Straightening, she held his gaze a second. “I’m kinda glad you wanted to steal my bed and breakfast now.” A smile slowly spread on her lips, and all he could do was laugh.
They threaded their fingers together as they walked back to his pickup. When they reached it, he held the door as she got in. The drive to Amarillo was quicker than it had ever been. Mostly because he enjoyed being with her so much. It always felt like there wasn’t enough time.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, they were seated at a table near the back. Hunter hadn’t tried the place before, but when he’d looked it up online, it had great reviews. Based on what he was seeing and smelling, they were right.
“I don’t know if it is their cooking, but I think I could eat a trough full,” Reagan said, leaning in. Before he could take the seat across from her, she’d taken his hand, pulling him into the booth next to her. “I’m with you.” His stomach grumbled, putting an exclamation on the statement.
Chuckling, she nodded, and then her stomach did the same thing. That made her laugh a little harder. “I guess we were both hungry.”
“Seems so.”
A waitress stopped at their table, and they ordered their drinks and a fried pickle appetizer.
Once the waitress was gone, Hunter angled himself toward her. “I’m bothered that you don’t have reservations for Christmas. I know you may not believe it, but I do want you to be successful.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Yeah, I didn’t realize how tight things were for my mom and dad. I thought I could come in and make a few changes and that would fix it. Nothing I tried worked. Then the hurricane tore through the island. It was one thing after another.”
Hunter understood that better than she knew. “That sounds like my first flip. It turned out okay, but it was discouraging for the first few weeks. We went from needing a few upgrades to needing new electrical lines run. The roof had warped boards, so that increased the cost. Then, we were robbed, and our tools were taken. At that point, I was ready to give up.”
“I can’t see you ever wanting to give up.”
The tips of his ears warmed from the compliment. At least, that’s how he took it. “I did. That first year was so hard. I was on my own for the first time. I felt like I was competing against my siblings.”
She nodded. “I know that feeling too. My sister always does things perfectly. I’m the oldest, you’d think I’d have my ducks in a row, but I’ve come to realize I don’t have ducks. I have squirrels with issues.”
Hunter belly laughed. “I’m sorry. That’s not funny. I promise.”
Reagan pouted. “Laughing at me.”
The waitress returned to the table with their drinks and offered to give them more time to look over the menu.
When the waitress was out of earshot, Hunter scooted closer, wrapped a lock of Reagan’s hair around his finger, and smiled. “I’m not laughing at you. When I look at you, I see a woman I respect and admire.”
“Really? Because I always feel like a failure.”
“Failure is giving up. You are not a failure.”
She lowered her gaze and slowly nodded. “I just wish I didn’t feel that way all the time. I love my family, but just once I wanted to hear that I’d done something right. I could cook the entire night, have people fawning over my dishes, and all they could hear was the one person who felt their chicken was too dry.”
His parents had never done that. Not even the Fredericks had done that. To have lived with that pressure and still have such drive to succeed was impressive. “I can’t imagine living under that scrutiny. No one is perfect, and dwelling on what isn’t doesn’t inspire perfection.” He tipped her chin up with his finger. “Reagan, I know my opinion might not carry much weight, but you are talented, kind, and warm. You are perfectly imperfect. I like you just as you are.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “That’s nice of you say.”
“It’s what I consider a nice fact.” He smiled and touched his lips to hers.
When he pulled back, her eyes locked with his, and even in the dim lighting, he could see she was struggling with what he’d said. His hope was that he’d get the chance to show her how wrong her parents were.
Before she could say anything, the waitress returned with their appetizer. By the time their meals arrived, the sadness he’d felt pouring off her had eased, and she laughed a little more.
Earlier in the day, he’d booked a last-minute adventure for her. His hope was that it would cheer her up so their night could end on a positive note. He hated that she’d been hurt by the very people who were supposed to build her up.
Once they’d finished dinner and were outside, he turned to her. “Close your eyes, okay?”
“Why?”
“Trust me.”
A pained expression crossed her features as her lips turned down. She palmed his chest and sighed. “I’ve been trying to figure out all night long how to tell you something. I just…I just didn’t know how to tell you without you getting upset.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “Tell me what?”
“On the trip to Amarillo for Black Friday, they were all talking, and then your mom turned to me and said that you’d won the lottery.” She stepped into him. “I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I’m supposed to be pretending to be your fiancée, and she said that since I was, she knew you would have told me.”
Hunter stepped back, his ears buzzing as his heart dropped to his shoes. Why would his mom even bring up the lottery? It wasn’t something they really talked about anymore. At first, yeah, that’s all they’d talked about because it was suck a shock, but anymore? It was a non-subject. He worked hard to keep his money a secret.
“Hunter, I promise I had no idea. I felt trapped and acted like I already knew. I’ve been agonizing over it all night. Knowing doesn’t change anything for me, and I’m sure you kept it to yourself for some reason. When you asked if I trusted you, I just couldn’t keep it in any longer. Because I do trust you.”
As he tried to process what she’d just said, the horse-drawn carriage arrived.
“This was the surprise?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I—”
He held up his hand to silence her. “Give me time to think, okay?”
Reagan lowered her gaze. “Okay. We don’t have to go on the carriage ride. I understand.”
“No, I planned this for you. It’s already here, and this is a great way to see the lights around the city.”
“Okay.”
Hunter helped her into the buggy and sat beside her. After they covered their legs with a blanket, the ride started. He put his arm around her, and she snuggled against him.
All night long, he’d been looking forward to this exact moment: her nestled next to him with his arm around her. Now, he didn’t know how he felt or what he wanted. Had his mom told her, or did Reagan look it up when they first met?
When she’d asked for a full year’s worth of payments, he’d wondered then, but he’d asked her about it. Her reason felt legitimate at the time. Only now that he was thinking back, he was tired, stressed, and desperate. Had his desire to keep his mom from being disappointed clouded his judgment?
Why would his mom even think to bring it up? Could Reagan have said she only wanted the payments instead of the pay-off just to lull Hunter into letting his guard down?
At the moment, he didn’t know what to believe. Maybe he needed to take a step back and reevaluate the entire situation. He’d jumped in way too fast with wanting a relationship.
Closing his eyes, he pushed the thoughts to the side and tried to enjoy the moment. He’d figure out what he needed to do when he’d slept on it.
Chapter 14
All through the carriage ride, as much as Reagan wanted to believe things were okay, they weren’t. They’d gone from passionate kisses worthy of Oscars to barely speaking in the span of a few minutes. Every second, the chasm grew larger, and s
he had no idea how to stop it.
He’d been so sweet…perfectly imperfect. It had been a good thing she was sitting down when he’d used that phrase. If not, she’d have swooned right there in the restaurant. It was without a doubt the most wonderful thing anyone had ever said to her.
Then he’d asked her to trust him, and it had felt like she had no choice but to tell him she knew about the money. The second the words were spoken, she’d seen and felt the shift. He’d retreated so quickly he was a blur.
Once they finished the tour, it was another two hours of silence. She tried over and over to talk about something…anything, but the wall he slammed between them was thick, tall, and impenetrable.
He cut the truck’s engine and sat there a moment, inhaling long and slow. “I’m going to need some time to sort this out. I know we have to keep up pretenses for my parents. Because as much as I don’t want them to know I’m actually single, I’m even less inclined to tell them the nature of our relationship.”
“Okay,” she said softly. How was she supposed to get through until New Year’s if it was going to be like this? “If you want, I can tell them Naomi and Kaylee have had things come up and I need to go home. If it’ll make it easier on you.”
He shook his head. “I’m already lying, and I’d like it if I didn’t have to add another one to it. Like I said, give me some time to digest this, okay? I’m not mad. I’m just…well, to be honest, I’m not sure what I am at the moment.”
Reagan nodded. “I understand. I’ll stay out of your way until you’re ready to talk to me. When you are, you know where I’m staying.” She opened her door, quickly jumped out, and didn’t look back.
She really had no reason to lie to him. And that his mother told her? What would be the point in lying about that? He could just ask to verify with his mom. But she couldn’t be too upset about it. Money changed things. The more you had, the harder it was to trust someone.
As she reached her room, her phone in her clutch rang. She pulled it out. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at the caller ID. Why was Naomi calling her so late? Then again, who knew with her. She wasn’t a wild child, but she did get herself in predicaments at times. Which made Reagan even more curious about her call.
“Hey, Naomi, what’s going on?”
“Reagan, have you been following the weather?”
She’d checked it before she left for Thanksgiving, and there was nothing on the radar. “I did before I left, why?”
Naomi hesitated a second. “A hurricane is headed toward the island. It’s supposed to be here tomorrow night. We’ve boarded up the house the best we can, but it’s going to be a king tide. They’re saying it’s going to be worse than Irma. They’ve ordered an evacuation of the island.”
If Reagan were hollowed out with a trowel, there would have been more left of her than there was currently. Tears clouded her vision as she sank to the floor in her doorway. “The house?”
“I’m sorry, Reagan,” Naomi said. “I would have called sooner, but earlier today they said it was turning. Now it’s not, and they’re saying with the way it’s moving, it’s going to be a direct hit.”
Before replying, Reagan steadied her voice. “You know what, I’m sure it’ll be okay. We’ve gotten through worse. You and Kaylee stay safe, okay?”
“I know you, Reagan. You can try that tough-girl thing on someone else.”
Reagan swallowed hard. “I’m in Texas, and there’s nothing I can do. It’s not a tough-girl thing; it’s facing reality.”
For a moment, the line stayed silent. “We love you. You’re not alone in this.”
But she was. It was her bed and breakfast, and she had no idea how she was going to rebuild again. As tired as she was already, she wasn’t sure she even had it in her to start again. “Let me go. I’m going to watch the weather for a while. Maybe it’ll turn again. There’s always that chance.” In her gut, she knew things were going to be bad. It seemed the world had been out to get her since she’d taken ownership of The Sandy Pelican. Why would it have a change of heart now?
“Okay, just remember we love you, okay?”
“Love you too.”
The second Reagan ended the call, she put her hand to her mouth, trying to hold in the gut-deep sob. Another hurricane. Another one. She remembered Irma. It was awful, but her parents had rebuilt. How was she supposed to do that? She’d just gotten current on the mortgage. There was the year’s worth of payments and the little extra, but not enough to completely rebuild.
She braced her forehead against the doorframe and pressed her other hand to her mouth. It was late, and even if she did wake someone up, there was nothing they could do. By now, she wouldn’t even be able to get to the house if she left that minute. She was ruined.
All the height marks, the little wall drawings carefully hidden by furniture, and the creaky step that ratted on her and her sister when they tried to sneak out. All of it was going to be gone. With every memory, more silent sobs tore through her.
“Reagan?” Hunter said.
The last thing she wanted was him seeing her like this. His comfort wouldn’t even be real right now. It would only be because he felt sorry for her, and she didn’t want anyone’s pity. She tried to stand and failed.
“Reagan, I’m sorry. Just give me some time to think.”
Lifting her gaze to his, she said, “It’s not about you.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “Then what?”
Her lips trembled and more tears fell. Her dam was broken. “Hurricane. King tide. It’ll be gone. All gone. All that work for nothing. I know it’s part of living on the island, but I tried so hard. I worked hard.” She lifted her gaze to his. “I didn’t ask for anything from anyone. Why me?”
“Oh, Reagan, I’m sorry.” In seconds, Hunter kneeled next to her, pulling her to him and holding her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
A couple of doors opened, and his mom, his dad, and Josiah came into the hall. Next thing she knew, she was surrounded by the entire clan, all of them witnessing her complete meltdown, but at the moment, she couldn’t think. What was she going to do?
“Hunter, what happened?” his mom asked.
“A hurricane’s going to hit the island. It’s bad.”
His mom rushed over and placed her hand on Reagan’s shoulder. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”
Now that more people were offering comfort, she was crying even harder. What kind of broken toy was she? They were being nice, and she was ugly crying like it was her job.
“Is there anything we can do,” Josiah asked. “Anything?”
Reagan shook her head and worked to calm herself. “No,” she said with a hiccup. “It’s a hurricane. The only thing you can do is try to get far enough inland that you’re safe. Tomorrow is a full moon, so in addition to the surge from the storm, there will be the tide too. It’s called a king tide, and it’s just life on an island.”
She squeezed Hunter’s bicep. “You need to call Stone and see if he’s okay.”
“I will, but I’m pretty sure he’s already handled it,” Hunter replied. He rocked back on his heels, stood, and then helped her up. “I’ll see if I can find anything out from him about the storm. Maybe he’ll know something. I’ll have him check the bed and breakfast.”
Exactly what she didn’t want. Hunter wouldn’t even be speaking to her if it weren’t for that stupid hurricane.
His mom pulled her into a hug. “It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. You’re one of us now, and we make a great team.”
Inside, she wilted. Why did his mom have to say that? Reagan didn’t have a team because all of it was pretend. A ridiculous hoax, all to save her home and business, and now, it was all for nothing. Why was she even staying with the Wests at this point? It wasn’t like the rest of the money would even come close to helping her keep it. But she wouldn’t back out of the deal just because it was now pointless.
Besides, even if she did tell them the truth, she couldn�
��t return to Tybee. With a mandatory evacuation order, they wouldn’t allow her access for days or even weeks. She was helpless…and worn out.
Taking a deep breath, Reagan forced herself to get it together. “I appreciate that, Caroline. If you all don’t mind, I’m going to go lie down and try to get some sleep.”
“Are you sure?” his mom asked.
Forcing a smile, Reagan nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you for checking on me.”
Caroline took her hand and patted it. “Sure, sweetheart. If you need anything, just let us know, okay?”
“Okay.” Reagan held the smile in place until she stepped into her room. She wasn’t okay. She was tired, hurt, and sad. Hopeless and helpless. Which seemed to be a way of life for her. If Carlin had taken over the bed and breakfast, it would probably be doing great.
“I know you’re not okay.” Hunter’s voice was soft. It almost made her think things were fine, but they weren’t. She was already pretending to be his fiancée, and that was all she had in her at the moment.
She crossed the room to her bed, set her clutch on the nightstand, and raked her hand through her hair. Tears threatened to spill again, but she forced them back. “I’ve been on my own a long time, Hunter, and while I appreciate the kindness, I can only pretend so much. Could you just leave me alone for a while?”
Heartbeat after heartbeat, he was silent until she heard him take the doorknob. “I’m here if you need anything, okay?”
Reagan nodded. “Yeah.” As soon as the door was shut, she crawled onto the bed and curled into a ball.
Whatever spirit she’d had left shriveled up and died. For the first time since she’d taken over The Sandy Pelican, she felt defeated. Not just that, flattened. She was holding on to something with both hands, and everything was doing its best to pry her hands off. How much more did she have to give before something good happened?
It seemed her fate in life was to be on the precipice of something great, only to see it slip from her fingers. Nothing ever seemed to work in her favor. Not with Hunter. Not with the bed and breakfast. Not with anything. For the first time in her life, not a single inch of her had an ounce of hope left.
The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 2) Page 9
