by Leanne Davis
His eyes shut. “I know what you told me. I just thought we had this. We were in full agreement about her. Venting helps me live with her. Deal with her. Not want to kill her. Resist the urge to become a homicidal maniac and commit murder. Or to throw a plate at her when she’s screeching, ‘Hunter this and Hunter that and oh, Hunter, you need to do everything for me.’ Now you’re saying you bonded with her?”
“I did it for you. To help you, I mean, us in the long-term. The less energy she expends on hating me, the better person and therefore, the better mother she’ll be. The more self-sufficient she becomes, the less she will need you or any other man. Maybe it will prevent her from marrying a loser like Stanley that your son will have to deal with. Anything that improves her life makes his life better too.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re right. Of course. As always. You’re so good. But unfortunately, I can’t get past the screech of her voice to begin to see whatever you’re talking about. I’ll have to trust you, but just realize: this is a huge ask.”
“Gigantic.” She grinned and he leaned over and set his lips on hers. He kissed her long and deep. It was soul-stirring. She almost dropped her cone she was so caught up in his delicious mouth and her desire to hold onto his neck lest her knees collapse. When he finally released her, she held onto his shoulder and glanced around self-consciously. “What was that for?”
“For being you. I love you. I hate Francine. I detest living with her. I abhor the sound of her voice. Her screeching, crying, whiny voice saying my name. And I really love you.”
His forehead rested on hers. She shut her eyes, feeling his love. Believing it too. Finally, she whispered, “I used to worry we were together too soon after what you suffered with Francine. The whole betrayal and all that. I used to worry you were just replacing your sadness and hurt on a rebound with me. Trying to feel better. But—”
“But you can’t deny what you feel with me? How real and raw and deep it is? How you have my heart, guts and soul all in the palm of your lovely, little hand?” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “The only other living being that I feel like that with is Russell. Just you and Russell.”
“I believe you now. Yes.”
“Then marry me. Move in here. Be with me forever. Be the family that I only live for now.”
“No. Baby steps, Hunter. We have to take baby steps.”
He released her and flopped down on the sand. He started licking the melting ice cream with a vengeance. “I know. You’re right.”
She sat beside him, their legs touching. He finished his cone. Eating with as much enthusiasm, she finished hers and licked her lips before wiping her hands on her shirt. He glanced down at her and laughed as her sticky hands clung to her hemline. He grabbed her hand, slipping it into his mouth and licking her fingertips. She crinkled her nose at him. “That’s gross.”
“That’s because we’re not on my bed. Then it would be sensuous.”
“The old you, the one you were when you were with Francine, would consider me a heathen. You’d turn your nose up in disdain. Think I’m—”
He suddenly flipped her on her back and she was lying down, her hair pillowing in the soft, white, dry sand. He was half above her, pinning her down, while grinning at her. “Shut up, Kyomi.” Then his head came down and he kissed her again.
Laughing, she had to push him hard to let her up. She sat up, brushing her fingers through her hair. “You are the heathen now. What will people think?”
“Just being a heathen with you. People will think that I’m crazy in love with this beautiful heathen.”
Her heart hurt from all the joy that filled it. Swelling it. “Hunter Rydell, you are trying to make me forget some of the steps.”
“All of them.”
He sat back on his butt, staring out and hooking his arms around his legs. Contemplating him, Kyomi saw the deep beauty of his face and her heart thumped. It was beating with the rhythm of her thoughts. Forget the steps. Forget all of them.
But what about her dad? The ranch? Where could she work? Could she live here? Here?
She didn’t want to live without him again.
Licking her lips, she ventured a suggestion as a compromise. “The townhouse below Francine’s is available for rent.”
He tilted his head down and stared at her, raising his eyebrows. “So…?”
“I was thinking you should rent it.”
“I’m already strapped for cash. We’ll have enough after a few more months of work, but still, it’s tight. The prices around here are so ridiculous. And I can’t leave her fully alone with Russell. Not full-time. You know that no matter how Franny-loving you might be.”
“I was thinking…” She licked her lips and plunged ahead. “I could move in with her and be her roommate. I can monitor her when you can’t. Between the two of us, she might be manageable. It would allow you more space, but you’d still be right here for Russell. I can work too so I will help with rent. We send Franny out and start her on a part-time job so she can also contribute something. Not important for this conversation. But anyway, there is that.”
Halfway through her thoughts, his spine straightened as if a steel rod were aligning it. His eyes flashed and he stared hard into hers. “You would do that? You would move here? Literally live here?” He waved his hand to the building he lived in behind him. “But what about the ranch? Your dad? Your job? You can’t ranch here. Kyomi, what about that?”
Her heart melted into a puddle. He prioritized her ranching as much as his money-making career. “I like it. A lot. I mean it. I’ve never lived in a setting like this. I kind of fell in love with it this weekend though. I didn’t like Seattle. I could not live downtown there. But this? It’s so quaint and refreshing. Interesting and busy. Without becoming obnoxious. Maybe not forever, but yeah, for a while. Be somewhere new? Do something new? I’m a rancher for my dad. Something I began in my youth. That’s all I know. But I’m a hard worker and I’m sharp too. I can learn new things. The city water department has job openings. Work that would be accessible for me. It’s more physical and I’d be on my feet more than an office job, which I would never apply for. But yeah, I could work a municipal job. Great benefits, adequate pay, and again, the kind of work I could do.”
His mouth dropped open. “You already looked into it?”
“Yes. I lived through our separation too. Without you. I had so much stupid time. So much boredom. So much missing you. I know what you were feeling. Exactly.”
He shook his head. “I thought it was just me being miserable.”
“No. I’m ridiculously and childishly hung up on you too. Hate a day without seeing your face. But I know skipping steps and not taking enough time leads to not knowing each other, and Francine-level mistakes. I want to do all of this right. We must. Adding Franny and the baby? Yes, it changes things for me, but with time and all that, we could find a responsible way to do it. This way, we could still see each other whenever we wanted to.”
“What about your dad? The ranch?”
“He’s better. Not drinking so much. We had a few epic talks during these months.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was leading up to it but I had to get your take on it first. You’ve been pretty open with me. So I can tell you now. Lots of talks and bonding. Moving past some of his guilt and horror over what he witnessed and losing his sons. He talked about it for the first time. But at least, he’s talking and that’s a start.”
“And you’re thinking?”
“He can live alone now. I can still go home every week. But we can hire someone to help. You know, AJ Reed is ranching again? I was thinking…”
“He would be an excellent manager for your family ranch. No one is more reliable.” He stood up, pulling her up with him and his eyes glowed with excitement. “You figured all this out?”
“Well, what do you think?”
“Yes. I think fucking, yes! To all of it.”
She
laughed as he spun her around, clinging to his neck to avoid being thrown onto the sand. When he finally set her back on her feet, she grinned up at him. “And then I can finish my work on Franny.”
He groaned and his mouth came down on hers as she added with a smile, “It would be for us.”
“Us. Fuck, then do whatever you have to do. I just need you, you strange, friendly, direct, honest, beautiful, little heathen who stole my heart, my breath and my entire life. I am all yours. Just let me know when we’ve completed all your steps and you’re ready to say yes to me.”
She simply smiled up at him. “I am saying yes to you. Just not yet.”
“Okay, then we can take the yet out of it. Us. Our lives here. Our lives together and just be… us.”
Epilogue
ENTERING THE ROOM, KYOMI stopped dead. She knew in a second exactly who was holding Franny’s hands in his.
“Franny. No. Don’t even entertain whatever he’s trying to sell you.”
“Who are you?” the man asked, turning fully to her, his charming smile instantly gone. But he did not emanate the genuine, warm, wonderful charm that Hunter exuded. Kyomi knew instantly this was the fake, selfish, manipulative, sociopathic false charm a man used to get what he wanted from everyone around him for no reason.
“Franny, don’t!” Kyomi warned her. “He’s a piece of shit.”
Francine’s face scrunched up. “How did you know?”
“Who Stanley is? His type is obvious to most people. Don’t listen to that line of crap. He left you twice in the span of a month during the very first few weeks of your son’s life. That tells you all you need to know. Meanwhile, your ex-husband, someone who justifiably detested you, moved in with you to help and support you in a single day. That’s the type of man you give your love to. Learn your lesson.”
Francine looked from her to Stanley and back.
“Who the fuck are you?” Stanley demanded again.
“Her friend.” Kyomi stared at Stanley without elaborating. “Someone who wants what’s best for her.”
“Or you? You’re Hunter’s chick.” He turned to Francine. “They’re using you. Come on baby, we’ll figure this out. Dad reached out to me. I’m sure he’ll start speaking to us soon.”
Francine looked from Stanley to Kyomi again. Then swallowing hard, she took her hand from his. Not with a jerk as Kyomi would have relished, or even a badass attitude. Kyomi would have done much worse to this douchebag, but she was relieved to see Francine gently remove his hand from hers. “Your dad and my mom already talked to me. They had dinner here last week. But they aren’t giving either of us any money.”
Stanley’s face contorted. “Oh? Well, I still think—”
Kyomi sat at the bar, purposefully staring at them. He turned Francine slightly so Kyomi wasn’t in her line of sight. “Don’t think about it. Feel what I’m saying. Feel us. I love you. I need you. You know that. It’s always been us for each other.”
“Yawn. Until he left you. First once, then again, and again, and again. He didn’t hesitate to leave you with a newborn and a hefty mortgage payment,” Kyomi added. She was smiling sweetly at him.
Stanley scowled at her with a murderous look in his eyes. “Shut up, bitch.”
Francine suddenly stiffened, looking taller and more regal as he held her firmly by the biceps. Slowly, she peeled off his slimy grip, removing one hand, then the other. “You won’t speak to her like that. Just… please leave.” Then she rushed off to her room, leaving Kyomi all alone.
Kyomi stared him down. “You heard her. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”
“You bitch!” He whipped around. “You dirty, mother-sucking cunt! How dare you!”
She yawned dramatically to convey her annoyance. She literally cared nothing about him. “You said that already.”
When he unexpectedly stepped closer to her, a shiver of apprehension shot down her spine. Maybe she was a bit too critical in her disdain of this psycho; maybe he wasn’t as harmless and useless as she initially believed. He snarled at her and Francine’s door opened. “You can’t talk to her like that! Get away from her! Now! Get away from both of us!” She was screaming, screeching, and whining as only Francine Stanton Rydell could do. Kyomi stared in shock as she began advancing on him. He stared dumbfoundedly at her.
Then the front door opened and Hunter came in like a shot. In a split second, he took command of the scene. “Get out!” he yelled, clenching his fists and making his jaw rigid.
Stanley looked around and finally snarled, “This is some fucked-up shit.” Then he made his exit, but Hunter raised his chest and stared him down hard as he tried to pass him.
“Hunter,” Kyomi warned him.
He finally stepped out of the way, keeping his gaze glued on hers. As soon as the door shut, he lunged forward and grabbed her. “Are you two all right? I was just coming up and heard Francine yelling and my heart about gave out…”
She hugged him and kissed the side of his cheek. “We’re both fine. He was just unconvinced and ultimately miffed when Franny threw his useless ass out. He tried to be a tiny bit threatening for a second with me, but Franny came out and gloriously demanded that he take his lame ass out of here. Far away from her and us. She stood up for me.” Kyomi’s eyes twinkled as she stared with pleasure at her roommate for the last year now.
Francine smiled back. “He can’t talk to my friends like that.”
“Or…?” Kyomi baited her, sounding more motherly in her tone.
Francine smiled. “Me. No man who cares about me can address me that way. Even if I have a whiny voice. He should love that too.”
Hunter blinked his surprise. Turning to Kyomi, he asked, “Did you tell her that?”
“Yes. She’s working hard to avoid whining so it won’t be a problem much longer.”
He shut his eyes. “Maybe we three really are epically fucked up.”
She kissed him again. “Nah. We’re awesome.”
Francine smiled as she said, “I’ll go finish getting Russell Wilson ready.”
“You really could just call him Russell. We know who you mean.” Hunter’s tired voice begged her for the thousandth time. Francine never took his advice though.
He waited for the door to shut and then grabbed Kyomi. “That scared the shit out of me when I heard the screaming.”
She set a hand on his heart and admitted, “For a tiny moment, I was scared too. But Franny had my back. She came out for me. To help me. Totally unselfishly she chose to help me. Don’t you see what’s happened?”
“No, but you look like I did when Russell took his first step. I was the proudest parent alive. What am I missing?”
“She’s done it. Franny is no longer a work in progress. She’s had an amazing change. She’s kept her job for three months now.”
“After losing five different jobs before this one,” he cautioned.
Kyomi waved her hand around as if that were ancient history. “She is sticking to her own budget. She’s all on her own now. Last month, she was under budget for the first time ever. But just now? She put my well-being, that of her friend, ahead of her own. She’s selfless now.” Kyomi smiled, getting choked up.
“She’s still Francine. So she’s still pretty selfish. Yesterday, she insisted I trade her a dozen cookies for asking her to watch Russell an extra hour.”
Kyomi waved her hand around. “She’s changed in major ways.”
“So, shall I assume Project Franny is accomplished, Double-Oh-Seven?” He teased her. Kyomi gave her roommate a substantial amount of time and attention in the past year.
“She’s self-sufficient. She’s a good mother. Yes. She’s come very far. And best of all? She just threw out her stepbrother, the real motherfucker.”
“Okay. Good point,” Hunter conceded.
Kyomi rose off the stool and entered his open arms. Looking up at him, she said softly, “And I think it’s time for me to say ‘yes,’ without adding ‘yet’.”
Hunter stroked her hair as she spoke. He seemed to be listening languidly until a moment after she spoke the words. It took a full minute for him to process her meaning. For the words to register. He grabbed her face with both hands and stared down at her. “Do you mean us? We don’t need to wait for a yet? To be without Francine? Do you mean we took all the baby steps?”
She nodded, and her eyes teared up at seeing the incredible joy on his face. She touched his cheek and nodded. That’s all he needed. A nod. He didn’t need to hear the words, they’d all been said, many times, almost on a daily basis. He didn’t need the actions either since they enjoyed what they did every day. They shared Russell and put in equal time and care. They went out on dates and stayed home to cuddle and play with their baby. They liked to hang out with Franny and Russell. Hunter made his peace with the woman who broke his heart through her betrayal, and told Kyomi he was glad Francine did that because it opened his heart to her. The love of his life. The woman he wanted to spend his lifetime with. All the pretty words Hunter loved to say and whisper to Kyomi were the best moments. Sometimes, while he was fully buried inside her body, he told her how he felt. Sometimes he told her while he had her hand tucked in his as they walked the sandy beach at sunset. Sometimes he said it when he was playing on the floor with his baby and happened to glance up, only to catch her mooning over them.
But unlike before, now she believed every single word he said. Every single time.
“Yes. It’s simply yes, Hunter Rydell, if you’re still asking me.” A huge grin split her face, and she had no doubt that he would continue asking her to promise her future to him. He couldn’t wait for her to fully move in with him. She was already the stepmother and co-parent with him and Franny to Russell Wilson. Even though Hunter was never sold on the name, it grew on Kyomi. Little Russell Wilson turned out to be a champion and hero to all three of them. No one else but this amazing, red-haired toddler could manage to bring together Francine, Kyomi and Hunter. Not like Russell Wilson did. He was a much-loved member of their family and everything was done for him, in honor of him and about him.
