Page 116 of Back in the Saddle

He jumped out of bed, not caring that he was completely naked.

She blushed as he stood in front of her. Wordlessly, he pulled her into a kiss like no other. It was the kiss into which he tried to put everything he didn’t know how to say. He wanted her to know howhefelt. Not like the ridiculous, childish outburst of yesterday’s declaration; that was a moment of weakness. He was too scared to let her go.

‘You mean everything to me.’

‘Hunter—’

‘Don’t.’ He shook his head, holding back tears. He knewhe wasn’t meant to fall for her, that it was just a temporary – what did people call it nowadays, a situationship? He was certain Meg had mentioned that term to him recently. He leaned down again, stopping a mere inch from her lips.

She closed her mouth, pulling away from him.

Tears shone in the corners of her eyes.

‘Goodbye, Hunter,’ she whispered.

He reached for her hand, but she turned away from him and practically ran out the door. He kept on holding on.

It was never meant to end like this. Standing alone in the middle of his quiet house, Hunter felt like his heart, which had just started to heal after losing Tamara, broke anew.

The evening came and with it, Hunter found himself sitting at the bar. He was flicking a cardboard coaster in a shape of a beer bottle back and forth between his fingers. The memory of their first meeting barged into his mind, and he dropped the coaster like it burned. Feeling a deep resentment, he looked at the clock.

‘Hunt. That’s like the fiftieth time you’ve looked at that clock within the past hour.’ Mitch shook his head.

‘Her plane will be taking off … right about now.’ Hunter leaned back, emptiness filling him to the brim. He lifted the whisky glass in front of him and took a long sip.

Mitch studied his profile carefully. ‘I don’t understand. Why did you let her go?’

‘What was I supposed to do, Mitch? Tie her up? Steal her passport? She needed to go be with Finn. There’s not more to it than that.’

‘You could’ve gone after her. Chicks always fall for that in the movies.’

Hunter shot him a disbelieving look.If only that would’ve changed anything.

‘What? They do. Everyone loves that shit. The guy runs through the airport, confesses his love and then they live happily ever after.’

‘Remind me never to let you pick the movies.’

Mitch shrugged.

‘You know what they say, Mitch. If you love someone, set them free.’ Hunter downed the rest of his whisky. ‘She’s never been anything but free with me. I respect her, and myself, too much to go and do something like that. She knows how I feel.’ He signalled the bartender to pour him another double of Redbreast.

Ironically, Scotch reminded him too much of her, so he’d ordered a twelve-year-old Redbreast. Then, he’d realised how twisted that was, considering she was Irish.

He chuckled to himself.

‘And you didn’t tell me she was still married.’ Mitch’s voice had an uncomfortable edge to it.

‘I was going to tell you, at the beginning, but it was the night you asked me to keep Eve’s engagement ring and decided against it. Honestly? I was ashamed.’

‘I wouldn’t have judged.’

‘I know.’ He gave Mitch a grateful grimace. ‘But it wasn’t my proudest moment.’

He didn’t mention his fanciful musings about moving to Scotland. This wasn’t the time for it. What if her husband didn’t recover? What if he needed long-term care? What if he died? She needed space for whatever transpired once she got back.

He continued watching the clock tick away, knowing that with every minute, Caroline was moving further away from him, forever.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR