Warrior at Willow Lake (7 page)

“Ali said he had Downs.”

“He did. But none of us saw that. We just saw
him
. We all tried to include him and protect him. Ryder had even taught him how to jump from the cliffs, despite Ali’s protests. Josh was a little afraid at first, but he caught on pretty quick.” Hunter nodded, jabbing the point home. “That particular day there was no fear, only excitement.”

“What happened, Hunter? If he’d jumped before and did fine…”

“Josh had asthma. It kicked in when he got too excited. That day, when he saw me, his face lit up as he barreled over the ridge. The exertion of scaling the hill so fast was just too much, and he began to wheeze. I heard his labored breathing, and I knew he’d pass out if he didn’t get help quick. Ali usually carried a rescue inhaler, but she was nowhere in sight. I tried to grab Josh—stop him—as he came toward the cliff edge. But he stumbled and plowed into me. I couldn’t hold him, and we both tumbled over the edge. We didn’t clear the rocks below. The force of the impact broke my hand in three places and fractured Josh’s skull.” Hunter shook his head, grimacing. “Despite our efforts, he never regained consciousness. Josh died that night.”

“It’s not your fault, Hunter.”

“I should have held onto him.”

“You tried.”

“I shouldn’t have been jumping. If I wasn’t up there, he might have waited for Ryder, or Ali. He wouldn’t have suffered an asthma attack. If I hadn’t have tried to catch him, maybe he would have landed just fine on his own. Like I said, he’d jumped before—lots of times. He never really had any trouble.”

“It was an accident.”

“A preventable accident.”

“You didn’t mean to hurt him, Hunter. You were trying to do the opposite—trying to help him.”

“Ali was devastated. Losing Josh nearly killed her, too. Every day I watched her sink deeper into depression—watched her cry as she and Ryder drifted further and further apart. I couldn’t stay…couldn’t watch them suffer because of what I’d done—or failed to do. Losing my scholarship, my future, was the least of my pain. I just wanted things to go back to the way they were before…before Josh died.”

“Things will never go back to exactly what they were before.”

“I know that now.”

“But they can be good again…happy.” Maci leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead. “Hunter, no one blames you—most of all not Ali. She has always told me that you tried to save Josh. Her perspective, well, it’s completely different from yours.”

Hunter knew what Maci said was true. Ryder and Ali had welcomed him back with open arms following Rory’s birth. Even now, the thought of it warmed him. Elevated to hero status after helping Ali and Rory survive their harrowing experience, the pendulum seemed to swing back to even things out. He was no longer the guy who’d failed to rescue Josh—at least not to them.

But in his heart, the scenario would always play out with him failing. He couldn’t change it, no matter how hard he tried.

“Ali’s always been a forgiving soul.” Hunter shook his head, grinning through the pain. “And Ryder…he’s different, but in a good way. I’ve wasted so much time in the darkness. I don’t want to waste another minute. I just want to…move on. That’s why I came back. And now, I’ve found the most amazing gift of all—I’ve found you, Maci. I never could have imagined…”

“We’ve found each other.” Maci’s pulse skittered as Hunter drew her in and claimed her lips with a gentle brush of his. She tasted the salt of tears on his lips and knew the depth of the pain he held closest to his heart. Yet, he’d shared it with her. “I can’t help myself…I’m falling in love with you, too, Hunter.”

7

Music drifted from the upper landing when Hunter entered the inn a few days later. Furnishings in oak and cedar, warm and cozy, soothed as he climbed polished stairs to the second floor. The scent of pine was a heady undertone, drawing everything together. Since he’d bared his soul with Maci, everything seemed to meld. He felt comfortable at the inn again, and was looking forward to seeing Ali and Ryder…along with little Rory, at home there in a few hours.

He strode the length of the hallway and paused outside the last doorway, where he found Maci perched on a tarp, wielding a long-handled roller and splattered in paint.

For a few moments, he leaned in the doorway watching, appreciating the long-limbed beauty and graceful manner. Maci was a concert violinist—the most gifted musician in the region—but she could easily be mistaken for a ballerina, as well. She turned and saw him there and a smile curved along her lips.

“You’ve been busy.” Hunter entered the room and crossed to where she worked. He brushed a hint of mint-green from her cheek and then followed the gesture with a kiss. “You got a head start. It’s almost finished.

“My last client cancelled so I thought I’d come over and get a jump on things.”

“The walls are dry already.” Hunter smoothed a hand over the paint. “This looks great.”

“Thanks.” Maci’s denim eyes sparkled as she crossed to the changing table. “I brought something for you.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

Maci laughed and handed him a thermos. “It’s coffee, Hunter.”

“Oh.” He took the silver-toned container, twisted off the cap and sniffed. “It smells good.”

“It’s from the bakery down on Magnolia. I picked it up on the way over. It should still be warm.”

He filled the cup, drew a sip. “It’s perfect. Would you like some?”

Maci wrinkled her nose. “No thanks. I’ll stick to tea.”

“Right. You enjoy a kinder, gentler hit of caffeine.” He nodded toward the to-go cup she’d already drained. “Well, I brought something for you, too.”

“More tea?’

“No.” He delved into his pocket and withdrew a small box tied with a thin, yellow ribbon. “I stopped by Posts and Pages this morning to pick up a newspaper, and when I saw this I thought of you.”

“Hunter, that’s so sweet.” Maci gave a small, delighted clap. “What is it?”

He handed her the box. “Open it.”

Maci loosened the bow and lifted the lid. A gasp escaped her lips. She pressed a finger to the tiny violin on a silver chain. “Hunter…it’s lovely.”

“Try it on.” He took the necklace from the box and waited while Maci turned her back to him, lifting her hair while he slipped the necklace over her shoulders, clasping it so the delicate violin settled over her collarbone. When she turned around, Hunter smiled appreciatively. Small, blue gemstones along the length of the violin’s arm made her eyes pop. “Wow, beautiful.”

Maci’s eyes twinkled. “Me or the necklace?”

“Both.” He pressed a palm to the nape of her neck and drew her close, kissing her again. It felt so right to hold her safe in the crook of his arm. “It’s fun…buying little things for you.”

“This is hardly little.”

“It’s just a necklace, Mace.”

“You shouldn’t have, Hunter. It’s too much.”

“It’s just perfect.” He kissed her again, grinning. “You should paint more often. Mint looks good on you…tastes good, too.”

“The room is almost done, but you can help hang the wallpaper chair rail if you’d like.” She motioned to a pile of paper rolls stacked on the dresser in the corner of the room. “Ali chose that border weeks ago. I know she’d be thrilled if we got that up, as well.”

“We’ll have it done in no time.”

“Hope you brought a change of clothes.” She skimmed his pressed khakis and navy polo with her gaze. “The glue can get messy.”

“I sure did.” He patted the small knapsack slung over one shoulder. “It’s so nice of you to do all this work, Mace. I know Ryder and Ali both appreciate it.”

“I don’t want them to come home to a lot of chores. Running the inn will be more than enough with a baby to take care of, too. Ryder would have had the nursery finished if Rory hadn’t come early, so it’s the least I can do to help out. Everything will be in order here by next week, and I think Ali even has a few guest reservations penciled in on the schedule.”

“I know. She told me when I stopped by the hospital after my meeting with the town council—”

“It went OK?”

“Yeah. The new emergency management plan goes into effect next month. Everyone is on board.”

“Good. Willow Lake is growing and you’re working so hard to implement necessary changes.”

“Just doing my job. I love living here again.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I do.” He leaned in to gather a wisp of her hair and tuck it behind one ear. “And you’re a big part of why.”

“That makes me happy, Hunter.” She pressed her palm to his cheek, smiling through the smudges of mint-green. “Truly happy. How about if I get the border finished while you wash up and then we can sit on the back deck and have a glass of sweet tea while we wait for Ali and Ryder to get home.”

“Now, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

****

Maci loved watching Hunter work. The muscles along his shoulders rippled as he smoothed the chair rail over a section of one wall. Just the site of him made her melt. She fingered the necklace he’d given her. It was beautiful, and such a lovely token—perfect.

“Ali told me you brought Rory a baseball glove.” Maci crossed to stand beside him. “Don’t you think it’s a bit premature, seeing as he’s barely a week old?”

“Not at all. Gotta start the kid off right. I began tossing a ball with my dad before I turned three.”

“Wow, that’s young.”

“I used to wait on the front steps for him to come home from work. He didn’t even make it into the house to kiss my mom before I had him lobbing balls my way.”

“That’s a nice memory.” Maci smoothed a hand through her hair. “Where’s your dad now?”

“He died when I was sixteen…trucking accident. He was on his way home to watch one of my games.”

“I’m so sorry, Hunter.”

“I have good memories.” He shrugged. “My dad loved baseball, and I might not be able to pitch anymore, but I still love the game, too.”

“Have you ever thought about coaching?”

“A time or two.” He stood and stepped back to scrutinize the finished chair rail. “Maybe if Rory decides to play, it will give me an excuse to take the plunge.”

“There’s no need to wait for that. I happen to know the community league is down a peewee coach. They could use your help.”

“Peewee league, huh?” Hunter nodded, turning to grin at her. “I’ll give them a call tomorrow.”

“It looks so good in here…ready for a baby—for Rory.” Maci walked over to the crib and ran one hand over the rails before settling into the rocking chair. She gave a little push, setting the chair into motion. “Have you ever thought about it?”

Hunter wiped his hands on a damp rag and reached for the coffee. “Give me a hint.”

“You know…a family of your own.” Maci hesitated, her gaze locking on his. “Having kids…a white picket fence, a dog, and a sensible eight-passenger van.”

“Does a wife come with that?”

“I should hope so.”

Hunter drained the coffee with one healthy gulp. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t?”

He set the empty cup on the changing table and crossed his arms. “I don’t think I’m the marrying type.”

“You don’t?” Maci’s heart sank. “Why not?”

“I couldn’t trust myself with a kid. Look at what happened to Josh.”

“I thought you were past that.”

“So did I.”

Maci frowned and stilled the rocker. “My questions, they’ve messed things up again.”

“You don’t like to let things go, do you?”

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” She pursed her lips. “I saw you with Rory. You glowed when you looked at him.”

“Glowed?”

“That’s right. You can’t deny you love kids.”

“Oh, I love them. They just don’t love me.”

“That’s silly, Hunter. How do you know what Rory’s feeling?”

“He cries, doesn’t he?”

“I suppose so. But that could mean anything.”

He went to her, knelt at her feet. “Doesn’t it scare you—the thought of being completely responsible for another human being?”

“Of course it frightens me.”

“Then how can you even consider—”

“Because I refuse to live my life afraid. I want more than that, Hunter. I want the full package. Jumbo size it.”

“Jumbo size…”

“That’s right. Everything. No holding back.”

“I can’t give that to you, Maci.” He shook his head. “I can’t even give that to myself yet.”

Though his words wounded, she fought the urge to pull away. Instead she leaned forward in the chair and drew him close, nestling her head against his chest.

“Kiss me, Hunter.”

“I’m splattered in wallpaper glue.”

“I don’t care.” She sighed and splayed a hand across his shoulders. “Kiss me.”

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer. “You should run.”

“I love you. I’m not going to run.”

“You’re a foolish woman.”

“Many would agree.” She pressed a hand to his chest, felt his heartbeat, steady and true. “But I don’t care. Just kiss me.”

8

“Need some help?” Hunter called to Ryder as he made his way down the cobblestone path toward the lake. Moonlight spilled over the water, turning rivulets to floating gemstones. The song of crickets serenaded between Rory’s gasps. His wailing echoed off the cliffs.

“He’s restless.” Ryder jostled the padded baby carrier where Rory was nestled to his chest. The baby had doubled in size over the past several weeks; his harrowing birth was no more than a distant memory. “It happens this time of night. Sometimes the fresh air helps, and he seems to like the sound of the water.”

“Must take after Ali. The water has always been a draw for her, too.”

“She’s happy you came home, you know.” Ryder placed his palm over Rory’s head, stroking the damp crown. “It seems like everything is coming back together again.”

“Mason and Brody…have you heard from them?”

“No.”

“Maybe one day…”

“Maybe.”

“You have a full house tonight at the inn.”

“Yeah. Ali’s begun to publicize the evenings that Maci comes by to play her violin, and it really draws a crowd. We hardly ever have a vacancy anymore.”