Reforming Hunt

by Jules Barnard

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re giving me time alone for self-serving purposes?” she said, attempting to keep things light.

  “Because I am?” He urged her close, her body flush with his.

  Abby’s eyes widened. “How are you hard after we just had sex?”

  “I told you.” He brushed a lock of hair off her cheek and ran his lips across her skin. “You inspire me.”

  “Only inspire?” she said, her thoughts drifting into brain-fog territory.

  “I might like you a little.” Hunt hesitated and pulled away, looking distracted.

  A stupid flutter of excitement ran through her. It was too much to ask that Hunt’s feelings for her had grown the way hers had for him. He’d already given her so much as it was. So she went for a teasing tone instead. “Just a little?”

  “A lot.” He sent her a look. “Abby, this is the first serious relationship I’ve had in a very long time.”

  Relationship. Not just an agreement. “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t have a good track record when it comes to loving women.”

  He might as well have poured cold water over her head. Which was why she needed to remember all she’d lost the last time she fell in love.

  She didn’t know if Noah’s grandparents had a legal right to her son, but she wasn’t risking it. Which was why she’d married Hunt to begin with. And she had to keep that focus.

  Abby must have revealed some of her mental freak-out, because Hunt said, “I won’t hurt you.”

  But it would hurt her when he left, regardless of if she kept her feelings locked down. She could lie to Hunt about how deeply her feelings ran, but she couldn’t lie to herself.

  Hunt had been the first person to truly care for her in ages, and now he was her lover. And she liked the way he smelled, even after his workouts. No man smelled good after workouts, but somehow Hunt did. When he slept, she cuddled up to him to get warm, and he didn’t even jerk away at her cold feet. That was some keeper shit right there.

  What was she going to do?

  Hunt couldn’t leave her, because she was falling in love with him.

  Chapter 26

  A few days later, the Cade estate was ready to move into.

  Levi, Adam, Bran, and Wes poured their long limbs out of their vehicles and scratched various body parts while yawning.

  “You look hungover,” Hunt said, eyeing one brother after the other. “What the hell have you been up to?”

  Bran notched his eyebrow as if to say, “Really?” “We watched Outlander last night, and Ireland was feeling inspired after hearing the Scottish brogue. She kept me up late.”

  There were perks to living with a woman, and Hunt was feeling the effects of committed bliss too. For instance, he might have vaulted up the front steps a couple of nights ago to get to Abby before Noah came home. But a quickie wasn’t really a quickie if all parties received full pleasure and still had time for a post-sex cuddle-chat.

  Cuddle-chat? He was losing his mind. But what a way to go.

  And then Hunt realized something else. For the first time in as far back as he could remember, he was on the same wavelength as his brothers, with this whole committed bliss thing.

  But there was a downside to committed bliss, which might have been why Hunt naturally avoided it. He grew more attached to Abby with each day that passed, and that had never happened. Ever.

  Wes glared at them. “Not all of us stay up for fun times. I have a toddler. The only thing I’ve been up to is chasing my daughter around twenty-four seven.”

  “Feel free to bring her over if you and Kaylee need some time,” Hunt said. “Harlow prefers me anyway.”

  Wes snorted. “No way. Kaylee told me about your brainwashing efforts to get Harlow to say your name.” He pointed. “Stay away from my kid.”

  “So I’ll pick her up tomorrow?” Hunt said.

  Wes rolled his eyes. “Don’t give her sweets. She hasn’t been introduced to processed sugar yet. Knowing you, you’ll use it to bribe her.”

  Excellent idea, Hunt thought.

  He loved his niece. In fact, once his brother had had a kid, it got Hunt thinking about having a Harlow of his own. Until now, Hunt couldn’t picture any woman he’d want to have a child with, but Abby was an amazing mother. And Hunt sure as hell enjoyed practicing baby-making with her.

  Hunt never tired of Abby or felt like he needed space. If anything, Abby was too independent. Now that she had more time, she was determined to finish her nursing degree, which Hunt fully supported. Except when it pulled her out of bed early for classes. That part could kiss his ass—he wanted Abby to himself in the morning before little feet scampered into the room.

  Hunt scratched his head while his brothers drained strong-smelling coffee. They were here to help move Hunt and Abby’s things into the Cade house now that the old place was near completion. The plan had been to sell it, but maybe a sale wasn’t needed? The Cade estate was a little much for a three-person family, but then there was the baby idea…

  Ever since Lewis and his team demoed the house, Hunt had envisioned him and Abby living where he’d grown up. That was shocking enough on its own. He’d never imagined moving back in to his father’s home. But he’d been so excited to move in today that he’d woken early and finished packing the kitchen.

  Truth be told, Abby was more organized and had done most of the packing, but she was busy today. She’d left for her classes, so Hunt dropped off Noah at Club Kids and called his brothers over.

  Hunt couldn’t explain how he’d fallen into domestic bliss, except that it had seemed inevitable from the very beginning. He’d said he wanted to help Abby with Noah. He’d said he had the means and could protect her from Noah’s grandparents. All true. Only he’d also wanted Abby, even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself until now.

  Hunt was in deep. He tried to tell Abby the other day his feelings had grown, but he’d botched it.

  They were married. Did he need to communicate such things? Seemed to him that as long as he didn’t fuck things up, it was a done deal.

  Wes looked around the small living room Hunt shared with Abby and Noah. “You sure you want to keep this stuff? Doesn’t seem like it’s worth the work to move it to the new place.”

  “The furniture Abby and the designer chose for the house hasn’t come in yet. Abby said this would do for now. You think I’m stupid enough to go against my wife’s opinion?”

  Bran and Wes glanced at each other and promptly picked up the couch, hauling it to the moving truck Hunt had rented. Smart men.

  Hunt was wealthy. He could have hired people to do this shit, but he preferred torturing his brothers. It was how they bonded.

  It took two hours to load and unload everything from Abby’s house into a small square space in the living room of the Cade estate. Noah wanted to sleep in Hunt’s old bed, so they’d donated Noah’s old one and moved Abby’s bed into the master suite upstairs.

  Levi glanced around the remodeled first floor, moving from one room to the next. “It doesn’t look the same.”

  “That’s the point,” Hunt said, following him.

  Levi glanced back. “I thought the point was to fix it up and sell it? What’s with the new furniture you mentioned?”

  “The place needs to be staged. We bought essentials. Most of the rooms upstairs will be empty,” Hunt said.

  What he didn’t mention to his brother was that he expected to live there with Abby for a while before they sold. Not only because his family already owned the place and it had kid-friendly grounds for Noah, but also because the Cade estate would serve nicely for prosperity purposes where Noah’s grandparents were concerned. They hadn’t bothered Abby since Hunt married her, but it never hurt to hammer the last nail in the coffin of their dreams of taking Noah from his mother.

  “Just be happy Abby has excellent taste,” Hunt said. “She and the designer did a great job. It’ll look like a showstopper once the cabinets and
counters come in.”

  Lewis and his men had torn down walls and thrown up drywall, texture, and paint. They’d also moved electrical and rerouted plumbing for the updated kitchen configuration. The only items left were the finishes, which meant it would soon be time to invite Noah’s grandparents over to show just how established Abby and Noah were.

  Levi and Hunt walked back to the living room, and irritation vibrated off Levi’s stiff shoulders.

  Hunt sighed. It had been too much to expect his brother to appreciate the work he’d put into the place. His other brothers appeared pleased with everything, but Hunt should have known he could never please Levi. Why he even tried, Hunt didn’t know. Maybe he was still trying to make up for the past. But now he had bigger priorities. Abby and Noah came first.

  Levi glanced at the small square of items they’d moved in. “It’s not much, is it?”

  “No,” Hunt agreed.

  Levi cocked his head. “It’s deceptive when you think about it.”

  His brother must not have gotten enough caffeine. “What’s deceptive?”

  “Well,” Levi said, and scratched his unshaven jaw. “The way I see it, Abby’s got baggage, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her possessions.”

  What the fuck? “I don’t like the way you’re referring to my wife.” Levi was unaware of Hunt and Abby’s arrangement—all the more reason his brother shouldn’t talk shit.

  Levi turned to him. “You’re not emotionally mature enough to be married to a woman with a child. Not only that, a child whose father died. You just don’t have it in you.”

  Maybe it was residual childhood anger radiating off the walls of the house. Maybe it was the pressure Hunt felt to not let Abby down. Either way, for the last ten years, Levi had never stopped telling Hunt how disappointed he was, and Hunt was fed up. “One more word, and I’ll kick your ass.”

  Levi turned to him. “You made a mistake marrying that woman.”

  Hunt hurled himself at Levi, wrapping one arm around his brother’s neck in a chokehold.

  Levi had about fifteen pounds on Hunt, due to an inch or two more in height, but Hunt was solid muscle. With his momentum, Levi didn’t stand a chance. He went down. Hard.

  Levi twisted and elbowed Hunt in the stomach. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “I warned you,” Hunt growled. “Tired of your shit.”

  Adam ran in the front door. “Not again.” He groaned. “Is this going to be a regular thing? Because I thought you two got out your aggression at my engagement party.” Adam tried to pull Hunt off Levi, but Hunt head-butted him, and he staggered back.

  Hunt went for Levi again; this time, he punched his brother in the stomach and elbowed Levi’s chin. Blood pooled on Levi’s lip.

  Adam jerked Hunt’s shoulder back, and was on him again, jamming an elbow in Hunt’s spine.

  Hunt tried to wrench Adam off, but the next thing he knew, he was flat on the ground. Adam had kicked his legs out from under him.

  “Hey, uptight yuppie,” Hunt said. “Where are you learning these tricks in your three-piece suit?”

  Adam wrestled with Hunt to keep him down, ignoring the jibe. “I’m sick as fuck of you two fighting.”

  Hunt dropped his head back and let out a sigh. Adam was right. Hunt needed to stop letting Levi get to him. This stupid shit couldn’t go on.

  Adam let up his hold, and Hunt jerked to his feet. “I’m happy to put the past behind us,” he said as he glared at Levi, “but I refuse to hear anymore shit-talking about Abby.”

  Wes and Bran stood nearby now, having heard the commotion. Their arms hung loose at their sides as though they were prepared to jump in if need be. “That was a low blow, Levi,” Bran said.

  Levi wiped a smudge of blood from his lip. “Wasn’t shit-talking Abby. Was criticizing Hunt and his immaturity.”

  “Seems to me,” Adam said, brushing off his jeans, “you’ve both behaved immaturely. Hunt’s not a child you need to scold, Levi. He’s a grown-ass man. If he makes mistakes, it’s on him.”

  Hunt glared. “Thanks.”

  Just then, Abby sprinted in the front door, and all thoughts of his brothers disappeared. Because she looked stricken.

  Hunt ran over. “What’s wrong?”

  “I was on my way over,” she said, “and I got a call from Club Kids. There’s some kind of trouble at the beach… Noah’s in danger.”

  Chapter 27

  Abby sensed Hunt’s palm on her lower back, and then he was urging her toward his car. “Why aren’t any of you at the club?” she asked.

  When she received the call from Club Tahoe, she’d been on her way to the Cade house to help Hunt with the move. She hadn’t planned on finding all five of them there.

  “My brothers were helping us move in. I didn’t think it would take this long.”

  “But you were arguing when I walked up. I could hear the tension in your voices from outside.”

  He opened the passenger door and let her in, then jogged around the front of his Range Rover and hopped in the driver’s side. He started the engine and peeled out of the driveway. “We always fight.”

  Abby closed her eyes. “I can’t take this right now.”

  “Abby,” Hunt said. “Forget about my brothers. What did Kaylee say over the phone?”

  Abby’s hands shook. “There was an accident, and they called the Coast Guard.”

  Hunt squeezed the steering wheel and stepped on the gas. “It’s going to be okay.”

  When she didn’t say anything, he grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at him. “I promise, Abby. It will be all right.”

  His gaze was so sincere, as though he could fix anything. But no matter Hunt’s intentions, he wasn’t superhuman. “You don’t know that.” She was crying now, tears streaming down her face. “Kaylee wouldn’t tell me what happened over the phone. That has to be bad.”

  Hunt didn’t respond, but his jaw tightened and he returned his hand to the steering wheel as he maneuvered the winding roads to the club.

  Before long, he pulled up to Club Tahoe and what appeared to be a side entrance.

  He jumped out of the car and ran for a door.

  Abby quickly followed.

  Using a security card, Hunt let her in, but as soon as they were through the gate, he ran for the beach—and the crowd that had gathered there.

  “Oh my God,” Abby said, her chest tightening. She couldn’t breathe, but she ran after Hunt anyway, gasping.

  Hunt appeared to read the situation faster than Abby, because he stripped off his shirt and ran full tilt toward the dock, his brothers, coming out of nowhere, close behind.

  Abby ran up to Kaylee, who stood by the dock, her arms wrapped around the shoulders of one of the Club Kids children, worry written on her face. “What happened, Kaylee? Where’s Noah?”

  Kaylee said something low to the child, who took off to stand with the other children.

  She grabbed Abby’s hand. “One of the boats broke from the dock, and we can’t find Noah. We think he’s on it.”

  “What!” Abby searched the water. Hunt had gotten on a Jet Ski and was starting it up. “Where is the boat?”

  Kaylee pointed to the old wooden boat headed at a fast clip toward a large outcropping of granite boulders down the shore.

  Abby lurched forward. “No! I need to get to him!”

  Kaylee wrapped strong arms around Abby, holding her back. “Help is on the way. If Noah is on that boat, he’s going to need you safe when Hunt and the others return with him. You’re no good to Noah if you’ve drowned trying to swim to him.”

  Abby closed her eyes. She’d give anything to keep her son safe. Had, in fact, given up everything within her power to put a roof over his head. And now she’d married Hunt for the same reason.

  But Abby’s connection to Hunt had also put Noah in danger, because she’d agreed to let Noah continue on at Club Kids against her best instincts. Or maybe her instincts had been driven by fear. In any case, her son’s life w
as in danger, and it was all because of Club Tahoe. “I don’t understand. How did Noah end up on the boat?”

  “We don’t know for sure that he’s on it,” Kaylee said. “One of the employees saw the boat leaving the dock, and questioned me about it. Hunt wasn’t here, so it shouldn’t have been out. But the keys are missing, and someone released it from the slip. We’ve radioed the boat, but no one is answering.”

  By the time Kaylee had finished her last sentence, Hunt was already flying across the water on the Jet Ski. His brothers were in a larger Club Tahoe speedboat behind him. It also looked like the Coast Guard had shown up and were getting close to the vessel.

  “But how did you lose my son?”

  Kaylee closed her eyes as though in pain. “He was with the other kids this morning; I saw him myself. One of the new Club Kids attendants was in charge—someone who’s less familiar with the children—and he didn’t realize Noah had gone missing. We noticed it at the same time the warning went up for the boat.” Kaylee squeezed Abby’s shoulders. “I have people searching for Noah. We’ll find him. He’s often cleaning the old woody with Hunt, and with the woody out…our biggest concern is that he’s on the boat.”

  Abby had seen her son taking care of the woody when she’d been late to pick up Noah. “My son is five. He’d never take the boat out on his own.”

  Kaylee shook her head. “I promise you, Abby, I’ve got everyone searching for Noah. The police have been notified. We’ll scour every inch of this place until we find him.”

  But it didn’t take scouring the resort, because the Coast Guard radioed in that the boat had been boarded and they’d found Noah. They were on their way back now.

  Moments later, Hunt climbed onto the dock with a crying Noah in his arms, and Abby ran to them.

  “Mommy,” Noah said, reaching for her.

  She pulled Noah to her chest and held him tightly. She would strap him to her body and never let him get three inches from her person if she could. “Are you okay?”

  Noah sniffled, his wet cheeks dampening her shirt. “I was stuck on the boat and it was going so fast.”