Hunter basked in his uncle’s words, because for some reason, when Uncle Wes said something, it got through Hunter’s thick skull better than when Dad said them.
“Uncle Colton is here,” Uncle Wes said. “Tell ‘im, Colt.”
“Hunter,” Uncle Colton said. “Your first day!” He sounded like Hunter had just invented a cure for cancer. “You’re going to have a great day. I want you to call me afterward and tell me all about it.”
Hunter nodded, though his uncles couldn’t see him. “I wish I was coming up to Coral Canyon next week with everyone,” he said. “I miss you guys.”
“We miss you too,” Uncle Colton said. “You’ll come for the Fourth, right?”
“Yes,” Hunter said. “I can’t miss another Fourth of July in Coral Canyon.”
“Oh, we are going to par-tay,” Uncle Colton said.
“Okay,” Uncle Wes said with plenty of disgust. “You’re too old to say stuff like that.”
“Whatever,” Uncle Colton argued. “You’re just mad because Michael said I’m more fun than you.”
“He just meant because you have quads, and you let him drive them. Which,” Uncle Wes said with plenty of emphasis. “Is illegal, Colt. There’s a reason I told him no.”
Hunter could listen to his uncles bicker all day long. He grinned at their back and forth, actually a little jealous he didn’t have any siblings closer to him in age. He didn’t have anyone in his family terribly close to his age. No one he’d run around and played with as a child. He was an island in the Hammond family, and he’d often felt like it, especially once all of his cousins started being born.
Uncle Colt had adopted a little girl, and Kate had just turned eighteen. Michael, Wes’s son, came next, and he was twelve. There were plenty of cousins after that, as the twins, the youngest of Hunter’s uncles, both had four kids.
They all lived in Coral Canyon, and Hunter knew Elise would like to move up there. Her friends were there, and all the cousins. The only thing tethering them here was the farm. Once Hunter took it over, he knew his Dad and Elise would move.
“Anyway,” Colton said with plenty of emphasis. “You’re going to do great, Hunter. Try not to worry about it.”
“I’m trying,” Hunter said. “Uncle Colt?”
“Yeah?”
“What if…?” Hunter paused to organize his words. “What if this doesn’t suit me?”
“Then you quit,” he and Uncle Wes said together. Hunter could just see the two of them, their eyes meeting, and entire conversations being had.
“Hunter, if this isn’t what you want to do, you’ll know,” Uncle Wes said. “You quit. You can still be a Hammond.”
“Yeah, Uncle Ames and Uncle Cy never worked at HMC,” Uncle Colton said.
Hunter thought of the farm, and the chores he’d helped with that morning. There was nothing like cold, crisp air in the Rocky Mountains, with half-frozen dew on the blade of grass, and animals awakening from their slumber to get fed and watered for the day.
“Okay,” Hunter said. “Thanks, you guys. I better go.”
“Good luck,” Wes said.
“Call me later,” Colton added.
Hunter hung up, but he didn’t get out of the truck. Instead, he dialed Lucy’s office to get an appointment for that week. He had so much to work through, and after today, he felt sure he’d have even more.
Chapter 6
Molly woke the next morning because Gypsy’s voice couldn’t be ignored. The fussy cat was hungry again, and Molly groaned as she got out of bed and went to feed the gray monster. With that done, she went into the second bedroom of her house and stretched, lifted barbells in a few exercises she’d paid a personal trainer to learn, and leashed Saltine for a walk.
She went around the neighborhood loop, which was really a horseshoe-shaped route that took her about twenty-five minutes.
With all that done, she put out fresh water for her pets and returned to the kitchen to make coffee.
“Oh, my goodness, the bread.” She’d completely forgotten about the bread, and the yeasty smell of it hit her straight in the nose. How had she missed that?
Probably because Hunter was still on her mind, and he occupied every brain cell, leaving none for her nose.
The dough had risen, and risen, and risen, and now a gloppy, nearly foaming mess sat on the counter surrounding the bowl. Molly made a face as she scooped up the first globs of dough, and she seriously doubted she should be putting it down her disposal.
The house and everything in it wasn’t new by any means, and she