Page 41 of Tango (Hunt Brothers Search & Rescue #4)

The fall sun kisses my face as I make my way down Main Street. A light breeze toys with the strands of hair that escaped from the braid I put it in this morning, and overhead, birds soar through the cloudless sky.

Man, it’s so beautiful outside today. Such an absolutely lovely day to be alive. Reaching up, I gently touch the cross around my neck. Thank You, Lord, for this day. It truly is a gift.

Smiling, I let my hand drop as I head up the walk and toward the diner. Lunch is calling me. Has been for hours since I skipped breakfast. But I had a goal—and now that goal is met. My reward? Food.

Delicious food.

The door is propped open, so I can smell the scent of fresh apple pie before I’ve even fully entered.

I don’t know that I’ve ever been more grateful that I already got my run in this morning.

Because that means two slices of Talia’s delicious pie for me today.

One for after lunch, the other for dinner.

“Good morning, Emma,” Talia greets as I step inside. Her slightly greying hair is pulled back in a high ponytail, just as it always is whenever she’s working. “I’ll be right with you.”

“No rush at all.” I beam at her, then take a seat on one of the orange barstools at the counter before pulling out my list and marking off the last errand I finished. Check on bounce houses. Check! It’s only just now lunch time, and I’ve already made an impressive dent in today’s To Do list.

It’s been a great day.

“What can I get for you today, lovely?” Talia asks as she sets some wrapped silverware in front of me.

“Chai tea and a grilled chicken salad, please, ma’am. And two slices of apple pie to go.”

“You got it. We still on for your birthday dinner tomorrow night?”

“Of course.” I grin. “My mouth is already watering.”

“Good.” With a smile, Talia heads into the kitchen, leaving me to glance around the diner and see who is currently grabbing lunch. Sheriff Gibson is in a booth with his mother, both of them laughing happily as they enjoy their lunch. I offer him a wave when he glances in my direction.

Then there’s Kennedy Hunt’s parents, who both offer me kind smiles as they make their way up to the counter to pay their tab, alongside Alice Hunt’s parents.

They’re relatively new to town, their daughters having married two of the five Hunt brothers.

According to Lani, they bonded shortly after Alice’s parents located here last year.

I’ve lived in Pine Creek my entire life—well, almost my entire life. I was born in Massachusetts but was put up for adoption when I was only a few days old. The couple that adopted me relocated back here, where they both grew up.

I was nine months old when we came back, so for all intents and purposes, this place has been my home for my entire life.

I know everyone and they know me. We all support each other, which I was certainly grateful for after my parents’ accident thirteen years ago.

I’d barely been eighteen when I lost them.

But I had a town to rally around me. An entire family of people who made sure I didn’t lose myself, too.

That familiar knot of grief wells up inside of me and I have to actively fight it back down.

It was a season of grief and pain. One thing after another for three years after I lost them.

God is the only reason I survived, and I believe wholeheartedly He guided the town to close in around me so I didn’t feel so alone.

“Here you go, honey.” Talia sets a mug down in front of me, the hot water already turning a pale brown thanks to the bag of fresh spices steeping inside. “Food’ll be up in a moment.”

“Great. Thanks.” As she steps away, I slide my list back into my purse, then withdraw my latest read. A swoony romance about two people who survive a plane crash and end up marooned on an island. Rivals to romance—my favorite kind.

There’s just something about that moment when they finally realize that everything they’ve been fighting against is everything they need.

If only things worked like that in real life. An all-too-familiar face swims into the front of my memory, but I bat it down.

No. There is no time for shattered dreams and broken hearts right now.

This has been a good day, and it will continue to be a good day.

As I focus on the words printed across the pages, I completely tune out the world around me, letting myself be fully engulfed in the story, the characters, the everything.

Here, I can block out all of my own problems and watch as the characters solve theirs.

Here, things are easy. A safe formula I can count on.

Girl meets boy.

Chaos ensues.

Boy chooses girl over everything.

There is no life after the “happily ever after” where things can still fall apart.

“Hey there, bookworm.”

I jolt a bit, then turn and smile at Riley Hunt as he slides onto the stool beside me. The third oldest, Riley has always been a bit more laid back then the rest of his brothers.

His dark hair is a mess of loose waves, and he’s wearing his ranch clothes which means he’s been out working rather than running errands. Not surprising. The Hunts are hard workers and the first to lend a hand if things go sideways.

“Hey, yourself, Mr. Hunt. No Romeo?” I ask, noting that his adorable German Shepherd service dog is nowhere to be seen.

“Nah, he’s with Jules today. She’s going to meet with one of her charges and they love dogs. She’s hoping he’ll help the girl open up a bit, and I know he’ll keep my wife safe. Win, win, all the way around.”

After suffering trauma no one should have to go through, Jules turned her pain into strength and now spends quite a bit of time in Dallas, at the headquarters for Find Me, a company that rescues trafficking victims from all over the world.

Frank Loyotta, who runs Find Me, occasionally calls in outside help for particularly hard cases.

All five of the Hunt brothers have been recruited on more than one occasion to aid in rescue missions since they run their own search and rescue company.

And now, Jules is the one who helps these victims transition back into whatever normalcy they can find. Because she’s been through it, too.

“It’s so great she’s doing that.”

“She loves it.” I can see the pride all over his face.

“I’m glad.” I beam at him, then look at the book he set on the counter in front of him. “What did you bring today?”

“A thriller. You?”

“Romance.” I hold mine up. “You know me.”

He laughs. “That, I do.”

I practically grew up alongside the Hunt family. First, it started out with me being friends with the youngest of the Hunts—Lani. We bonded over both being adopted and became friends despite the one year age gap between us.

Then I met Dylan. And my entire world shifted. If only it would shift back.

“Riley. What can I get for you?” Talia asks, her friendly smile always warm and inviting.

“A burger and fries for me, a club sandwich with extra crispy bacon and a bag of potato chips for my dad, and another burger with no mayo and a side of onion rings to go, please.” He doesn’t say who the last burger is for, and he doesn’t have to.

I know that Dylan prefers onion rings to fries, and he hates mayonnaise.

The Independence Day parade picnic cemented that when the potato salad got left out too long and he got sick to his stomach.

“You got it.” After making a note on her pad, she heads back into the kitchen.

“How are things going out at the ranch?” I ask, hoping he doesn’t know what I’m really asking. How’s Dylan? Has he decided he misses me as much as I miss him yet?

“Not too bad. Dad’s truck is on the fritz and since Elliot is out of town on mission, I’m on mechanic duty until he gets back.”

“I’m assuming Dylan is helping?” When he doesn’t answer right away, I dramatically roll my eyes. “His name isn’t a bad word, Riley. Since I happen to know he’s the only one of you who can’t stomach mayonnaise, I know he’s helping you.”

Riley shrugs. “Sorry, not sure where you stand.”

“Nowhere,” I reply. “We don’t stand anywhere and that’s just fine by me.”

“Yeah, he’s helping. If by helping you mean humming every time he thinks I’m doing something wrong.”

Humming. Dylan has an excellent voice. One of the best out of all the brothers. There was a time when we thought he was going to go into music. Then he’d chosen the military and everything went sideways.

“Well, he does like to make you crazy.”

“Yeah. We get blips where he’s himself, and even as annoyed as I used to get, I’m just glad to see a bit of him shine through.”

My heart aches. What I’d give to see that side of him again, too. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

Because I genuinely can’t discuss Dylan anymore without completely losing it, I go back to reading, or at least pretending to read, and a few seconds later, Riley opens his book, too.

Lani and I have been friends for forever, and books are something Riley and I bonded over a long time ago. But my real connection to the family lies with Dylan—the youngest of the brothers.

A man I’ve loved for as long as I can remember.

Pain blossoms in my heart, grief that just won’t go away no matter how many years pass. No matter how many times he treats me like I mean nothing, I can’t let go of what we were .

I suppose that’s my burden to carry.

I pray constantly for God to take it away, to remove my feelings for Dylan, but so far that particular prayer hasn’t been answered. Someday, maybe, but not today.

“Here you go.” Talia slides the chicken salad in front of me, so I close my book and set it aside.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Shout if you need anything else.”

“Will do.” I bow my head. “Lord, I ask that you bless this food. Let it nourish my body. Thank You for the wonderous blessings you bestow upon me. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“Amen,” Riley says beside me.

I pour the dressing over the top of my salad and mix it in, then take my first bite.

It’s the first time I’ve eaten today, since breakfast consisted of a protein shake after my run, then a mad dash out the front door so I wouldn’t be late to the Saturday staff meeting at the school where I teach Kindergarten.

“Any big plans today?” Riley asks.

I finish chewing and swallowing my current bite. “Just preparations for the school’s fall festival. Then I’m headed over to Charlene’s place for a bit.”

“How is she doing?”

“Not great,” I reply sadly. Charlene Thomas lost her husband of nearly sixty years last month.

She’s been struggling with depression, on top of the Alzheimer’s that’s been slowly pulling her further and further away from us.

Most of the time, she forgets to do basic tasks, so even though she has a full-time nurse, I still head over at least once a day to sit with her and help wherever I can.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

“Actually, if you have time, her back porch has a couple of loose railings. She likes to take tea out there every afternoon, and I’m honestly worried that she’s going to fall through one of these days.”

“Consider it done.” He smiles.

“Thanks so much.” I open my notepad and check off the line that says Get Charlene’s Porch Fixed. Because if one of the Hunts says they’ll do something, it’s as good as done.

“You had that on your to-do list?” he asks, amused.

“I did. It’s been on there for the last couple of days. I’ve fallen a bit behind. It’s actually happenstance I ran into you because I was going to call Bradyn this afternoon.”

“You and those lists,” he says with a laugh.

“Don’t mock. They keep me organized.”

“I bet you still add ‘make a list’ to your lists.”

I glare at him, though a smile turns up the corners of my lips. “That happened one time. Dylan never let me live it down.” His name used to roll so easily off my lips. Now, it’s like a boulder falling on my toe. My happiness dies just a bit, so I turn my attention back to my salad.

“You okay?” Riley questions.

“Fine.” I say it a bit sharper than I meant to, so I offer him a smile. “I’m completely okay,” I add.

“Okay. Well, you know I’m here if you need me. We all are.”

“Thanks, Riley.” Even though Dylan is their brother, they all supported me during the months when Dylan was rehabilitating. After the initial hospital visit ended horribly, I waited the whole year for the day Dylan would call and want to see me again, but it’s a call that never came.

“No problem.” He offers me a smile, then returns to his book, so I finish eating in silence, all while my mind constantly replays the moments I had with Dylan before everything fell apart.