suspected for some time now—there could be something special between them. Listening to her share her worries and hearing the pain in her voice had made something inside him rise up in protest, wanting to ensure she never felt that way again.
Hearing that she’d tried to outrun her pain by giving herself to other guys had made him want to kill someone, not that he’d let her see that. No, the worst thing he could ever do is let her think he was judging her when he wasn’t. How could he pretend to know what it had been like to suddenly lose the two most important people in her life at the tender age of eighteen?
If she’d found a way to manage the pain, so be it. That was then, this was now, and hearing how she’d reacted to the aftermath of her loss only made him more determined to make sure nothing ever hurt her again.
“Where’re we going?” she asked, breaking a lengthy silence.
Drawn out of his thoughts by her question, Hunter glanced over at her. “I don’t know yet. I thought we’d take a ride and see what looks good to us.”
In the faint light coming from the dashboard, he thought he saw her smile. “I figured you’d have this evening planned down to the last minute.”
“Usually I would, but tonight I wanted to do something different and be more spontaneous.”
“Spontaneous. Is that painful for you?”
“Why do I have a feeling you’re making fun of me?”
“I would never do that.”
“Yes, I think you would.” He loved to see her playful side emerging. She was always so serious and contained. Now he knew why. She kept a tight rein on her emotions as a shield against being hurt again. Understanding that about her was like being given the keys to her inner workings. He would guard and protect those keys with everything he had for as long as he was lucky enough to have her in his life.
“You’re awfully quiet over there, which makes me wonder what you’re thinking about.”
“I’m thinking about you, which I do a lot.”
“What in particular?” she asked.
“That I’m glad you told me what you did earlier.”
“I’m ashamed of what I told you. I wish you didn’t know that about me.”
“It’s part of who you are, and I want to know who you are. I want to understand you, because if I understand you, I can make sure I don’t do anything to hurt you.”
After a long pause, she said, “Since last night … I’ve felt like I’m living in some sort of fairy tale or something.”
“The one where the handsome, dashing accountant scoops you up and takes you away from all your troubles?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
He hadn’t expected such a serious reply to his teasing comment, but it pleased him deeply to know she felt that way. Reaching across the center console, he took her hand and had to remember he was driving when she curled both her hands around his.
Hunter kept his eyes on the road, even though he preferred looking at her. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he didn’t ask. There’d be time for that later. Right now he wanted to enjoy having her riding next to him, holding his hand with an entire evening stretched out before them to spend any way they wished to.
He decided there was definitely something to be said for spontaneity when it involved her.
They drove for a long time through dark, winding mountain roads. Hunter had no idea where they were and didn’t care. A touch of a button on the GPS could get them home, but for the moment, he was rather enjoying being “lost” with Megan.
A roadside tavern appeared in the headlights. “What do you think?”
“Looks good to me.”
Hunter signaled and then pulled off the road, laughing when he saw the name of the place: Pig’s Belly Tavern and Publick House. “You can tell our grandchildren I brought you to the Pig’s Belly Tavern for our first date.”
“It’ll make for a good story.”
Her comeback filled him with foolish hope for a future with her that was far from
Hearing that she’d tried to outrun her pain by giving herself to other guys had made him want to kill someone, not that he’d let her see that. No, the worst thing he could ever do is let her think he was judging her when he wasn’t. How could he pretend to know what it had been like to suddenly lose the two most important people in her life at the tender age of eighteen?
If she’d found a way to manage the pain, so be it. That was then, this was now, and hearing how she’d reacted to the aftermath of her loss only made him more determined to make sure nothing ever hurt her again.
“Where’re we going?” she asked, breaking a lengthy silence.
Drawn out of his thoughts by her question, Hunter glanced over at her. “I don’t know yet. I thought we’d take a ride and see what looks good to us.”
In the faint light coming from the dashboard, he thought he saw her smile. “I figured you’d have this evening planned down to the last minute.”
“Usually I would, but tonight I wanted to do something different and be more spontaneous.”
“Spontaneous. Is that painful for you?”
“Why do I have a feeling you’re making fun of me?”
“I would never do that.”
“Yes, I think you would.” He loved to see her playful side emerging. She was always so serious and contained. Now he knew why. She kept a tight rein on her emotions as a shield against being hurt again. Understanding that about her was like being given the keys to her inner workings. He would guard and protect those keys with everything he had for as long as he was lucky enough to have her in his life.
“You’re awfully quiet over there, which makes me wonder what you’re thinking about.”
“I’m thinking about you, which I do a lot.”
“What in particular?” she asked.
“That I’m glad you told me what you did earlier.”
“I’m ashamed of what I told you. I wish you didn’t know that about me.”
“It’s part of who you are, and I want to know who you are. I want to understand you, because if I understand you, I can make sure I don’t do anything to hurt you.”
After a long pause, she said, “Since last night … I’ve felt like I’m living in some sort of fairy tale or something.”
“The one where the handsome, dashing accountant scoops you up and takes you away from all your troubles?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
He hadn’t expected such a serious reply to his teasing comment, but it pleased him deeply to know she felt that way. Reaching across the center console, he took her hand and had to remember he was driving when she curled both her hands around his.
Hunter kept his eyes on the road, even though he preferred looking at her. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he didn’t ask. There’d be time for that later. Right now he wanted to enjoy having her riding next to him, holding his hand with an entire evening stretched out before them to spend any way they wished to.
He decided there was definitely something to be said for spontaneity when it involved her.
They drove for a long time through dark, winding mountain roads. Hunter had no idea where they were and didn’t care. A touch of a button on the GPS could get them home, but for the moment, he was rather enjoying being “lost” with Megan.
A roadside tavern appeared in the headlights. “What do you think?”
“Looks good to me.”
Hunter signaled and then pulled off the road, laughing when he saw the name of the place: Pig’s Belly Tavern and Publick House. “You can tell our grandchildren I brought you to the Pig’s Belly Tavern for our first date.”
“It’ll make for a good story.”
Her comeback filled him with foolish hope for a future with her that was far from
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