that was Hunter Caldwell, I realized my chances of ignoring it were zero. And what if that torch lit up again? This would be a heartbreak for me waiting to happen.
“Josie,” he said softly, cupping my cheek. My skin heated up. Was he touching me more than usual today, or was I just more sensitive?
“Forget about it. You’re already stressed out. I don’t—”
“No, no. I’ll think about it, okay? I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“You’re sure?” The anxious look on his face slayed me. I wanted to say yes right then and there, but I didn’t.
I just nodded.
“If you say no, I will completely understand. Okay?”
I nodded again.
He drew his thumb in small circles over my cheek, resting it dangerously close to one corner of my mouth. A shiver skittered along my spine. Every nerve ending was on edge. Holy shit.
I was more sensitive, no doubt about that. I averted my gaze quickly, afraid I’d give myself away. Besides, those blue eyes were my kryptonite.
I only took a deep, relaxing breath after he left.
I wandered around the apartment, unsure what to do with myself. At last, I pulled out my iPad to make one of my trusty pro/con lists. I could assess a situation better once I saw all aspects in writing.
Half an hour later, I gave up. I still hadn’t typed one word down in any column. There was just one big pro: Hunter would get his green card. The list of cons was a mile long.
Aside from the legal risks, I had to lie to my family. I was also essentially putting my personal life on hold for three years, and after that, I’d be Hunter Caldwell’s ex-wife. He was famous in New York. He came from old English money, but his father went bankrupt when Hunter was in high school.
People had sneered at the name Caldwell back then. Some still did, especially because Hunter had gone into the real estate business, just like his father. I respected him, because it hadn’t been an easy path. Investors had been reluctant to back him, associating his name with his dad’s financial fiasco.
Hunter was my best friend, but in many ways, he was still a mystery to me. He rarely spoke about his dad. When I’d met him at school, he’d been a loner, despite having his aunt and cousins nearby.
A lot of people knew him: he was rich and had succeeded despite his dad’s legacy. He also ran charity events with his cousins. To be honest, I think many in the city knew him more because of those events than his business. They were called the Ballroom Galas, because they took place in an actual ballroom, and the dress code was very fancy. There were no two ways about it, he was famous in New York. What would it be like to be his wife?
Usually, my go-to people when I needed advice were my family or the Winchester clan. Ryker and Cole were younger than their sisters, and I was smack dab in the middle. I was as close to Tess and Skye as I was to my sister.
My fingers were itching to grab the phone and call my sister or one of my brothers. But Hunter was right. I couldn’t involve them or the Winchesters, though I could imagine their reactions. My family would have a lot to say on the topic.
Amelia would probably tell us both to not even think about going through with this. Despite being in her seventies, she didn’t want to retire. She’d worked her way up from teacher to principal and still ran the school with an iron fist. Tess would hand us our asses for taking this risk. Skye would insist Hunter check out every other option.
Ryker and Cole would laugh and give us thumbs up. Cole would probably tease Hunter relentlessly about giving up his bachelor status—even if it was temporarily. Ryker would too, but since Cole worked with Hunter, it wasn’t easy to escape his teasing. Not that Ryker was easy to escape either. His office wasn’t far away from Hunter’s. He was a successful Wall Street analyst.
I blew out a breath, pouting. I couldn’t involve anyone in this.
Clearly, this decision wouldn’t be rational, but emotional. The lawyer in me struggled with that. But it all boiled down to whether I’d leave Hunter in the lurch or not. If the one time he truly needed me, I’d turn my back on him and tell him to take his