Page 41 of The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary
“Let me get you some coffee,” Reagan said, her voice a little on the squeaky side.
King knew they weren’t engaged, and if he knew, Caroline knew. When had Caroline figured it out? They’d been kissy, affectionate. Sure, they’d had a disagreement—a big one—but all couples had those. Should Reagan acknowledge that they knew? This was a playbook she was wholly unfamiliar with.
Had they told Hunter that they knew? No, he’d have said something for sure. Or would he have? She had been really upset with him, and it wasn’t like she had anywhere to go until the island was open for residents to return. Which, if he’d told her, she would have wanted to go home, even if she didn’t have a roof over her head. Staying at the ranch would have made her feel awkward.
For now, she’d keep the information to herself. They’d spend Christmas enjoying her family and maybe trying to figure out what this thing between them was. All she knew was that she loved him. That’s where negotiations could start.
Chapter 19
By noon, most of Hunter’s family was ready to open gifts. They’d huddled around in the kitchen talking for a while, long enough to require several pots of Reagan’s coffee. She’d given Bandit some tips, but it just wasn’t the same.
Currently, they were in the middle of unwrapping gifts. What they typically did was hand them all out, and then they’d each take turns opening them so everyone could see what they got. Hunter couldn’t remember when that tradition had started, which meant it was much older than him.
They’d gone several rounds and were stopped at him again. This last pass would be the final gift to unwrap. He picked up the one from Reagan which he’d saved until now. He wondered what she could have possibly gotten him. At least she’d gone shopping before she was mad at him. There would’ve been no telling what it was otherwise.
“Are you going to stare at it or open it?” asked Bear.
“Shut up,” Hunter grumbled.
He pulled the wrapping off and opened the little box. A smile spread on his lips. “Dog training lessons?”
Reagan shrugged. “I thought they might come in handy one day.”
Yeah, and maybe their dog would be the ring bearer at their wedding. His heart skipped a beat at the thought. It was as clear a picture as he’d ever had. Hunter walking down the aisle toward Reagan, and the beginning of a life with someone he respected and loved.
Hunter put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.” He’d unwrapped two gifts, and the one he loved most was her.
“You’re welcome.”
Gabby was next and the last person to open the final gift. She picked up what looked to be a t-shirt-sized gift box.
“Gabby?” Wyatt asked. “Notoorfrom?”
Shrugging, she grinned and unwrapped it, pulled the top off the box, and then began unfolding what looked like a poster. She held it up, and the room fell silent. On the poster, there was a pink and blue onesie with a due date.
Wyatt turned to her. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Pregnant?” A range of emotion played on Wyatt’s face, from shock to awe to joy.
Their mom’s breath caught, and her hand went to her mouth. She looked from Gabby to Pauline, Gabby’s mother. “Did you know?”
Pauline shook her head as tears began streaming down her cheeks. “No.”
“They got us a baby for Christmas,” his mom said, choking out the words.
As Wyatt kissed his wife, the entire family broke into a ruckus of everything from congratulations to flat-out bawling from the soon-to-be grandmas.
Hunter looked at Reagan, and their eyes locked. He was going to be an uncle, and he never wanted anything more than for her to be an aunt. He loved her and wanted her and a life with her. Hopefully, she was thinking the same thing.
Chapter 20
Since Christmas, things between Reagan and Hunter had been different. Good, but not what they’d been before their date and better than it was Christmas Eve. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement on what direction they were headed. Of course, they’d only spent a little time together.
Residents were now being allowed back onto the island to see how their homes had fared through the hurricane. Hunter’s partner, Stone, had somehow managed to be one of the first to return. He’d called and used Facetime to let her see it. Her home had sustained some damage, but thankfully, not as much as she’d feared.
Hunter had convinced her to stay in Caprock Canyon while he got a crew working on it. That way she’d have a place to stay once they got back. Depending on how his hotel fared, maybe he’d have a place too.
