Page 109 of Five Alarm Love
“What?”Lou said, putting her hand on Tuli’s arm.
“Yeah, for outing Randy’s plans in public, getting him arrested, and costing him most of his savings.”
Tuli’s head spun.“Wait.This was forme?”
“In part.You pissed off a rich dude and made him a lot less rich.If you had kept your nose out of other people’s business, it never would have gotten to this point.”Hunter shook his head.“My job kept changing.When I first came back last year, I needed to work my way back into town.Then he needed me to step up and help gain access to the mine for his company.”
Tuli raised a hand.“Hold up.Did you create the conditions for my snow machine accident last spring?”
“The one that nearly killed him,” Mav growled nearby.
“I wouldn’t do something like that.Anyone could have gotten hurt, not just you.”
Tuli glared at the guy.“That’s not a reassuring answer.”
“It’s the answer you’ll get.”His angry scowl softened as he looked at Lou, then back around the crowd gathered.“Damn it.I just wanted to be someone my family would be proud of.Someone successful.”
Deirdre quipped, “Well, this is definitely the most successful disaster I’ve seen in a while.Mission accomplished.”
Tuli smiled.Good job to her.This was her wedding, and Hunter’s actions involved her property.She had every right to be pissed off.
“I still don’t understand the rest of it,” Tuli said.
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest.“Don’t you get it?You ruined Randy’s life and, by extension, mine.He wanted me to mess up anything good in your life.Including your relationships with folks in town.”He glanced at Lou.“All relationships.Burn every bit of it to the ground.”He faced Tuli.“I can’t do this anymore.”His face twisted.He took a long, hard breath.“Look, I’m sorry.I only wanted to make something of myself.Make my old man proud for once.Become part of a better core family than the one I had growing up.I wanted to be respected, like you were.Recognized for helping the community.I wanted people to think I was successful.”
“Rising to success means nothing if it’s on the backs of those you push down,” Lou’s quiet voice cut through the murmurs.
Hunter reared back like she’d slapped him.
“I think you’re done here,” Steve said.
Hunter turned on his heel, stormed through the crowd, and left.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Lou pulled upto her apartment shortly after the mic drop to end all mic drops.
Her head spun.
To think everyone had believed Hunter’s sincerity and that he wanted to help out the community.Dad had bought into the song and dance, even going so far as to encourage her to date Hunter’s friend, Zach.Because, somehow, that was more reputable than the alternative.
To think she had given it even a thought.
Tuli had risked his reputation and livelihood to out Hunter’s ulterior motives.
He’d leveraged his social media base.Risked his future growth.
Lou knew enough to understand how public opinion and popularity could swing.
Tuli had tried to protect her.
He had accepted her for who she was.
Now it was her turn to return the favor.She climbed the stairs to her apartment, closed the door, and toed off her heels.
Her heart pounded as she sat on her loveseat and picked up her phone, absently petting Frost and cringing as the cat deposited white hair on her dark dress.She opened the social media site she had signed up for.Her account had a generic, fake name and no picture or avatar.She’d created it months ago, mostly to follow along with what Tuli posted.
She scrolled through his pictures of beautiful interior Alaskan scenery, animals, and scenes from town.His pictures of locals brought out each person’s inner beauty.She could tell that he made efforts to showcase each personality.His posts also highlighted the community.He had used his platform to help bring awareness to the area.Make things better.
