Climbing out of bed in the clothes she'd worn the night before, she used the bathroom, taking a minute to wash her face and brush her hair, before going out to the kitchen.
Hunter was standing by the stove in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair damp, his face shaven, his clothes clinging to his masculine body in a way that immediately made her want to strip them off of him. She gulped at that wicked thought.
Hunter raised his gaze to hers and gave her a slow, intimate smile that only made her desire for him deepen. It wasn't just desire, though; there were a lot of feelings running through her, emotions she wasn't entirely comfortable with.
"Good morning," he said.
"Morning. It smells good in here."
"There's coffee if you want it. I've got eggs and bacon coming up."
"It looks good," she said, moving into the kitchen. She took a mug out of his cabinet and filled it with coffee.
"I didn't have many vegetables to throw in. Hopefully a few mushrooms and onions will spice up the scramble."
"It will be perfect. I'm starving."
"I figured." He put several strips of bacon onto a paper towel and put them in the microwave. While the bacon was cooking, he grabbed the bread out of the toaster and buttered it. He was moving fast and efficiently, and she liked watching him work.
"Can I help?" she offered somewhat halfheartedly.
"No. I've got it covered. Take a seat."
She sat down at the adjacent kitchen table and glanced out the window. The sun was shining. It was a new day. She had work to get to, a garden to plant, and probably a police interview to get through, but she wasn't in a hurry to get to any of it. She was happy being exactly where she was. In fact, she could imagine more mornings like this. But imagining that was also scary. Opening herself up to the possibilities meant exposing herself to potential pain.
Hunter set down her plate along with a glass of orange juice, then returned with his own breakfast plate. "Dig in."
She smiled and put a napkin on her lap. The first forkful of eggs was delicious and flavorful. "Excellent. You've been busy this morning. You already took a shower, too. I feel like a mess."
"Eat. Don't worry about how you look, because you look great. You always look great."
"I don't think so. You're laying it on a little thick."
He grinned. "I'm just happy."
"I feel pretty good, too. I'm a little afraid of the feeling."
"There's no reason to be afraid anymore." He got up as his phone began to buzz and retrieved it from the counter.
"Is that Max?" she asked.
"No. It's my mother."
"You should take it."
He returned to the table. "I'll talk to her later. I have a feeling that will be a long conversation. Max will have told Emma everything that happened, and she will have set off the family tree of phone calling."
"There's a tree?" she asked, thinking how amazing it would be to have a family so big it warranted a tree.
"Not an official one. But news seems to spread quickly."
She wiped her mouth as she finished her eggs and took a long drink of her orange juice. "That hit the spot."
"Good. Do you want more?"
"No. That was the perfect amount."
He pushed their empty plates aside and reached across the table to cover her hand with his.
Her heart sped up at the look in his eyes. Was she ready for whatever was coming next?
"I want to talk to you, Cassidy. About us."
She drew in a quick breath. "I want to talk about us, too, but I'm a little scared."
"Me, too."
"You? My fearless hero? I don't believe that."
"I can run into a burning building. I can take down a psychopath like David. But that's all physical stuff. Putting my heart on the line, that's something else."
"Especially when the girl you're talking to already broke your heart once."
He met her gaze. "Especially then," he agreed, his fingers tightening around hers. "Today is a new beginning for you, Cassidy. You don't ever have to worry about your past again. You can be yourself. You can be free. You can live your life without any clouds hanging over it. You don't have to look over your shoulder. You don't have to wonder what happened to Molly. All of your questions have been answered."
"It's going to be strange to let go of it all. I thought I had before, but when all this started up again, I realized that I wasn't really over my past; I had just locked it away."
"That's understandable. I locked you away, too. After that first year of anger and unhappiness, I tried not to think about you. I didn't believe I would ever see you again. I certainly had no idea you were as close to me as you were."
"I sometimes wondered if I'd accidentally run into you in the city—what I would say, what you would say. I never imagined it would happen the way it did." She swallowed hard, wanting to get out the words she needed to say. "When you just talked about my past, you left out the most important part—you. You're part of my past, part of my present."
"I'd like to be part of your future."
"I'd like to be part of yours, but everything is moving fast."
"We don't have to rush, Cassidy. We can go as slow as you want."
"Do you think you can trust me, Hunter? And don't answer too quickly. When we first reconnected, you made me promise to tell you if I was going to leave. I know that deep down you're not very sure of me."
"I wasn't when I asked you to make that promise. But a lot has changed since then." He tilted his head, giving her a thoughtful look. "It's not just about me trusting you. It goes both ways. Can you trust me? And don't answer too quickly."
She met his teasing smile. "Can I trust you? The man who just saved my life?"
"I'd like to be your hero, but I'd also like to be more. I want to be the person you can talk to, really talk to. The one with whom you can truly be yourself."
"I've kept my secrets for so long, it might take me awhile to really be free of them, but I want to be free. And I know I can trust you, Hunter. You are an amazing man. I knew that when I was sixteen, but I know it even more now. You care so much about people. You have the biggest heart. You're adventurous and funny and kind. I feel incredibly lucky to have you in my life."
"I feel the same way about you."
"Me? With all my baggage?"
"Yes. You impress the hell out of me. You've survived terrible things, more tragedy and heartache than most people see in a lifetime. You might have run away, but you didn't quit. You built a life for yourself. You found a way to make your dreams come true on your own."
Her eye blurred with tears at his words. "You're being too nice."
"I'm not being nice. I'm telling the truth. You were a scared girl when I knew you. I saw glimpses of the woman you would become, but you were still hiding in the shadows. You're not doing that anymore. You're strong, independent, creative. I don't want to control your life; I just want to share it. I think we make a good team."
She smiled with joy. "I think we do, too. I love you, Hunter." She was happy to say the words first, because it needed to be that way. She was the one who had run out on him. "I never told you that when we were together. It was too difficult for me to say. I was afraid of love, but now I feel like it's the best thing I could have, so I'm not going to push it away anymore. I'm going to open up my heart—to you—my first love, my only love. No one has ever come close."
"You're my first love, too." His blue eyes darkened with emotion. "I've loved you since the first minute we met—when I knocked you over."
She laughed. "I've been trying to get up ever since."
"I'll always help you up. You've said a couple of times that I saved your life, but the truth is—you've also saved mine."
"How have I done that?"
"I told you I've been lost in a feeling of restlessness, a gnawing need that I have not been able to get rid of. But I haven't felt that since you came back into my life. I know what I was missing all thes
e years—you." He paused. "You always encouraged my dreams. I could always talk to you, tell you anything. I could be my real self with you. And while I know I have the support of my family, you were an inspiring person in my life, and I missed you when you were gone. I missed the person I was with you."
"I'm not that same person," she couldn't help but remind him.
"Neither am I. And that's good. I like the people we are now. I think we're ready for the rest of our lives."
"So do I." She drew in a shaky, emotional breath. "What now?"
"I'm thinking we start with a kiss, and then we go into the bedroom."
"I did miss waking up with you this morning."
"And then we do what we do—together. I'm not going to rush you, Cassidy. You don't have to commit to anything beyond loving me."
"I can definitely do that. I want the rest, too. I want the happily ever after. I never thought I could have it, but you always made me believe I could."
"You can—we can." He leaned forward and kissed her with so much love and tenderness, she almost wanted to cry. The happiness she'd been chasing for years was finally going to be hers.
Epilogue
Three days later, Cassidy and Hunter drove to the church in the Presidio where Griffin and Annie would say their vows on Saturday afternoon. It was four o'clock and the ceremony would take place at five, with a dinner reception to follow at the yacht club.
She was looking forward to the happy event, a nice change after many police interviews as well as an emotionally charged conversation with Molly. Neither she nor Hunter had told the police that Molly had set the fire, but Cassidy had a feeling that Molly might eventually do that herself. The guilt at what she had done was eating away at her, and she was beginning to realize she would never be free if she didn't let go of all her secrets. But Cassidy was going to leave that up to Molly.
"You okay?" Hunter asked, breaking into her reverie, as he pulled into the parking lot by the church. "You've been tapping your fingers for the last five minutes."
She suddenly became aware of the beat of her fingers against the clutch purse resting in her lap. "Oops. Sorry. Just thinking."
"About everything that has happened?"
"That and the fact that I'm a little nervous to see your whole family." While Hunter had done the rehearsal dinner the night before, she had decided to only go to the wedding, not wanting to draw attention away from Annie with her sudden reappearance. She would have skipped the whole weekend, but Hunter had insisted.
He put a reassuring hand on her leg. "They already know we're together. They're happy about it."
"You're probably glossing over the part where they asked you if you're out of your freaking mind getting back with the woman who broke your teenage heart."
He grinned. "There might have been a little of that, but it's my heart, and they could see I'm crazy about you."
"Or just crazy."
He shook his head. "No way. You never really did anything wrong, Cassidy. You just protected yourself. Everyone understands that, and they are ready to embrace you, so be prepared for a lot of hugging. The Callaways are an affectionate group. I, frankly, can't wait for everyone to see us together. They're going to love you, just the way I do."
The happiness in his blue eyes, the confidence in his tone, made her realize she was looking for problems where they didn't exist. "Okay. I'm ready."
"You look beautiful."
She flushed as desire crept into his gaze. "Thanks. You look very handsome in your suit."
"I'm just glad Griffin didn't put us all in tuxes. Are you ready to go? I may get swept up in some pre-wedding and post-wedding photos, but I'll try to be as quick as I can, so you're not on your own."
"Hunter, you do not have to worry about me. I might be a little nervous about your family, but I can talk to people, even people I don't know. I can take care of myself. I want you to be a part of this celebration in all the ways that you need to be. Please, don't worry about me, not even for a second."
He smiled and gave her a kiss. "I'm not worried about you; I'm just going to miss you."
"I think you'll survive."
As they got out of the car, another handsome man with dark hair and blue eyes approached, and while there were a few Callaways fitting that description, this one was Dylan.
"There you are," Dylan said. "Long time no see, Cassidy. I'm glad you came."
"Thanks. It's good to see you."
"The photographer wants to take a few photos of the wedding party before the ceremony," Dylan said. "I need to steal you away, Hunter. Sorry, Cassidy."
"Not a problem. You two go and do what you need to do. I'll see you in the church."
As Hunter and Dylan walked away, she felt a little awkward standing by herself, especially since it was still a little early, but she'd just told Hunter she could take care of herself, and she needed to prove that was true.
"Cassidy?"
She was both relieved and unnerved to hear her name called.
Turning around, she saw a petite blonde approaching, as well as a familiar man with brown hair and green eyes—Emma and Max. She hadn't seen Emma since high school. Max, on the other hand, had been a familiar companion the past few days.
"Don't worry, I have no more questions," he said with a smile.
"Good, because I have no more answers."
"I don't know if you remember me," Emma said.
"I do, and I've seen your photo on Max's desk, too, as well as pictures of your beautiful kids."
Emma gave her a beaming maternal smile. "Aren't they adorable? Shannon is eight. We adopted her from Ireland about sixteen months ago—long story. She's actually one of the flower girls, so she's doing the pictures right now. Our baby, Nora, is thirteen months. She's with two of my sisters-in-law, Jessica and Maddie, who both volunteered to watch the babies during the ceremony. They'll be coming to the reception later. My family has been very busy having kids the last few years. Anyway, I'm rambling on. I'm so glad you're all right. Max told me what happened to you, and it must have been terrifying."
"Fortunately, Hunter came to the rescue."
"Hunter said you were halfway to saving yourself."
"I did what I could do, but he was the real hero."
"It sounds like you two make a good pair," Emma said with a sparkle in her eyes.
"We are good together," she admitted.
"I'm so glad you found each other again."
"Me, too. The circumstances could have been better, but it has all worked out. I'm glad that Tommy's body can now rest in peace. David will pay for his crimes, and hopefully Geralyn will pay for hers."
"We're going to make sure of that," Max put in.
"Unfortunately, we may not be able to close the arson case," Emma said. "But since it's clear that it was probably a one-time personal act of revenge, I'm not too concerned that we have an arsonist on the loose."
She was very pleased to hear that. She didn't know if ultimately Molly would confess, but she was not going to worry about it. "I'm happy that house is gone. Too many bad things happened there. Did you ever find out if someone killed Donald?" she asked Max.
"No one has confessed. It's possible that it was an accident."
"My money is on David. Donald probably got tired of being used by David to cover up his crimes."
"Well, David is going to go away for the rest of his life, so he will be punished." Max paused as two women joined them, one blonde and sharing Emma's features, the other a pretty brunette.
"This is my sister Shayla," Emma introduced, nodding to the blonde. "And this is my sister-in-law Sara. She's married to Aiden."
"Nice to meet you both. I'm Cassidy."
"Hunter's date," Emma added.
"We heard a lot about you last night," Sara said with a warm smile. "Welcome to the family."
"I'm not officially family."
"I have a feeling you will be soon," Emma put in, a sparkle in her eyes. "When Hunter wants something, he doesn't
stop until he gets it."
"That's true of every last one of you Callaways," Max said with a laugh.
"He's right," Shayla put in. "We're a stubborn, determined bunch. Anyway, we should go inside and nab some good seats."
Cassidy got swept up in the group as they headed into the church and were eventually joined by more Callaways. She was introduced to so many people her head spun. But it was the genuine friendliness, easy acceptance, that really got to her. By the time she was sitting in a pew next to Emma, she was starting to feel tears welling up in her eyes, and the ceremony hadn't even started yet.
She'd loved not only Hunter but also his family since the first minute she'd met them. She'd always wanted to be part of their circle, but she'd never ever thought she could be, not even before she ran away. She had always felt like an imposter, someone who would probably be gone before they even realized she was there. But now she was starting to feel like she really belonged.
As Hunter's mother, Sharon, was escorted down the aisle by his brother Dylan, the crowd began to hush. Dylan took his place at the altar with the groom, Hunter, Hunter's brother Ian, and another man she didn't know. Then the music began, followed by the arrival of two adorable flower girls.
"The redhead is mine," Emma whispered.
"She's adorable."
The bridesmaids were next. She recognized Kate and Mia, Hunter's twin sisters, who hadn't changed all that much since she'd hung out with Hunter and his family in high school. Two other women followed, who were probably Annie's friends or related to some other branch of the family.
The music changed to the wedding processional, and the crowd rose to their feet. She turned her head to see Annie and her father, Tim, come down the aisle.
Annie looked beautiful in her lacy bridal gown. As she took her place at the altar and stared into the eyes of her soon-to-be husband, her face was an expression of pure joy. She was truly marrying the man of her dreams.
Cassidy felt the tears coming back into her eyes, especially when Hunter's gaze sought hers. Everyone else was watching the bride and the groom, but he was looking at her. He was sending her a promise, and she was sending him one back. There were no more secrets between them.
Secrets We Keep GO PL Page 26
