Rumors: Brianna & Hunter

by Rachael Brownell

Megan and I used to people watch all the time. It was one of our favorite things to do when we'd be at Dixon events. We were obligated to go, but no one was interested in chatting it up with us, so we'd find a place to sit and watch as everyone else interacted. We'd make up stories about people, far-fetched tales there was no chance of being true, and laugh all night long.

  It was fun and stress-free and a way to pass the time. I can only imagine what stories we'll come up with today.

  We head inside, fill two glasses with tea, and steal a plate of crackers and cheese to nibble on. I skipped breakfast, and the smells coming from the grill are making my stomach grumble for substance. This will have to do for now since the neighbors are starting to arrive.

  Taking our seats on the porch, Megan launches into her first people watching adventure. Oddly enough, she chooses one of the assistants, Kimmie, I think, and we watch her for a few minutes as she wanders around aimlessly.

  She's lost on a desert island. Looking for food. It's hot, sweat dripping down her forehead. Megan and I bust out laughing when Kimmie wipes at her forehead just after Megan makes her comment.

  "I forgot how much fun this was," I say, reaching for my tea and knocking it over, sweet, sticky tea getting all over my hand, the table, and dripping onto the porch.

  "I forgot how clumsy you can be when you're distracted," Megan jokes before heading inside to grab a towel.

  When she returns, I help clean up my mess, but my hands are still sticky. Removing my wedding ring, I reach into my purse for hand sanitizer in an attempt to wash away the stick.

  "Where's Hunter?" I ask as I squirt an excessive amount into my palm hoping to eliminate as much of the sugar from my hand as possible. How much did she put in that tea?

  "He was in the backyard talking to Ryder last I saw. You haven't seen him since you've been here?"

  "Not yet. He was running late this morning, so I figured he was rushing around. I didn't want to get in his way."

  "Yeah. It didn't help that Ryder called him out for being late the moment he walked through the door followed by Tyler ten seconds later when he arrived. I thought Hunter was going to punch one or both of them for a minute. It was actually kind of funny. He never gets angry unless the two of them gang up on him."

  Laughing, I nod my head in agreement as I toss the sanitizer back in my purse and set it aside. That's when I spot Hunter. He's standing on the outside of the barricade around the tables, welcoming the neighbors with Vinnie. There's a small line of people, and as they pass the guys, they make their way to the bar to see Tyler and Angela.

  This continues for a little over an hour as people arrive, gets drinks and food, find a seat, and chat with each other. Emerson is moving through the crowd along with Ally and her followers.

  Every so often, they look in our direction. Whispers are shared amongst them, their attention on Megan and me. I can only imagine what they're talking about. Some bullshit, made-up rumor that's floating through the office. At this point, I've heard it all.

  There was never a chance Emerson was sleeping with Ryder. For two reasons, neither of which had anything to do with her. First, the rumor started only days after they met. No matter how much chemistry was between them after they met, Ryder wouldn't have made a move that fast. Second, Ryder was still married, and although he thought Megan had cheated on him, he's not the cheating kind.

  When the rumor about Justine started floating around, Hunter was the one who told me about it. Megan had been my informant before her divorce, prior to our friendship 'break' as I've decided to call it. I didn't realize Hunter was even aware of the rumors until he told me about Justine, his laughter as he spoke bringing a smile to my face.

  Not only did he tell me what was floating around the office, but he also told me how they set the douchebag client up and proved the rumor to be false. I'm pretty sure that was the main part of the story, the setup, but still, the rumor was hilarious. Anyone who knows Justine should have known better than to believe that load of crap.

  When the most recent rumors went around, that Angela was pregnant, Emerson broke the news to me. Mainly out of obligation, I'm guessing. We were headed to New Orleans for Angela's bachelorette party, and she wanted me to be aware in case someone said anything to her. She also told me about the original rumor that was being spread.

  An ultimatum? Ha!

  Angela would never give Tyler an ultimatum. That's not her style. She's laid back, go with the flow. I've never heard her demand a single thing from anyone since I've known her.

  So, the fact that the three newbies and Allison keep staring up here, whispering to each other, tells me that the rumor mill is at it again. They're either talking about me or Megan, and I couldn’t care less who. They can say whatever they want about me.

  I have enough shit in my life that brings me down. I'm not going to let gossip affect me. I'm certainly not going to tell Megan what's going on. She has enough to worry about today. Her focus needs to be on the one task she has. Gossip and rumors will only distract her.

  "Are you ready?" I ask Megan when I notice Hunter tapping on the microphone.

  "What's there to be ready for? All I have to do is keep her distracted. Ryder's the one that should be worried."

  "He looks a little nervous," I point out when I catch sight of him. He's standing with Emerson, his hand trembling slightly, as he pretends to listen intently to Hunter.

  As soon as Hunter finishes, Tyler and Vinnie head in the house, Vinnie winking at Megan on his way, with Ryder and Hunter shortly behind them. Ryder gives us a forced smile, and Hunter is staring at his phone as he passes.

  He hasn't even said hello to me since I arrived. What the hell? He knows I'm here.

  Not that I need him to pay attention to me every second, but a hello would be nice. A kiss would be even nicer. I barely got a goodbye out of him as he shut the front door this morning.

  An hour later and most of the neighbors have gone through the house, listened to the presentation, and headed back home. Emerson is schmoozing with the last few people, but once they walk away, I notice her head in our direction. I look over at Megan and see the panic in her stare.

  Moving quickly, we both stand and block the front door so she can't pass us.

  "What's wrong?" Megan asks, attempting to lean against the door frame casually. She's failing miserably. She looks like she's attempting to pose for a porn magazine. Her chest is pushed out, her hand dangling above her head awkwardly.

  "Have you seen Ryder? The rep is asking for him," Emerson asks, giving Megan a questionable look.

  "Last time I saw him he was out here."

  "I thought he went inside," Emerson says, attempting to step around Megan.

  "No one's inside," Megan quickly replies, her voice raising an octave and cracking.

  "All the guys are inside," she retorts, attempting to step to the other side of Megan, but I close the distance between us, blocking her path. "What the hell, guys? Why won't you let me through?"

  "Um, because. The house is off limits right now." Megan nudges me in the shoulder and when I look to her, I can see the panic rising. Her breathing is erratic, and she's calling in backup.

  "To who? Me? My purse is in there."

  "It's off limits to everyone," I say. "They're testing the security system, changing codes, and making sure that all the demonstrations they did earlier didn't confuse the system. We can't open the door right now."

  Emerson looks irritated, as she should be. We're being bitches and keeping her out of the house. For no good reason.

  "Fine. I'll just call him," she says, walking off in a huff.

  "Sounds good," Megan calls after her. "Thanks for that. I was failing miserably."

  "For a minute, I thought you were going to break down and tell her the truth," I confess.

  Megan shakes her head, and just as we're about to sit back down, we hear Ryder's phone ringing. The problem is so does Emerson. Scrambling off the porch, Megan and I attempt to stop Emerson fro
m going around the side of the house, but she's too far ahead of us. By the time we catch up to her, she's standing just inside the backyard, watching Ryder stare at his phone as it rings in his hand.

  "Don't say anything. He was trying to put together a surprise for you. Go back out front, finish up with the clients, entertain your guests, and then when he's ready for you, I'll let you know," Megan whispers, nudging Emerson in the direction she wants her to go.

  "That was close," I say as we watch Emerson begin to help Ally and the other girls pick up. It's clear she's moving on autopilot. Her movements are calculated and predictable. "Do you think she knows what’s going on?"

  "She might."

  "Ryder's going to kill you."

  "It's not my fault. I kept her out of the house like he asked me to."

  She has a point but still, if I were Ryder, or even Emerson, I’d be upset that the surprise was ruined. Let’s just hope Emerson didn’t realize what all was about to happen.

  Returning to the porch, we watch as the girls clean up the tables and chairs. Just as the last chair is folded in Justine's hand, Megan's phone chimes.

  Ryder's ready for Emerson.

  Showtime!

  Chapter Six

  Ryder's proposal is heartwarming. The way he's looking at Emerson brings a smile to my face. His words are sweet and caring and remind me a lot of what Hunter said to me when he proposed.

  All my life I've been searching for someone like you.

  I'm so lucky that I've finally found you.

  You make me a better man.

  All words that I'm sure a lot of men have said when proposing. Still, it brings me back to when Hunter went down on one knee.

  It was just the two of us.

  He took me to my favorite restaurant for dinner that night. I kept wondering what the occasion was since money was tight back then. I was about to graduate, and Hunter had just started paying his student loans.

  If I had been paying attention, I would have seen it coming. Hunter is not stealthy. He thinks he is, but he's not. Tyler had been in town visiting a few weeks prior, and they had disappeared one day with no explanation. I later found out they had been ring shopping. Tyler came to visit to help him.

  If it had been Ryder, I wouldn't have been surprised, but Tyler… I didn't see that one coming.

  When he dropped to one knee next to my chair, I almost choked on my wine. Of course, that brought attention to us, attention I didn't want, and everyone in the restaurant went silent while Hunter proposed. When I said yes, the place erupted in cheers.

  The manager bought our dinner. Another table offered to buy us dessert.

  It was a turning point in our relationship. Our future was ahead of us, and it was new and exciting. We had taken the next step in our relationship.

  I always thought, one day, we would get married. It wasn't a question of if but when. Hunter was the one for me. He had been since the moment we met. We'd been inseparable. We'd traversed through tough times, the loss of my mother to cancer and my only brother in a car accident. Our relationship had survived multiple fights and disagreements.

  Yet, at the end of every day, it was still his arms that I wanted wrapped around me, and he was there to oblige. No matter how angry we were with each other, we always said I love you before falling asleep.

  Thinking back, remembering my special moment, a smile slowly spreads across my face as I look up at my husband. The one man who I've always been able to count on. The love of my life.

  Hunter owns my heart. All of it. He fills it with love every day.

  Then it hits me.

  I have everything I need in life. A wonderful home. A blessed marriage. The unconditional love of a man.

  Yes, a child would only bring more joy into our lives, but if that never happens, we will survive this too. It's not the end for us. This is not our breaking point.

  As Ryder slides the ring on Emerson's finger, I make a vow to myself.

  I'm going to move past this. I'm going to start living my life again. Our future is still bright. It holds so much potential. I have to let go of the heartache if we're going to be able to move on.

  It's time to focus on us again. The way we used to. Before all of this started. Before the testing and drugs and my downward spiral into depression.

  We need to get back to when life was fun. Back to the honeymoon period of our relationship.

  "Ready to go?" Hunter asks as I watch Emerson and Ryder slowly grind against each other to the music.

  They've been dancing and smiling at each other for three songs now, and I'm not even sure either of them has blinked. It's like they're talking without saying a word. Just a look and the lift of an eyebrow here and there.

  "Yeah," I reply, an exasperated breath leaving my body. I'm tired, it's late, and I'd like to use the last of my energy pleasing my husband one last time before he falls asleep.

  Hunter wraps his arm around my waist and guides me through the house and out the front door. Instead of getting in my car, Hunter drives us home and carries me inside the way he did on our wedding night. I'm even laughing like a giddy schoolgirl the same way I was back then.

  "What are you doing?" I ask, swatting at his chest as he kicks the door closed behind us.

  "Carrying my bride over the threshold."

  "I see that, Mr. Dixon, but we're not newlyweds," I point out as he turns down the hall and continues carrying me until he reaches our bedroom. He doesn't respond until he places me gently on our bed and crawls on top of me.

  "You will always be my bride, Brianna. Today and ten years from now. You deserve to be carried to bed sometimes, to be reminded how special and precious you are to me." Bending down, he kisses me gently on my cheek before his lips begin traveling south, stopping at the nape of my neck and then the center of my chest. "I watched my little brother get engaged today. I saw the love in his eyes when he asked Emerson to marry him and the love in hers when she agreed to spend the rest of her life with him. It reminded me of the way you looked at me when I asked you to marry me. The way you still look at me sometimes like I'm the most important person in the world. Like you will always love me no matter what stupid shit I do."

  "I will," I whisper.

  "So will I."

  "Let's get married again," I suggest, my voice growing stronger with each word.

  "What?"

  Confused, Hunter pushes his body away from mine and stares down at me. He's still straddling me, his thighs resting on mine.

  "Let's get married again. Renew our vows. It'll be ten years in a few weeks. Why not?"

  Removing his shirt in one swift motion, Hunter reaches for the button on my pants, his hands fumbling in his haste.

  "Hunter."

  He doesn't answer. He continues working at my button, finally popping it free and pulling my jeans down as far as he can while still straddling me.

  "Hunter." My voice is firm. I need him to say something. Does he not want to marry me again?

  "Brianna," he mocks.

  "Answer me," I demand.

  "Yes. I'll marry you again. Next week, next month, next year. I'll marry you every day for the rest of our lives if you want. You are my wife. I love you more every day, and being married to you is a privilege. So if you want to renew our vows, let’s do it. I'll gladly profess my love for you again."

  My damn husband. Using those sweet, sappy words. Bringing tears of joy to my eyes.

  I'd never question the love he has for me. He may spend more time at the office than at home. He may not hold me close in public and flaunt our love. At the end of the day, he holds my heart. He always has and always will.

  Over breakfast, I tell Hunter my ideas for a vow renewal. The beach. Somewhere warm and tropical. When he suggests the Bahamas, my heart soars.

  We went to a resort there for our honeymoon. It was a fun-filled week, but being newlyweds, there was a lot we didn't get to do or see. We spent most of our time in our room, consummating our marriage.

&
nbsp; I had wanted to go snorkeling. Hunter had wanted to play golf. There were beach bonfires we planned to attend and a food tasting tour.

  All things we had planned to do, with good intentions, yet didn't find the time for. We spent most of our days lounging in the sun or rolling around in the sheets. We left with only a suntan as a souvenir of our travels.

  "Can we actually do things this time?" I ask, shooting Hunter challenging look. He knows what I'm thinking.

  "I can't make you any promises about that, Mrs. Dixon. What I can promise you is that I'll leave the hotel room long enough to say 'I do' again."

  My husband. The love of my life. Insatiable on every level.

  "I'll make you a deal," I start, scooping his eggs out of the pan and placing them on his plate next to his english muffin. "We go for five days, two of which we can spend alone. The other three, we have to spend with the family and get out of the hotel room long enough to enjoy the island."

  "Three days alone and two with the family," he counteroffers, taking a bite of his muffin, slowly pulling it away from his mouth. A sly grin on his face.

  I know that look.

  He's already thinking about what we'll be doing alone in our hotel room while everyone is looking for us.

  I like the way he thinks.

  "Fine. But I get to plan our excursions. I want to see some of the other islands. I want to see what it looks like at night and swim in the ocean and have to apply sunblock more than once a day because I'm outside. Deal?"

  "Deal."

  After breakfast, Hunter calls around and starts making plans. He knows people, lots of people, in the right businesses to get us the best deals on our trip.

  One of those people… Zane.

  He went to college with us and works as a travel agent out of Miami now. We haven't seen him in a few years, but he's the kind of guy you want to be friends with if you like to travel. He knows where to look and who to contact, aka sweet talk, so you save as much as possible.

  Leaning against Hunter's desk, I listen as he and Zane talk shop.

  "Yeah. We're thinking five days, four nights. It's gonna be the whole family." He's smiling as he tells him who’s going to be there. I chime in a few times, adding names to the list.