Page 26 of New Year, New Guy
‘You’re living proof there’s a silver lining to every dark situation.’
‘Heck, I didn’t have you down for a Pollyanna.’ He wished he’d kept his mouth shut when she bit her lip and her cheeksturned pink. ‘Sorry. Me and compliments don’t get along too well.’
‘Same here. It’s okay.’ Her gentle smile returned.
‘When my two years at Greystone were up I returned with my folks to Nashville but my father made it clear they’d be happier if I didn’t hang around. I bummed around working various unskilled construction jobs before ending up in East Tennessee where I took community college classes at night until I had enough credits to complete an online business degree.’ His cheeks heated. ‘By then I’d hooked up with a local carpenter willing to have me as unpaid labour while he taught me all he knew.’
‘Several people helped to save you but your own determination did the rest.’
‘I guess.’ Hunter’s throat tightened.
‘Polly did give you credit for trying to do the same for others. That’s awesome.’
He couldn’t agree without sounding full of himself.
‘What’s your own house like? I assume it’s vastly different from my beige palace?’
The smooth change of subject proved how well she already seemed to know him. With a grin he scrolled through his phone and showed her the latest pictures he’d taken both of the inside and outside when the fall colours in the Smoky Mountains were their most vivid. He was pretty sure she’d imagined a basic cabin instead of his generously sized L-shaped design, the aged wood shaded to a soft grey and with massive windows to take full advantage of the spectacular setting. The tree-covered mountain rising in the background and stream trickling across the front of the property only added to its beauty in his opinion.
‘Oh my gosh, it’s stunning.’
‘I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out.’ For years he’d had nothing to boast about and it still didn’t sit easy with him.‘I don’t know how much Johnny explained to your sister about Greystone’
‘We haven’t had a chance to chat yet.’ Laura’s eyes narrowed. ‘Are you happy to put your side of the story to me first?’
One of the candles sputtered out and he dug his nails into his palm, desperate to keep from grabbing her again.
Chapter Fifteen
‘Saved by the bell, or rather the text message.’ Laura’s mobile flashed and she let Hunter read her sister’s message. None of the taxi drivers would venture out as far as Polly and Johnny’s flat on the other side of Plymouth because there were trees down on the main road and collapsed power lines.
Johnny’s friend Rick offered to drop us at your place on his way home. All right if we crash with you tonight?
‘I could hide in the attic?’
‘Let’s go with a no on that. It doesn’t have any windows.’
‘So, freaking out in the dark could turn me into a male version of Mr Rochester’s crazy wife?’
It felt wrong to laugh but his warm chuckle freed her to join in.
‘You’d better answer before she thinks I’ve brainwashed you against them.’ The bitter edge to his voice wiped out the brief moment of closeness.
Laura sent off a swift reply. ‘You’ve got maybe ten minutes before they turn up.’ She watched Hunter’s brain race for a few seconds before resignation settled into the creases of his face.
‘It’ll have to wait.’
They sat in silence with rain beating at the windows and the candles burning down.
‘I’ll let them in.’ She grabbed the torch when she heard a car outside.
‘Well, that all went pear-shaped.’ Polly stumbled in over the doorstep. ‘My sister bails on our party early. The bloody lights go and the restaurant turfs us all out on the street “for our own safety”. Now I can’t get home to my own bed. This better not be an omen for Saturday.’
‘This gets all the bad luck out of the way.’ Laura secretly crossed her fingers.
‘You’d better have some booze handy because I haven’t drunk nearly enough.’ Polly staggered towards the kitchen. ‘Oh for God’s sake, are you still here?’ She lunged towards Hunter but crashed into the table and knocked over a couple of candles in the process.
Laura made a quick dive to save her tablecloth from going up in flames. ‘Johnny, light a few more candles please.’ She sensed Hunter’s anxiety ratchet up.
