Falling for the Hometown Girl

by Shelli Stevens

  “You’re a good man, Hunter.” She watched him from beneath her lashes.

  Need slammed into him, and he took the couple steps to close the distance between them.

  “Not sure I’d go that far.” Cupping her cheek, he stared down at her. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m fine.” She nodded and wet her lips. “Really, I am. Lance hasn’t been the first guest to make unwanted advances on me.” She grimaced. “Though he was the first to get in a sloppy kiss.”

  Hunter swore under his breath. “I should’ve hit him harder.”

  “Oh, I spotted a pretty significant black eye as he left this morning. So good job.”

  He traced the softness of her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “You saw them leave? Did they say anything?”

  “No. Just a middle finger our way as he climbed into that pretty sports car.” Her lips twisted. “I was at the kitchen window washing out the coffee pot.”

  “He’s an asshole.”

  “Obviously. Is this going to affect your working relationship?”

  Probably. It was something he hadn’t let himself dwell on. What was done was done. They’d deal with it when he returned to Seattle.

  “Don’t worry about it.” For now, there were other things on his mind. His gaze lowered to her mouth briefly. “I can’t stop thinking about last night. About us.”

  “Me neither,” she whispered, her pupils dilating.

  “I want you again.”

  “Same. But if you’re really staying, then you have a cattle drive in an hour.”

  “I’m staying.” He touched her lips. “I’ll enjoy my first one, and then tonight I’ll enjoying making love to you until you can’t see straight.”

  Her legs must’ve given out, because she slid down the counter an inch, before straightening again. The realization sent was a stroke to his purely male ego.

  “But, for now, I think I’m going to have to kiss you.”

  “Now?” She squeaked and looked around. “But someone might—”

  He caught her protest with his mouth, claiming her in a quick, thorough kiss that definitely had her sliding down the counter again. He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her upright and against him.

  She tasted of coffee and sunshine. Innocence and seduction. She was everything he’d ever wanted, and everything he feared he’d always want.

  That last thought had him lifting his mouth from hers.

  Katie’s gaze slid from him to something beyond his shoulder. When he turned to look, she cupped his cheek and turned his face back toward her.

  “It’s fine. It was just Claire.” She smiled and pressed one last kiss against his mouth, as if she were trying to get in the last word.

  It only made him want more, but she’d already stepped away to grab eggs from the fridge.

  “She already knows something is going on between us.” Katie shot him an apologetic look. “I mean, not the extent of what happened last night, but she knows I’m... interested.”

  Interested. Katie was a hell of lot more than interested, he thought with a silent growl, she was up to her elbows in this fling.

  Fling.

  That was how he had to remember it, if he had any chance of walking away from this week with the safety net around his heart intact. And he had to walk away. From her and from this town.

  “Anyway, I need to get breakfast on.” She gave him a sideways glance. “Go make yourself comfortable and grab some coffee, okay?”

  “Sure.” Realizing he’d just been dismissed, he gave a small nod, lips twitching, and headed to the dining room.

  Katie finished picking out the hooves on Ginger, when she heard the faint sound of men hollering.

  Was that the men returning home from the cattle drive? It’d been just over six hours since they’d left. Now was about the time they’d be returning.

  Her ears pricked up and she glanced toward the door to the barn, though she knew she wouldn’t be able to see anything. By the time she’d put her horse back in its stall and left the stables, the guys were just riding up to it.

  “How’d it go?” She glanced over the four men from Wyatt, Tim, and Lyle, and lingering on Hunter.

  Really it was a pointless question. His face was in shadows from the low riding cowboy hat, but a wide grin flashed white teeth.

  “Incredible.” Hunter’s voice rang with wonder. “It was a complete rush. Way more than I thought it’d be.”

  “You’ve got a knack for it.” Wyatt led his horse toward the born and nodded toward Hunter. “It was great to have you along, Hunter. Take it easy the rest of the day.”

  “Not possible.” Hunter dismounted with the ease of a man who’d been doing this for years. “Eddie should be arriving soon, right?”

  Katie gave a small nod and pushed her braid over her shoulder. “He arrived about twenty minutes ago. He’s inside with Claire, actually.”

  “Is that so?” Wyatt stopped at the edge of the stables and grinned. “Well send the boy out. He can help care for the horses.”

  “Will do.” Katie watched the men disappear into the stables, before she went inside to check on the teen.

  Eddie sat on the couch, a text book open on his lap and spiral notebook beside it. Claire was curled up several feet away in the large leather chair, a book in her hands.

  “Studying?” Katie sat down beside him.

  “Reviewing for a test.” He didn’t look up.

  “You do well in school?”

  “When I go to class, I guess.”

  Yeah, Hunter was right when he’d pegged this kid for being like him as an adolescent.

  “Why don’t you close that book and head on outside. They’re ready to put you to work in the stables.”

  Eddie’s brows shot up and his nose wrinkled. “Like with the horses?”

  “Yeah. Don’t look so terrified. It’s actually kind of fun.”

  The teen pushed to his feet, his scowl deepening as he made he left through the front door.

  “He looks miserable.” Claire set down her book and sighed. “Poor kid probably will hate every minute of it.”

  “We’ll see. He may surprise us. Sometimes you just need a little manual labor in your life. I think it’ll be good for him.” Katie pulled off her boots and then curled her legs beneath her on the couch.

  Claire set her book down. “Okay, I’ve finally got you alone. Spill it.”

  “Umm... Spill what?”

  Claire’s dark gaze was alight with excitement as she searched Katie’s eyes. “You slept with him last night, huh?”

  Warmth lit up Katie’s cheeks and she grimaced. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Girl, you are glowing.” Claire’s smile was filled with genuine happiness. “So it was amazing, I take it?”

  “It was amazing,” she agreed on a sigh.

  “Best ever?”

  Katie laughed, but this time it was forced. “When I compare it to the one other time? Yes. Best ever.”

  Claire’s smile faded. “So you weren’t super experienced either.”

  It wasn’t a question, but a statement. One that implied that Claire hadn’t been super experienced before she’d fallen in love with Wyatt.

  “Hunter is only the second man I’ve slept with.” It felt good to say aloud. It made her want to say more. “I’ve never actually told anyone this. But the first time was when I was away at school in Seattle, and... it was a pretty awful experience.”

  Sympathy flickered in Claire’s eyes and she reached out to squeeze Katie’s hand. “Oh honey, I’m sorry.”

  “It was my fault. He was this confident, hot frat boy who pursued me shamelessly. I should’ve known.” Katie toyed with her braid. “But instead I thought I was in love with him. I really did. And so it made sense to take that step and sleep with him.”

  “He didn’t feel the same?”

  “No.” Katie gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I was just a one-time deal for him. He was, how do I put it nicely... hmm. He
was finally nailing the girl who took forever to put out. When I woke up, he was gone.” Her stomach twisted and, for a moment, she was back in the gross apartment in Seattle. “Leaving me with his perverted roommate to come into the room and explain how things worked. That I could just show myself out. Or, if I wanted, he was more than happy to take up where Kenny had left off.”

  Which was why Lance’s comment last night had left her shaken.

  Claire muttered a tirade of curses, looking adorable in her fury. “Assholes. The guy and the roommate. I swear I will hunt them down and cut off their—”

  Katie burst out laughing and shook her head. “No need for that.”

  “Hmm. I can’t even believe that. So awful, Katie. I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.” Katie paused, glancing at her hands as a thought hit her. “When you first arrived in Marietta, a hot mess needing help, I told you I’d been there, and I had.”

  “I was not a hot mess.”

  “You totally were,” Katie said with complete affection. “Through no fault of your own though, unlike my situation.”

  “Did it get worse?” Claire’s brows drew together.

  “It got worse, if you can believe it. I fled the apartment, pretty much swimming in humiliation and shame. I was nowhere near a bus stop, had maybe a handful of change in my purse, and so was walking home. In bare feet, if you can believe it, because I had so many blisters from trying to wear high heels the night before. Which is why I don’t wear heels.”

  “Oh, Katie...”

  “I was the poster child for the walk of shame.” Katie laughed again, because it was easier to laugh about it now. “And then a car stopped, and the driver—a girl from my physics class—offered me a ride.”

  “Thank God for her.” Claire let out a breath of relief, clearly caught up in the story.

  “She was amazing. I saw the sympathy in her eyes—she must’ve had an idea of what my night had been like. But she didn’t ask questions or judge me. She just chatted about class, bought my hungover butt coffee and a muffin, and then dropped me off at my dorm.”

  And the act of kindness was something Katie had never forgotten. Had vowed to repay throughout her life if she found a way. Which was why she’d approached Claire in the bar last year.

  “Thank you for sharing with me. I would’ve never guessed, Katie.” Claire wrapped her arms around her knees and shook her head. “You’re always Miss Sunshine and Rainbows.”

  “Because life is generally pretty amazing, and I’m not one to let a bad decision change that.”

  Claire stared at her with blatant awe. “You’re, like, the most optimistic person I know.”

  “Thanks. I think. Anyway, that was like five years ago. It slowed me down in the trusting men department for way longer than it should have.”

  A sly look crossed Claire’s face. “Until Hunter.”

  “Right. Until Hunter.

  “I’m assuming things with Jim...”

  Katie waved her hands slightly. “Are over and done with. Yeah. I couldn’t get involved with Hunter while Jim was still hoping for a relationship.”

  “Personally, I think you made the right decision.”

  Katie glanced toward the living room window and spotted the Hunter leaning against the stable, talking to Tim. Her heart did a little flip and her blood warmed a notch.

  “I can’t stop thinking about him,” she admitted softly.

  “What happens now?”

  Katie pulled her gaze back to Claire. “Well, we have our week together.”

  “And then?”

  “I don’t think there is an and then. Once the week is over”—she hesitated—“we both go on with our lives, I guess.”

  “Hmm.” Claire’s brows knitted. “I’ll believe it when I see it, I guess. There’s just something between you guys, and I don’t see it coming to end just because the week does.”

  Katie’s heart clenched. She was having a hard time imagining it too, which was why she didn’t let herself. She couldn’t let herself.

  One day at a time, that was a motto. If she tried to think beyond that, she’d second-guess herself right out of enjoying the time she had with Hunter.

  And that was the last thing she wanted.

  “So, show me again what you’ve done here.” Hunter stood with arms folded across his chest, and stared down at the code on the computer monitor.

  To keep Eddie comfortable, Hunter had scheduled their programming lessons in the main house, where they had access Wi-Fi too if they needed it.

  Eddie leaned back in the chair, his smile smug. “I created an AI to destroy your characters.”

  Ah, wasn’t his cockiness cute? Barely suppressing a smile, Hunter grunted. “No, you tweaked the code on our AI. But I’m still impressed.”

  Just as quickly, the teen’s smile faded. His expression returned to the sullen state it’d been in since he’d been told to muck the stalls an hour ago.

  “You know more about coding than I figured you would.” Hell, he’d figured the very basics would be the starting point with Eddie, but the teen had bypassed that a while ago. “Where’d you learn?”

  Eddie shrugged. “Self-taught. Picked it up on some forums online.”

  There were a lot of places online that offered lessons, or you could find other aspiring programmers, but it seemed the boy had a knack for it.

  “How’s it going?” Katie passed through the room, carrying two glasses full to the brim with lemonade. “Brought you guys something to drink.”

  Hunter snuck a glance at her and flashed an appreciative smile. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

  “No problem.”

  “Thanks, Ka—I mean, ma’am.” Eddie flushed.

  “It’s fine if you wanna call me Katie. I won’t tell on you.” She grinned at him and disappeared again.

  Eddie’s gaze followed her like a puppy.

  Hunter grimaced. Even teenagers weren’t immune to Katie Marshall. There was just something about her.

  The teen must’ve noticed Hunter’s amusement, because he looked away abruptly, his face redder as drained the lemonade in a matter of seconds. Clearly he’d worked up a thirst in the stable.

  “You like this kind of thing then? Tweaking code? When the games themselves get too easy?” Hunter gestured to the coding on the screen.

  “Yeah. It’s cool, I guess.”

  “Here’s what I’m going to do.” Hunter stroked his beard, playing an idea in his head. “I’m going to teach you how to build a game of your own.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. So make yourself comfortable, because here’s what we’ll start with...”

  Chapter Twelve

  “How did it go?”

  Hunter glanced up from his laptop and the email he’d been engrossed in.

  Katie leaned against the big wood desk, her brow arched and an iced tea in her hand.

  “Oh. With Eddie?” Hunter glanced out the window, noting the sun was less bright. The smell of dinner cooking registered. “It was great. The kid is bright. We’ve started coding a game. It’s rudimentary, but it definitely shows he has potential.”

  “Sounds impressive.” She offered him the tea.

  “This for me?”

  “If you want it.”

  He accepted it, smiling slightly. “Thanks, sweetheart. Sorry, got caught up in something.”

  “Well, you had Wi-Fi access,” she teased. “I figure it’s hard to walk away from that kind of temptation.”

  It wasn’t that at all. He’d just made the mistake of checking his inbox, and the repercussions of last night’s fight with Lance had become clear.

  Lance had sent a company-wide email ranting about Hunter having a mental breakdown. The asshole must’ve still been drunk when he’d sent it.

  Instead of relaying that bit of drama to Katie—because she didn’t need to worry about that kind of stuff—he just nodded and closed his laptop.

  “Dinner almost ready?”

  “Yeah. Edd
ie’s staying for dinner.” Her lips quirked. “At first, he turned me down, but then Jane turned up.”

  “Jane?”

  “She’s a pretty teenager from town, about Eddie’s age. She does the housekeeping for the cabins, and since Lance and Dan took off early, I called her up to work and have dinner. Once she flashed Eddie a smile, he accepted that offer to stay too.”

  “Smart kid.” In many ways. Hunter took a sip of iced tea.

  “Do you hate it? Working with him?”

  Hunter paused, thinking about it for a moment. “No. I think I’m a little surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Maybe because he was so hungry for the information.”

  “He was captivated that entire hour. When the alarm went off, he looked flat out disappointed,” Katie pointed out.

  Hunter had to agree. They’d set the alarm figuring each minute would seem like an hour, but the time had flown by.

  “Let’s not even set one tomorrow.” He stood and moved to her, catching her hand. “What are the chances you can get a night away. Go camping down by the river or somewhere around town?”

  Her mouth gaped. “You want to go camping? But you’re already in a cabin.”

  “We both know there’s a world of difference. I love to camp. Hike in.”

  “Me too.”

  Her soft admission sent a rush of pleasure through him.

  “So, let’s do it before the week is up.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, she gave a small nod. “I’ll see what I can do. Talk to Claire about taking over the cooking.”

  “It’d just be breakfast and lunch. We’ll have to leave after dinner anyway. Gotta be here for Eddie.”

  Her expression turned pensive. “You really are into it. Working with him.”

  “Yeah. Only wish I’d had someone to do the same when I was his age.”

  “Marietta isn’t huge on the tech scene,” she murmured. “Anyway, dinner’s just about ready. Wanted to give you the head’s up.”

  “Thanks. I’ll just run my laptop back to the cabin real quick and wash up.”

  She nodded and turned to leave.

  “Will you join me again tonight? In my cabin?” In my bed.

  The unspoken words hung between them. She faced him again and placed her palm on his chest.