Page 25 of Reforming Hunt
The girl shook her head. “But the door, it was locked. I made sure of it after you left this evening.”
Abby stepped inside the house and shoved the flashlight back in the drawer. “Vivian has a key.”
She pinched her eyes closed. After Trevor passed and she’d moved into a smaller place, she’d stupidly given Vivian a key, thinking it would help with Noah. She’d had no idea at the time that Vivian would use it against her.
The sitter shifted her feet. “You don’t have to pay me. This is my fault.”
“Are you on drugs?” Abby asked. She needed to know if there was any truth to Vivian’s words, though she doubted it. Her sitter was the straight-A teenage student of one of the doctors she worked with.
“No! Never. I truly sleep like the dead. Just ask my mom.”
Abby pulled money from her purse and handed it to the girl. “This isn’t your fault. You locked the door. Noah’s grandmother should have woken you when she walked inside.”
The sitter grabbed her purse and went to the door. “I’m so sorry,” she said again, and left.
Abby sank onto the couch and covered her face. Vivian had been looking for ammunition to take Noah away from Abby for years, and tonight was damning. How could Abby ever think she could have a life outside of work with someone like Vivian on her back?
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Abby was relieved that her son was okay, but she was also filled with body-freezing fear over how far Vivian was willing to go.
* * *
Noah hadn’t shownto Club Kids today, and Hunt learned from Kaylee that there’d been some kind of family emergency.
What emergency? Was this real, or Abby putting space between them?
He paced the dock and finally came to a decision.
This was ridiculous. Hunt would never hurt Noah. And if Abby didn’t feel the chemistry Hunt did for her, he’d back off, no problem. In fact, he’d done a pretty good job of not showing his cards ever since the night at the club when she’d made it clear she wasn’t interested. She had no reason to fear him, and he was going to tell her so.
Hunt asked Bran to cover the boat excursion scheduled for noon—which Bran grumbled about, but whatever—then Hunt took off for the Club Kids playroom.
Abby asked him to stay away, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t stand by and watch Noah and Abby struggle when he had the ability to help. The very least he could do was be a friend.
“Noah left his water bottle behind,” Hunt told Kaylee. “I’m going to run it by their place on my way to take care of errands.” Truth. Noah had left his water bottle. Not that they routinely made house calls to drop off items left behind.
Kaylee narrowed her eyes, and Harlow reached for Hunt from her mother’s arms. He gave his niece a smile and kissed her small hand. “Noah can pick it up when he comes in tomorrow,” Kaylee said. “There’s no need for you to go out of your way.”
“It’s no big deal. I’m heading in that direction.”
“Hunt.” Kaylee gave him a knowing look. “What are you doing? I saw the way you watched Abby last night. This is more than helping out Noah.”
“She’s a nice woman, and she needs our support. If I’m out and about, it’s easy enough for me to swing by.”
Kaylee twisted her mouth. “Fine, but I’m texting her and letting her know someone from the club is dropping off Noah’s water bottle. I don’t want to overstep.”
“Good idea.” He pecked Harlow on her chubby cheek. “Catch you later.”
“Hunt,” Kaylee said, right as he’d turned to leave. “Be careful. She’s a stressed-out mom. Please don’t make things worse.”
“Why would I make things worse?”
“Because you’re Hunt? Lover of womankind the world over.”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Kaylee sighed. “Please don’t get involved with one of our clients. The club is just starting to pick up business with you and your brothers in charge. Don’t ruin it for the family.”
“Ye of little faith.” He shook his head, his expression light, but the comment stung. His family didn’t believe in him. At all. They thought him a careless ass.
