help maintain things.”
“That’s great.” Hunter’s gaze drifted over the sun-kissed water. The scent of pine wafted from saplings nestled among the willows while a warm breeze, pleasantly lacking the weight of humidity, rustled through the hills. “And the inn?”
“Ali’s breathed life back into the place. Look at it, Hunter.” Maci motioned toward the stately, white-washed structure. “It’s truly amazing.”
The front porch was made for sipping sweet tea, while the back deck beckoned guests to linger and chat over a game of cards. He’d spent a good chunk of his childhood exploring the surrounding grounds.
Maci eased in beside him. “Can you feel the love here?”
“I used to. Now, I’m not so sure…” The memories rushed to meet him as he and Maci meandered around a bend in the trail and the cliffs came into view. Hunter’s gaze rose, drinking in the outcropping of jagged rocks that had once made a perfect spot for jumping into the clear, cool water below. He could almost hear laughter echoing from the hills, accompanied by a healthy banter of smack-talk and splashing as he and Ryder wrestled. “I did at one time. Now it’s just…sad.”
“Because of Josh?”
“Yes, that’s a big part of it.” Hunter tore his gaze from the cliffs and shifted feet to face her. “It happened there, on the cliff.”
“He fell?”
“No. Josh jumped—or, he tried to jump and didn’t quite make it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s complicated.” Hunter shook his head. “I pushed him. We plunged over the cliff together.”
“What?” Shock turned her eyes from blue to gray. “But, how?”
“It’s ugly, Maci.” Hunter began to pace the trail, turning back and forth between the bends, keeping the cliffs in view. He needed to scoop out the darkness…to let in the light. But that was much easier said than done. He could only let in the light by remembering, by sharing the pain. He struggled with the truth. “It’s too horrible to repeat. It changed my life…changed all of our lives that day. If I tell you, you might—”
“Whatever happened, it’s a part of you, Hunter—a part of what’s made you who you are.” She moved close and took his hand, twined her fingers with his and squeezed gently. “It won’t change how I feel about you.”
“And just how do you feel about me?” His gaze captured hers. “Because, as crazy as it sounds, Maci, I can’t help myself. I’m falling in love with you.”
****
The words caused Maci’s heart to skitter. Her nerve endings ignited, sending heat to the tips of her limbs. Hunter’s hand was strong over hers and the ridge of scar that ran the length of his right thumb reminded her why they were there on the shore of Willow Lake, staring into the cliffs.
“Tell me, please.” She murmured as the breeze lifted wisps of hair across her heat-flushed cheeks. “I want to know you, Hunter—all of you.”
“Are you sure?” He cupped a palm to her cheek.
“Yes.”
He drew her close, wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders as he began to piece together the events, to draw her a picture with words from his heart. “The day was much like this…warm with the promise of an endless summer. We’d all just graduated, and were in limbo—that in-between time when the past is gone but the future hasn’t quite yet begun. I had a scholarship to State.” He paused, swallowed hard. “But scouts from the farm leagues were coming around, hinting at contracts. Big money…a dream come true. I was strutting a little taller, if you know what I mean. Everywhere I went, even outside of town, people knew who I was—Hunter Stone, star pitcher for the Willow Lake Warriors.”
“You have a gift, Hunter.”
“I had a gift.” He nodded quietly. “Yes. Even now, my pitching records at the high school still stand. But that doesn’t mean much…not anymore.”
“The accident?”
“Yes.” He eased toward a boulder along the trail and
“That’s great.” Hunter’s gaze drifted over the sun-kissed water. The scent of pine wafted from saplings nestled among the willows while a warm breeze, pleasantly lacking the weight of humidity, rustled through the hills. “And the inn?”
“Ali’s breathed life back into the place. Look at it, Hunter.” Maci motioned toward the stately, white-washed structure. “It’s truly amazing.”
The front porch was made for sipping sweet tea, while the back deck beckoned guests to linger and chat over a game of cards. He’d spent a good chunk of his childhood exploring the surrounding grounds.
Maci eased in beside him. “Can you feel the love here?”
“I used to. Now, I’m not so sure…” The memories rushed to meet him as he and Maci meandered around a bend in the trail and the cliffs came into view. Hunter’s gaze rose, drinking in the outcropping of jagged rocks that had once made a perfect spot for jumping into the clear, cool water below. He could almost hear laughter echoing from the hills, accompanied by a healthy banter of smack-talk and splashing as he and Ryder wrestled. “I did at one time. Now it’s just…sad.”
“Because of Josh?”
“Yes, that’s a big part of it.” Hunter tore his gaze from the cliffs and shifted feet to face her. “It happened there, on the cliff.”
“He fell?”
“No. Josh jumped—or, he tried to jump and didn’t quite make it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s complicated.” Hunter shook his head. “I pushed him. We plunged over the cliff together.”
“What?” Shock turned her eyes from blue to gray. “But, how?”
“It’s ugly, Maci.” Hunter began to pace the trail, turning back and forth between the bends, keeping the cliffs in view. He needed to scoop out the darkness…to let in the light. But that was much easier said than done. He could only let in the light by remembering, by sharing the pain. He struggled with the truth. “It’s too horrible to repeat. It changed my life…changed all of our lives that day. If I tell you, you might—”
“Whatever happened, it’s a part of you, Hunter—a part of what’s made you who you are.” She moved close and took his hand, twined her fingers with his and squeezed gently. “It won’t change how I feel about you.”
“And just how do you feel about me?” His gaze captured hers. “Because, as crazy as it sounds, Maci, I can’t help myself. I’m falling in love with you.”
****
The words caused Maci’s heart to skitter. Her nerve endings ignited, sending heat to the tips of her limbs. Hunter’s hand was strong over hers and the ridge of scar that ran the length of his right thumb reminded her why they were there on the shore of Willow Lake, staring into the cliffs.
“Tell me, please.” She murmured as the breeze lifted wisps of hair across her heat-flushed cheeks. “I want to know you, Hunter—all of you.”
“Are you sure?” He cupped a palm to her cheek.
“Yes.”
He drew her close, wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders as he began to piece together the events, to draw her a picture with words from his heart. “The day was much like this…warm with the promise of an endless summer. We’d all just graduated, and were in limbo—that in-between time when the past is gone but the future hasn’t quite yet begun. I had a scholarship to State.” He paused, swallowed hard. “But scouts from the farm leagues were coming around, hinting at contracts. Big money…a dream come true. I was strutting a little taller, if you know what I mean. Everywhere I went, even outside of town, people knew who I was—Hunter Stone, star pitcher for the Willow Lake Warriors.”
“You have a gift, Hunter.”
“I had a gift.” He nodded quietly. “Yes. Even now, my pitching records at the high school still stand. But that doesn’t mean much…not anymore.”
“The accident?”
“Yes.” He eased toward a boulder along the trail and
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