Page 64 of I Knew You
“Am I that easy to read?” I laughed. “It isn’t personal, Hunter. I just?—”
Hunter took a step back from me. “It’s fine. I enjoyed our time together. I apologize if I was too tired; it was a harder work day than anticipated.”
“Oh, it’s perfectly fine.” I bit my tongue to keep from rambling.
I could already feel that he wasn’t going to go in for a kiss, and I didn’t blame him. Our surface-level conversations hadn’t even warranted a hug, but that is what he went in for, quick and incomplete. His arms went around me in a loose, friendly fashion. I felt…nothing.
It was disappointing and telling.
When I walked into the unlocked front door, Lakey greetedme, her tail swishing around my legs. The television was on in the living room, but Bram wasn’t there.
“Bram?” I called out, setting my purse on the couch.
“Hey! Hold on, I’m coming.” His deep voice called from the kitchen, and I heard his footsteps on the creaky floor.
He entered the living room, beer bottle in hand. He wore loose black sweatpants and a green T-shirt, barefoot. He leaned casually against the open doorway of the dining room and looked at me.
“This seems like a thing with you,” I said, pointing at him up and down.
“What?” His face looked far from innocent.
“This doorway leaning you’ve been doing all day.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” His smirk said otherwise, and at the first sign of it, my heart raced.
“Oh, you know what you’re doing.” I rolled my eyes and took a seat on the couch.
“How was the date?” He emphasized the ’T’ in date.
“Great,” I lied, then looked at the TV, absently watching a commercial for a car. “How did the dinner wrap up?”
“Fine. The ladies told me to tell you they hope you come back next week.”
“Of course I will,” I replied, feeling a warm kinship with the women. But I shoved the emotion away. The last thing I needed was to get attached to Mill Creek residents and their world. I was going back to Charlotte in a couple of months.
“No more dates, then?” He tried to keep any pleasure out of his voice, but I felt it radiating off him. He already knew.
I sighed. “I don’t think so.” I settled back in my seat, and my gaze swung to meet his. “You and I need to talk.”
His brow furrowed as he took a sip of his beer.
“Okay…” he said, after he swallowed. “Shoot.”
“I know what you’re doing.” The words tumbled from my lips in a rush.
“Is that so?”
“You are paying people’s bills, buying groceries, gifts, and other things. Euetta told me. You’re paying for all that on your own, separate from the organization.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not a big deal. Feels good to help.”
“It’s incredible. I wish you’d told me how involved you were.”
He didn’t seem pleased by my praise. He ran a hand through his hair. “It didn’t seem important. And I didn’t want you to think I had become altruistic, not fully,” he admitted. “I still think about how much I owe on behalf of my father. He ruined so many lives. It’s what drives me. I want to erase the hurt he caused. And maybe turn some opinions around in the process. My work is not entirely unselfish.”
I shook my head. “You don’t get it. You don’t just throw money at things. You give your time and energy, too. Even if it’s misplaced guilt, it’s a huge sacrifice on your part.”
“I don’t like making a big deal of it.” His eyes locked with mine, and electricity passed between us as it had earlier at the dinner.
