And I Love You (23 page)

Wanting to let him know she appreciated his public display of affection, she put her hand on his leg and felt his entire body tense.

“I hope he’s treating you well, Megan,” Hannah said.

“I give up,” Nolan said, smiling at Hunter. “Sorry, man.”

“It’s all right. She can’t help herself.”

“That’s right, I can’t,” Hannah said. “So, Megan, all is well?”

Amused by Hunter’s obvious distress and annoyance, she smiled up at him. “All is well.”

“That’s it? That’s all I’m going to get?”

“Hannah …” Hunter’s low growl was full of warning.

“So you’ve given up shaving, too? I don’t think I’ve seen you with stubble since college. I’ve got to say, it looks good on you. Kind of rugged and sexy. Don’t you think, Megan?”

“Did you just refer to your own brother as rugged and sexy?” Nolan asked his wife.

“So what about it? Just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes. He’s a good-looking guy. Don’t you think, Megan?”

“I’m going to kill you, Hannah,” Hunter said, “and I’m going to make it hurt.”

“Oh hush,” Hannah said, clearly undeterred by Hunter’s irritation. “I’m talking to Megan. Leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry about her,” Hunter said. “She’s been a pain in my ass since about four minutes after I was born.”

Megan could no longer contain her laughter. It was indeed hilarious to see the calm, cool, collected Hunter handed his ass by his twin. Spending more time with Hannah was now at the top of Megan’s to-do list.

“Don’t encourage her by laughing. You can’t think she’s funny and be with me, too.”

“Well,” Megan said, “it was nice knowing you.”

Hannah dissolved into laughter and raised her fist to Megan, who gave it a bump. As she did, she met the darkeyed gaze that was so much like Hunter’s, and detected a hint of respect coming from Hannah. Until that moment, Megan hadn’t realized how desperately she wanted Hunter’s family to like her, especially Hannah, who was so important to him.

Nina arrived at their table with four mugs, looking harried and frazzled. “Sorry for the delay. Coffee for everyone?”

“Decaf for me,” Hannah said, with obvious distaste.

“Do you need help, Neen?” Megan asked.

“Nope. I got it.”

When they all had steaming mugs in front of them, Hannah shifted her attention back to Hunter. “What’s this I hear about the family buying this place?”

“Gramps is thinking about buying it.”

“Is that right?” Nolan said. “That’s cool, huh?”

“Yeah, except he expects me to oversee the whole thing like I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“If anyone can do it, you can,” Hannah said.

“We’ll have to make some changes, but—”

Megan sat up straighter. “What kind of changes?”

“A few structural things.”

“Like what?”

“I should really talk to Nina about this.”

“Nina will be gone in a couple of days, and you said you want me to help you run this place if the sale goes through. Doesn’t that give me the right to know what kind of changes you have planned?”

“She’s got you there,” Hannah said, earning another glare from her brother.

“For one thing,” Hunter said tentatively, “the hood over the grill needs to be replaced. It failed the inspection.”

“Oh. Okay. That’s doable. What else?”

“We might have to look at the pricing.”

“What about it?”

“At the moment, the diner is operating in the red because the cost of the food is higher than what Nina is charging.”

“So you want to raise the prices.”

“Possibly.”

“Do you know how many people eat here every day because they can’t afford to eat anywhere else?” Before he could reply, she continued. “Do you know how many of them come here because they have no one to talk to at home and can find a family of sorts here while they eat meals they couldn’t otherwise afford? It’s not all about money here. It never has been, and if that’s what you’re about, you might want to save your grandfather’s money and yourself the trouble of buying the place. We’d be better off to let it close down than to try to turn it into something fancy and refined. There’s more to the story here than what you’ll find in the numbers.” He stared at her, and she had no idea what he was thinking. “I need to get back to work. Hannah, Nolan, nice to see you.”

Embarrassed by her outburst, but not at all embarrassed by what she’d said, Megan slipped out of his embrace, got up and walked away.

“I like her,” Hannah said with a dreamy sigh. “I like her
so
much.”

“So do I.” Still reeling from Megan’s passionate speech, Hunter never would’ve guessed her true feelings about the diner and its clientele until she’d so thoroughly schooled him.

Hannah leaned across the table. “Now tell us everything, and leave nothing out.”

“I’m not doing that, Han.”

“Come on! You’ve gotta give me something. Who was more up in our business when we first started dating than you were?”

“That was different,” Hunter said. “You’d been through so much after losing Caleb. I was just being … protective.”

“Do you think I feel any less protective toward you? Just because you haven’t lost a spouse doesn’t mean I wouldn’t claw the eyes out of any woman who dared to hurt you.”

“She’s not going to hurt me. She’s amazing. It’s everything I always hoped it would be and a few things I never dared to imagine.”

Hannah’s mouth fell open and her eyes bugged. “Oh. My. God. You’re in love with her.”

“I have been for years.” Admitting that to himself at the same time he admitted it to Hannah was amazingly freeing. Of course he was in love with her. How could he not be?

“Dude, I know the feeling,” Nolan said. With a smile for his wife, he added, “Nothing better than finally having everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m quite there yet, but I’m closer than I was a week ago.”

Hannah blinked, and Hunter realized she was trying not to cry. “Hannah …”

“Don’t mind her,” Nolan said. “She cries over insurance commercials these days.”

“That commercial was sad!” Hannah wiped away tears that cascaded down her cheeks. “And how is it wrong for me to feel weepy about seeing my favorite person in the whole wide world so happy?”

“Gee, thanks,” Nolan muttered under his breath.

“It’s a twin thing,” Hannah told her husband. “You wouldn’t understand.” When she reached across the table, Hunter gave her his hand. “I’m going to be honest with you for a minute here.”

“And this is new how?”

“Shut up and listen to me, will you please?”

“I’m listening.” Despite her meddling and the current histrionics, she was his favorite person in the whole world, too, and she knew it.

“For a long time, I didn’t like her very much.”

“Hannah—”

“Hear me out. I didn’t like her because she could be edgy and bitchy at times. We’ve all seen that. That said, I also didn’t know her very well. Sure, I see her all the time when I come in here, but I didn’t
know
her.”

“And now you do?”

“I know her better than I used to. I’ve had a few really fun conversations with her lately, and I’ve decided she uses the bitchy edgy thing as a defense mechanism.”

Hunter had already figured that out for himself, but far be it from him to stop Hannah when she was on a roll. He sat back to listen to what else she had to say.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s actually very sweet and often funny, too.”

“Anything else?”

Her eyes flooded with tears again. “I think … it’s possible … she might be good enough for you.”

Hunter laughed.

“Don’t laugh. I’m being serious!”

“I know you are, and I appreciate your endorsement. I’m sure Megan will, too.”

“I want you to be happy, Hunter. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

“I’m happy, Han, so you can stand down.”

“Call me crazy,” Nolan said, “but Megan seemed sort of pissed just now.”

“I’ll fix it with her.” After what they’d shared over the past few days, Hunter felt fairly confident they could withstand an occasional bump and get past it. “We’re good, and I need to get back to work.”

“So do I,” Nolan said. To Hannah, he said, “Want me to take you home?”

“I do not,” Hannah said indignantly. “I’m perfectly capable of driving myself. Cameron is coming over to go over the final plans for the grand opening of Guthrie House, so I’ve got a full day ahead of me.”

“One that includes a nap, right?”

“I’ll have no choice about that.”

Nolan smiled and kissed her as if Hunter weren’t sitting three feet from them watching the whole thing.

Hunter dropped a ten-dollar bill on the table. “And that’s my cue to get the hell out of here.”

“We’re right behind you.”

Megan was nowhere to be seen as Hunter left the diner, but he knew he’d see her later when they’d have the opportunity to work out their differences about the pricing. It went against everything he believed in as an accountant and a businessman to allow a business to be intentionally unprofitable. Surely there were some concessions they could make that would allow the diner to continue to assist those in need while also making a profit. He refused to believe it wasn’t possible to have it both ways.

H
unter emerged from the diner with Hannah and Nolan to find a crowd outside the store. In the middle of the crowd was Fred the moose.

“What’s he up to now?” Nolan asked.

“I don’t know, but I want to see,” Hannah said.

Nolan took hold of her arm. “None of that moose-whisperer business. You hear me? You’re pregnant, and if he ever knocked you down …”

Hannah waved off his concern. “Oh stop. He’s a pussycat.”

“She’ll be the death of me,” Nolan said to Hunter as Hannah marched ahead of them across Elm Street toward the moose.

“Don’t let her be. She needs you to live for a good long time. We all do.”

“I was joking.”

“I wasn’t.” Hunter tried very hard to never think about the awful days, weeks and months that followed Caleb’s death in Iraq. He had spent many a night holding his sister while she sobbed, sleeping next to her because he was afraid she might harm herself to escape the pain, all the while keeping a tight grip on his own grief so he could be there for her.

It had taken a full year for Hunter to feel confident enough in Hannah’s stability to let her spend a night alone in the big house she’d inherited from Caleb. That first night, alone in his house in the dark of night, he’d finally shed his own tears for the brother-in-law he’d loved.

Now, following Hannah and her new husband across the street to the store, Hunter was deeply, profoundly grateful to see her happy again with Nolan, expecting her first child and glowing with the kind of joy that had been so much a part of who she’d been before Caleb’s death snuffed the light from her eyes.

Nolan’s love had reignited that light, and no one was happier to see it again than Hunter.

“Oh for crying out loud, Fred.” Hannah marched through the crowd on the sidewalk to the front porch of the store, where Fred had Cameron trapped against the rail. His two front hooves were on the lowest step and his massive body was between her and the sidewalk.

“Hannah!” Nolan said sharply.

His wife proceeded as if he hadn’t said anything.

“Oh jeez,” Hunter muttered. He didn’t often take sides against his twin, but he was firmly on Team Nolan in this case. “Hannah!”

“Fred,” Hannah said. “Come down from there and leave Cameron alone. Right now.”

Fred let out an obnoxiously loud moo that made more than a few of the townspeople startle. Cameron’s usually robust complexion was now stark white as she stared down the moose she’d hit with her car on the way into town the night she arrived from New York City. Since then, Fred had taken an unusual amount of interest in poor Cam, who would always be known in Butler as “the girl who hit Fred.”

“Fred.” Hannah stood off to the side of the giant moose, looking small and vulnerable. Behind her, Nolan was prepared to do battle to protect his wife, even if that meant getting between her and the moose, who responded to the sound of her voice with a gentle moo and a nuzzle for her outstretched hand. “That’s a good boy. Go see Colton up on the mountain. He always has treats for you. And leave Cameron alone. I like her.”

Seeming chastened by Hannah’s scolding, Fred backed away from the porch. The crowd parted to let him through.

Hunter noticed Cameron wavering on the porch and took the stairs two at a time to get to her before she fell over. “It’s okay.” He put his arms around her. “Fred’s moved on.”

“Only thanks to Hannah the moose whisperer.” Cameron leaned into him. “Why is he so interested in me? He’s looking for revenge, right?”

“Nah.” Hunter gave her a quick hug, hoping to calm her. “He’s a passive kind of guy.”

“Right.” Her hands were shaking as she pushed hair back from her face. “Passive.”

Will came pushing through the crowd and rushed up the stairs.

Hunter stepped aside to give his brother room.

“What happened?” Intensely focused on his girlfriend, Will took a visual inventory to make sure she was okay.