Prince Hunter: A Prince of Tease Novel (Princes of Tease Book 2)

by Xavier Neal

  “Sir,” I politely nod, head still pounding.

  Get the feelin' they aren't gonna give me anything for that given how I got here.

  “I just wanna go over a few things, answer any questions, and then let you rest so your family can take you home in the morning.”

  Dr. Woodhouse begins to explain the severity of the situation I stumbled into. Hearing how close I was to bumping into death and actually landing on my girlfriend's table has me instantly reevaluating the very choices I was when I walked into the stable.

  Rory. Rory and a lifetime with her is what will make me happy, wherever that has to be. Whatever that means for my career. Despite the bullshit she said, I believe love is what will be there when everything else falls apart. I mean, I hope it is. It was for my grandparents. For my parents. I like to think it'll be there before me too.

  At the end of his speech, he lets me know the nurse will be returning shortly to help make me comfortable and clear out the room.

  The moment we're alone again, I sigh, “I wanna see, Rory.”

  “She's not here,” Sam replies.

  “What the hell do you mean she's not here?” Panic sets in. “Where did she go? How did she leave? How did-”

  “She's with your mama.” Pop's hand lands on my arm. “She's takin' good care of her. Don't worry. Try to get some rest. They'll be by to see you this afternoon.”

  I nod, a wave of exhaustion raining over me.

  Rest. Yes. Get some rest then make every important life decision I've ever had too. Oh the joy...

  **

  On a large yawn, I stretch my sore body, and adjust my eyes to the figure sitting in the chair beside my bed.

  A crooked smile finds its way to my face. “Queen. Came to make sure your top dancer was still in workin' condition?”

  French crosses her leg and looks up. “You seem to forget my time is valuable, Hunter.”

  The sound of my name on her lips cocks a concerned eyebrow. “You never call us by our full names.”

  “When you work for me,” she adds in a sweet tone I've never heard before.

  What the hell did I miss now?

  “What do....what do you mean? I haven't terminated my contract.”

  “You have,” she hums folding her hands in her lap.

  “This is jus' temporary,” I rush to explain. “I-”

  “Hunter. You're done with temporary.”

  I dart my eyebrows down in confusion.

  “When I found you that's what you wanted. A complete change in lifestyle. A complete break from what you had known. A fresh chance and path to discover who it is you truly are and where you truly belong.” Her smile curves. “You're here now. So your contracts up.”

  Confused, I stumble, “You're firin' me?”

  “You're leaving all on your own.”

  “Queen-”

  “You're gonna take the job working for your father because you've missed being here as much as they've missed having you. You're going to work hands on here and do all the business work you can from the city. That is the third option you're too blind to see. You're going to realize the secret to everlasting happiness isn't one extreme or the other. It's not building a home in one town or another. It's finding compromise that fulfills every aspect. I gave you part of the city when you needed it most country boy, and it's time to let go.”

  Hearing her easily express everything I want tenses my jaw.

  “And the blonde bombshell you're worried can't make the ho-down style of life work? You're going to take her down this new path with you, showing her the best of both worlds as she does the same for you.” French leans over and pulls out a clipboard. “Now, sign on the line, Phillip.”

  I take the offered pen. “Please, don't call me that.”

  After I sign it, she smiles brightly, “It was a pleasure having you, Hunter. I'm glad you've finally made it home.”

  In a whisper, I croak, “Me too...”

  She grabs her bag, slips the clipboard inside, and heads for the door.

  Curiosity takes hold, “How'd you know where I was?”

  French pins me with a sarcastic expression.

  Shit. She really does have eyes and ears everywhere. It's a mix of comforting and creepy.

  “You booked a flight and rushed to make sure I was alive?”

  “Booked?” She hums. “No. I have my own plane.”

  Chuckling, I sit up. “Me too. Well, a family plane.”

  “Mine was a birthday gift.”

  “From the president?” I joke.

  “Close. My father.” Without leaving room to question the comment she says, “You should also know, the debt for your brother has been settled. The earnings you made on your final weekend as well as a...goodbye bonus cleared him from underneath their thumbs. Try to keep him that way.” She gives me a final wave and states, “I don't wanna see you anywhere near The Castle again, Hunter. Enjoy your freedom.”

  Freedom. That's what this truly is, isn't it? Freedom to take charge of the life I was runnin' from. Freedom to decide what my future entails. Freedom to help fix my family. Freedom to help fix the beautiful blonde who I know can help fix me.

  My mother slinks into the room, relief on her face. “I knew you were alrigh'...”

  “I'm fine, Mama. Really.”

  She comes over and places both hands on my face double checking in a maternal way. “You look better. You were a bit pale earlier. They're gonna monitor you through the night and then we're takin' you home.”

  “I-”

  “It is not up for discussion, Phillip Hunter Montgomery. You're comin' home and I'm gonna spend a few days takin' care of ya. Stuffin' you with those little deep fried bacon balls you like and stuffed jalapenos.”

  I offer her a smile.

  Ain't gonna lie. It's hard to say no to that.

  “You should be happy to hear your brother and father are actually talkin' for once rather than arguin'. You gave 'em a helluva scare.”

  We won't tell her what Sam let slip earlier. I got a feelin' him and Pop need to work that out on their own.

  “Mama, not that I'm not happy to see you or happy about fried food and a house with less yellin', but where's-”

  There's a light knock on the door.

  Instantly I let out a grateful sigh, “Sugar.”

  She offers me the smile I'll fight like hell to keep. “Cowboy.”

  Mama gives my forehead a kiss and whispers, “Compromise, Hunter...”

  “I know, Mama. I know.”

  The two of us are left alone with the light sound of the television playing.

  Givin' her up isn't an option. Never has been.

  “You okay?” Rory cautiously questions, her body trembling. “All those machines are...are...good...?”

  I stretch a hand out for her to take. “Come here, Sugar.”

  Our hands link and I tug Rory to me, cradling her tightly. She whispers, voice thick with impending tears. “I was scared I was gonna lose you.” My hand strokes her back. “I'm not ready to lose someone else I love.”

  Tightening my grip I assure her, “I'm not goin' anywhere, Sugar. That's a promise.”

  She pulls back to let her eyes meet mine. “But the family business-”

  “I'm takin' the job.”

  Her face falls.

  “But on my terms.”

  Hope immediately appears again.

  “You were righ'. I belong here. Hell, I'm so damn happy here. I wanna be here with my family. I wanna be back doin' the things I'm good at. The things I love. I'm gonna figure out a place for Sam at the company too. Probably is gonna take some fussin', fightin', and long talks, but he belongs here too. I think he's forgotten that. I think we all have...But most importantly,” I push a strand of hair behind her ear, “I'm gonna figure out a way to make it all work with us. Whatever that might mean. If it's long plane rides to come here on the weekends or three nights with you in the city and three nights here, then so be it. Whatever it takes is what I
'm gonna do because being with you, Rory, is what's gonna make me happy. We've been workin' on this compromise thing for a while now. Looks like it's jus' about to stretch a little further. I jus'...I jus' hope you're as willin' to try it as much as I am.”

  To my surprise her face lights up. “I didn't mean what I said earlier. I was...I was just upset. And that's not the best excuse and I'm sorry, Hunter.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “With this compromise thing, can we...can we keep balancing the things I love with the things you love?”

  “Absolutely. Kinda what compromise means, Sugar.”

  “Even....” The tug in her voice lifts my eyebrows. “Even if our relationship has to add another member?”

  Huh. Never really considered a three way relationship, but for her I'll at least entertain the idea. As long as it's another woman. I'm not sharing her with another man in this life or the next.

  “I might be pregnant, Hunter,” she clarifies, the news dropping my jaw. “I swear I didn't do it on purpose. Just...I kinda forget to take the pill sometimes, which is easier for me to do than the stupid shots and I really wasn't gonna let someone wedge an IUD up me. I swear it wasn't on purpose.” The words continue to fly out of her mouth. “I would never do that to you. And I would never trap you. I would never force you to be somewhere you didn't wanna be. To be miserable. And I wouldn't even consider this a possibility except we started having sex without a condom and well....”

  The end of her sentence fades, but it doesn't stop my grin from growing.

  “I took a test yesterday and it said I was.”

  Holy hell! I'm gonna be a dad! We're gonna have a new family member to introduce to everyone. To teach to love the ranch life as much as the city. We're gonna have a whole new reason to meet in the middle. I fuckin' love it.

  “But those things aren't always accurate, so when we get back home, we'll need to book an appointment and-” She stops herself and commands. “Will you say something please?”

  I struggle to stop from shouting with joy. “I know how you feel about long-term commitments and children-”

  “I don't think I can do it. Any of it.”

  “We're gonna do it together.” I reply. “From now on we take all risks together. Before we end up on a table like yours, I promise to do my best to give you a lifetime of no regrets, Sugar.”

  She softly smiles and presses our lips together.

  This isn't where I thought my life would end up, but I can't express to you how happy I am it did. Guess lettin' reality kick in isn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be. Guess life doesn't have to be the city life or the country one. Guess I can wrap up a bit of both after all. Best part isn't even being in the two places I love. It's being permanently tied to the only woman I've ever known to make it alrigh' to just be me.

  Epilogue

  Rory

  Walking into the penthouse, with grocery bags, I joyfully call out, “Cowboy! I'm home!”

  After Hunter's hospital hiccup during the holidays, we took an extra couple to sit down and discuss possible plans for the future considering the fact I'm pregnant. The long conversations were accompanied by some of the best home cooking I've ever had in my entire life by the way. While panic initially set in, we did our best to allow room for unexpected changes and spontaneous fun as best we could. We left room for taking things like prenatal yoga together and a make your own baby food class, yet putting down secure decisions like going to all appointments together and where to raise it. Compromise. The key word his mother mentioned to me, one I'd been living without for so long, it scared me almost as much commitment. But compromise is what had been starting to do and as time goes on I realize it's what keeps relationships from ending up the bitter nightmare Mal and Darrin are. Did I mention they're divorcing already?

  Hunter hustles out of his office, Bluetooth connected to his ear voice arguing, “I don't care about the increase in cost either, Sam. I agree with you. Happier employees are 95% more likely to work harder.” His hands scoops the bags out of my grip and a light kiss lands on my lips.

  Speaking of compromise, Hunter carved out his own with the family business. He spends a certain amount of days in the country every month, training with his father, bonding with his brother who spent a couple months in rehab, and reconnecting with his family. Brian convinced me that we should take on less clients to allow us both a little more freedom to live life among the living, which allows me to occasionally go out there with him. However rather than drive, we fly now, because it's faster and with a baby girl using my bladder as a pillow, I have to pee more frequently. I'm starting to fall in love with little things about being in the country. Bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos, the new hunting dog we picked out that I named Scooter, and the fact you can see more stars than you ever can in the city. Hunter promises there’ll be more things to love when we don't have a little person growing inside of me. He better be talking about horseback riding.

  “Righ',” he agrees and drops the bags on the counter. “Righ'. Hey, Rory's home. I gotta go. Tell Pop I'll call him tonight sometime. You too, Sam.” He ends the call and immediately heads back towards me, “Sugar.”

  “You didn't have to stop working on my account,” I insist. “Just because I can't work anymore doesn't mean you can't.”

  Can't be around the bodies before they're ready to be made up. That's about all I can do nowadays.

  “Is that why you went to the grocery store?” Hunter questions leading me to our couch.

  Another knot in our rope of compromise. We moved completely into his apartment. While we still technically have mine above The Glass Coffin, I'm renting it to my assistant who recently left her boyfriend and needed a fresh start. I left it fully furnished and basically just moved the important things out. He's not thrilled I wanna raise the baby in a penthouse, but I assured him she'll get plenty of time in a house when they finish the one on a piece of his parent's property they're building for us. They're calling it a wedding present for whenever the day comes. And no, it hasn't happened yet. One step at a time please. That in itself was another agonizing compromise. We're engaged but waiting until I feel more comfortable with the notion. It's hard enough being hurled into the adventures of parenthood only a few months after you're thrust into the world of dating. Adding marriage to that too seems like a bad call.

  Propping my swollen feet up I sigh, “I wanted to ride the scooter cart thing for the first time. See how much fun it was.”

  He sits down beside me, a playful smile on his face. “And?”

  “Not as exciting as skydiving, but a little more fun when you race the old guy down the cereal aisle.”

  Hunter lets out a heartfelt laugh and I immediately relax at the sound. “You win?”

  “Two out of three.” I giggle. “Megan and Dean treated me to a victory ice cream come afterwards.”

  He gives my forehead a kiss before getting up to put the groceries away. “Crib was delivered today.”

  I smile at the idea of helping put it together.

  Gotta find my new things somewhere. As much fun as blending new combinations of food is, I have to do more than eat. Though I am hungry a lot. Pickles and peanut butter sounds good right about now.

  “We have to decide on a color to paint the room before we can put it together.”

  “Pink,” I vote. “You love me in pink, I bet she'll be just as adorable.”

  “What do you think of pink camo?”

  “I think.....that's fine for the house your parents are building.”

  He chuckles. “What about her name? Can we do it camo letters?”

  An idea pops into my head, “What about in rope letters? Give it a lasso look?”

  The small pause is proceeded with a pleased hum, “I think that'll work, Sugar.”

  I smile even bigger than before.

  Some women get prince charming, but I got a cowboy with a heart of gold and a love of tying me up. Not gonna lie. I definitely got the bette
r end of the deal and definitely the better version of Happily Ever After. Hell, now that I think about it this isn't even the end of our fairy tale, it's the just next chapter. I'll put all money on it being filled with more risks and happiness than I ever imagined. And that's what life is truly about.

  Did you enjoy Hunter and Rory? If you have time, I would love for you to leave a review.

  Thank Yous!

  Crazy Lady- Now you see why all the songs at Barbie's party made sense!