Page 7 of Reforming Hunt
Chapter 3
Abby was putting in another twelve-hour day, dog-tired after covering her own shift plus part of another LVN’s who’d called in sick.
She’d been in classes to become a registered nurse when her life had taken a sharp turn. Now she was left with long shifts as a licensed vocational nurse and so much responsibility that her dream of completing her nursing degree had faded years ago. She wondered on days like today, when everything seemed to be going wrong, if she’d ever manage to come up for air.
“Abby,” Noah’s paternal grandmother, Vivian, said over the phone. “We won’t be able to pick up your son today.”
Abby nearly choked on the caffeinated soda she’d been chugging during her short break. “But I’m pulling a long shift.”
“Are you telling me you can’t handle being a mother? This isyourjob. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Trevor’s father and I would be more than happy to shoulder the responsibility of Noah’s upbringing if you were to pursue your career.”
In other words, if Abby wanted to give up custody of her son.
No way. Not ever.
After Trevor’s sudden death when Noah was a baby, nothing else mattered except caring for her young child. “I have things under control.”
But she didn’t. Not really.
Abby got off the phone and clenched her teeth. Vivian had been kind and sweet when her boyfriend Trevor was alive. Now his mother was an entirely different person. Loss could hit people like that sometimes, and it seemed that was what had happened to Vivian.
Everything, including Trevor’s checking account, froze the day he died. The deed for his home was in his parents’ names. So even though Abby lived with Trevor, she was forced to move, unable to pay his parents the rent they demanded. That was around the time Abby realized just how far Vivian was willing to go to hold on to the last shred of her son.
Abby ended up quitting nursing school, getting a full-time job, and moving into a tiny cabin she and Noah lived in to this day. She was barely able to make ends meet, but as long as she worked double shifts from time to time, she managed.
Abby returned calls to patients who’d reached out to their doctors as quickly as she could, and left work early. Again. But there was no way around it. There was no room for error when it came to raising Noah. Vivian was too eager in the wings, ready to pounce the moment Abby screwed up.
She made her way to her crappy car and headed to Noah’s daycare. God, she hated being late for her son. There was never enough time to work, take care of household chores, and spend quality time with Noah. She worried he didn’t know how much she loved him. Worried he didn’t know that he was her entire world.
Abby neared Club Tahoe’s entrance, idling for a moment as a family exited in front of her, then pulled forward. But because this day had sucked hard and didn’t seem to be getting any better, her car took that moment to keel over and die in front of the fancy resort.
Crap.
Abby stepped out of her car and tried to explain to the valet her vehicle’s spotty history and how it sometimes died. That given five or ten minutes, it would fire up again. The valet wasn’t having any of it.
Until he glanced at something—orsomeone—over her shoulder. “One moment, please.” The valet took off and Abby looked at the time. She wrapped her arms around her waist, frustrated with her unreliable car and worried about Noah.
When the valet returned a moment later, his entire expression had softened. “I’ll have your car taken care of, ma’am. Go ahead inside.”
“You will? I mean—you’re sure?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gestured for her to go inside the entrance.
Abby took the favor for what it was, a godsend, and hurried toward the front doors of Club Tahoe. But not before she scanned the area where the valet had run off.
And saw Hunt, the handsome man from last night.
What in the world?
Hunt had been his friend’s “second” so the other guy could talk to Abby’s beautiful workmate. But what had begun as an obligation to talk to Hunt while her coworker spoke to his friend turned into something more natural and less forced as they chatted. She’d nearly lost herself in the conversation, until she realized spending time with men like Hunt would never be an option. Not while her son was young and needed her.
She’d caught a look of disappointment on his face when she explained she really wasn’t interested, and though she regretted turning him away, it had been the right thing to do. She was sure of it.
Nearly sure. Mostly sure.
It had been a long time since a man had shown any interest in Abby. She was shocked she’d had the strength to not cave to his handsome face and sexy smile. Really, it had been a feat of immense strength when she thought back. She may have been celibate since Trevor died, but it wasn’t for lack of missing someone in her life. Her son and work simply filled up all her free time.
She looked away, her face hot with embarrassment. Of course her car would die in front ofthisman.
