“Have you had a good day, ladies?” he asked.
“Bachelorette party,” Dani said.
“Sorry I missed it,” Hunter said, blinking slowly as if trying to hide his astonishment.
“Here, look. Photographic proof.” Dani passed the phone to Hunter with the IG post open.
“Hunter doesn’t want to see that,” I said, trying to intercept the pass. My fingers slid across the surface of my phone before it was snatched from my reach.
“Yes I do,” he said. His eyes widened when he saw the photo. “You went out dressed like that?”
“No, we didn’t leave the property.” I made another attempt to get the phone away from him.
He held it in the air. “Let me see what your followers think.”
I glared at Dani, and she smiled back.
“Sexy…pretty babe…who’s the lucky guy?” Hunter went on reading aloud comments while I hid my scarlet face behind a cushion.
“Oh,” he said. “Rex wants to know why you’ve blocked his number.”
My stomach flipped. “Please, may I have the phone?” Hunter handed it over. Sure enough, Rex, who had taken little interest in my Instagram when we were together, had decided to follow me now that we were apart. He’d left a string of messages, each growing more insistent that I should contact him. I didn’t plan to, so I hastily blocked him there, too. “There, all fixed,” I said, sounding more confident than I actually felt.
Hunter’s cell buzzed and I kept my eye on his face as he checked the screen, but he was unreadable. He pushed to his feet. “I have work to do. I’ll see you ladies in the morning.”
We chorused a “goodnight” but I felt uneasy. Since the girls had arrived whatever had burgeoned between Hunter and me had started slipping sideways and I didn’t know if I could right it.
But I knew I wanted to give it a try. I waited half an hour then excused myself and went to find him.
His bedroom door was partially open. I knocked, but there was no response. Then I noticed Hunter’s dark silhouette on the bedroom balcony that was gently lit by the illumination of the outdoor lighting below. He leaned on the rail in the cold Colorado night, speaking on his phone. I watched him for a moment, enjoying the sight of a body that looked as sturdy as the trees and the mountains beyond.
After a short time waiting, I felt uncomfortable lurking in his doorway so I turned to leave. The sound of the balcony slider opening made me pause.
“Saylor, wait. I won’t be long.” The balcony door slid closed again.