Just Home for the Holidays - Deborah Cooke Page 0,37
got canned there, though.”
“They wouldn’t.”
“No, they wouldn’t,” she said with an assurance he didn’t share. “It’s just fun to pull your chain. You’re really worried about this.”
Hunter frowned at the board, not replying to Meesha even though she was watching him. He couldn’t stop this locomotive on social media: he had to derail it. “I’m going to the dance club tonight,” he said with resolve.
“I thought you weren’t working there over the holidays.”
“I’m not, but I’m going to dance.” He gave Meesha a determined look. “And I’m not going home alone.”
Meesha gave a low whistle. “The Hunter we know and love is back,” she teased then tapped him on the chest. “I want the whole story at brunch tomorrow.”
“I’ll be working.”
“Then I’ll know exactly where to find you,” she countered with a smile. “I’d better make sure Chloe got an invite.”
Hunter knew better than to argue. Any protest would just feed Meesha’s interest. He headed for the change room, fixing his thoughts on the day ahead. Rock-climbing. Weight lifting. Dancing—and with luck, a hot partner to keep him too busy to sleep.
That was the kind of plan he made and lived by, and it would work, just like it always did.
He’d no sooner made up his mind than he got a text message from Chloe. It stopped him in his tracks, tempted him, but he knew the right answer.
Damn, she’d nailed sexting. Against every expectation. It was the hottest text message he’d ever gotten and he was tempted...
No. This time, Hunter wasn’t going to surrender to impulse.
It was the right thing to do.
Even if sending that reply felt all wrong.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Mandy said and Chloe stretched. She opened her eyes to find sunlight streaming through the windows and her sister peeking around the door. Mandy lifted a steaming cup. “I brought coffee.”
“You’re an angel of mercy,” Chloe said and sat up. “Thank you.”
“Better than that, I told Mom that you were here when we got home.”
Chloe laughed just as she was going to sip. “It’s like old times, lying for each other.”
“What time did you get in?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, not really.” Mandy sat on the side of the bed. “I just wondered whether Hunter would be awake yet or still recuperating.”
Normally, Chloe would have smiled, but instead she frowned, remembering their disagreement. “Looking for a fake date?” she said lightly instead of sharing that and Mandy studied her.
“I owe him a carousel ride. Since we’re going to Central Park to check out their decorations and carousel this morning, I thought he might want to come along.”
“He’s working,” Chloe said and got out of bed, avoiding her sister’s gaze.
“Is he coming to see the lights in Dyker Heights with us tonight? There’s room since Marshall’s driving up and Mom won’t go.”
“No,” Chloe said.
“Skating tomorrow?”
“I don’t have another ticket.”
“You could...”
“Look, Mandy, Hunter’s not going to be around again. We had a fake date for last night and it’s done. We’re done.”
“I see.” Mandy perched on the vanity. “You didn’t look like you were done last night. Josh sure didn’t believe that you were done.”
“Well, it was just fun.”
“Are you done, or is Hunter done?” Her sister had no shortage of perceptiveness.
Chloe exhaled. “He hates Christmas. Something happened, he won’t tell me what, and we argued last night when I asked. He says we’re done.”
Mandy nodded. “How was the sex?”
“Great.”
She nodded again, thinking.
“We’re too different,” Chloe said. “It would never work. That’s why I thought it was perfect when he volunteered. There’s no chance of either of us falling for the other one.”
“Is that right,” Mandy murmured.
“What?” Chloe spun to look at her sister, who had her Wise Older Sibling expression.
“I’ve never seen you as radiant as you were last night,” Mandy said. “You were having a great time and everyone knew it. Hunter was having a blast. You two had eyes only for each other and there was a magic about the way you were together.”
“It was an act.”
Mandy shook her head. “No. Everyone who was at that function knows you’re both falling in love. Maybe he’s afraid of that. Maybe you’re afraid of that, and grabbing at the chance he’s giving you.”
“I don’t think so,” Chloe said but she wondered.
“Here’s what I think,” Mandy continued. “That kind of connection doesn’t come along very often and when it does, you should check it out. It might not lead to forever, but there’s something powerful about it. Maybe you just need to learn something from each other. Maybe you’re just going to