Can't Help Falling in Love - Samantha Chase Page 0,36

love just to spend a month there and experience as much of it as she could. It would make one hell of a road trip–similar to the one she’d helped Katie and Brian do for their honeymoon–only longer. Plus, she’d love to follow the travel bureau’s route and be able to tell clients all about it.

The idea had merit.

Once Brian was home and she returned to Nashville, she didn’t have anything else on the schedule until after the new year. Maybe it would be the perfect time to go and see what else California had to offer.

Of course, she’d want to spend a few weeks at home just to check in with everything and plan properly…

“Hmm…” Pulling up the notes app on her phone, she made a notation to take a closer look at her calendar in the morning and start thinking about the logistics of making such a trip and what she would realistically have to spend to do it right. “I do love when a plan starts to come together,” she murmured.

“What are you planning?” Hunter asked with a smile as he walked back into the room.

“Just looking at some travel opportunities in California.” Holding up her phone, she showed him a promo picture from the Visit California site. “I’ve never done a road trip vacation before personally, but I’m thinking of trying it after the baby’s born.” Putting her phone away, she rubbed the spot on the couch beside her. “Eli asleep?”

But Hunter wasn’t smiling.

If anything, he seemed…sad.

“Is everything okay?”

When he sat down, it was at the other end of the couch–effectively confirming that something was bothering him.

“So you’re going to leave here, go home to Nashville, swap out suitcases and then…what? Fly to California?”

Weird question, but…okay. “Well, it’s not quite that simple. I’ll go home for a few weeks–maybe more–depends on how long it takes to plan everything out. I’m going to want to start in Northern California and drive all the way down so I see the whole state from end to end. I know I’m not going to see everything, but enough of it to be able to offer some fantastic options for clients. And I can do blog posts and take pictures to put up on my website and do Instagram stories on it,” she went on, smiling. “I think it will be a lot of fun!”

He nodded but didn’t comment.

After a moment, she sighed, “Okay, out with it. What are you thinking right now?”

“Honestly? I’m wondering how you can live like that.”

Frowning, she asked, “Like what?”

“Out of a suitcase!” he said with more than a little heat. “By the time Katie has her baby, you’ll have been here for almost two months! I get that your job makes it easy for you to work from anywhere, but don’t you want to see friends? Relax in your own home?”

“Hunter…”

“No, I’m serious, Violet. I just don’t get it. I can’t imagine having zero interest in my own home, my town!” He made a small growl of frustration before he leaned back against the cushions. When he finally looked at her, he looked miserable. “What are we even doing here?”

And that’s when it hit her–he was having all the same anxieties she was.

This was just his version of it.

And strangely, that made her feel better.

Scooching closer to him, she rested one hand on his denim-clad leg. “You know why it’s so easy for me to pick up and go?” she asked. “It’s because that’s how my life was growing up. We didn’t stay in any one place for long, and when you go into foster care, you can’t get too attached to a home or the people because you never know when you’re going to have to leave. Some psychologist would probably have a field day with me right now, but there it is.”

“Violet, I’m…”

But she wasn’t listening. “Look, Hunter, I’m not asking you to live my life. And we both went into this…whatever it is we’re doing, knowing I wasn’t going to be here long.” Closing her eyes, she took one of his hands in hers and loved how big and warm and strong it felt. “You need to know I didn’t plan on meeting you–or anyone–and even though I’m only here for a short time, I’d like to spend some of it with you.”

When she opened her eyes, she saw he looked a little less miserable.

“I don’t normally do things like this,” he began, his voice low. “Eli and my job take up