll be fine.”

“Stop it,” she said, laughing.

His arms came around her, cuddling her, and all her worries disappeared like a wisp of smoke leaving a chimney. When he was holding her and looking at her with those incredible eyes, nothing could bother her.

“If you feel freaked out at dinner, look at me. I’ll remind you why you’re there.”

“Why am I there?”

“Because I want you with me. I want you to know the people who matter to me—and not just know what they like to order at the diner, but really
know
them. I want you to be a part of the second most important thing in my life—my family. I want to spend every possible minute with you.”

“You said your family is the second most important thing in your life. What’s first? Your work?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, silly. The most important thing in my life is the woman I love.”

Megan closed her eyes and sighed. What else could she do? “She’s a lucky girl, whoever she is.”

“I hope you get to meet her someday.”

Megan opened her eyes to find his dancing with mirth. “Very funny.”

He sobered all of a sudden, looking sexy and somber at the same time. “I need to tell you something before we get there.”

“What?”

“There’s a very good chance that Will and Cameron got engaged last night.”

“Oh.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I’m fine. I’m happy for him—for both of them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure that I’m happy for them? Yes. Sure that I’m fine with it? Positive. But you’re sweet to give me a heads-up and to be concerned about me.”

“Of course I’m concerned about you. I’ll always be concerned about you.”

“How do you know that?” He shrugged. “I just do.”

“You’re very certain about all of this.”

“You have no idea how certain I am,” he said with a mysterious smile. “Let’s go to dinner.”

“You’re not going to explain that?”

After thinking about it for a second, he said, “Nope.”

“It’s not nice to tease me that way.”

“You love when I tease you.” He swooped in to kiss her, but she turned away.

“No kissing until you tell me what you meant by that.”

“I’ll get you to change your mind.”

She lifted herself off his lap and back into her seat. “Give it your best shot.”

W
alking into the madness that was Sunday dinner at his parents’ house, Hunter hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake by bringing Megan with him. Was it too soon in their new relationship to subject her to the Abbotts? Probably, but Sunday dinner was a big part of their routine and he wanted her to be a big part of
his
routine. And he wanted his family to know he was serious about her right from the beginning.

“Is there a Sunday dinner uniform that no one told me about?” she asked, gesturing to all the denim and khaki.

Hunter laughed at her observation. “Family picture. My mom gets a wild hair about pictures at least once a year, and she always makes us wear the same thing. This year it’s denim. Last year it was black.”

“The picture on your mantel is from last year.”

“Yes,” he said, pleased that she’d noticed. “We’ve got a few more family members this year.”

“Mom,” Hannah said as she helped in the kitchen. “Are Will and Cam coming?”

“They said they were when we talked to them last night.”

“Can I help with anything?” Megan asked.

“Not a thing, honey,” Molly said. “You’re forever waiting on all of us. Today it’s our turn.”

Hunter sent his mother a grateful smile. He could always count on her to say the exact right thing.

Colton and Lucy arrived, followed by Lucas and Landon and then Max and his very pregnant girlfriend, Chloe.

“Lucas,” Molly said, “go upstairs and iron that shirt right now. You’re not ruining another family picture.”

“Told you she’d make you iron,” Landon said with a smirk.

“
She
is in the room, and
she
has a name,” Molly said.

“He’s been ruining the family pictures since the day he was born,” Hunter said, earning a middle finger from his younger brother on his way out of the kitchen.

Hunter grabbed the finger and had Lucas’s arm pinned to his back so quickly his brother never saw it coming.

“The
hands
!” Lucas screamed. “They’re insured for millions!”