Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Stace

At least once a month I took each of my brothers on a little date. It was something I'd kind of started when Eli was a toddler to give my parents a break and I'd just kept doing it. Tor and I were grown now, but I still made him have a dedicated sister date with me when our schedules allowed.

Sunday evening was Carson's turn and he wanted to go to the movies, so that was what we did. He got the works with pizza and popcorn and candy and soda. He laughed and I kept glancing over and seeing his smile and it made my chest tight with emotion. Damn, I loved my brothers.

I finished the food he left behind and listened as he chattered about his friends and school and every random thought that came into his head. Carson was a social butterfly and had lots of friends and almost never had a bad day. That kid could smile through just about anything.

"Stay?" he asked. He'd been calling me that since he could talk, and it stuck as a nickname.

"Yeah bud," I said as we sat at a red light.

"You're my favorite sister."

Well, wasn't that just heartwarming. "That's sweet. But I am your only sister."

He nodded. "I know that. But you're still my favorite. Of all the sisters in the world."

Now I was getting choked up. I had to wipe at my eyes and hope he didn't see.

"I can't tell you that you're my favorite brother, because that isn't fair, but of all the brothers in the world, I'm really glad you're one of mine." I reached over and messed with his hair, making him giggle.

I dropped him off at home and went back to my apartment. It was still early enough that I could have gone to the gym, but Hunter's class had already ended, so she wasn't there for me to bother and convince to get pie with me.

A message came to my phone as I was parking my car on the street near my place. I turned the car off and pulled up a picture of a piece of pie on a diner counter that I recognized.

It was from Hunter.

You've gotten me into a bad habit, Stace .

I smiled so hard I thought my face was going to crack.

You need some company? I was so excited to answer her that I almost dropped my phone in my hurry to answer.

I suppose. How long will it take you to get here?

I checked the time and calculated.

Gimme 15 I responded.

It only took me twelve minutes before I was entering the diner and looking around. Hunter was at the counter, since she was alone.

Her back was to me, so I sent her a message.

Turn around.

She did, and her face brightened. Not a smile. Not yet. But I'd take this. It still hit me with the power of a smile. Beautiful. She was just beautiful, even with her hair a little messy and her clothes sweaty. I'd take her any way I could get her.

I slid into the seat beside her and inhaled her sweat and her perfume. It had to be something expensive. Floral, but with a little bit of a spicy bite to it that managed to cut through the other smells of the diner.

"Gonna share that pie with me, princess?" I asked, mostly to see how she'd react.

Hunter's eyebrows went up, but her eyes flickered at the nickname. It had just slipped out, but I liked it for her. She did look like a princess with that blonde hair always done and those big eyes and cheeks and the rest of her. A princess straight from a fairytale.

I'd slay a dragon for her. Or tame a dragon as a pet if she wanted one. Either way.

"Get your own," she said, sliding her plate away from me.

"Oh, I see how it is. I turn you on to this place and now you're not even going to give me a bite? Cruel woman."

Hunter let out a little huff. "Dramatic much?" But she cut a bite and held her fork out to me.

Oh. Okay.

For a second I thought she might yank the fork away again, but she held it steady for me as I leaned forward and put the bite in my mouth. Lemon meringue again. It was heaven, just like always.

This particular bite of pie was extra delicious, because it came from her.

I licked my lips and it wasn't my imagination that she watched me do it. Heat pulsed between us.

"What can I get you, hon?" A server said, bursting the moment like a bubble.

"One piece of lemon meringue and a Sprite, please."

Once my order was in, I turned my body to give Hunter my attention.

"How was your class?"

She had another dainty bite of pie, as if she wanted to make it last. I was going to order a second piece to go for her before we left.

"It was good. No Tor or Micah, so nothing to report there."

I sighed. "Tor is being weirdly tight-lipped about it and pretty much told me to lay off so if the two of them are in class together, you have to tell me what the vibe is. Because if he got shot down, then I want to know. He might not seem like it, but he can get really sensitive when he likes someone."

His first few crushes had absolutely crushed him, as the name suggested. Whenever he'd had a relationship that ended, he'd sunk into a dark mood that took him a while to get out of. He hadn't had many relationships, but those he'd had were serious and intense. When Torrin fell, he fell hard. He just needed to find someone who'd fall with him.

"He doesn't look like a sensitive guy," she said.

"I know. That's what people usually think and it's one of the reasons he gets hurt, I think. I wish people weren't like that, but the least I can do is be there and try to pick up the pieces."

My pie arrived and I found Hunter studying me.

"Do I have something on my face?" I asked after a while.

"No. Just thinking."

I savored my first bite. "About me?" I flashed her a grin, but she didn't blush this time. Her eyes remained steady on my face.

"A little bit. I just don't think I've met very many people like you." She rested her chin in her hand that she'd propped on the counter.

I decided to go for it. "Baby, you've never met anyone like me." I licked my fork in a suggestive way.

Hunter's face went red and she looked down at her plate, slowly shaking her head. She muttered something under her breath that was too quiet for me to hear.

She looked up and her face was back to normal.

"How was your day?" Oh, I guess we were just going to gloss right over what I'd just said and her reaction to it. Okay. I could do that.

I told her about my date with Carson.

"He's such a fun kid. I can't wait to see when he grows up into a man."

Hunter nodded and finished her pie, setting her fork down carefully.

"I wish I'd had a sister like you," she said. "Life might have been different."

"You deserved someone to be on your side, Hunter. You deserve someone like that now." It was so obvious that she craved having someone in her corner.

"I have my friends." Her words were defensive.

She did, and I was glad for that.

"I don't need anyone else," she said, her tone stubborn.

I nodded but didn't argue with her.

The server came over to check on us and I ordered another piece of lemon meringue to go.

"How is your week looking?" I asked, shooting my shot.

"That depends. Why are you asking?" Her eyes were wary.

"Thought we could do something fun. Together."

Hunter snorted. "Define fun."

The server dropped off my pie and gave us both our checks. I snatched Hunter's, stacked it with mine, and handed over my card.

"You always do that," she said.

I wiggled my fingers at her. "Good reflexes."

"I can pay."

We both knew she could. But I liked riling her up.

"So, fun. How about this? How about I plan something and tell you what to wear and then you can just show up and let me take care of it?" Hunter was someone who gripped control with an iron fist and one of my goals was to let her ease up a little bit. Just a little bit. Make her realize that sometimes surprises could be good. That she didn't always have to have the first, and last, word. That she could trust someone to not screw her over.

Sure, that last thing was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. Usually I was only competitive with my siblings, but Hunter brought it out in me for whatever reason.

Yes, I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted anyone. Yes, I knew that in the course of my life, she was someone . But she also brought out sides of me that I liked.

Hunter's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if I trust you enough yet to let you plan something."

"That's fair. What would you like to do? I'm pretty much up for anything." What she didn't know was that I'd go anywhere with her. If she said we should dive into a dumpster full of rancid fish, I'd put on some goggles and dive in headfirst.

She raised her eyebrows. "No one is up for anything , but how about…movies? Is that too boring?"

"Depends on the movie. And if you have good snacks." Good snacks were a must. Good snacks and good company. Nothing better than that.

"We could…never mind." She looked away.

"No, what were you going to say?" I would sit here all night until she told me.

Hunter looked up at the ceiling and scrunched her face for a second in a moment so adorable that I almost slid right out of my chair.

"You're going to judge me," she said.

I made an x over my chest. "Cross my heart that I won't."

"Okay, it's silly, but, Cade and I like to go to those antique markets and shows and pick out the most haunted item we can find. Like, the thing that you look at it and instantly want to call an exorcist. Sometimes we buy whatever it is. If it's cheap enough. I keep most of them in my guest room. But that's my thing with Cade. I don't think she'd be happy if I shared it with you."

I was at a complete loss for words. Not if I had a million guesses could I have predicted that was what she'd say.

"Do you have any pictures of the haunted stuff?" I asked.

She scrolled through her pictures and then showed me. "I have this painting. And those dolls. A lot of haunted things turn out to be toys. And then some jewelry."

Yeah you could definitely tell those things were haunted.

"Aren't you scared about having them in your house?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't really believe they're haunted. It's more a vibe. And it's fun."

That gave me an idea. "Okay, how about this? There's a really funky used bookstore that I like to go to. They have collections of some of the strangest books I've ever seen. What if we went and dared each other to find the weirdest book?"

Hunter smiled slowly and nodded, and I felt like I'd won something.

"I like it. And then we can get pastries?"

"Of course. Pastries are a given."

Hunter looked at her schedule on her phone and I did the same.

Wednesday afternoon was the only time that both of us were free when the bookstore was open, so I put her in. Shit, seeing her name on my calendar was doing all kinds of things to me and I wanted to tell everyone.

It was time to head out, so I pushed the to-go container of pie at her.

"That's for you."

She stared at me for a second. "You just bought me pie. You don't have to buy me more of it."

"Are you saying you don't want it?" Her hand flexed on the counter near the container. I knew she wanted it.

"I didn't say that."

I smiled at her. "That's what I thought."

Narrowing her eyes, she reached out and snatched the container.

"I'm going to take this, but I'm not convinced that you're not trying to convert me to your pie cult."

I burst out laughing so loud that a few people around the diner stared.

"I've never thought of having my own cult, but if I did, a pie cult sounds pretty great."

Hunter shared a smile with me as I held the door for her and then walked her to her car. I always wanted to make sure she had a working vehicle before I left. She could always call me and tell me to come rescue her, though. I wouldn't mind at all. Rescuing Hunter would be a pleasure.

"Thanks for the pie, Stace," she said as we stood next to her car.

"You're welcome. Always."

It was dark, but I swore there was a blush on her cheeks. Or maybe I only hoped there was.

"Drive safe, princess."

"You too," she whispered and then got in her car.

Home safe. Eating pie. She sent fifteen minutes later, along with a picture of the pie on a plate with a fork stuck in it. She'd zoomed in, but I could just barely see her legs and what looked like rumpled blankets in the background.

Pie in bed? You know that's one of the first rules I'd make for the pie cult. Pie must be eaten in bed daily.

Now I was wishing that I'd gotten more pie for myself. I could have been eating it in bed with Hunter. Not with with her. But doing the same thing at the same time. There was an intimacy in that too.

That should be the second rule of Pie Cult. Because you know what the first rule is She responded.

Don't talk about pie cult I sent immediately as I grabbed Buck's leash to take him outside.

That's right Hunter replied.

I snorted and tried not to get my hopes up too high, but this was a good sign. A very good sign.