Hunter's Rose (First Draft)

Chapter Nineteen

I walked downstairs, smiling as the sound of laughter reached my ears. After Lisa requested a tour of the town lastnight, the guys decided to make a whole day out of it.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh as I stepped into the kitchen. Ace's usual brown hair was now covered in streaks of white, his body tense as he stared down Jackson, who was standing across the bar looking slightly guilty. Jai and Mak were sitting on the stools, watching the exchange in amusement.

I glanced around, noticing Lisa, Arthur, and Hunter sitting around the table in deep conversation.

"I'll have to talk to Rose first." My ears perked up at Lisa's words. "The offer is really appreciated and something I would be ok with, but it includes both of us."

"Speaking of..." My gaze connected with Hunter's, he shot me a playful wink before standing and pulling out the chair next to him.

I sent him a bright smile as I sat down. "What includes both of us?"

"Arthur and I were doing some  searching on his computer, and honestly there isn't much offered at the moment housing wise." Lisa explained. "However, we did find an opening at the local elementary school. I sent in my resume and got an immediate response. Apparently they've been pretty short staffed lately."

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

"It is." She agreed. "The thing is, they want me to start as soon as possible. Which wouldn't be a major problem, except we're not having much luck finding any places for rent or sale."

"Oh." I nodded my head, seeing the issue at hand. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a place when we go out later." I tried to sound reassuring. 

"That would be nice." She laughed. "Another option, though, is Hunter here offered up a couple of their spare rooms."

"Stay here?" I questioned, dumbfounded. He sent me a reassuring smile when I glanced his way.

Lisa nodded, cocking her head to the side as she stared at me. "What are your thoughts?"

"I mean, is that smart?" I wondered aloud, glancing from Lisa to Hunter and back.

"We won't kick you out, if that's your worry." Hunter's hand grabbed my own, squeezing it softly and making my eyes meet his. "On the very rare chance one of us gets mad at the other, this house is big enough to avoid the other person. Even if you decide that you want to just be friends for the rest of our lives, I would still want you here." My heart thudded faster at his words. I gave a soft nod before returning my gaze to Lisa.

"It's at least worth a shot?" I shrugged.

A few hours later everyone was outside figuring out riding plans. Jai and Ace had already decided to ride their bikes. Arthur, Jackson, and Mak decided they would take one of the trucks. The latter two arguing over who was driving.

"I'm just saying," Jackson started, his arms crossed over his chest. "That everytime we ride together, you always drive."

"That's because you blow things up. If you blow us up, who will be there to fix the wounds?" Mak responded, his voice slow, as if he was talking to a child.

I felt a tug on the back of my shirt, glancing back my eyes met Hunter's.  He gave me a lopsided grin.

"Wanna ride with me, darlin?" His arm stretched out to point to the motorcycle sitting a few feet away.

I glanced at the bike, a grin stretching on my face, before giving him a quick nod. He chuckled as he spun me around, pulling a small jacket from behind his back. He gave me a sheepish smile when I glanced at it curiously. 

"I was hoping you would say yes, so I grabbed it just in case." He helped me slip into the jacket before turning and grabbing a helmet. "Plus, its supposed to get chilly tonight. So you need one anyways." He tapped my nose before smoothing my hair back and placing the helmet on my head.

"Have you ever ridden on a bike before?" He asked as he slipped his own helmet on.

"Of course. Peddled it myself too!" I teased with a cheeky grin. 

"Har har." He said, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Only a few times." I admitted. "One of my old foster brothers, Luke, had one. We got along pretty well, so when our foster parents were busy he would take me to and from work." I felt a sad smile come over my face. Luke had been the older brother I never knew I wanted. I lived with him and his parents for three years, until he hit eighteen and his parents kicked him out. A few days later I was sent back to the orphanage.

"Lisa, you riding with us?" I was pulled from my thoughts at Mak's voice.

I glanced around and noticed Lisa sitting on the floor beside Arthur, their gazes moving from Jackson to Mak. They both stood up as they noticed the argument was over.

"Yeah, but I call shotgun." She replied, quickly running towards the passenger door as Jackson's mouth dropped and he took off after her.