The Hunter by Jessica Gunn

Author:Jessica Gunn [Gunn, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-01-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

One and a half months later…

The sun shone brightly on my face, warming my skin under the summertime New Hampshire sky. This wasn’t the first time I’d brought Sandra with the family up to my grandfather’s lake house, but it was the first time she’d come up pregnant. Obviously.

Sandra was due any day now, weeks after college graduation, and the anxiety of it, this mix between excitement to meet my son and wondering if we were actually, finally, ready for him to be here, had started hitting me with every waking breath. I kept having nightmares about Sandra going into labor when I wasn’t around, or that something would go wrong, or that I’d rush home to take her to the hospital only to find that creepy demon-man standing outside the house her parents were letting us rent from them until we found a place.

But then Sandra would touch my face, bring my hand to her stomach, and I’d feel Riley kick. In that moment, it was like the world righted itself all over again, and I could handle absolutely anything that came my way.

Frankly, it was fucking exhausting. And Riley wasn’t even here yet.

“Come on.” Sandra slid her arm beneath mine and pointed at the lake on the other side of the small hill. “They’re having all the fun without us.”

I nodded. Of course they were. They weren’t about to have a baby.

Sandra urged us as fast as her swollen feet would take us. She’d started not sleeping well, though she tried to lie about it. The bags under her eyes told the truth. Just a few more weeks. Then Riley would be here.

I couldn’t wait to meet him.

We made our way over the hill and down to the lake shore, where Michael and Rachel had set up a small tent. He’d also apparently dragged down a small grill and a cooler, the latter of which I ignored. I hadn’t drunk since Sandra’s accident.

Rachel hopped off her lawn chair and jogged over to us. “Hey. Glad you guys could make it. How was the drive?” She wrapped Sandra in a hug and spared Riley a soft pat.

Sandra grinned, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Good. Not much traffic, which was nice for a change.”

Rachel went to speak but paused, her mouth open, and she squeaked. She put her hand back on Sandra’s stomach. “He kicked!”

Sandra chuckled at Rachel’s bright expression. “He clearly has a favorite aunt already.”

“Don’t tell Amanda that,” I groaned. They were already fighting over that, albeit lightheartedly.

Rachel smiled up at me. “I can’t wait to hold him for the first time.” Then to Sandra’s belly, she said, “Come on, little buddy. Hurry up in there.”

Sandra hushed her. “Give him a few more weeks.”

“Anyone want lunch?” Michael called from his mini grill. “It’ll be ready in five.”

My stomach growled in response. I covered it with a hand and tried to remember the last time I’d eaten something. Probably late last night over my laptop and endless tabs of research about people with powers.

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