Page 82 of Saving it with My Best Friend's Brother

“Taylor and me. So young...”

Hunter traced the time-worn edge. “Same smile, though. The one that lights up your whole face.”

Heat crawled up my neck. “You didn’t know me then.”

“I noticed you.” His voice held quiet certainty. “Every time you visited Taylor. Every family gathering. I just never thought...”

“And now?”

His eyes held mine, full and steady. “Now I’m never letting you go.”

“Good.” I squeezed his hand, feeling strength flow between us. “Because I have plans for us, Hunter Miller.”

“Yeah?” His smile warmed me more than the mountain sun.

“Big plans. Pine Haven plans. Life plans.”

Before he could respond, Claire appeared. Excitement rather than apology brightened her face as she clutched her tablet.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the Historical Society sent the final trust paperwork. And...” She drew a sharp breath. “There’s something about your mother’s environmental research, Amelia.”

The leather folder she offered carried Mom’s office scent. Inside, familiar handwriting-filled pages—water samples, soil tests, wildlife patterns. But more lay beneath. Maps marked with unknown locations stretched back decades, each note precise and purposeful.

My hands shook as understanding dawned. “These aren’t just about Pine Haven. They’re about the entire valley. Mom was tracking ecosystem changes, building a case for...”

“A National Conservation Area,” Claire finished softly. “The application was nearly complete when she... All it needs is...”

“Community support.” Hunter’s hand warmed my shoulder. “Which we have now.”

I met his gaze, seeing the future bright in hazel depths. “Think bigger?”

Through deck doors, our families failed at pretending not to watch. Dad and Katherine bent close in conversation, healing old wounds word by word. Michael showed Taylor something on his phone, their easy friendship returning. Van demonstrated pitching technique to Chad, whose cheerful sounds rode the breeze.

“They’ll all want to help,” Hunter murmured against my hair.

“Good.” Mom’s research weighed solid in my hands, promises filling each breath. “Because this is just the beginning.”

His eyes softened. When we hugged earlier, the small box pressing against my side seemed to pulse with possibility.

But that surprise could wait.

Right now, we have a conservation area to plan, a resort to rebuild, and a first date to finish.

And this time, nothing would interrupt us.

Mountain air carried Katherine’s flowers, Mom’s legacy, and our future—the perfect recipe for tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hunter

The crystal glasses clinked as my restless hands adjusted them for the third time. The afternoon sun caught the facets and scattered rainbows across my temporary Evergreen apartment walls. Pine Haven rose against the mountain sky through large windows—the view that had instantly sold me on this small but cozy rental.

Mom’s fingers fluttered over the table settings like nervous birds. “The flowers need—“

“They’re perfect.” Taylor caught Mom’s hands mid-reach toward the mountain wildflower arrangement. “Stop nervous-cleaning. Amelia already loves you.”

“We haven’t had a proper conversation.” Mom’s fingers twisted the tablecloth’s edge, creating tiny peaks and valleys. “Everything’s been so chaotic with the resort and—“

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