Page 54 of Hunter

Holy shit. If bodies were shrines, I would pray to Hunter’s all day long.

An iron six pack crested his beautifully tanned waist, the muscles on his arms and chest screaming discipline and hard work. He wasn’t a man to neglect his body, and I thanked the heavens for it. I followed those edible thighs higher, picking where I would like to sink my teeth into them and almost wept at the sight of his boxers.

I wasn’t sure if one could sexually assault someone with their eyes, but it would be the most accurate description of what I was doing. My fantasies were already wild at the idea of licking the inked tattoo of a red, flaming bird holding a cross over his left peck.

As I looked closer, I saw words inked into the cross.

It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. ~ Psalm 18:32

“I didn’t take you for the religious type.”

“I’m not feeling very religious with the way you’re looking at me.”

Right. I forgot I was still drooling. Did I mention I could see the splattering of pubic hair leading down under those boxers? Yum.

“As for the quote, I’m not that religious.” He scooped Adair up from where he had managed to slip from his bed while I wasn’t looking.

Once again, my mouth dropped open. No man had buns that fine. Talk about sacrilege.

“Then why’d you get it?” I asked after I gathered my thoughts.

“I got it done after Noble died,” was all he needed to say.

I nodded then watched as Hunter sat down on Adair’s bed, wincing as it creaked. He pulled Adair up onto his lap and looked him in the eyes.

His voice was calm and gentle when he asked, “You scared, buddy?”

Adair shook his head.

“You sure about that?”

Adair very slowly shook his head again. Then his wise little eyes fell to the floor. “Big boys don’t get scared.”

Hunter’s eyes softened. He reached up and very gently bumped the boy’s chin just enough to tilt his head back up. I recognized the movement. Only once had I seen it, but I would never forget it. Noble had done the very same thing to me the day I had arrived with the news. The sweetness of the gesture transferred perfectly into his little brother.

“Do you wanna know something, bud?” Hunter’s voice was softer than I had ever heard it as Adair gave a small nod. “I get scared sometimes.”

Adair’s eyes rounded as if it was a possibility that had never occurred to him.

Adair idolized Hunter, always following him around. Hunter had mentioned how he liked bikes, and now Adair couldn’t stop watching TV shows about Harleys. Or Hunter would mention a sport he liked, and Adair would run around the backyard, pretending to be an elite player, despite having never heard of the sport before. Even when Hunter would sit down on the couch with a beer, Adair would be right by his side with his juice.

Hunter was Adair’s hero, which was probably why he looked so surprised and full of disbelief and shock when he asked, “Really?”

Hunter nodded. “It’s not a bad thing to be scared.”

“It isn’t?”

“Nope.” Hunter shook his head. “You see, when you really love something, you get scared you might lose it. But when you’re scared, it means that the thing you love is precious and you have to protect it no matter what.” Hunter ran his hands through Adair’s short blond curls, the ones so much like his lost brother’s. I didn’t think he even realized he was doing it. “I’m guessing, when you heard the guns, you were scared for your momma, right?”

Adair looked down at his stuffed Papa before his gaze flickered over to me as if he didn’t want me to see it. Then he nodded. “I couldn’t find Momma.”

My eyes filled with tears, and I clasped my hand over my mouth, fighting not to cry.

Hunter’s eyes flickered up to me over Adair’s small head with a small frown.

“But you hid ’cause you are smart. And your momma came and found you like you knew she would. Your momma was scared, too, but she knew she had to protect you.” Hunter’s eyes found mine and held them. “That’s what family means. It means loving people so much that it sometimes makes you scared. Even then, it’s okay to be scared, because it keeps reminding you what’s precious, and that you have to protect what’s precious.”

Hunter’s face seemed to wobble as my tears finally spilled over my cheeks and fingers, his words hitting so deeply I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

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