And I Love You (6 page)

“What did she say?” Hannah asked, riveted. “And why have you not told me this before?”

“I don’t tell you
everything
.”

“Since when do you not tell me everything?”

“Since
you
have stuff
I
don’t want to hear.”

“Fair enough,” she said with a laugh. “But you still haven’t told me what she said.”

“Something to the effect of how does going out with his brother help her to forget about Will.”

“Ouch.”

“Right? That hurt, and afterward, I started to feel like maybe it wasn’t going to happen with her no matter how badly I wanted it to.”

“Am I allowed to play devil’s advocate?”

“Why do you think I came here? I need you to tell me what to do.”

“Which I find funny since you’ve never needed me to tell you what to do with women before.”

“Because they never mattered as much as this one does.”

“Are you in love with her, Hunter?”

The question made him feel like he’d been electrocuted or something equally unpleasant. “I don’t know. How the hell am I supposed to know that when I’ve only ever hugged her once and—”

Hannah’s eyes got very large. “
When
did you hug her?”

“It might’ve happened last night. When she was at my house.”

“How am I supposed to work under these conditions when I’m only getting half the information?”

“Hannah …
Please.
Stop torturing me and
tell me what to do
.”

“You need to stop torturing
yourself
and go for it. Tell her you want her and make it happen. Be relentless the way you are in business. Give her no choice but to fall for you the way you’ve fallen for her.”

“What if she wants nothing to do with me? What if she’s making plans, right now, to move away from here?”

“She’s here today, and time’s a-wasting. The diner closes between two and four every day. Where are you going to be at two o’clock today?”

The thought of showing up at her work and making a stand paralyzed him, which wasn’t something he could recall ever happening before. He was known for being decisive and direct in his dealings with the people in his life—both personally and professionally. How was it possible that one woman could turn him into an impotent mute?

“Hunter. Answer me. Where are you going to be at two today?”

“At the diner.”

“And what are you going to say to her?”

“I’m going to tell her I’d like to take her out the next time she has a free night, preferably tonight.”

“That’s right.”

“And what will you say if she tells you she’s busy?”

“I’ll ask her when she will not be busy.”

“Good. See, you can do this.”

“What if I can’t? What if I look at her and nothing comes out, and she thinks I’m an idiot?”

She gave him a peculiar look and for a second he thought she might be about to puke again.

“What? Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“I’ve known you for thirty-five years, and I’ve never seen you like this. Ever. You’re always the picture of calm, cool competence. To see you all unglued over a woman, well … It’s different and probably long overdue.”

“Don’t get too excited yet. There’s still time for me to screw this up in any number of ways.”

“You’re not going to screw it up. It’s too important to you. Think of it like a business arrangement and treat it the way you would something for work.”

“Because there’s nothing more romantic than an accountant with debits and credits on his mind.”

Smiling, she hugged him. “Do me a favor and don’t mess this up. I’d hate to see you unhappy, and if you mess it up, you’ll be unhappy.”

Returning her embrace, he said, “I’ll try not to.”

“Now go do what you’ve got to do, and then call me and tell me everything. Well, everything that’s not gross.”

“I really hope there’s some gross stuff before long.”

“Eww. Go fight for what you want, and stop overthinking it. Just
do
it.”

“You make it sound so simple, yet I recall having to practically shove you into the arms of a very enthusiastic mechanic who was
all
about you.”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you.”

“It’s much more fun to talk about you, and besides you knew he’d be happy to hear you were into him. I have no idea how she feels about me.”

She gave him a push toward the door. “Then go find out.”

“I’m going.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

“Not that you need it.”

“Yes, I do need it. Don’t jinx me.”

She’d steered him all the way to the front door before he managed to turn around. She was freakishly strong for a girl, but then she always had been.

“Can I ask you one more thing?” he said hesitantly.

“Sure.”

“Do you like her? Megan?”

“I don’t know her very well.”

“What you know of her …”

“I’ve seen her at her worst with Cameron, but I’ve also seen her apologize for that. I had a talk with her recently, and—”

“Back up. You had a talk with her?
When?
What did you say? Why?”

“That’s four questions,” Hannah said with a laugh. “I talked to her because I wanted to get to know her better.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I knew you were interested in her, and I wanted to make an effort. For your sake.”

“Thank you for doing that.”

“So to answer your question, I don’t dislike Megan. I feel sorry for everything she’s been through, losing her parents the way she did. I can’t imagine life without Mom and Dad, and we’re thirty-five. I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt at this point, but I’ll be honest with you. She’s going to need to prove herself worthy of my amazing brother. I’m willing to give her a chance because I want you to have absolutely everything and anything you want.”

“Love you best of all, Hannah,” he whispered gruffly, moved by her words, her devotion and the intense connection they’d shared their entire lives.

“Love you best of all, too. More than you’ll ever know.”

He hugged her and kissed her forehead. “Don’t give Nolan too rough a time about being concerned for you. He loves you almost as much as I do.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. He’s a pain. Keep me posted on what happens with Megan, but leave out the gross stuff.”

“You’re jinxing me,” he said as he walked down the stairs and headed for his SUV thinking about gross stuff and hoping there’d be something to report.

H
unter left Hannah’s, thinking about everything she’d said. As an accountant and the fiduciary steward for his family’s business interests, he was extremely risk averse. He didn’t take unnecessary chances. He didn’t gamble. As a rule, he didn’t risk anything he couldn’t afford to lose.

So taking a gamble on Megan went against everything he believed in, especially because he had no way to do his due diligence, to fully investigate all his many questions and options before he put his heart on the line with her.

Perhaps he was overanalyzing the whole situation, which wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that. He couldn’t help the way he was wired, and that wiring had served him well in his professional life. However, his instincts, which he usually trusted implicitly, were telling him that his overanalyzing tendencies might not be useful to him in this case.

He arrived at the office late, which was also not like him. Hunter was a stickler for family members setting the right example for the rest of their employees and insisted everyone get to work on time. So when he walked in to find an impromptu family staff meeting going on in the outer office, he wasn’t surprised to see his siblings check their watches—even the ones who didn’t wear watches.

“Yes, thank you,” he said without actually looking at any of them as he headed to his office. “I know I’m late. First time for everything.”

“And you look like hell, too,” Will said. “What gives?”

“Nothing.”

“Something,”
his sister Charley said, making the others laugh.

“Leave him alone,” Ella said, earning a permanent place in Hunter’s heart. “He gets to be human like the rest of us once in a while.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Charley said. “If he becomes human, the whole operation will fall apart.”

“I can
hear
you,” Hunter said from his office.

“I intended for you to hear me,” Charley retorted in her usual pain-in-the-ass fashion.

“Don’t you people have work to do?” Hunter asked.

“You’re not the boss of us,” Charley said.

“Dad! Tell them to work!”

“Kids, get to work,” Lincoln said from his office. “You’re making your brother mad.”

“Who’s mad?” Elmer Stillman asked as he came up the stairs and into the reception area.

“Hunter,” Charley said. “Rolled out on the wrong side of the bed this morning and was
late
to work.”

“You don’t say,” Elmer replied. “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”

“Right?” Will asked with a laugh. “That’s what we said, too.”

“I expect better from you, Gramps,” Hunter said, even though he was amused by his grandfather’s contribution to the expected abuse. Sometimes working with family members truly sucked. Most of the time, however, it didn’t.

Elmer came to his door, eyes twinkling with mirth. “I apologize profusely.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hunter said with a grin. “The damage is done.”

“May I come in for a minute?”

“Of course.”

Elmer closed the door, which surprised Hunter.

“Everything okay?”

“Oh sure. I just have some personal business I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What kind of personal business?”

“The financial kind.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“And you do a damned fine job of it. You know how proud I am of you, don’t you?” Before Hunter could form a reply to the unexpected compliment, Elmer continued. “Smartest kid I ever met grew up to be the sharpest, savviest man I know.”

Hunter swallowed hard, unprepared for the wallop of emotion that accompanied such effusive words from a man he worshiped. “Thank you, Gramps. Means the world to me coming from you.”

“It’s all true. Every word. I trust your judgment, and I need some advice.”

“Whatever I can do.”

“I’ve got some money I’m looking to invest. I’m trying to find the right opportunity, but I’ll be damned if I know where to look.”

Hunter was immediately riveted by the possibility that his grandfather’s desire to invest in something could keep Megan in Butler. However, he pushed that thought aside because acting in
his
best interest wouldn’t necessarily be in his grandfather’s best interest.

“Do you have any ideas of what you might like to do?” Hunter asked.

“I’m thinking a small business maybe. Something that could use the boost that comes with new capital, but I’d need you to help me hire someone to oversee the actual business. I’m enjoying my retirement too much to get bogged down in the details again.”

“Right,” Hunter said, tapping his mechanical pencil against his lip as he contemplated the convergence of ethics and desire. What to do? “I heard of one business in town that’s closing unless they find new owners.”

“Which one?”

“The diner.”

“Yes, I heard that, too. Something about Brett and Nina moving overseas …”

Hunter eyed his grandfather warily. “What’re you up to?”

“Up to? I’m talking to you about an investment I’d like to make. How does that make me up to something?”

“The timing is interesting.”

“How so?”

“The whole town is probably abuzz with the news that Brett and Nina are leaving, and suddenly you’re interested in investing in a business, something that could use an influx of capital. It’s … curious.”

“I still don’t understand why.”

Elmer was a formidable opponent when it came to sparring, and Hunter knew when he was outmatched by a master. He had no doubt his grandfather was up to
something
, but because it suited his own agenda, Hunter decided to play along.

“So you want to buy the diner?”

“Thought crossed my mind.”

“And you didn’t think to just say that when you first came in here?”

“I didn’t want to limit my options if you knew of a better opportunity.”

Elmer never blinked, yet Hunter still sensed he was being played. “Have you approached Brett and Nina?”

“Not yet. I was hoping you might handle that for me.”

“I’ll look into it,” Hunter said casually even though his heartbeat accelerated at the possibility of a solution that might keep Megan around. If his grandfather bought the diner, they could hire her to run it for them or at least work there if she wasn’t interested in management. Unless she had other plans altogether, a thought that left him feeling deflated.

Elmer withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over to Hunter. “Offer them this.”

Hunter unfolded the paper, his eyes bugging at the zeros. “You can’t just go in there and make them a blind offer. We have to do our due diligence.”

“Our due what?”

“
Diligence.
We need financial statements and an inspection of the building and equipment. We need profit and loss information for the last five years and …” At the sight of his grandfather’s perplexed expression, Hunter stopped himself. “Didn’t you once run a business?”