Page 38 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove (Jonathon Island #5)

Chapter Twenty

The shot opens on the closed door to the Barrett house’s sunroom. The edges of the door are stained with soot. Above the door, an empty gap hangs where a transom once was. Dust floats in the air, carried on the warm sunlight pouring through the parlor windows.

Hunter Barrett steps into the frame, his dark hair pulled away from his face, the hint of a five-o’clock shadow on his chin. He smiles into the camera, his gaze warm and inviting.

“Hi, friends. Hunter here,” he says, his voice a warm rumble. “Welcome back to House to Home . As you can see, my beautiful co-host, Daisy Decker, isn’t with me today…so I brought in some reinforcements to help me with a special project I’m working on.”

Three handsome men step into the shot.

Hunter sets a hand down on the first man’s shoulder. “Now, you’ve all met Waylen before.”

“Ladies,” Waylen says, winking at the camera.

“But I’d like to introduce Evan and Jude, two more in the Barrett family.”

The twins share matching grins, framing up behind Hunter and Waylen to fit in the shot.

“Today we’re going to be tackling a massive project.”

They part, revealing the now-open door to the sunroom.

The camera pans through the doors and across the room, showing peeling wallpaper, soot-stained walls, worn wooden floors, and a massive hardwood mantel hanging precariously from a stonework fireplace.

Many of the stones above the mantel are missing, leaving gaping holes in the plaster.

Hunter and his brothers lift a sheet over the fireplace, covering that part of the project.

Hunter steps into the shot again, standing next to the old fireplace. “We’ve got a lot to do if we’re going to transform this place in the next forty-eight hours. Let’s get started.”

The shot splices into four feeds, each corner showing a Barrett brother working a different job.

Waylen starts on the floors, carefully working them over, hammering down loose boards.

Evan works to remove the old wallpaper, tearing out the fire-damaged portions underneath, tossing aside drywall.

Hunter and Jude set to work on the fireplace, removing the massive mantel and carrying it from the room.

Hunter’s voice comes over the footage. “Now that we’ve got the mantel down, I can step into the workshop for another special project.”

The camera cuts to a new scene, Hunter standing inside the shed, the lights giving his skin a warm, tanned glow. A new figure steps into the shot, another man, older, with the same sheepish smirk.

“Friends. I want to introduce my dad, Joe Barrett. He’s a master of woodworking, and while the other guys are hard at work inside, he’s going to help me out in the shop today.”

Joe nods, clapping his hands together as he steps up to the workstation. The shot speeds up, watching as Hunter and his dad collaborate on the project kept carefully out of sight, moving in sync as they drill and measure and carve and sand.

At last, Hunter steps back into the sunroom, a large canvas now hanging over the fireplace. The walls are rebuilt and repainted, the floor refinished. The windows are no longer framed by soot, and the ceiling’s no longer gaping with charred holes.

Hunter faces the camera. “I don’t know what Daisy usually says here.

So I’ll just say this. I can’t wait to show you the finished product, but if you want to see it, you’ll have to check it out on HOME ’s New Years Virtual Parade of Houses.

The contest starts tomorrow, so be sure to check it out and give the sunroom some love.

And Daisy, if you’re watching,” his eyes soften as he looks into the camera, “Please come home.”

* * *

Daisy blinked down at the screen, her heart racing as she replayed the ending again. This hadn’t been there when she’d boarded her flight this morning. Daisy swiped her screen, opening up her messages, her hands shaking as a gust of wind buffeted the ferry.

Daisy

Where did this come from??

Robin

EEEP! Hunter reached out while you were on the plane. He asked me to upload it to the channel. Are you freaking out? I’m freaking out.

Daisy sucked in a deep breath as the ferry pulled into port, the automated message echoing through the speakers. “On behalf of everyone at Jonathon Island, we’d like to welcome you to the island…”

Daisy

I just got here. I’ll call you later.

She stuffed her phone back in her pocket and climbed from the boat.

The little town was just as she’d left it, except now, the streets were tucked under a layer of snow.

Christmas lights twinkled from every window, red and green ribbons adorned the lampposts.

Potted Christmas trees sat in every corner, with strings of garland and glittering ornaments.

The air smelled like cinnamon as she strolled down Main Street.

The wind swirled around her, carrying flurries of snowflakes as she climbed the hill toward Sunset Cove, and when she crossed into the tree-covered portion of the trail, it was like stepping into a dream.

White everywhere. Her footsteps crunched through the fresh powder and she emerged out the other side.

The sun poured across the lake, reflecting off the bobbing sheets of ice.

And the Barrett house stood, waiting. The front porch was wrapped with Christmas lights, a white wreath hanging on the door. The porch lights were lit, calling her in.

Daisy hesitated.

Daisy, if you’re watching…please come home.

She pulled in a nervous breath and climbed the steps to the door.

The house was quiet, the light low except for the glow coming from the far end of the parlor, from beneath the closed sunroom doors.

She reached out and pulled the handle, light pouring out of the room.

Her breath caught.

It was her design. The one she’d meant to give him. The beautiful stonework fireplace stood with the same wooden mantel, reclaimed and refinished, but above the mantel, set into the stones, was a gorgeous hand-carved tree, its roots sinking into the stone.

It was exactly as she’d imagined it.

“I didn’t think you’d come back,” a voice said behind her.

She turned.

Hunter leaned against the open doorway, his hair peppered with soft snow.

“Well, your show left me on a cliffhanger,” she said, taking a step toward him. “I had to see the finished result.”

“And?” he asked, pushing away from the door. Taking a step closer.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. Closer.

“Yeah,” Hunter agreed, his eyes dipping to her lips. His smile faded, his eyes softening as he pulled in a breath. And then he closed the distance between them, his hand lifting to brush the hair out of her face. He tilted her head back to look at him, and they both started speaking in a jumble.

“I’m so sorry, Daisy?—”

“—the video was a fake?—”

“I know. But I wish I’d trusted you. I’m sorry I said any of those things. I never cared about the followers, or the show, or any of that.” His jaw pulsed as he let out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry.”

“No matter how many times life falls apart, Hunter Barrett,” she lifted to her toes, kissing away that heaviness between them, “I promise I will always stay to rebuild.” She pulled back, looking into his eyes.

There was a light there, hope and trust flourishing where once there had only been doubt. “I love you.”

Hunter pulled back, his eyes wide, his lips parted and grinning. “You love me?”

“I lov?—”

He crashed into her, his lips capturing hers. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer as they continued up, one hand pressed against her upper back. Her heart hammered in her chest, squeezing for breath, but she didn’t need air. Not right then.

“I love you, Daisy.” He kissed her again, this one soft and slow. And while they were falling in love, the snow was still falling outside.

Daisy pulled back, nestling against Hunter’s chest, and he turned back to look at the completed sunroom. He slid an arm around her shoulder, keeping her close. “It’s really too bad.”

Daisy quirked a brow, head tilting back to look up at him. “What’s too bad?”

“Oh, we’ll have to sell it,” he said matter-of-factly, looking up at the mantel. He glanced down at her again, his gaze tracing her lips, her cheeks, her eyes. “Unless…”

Daisy’s lips curved into a smile, turning to stand fully in his arms. “Yes?”

“Eh, forget it,” he said, his thumb grazing her neck, his fingertips curling into her hair. “It’s a crazy plan.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m all about crazy plans.”

He pulled her in for another kiss, his lips brushing hers softly, like words unspoken. Promises made.