Hometown Reunion by Christine Rimmer

Author:Christine Rimmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-12-01T21:50:34+00:00

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Chip and Latilda Bartley owned five acres a few miles north of town. They lived in a rambling white farmhouse with a wraparound front porch.

The moment Hunter stopped his pickup in the driveway, his uncles came out the front door and down the steps. They were big, husky men, both in their sixties now. Both had wide, welcoming smiles—slightly forced smiles, it seemed to Hunter.

“Why am I doing this?” he asked Jo out of the side of his mouth.

“You’re making peace, putting the past behind you, letting go of pointless bitterness.”

He wanted to grab her and kiss her—but then, he wanted to do that no matter what scary stuff came out of her mouth. “I’m sorry I asked.” She chuckled and at least some of the tension that knotted his gut evaporated. “Stay right where you are,” he commanded.

Jo had never waited around for a guy to open doors for her. Still, he loved that she humored him right now, sitting tight as he jumped out, ran around the front of the truck and pulled her door wide.

She climbed down from the seat. He barely got the door shut before his uncles converged on them.

Suddenly, the two big men looked really nervous, even shy. “Hunter,” said Chip stiffly, sticking out a beefy hand. “Real glad to see you.”

Hunter shook Chip’s hand and then Brad’s.

Brad said, “Pleased you could make it.” He aimed a smile at Jo. “Jobeth, always a pleasure...”

Jo gave him a hug and then Chip, too.

“Please,” said Chip at last. “Come on in.”

Inside, Aunt Latilda and Aunt Kay greeted them with nervous smiles. They all sat in the front room for a bit, nibbling from a cheese platter and drinking weak vodka tonics. There was excruciating chitchat about the weather (mild), how glad Chip and Brad were to get this chance to visit with him (very) and how excited everyone in town was about his show—so, so excited.

By the time they moved into the dining room and took their seats at the long table, Hunter longed for a stiffer drink. Chip said a brief grace and Latilda served a juicy rib roast.

They were halfway through the meal when, with no warning, Chip set down his knife and fork. “Okay. I’m just going to say this...”

Hunter opened his mouth to ask him not to, whatever it was.

But then, under the table, Jo put her hand on his leg and gently squeezed. When he slid her a glance, she gave him the tiniest shake of her head.

He got the message. Let the man speak. He took her hand and held it.

Both of his uncles looked anxious now. His aunts had gone scarily silent.

Hunter tried to come up with the right words to reassure them that he wasn’t ten anymore, that now he really could see their side. That in the past couple of years, he’d finally started to admit to himself that they must have felt as powerless as he did back then. His dad had been set on the road to self-destruction and completely unwilling to veer from that course.

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