Page 45 of Baby, It's You
“No problem.” I shrug. “I’m just happy to have a day off work and away from Tripp.”
“Yeah, I was going to ask you, what happened yesterday?” He pushes a curl out of his eyes.
I tell him the story about Tripp and the pictures, having to go through the full dumpster. Then to top it off, the fact that he was messing with me, having kept half the photos in the attic. When I finally got back to the bar, I found out the reason that he called me to the office in the first place. Tripp had me sign a form for being late to work last week and told me if I’m tardy two more times, he’s going to fire me. By the end of the recap, Hunter’s face is full of anger and shock.
“What the hell is wrong with that guy?”
“I have no idea,” I respond. “I wish he would just get some karma. Even if I raise the money, he could still be a dick and decide to sell it to someone else instead, just to spite me. Which is why I must act like nothing he does bothers me, even though it eats me alive inside.”
“I know how much Whiskey Jane’s andJanemean to you. Everything will work out. Don’t worry,” he responds, his voice sure and strong.
“What makes you so sure of that?” I ask him, not feeling the same confidence in the current situation.
He bites his bottom lip for a second and shakes his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure why but I just know it will work out. I know that you will get the bar.” He meets my eyes. “I’m positive.”
The sincerity in his expression fills me with a peace that I haven't experienced in a long time. The last person to make me feel this safe was Jane. I reach for his hand, overcome by the moment and squeeze it. “Thank you,” I whisper. “I needed that.”
He nods and when I pull my hand away, we sit listening to music for the rest of the ride. After a while, he turns the truck onto a winding road with trees that create a canopy above our heads. I love when trees connect like a bridge, it’s one of my favorite things. I start to notice the cottage-style houses on the street, and I lean a little closer to the window for a better view.
“Almost there,” Hunter tells me, and we pass two more houses before pulling in a driveway. I stare at the coolest A-frame house I’ve ever seen. It has a large, vibrant garden wrapping around the front of it.
“This is yourhouse?” I ask, in awe.
“Yes, it is,” he says, putting the truck in park. “Do you like it?”
“Likeit?” I sound shrill. “This place is the coolest house I've ever seen!”
Hunter chuckles. “You haven’t even seen the inside.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s a real dump inside,” I say sarcastically.
We both get out of the truck, and he leads the way to his front door. I walk slowly behind him, taking in the flowers, searching for petunias, Jane’s favorite. It’s become a habit of mine over the years. Whenever I see plants, I search for them, like it’s a little token of her.
Hunter notices me lingering and glances back at me from the door. “Do you want to pick some?”
“No, thanks. I was just looking to see if you had any petunias.”
He smiles. “Yeah, I do actually.” He walks over, showing me two bushes of bright pink and purple ones hidden behind a few other plants.
I grin. “Cool, thank you for showing me.”
“Are they your favorite flower?” he asks.
“Jane’s,” I respond. “I just have this silly thing I do where I look for them wherever I go, for her.”
“That’s really nice,” he says in a deep voice. “It’s important to remember the things about people we love. To keep their favorite things around, even when they no longer are.”
I can tell he’s thinking of his dad at this moment, not just Jane.
I nod my head in agreement as he continues to talk in a low, calming voice. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour of my house.”
We walk back towards the front door, this time keeping the same pace next to each other. His front door has a wooden frame with stained glass in the center. Just when I thought this place couldn’t be any cooler, it has details like this to make it even more unique. I run my hand over the door.
“Hunter, you’ve got some good taste.”
He grins. “Well, I can’t take the credit for this place, it was already incredible. Which is why I had to buy it when I saw it was for sale. I didn’t want to change a single thing; I wanted to keep all the charm.”
“Thank god,” I tell him. “I’m so over people buying beautiful old houses just to change everything about them. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine.”
