My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake #1)(47)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“That’s a very good goal for someone your age. What made you choose that?”

I’d had to clamp my teeth down on my tongue so I wouldn’t answer for him and tell her that he was awesome and I loved him and he was awesome.

“Because I think anyone who hurts a child should be brought to justice. Someone has to do it. Why not me?” His voice rang with so much sincerity and passion, I wanted to make out with him right there on the sofa.

“Up top,” Tawny said, holding her hand up for a high five. He slapped her hand and then looked at Mom, to make sure she didn’t think it was weird. She was studying him. Uh oh. I’d had that look before.

“You’re a very interesting young man.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

I pinched him so he’d stop calling her ma’am. She hated it. I should have mentioned that in the car.

“Well, are you ready to eat?” Mom said.

“Sure.”

“Taylor, can you and Tawny get the plates?” She purposefully left Hunter out. Damn, she was testing him to see if he’d take the plates from me.

“I’ll do that,” Hunter said, slipping in front of me and going to the cabinet. “Which ones?”

“The ones with the blue flowers.” They were my grandmother’s, and we only used them for special occasions. The real plates we used didn’t match and were mostly from yard sales. Tawny made sure to grab the good cups and not the Disney Collector’s Edition glasses.

Hunter set our small dining table, which was covered with a tablecloth I was sure Mom had bought yesterday, since it still had creases from being folded in the package.

“Good call on the plates,” I said.

“I figured that was an opening for me to be a gentleman.”

“Exactly. Just a little note, don’t call her ma’am. She hates it.”

“Was I?” He seemed to genuinely not know.

I laughed and put my arm around his waist. “Yes, Mr. Zaccadelli. Just keep the Texas in check, okay? You’re in Yankee country.”

“I’ll try.”

I touched his arm. “Hey, you’re doing great.”

“If you say so.” He put a plate down and it clanged a little. God, he was nervous.

“Be careful, that’s my Gram’s china.”

“I’ll try.”

He set the places more carefully, and I followed behind him with the silverware and napkins. Tawny and Mom brought in the meal, which consisted of a spinach, walnut and strawberry salad for me, grilled chicken for everyone else, potato salad, and fruit salad and a cheesecake for desert.

Hunter loaded up on the non-meat things, which Mom noticed.

“Are you a vegetarian?”

“Not really, but I’ve been cutting back on meat since I met Taylor.”

I passed him the balsamic dressing, and he poured it over his salad. He always used way too much dressing.

“You’re not just doing that to impress her, are you?”

“Everything I do is to impress her. It’s my mission in life,” he said with a completely serious face, while he squeezed my knee under the table.

Mom burst out laughing.

“I like him,” she said.

“Me too. I think I’ll keep him,” I said, taking his hand and twisting my fingers with his.

“Good,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze.

*****

The tension eased a little as we sat in the living room making small talk. Hunter seemed a lot more comfortable and stopped twitching so much. He even laughed, albeit nervously. Tawny was being so mean to him, and I had to keep shooting her dirty looks.

I thought Hunter was going to die when Mom grilled him about the ring, which I’d forgotten to take off. My hand didn’t look like my hand without it anymore.

“What did you do, rob a bank?” Tawny said, as she gaped at it.

“It was my mother’s. I inherited it and I thought, what better place to keep it safe?” Okay, so he didn’t inherit the ring, but he inherited the money for it, so I figured it was close enough.

“Your mother had really good taste,” Mom said, holding my hand so she could get a better look at it.

“She did.”

“You’re awfully young to have lost both parents.”

“I was eleven when they died, but my mother’s sister and husband took me in.”

“I’m sorry about your family.”

“Thank you.”

“Mom? I think I’m going to show Hunter around town.”

“Be sure you show him the telephone pole you crashed into during your driving test.”

“What?” Hunter said, looking at me.

“We’re leaving now,” I said, getting up and yanking Hunter to his feet. Any moment the nak*d baby pictures were going to come out, and there were a lot. I’d had a no-clothes phase for several months, and there was plenty of evidence. Not that Hunter hadn’t seen everything there was to see, but still.

“You crashed into a telephone pole? Missy, why don’t you let me drive?” Hunter said.

“Shut up,” I said as I got in the driver’s side. “You don’t know this town like I do. So I’m in charge.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, tipping an imaginary hat.

“Do you own a cowboy hat?”

“I have one in my closet at Hope and John’s. Why?”

“Oh, no reason.” I turned on the car, picturing Hunter in a cowboy hat and nothing else. Yum.

“So, where to?”

“The library. Duh.”

“Of course.” He turned on my CD, skipping to a song he liked. “By the way, you need to bring that little red dress back to school with you.”

“Was that what took you so long in my room?”

“I was just checking things out,” he said.

“Sure you were. You were looking for skeletons. Or at least embarrassing photos of me with braces.”

“I bet you were cute with braces.”

“Yeah, cute was the word for it.”

We drove around Waterville, and I showed Hunter my school, the library and all the places I used to go when I was younger and needed a place to go other than home.

“I didn’t have a lot of friends, if you can believe that. I did my own thing a lot.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Most girls that age are bitches.”

“Ain’t that the truth? I didn’t really make any until college.”

“So do you want to come back here?”

“Ah, hell no. This isn’t where I want to be.”

“Where do you want to be?”

“Anywhere else. When Travis gets out, I don’t want to be where he can find me.”

“What made you stay in Maine? You could have gone overseas to school.”

I sighed as I drove past the elementary school. I had a silly idea and pulled into the parking lot. I hopped out, and Hunter followed me. I stopped walking until he was right beside me.

“Tag!” I screamed, slapping his chest and running as fast as I could before he could realize what I’d done.

“I don’t think so, Missy,” he said, growling and chasing me toward the playground. He caught me, mostly due to the fact that his legs were much longer.

He scooped me into his arms and ran with me onto the grass, throwing me down and tickling me without mercy. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. When I couldn’t take anymore, he kissed me and we rolled on the grass.

“You little cheater,” he said, giving my shoulder a little love bite. “You also deflected my question. Quite effectively, I might add.”

I rolled onto my back and stared at the semi-cloudy sky.

“Because I got a better scholarship. I got in to other schools, but they were too expensive. They were also too far away. I know that doesn’t make sense, but I feel safer here, because Tawny and my mom are here. I couldn’t leave them.”

“You should do what you want, and not be obligated to stay here for them.”

“Why didn’t you go somewhere else? I’m sure you could have gotten into any school you wanted with John’s help.”

“Because I didn’t want a hand-out. I also got a better financial aid package here and I figured, why not? My dad was always harping on me about the evils of state colleges. He wanted me to go to Yale.”

“Did you get in?”

“It doesn’t matter.” He took my hand and kissed it.

“Shit, you totally got in to Yale. Damn, I’m in love with a genius.” Who knew?

“Joe wrote a letter of recommendation that probably helped a little.”

“When do I get to meet Joe?”

“He’s not coming up until Christmas, but you’ll meet him then. Hope is as nuts about Christmas as she is about pie. So, be prepared. You’re part of the family now, so you’re invited.”

“God, I can’t imagine how that house looks decorated for Christmas.”

“It’s pretty epic.”

“I bet.”

“Race you to the swings?”

We both got up and ran as fast as we could. He totally let me win. We played on the swings and chased each other down the slide until the sky opened up and it started raining.

“We should get back. Your mother probably thinks we’ve driven somewhere and parked by now.”

“Because I’m totally that kind of girl.”

“Don’t knock quickies in cars. If we didn’t have to go back and see your mom, I would totally be up for that.”

“It sounds uncomfortable.”

“It’s an art.”

“Which I’m sure you’ve mastered.”

He shrugged and mussed my hair.

“Told you, Miss. Everything before you doesn’t matter.”

Twenty-Seven

Not fooling around with Hunter in my mom’s house wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be. Her room was right down the hall, and Tawny’s across the hall, and my bed was old and creaky.

“Not even a little?” Hunter whispered as we climbed under my Disney princess sheets.

“It’s too weird. I can’t have sex on a princess’ face with my mom down the hall sleeping. I just have to draw the line.”

“Okay, okay. Can I still sleep nak*d?”

“You can. I’m keeping my clothes on.”

“Why?”

“In case there’s a fire in the middle of the night and we have to leave the house in a hurry.”

“You think of everything,” he said, keeping his boxers on, but removing his shirt. “Fine, fine.” If I didn’t know better, I would have said he was pouting.

“You’re not upset, are you?”

“About the hay rolling? It would be nice, but I’d settle for just being nak*d with you. That’s the best. Nothing between us. Just you and me.”

“Tomorrow night, I swear.”

“And then I’m out of luck starting Tuesday.”

“Why, what’s happening on Tuesday?”

“You start your period,” he said, completely matter-of-fact.

“I hate that you know that.”