Queen of Hearts (Gambling on Love Series Book 4) Page 7

  “Hunter, please don’t do this,” I call after him, but he’s already out the door. Nothing good is going to come from this.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hunter

  The car barely has time to come to a stop before I am climbing out and heading straight for Brooke’s front door. I don’t bother ringing the doorbell I just walk in. Seeing the sadness in Lucy’s eyes when she told me she thought last night was a mistake, because of this bullshit demand of my sister’s, broke my heart, and enraged me. Lucy is it for me, and I am not going to let my sister get in the way.

  I find Brooke in the kitchen with Matthew on her hip, and they are singing while Brooke stirs something on the stove. The floor creeks under my feet and announces my presence. Matthew looks in my direction. “Hi Hunner.” He still can’t quite get those t’s.

  “Hey big brother, what are you doing here?” she asks, setting Matthew back down on the ground. He runs over and hugs my leg.

  “Hey buddy.” I kneel down and give him a hug. “I need to talk to mommy for a minute, why don’t you go watch TV with Ella.” He says okay then runs for the living room. Once it’s just us, I turn my attention to Brooke.

  She tilts her head to the side studying my face. Brooke knows me better than anyone else, so she knows the look on my face means shit is about to get serious. She walks around the island and takes a seat on one of the bar stools. “Hunter what is going on?”

  “Normally, I respect your opinions and actually care what you think. Like how to decorate my apartment, or what books to read, but my love life is off limits. You don’t have the right to tell who I can and cannot date.” The frustration pours out.

  “Hunter where is this all coming from?” she asks.

  “Lucy and I slept together last night,” I admit. The room goes silent for a moment and I brace myself for the wrath of hell that Brooke is about to unleash on me. But I’m ready for whatever she dishes out, and no matter how pissed off she is, it won’t stop me from being with Lucy. Brooke opens her mouth, and instead of fire and fury, she bursts into boisterous laughter. Now that I was not expecting.

  “Well it’s about damn time, I thought I was going to have move to plan B and lock you two in a room until you tore each other’s clothes off.” My brain can’t process what she just said. Did she really say it was about damn time?

  “Wha, wait, what the fuck?” I’m more confused than ever.

  “Come on Hunter, of course I wanted you and Lucy to get together. You two are perfect for each other. I knew it the moment I met Lucy,” she adds.

  “Then why the fuck did you tell me to keep my distance?”

  “Hunter, I know you better than you know yourself, and I knew if I told you, ‘Sure, go ahead and hook up with my best friend,’ it would have only lasted one night. But if I told you to stay away, it would give you the push to change and be the man I knew you could be. You had to get the one nightstands out of your system and see Lucy as something more than a piece of ass.”

  My head is spinning, and I need to sit down. I slump down on one of the bar stools. “You sneaky bitch, you played me.” I rub my hands along my face. After all these years, Brooke still knows how to manipulate me.

  “Like a fiddle big bro.” She pats me on the shoulder. “But this time it was for good. Lucy is the type of girl you dreamed of before you became an emotionless pussy hound. I get why you closed yourself off after mom died, I did too after Jake passed away. But it was time for you to open yourself up to the possibility of love and being with a woman who wants to be with the real Hunter McCoy and not the world-famous photo-journalist Hunter. Lucy is that girl. She’s everything you wanted, beautiful, smart, with a touch of goofy. And I knew Bailey wouldn’t be a problem for you, because you love kids and they love you because you are basically a giant child. And Bailey adores you, especially since she found out you’re a Potter Head. I just had to do something to get you to see all of that and I did what I knew would work.”

  “I can’t believe that fucking worked.” I shake my head. She is right about everything. If she had never told me to stay away from Lucy, I would have fucked Lucy at the wedding and never saw her again, thus continuing down the destructive road I was on. And I would have hurt both Lucy and Brooke. Brooke threw down the gauntlet and it gnawed at me every moment of everyday. It made me question why Brooke thought I wasn’t good enough for Lucy. I saw myself for the first time since my mom died. I lost sight of who I was. With Brooke’s voice in my head telling me no, it made me want to change and be that man again.

  “It works every time. How do you think you got the idea to move to New York?” She maniacally grins.

  “Fucking seriously.” Damn it, she’s good.

  “But this is my best work yet. I’m sorry I manipulated you into this, but I didn’t know of any other way that you would actually listen.”

  “I’m not the one you need to apologize to. Lucy is beating herself up about last night. She is saying it was a huge mistake because you didn’t want us together,” I say.

  “I fucking suck. I was trying to get you to go after Lucy, I never thought what it would do to her. Okay, let me call Lucky and have her watch the kids and we are going to go talk to Lucy. I don’t want her thinking I’m going to hate her for wanting to be with my brother.” I help Brooke off her stool and she calls Lucky. I feel relieved that Brooke wants Lucy and I to be together. I just hope she can change Lucy’s mind.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lucy

  Waiting, I’m not good at waiting. You would think being a military wife I would be used to it, but no. Waiting for Colton to come home from a tour was torture. This takes the cake. It’s been a couple of hours since Hunter left to tell Brooke about us. I thought serving coffee would help keep me distracted, but after scalding myself for the third time, Connie sent me upstairs to the main bookshop to restock the shelves. With the way my head is at the moment, she may have to redo everything I’ve done.

  I’m hidden away in the back of the travel section when I hear Brooke’s voice. The books in my hand fall to the floor, and I’m wishing I could hide under my book cart.

  “Lucy, darling, where are you?” Brooke calls out, and I freeze in the spot I’m standing. Her and Hunter walk past the travel aisle then Brooke’s head peeks around the corner. “There you are.” She has a smile on her face, and I don’t know if that’s a “I’m glad to see you smile” or a “I’m going to kill you” smile. Either way, it’s not easing my nerves. They both walk toward me and my heart leaps into my throat.

  “Brooke, I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t want Hunter and me to get together. If you hate me I understand,” I nervously ramble.

  Brooke pushes the cart out of the way and pulls me into a giant hug. “I’m the one who is sorry, Lucy. When I told Hunter to keep his distance, I was doing a little reverse psychology.”

  “Manipulation.” Hunter coughs out from behind Brooke. Brooke shoots Hunter a scowl from over her shoulder.

  “I needed to give Hunter a little extra push to come around to what I thought was best for him. Some call it manipulation, but I call it helping out,” she says, still scowling at Hunter. Hunter just rolls his eyes at her and shakes his head in disagreement.

  “So, you told Hunter to stay away from me so then he would pursue me?” I asked confused. I grew up an only child, so I don’t understand the relationships between siblings. This seems slightly twisted.

  “I know it’s crazy, but my brother has a slight issue with following rules, so if I gave him a rule about you, I knew, without a doubt, he would break it. The only thing I didn’t think about was how it would affect you. I am so very sorry Lucy. I love you, and I really do want you and Hunter to be together.”

  I look over at Hunter and he smiles back at me. “I know the way Brooke went about getting us together last night was a bit bat shit crazy, but it was the push I needed to become the man you deserve.” He steps around Brooke and slides an arm around my waist, his other hand tilts
my chin up to his lips. “You’re it for me, Lucy.” He softly kisses me. Brooke snickers next to us.

  “I think I will leave you two love birds alone.” She starts to walk away and, as she turns the corner, we can hear her say, “My nieces and nephews are going to be so cute.”

  Hunter chuckles into our kiss. “Do you feel better about us now?” he asks.

  I slide my arms around his neck. “I am, and I’m sorry for freaking out and saying we were a mistake. We aren’t a mistake. Being with you feels right.” Knowing that Brooke does approve of Hunter and I only makes it even more apparent that we are a perfect match. Brooke was willing to pull this crazy move to make it happen.

  “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m just happy to hear you don’t think we are a mistake.” Hunter wraps his other arm around me and pulls me to him.

  “Can we forget about this morning and start over with how the morning was supposed to go?” I rise up to my tip toes and place a soft kiss on Hunter’s lips.

  “Hell yes,” he whispers then returns my kiss with a deep, hungry kiss. “If we are going to start over, then I need you naked and in my bed with my face between your thighs.” My pussy clenches at his words.

  “Connie, I’m taking the rest of the day off,” I call out. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lucy

  I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I’m so happy, I don’t even notice the looks the other moms at Bailey’s school are currently giving me. My hair is a wild mane of sex hair, and I may have messed up the buttons on my shirt, but I have pants on and matching shoes, so I call that win. Especially since I am going off three hours of sleep and have spent most of the day in bed with Hunter.

  “Mom.” Bailey looks me up and down in wonder. “Are you okay?” she asks. I must look like a major disaster if Bailey is asking me if I’m okay. She’s used to seeing the white-hot mess that is her mother.

  “It’s been a day and we have a lot to talk about when we get home.” I slip my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head as we walk back to the car.

  “You’re smiling, so I’m guessing you aren’t dying, or you are dying, and you are trying to distract me. Are you dying?” She looks up at me, eyebrow cocked, her lips in a thin line and fake concern on her little face. She already knows I’m not dying.

  “You know I’m not dying. It has to do with Hunter,” I admit and open the car door for her.

  Bailey hops into her seat and turns to face me. “Is Hunter your boyfriend now? You didn’t come home last night, so that means you must have been doing boyfriend and girlfriend stuff.”

  “You are eleven, you aren’t supposed to know what boyfriend and girlfriend stuff is. Is Lucky teaching you this?” It wouldn’t surprise me, Lucky taught Bailey how to say shit when she was three.

  “Maybe.” She looks down at her fidgeting hands in her lap. “She just said you guys were kissing all night.” I breathe a sigh of relief.

  “There was some kissing,” I say, closing her door.

  I walk around to the driver’s side and slide in. Before I start the engine, I turn to Bailey and ask, “Would you be okay if Hunter and I started dating?” Bailey never got to know her father, so I don’t know how she would feel about me dating someone else. Hunter is the only man that I have brought around her. I didn’t want to expose her to guys that might not stay in the picture for long. Hunter is different, he’s end game material.

  “You don’t need my permission to date, Mom.”

  “I know that, but I just want to make sure you are comfortable with it, because Hunter will be hanging around more at our house.” All of this is new to both of us and I just want to make sure she is okay with this whole situation.

  “Mom, I’m more than okay with you dating Hunter. I like Hunter, he’s fun and he makes you happy and that makes me happy. Plus, he likes Harry Potter, so he scores major points with me,” she says the last part proudly.

  “Okay, but if it gets to be weird, you let me know.”

  “Mom stop worrying about it. Just marry Hunter and get me a baby brother.” There is a hint of sass in her voice.

  “You’ve been hanging around your Aunt Lucky too much.”

  ****

  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is playing on the TV. There is a half-eaten pepperoni pizza on the coffee table, surround by bowls of half-eaten popcorn, and empty boxes of Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers. Bailey is passed out curled up next to Hunter, and Hunter’s head is in my lap with my fingers twirling in his hair. This is something I can get used to. I just hope Hunter won’t get bored with this kind of life.

  “Are you sure you are ready to spend the rest of your nights like this?” I whisper to keep from waking Bailey.

  “Absolutely. I’m ready to spend my nights with my two favorite girls. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” He smiles up at me, and I realize I need to stop worrying so much and just enjoy the fact I am getting the ideal family that I have always wanted.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lucy

  I’m late, I’m late, that’s what the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland used to say, right? That is what I am saying through gritted teeth, driving through rush hour traffic in downtown Seattle. It’s Hunter’s big night, the gallery is done and beautiful and ready for the world to see and I am missing it. “Come on you freaking morons, move,” I shout. You’d think the hot mess train wreck would have slowed down now that Hunter is on board, that is wishful thinking. In the three days since we started this thing, the train is still full speed ahead. Hunter, for some damn reason, finds it adorable. Just goes to show you he is certifiably insane.

  I was, for the first time in my life, running ahead of schedule when I dropped Bailey off with my parent’s house on Bainbridge Island. But I am just not that lucky. Everything started to unravel when I missed the ferry back to the city, which made me late for my hair appointment, and I had to wait an hour for my stylist to free up. I had Lucky bring me my dress at the salon. Hunter, being the sweet man that he is, sent along street tacos and a margarita to help relax me. It’s his big night, I’m the one who should be helping to calm his nerves, not the other way around.

  The brakes squeal to a halt in front of the Gallery. I toss my keys to the valet, at least I hope it was the valet, otherwise some random dude just inherited my old beat-up Subaru and a hundred half-empty water bottles. I pause just outside the door and gaze up at the sign, Aryn Gallery is spelled out in large metal lettering. Hunter wanted to honor his mom by naming the gallery after her. She was the one who encouraged him to follow his dreams. I know she is smiling down on her son tonight.

  Inside the party is in full swing. The champagne is flowing, and the air is a buzz with chatter. I slide off my coat and hand it to the coat check girl. She hands me my number and says she loves my dress. Oh, my dress. Lucky kept me in the dark about this dress, and it’s a good thing she did, otherwise I would have run out and bought a new one the moment I saw it. But she was smart and held off until the day of the opening. It’s not something I would have ever picked out on my own, but after seeing it on, with my hair and makeup done, I’m kind of liking it. It’s silver with a deep slit up my right leg, open back, and a classy amount of cleavage showing. Not what I was expecting Lucky to pick out, I was thinking it would be slutty with an extra side of slutty, she actually did good.

  I snatch a glass of champagne from one of the passing trays and wander through the crowd looking for a familiar face. A few of the artists that I have featured in my shop stop me and thank me for helping them get their work in Hunter’s gallery. All I did was show Hunter their work and it was their talent that got them here. But I do kinda feel like a proud momma seeing her little ducklings succeed.

  Brooke’s glowing face is the first one I see of my friends. Her bump is on full display in a curve hugging navy blue dress. I commend her for showing off her pregnant body and not trying to hide it. She is so proud to be caring Brian
’s baby and she wants the world to know it, too. Brian is definitely not shy about how much he loves her body. His hands are usually on her bump or her ass. They are crazy about each other, and after everything the two of them went through to get to where they are now, they deserve all the happiness in the world.

  Brooke spots me and waves me over. I wiggle between the sea of bodies and join her in Lucky’s section of the gallery. Brian sneaks up behind her and hands her a glass of water then his arms find their home around her bump. They both look me up and down. “Damn Luc, you look gorgeous,” Brian says, followed by a whistle.

  “I second that. My brother is not going to be able to keep his hands off of you,” Brooke teases. It’s going to take me awhile to get used to the fact that I am dating Brooke’s brother. I’ve gone for so long thinking she disapproved of the idea, it still really hasn’t sunken in yet.

  “You can thank Lucky for picking it out for me.” I take a sip of my champagne. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a few heads turning my way. Strange eyes drinking me in. This is not something I’m used to. I was never the type that strived to get that kind of attention from men. I’m the girl that prefers tennis shoes over heels. The only eyes I want on me are Hunter’s.

  “I’m impressed Lucky managed to keep her restraint, unlike the dress she chose to wear.” Brooke points just behind me. I turn to see Lucky in a floor length gold sparkly form fitting dress with a dangerously low-cut front. All I can see are tits. How the hell is that thing keeping her girls in? Hello boobs. Now that is the dress I expected her to pick out for me.