Just Home for the Holidays - Deborah Cooke Page 0,12

weeks, feed the cat/gerbil/snake/canary, bring in the mail, sign for deliveries, listen for burglars in the night.”

Chloe blinked as she tried to absorb that. “Why?”

“Why not? It’s like free rent.”

“But you get paid well at F5F.”

“Right, you’ve reviewed the payroll, haven’t you?” Hunter laughed. “I like the adventure. It’s like traveling, a new city twice a month, but not really.”

Chloe kept up with his long stride. “But you still have to have a home. You have to be from somewhere. Everyone is.”

“Of course, but it’s gone, so I can’t go back there.” He shrugged. “I guess I could, but it’s not like I’d know anyone there anymore.” His sidelong glance was quick, his expression closed, and Chloe smelled a secret.

Another one. He didn’t like Christmas and there had to be a reason for that. He said he didn’t have a home, and there was an explanation about that, too.

Against every expectation, she was curious.

About Hunter Tate. She’d always thought he was as deep as cling wrap but he was turning her expectations upside-down.

And they’d barely started.

“You want to compete on the cab thing?” he asked, challenge in his tone and she guessed that he was trying to distract her again. “See who’s got the best moves?”

“No. I want to know why you hate Christmas.”

“Don’t hold your breath waiting on that,” he advised, his gaze suddenly serious. He gave her a hard look, as if to warn her, then stepped to the curb and raised a hand as he whistled.

The cab came to him like a hawk on a lure. Chloe was impressed.

“Mind if I ride partway?” Hunter asked as he held open the door for her.

“Where are you going?”

“Gotta get a suit. Remember? Theo and Tyler go to the same tailor uptown. I’ll give it a try.” He went around the cab and got in on the other side, saving her from scooting across the back seat. He filled the space with his long legs, but her carry-on bag on the seat between them meant they weren’t touching. Chloe realized she would have liked to have had that lean thigh pressed against her own.

She was officially losing her mind

“It’ll be expensive,” She felt obliged to warn him.

He nodded, apparently philosophical. “No doubt. I’ve learned at F5F that a good suit is made to last and worth every penny. If I’m going to buy a suit, I’m only going to buy one for the duration.” He raised his brows. “I’ll have to find some swish places to go on a regular basis.”

Chloe’s phone rang before she could think of a reply to that. She should have anticipated that Josh would call in. She showed Hunter the call display, watched a smile start to curve his lips, then answered—well aware that Hunter was listening.

This Josh guy didn’t waste a moment.

In a way, Hunter could admire that. Josh knew what he wanted and he went for it. In another way, Hunter couldn’t understand how this guy could miss the fact that Chloe didn’t share his goal. She’d dumped him. She’d moved across the country immediately afterward and hadn’t come back since. She wasn’t the kind of woman who said one thing and meant another, and she didn’t play games. Hunter had to wonder whether Josh knew anything about Chloe at all.

Then he wondered whether Josh wanted to know anything about her. Maybe he just planned to impose his own ideas of a perfect wife and mother of his children upon Chloe—no matter what she thought of it.

Hunter already disliked this guy big-time.

“Oh, thanks,” Chloe said, her gaze meeting Hunter’s. Her tone was sweet, too sweet to Hunter’s thinking. There was a warning in that honey and he wondered whether she’d sting. “That’s so thoughtful of you, especially since we aren’t together anymore.” Her voice hardened a bit and she hurried on, as if to keep Josh from making the obvious suggestion. “But you know, it’s the most amazing thing. I chaired a meeting at Flatiron Five Fitness for my boss, since he’s on holidays, and I met up with Hunter again.” She snapped her fingers. “We picked up like it hasn’t been a year. The connection is amazing.”

Hunter grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. She was a better liar than he’d expected. He heard his name repeated by Josh.

“I didn’t tell you about him? That’s surprising.” She mused over that for a moment, leaving lots of time for Josh to think of why that might be. “Hunter works at the club, too. We