Can't Help Falling in Love Read online

  From his spot on the truck, he watched the town go by and smiled.

  This was home.

  Magnolia Sound was always where he wanted to be, and the fact that his job was to help protect it filled him with a huge sense of pride. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the townspeople, and he loved knowing his son was going to grow up here. Although it seriously sucked that while his son was going to grow up in Magnolia Sound, he was going to be growing up as a child of divorce.

  Okay, it was a little dramatic to think that way, but there it was. In all the years Hunter had fought for their relationship and envisioned them having the idyllic life he never had growing up, he never thought things would be like this. Melissa had never wanted to have kids, and when she got pregnant with Eli, Hunter just assumed she’d change her mind once she held their baby in her arms.

  She hadn’t.

  And lately, she had been spending less and less time with Eli, which, to him, was worse than spending no time with him. His son was being bounced from house to house–including going to daycare–and Hunter was starting to see how it was having a negative effect on him.

  And whatever Melissa’s deal was about for tomorrow, it certainly wasn’t going to help.

  The siren roared all around him, and as they approached the property, Hunter adjusted his helmet and coat and immediately cleared his mind of everything except what they were here to do–put out a fire.

  It took three hours to get everything under control before they could return to the firehouse. After a shower and a hot meal, Hunter grabbed all of two hours of sleep before the alarm went off again. This time for a fire down on the beach where some teenagers set up a bonfire that got out of control. This was completely unusual to have two fire events in one night, but…this was his job and he was going to give it everything he had.

  They were back in the station in two hours, and after that, the crew went about their usual routine: doing a thorough check of all personal protective gear, which included a turnout jacket, pants, boots, air supply, and own PASS device. Hunter had done it so many times, he didn’t even have to think about it. If anything, it was a mindless activity that he found oddly soothing.

  Once he was done, he helped check out the fire truck and the equipment to make sure they were ready for the next emergency. When things remained quiet, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to wash the truck. They were all avoiding the chore everyone seemed to dread–cleaning the station. It was basically a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to dole out who was going to handle cleaning which area and Hunter was thankful he caught mopping rather than bathroom duty.

  No one wanted that.

  When his shift was over, all he wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed, and it seemed as if luck was on his side.

  He stripped as he walked across his small house and placed his cell phone on the bedside table before he collapsed on the bed. His head hit the pillow, and he was instantly asleep.

  The sound of his phone ringing woke him up.

  Sitting straight up, it took a moment for him to get his bearings, and he had to wonder who was calling him so soon after he had fallen asleep. But as he reached for his phone, he realized he’d been asleep for over six hours.

  “Damn,” he murmured, reaching for his phone. Without looking at the name on the screen–mainly because his eyes wouldn’t stay open–he hoarsely muttered, “Hello?”

  “Hey, Hunter, it’s Katie.” Usually, Katie had a very cheery voice. She didn’t right now.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Hey, Katie. What’s up?”

  “Um…listen, I don’t mean to sound bitchy, but…did you lose track of time?”

  Raking a hand through his hair, he sat straight up. “Excuse me?”

  “You were supposed to pick up Eli. I don’t normally mind if you or Melissa run late, but I can’t get her on the phone, and she was supposed to pick up Eli an hour ago. Then I figured I must have gotten the schedule confused, and it was your turn to pick him up.”

  Now he was fully awake.

  “Wait, are you telling me Melissa didn’t pick Eli up?”

  She sighed loudly. “Yes! Like I said, normally it’s not a big deal, but I’ve got some things going on and really need you to come and get your son. Please.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked as he climbed from the bed and began to scramble around to find clean clothes.

  “It’s fine, but…I’d really appreciate it if you could come and get your son.” Her voice was tight and very out of character for Katie. And that’s when it hit him…

  Pregnancy.

  Advanced pregnancy.

  No doubt she wasn’t feeling well, and his family drama wasn’t helping. Muttering a curse and then a quick apology, he slid on a pair of jeans. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I promise.”

  “Thanks, Hunter.”

  “And again, Katie, I’m really sorry. I guess Melissa and I got our signals crossed. It won’t happen again.”

  “We’ll see you soon,” she replied before hanging up.

  So many thoughts raced through his head as he stumbled around the bedroom, finishing getting dressed. First and foremost was that he was done playing games with Melissa. Not picking up Eli was the final straw. Not long ago, his brother Dean had urged him to get a lawyer and simply get full custody so he could be done with dealing with his ex. He hadn’t wanted to do that to his son.

  Now, however, it seemed like there wasn’t a choice.

  There was no time to make himself some coffee or even brush his teeth, and that just fueled his anger. Hunter knew he’d have to find a way to make this up to Katie because he couldn’t afford to lose her. If he was going to have sole custody of his son–and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he was–then he was definitely going to need to have daycare covered.

  As he stormed out the front door and climbed into his truck, he thought about offering to buy Katie and her daughter some takeout, or perhaps he’d pick up flowers or something and bring them the next time he dropped Eli off.

  “What the hell was she thinking?” he murmured, thinking of his ex. The only way he was going to know was by calling her himself. Pulling out his phone, he pulled up her number and quickly hit send before he even left the driveway.

  “Hey, you’ve reached Melissa. Leave your name and number and I’ll call you back. Bye!”

  It took every ounce of self-control not to scream, but what was the point? If she heard him yelling on the message, no doubt she wouldn’t call him back. Instead, he took a steadying breath before speaking. “Hey, Mel. It’s me. I’m on my way to pick up Eli…”

  And his tone was getting a bit more sarcastic.

  “Um…and why am I picking up Eli? I told you yesterday I couldn’t do it and I thought we agreed. Now Katie’s upset and I don’t think it’s fair to her that she got put in the middle of this.” Pausing, he let out a long breath. “Can you please call me back and let me know what’s going on? Or…I don’t know…I guess we’ll stop by your place after we leave Katie’s. Maybe you’ll be home by then. Talk to you later. Bye.”

  It was a game to her. He knew that. And yet it still pissed him off.

  Katie lived only two miles away and that meant he needed to calm down before he got to her house. She was already upset with him; there was no reason to add to it by showing up at her home with a head full of steam. So he took the remainder of the drive to focus on seeing his son and thinking about how he had tomorrow off so the two of them could go to the park and maybe play ball or perhaps take Eli’s bike with them so he could ride on the biking trail.

  The image put a smile on his face, and by the time he pulled into Katie’s driveway, he felt way more in control of his emotions. As he climbed out of his truck, Hunter decided he’d bring Katie some flowers and cupcakes the next time he dropped Eli off. He knew she had a sweet tooth and was particularly fond of Mrs. Henderson’s tuxedo cupcakes with the chocolate ganache in them. It was a good plan and hopefully e
nough to make her forgive him. He was good friends with her husband and promised to help her out whenever he could. No doubt Brian would give him hell for everything that went down today.

  He quickly made a mental note to treat them both to dinner when Brian got back from deployment.

  Smiling, he climbed up the front steps and knocked on the door.

  “I’ll get it!” someone called out, and he wracked his brain to think of who would be here. Brian’s mom had moved out last week and…

  The door opened, and for a moment he was completely confused. He didn’t recognize this woman, and his first instinct was that something had happened to Katie.

  “Who are you?” he demanded as he stepped in close, ready to shove her aside to make sure Katie and his son were safe.

  Big brown eyes went wide as they stared back at him.

  Next came a smug grin followed by total disgust.

  She was easily a foot shorter than him and looked like a strong wind could blow her over, and yet she seemed more than ready to go toe-to-toe with him.

  Five minutes ago, he would have relished having a heated argument with someone, but something about this woman left him feeling more than a little unsure of himself.

  Weird.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here with all that attitude after what you did,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest. “I ought to put in a call to Child Protective Services! What kind of parent are you?”

  And right then and there, Hunter was pretty sure his jaw hit the ground.

  Two

  Violet prided herself on being a friendly, mild-mannered person, but neglectful parents were a definite trigger for her. And after spending the day with that sweet little boy and then having his parents forget about him? Yeah, it was safe to say that she was utterly riled up.

  Taking a step toward him, she kept her voice low. “I just want you to know that people like you make me sick. How dare you forget about that little boy in there who…”

  It was his turn to step in close.

  And tower entirely over her.

  “I’m going to stop you before you say something you’ll regret.” His voice was low and deep and somewhat menacing, and it was clear he was angry.

  Angry neglectful parents threw her over the edge.

  “Oh, you’re going to stop me?” she mocked, her back going ram-rod straight. Not that it did her any good. The guy was so much bigger than her that it was almost comical. “All I’m saying is that poor, innocent child doesn’t deserve to be…”

  There was a cry from inside the house before Katie called out, “Is Hunter here?” and before Violet could respond, he pushed past her and into the house. She turned and watched as he scooped Eli up in one arm and kissed him on the cheek before crouching down in front of the chair where Katie was currently sitting in potential labor.

  Great.

  Walking into the house, she shut the door but kept her distance–wanting to observe what was happening.

  “What’s going on, Miss Katie?” he asked softly. “Someone doing some acrobatics in there?”

  Katie chuckled. “He’s trying to kick his way out; I just know it.”

  “He? Do we know for sure it’s a he? Could be a little girl in there. You know, a future Rockette or something.”

  With her hand rhythmically rubbing her belly, she smiled. “I suppose that’s an option, but this little bean feels way more active than Kira ever was when I was pregnant. I’m thinking boy, and I’m thinking linebacker.”

  He laughed. “I’m sure no matter who’s going wild in there, they’re just anxious to come out and meet you.”

  “You’re sweet,” Katie said, sighing.

  “Okay, so how far apart are the contractions?” he asked.

  “There’s no pattern to them. They’re kind of all over the place,” Katie said, her expression slightly pinched. “And some are kind of intense and others, not so much.”

  Feeling like she’d heard enough–and seriously, who was this guy to come here and have anything to say? His lack of parental concern had probably caused Katie’s stress and, therefore, the early contractions.

  She moved with purpose across the room and crouched down beside her friend. “Do you want me to take you to the hospital? We can call Rose to come over and stay with Kira, this way we can know for sure what’s going on.”

  Bad parent guy chose that moment to chime back in. “I really don’t think that’s necessary,” he said calmly. “It sounds like Braxton Hicks.”

  “Who the hell is Braxton Hicks?” she demanded. “Is he your doctor? I don’t remember seeing that name on the list on the fridge!”

  Rather than answer or even acknowledge her, he kept his attention fully on Katie. “Did you have them with Kira?”

  “I did, but I don’t remember them feeling quite like this.”

  He nodded. “Have you been drinking enough water?”

  “Water?” Violet cried, jumping to her feet. “What does water have to do with labor?”

  But no one was listening to her. Katie’s attention was on…wait…what was his name? Harry? Harmon? Gunther? Oh…wait, not Gunther. Hunter. Ugh…

  “I don’t think I’ve had my usual amount today. I took Violet out to show her the town. She’s never been to Magnolia Sound before and I wanted to get out for a bit. Since it was only Eli and Kira today and the weather was so nice, we walked down by the park and then went to the beach.”

  He gave her a patient smile. “So maybe you just overdid it, huh?”

  And then her friend did something she rarely did. She blushed as she admitted, “Now that I’m thinking about it, I probably did. Lately it seems like I get tired a lot easier and yet I don’t try to rest a little more. I know it’s hard to believe, but sometimes I forget I’m eight months pregnant and can’t run a marathon.”

  Hunter placed his hand on Katie’s knee. “Maybe you should go and lie down for a little while. On your left side would probably be best.”

  “What does the left side have to do with contractions?” Violet asked, none too nicely. “Isn’t she supposed to be comfortable?”

  Again, no one was listening to her.

  Katie started to stand up, and before Violet could help her, Hunter was already doing it.

  While holding a three-year-old in one arm.

  He was incredibly gentle and his voice was soft and oddly soothing as he walked Katie back to her bedroom. With nothing else to do, Violet followed.

  “You get settled and comfortable and I’ll get you some water. Or would you prefer a cup of hot tea?” he asked.

  “Violet?” Katie asked, suddenly remembering she was even there. “Can you please refill my water cup? The big blue one. Thanks!”

  Part of her didn’t want to leave the room because…well…it was obvious this guy kind of knew what he was doing and she felt like maybe she should know some stuff too.

  “Um…is there anything else you need me to get? Maybe something to eat?”

  “Food really wouldn’t be helpful right now,” Hunter replied without looking at her. “We need to make sure she’s hydrated first. So…”

  Yeah, she got the message.

  With a quiet sigh, she stepped out of the room and found Kira coloring at her kiddie table in the kitchen. She bent down and kissed her on the head as she walked by. “Hey, baby girl. Whatcha coloring?”

  “A puppy. Daddy says I can get one when he’s home!” She proudly held up a picture of a large brown…something she supposed could be a dog.

  “That is awesome!” she replied as she filled Katie’s jumbo water mug. “Want to help me bring this to your mommy?”

  “Yes!” And before Violet knew it, Kira had the cup and was running from the room.

  Back in the bedroom, Hunter was now sitting on the corner of the bed with Eli in his lap. He accepted the cup from Kira with a big smile while thanking her profusely for being so helpful.

  Kira. Not her.

  It would be petty to point t
hat out, so she stayed back and listened to whatever other pearls of wisdom he had to share.

  “If you can, just try to relax for maybe thirty minutes,” Hunter was saying. “Drink your water, and if the contractions don’t calm down by then, try a nice warm shower.”

  “I know you’re right,” Katie said softly. “I’ve been through this before. I think I was just tired and…” She paused and groaned. “Look, I don’t mean to pry, but…it was a little stressful when Eli started asking…”

  Violet knew when to step in. “Hey, Kira, why don’t you and Eli come with me to the kitchen and we can draw some more puppies! What do you say?”

  Eli scrambled off Hunter’s lap as he followed Kira from the room. Katie gave her a thankful smile, and Violet took that as her cue to leave.

  Fifteen minutes later, Hunter walked into the kitchen and listened intently as Eli told him what he was drawing. Violet knew it was a firetruck but couldn’t figure out why he kept saying “Daddy’s firetruck.”

  Hunter turned to her and grinned. “I’m a firefighter.”

  And now she felt stupid for not putting two and two together sooner.

  “Oh.”

  He crossed his arms–which were seriously impressive–across an even more impressive chest as he studied her. She was about to tell him to quit staring when he motioned for her to follow him into the living room.

  Which she did.

  After a moment, he spoke. “I think you may have gotten the wrong impression of me earlier.” Then he held out his hand to her. “I’m Hunter Jones. Eli’s dad.”

  “I figured that last part out,” she said, still not ready to think of him as anything other than a guy who forgot about his kid. But she did shake his hand because she always had manners.

  “For the record, I didn’t forget about Eli. It was my ex’s day to pick him up. Had I known she wasn’t, believe me, I would have been here. We argued about it yesterday, and I told her I couldn’t.”