couldn’t help but stare at him. “I spend most of my free time at a rec center. I work with the kids on their reading or help them with their homework. In the summer we usually have things going on. You know, arts and crafts, summer reading programs, field trips—that kind of thing.”
Hunter seemed like a pretty stoic guy. The most expressive she’d seen him was a smile. That last little tidbit brought out a full smile and raised both his eyebrows. “Really? That sounds like fun.”
Toni toyed with the flower she’d picked, pulling off the petals. “I grew up spending a lot of time at the rec center, so I thought it was a good way to give back. The kids need to know there’s someone out there who cares about them. They often don’t get that at home.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Know that someone cared about you?”
No, she hadn’t. And damn him, he somehow knew that. Great. How did she end up back on the specimen table? “Look, Hunter. You’re a nice guy, and you’re fun to look at and everything, but I’m not interested.”
“In what?”
Wow, okay, she felt like a fool. “Nothing. Forget I said anything. I just thought… well, you saw that book I was reading.”
“Yeah, you’re looking to hook up. I remember.”
“Not just hook up, but even if I were, I’m not interested in hooking up with a mountain man.”
“Gee, Toni. I don’t remember making an offer.”
“Yes, well. Don’t. You’re not my type.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not interested in interviewing for the position.” He took a step toward her and crossed his arms. “I was just thinking back to that book of yours I was reading while you had your little meltdown yesterday—”
“It wasn’t a meltdown.”
“The book talks a lot about figuring out what you want in a man. I think it requires more specificity than a quote normal man unquote. You sound as if you have a pretty good idea of what you don’t want. Maybe you should start thinking about what you do want.”
He didn’t wait for a response before he turned and walked away. Toni gave him some space, but not too much. She followed him over a slope toward his cabin. It had a lot of windows and was topped with a green metal, high-pitched roof, probably to keep the snow from gathering. And it wasn’t alone. There were other buildings too.
“That’s the cabin. If you want to hole up inside, you’re more than welcome. Make yourself at home. There are plenty of pillows if you need one. If you’re interested in going to the beach, it’s up the path a few hundred yards. The food is in the cooler. I think they labeled everyone’s lunches. There’s a john in the cabin, and then there’s always the outhouse over there. I’ll see you later, Toni.”
Hunter took off up the hill toward where he said the beach was and left her standing alone in the tall grass. Mountains surrounded her. Everyone must have gone on to the beach because there wasn’t a soul around the cabin. Toni got that panicky feeling again and tried to keep her cool. She wanted to kick herself for opening her big mouth. She should never have said he wasn’t her type. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she hurt his feelings, which was ridiculous, since every one of those models would do him in a minute. Well, the single women and Ari, at least. She’d stuck her foot in her mouth. She was as far from his type as she could get. She’d known that the moment they’d met. “Way to go, Russo. You idiot.”
“You really shouldn’t talk to yourself like that. You’ll start believing it.”
Toni spun around and almost ran into James who had come out of nowhere.
“I saw Hunter headed toward the beach. It’s not like him to leave you all alone. Lovers’ quarrel?”
“Cut it out, James. Hunter’s not interested. He made that clear. I’m not interested in him either. I even told him he wasn’t my type.”
“Darlin’, I don’t think you have any clue what your type
Hunter seemed like a pretty stoic guy. The most expressive she’d seen him was a smile. That last little tidbit brought out a full smile and raised both his eyebrows. “Really? That sounds like fun.”
Toni toyed with the flower she’d picked, pulling off the petals. “I grew up spending a lot of time at the rec center, so I thought it was a good way to give back. The kids need to know there’s someone out there who cares about them. They often don’t get that at home.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Know that someone cared about you?”
No, she hadn’t. And damn him, he somehow knew that. Great. How did she end up back on the specimen table? “Look, Hunter. You’re a nice guy, and you’re fun to look at and everything, but I’m not interested.”
“In what?”
Wow, okay, she felt like a fool. “Nothing. Forget I said anything. I just thought… well, you saw that book I was reading.”
“Yeah, you’re looking to hook up. I remember.”
“Not just hook up, but even if I were, I’m not interested in hooking up with a mountain man.”
“Gee, Toni. I don’t remember making an offer.”
“Yes, well. Don’t. You’re not my type.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not interested in interviewing for the position.” He took a step toward her and crossed his arms. “I was just thinking back to that book of yours I was reading while you had your little meltdown yesterday—”
“It wasn’t a meltdown.”
“The book talks a lot about figuring out what you want in a man. I think it requires more specificity than a quote normal man unquote. You sound as if you have a pretty good idea of what you don’t want. Maybe you should start thinking about what you do want.”
He didn’t wait for a response before he turned and walked away. Toni gave him some space, but not too much. She followed him over a slope toward his cabin. It had a lot of windows and was topped with a green metal, high-pitched roof, probably to keep the snow from gathering. And it wasn’t alone. There were other buildings too.
“That’s the cabin. If you want to hole up inside, you’re more than welcome. Make yourself at home. There are plenty of pillows if you need one. If you’re interested in going to the beach, it’s up the path a few hundred yards. The food is in the cooler. I think they labeled everyone’s lunches. There’s a john in the cabin, and then there’s always the outhouse over there. I’ll see you later, Toni.”
Hunter took off up the hill toward where he said the beach was and left her standing alone in the tall grass. Mountains surrounded her. Everyone must have gone on to the beach because there wasn’t a soul around the cabin. Toni got that panicky feeling again and tried to keep her cool. She wanted to kick herself for opening her big mouth. She should never have said he wasn’t her type. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she hurt his feelings, which was ridiculous, since every one of those models would do him in a minute. Well, the single women and Ari, at least. She’d stuck her foot in her mouth. She was as far from his type as she could get. She’d known that the moment they’d met. “Way to go, Russo. You idiot.”
“You really shouldn’t talk to yourself like that. You’ll start believing it.”
Toni spun around and almost ran into James who had come out of nowhere.
“I saw Hunter headed toward the beach. It’s not like him to leave you all alone. Lovers’ quarrel?”
“Cut it out, James. Hunter’s not interested. He made that clear. I’m not interested in him either. I even told him he wasn’t my type.”
“Darlin’, I don’t think you have any clue what your type
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