Page 54 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

I laughed softly. “I’m not sure about that, but we’re getting by.”

Amelia placed the basket on the coffee table and sat beside me, her energy as vibrant as ever. “I couldn’t let this moment pass without coming to spoil my little man. And speaking of which…” She pulled out a tiny baby blanket embroidered with stars and Van’s baseball number. “A little something from his biggest fan.”

Van chuckled, leaning over to admire the blanket. “You spoil us, Amelia. Thank you.”

“I can’t help it,” Amelia replied with a smile. “I was in love once I saw the photos you sent of him.”

We continued chatting, and suddenly, the doorbell echoed through the house. I glanced at Van, confused, and he grinned, moving to answer it.

Hunter strode in, his arms laden with an array of presents. I could see several items clearly: tiny onesies and other baby clothes in pastel colors, a couple of soft plush toys peeking out from the pile, and most noticeably, a small leather baseball glove perched on top. Clearly, he had gone all out to prepare for his nephew.

“Hey, sis,” Hunter greeted me warmly, setting the gifts down and giving me a gentle hug. He peered into the bassinet, his smile widening. “Look at this little guy. Already a baseball legend in the making.”

As Hunter straightened up from peering into Chad’s bassinet, his eyes locked with Amelia’s.

“Amelia,” Hunter said, his voice softer than usual. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Amelia’s cheeks flushed slightly as she stood up. “Hunter! I... well, I couldn’t miss seeing this little one in person.”

I watched Hunter move towards her, his usual confident stride faltering. They stood facing each other, close enough that I could see Hunter’s hand twitch, as if he wanted to reach out but thought better of it.

“It’s good to see you,” Hunter murmured, his eyes never leaving Amelia’s face.

“You too,” Amelia replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s been a while.”

I glanced at Van, wondering if he noticed the change in atmosphere. He caught my eye and raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Hunter cleared his throat. “So, uh, how’s the resort?”

Amelia’s eyes lit up. “It’s great! We just finished some renovations. You should... you should come by sometime. If you want, I mean.”

“Yeah?” Hunter’s smile widened. “I’d like that.”

They stood momentarily, looking at each other until Chad’s soft coo broke the spell. They both turned to the bassinet, laughing softly.

“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” Amelia said, moving closer to the baby.

Hunter nodded, following her. “Yeah, he is.”

As they stood side by side, cooing over Chad, I couldn’t help but notice how their shoulders brushed, neither of them moving away from the contact. Hunter leaned in to whisper something to Amelia, and her resulting laugh was softer, more intimate than I’d ever heard from her before.

My heart raced as I processed what I was seeing. They kept stealing glances at each other, the subtle touches, the soft smiles. Something was definitely brewing between my brother and my best friend.

Van squeezed my hand, pulling me from my thoughts. When I looked at him, he mouthed, “You seeing this?”

I nodded as he left the room.

When Amelia excused herself to leave, I caught the quick, almost shy glance she exchanged with Hunter before she headed out the door.

As soon as she was gone, I smirked and turned to Hunter. “So… what’s going on with you and Amelia?”

His face flushed, and he tried to brush it off with a shrug, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. “Nothing… we’re just friends.”

“Uh-huh,” I teased. “Friends who look at each other like that? Please.”

He sighed, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Okay, fine. I like her a lot. But… it’s complicated.”

I laughed softly, reaching out to pat his arm. “Nothing worth having is easy, Hunter. I didn’t know you liked her, but I think you should go for it.”

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