“Last night,” Vanessa trilled, running a hand down the front of her shirt. Wait, Hunter’s shirt.
“Me and the guys were out late,” Connor said.
Vanessa strode over to the fridge and pulled it open. “That explains why you didn’t see me then.”
Connor looked at Mia next, the horror of the situation registering on his face. “Did you and Hunter … I mean, are you two getting back together?”
Vanessa walked back to the counter with a single egg in her hand. “I’d like to think we are. We’ve got a little more to discuss.” She leaned toward Mia and lowered her voice. “Thanks for getting him in front of the camera. Who knew he’d end up putting Brad Pitt to shame? I’m going to see if I can get him to join me in Hollywood. I think he’s missed his true calling.”
“Yeah.” Mia nodded, though it didn’t feel like her head was attached. And her hands, they’d gone from cold and clammy to hot and prickly, like someone was zapping her fingers with tiny electric shocks.
Without another word, she spun back toward the door, desperate to leave the house, leave the state, get as far away as possible. What had she been thinking? This was what she’d hoped to avoid. No, it was worse than what she’d hoped to avoid. Getting turned away was one thing. But seeing him back with Vanessa …
Nausea rolled through her stomach as Connor followed Mia outside. Vanessa called out—maybe saying goodbye or asking why she was leaving. Mia couldn’t tell which, but it didn’t matter. Vanessa had come back for him. And though Hunter had declared he was over the Hollywood star, it was obvious he’d taken her back. No wonder he hadn’t come after Mia. Hunter wasn’t waiting for an apology; he was too busy using his newfound fame to score the woman who’d left him behind.
Mia climbed into the truck, pleased when Connor settled into the driver’s side. “Why don’t you at least talk to Hunter before you leave?”
“He slept with her, Connor.”
“You don’t know that,” he said.
Mia tilted her head. “It’s obvious.”
Connor didn’t argue, only thrummed his hands on the steering wheel. “Do you want me to take you to Wayne’s?”
Yes. She wanted that very badly. Wanted to fall into Gramps’s arms and cry for days. There was only one thing she wanted more: to get as far away from Hunter and Vanessa McKlainy as possible. “No,” she said in a whisper. “Will you please just take me back to the airport?”
Connor gulped. Nodded. And then started up the truck.
The sight of the fields and barns and livestock made her homesick in some strange way. If Hunter really did move to Hollywood, perhaps Mia could move to Montana. But would she even want to anymore?
“I’m sorry,” Connor said. “I had no idea …”
“It’s okay.” Okay was the wrong word. It had happened, there was no taking it back, but it was far from okay. It was horrible. And Mia wasn’t sure how and when she’d recover.
Silence took over until they neared the airport. Mia realized then that Connor must be wondering about the job. “Oh,” she said, gripping her carry-on case once more. “Are you okay with shooting for option B?”
He gave her a smile and a nod. “Of course. I’m truly just happy for the opportunity.”
A spark of excitement flared within her as she imagined introducing her subscribers to her new videographer, someone they were already familiar with. “I’m happy you’re willing to take it. Can you get to Portland by next Thursday?”
He nodded.
“You can take Karen’s room, like we discussed. See how you feel about signing on for another six months.” They had discussed it, but at the time, Mia hadn’t really believed they’d have to fall back on that option.
“Awesome,” he assured, reaching his arms out to give her a hug.
Mia appreciated that Connor had never been flirtatious with her like the others had. It made the situation ahead seem doable. He treated her with respect, and she knew she could trust him.
She grabbed her bag and cranked open the door. Gramps once told her things would work out with Hunter if the two were meant for each other. It seemed that despite Mia’s longing to have Hunter in her life, he wasn’t meant for her after all.
Chapter 25
Hunter could not work the furrow from his brow—a mixture of frustration and irritation all at once.
The irritation was, in two words, Vanessa McKlainy. As if he didn’t have enough distractions at the moment. Now he was stuck driving her back to the airport while she sat on the passenger seat of his truck, texting and tweeting like a madwoman.
The frustration came from a different dilemma: He had to get Mia to realize how sorry he was. And beg her to give him a second chance.
“Oh my gosh!” Vanessa grabbed Hunter’s arm. “My agent just sent me this thing saying a cancer patient—she’s just a little kid—wants to meet us for her wish.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Kids,” she explained, “when they’re sick and in the hospital can sometimes make a wish. There’s a foundation out there that will grant it. Take their family to Disneyland, that type of thing.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Well, there’s a little girl in California who says she wants to meet me and you. Isn’t that sweet?”
“Yeah,” he said, but he was still puzzled. “How would she know that you and I even know each other? No one else in the world does.”
She turned to him, the sunny view out the window reflecting off her sunglasses. A smile pulled at her lips. “I might have told my Twitter followers that I was coming over last night. And that I used to be married to you.”
“Why would you go and do something like that?” His eyes were back on the road, but he still saw her shrug.
“Just thought I might reveal a bit more of my past, is all.”
Humph. It didn’t add up. Here she’d worked to keep it a secret this whole time, not telling even one Hollywood soul that she’d been married, and now she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
“My agent also said he could get us a few interviews together.”
The irritation multiplied. “Listen, Vanessa. I don’t want to be some pawn in your career games. If you want to show that you know how to slum it with some shovel-carting, horse-riding cowboy, go find yourself a new one. I respected your privacy when you wanted it, and now I’m asking you to respect mine.”
Vanessa sucked in a breath like she’d been hit with a bucket of ice.
The truck cab got quiet, and Hunter could feel tension radiating off her small frame. Who cared if she was mad? She’d infuriated him more times than he could count.
“So you’re not even going to come see the sick girl in the hospital? Even though it’s her wish?”
Hunter clenched his teeth. “If it’s really her wish, have them contact Mia. They saw me through her show. If she wants me to do it, I will. Maybe she and I will go down together.” He figured Vanessa was making the whole thing up. But if a sick little girl cooped up in a hospital really did want to see him, he wouldn’t say no.
“So is that who you like now—Mia?”
That sorry-looking pout was a flash from his past. One he hadn’t missed a bit.
A buzz from his phone interrupted the building tension. Hunter reached for it, noticing Wayne’s name on the screen as he brought it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Just what in tarnation do you think you’re doing?”
He’d heard Wayne angry more than a time or two, but never had the man sounded as furious as he did through the line.
“Huh?”
“My granddaughter flies all the way out here to see you, the least you could do is talk to her.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean?”
“I mean Mia came out here and now she’s flying back home with a broken heart.”
“She’s here? I didn’t even see her. Why is she leaving?” His words broke off as he considered the woman sitting beside him.
�
�Connor said Vanessa was there in the kitchen,” Wayne explained. “Wearing no more than your shirt, by the way. I hope you have a good explanation for that. Not that you owe me any, I guess. But I do think you owe Mia one.”
Vanessa had the visor down, her face just inches from the mirror as she spread a deep red lipstick over her top lip, and then the bottom.
“Did you see Mia this morning?” he asked.
The woman rubbed her lips together, lazily tilting her head to one side. “Yeah, I forgot to tell you.”
“So you’re going to get back with your ex, huh?” Wayne accused. “Let her do another number on you?”
“No, that’s not what I want at all. Just … who’s taking Mia to the airport? I’ve got to stop her from going home.”
“Connor already dropped her off. He called me from the parking lot. Said the next flight doesn’t leave for another hour yet, but she wanted to be left alone.”
“Thanks, Wayne. I’ll call you back and explain as soon as I can.” He ended the call, cradled the small phone in his palm, and eyed Vanessa once more. “What did you say to her when she came?”
“Hardly anything,” she said, flipping the visor back into place. She leaned back and checked her reflection in the side mirror. “She’s the one who ran out in a huff.”
Hunter knew there was more to it than that. But there was no getting through to someone like Vanessa. She had her own agenda and was used to getting her way.
He pressed harder on the gas, placed his phone back in the cup holder, and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. If Mia’s flight didn’t leave for a while, perhaps he could catch her before she left.
A surge of excitement stirred in his belly as he thought of seeing her. Were Vanessa not in the truck with him, he’d call Mia on the spot. As it was, he should make it to the airport in thirty to forty minutes. Once he dropped Vanessa off, he would try to call. Until then, Hunter would pray he’d be able to find her. He’d buy a ticket to Portland, if that’s what it took, and hop on the plane with her if need be. He only needed a chance to set things right. And Hunter was determined to do that today.
Mia stared at her phone as it lit up with Gramps’ number. She felt horrible for not stopping to see him, but there was just no turning back. She’d bought her ticket, made it through security, and soon she would catch a flight back home, where Connor would take Karen’s place. Where she would not think about the gorgeous green of Hunter’s eyes. Or the cruel brown in Vanessa’s. She would also not think about the two of them spending the rest of their lives together, earning Oscars or Grammys or whatever it was actors held while bulbs flashed and spectators drooled.
But what a knife it was. What a sharp and stinging blade—having him leap right into bed with the woman he’d claimed to be over not long ago.
The phone beeped, letting her know that Gramps had left a message. She sighed out a heavy breath, then slid her thumb over the screen. The crowded airport made it hard to hear, but Mia pressed the phone firmly against her ear and covered the other with a couple of fingers.
“Mia, I don’t think you should leave just yet. I know you already sent Connor away, but the truth is, he hasn’t driven off. He’s in the parking garage hoping you’ll change your mind. I hope you will too, doll face. No need to go rushing off before you have the whole story. Hunter sounded mighty surprised that you’d shown up this morning. And none too happy about not seeing you himself.”
Mia lowered the phone before the message was through. She was glad she hadn’t answered when he’d called. Gramps was convincing, and she might not have stuck to her guns. As it was, she was sticking to them just fine.
She glanced at the time—twenty minutes until she could board. She waited five minutes, walked to the boarding gate, and sank into a chair. Another five minutes passed, her leg bouncing restlessly as time ticked on. Where had she seen a water fountain? She planned to fill up her water bottle before leaving. If she hurried, she’d make it back before they boarded the plane.
She sped down the crowded corridor, dodging rolling cases and moving bodies along the way.
At the fountain, Mia tapped her foot while watching the steady stream of water flow into the open top of the bottle. Come on, come on. Hopefully they wouldn’t board early. She imagined the plane taking off without her, leaving Mia stuck in Montana with Hunter and his ex-wife.
The idea was enough to stop her just short of filling the bottle. Mia fisted the lid as she spun around, anxious to dart down the …
Slam!
Water splashed her face in the collision. Her carry-on screeched to a halt as well. Just what had she run into?
“Mia?” Relief coated the sound of her name.
She stepped back, smeared water drops from her cheek, and took in the sight of a very surprised-looking Hunter.
A smile spread over his face. “Wayne said you’d be here. I’m glad you haven’t left yet.”
Someone must’ve waved the checkered flag, because Mia’s heart sped up like a race had begun. “Hi.” She couldn’t remember how she was supposed to feel toward him. The butterflies and elation conflicted with how she felt a moment ago. This was why she’d wanted to leave without talking to him. This was why she needed to get out of there now. She still loved him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m here to take Vanessa home,” he explained.
That put her emotions in check. “Oh, so you got what you wanted from her and now you’re done. Or do you plan to join her soon? Drop my grandpa on his butt and pursue Hollywood with Vanessa McKlainy.” Her mouth was so dry the words came out halted and choppy. If Mia drank the entire bottle of water in her hand it wouldn’t help. It felt like she was going into shock with the dry mouth and aching chest and panicky beat of her heart.
“I don’t want Vanessa.” Hunter wrapped a hand around her arm.
Mia gulped, watching his face as the words reverberated through her. He didn’t want Vanessa … Beneath a concerned-looking furrow in his brow, sincerity ruled those deep green eyes. “Then why’d you spend the night with her?”
“I didn’t.”
Still watching. Still mentally digesting. She set her water bottle on top of her carry-on case. “You didn’t?”
Hunter held her gaze. “No,” he assured. “Nothing happened between us last night.”
“She was in your shirt.”
He shook his head. “I know. She wanted to get back together, and when I refused her, she tried everything she could to change my mind. But nothing happened. None of it worked. Vanessa is nothing more than a piece of my past.”
Mia let those words settle over her like a warm, calming blanket. She took a moment to recall the awful dream she’d had. Vanessa acting as newscaster, announcing the horrible failure Mia had become. While failure had been a terrible fear of hers, she was certain that losing Hunter would be much worse.
“Tell me why you came back,” he said. “I need to know.”
“I came back because I wanted to spend more time with you. I asked Connor if he’d like to take Karen’s place so I could try filming the show from Montana …”
Before she finished, Hunter threw his arms around her and lifted her off the floor. “You’re staying?” He chuckled. “You’re really planning to stay here?” His breath came out ragged and raw as he set her back down.
Mia lifted her chin, got lured into those warm green eyes. “Maybe.” They had things to work out, aside from the whole Vanessa thing. It just took a minute to recall what they were. Oh yeah. “I’m sorry for leaving like I did,” she blurted, remembering what she’d planned to say. “I should have—”
But Hunter shook his head. “No, Mia. I got scared about losing you and I …” The torment was back in his eyes. “Here you confide in me about the men in your life not taking your job seriously, and the first chance I get to support you I fail miserably. Push you away instead.”
Mia’s heart soared higher than the nearby escalator. She hadn’t known it, but these were words s
he needed to hear. “I understand,” she said with a nod. “You already had someone pick their job over you. But that’s not going to happen with me.”
Hunter reached behind his back and pulled out a folded slip that looked a lot like her boarding pass. “I may have just bought this to get through security, but if you’re serious about moving here, I can go back with you now and help.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Or we could wait a day or two.” Hunter squeezed her in a hug again, flattened his hands over her back, and sighed.
Mia reveled in the moment, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her. She pressed her cheek against his chest, focused on the heated thump of his heart, and knew without a doubt that she loved him.
Hunter pulled back the slightest bit, lowered his head, and ran the tip of his nose over her cheek. Back and forth. Dang, he smelled good. Goose bumps erupted over her arms. At last he came in for a kiss, his lips warm and firm on hers. Strong at first—a celebration. But then his kiss became gentle. Slow. Savoring.
“I think I’m in love with you,” he mumbled against her mouth.
People shuffled by in all directions. Footsteps and rolling luggage. Flight announcements and boarding calls. All of that faded away as Mia heard those glorious words. She kissed him again, lingering in the blissful tease. When she pulled back at last, she took a moment to catch her breath, then lifted herself up on her toes. “I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, too.”
Chapter 26
“Hey, guys, welcome to Try My Life, the place where you tell us what it’s like to be in your shoes. If we’re intrigued by your day-to-day forte, we might come try it out for size. Today I get to try something along the lines of my everyday job. I’m going to give you folks a minute to guess what it might be while Hunter and I give you a few clues.”
Mia turned to Hunter as Connor panned out, capturing both of them in the shot. “Give them their first clue.”
Hunter gave her a grin. “The person with this occupation is on camera anywhere between two to five days a week.”
Once Hitched Twice Shy (Unlikely Cowgirl) Page 16
