“Hunter is here.”
“Hunter? HunterCade?”
“Yes!” I said.
“Your brother’s best friend? Your old crush?”
“Also yes! He’shere,in the expo!”
Her eyes began searching. “As a vendor, or investor?”
“I don’t know! An investor, I guess?”
“I thought he lived in Portland,” Lizzy said. “Doesn’t he run that YouTube channel about cars?”
“I think so,” I said, which was a lie. Iknewso. Hunter released a new video every Tuesday, and I looked forward to every single one.
“When was the last time you saw him?” Lizzy asked.
“When he left Columbus. Five years ago.”
“Maybe he’s here to see you!” Lizzy said.
I scoffed. “Fat chance.”
“You never know! Maybe he…”
Lizzy trailed off as Hunter came around the corner, saw us, and then approached. His handsome face was lit up by a big smile, the same smile that used to give me butterflies all those years ago, and the effect had only grown with time.
“Erica? EricaPorter?”he said in his charming voice. “I thought that was you. I’d recognize your blonde hair anywhere. Wow, you look great.”
He thinks I look great. It was a small compliment, but it turned my insides into a tornado of emotions. I wanted to hug him, but the table was between us, keeping us apart.
“Thanks, Hunter. You look, um, great too.”
Someone approached Lizzy’s table, but she waved her hand and shooed them off while conspicuously watching our conversation.
“Hey, bro,” the guy at the table next to me said. “You like bacon and beer, right? Well, what do you think about themtogether?”
Hunter glanced at him, firmly said, “No,” and then turned his smile back on me. “It’s so good to see you.”
You have no idea.
His unwavering eye contact was turning my brain to mush, and I struggled to think of what to say. “I can’t believe you’re back in Columbus. Is this the first time since you moved away?”
“Actually, I was in town last month for your dad’s funeral.”
I gave a start. “You were? I never saw you.”
“It was a quick trip,” he explained, his smile turning apologetic. “I was only there for an hour, and had to leave before the burial was over. I wanted to say hi, but you and Brad were busy with all the arrangements. The speech you gave was really touching. I’m sorry about your dad. He was always good to me.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I miss him.”
“If anyone knows what it’s like to lose their parents, it’s me,” he said, a wry admission. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. Seriously. I’m not just saying that.”
Thirty seconds of talking to Hunter Cade and I was ready to drown in his dark eyes. There was a hint of pain in his expression, a reminder of the emptiness he bore when he lost his parents all those years ago. In a heartbeat I had gone from confident young businesswoman to that teenager crushing on the older boy staying in the guest bedroom.
“So, you were in town a month ago for the funeral,” I said. “What are you doing back so soon? You still live in Portland, right?”