The Bitterroot Inn

by Devney Perry

Two hours later, I had hung all but five prints that were for the occupied rooms. The pile of paper and boxes in the lobby had been cleared and only a couple more prints were stacked against the wall.

  “Where does this one go?” Beau asked, holding up the picture Hunter had taken of me and Coby.

  “Oh, um, that one is Hunter’s. He wants it for his house.”

  He nodded and set it down. “How are things going with you two? Are you working it all out?”

  I shrugged. “We’re in a weird spot.” I hadn’t seen Hunter since the football game a week ago. We’d texted a couple of times but hadn’t talked, mostly because I just didn’t know what to say.

  “You guys seemed fine at the football game last Friday,” Beau muttered.

  My face flamed bright red and I turned away from my brother, going to the mini fridge to hide my embarrassment. Everyone except the kids knew exactly what Hunter and I had been doing when we’d returned to the stands without the drinks we had left to collect.

  “Want a pop?” I asked Beau.

  “Sure.”

  I pulled out two Cokes and set them on the counter. Then I pulled up my stool and took a seat while Beau leaned his massive forearms on the counter.

  “So what’s up?” He popped his soda. “Why are you guys in a weird spot?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m just . . . scared.” It felt really, really good to say it out loud.

  “Scared of what?”

  “Everything? I honestly don’t know how to explain it. I just feel scared.”

  “Do you love the guy?” Beau asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, but he kept so much from me. How can we get past all that stuff?”

  “Is he still keeping secrets?”

  “No. Whenever I ask him something, he’s really forthcoming.” Ever since his past had all come to light, Hunter hadn’t denied me any information.

  He nodded and took a drink. “Are you scared because you don’t trust him?”

  “Maybe. No. I don’t know.” I slumped against the counter and started talking it all out. “I trust him with Coby. And I trust him to tell me the truth. When I think back, I see now that truth was never the problem. He never lied to me. He just left things out. Important things.”

  “But you know it all now.”

  I nodded. “I think so. And what I don’t, I’m learning. I just hate that he didn’t tell me sooner. I guess I’m scared something else is going to happen and instead of confiding in me as his partner, he’s going to hide it.”

  “Listen, what he did was an asshole thing to do, but after you sat us all down and explained it, I can see why he did it. I honestly think that was a one-time deal. If he’s open with you now, why do you think he’d start keeping things from you again?”

  Now that Beau had asked the question point-blank, I didn’t think Hunter would keep secrets from me again. “Do you think I’m being stupid? Dragging this out for no reason?”

  Beau’s face softened. “No, of course not. We all get this can’t be easy. You’re being careful and thinking about the future. The rest of us are following your lead. If you don’t think you’ll ever move past it, we’ll be right there. If you want to let him back in, we’re all good with that too.”

  I smiled at my brother. “Thanks.” Not all that long ago, I was the one giving him relationship advice when he’d been trying to win Sabrina. Now that our positions were reversed, I couldn’t think of anyone better to confide in.

  “I don’t know if I’m really all that hurt anymore,” I admitted, “but I still feel mad sometimes. When I think about how many opportunities he had to fess up, I just feel that anger start to bubble. What if that never goes away?”

  “Do you want to know what I do when I get pissed at Sabrina?”

  “What?”

  “I tell her I love her.”

  “When you’re mad?” I cocked my head. “Why?”

  “Because she always says it right back and then I don’t feel so mad anymore.”

  My heart melted. “Aww. That might be, like, the cutest thing you’ve ever said.”

  “Hey!” He frowned. “It’s not cute.”

  “Oh, it totally is.”

  He kept his frown and lifted up his Coke, but before the rim touched his lip, I saw the beginning of a grin. After a long drink, he set down the can and turned back to the photographs still on the floor behind him. The one at the front of the stack was the one of Coby fishing.

  “It’s okay to be scared, Maze, but don’t let that fear keep you from being happy.”

  I stepped out of my car and took a deep breath as I stared at the hospital.

  I love you.

  That’s all I had to say. I just hoped that Beau’s tactic with Sabrina would work for Hunter and me too, because after an afternoon talking with my brother and voicing my fears, I was ready to be done with this separation from Hunter.

  With one last fortifying breath, I opened the back door to the 4Runner and pulled out Hunter’s canvas. When the door slammed shut, my feet started across the pavement. A small twinge of anxiety raced up my spine, a mix of residual fears from the Everett disaster and nerves about seeing Hunter. It didn’t stop me though. I marched right through the sliding glass doors and let the hospital smell hit me in the face.

  Sara was working at the ER counter and when she spotted me, she came rushing around the corner. “Hey! It’s so good to see you here.” Because she’d filled my vacant nursing position after she’d moved to Prescott with Milo, Sara had never seen me inside the hospital before.

  “Thanks.” I smiled and gave her a quick hug, her warm embrace settling my nerves a bit. “Do you know if Hunter is busy? I wanted to drop this off.” I held up the picture.

  “That. Is. Gorgeous. Did you take that?”

  I shook my head. “No, Hunter did.”

  “He’s a photographer too?” she asked. “Good catch, girl.”

  He was a good catch. And it was time for me to reel him back in and take him home.

  I smiled. “Thanks. He actually did a whole series of photographs for the inn. You’ll have to stop by and check them out.”

  “For sure.” She turned and pointed down the back hall. “I saw him a minute ago walking toward the staff lounge. He might still be in there. Do you want me to page him?”

  “No, that’s okay. Would it be okay if I just popped back there and checked?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks.” I waved good-bye and then started off toward the staff lounge.

  I hustled, hoping Hunter was still in the lounge. It was actually one of the few places in the hospital where Everett and I hadn’t spent any time together, either personal or professional. In there, my reconnection with Hunter wouldn’t be tainted by the past.

  With fast strides, I crossed through the ER and back to the lounge. The second I walked through the door, Hunter stood from the fridge, water bottle in hand.

  He turned toward the door with a jerk and squeezed the open water bottle too tight, sending a huge spurt right onto his shirt.

  I scrunched up my face. “Sorry to startle you.”

  He shook his head and started laughing as he reached for a paper towel. “Don’t be. This is actually a nice change of events. When you scare me, I just get wet. When I scare you, I end up bleeding or writhing on the ground in pain. This I’ll take.”

  I smiled and stepped further into the room.

  “What’s up? Is everything okay?” he asked, blotting his shirt dry.

  “Yes, I just wanted to drop this off.” I held up the canvas.

  Hunter set down his water and tossed his paper towel into the trash, then crossed the small, colorless room.

  Taking the picture from my hand, he inspected the piece. “They did a good job on the canvas. How did the others turn out?”

  “Ah-mazing. I’ve hung all but five and the postcard display. Thank you for that. You didn’t need to get that too.”

  “Sure I did.” He set down the picture on one
of the small tables. “That was your dream, right? You can’t have the pictures without the postcards.”

  I smiled and looked at the wet spot on his baby-blue button-up shirt. He’d rolled up his sleeves in typical Hunter fashion to show those sinewy forearms and today he was wearing gray chinos instead of jeans.

  My fingers brushed against the wet spot. “You look nice today.”

  “Thanks. These were the only pair of clean pants in the house. I need to do laundry.”

  I frowned. Before everything had gotten so mixed up, I had been doing Hunter’s laundry. You’d think that with doing my own laundry, Coby’s, plus everything for the inn, I would be sick of washing clothes, but right now, I missed doing Hunter’s laundry. I missed cooking for him. I missed how we’d take care of each other.

  And now was my chance to do what I’d come here to do.

  “I love you.” I looked up from his shirt into his beautiful caramel eyes, waiting for him to say it back so I could be done being mad.

  He grinned. “I love you too.”

  Huh. It worked. I owed Beau a batch of his favorite cookies. “You can go ahead and kiss me now,” I whispered.

  Hunter’s smile came down slowly on mine. His soft lips brushed against mine in a lazy tease as he whispered, “Say it one more time.”

  “I love you.”

  “Glad to hear it, Blondie.”

  Then right in the middle of the staff lounge with the door open for all those passing by to see, Hunter and I kissed like we were alone in my bedroom. When we finally stopped, I walked out of the hospital with the biggest smile I’d had in months and the first thing I did when I got into my car was text Beau.

  You were right.

  By the middle of October, over a month after my impromptu trip to the hospital to reunite with Hunter, life was good.

  I was happily back to doing Hunter’s laundry and cooking. He was back to giving me nightly foot massages and orgasms. And Coby was just overjoyed to have us both.

  Gosh, I’m happy. Like, really happy. Standing at the stove in Hunter’s dream kitchen, I stared at a simmering pot, unable to recall the last time I had been this happy. Not that I’d been unhappy before, but this was more than just easy contentment. This was the kind of happiness people craved deep in their soul. The kind people searched for but rarely found.

  The kind that hadn’t come easy and made me appreciate it even more.

  “Hey.”

  I looked up from the pot and smiled as Hunter walked into the kitchen. “Hi. How was your day?”

  Coby and I had come up to his house and gotten an early start on some laundry and cooking dinner.

  “I’m good,” Hunter said though his eyebrows were furrowed. “Are you okay? You were all spaced out just now. Was it another flashback?”

  “No, I was just thinking about how . . .”

  Huh. Weird.

  I hadn’t had one of my Everett flashes in months. Not since the night at my parents’ house, in front of Hunter. I’d been so busy that I hadn’t even noticed but I’d never gone this long without one before.

  “Maisy?” Hunter asked. “What?”

  “Oh,” I shook myself out of my head, “sorry, I’m good. It wasn’t a flash and I was just thinking it had been a long time since I’ve had one.”

  His shoulders and face relaxed. “That’s a good thing.”

  “No kidding. Why do you think they stopped?”

  “I don’t know.” He tossed his keys onto the counter. “Why do you?”

  Was it because I knew so much more about Everett now? Or maybe because I wasn’t nearly as stressed as I used to be? Or was it because Hunter made me feel so much more grounded and safe? I searched my gut for that unsettled feeling I’d had for years, but it was gone. Whatever the reason, I was grateful.

  Everett had haunted me enough.

  “I’m not sure why,” I said, “but I won’t miss them if they never come back.”

  Hunter came around the island and kissed my temple. “If they do, promise to tell me, okay? I still think it might be good for you to talk to someone about it all.”

  “I promise.”

  He walked to the fridge and pulled out a soda. “Tell me about your day.”

  Before I could answer, his phone rang. When he looked at the screen, his entire frame tensed.

  “It’s Nell.” He put the phone to his ear and answered as he walked into the living room.

  Nell?

  I shut off the stove and followed.

  “Yes. She’s here,” Hunter said into the phone, then paused. “No, you can’t talk to her until you tell me what you have to say.”

  Nell wanted to talk to me? Why? She had my number; why hadn’t she called me directly?

  My stomach tightened. Nell had basically disappeared since the custody hearing. As far as I knew, she hadn’t been calling Hunter and I certainly hadn’t heard from her. I liked it that way. Nothing good could come from her call.

  “I’m sure she would agree to that,” Hunter said.

  “Agree to what?” I whispered.

  He held up one finger for me to wait. “That’s fine. I’ll text you the details after I talk to Maisy.” He hung up and came right to me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

  Uh-oh. My arms wrapped around my stomach. “What?”

  “She’d like to meet Coby.”

  “Oh, shit.” My heart dropped. I had no desire for that woman to be around my son, but I was also required to let her have her visits. “I can’t say no.”

  He shook his head and rubbed my arms. “No, you can’t.”

  During the court case, I’d been thrilled at the idea of weekend visits from Nell versus months of no Coby. But now? After I’d learned so much about her from Hunter, I had no desire to see that woman’s face ever again.

  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice.

  “Okay. When does she want to meet him?”

  “This weekend. She said she’d fly in from Grand Rapids to Bozeman on Friday. Then drive here Saturday.”

  So much for a nice fall weekend. “All right.” I nodded. “What should we do with her? Bring her here? Or to the motel? Maybe we should do this in public. Would that be better? Oh my god, this sucks!”

  Hunter’s arms pulled me into his embrace before I could completely flip out. “Relax. You’re in control of the visits, remember? Let’s start with a brief meeting. Maybe have her join us at the café for lunch or dinner. If that goes well, the next time she can come here.”

  “Lunch could work. I know you don’t like her so if you don’t want to come—”

  “Stop. I don’t like her, but I do love you. There is no way I’m letting you deal with her on your own.”

  I relaxed into his body, winding my arms around his back. “Thank you.” Could I do this without Hunter? Yes, but I really didn’t want to.

  “You’re welcome.” He kissed my hair. “Now give me a smile so I know you’re okay.”

  I leaned back and gave him the biggest, cheesiest smile I could stretch, showing him all my teeth.

  “You have spinach in your teeth from lunch.”

  My lips closed as my tongue immediately started feeling around.

  He chuckled. “Just kidding.”

  I laughed and pinched his side, making him yelp.

  “There. There’s my smile.”

  I smiled wider. “I’d better get back to dinner.”

  “Okay.” He kissed me and went off to play with Coby before it was time to eat.

  I went back to the stove and resumed my cooking, thinking about what this weekend would entail. Nell’s call had rippled the waters, but with Hunter by my side, I knew we could deal with it. He wouldn’t let his crazy family ruin our happiness.

  How ironic. Everett had set out to destroy my life, but in the end, he’d just made it all better. I had Coby. I had Hunter. All because of him. Maybe that was why my flashes had stopped. I’d stopped being scared of Everett, instead simply being grateful for all the good he’
d unknowingly provided.

  Now I just had to deal with his evil stepmother.

  “Nell.” Hunter stood from our booth at the café and greeted Nell as she walked through the door.

  “Hunter.”

  They didn’t hug or even touch. They just nodded at one another.

  No wonder Everett had been so cold. This woman was frigid. The minute we got home, I was asking Hunter what his father had seen in Nell. From what I’d learned, Hunter was a lot like his dad and I couldn’t imagine Hunter falling for someone like Eleanor Carlson.

  Hunter swung out a hand and gestured Nell to our table.

  I smiled and waved from my seat while tucking Coby even closer to my side. Earlier today, Hunter and I had sat him down and explained to him about his other grandmother. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked any questions about Everett. He’d just wanted to know why Nell hadn’t sent him a birthday present if she was a grandma.

  God bless my son for his resilience.

  “Hello, Nell,” I greeted when they reached the booth.

  She just frowned.

  Super.

  Hunter slid into our booth first, followed by Nell on his side. She was wearing all black again, this time pants with a light turtleneck sweater. She actually reminded me of an older Audrey Hepburn with her hair in a French twist.

  When she sat, Nell’s eyes studied the table, the water glass and the silverware. She adjusted everything at her place setting until it was precisely the way she wanted it, and the entire time, she didn’t bother to look at me or Coby.

  Not that Coby cared. He just started bouncing on his knees in the padded seat, ready to get this show on the road.

  “Hi, Grandma! Mommy and Hunter says you’re my new grandma and that means you have to get me a Christmas present. I like trucks and tractors. And Legos. And I saw this thing on my iPad for making Play-Doh dinosaurs.”

  I pulled in my lips to hide a smile. Seriously, this kid. He was completely oblivious to Nell’s attitude.

  Eleanor’s eyes finally left her place mat, and when they landed on Coby, she flinched.

  My eyes snapped to Hunter and we started a silent conversation.

  What was that, Hunter?

  Fuck if I know?

  She’d better be nice.