Page 102 of Five Alarm Love
The rest of the ceremony was full of warmth and love and friendship.Everyone present had a smile on their face.This day would have been perfect for Tuli.Except…
A wave of need to have Lou in his own arms hit him like a boulder breaking loose from a mountaintop.He wanted to take her away from the crowd and beg for a second chance.He needed her like Calvin needed Deirdre.
Like salmon needed the river.
Like fire needed oxygen.
After the couple were pronounced husband and wife and everyone cheered, the members of the crowd, chattering, drifted to the nearby tent for food and more celebration.After a while, locals from the village brought out instruments, and soon the beats and jingles of traditional Koyukon music and singing blended with the conversations and laughter of everyone at the event.
This experience should have been rich.Enjoyable.Heck, Tuli wanted to be thrilled that two people in town found love and each other and would live the rest of their lives together.
Tuli only felt empty.
He was empty without Lou.
Every time he tried to get near her, it seemed like Hunter was hovering right at her elbow, or they were in a discussion with her dad.
It wasn’t only jealousy that made Tuli grind his molars.Sure, that was a part of it.He wanted to be right next to her.But something else was going on with Hunter that had nothing to do with Tuli.
Hunter’s return to town last fall, joining the community meetings to offer up his services for mineral resource management, and then quitting his job at the fire department so abruptly—none of it added up.Tuli’s BS detector had been pinging off the wall.
If only he could figure out the guy’s deal.
At the moment, Hunter was in an intense discussion with Lou’s dad, who nodded several times and then waved over other elders.
Finally, after dinner, Tuli worked his way through the crowd to Lou.How had it only been a week earlier that she’d been in his arms, as they shared that perfect connection?
Right before everything had shattered.
“Hi, Lou,” he said, stumbling as he approached her.Had nothing to do with his bum leg.It was the sight of a beautiful woman in a dark-maroon, floor-length dress.The color made her brown eyes glow.The top hugged her curves like he wanted to, and the neckline tempted him to stroke her smooth skin.His mouth went dry.
“Hi,” she said softly.A flush pinkened her neck and cheeks.Classic Lou.
“Would you like—”
“Care to dance, coz?”Hunter reached in and grasped her hand before waiting for an answer.
Her gaze darted from one man to the other.“Not right now.”
Hunter tugged.“Of course now.What better time?We’re family.”His voice got louder.
Lou’s neck worked as she swallowed and looked at the ground.She hated attention, and Tuli hated that Hunter was using that issue against her.“Sure,” she said.
As much as Tuli wanted to intervene, that action would only create more drama.He stepped to the side.
With a backward smile and a wry lift of his shoulders, Hunter led her onto the small dance floor, joining Deirdre and Calvin as well as other couples.He made a show of carefully wrapping his arms around her and guiding her through some turns.
Tuli wanted to maim the guy.
“Tuli,” Lou’s father said politely.So politely.
“Sir.”
“Hear you’ve been busy on social media.”
“Someone has been.”
He crossed his arms.“I don’t follow.”
