Can't Help Falling in Love Read online

  “And she obviously told you she couldn’t,” Violet fired back. “What exactly did you think was going to happen here?”

  He raked a hand through his sandy brown hair as he let out a huff of frustration. “I’m not going to get into this with you because, honestly, it’s none of your business. Katie and I are good, and that’s all that matters right now.”

  Why argue it? Violet knew the moment he was gone she was going to get all the information from her friend so…

  “Okay, then. I guess you’ll be going,” she said smugly.

  “You’re not even going to introduce yourself?” he asked, and Violet couldn’t tell if he actually wanted to know or if he was mocking her.

  Manners. You have manners.

  “I’m Violet Drake. An old friend of Katie’s. I’m going to be staying with her until Brian gets back.”

  All he did was nod before walking back to the kitchen. “You ready, little man?”

  “Yay!” Eli cried, and all but jumped into Hunter’s arms.

  They walked around gathering Eli’s belongings, and once they had them all and were at the door, Hunter turned to her. “Katie should be fine. It sounds like she just overdid it today. But if the contractions become more consistent or get more intense, then you should call her doctor. You shouldn’t need to rush her to the hospital or even call Rose until the doctor says she needs to be seen. No need to get everyone all worked up. I know Katie wasn’t overly thrilled with having her mother-in-law hovering around last week.”

  So clearly he knew Katie pretty well.

  And had some medical knowledge.

  She’d like to add that he was a good dad, but the jury was still out on that one.

  At least until she had the chance to get all the details from Katie.

  “Okay, so you’re freaking out.”

  “Really? What was your first clue?”

  It was after nine, Eli was in bed, and Hunter was on the phone with his brother Dean. He hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone while his son was awake because a three-year-old didn’t need to hear his father saying the long line of hateful words Hunter had used to describe Melissa.

  “There’s no need for sarcasm,” Dean replied. “You went to her house?”

  “Yeah. Her car wasn’t there, the lights were out, and the doors were locked.”

  “How many times have you called her?”

  “I lost count.”

  “Maybe something happened to her, Hunter. Have you thought of that?”

  Letting out a long breath, he slowly sat down on his sofa. “Honestly? No. This sort of thing has been happening more and more lately.” He paused and tried to force himself to calm down. “She texted yesterday telling me I had to pick up Eli, and I said no. I told her it was her day per her rules, and I wasn’t available. I just never thought she’d completely forget about picking him up.”

  “Damn. Was he okay when you got to Katie’s?”

  “Yeah, he was fine from what I could tell, but…you know he’s quiet even on a good day, so…”

  “I’m sorry, Hunter. Really. I know we talked about taking legal action a while ago, but…”

  “Oh, I’m way ahead of you. I plan on reaching out to my attorney first thing tomorrow. I’m just…I’m done.”

  Dean was quiet for a minute and Hunter knew his big brother well enough to know he was considering his next words carefully. “Okay, I know all of this just happened…”

  “But…?”

  “But…we all know Melissa wasn’t around much, but she was around enough that it helped with your schedule. Have you thought about how you’re going to continue working if you’re Eli’s primary parent now? I mean, you just got off doing a twenty-four-hour shift. How would you do it without her help?”

  “Believe me, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and I still don’t know.”

  “You know we’d all help out where we could. Eli could sleep over here and Courtney and I would fill in where you need us. And I’m sure Scarlett and Mason would do the same, just like Dad and Kyle would. Hell, they would even be able to sleep at your place so Eli could sleep in his own bed and maybe start having more of a feeling of security.”

  A lump formed in his throat when he realized just how screwed up things were. It wasn’t like his son was the first kid to bounce around between his parents’ houses, but it definitely wasn’t a life Hunter wanted for him.

  “That’s all I want for him,” Hunter said, his voice gruff. “I just honestly don’t know how to make it happen.”

  “Have you thought about maybe taking a leave of absence from work?”

  “I’m already off tomorrow so I can get things started. And I already put in to take time off when Katie has her baby.” He sighed. “I hate this. I seriously hate this.”

  “I know you do. Just know we’re all here for you. Do you want to come for dinner tomorrow night? We’ll invite everyone over so we can brainstorm and work out a possible schedule before you take any time off from work. What do you say?”

  “Scarlett and Mason are out of town and I thought Dad and Gramps were too.”

  “Oh. Right. Okay, then. Do you have any overnights the rest of the week?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s plan on everyone coming over on Sunday. I know it’s not going to help you the rest of the week, but don’t hesitate to reach out to Kyle and me at least. Between the two of us, we should be able to help out in a pinch.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. And I’ll see you Sunday.”

  They hung up, and for a few minutes, Hunter didn’t move. The phone was still in his hands, and he knew it was late, but there was no way he was going to sleep until he got some answers.

  Or unless he tried one more time tonight to get some.

  With a weary sigh, he called Melissa’s number and prayed she’d answer.

  She didn’t.

  He had a feeling she wasn’t even listening to his messages, but he felt better leaving one because it helped him to vent.

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

  “You’re going to have to answer me eventually,” he began, but there wasn’t much heat behind his words. “Look, I just need to know where you are and when you’ll be back. This isn’t fair to Eli and it sure as hell isn’t fair to me. He’s here with me, and tomorrow was my scheduled day with him so we’re good there, but I need to know whether or not you’re going to be around Friday for him so…call me. Soon. Bye.”

  Tossing the phone aside with disgust, he slumped down on the couch. Who was he kidding? Even if she called him right now and said she’d be back on Friday for Eli, there was no way in hell he’d leave his son with her again. If anything, he wanted to go there and get all of Eli’s clothes and toys and anything else he may want and just be done with it all. He’d let the lawyers handle the rest. As far as he was concerned, his son only had one parent.

  Him.

  Unfortunately, he was also a realist and knew he was going to have to have a plan. There was always the possibility of hiring a full-time housekeeper. But as he looked around, he knew it would be weird. He loved his house, but it was small–two bedrooms, one bathroom–and he would need someone to sleepover at least once a week when he worked overnight. There was no way he was going to let a stranger sleep in his bed. His father or brother he didn’t mind, but a housekeeper? No way.

  Plus, hiring someone meant firing Katie, and he didn’t want to do that either. She had been a complete godsend to him when he desperately needed daycare options for Eli that were flexible. When Brian had mentioned how his wife did in-home childcare, it had been a no-brainer.

  Although…she was advanced in her pregnancy and was going to need some time off soon, so maybe the timing wasn’t quite so bad.

  Shaking his head, he stood and walked into the kitchen to get himself something to drink.

  And some ibuprofen because his head was pounding.

 
“It’s all too damn much,” he muttered.

  He walked back into the living room and over to the small desk he kept in the corner. It was where he kept his laptop and decided he’d maybe feel a little more at ease if he made himself a list of things he needed to do tomorrow.

  Calling the lawyer was number one. He knew nothing was going to be accomplished and finalized right away, but it was a way to get the ball rolling. After that, he figured he’d start calling Melissa’s friends and family to see if any of them had heard from her.

  “Probably should have called some of them earlier,” he said with a hint of disgust at himself.

  Next, he added going to the park, making lunch, naptime…all the usual stuff he and Eli did together, and then added going to see Katie. Rather than waiting for the next time he dropped his son off there, he figured he should bring her the flowers and cupcakes sooner rather than later. It would also allow him to get her input on how he should move forward with childcare options as a single parent.

  God, he hated airing his dirty laundry to everyone.

  Like earlier today with Katie’s friend Violet.

  The look of pure disgust on her face when he showed up had done something to him. The last thing he wanted was to have people pitying him and judging him and making him feel even worse about the current state of his life.

  Although the look Violet had given him was purely judgmental, no pity.

  No doubt Katie had told her everything about his situation by now. Not that it was going to make any difference. He had a feeling she would always see him as the guy who forgot about his kid.

  And that was the last thing he wanted anyone to think about him.

  Ever.

  Leaning back in his chair, Hunter wondered how he was going to face her when he went to Katie’s the next day. It was clear she was here in Magnolia Sound for at least a couple of months, and if she was staying with Katie, there was no way he could realistically avoid her.

  No matter how badly he wanted to.

  Although…

  Once he had gotten Katie settled and had found Violet in the kitchen with the kids, he had a chance to really look at her. Dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes, petite and curvy figure…if they had met under any other circumstances, he would have been tempted to flirt a little and offer to show her around Magnolia Sound himself. There was nothing wrong with initiating a little flirtation and some potentially casual dating, right?

  Except, in this case, there was.

  Even if she got past seeing him as a neglectful parent, Hunter had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to forget how they met.

  Again, none of this mattered. The last thing he had time for in the foreseeable future was dating anyone.

  Casually, temporarily, or otherwise.

  Three

  “Okay, Mrs. Williams,” Violet said as she studied her laptop screen. “That’s everything. Your itinerary is all set and I’m emailing it to you right now!”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, Violet! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. This is going to be the best vacation ever!”

  “I’m so excited for you and your family!” Violet gushed as she hit send on the email to Mrs. Williams, which basically said everything Violet just had.

  Five times.

  Fortunately, the commission on this one last-minute trip was going to make her life a lot easier while she was staying in Magnolia Sound with Katie. Not that she had any financial issues, but the extra money meant she could spend some time visiting with her friend and not be thinking about–or obsessing about–her business.

  Standing, she took her headset off and stretched. It didn’t take long to realize someone was here visiting. First, she heard Katie laugh, and then someone else.

  A male someone.

  She recognized Hunter’s voice immediately and heard him asking Katie how she was feeling and when the contractions had stopped. Fortunately, they had stopped within an hour of Hunter leaving the night before. The water and lying down really seemed to do the trick.

  In the distance, she heard her friend gasp and then laugh while telling Hunter she loved him.

  Say what now?

  Curious, she left her room and came up short when she found the two of them in the living room and Hunter serving Katie a cupcake.

  A chocolate cupcake.

  With lots of icing.

  Act cool. Don’t seem too anxious about asking if there’s maybe another one in the box for me…

  Katie spotted her first. “Hey! How did your call go? Did she book the trip?”

  Smiling, Violet went and casually sat down on the sofa. “She did! For herself and fourteen family members.” And yeah, she was feeling pretty good about herself right now. “It’s a big two-week thing, staying in three different places–one of them a cruise ship–and, if I do say so myself, it’s going to be spectacular!” Hands behind her head, she leaned back and smiled.

  And hoped someone would offer her a congratulatory cupcake.

  “I’m not really a cruise person,” Katie said, “but once the kids are old enough, we will definitely be using you to book us a fantastic Disney vacation.”

  “Those are my specialty,” Violet replied, still smiling. Still waiting on a cupcake.

  “So, you’re a travel agent?” Hunter asked as he sat on the sofa beside her.

  Nodding, she said, “Yes. My agency is called Talk Travel to Me.”

  “She’s amazing,” Katie gushed. “Violet helped me and Brian book our honeymoon trip.” With her hand over her heart, she went on, “It was the most incredible experience. We flew to California and drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast Highway. We stopped every night in a different city and experienced some of the best food and most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.” Pausing, she smiled at Violet. “You picked the best places. Seriously, I don’t think anything could have been better.”

  “And that’s why I love what I do,” she replied. “The praise!”

  They all laughed along with her, and she thought now–definitely now–someone would offer her a damn cupcake.

  “You must travel a lot then, huh?” Hunter commented.

  “I do. It’s much easier to sell a client on a location I’ve experienced myself. Some places look amazing in pictures, but not so much in person. I think it’s important to have first-hand knowledge of the destinations. It puts potential clients at ease when they know I’ve been there first and can offer recommendations.”

  He nodded. “How many trips do you go on each year?”

  Violet stopped and thought about it. “Hmm…last year I took ten trips. The year before, twelve.” She smiled at him. “All the trips are for research purposes, but some are for actual training sessions with the supplier. Both Disney and Universal offer training seminars and hotel tours. I’ve even been able to tour one of the Disney cruise ships while it was in dock.”

  He nodded again but didn’t comment.

  “What’s been your favorite trip?” Katie asked, even though they’d had this conversation probably a dozen times before.

  “Lake Tahoe. It was just so beautiful. I mean, there seriously wasn’t a bad view to be found! I’ve gone back twice and rented places right on the lake and…” She sighed happily. “It’s always perfect.”

  “If we can get away without kids, I’d love to see it for myself.”

  “This baby’s not even here and you’re already planning trips to get away without him? What’s that about?” she teased.

  “Oh, please. You’ll understand when you have kids.” Katie grinned and turned to Hunter. “Back me up on this, Hunter. Having a child-free weekend is kind of blissful, right?”

  His expression turned serious, and he glanced at Violet before he replied. “I wouldn’t know. My current situation doesn’t allow me any time to get away.” He shrugged. “And I’m not a big fan of travel. Everything I need is right here in Magnolia.”

  Wow. Talk about a buzzkill…

 
; And rather than debate the perks of travel–with or without kids–Violet decided to change the subject.

  “So…cupcakes!” Leaning forward, she opened the lid on the big pink box and peeked inside.

  And saw a glorious amount of chocolate icing.

  “Oh, you have to try one, Vi,” Katie said as she picked up her own to taste. “Henderson’s Bakery is the best! I swear, this isn’t all baby weight you’re seeing on me. It’s mostly cupcake weight.” She took a bite and hummed happily. “And Hunter knows they’re my weakness.” She grinned at him. “All is forgiven.”

  Violet could only assume she was referring to yesterday’s debacle.

  After Hunter had left yesterday, Katie had filled her in on all the details. Single dad, nasty breakup with Eli’s mom who–apparently–was the real irresponsible one in the relationship. She bragged on Hunter ad nauseam, and by the time she was done, Violet felt a little guilty about how she’d talked to him.

  But how was she to know? When a kid is left behind and is all but crying for his parents, and the one who shows up clearly had been sleeping…it just made sense that he was the bad guy.

  Except he wasn’t and now she felt weird about her behavior.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hunter reaching for a napkin before he handed it to her. “This row has all Death by Chocolate. The name’s pretty self-explanatory. The middle row are called Tuxedos. Chocolate cake, vanilla icing, and there’s white chocolate ganache in the middle.”

  “Oh, my…”

  “And this last row has one Cookies and Cream, one Red Velvet, and two yellow cake with chocolate icing.”

  “Wow,” she said, her eyes never leaving the box. “They all look amazing.”

  “Go for the Tuxedos,” Katie said around a mouthful of cupcake. “The baby needs all the Death by Chocolate ones.”

  Laughing, Violet took her suggestion. “Far be it from me to deprive the baby.” And with that, she took her first bite of Henderson’s Tuxedo cupcake.

  And immediately made a very sexual, near orgasmic sound.