And I Love You (40 page)

When they finally and blessedly ushered out the last of the customers at two thirty, he helped Megan clean up the disaster that was the diner. They scrubbed tables and seats, the counter and then the floor. They even had to wash windows where little fingers had smeared maple syrup on the glass.

By four o’clock, they had refilled the creamers as well as the sugar, salt and pepper shakers and prepared for Tuesday morning when the diner would reopen. It was usually closed on Mondays.

“Is that everything?” Hunter asked Megan.

“Everything except for this.” She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“I stink like shit,” he said, even as he returned her embrace.

“You couldn’t possibly stink like anything other than awesome.” She nuzzled into his neck. “Thank you so much for this. You totally saved my bacon in every possible way.”

“I can’t believe you do this six days a week.”

“It’s never like this.”

“If it’s even half of this, I still don’t know how you do it.”

“You get used to it after a while.”

Butch rang the bell loudly and then grumbled with laughter when they sprang apart. “Made you lovebirds some lunch.” He pushed two turkey club sandwiches with fries and pickles through the window. “Good job today, CFO. You might not be as much of a pansy as I thought you were.”

“Aww, thanks, Butch, but I’m taken.”

“Eww. You’re not my type.”

Megan giggled at their banter. She brought the plates to the counter, poured a tall icy Coke for him and a Diet Coke for herself and sat next to him on one of the stools.

“Don’t get any ketchup on my clean counter,” Hunter said.

“I’ll do my best not to make a mess.”

“I’ve never been so hungry in my entire life.”

“Real work will do that to ya, sissy boy,” Butch said.

Hunter laughed. “You’re right about that. I’ve got it easy compared to you guys.”

“All you eggheads should do some time in the trenches to see what it’s like.”

“One of my business professors at UVM used to say that same thing. He’d tell us there’s something to be said for getting your hands dirty.” He took a closer look at the mess of shredded skin and blisters on his hands. “Nothing like a good dose of dishpan hands to better understand the business.”

“I got something that’ll fix you right up.” Butch disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a tub of something yellow and greasy. “Put that on them. Be good as new tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Butch,” Megan said for him. “Will you go see about getting Petey out of jail?”

“Yeah, I’ll take care it. Stupid kid needs to start using his brain instead of his mouth.”

“Do you need money to post the bail?”

“I got it.”

“Thanks for that and for busting ass today. See you Tuesday?”

“Where else would I be?” He waved as he headed out the door.

“Pleasant sort of guy,” Hunter said when they were alone.

“He’s an acquired taste.”

“I’ll take your word for that.”

“You earned his respect today—big-time. If you hadn’t, he wouldn’t have made lunch for you. That’s his way of saying you’re okay, sissy boy.”

Scowling playfully at her use of Butch’s term, Hunter said, “I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

She leaned in to nibble on his earlobe, and he went instantly hard. “I’ve got other ways of making you feel warm and fuzzy inside.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Not until you wash those dishes,” she said with a smile.

H
unter was dying. That was the only possible explanation for the fact that his entire body was on fire, and not in a good way. And all he’d done was drive home from the diner after washing their lunch dishes like the boss demanded.

Megan was right behind him, pulling into the driveway a few minutes after he did. She approached his car and knocked on the glass.

Hunter was able to marshal the strength to push the button to lower the window, wincing at the pain in his hands. They’d never be the same even with Butch’s miracle cure.

“Why are you just sitting here?”

“Because I can’t move.”

“Aww, poor baby! Are you sore?”

“Sore, exhausted, depleted and aware of how easy I have it the rest of the time. I thought I was in good shape. How can a few hours of manual labor destroy me?”

“Um, maybe because you recently sustained some rather major injuries and haven’t been working out as much as you usually do?” She pulled open the door, reached over him to unbuckle his seatbelt and gave a gentle tug to get him out of his SUV. “Let’s go take a nice hot bath.”

He moaned from the idea of it until it occurred to him that he’d have to climb multiple stairs to get to the tub. Would she think less of him if he crawled up the stairs?

“I shouldn’t have called you,” she said regretfully. “You’ve been doing so great that I forget sometimes that you were hurt pretty badly not that long ago.”

“I’m fine, or I was until I worked in your sweatshop for a few hours.” With her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders, they went up the stairs to the porch. “You have earned my endless, undying respect for what you do every day.”

“Does that mean I can expect a foot rub after work every night from now on?”

“If you so desire.”

“I do.” She slipped her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and gave a little squeeze that had him forgetting all about how sore and tired he was. “I desire.”

“I may not be able to service you today.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Even when you had a concussion you wanted to ‘service’ me.”

“This is what happens when you set your sights on an older man.”

“Older,” she said with a snort. “You’re only thirty-five. Stop acting like a geriatric.”

“I feel like one after my shift at the diner.”

“I’ll fix you right up with a hot bath and a rubdown.”

“I’m feeling better already.”

“Is all this moaning and groaning a ploy to get my hands on you?” she asked as she propelled him up the stairs with her hands cupping his ass.

“Whatever it takes.”

“You know you don’t have to resort to tricks to get my hands on you. They’re always happy to be on you.”

“No tricks, baby. I’m sore and tired as hell. Butch might be right about me.”

“No, he isn’t. You’re a stud, or I wouldn’t love you so much.”

“So you only love me for my hot bod?”

“It’s one of the many reasons I love you.”

“Oh, do tell.” He turned to her after he’d started the water in the tub. “This I’ve got to hear.”

She tilted her head and eyed him lovingly. “I love your sexy face, your sexy brain, your sexy mouth, your sexy bod, your sense of humor, your loyalty to your family, your business sense, the way you came running when I said I needed you and especially the way you refused to give up on us even when I was acting like a stupid idiot.”

He laughed at that last one and then kissed her. “You never acted like a stupid idiot.”

“Yes, I did. I refused to believe something so good could be real, and that was stupid. Because it’s real, and it’s incredible, and I love you because you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Megan,” he whispered, drawing her into a much more serious kiss. “I never thought I’d hear you say such things about me. For the longest time all I could do was wish and hope for what I have right now. And it’s all because of you. When you called me earlier? I was thinking about how much I love living with you and sleeping with you every night. I had a lot of fantasies where you’re concerned, but none of them came close to touching the reality of what we have.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “Love you. Thank you so much for what you did today.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“Now you’re just lying.”

“Yes, it was. I got to spend the day with you rather than waiting for you to get home from work. Being there with you was better than waiting for you.”

“You must
really
love me.”

“I
really
love you. Now, let’s take that bath.”

After a long soak in the tub and the rubdown Megan had promised him, Hunter fell into a deep sleep. He woke in a darkened room with Megan propped on one hand, looking down at him.

“You’re back.”

He rubbed his hand over his face, which was when he remembered his hands were destroyed. “What time is it?”

“Nearly seven.”

“Damn.” He shifted to find a more comfortable position and immediately regretted moving. If one shift at the diner could so thoroughly kick his ass, he’d be spending a lot more time in his home gym starting tomorrow. Or maybe the day after. “Did you sleep?”

“A little. Mostly I watched you sleep.”

“That must’ve been fun.”

“It’s very entertaining. You do this cute thing with your mouth. I could watch that all day.”

“What cute thing?”

She moved her lips from side to side, which was all it took to wake up another part of him.

“Come here,” he said, reaching for her with both arms, including the one that didn’t want to bend.

She came into his embrace, molding her naked body to his, making him forget all about his aches and pains.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said.

“What kind of surprise?”

“The kind you have to get up and get dressed for.”

“I like the naked kind of surprises better.”

“You’ll like this one, too.” Lifting her head from his chest, she bit her lip and glanced at him shyly. “At least I hope you will.”

“Why do you seem nervous?”

“Because I did something that affects both of us without talking to you about it first.”

“And you did this because you wanted to surprise me?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I love you, and if you went out of your way to arrange a surprise for me that you thought would make me happy, then I already love it.”

“I hope you’re still saying that when you see what it is.”

Curiosity piqued, Hunter got up slowly and painfully. It was daunting to realize he wasn’t as recovered from his injuries as he’d thought if a few hours of hard work could turn him into the Tin Man pre-oilcan.

Megan came into the bathroom with a glass of water and two pills, which she dropped into his hand.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“I feel bad that you’re so achy.”

He took the pills and washed them down with a drink of water. “Don’t feel bad. It’s just a heads-up that I wasn’t as recovered from the fall as I thought I was. Not to worry though. I’ll be back to fighting form in no time.”

“No more rock climbing for a while though, okay?”

“Ice season is coming soon, so we’ll be abandoning the rocks for other pursuits.”

Her brows furrowed. “Other dangerous pursuits.”

“Nah, we’re old pros.”

“Seems I’ve heard that before … Right around the last time you went rock climbing … Ringing any bells?”

Laughing, he kissed her nose and then her lips. “I love your sarcasm.”

“I love your body, especially when it’s all in one piece.”

The doorbell rang.

“Showtime,” she said. “I’ll get that. Come down when you’re ready.”

Since she was wearing a Vermont sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants, Hunter put on sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt, wincing at the pain in his elbow when he jammed his arm into the sleeve. Praying for the pain pills to kick in quickly, he went downstairs slowly, like the old man he was.

In his living room were Dude Danforth and her “boyfriend,” Skeeter.

“Recovered from your shift as a busboy, Hunter?” Skeeter asked.

“Not really.” He glanced at Megan, wondering what was going on and why Skeeter and Dude had stopped by.

“Ready for your surprise?” Megan asked warily.

“Sure thing.”

“Be right back,” Dude said.

“You’re gonna love this, Hunter,” Skeeter said with a big dopey grin.

“It’s not a cat from your freezer, is it?” Everyone in town knew about the dead cat Skeeter had left in his mother’s freezer. For ten years.

Skeeter laughed. “Nah, that was a onetime case of forgetfulness that no one’s ever gonna let me forget.”

“Can you blame us?”

Dude came back in carrying a bundle close to her chest.

Next to him, Megan fairly vibrated with excitement and nerves.

“You want to tell him, Megan?”

“Okay,” she said, turning to face Hunter.

Whatever she had to tell him, he decided right then and there, he wanted to see her eyes glow with that kind of excitement every day for the rest of their lives.

“A week or so ago, Dude came into the diner and told me that one of the puppies in Homer Junior’s litter had been returned because the family had to move to another home, and they weren’t allowed to have dogs there. She said she could only think of one person who should have this particular puppy—you.”

“You got me a puppy?” He loved dogs and had been thinking about getting one of his own for some time now.

“Not just any puppy,” Dude said.

“Homer Junior’s twin,” Megan said.

Dude removed the squirming body from the lightweight blanket that covered him, revealing Homer Junior’s identical twin, right down to the all-brown face with the white circle over his left eye and paws in brown, black, white and white with brown spots.