Page 48 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

“You good?” Hunter called over his shoulder, from where he was now scouting the rocks—for what, she didn’t know.

“All good!” she replied, lifting a shaky thumb.

“Good, now sit,” he instructed, pointing to a dip in the rocks where he’d piled up a few twigs and branches.

Daisy did as she was told, feeling a bit silly as she tried to find a comfortable position against the icy rocks.

“Cold?” Hunter asked, concern lacing his voice.

“A little,” Daisy admitted. “But it’s beautiful here.”

Hunter nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Just wait. It gets better.”

He moved with practiced ease, gathering a few larger pieces of driftwood and arranging them into the loose shape of a teepee, and Daisy watched, fascinated, as he stuffed twigs and dried grass into the middle. He was a man in his element.

He stepped toward her, tugging her closer as he slipped a hand into the pocket of the jacket she was still wearing, and pulled out a lighter. Within moments, a small flame flickered to life.

As Hunter added a log to the flames, feeding the fire as it rose higher, he turned to Daisy. A cocky grin spread across his face, his eyes reflecting the dancing firelight. He didn’t have to say anything, his eyes said it all.I am man, hear me roar!

Daisy couldn’t help but chuckle as she gave him a humoring clap.

“Thank you,” he said, tilting his head in a bow. The rocks clicked together as he flopped down beside her, relaxing against his bare elbow like some sort of GQ model.

The fire crackled gently, sending sparks flying into the starry sky, the golden flakes mixing with the silver ones. Daisy nestled into the jacket, comfortable with the quiet, listening to the waves lapping against the shore.

Finally, Hunter broke the silence. “Thank you,” he said softly.

Daisy pulled her gaze from the flames, turning to find him watching her intently.

“For what you said back there,” he explained, dropping his gaze to the stone in his hand. He twirled it in his fingers, as though anchoring himself to it.

Realization hit Daisy, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. The conversation back at the diner. “Oh,” she said. “You heard that.”

Hunter nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

Daisy scooped up a rock of her own, trying not to pry. “You don’t have to tell me about it…But, just so you know, she’s wrong about you. And about your family.”

Hunter dropped his stone, letting out a heavy breath as he rolled to his back, resting one hand on his chest, the other behind his head. The stars reflected in his eyes as the light of the fire was blocked out. When he spoke, his voice was low, tinged with an old pain. “She’s not completely wrong.”

Daisy stilled, waiting for him to go on.

His chest rose as he sucked in a deep breath. “I had this girlfriend. My high school sweetheart, I guess you’d call her. Belle,” he spoke into the dark. “Belle came into my life just after everything fell apart at home. My dad had moved us to the mainland, but he was never really around. So, after school most days, my brothers and I would hop on the ferry. Hang around town with friends until the last ride out.”

Daisy tried to envision young Hunter with his unruly brown curls and dark eyes. She had a feeling he wouldn’t have noticed her in high school.

“Belle and I were friends. And at first, she was just a shoulder to lean on. But after a while, it turned into something more. Before I knew it, her mom was saving me a spot on their pew on Sundays, Pastor Arnie tossing an extra burger on the grill, making a place for me.”

A complete family to replace his broken one.

Suddenly, Daisy didn’t want to hear the end of this story.

“We dated for three years,” he said, his eyes tracing constellations in the sky. “And when senior year rolled around, I was ready to follow her anywhere. She was an incredible athlete. And she’d gotten a full ride to play basketball for Michigan State. Her parents were so proud.”

He paused, his voice heavy, and Daisy wondered how long it had been since he’d told anyone this story.

“Anyway, there was this party,” he continued. “A bonfire on the beach in St. Joseph.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened. “I should have stopped her, but…I didn’t. I’d spent years keeping Waylen out of trouble at these parties?—”

---