Chapter 32
1 bed out into the dining room and sw Hunter sitting at table. He was looking at this phone with a deep frown on his face. What he was doing looked important and as I didn’t want to disturb
I doubt the work it didn’t take more than a minute before he looked up and low me. His frown turned into a smile that caused butterflies to eruge in my stoms. I reminded
milf more that a man like I had no romantic Interest in me and walked over to him.
“All done?” he asked as he stood up.
“Tes. Thank you for waiting. I can sit if there thing you need to finish.” I oder..
o is on a deadline, it can keep
“It’s nothing that is on
“Hey, are you going to take her home idi? Chef called from the door to the kitchen
“That was the plan,” Hunter answered. I could tell he was imitated.
“I’m surrounded by boys who don’t know fuckwhat about anything,” Chef grumbled as he turned around and walked into the kitchen. “And don’t think about leaving,” he called out to us. I looked
at Huster and he shrugged.
“It’s best to do an be wants when he’s like this. Do you mind staying a le langar?” he asked.
“No. I just have a date with my couch when I get home,” I told him, and he pulled out a chair for me. We sat down and had just got the conversation going when Chef came out with two steaming bow. He placed them down in front of us and I was looking down at a big bowl full of noodle soup
“Pho, it’s hot so go easy,” he told me
“Thank you, it smels amazing”
“You fucking make sure she eats before you drop her off at home. When you keep her out over dinner, you food her you fuckin it. I’m going home, the kitchen is clean, as if you would notice if
won’t.” Chef then told Hunter and walked away, I followed him with my eyes in he left, stunned at his soulding.
H
“He is right, I should
have made sure you had something to eat.” Hunter said. I shifted my focus to him.
why?” It was the first thing that lomed in my mind
“Why what?” he asked.
“Why would you make sure I eat? I can cook, I have food,” I said T
The idea was foreign to m
“Because I asked you to come here, and it makes it my sonsbility that you haven’t been able to have dinner. And it’s not a heavy responsibility, I always enjoy when we have dinner together.” be explained. As if I wasn’t confused algady
“Tetry at as well,” and and packed up the chopsticks Che had provided and got started on the noodles and vegetables. It gave me a reast not in talk and try to get my thoughts under control. “This is rind–blowingly good,” I fully vid.
It’s unge gode Hung
“You a good fend.” Hunter chuckled at my observation
We are. We met during one of my first deployments Jason, Chef and I were in the same units for years, it’s hard to explain the bond. I could kill him most of the times, but I trust him explicitly.”
“He’s your brother. It’s important to have people like that in your life. I have Wictor. We are both family and friends.” I told him.
he
“After my parent’s dad only had my gaon my dad’s side of the family. But he was old and hadn’t a clue how to raise a gil he said. That’s how I ended up in foster cave” “Did you keep in contact with him? Hunter asked, he was studying e Probably to make sure I wouldn’t fall
put.
* did. For years he arranged to met with me at least twice a year and we used on the phone once a month or so.”
“That had to be nice,” Murder comment. I shrugged, my
Took my hand.
my legs towards my grandfather were
were complicated. “Did he do something?” Hunter asked when he saw my reaction. He reached out and
“When I was eleven I mayed with a really nice couple. They one of the good familes that saw me as family and not as a pay check. After I had been living with them for six months they bed would be okay if they adapted me. I got really excited becaused them and it would oder ine a security that I craved, even if I didn’t know how to put it into words at that time. But my grandfather found out and Hopped the adoption, plaited.
“What? But why?” Huber and I strapped again.
1
“He didn’t want his bind relative in t
to belong to a fanly that wasn’t hic”
Chapter 32
That makes no see, if he felt he couldn’t care for you, he should have been grateful that someone else could give you the stability,” Hunter said. He sounded upset. “What happened with the th
“A fist nothing changed, we were sad about the adoption, but they were still amazing. But as time went by, Margaret, the wife, had a hard time coping with the fact I could be taken away from them at any moment I think the situation was made worse by my grandfather denying the adoption. It made her think he would just one day come and collect me. Just before I turned twelve they
down and explained that even though they loved me, they couldn’t let me stay,” I told him.
“Thi som.” Hunter said.
“It’s okay. Things happen sometimes.”
“And your grandfather?”
“He passed away from a heart attack about secan months later. When I was younger, I used to wonder what would have happened if Margaret and linmy could have held out a year longer. Then maybe they could have adopted me. But I leamed that those kind of thoughts aren’t really healthy for you, I’m sorry, I have really dampened the mood,” I apologised.
“Don’t I would like to think we have got to know each other well enough that we can talk about things beyond what is fun and light,” Hunter said. Looking back at the topics we had covered, 1 enclen’t disagree. I tried my best to smile and nodded. We finished eating and Hunter insisted to wash the dishes while I kept him company, When he was driving me home I was happy, it had been a good day despite the unexpected visit. I even folt like Hunter wouldn’t forget about me and help the mother to his grandchild instead. As usual, Hunter insisted on walking me to my door.
“Hana, I have been meaning to ask you something but I seem to have put it off to the last minute,” he said as I took out my keys. I turned towards him and to my surprise, he looked nervous. He win scratching his salt and pepper heard and was rocking on his heals.
“Okay.” I said to get him going, I was becoming equally nervous
*1 feel like a teenager all over again.” he murmurd before taking a deep breath. “I have anoyed spending time with you these past weeks. Even though the circumstances maybe weren’t the best around how we met, I’m happy we did I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me on Saturday?” he asked. I didn’t expect him to ask that Hunter was asking me out on a date? 1 could spend dins with sorting through my feeling about that. But he was waiting on a reply. I went with my gut, when it came to Hunter, it had send me good this far.
“I would love to.” I said. He stopped moving and looked as surprised as I felt.
“Yes. I have eronyed s
di spending time with y
h you as well.” I told him. He
He fired off a big smile at me.
“Good, great. I’ll call or text to tell you when I’m picking you up and where we are going. Is that okay?”
“Sure, lust give me a couple of hours so I can get ready” I agreed. There was a moment when we both looked at each other without saying anything and I half expected him to walk up to me and give me a kiss. But instead, we ended up trying goodbye and I unlocked my dear, Just as I was about to close it behind me. Hunter called out to me. “Yes” 1 Isked and opened it a little wider to
“ust in avoid any misunderstandings, you did get that I was asking you out on a date and not just dinner as friends, right?” “Yes, Hunter, I got that. But thank you to
he asked. I giggled.
for making sure.”
“Good, great. Then I won’t keep you. Have a nice mening, sweetness,” he said, and I could swear there
was a blush creeping up under his beard,
“You too, Hunter. Drive safe
Falling into you
