Page 44 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

“Sorry! I’m so sorry,” he blurted out, his face burning with embarrassment. He quickly pushed himself off the wall, stumbling backward and nearly tripping over the cord again. “I didn’t mean to…I mean, I tripped and…”

Daisy cleared her throat, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “It’s okay.”

Hunter retreated to the door, suddenly desperate for the fresh air.

Outside, the trees were in full color, leaves piling across the recently mowed lawn. Hunter strode down the path, not stopping as his boots hit the street. He kept walking to the other side, where a stone wall marked the edge of Sunset Cove, overlooking the lake. He hopped up onto the wall and let his legs hang over the edge, savoring the cold stone beneath his palms.

Why was it all of Hunter’s most embarrassing moments had to do with Daisy Decker?

As though summoned, Daisy leaned up against the wall beside him.

“Well, that was…Wow,” she said. “You’ve been off all day, but I think that was a whole new level.”

To his own surprise, Hunter barked out a laugh. The cold air sweeping over the back of his neck as he hung his head. “Please tell me that didn’t get on camera?”

Daisy winced, crinkling her nose the way she had the night before. “So sorry, Mr. Barrett, but that moment will live on. Probably forever.”

His eyes flicked to hers. “You wouldn’t post that…”

Daisy laughed, and Hunter relaxed into it. “No, I won’t do that to you.”

He let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

Daisy nodded and hopped up onto the wall beside him, her shoulders brushing his ever so slightly. She let out a breath. “About last night…”

“I’m sorry about that too,” Hunter said, running a hand over his neck. “I wasn’t in the right head space. You were just being…well, you…and I read too much into it. But I’m good now. It won’t happen again.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice lacking the usual lightness he’d begun to look forward to. Or…was that a hint of disappointment he detected?

They fell into silence again, the tension between them almost palpable, and Hunter suddenly wanted to take it all back. To ask her if hadn’t been reading into the connection she’d felt. If maybe…she’d felt it too.

“So, uh, about thatHOMENew Year’s contest…” he began, relaunching their earlier topic.

Daisy seemed grateful for the change of subject. “Oh, yes! I think if we really push our social media presence and get some stunning before-and-after shots—those are due in December, by the way—we could have a real chance at winning.”

As Daisy launched into her plans for the contest, Hunter found himself relaxing slightly. This was familiar territory—talking about the house, the renovation, their shared goal. He’d protect the family home. She’d go back to California. She’d forget he existed again. Easy. He could handle this.

All he had to do was remember that their fake engagement was just that.

Fake. As long as everything went according to plan…

ChapterNine

The clatter of plates and the hum of conversation filled the diner as Hunter and Daisy sat across from each other in a cozy booth inside Martha’s on Main. The red cherrywood table between them held a massive plate of fries and several piles of paint samples, tiles, and fabric swatches, all grouped by color scheme.

“Okay, hear me out.” Daisy leaned forward, popping a fry into her mouth as she rearranged one of the piles, her excitement obvious as she threw out her idea. “We do periwinkle for the door.”

Hunter raised his brows. “Periwinkle?”

“Don’t laugh,” she said, laughing herself. “It’s coastal. It’s timeless. And it will be so pretty next to the lilacs.”

“What lilacs?”

Daisy dipped another fry into the ketchup between them. “The lilacs we’re going to plant next to the porch steps. Keep up, Barrett.”

Hunter leaned his chin against his thumb, his knuckles brushing his lips as he gave her a thoughtful look. “Hard to keep up with the infamous ‘girl with a plan.’”

Heat unfurled in his chest as her bright eyes dropped, her cheeks flushing.

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