Earth and Sky

compassionate or even affectionate, especially not to her own children, so he was rather surprised about her fainting. He didn’t have time to mull over it, though.

    “I’d better leave,” Miranda announced. “I’ll call you later to talk, Hunter.”

    Hunter didn’t even think about objecting. There were things that needed to be talked over, and despite her earlier announcement, Miranda was not part of this family. The sooner she left, the sooner the air could be cleared. He escorted her outside. “You have my number.”

    She nodded, and Hunter walked her to where a car was waiting with an older woman inside. He nodded at her before watching them drive off.

    Hunter stayed on the porch until Miranda’s car was out of sight. He’d just been delivered quite a bombshell, and he didn’t look forward to the next conversation with her, but for now, there were other fires to put out. He wasn’t eager to get back into the living room, worried about what he would find there, but his biggest reason to return was that Grant was still in there. It was growing dark outside, and he was hungry, but most of all, he was worried about the people inside, all of them people he loved dearly.

Chapter 31

    Grant stayed quietly on the couch, watching the pandemonium unfold before his eyes. Beside the fact he wasn’t very fast on his feet right now, he really wasn’t part of this family yet, although he did feel close to Izzie and he knew Hugh, who’d been nothing but kind in hiring him, despite the knowledge that Hunter would give him grief about it. Unbeknownst to most of the group, he was about to add to the turmoil, though Hunter hadn’t seen the chance to throw his lightning bolt into the fireworks yet.

    As soon as Miranda and Hunter had left the room, Hunter’s mother seemed to recover, and she was soon sitting up, Izzie still hovering over her while Hugh nodded a hello to Grant and sat down next to him.

    “You look like you were run over by a truck.”

    Grant chuckled, pain shooting into his chest almost immediately. “Funny you should notice. It was a close call. I’m lucky to be alive. If it hadn’t been for Hunter following me on Friday, I could have been dead in a ditch along US-26.”

    Hugh shot him a pained expression, then leaned closer. “Izzie told me about you and Hunter.” He was whispering, and they were far enough from Izzie and her mother not to be overheard. “Have to admit I was a little surprised.”

    “Oh?” Grant replied noncommittally.

    “Well, I knew about you. From when you and Gable….”

    Grant nodded to forgive Hugh for not finishing his sentence.

    “But I always figured Hunter as a bit of a ladies’ man. Not just Miranda—all the girls at the bar were lining up, and I know for a fact he didn’t always turn them down.”

    Grant pursed his lips and didn’t answer. What could he say? The last thing he wanted was for people to accuse him of “recruiting” Hunter.

    Hugh softly patted him on the back. “Well, as long as you two are happy. Izzie says you are, so who am I to argue? I’m far from a saint, as you know by now.”

    Grant nodded. “Congratulations, by the way. Izzie told us you were expecting.”

    Hugh smiled, and Grant could tell he was proud, although still a little apprehensive about showing it. “I’ve loved Izzie for a long time. She’s an amazing girl.” He cleared his throat. “Woman. And I couldn’t be prouder that she wants to have my child. Danny deserves a baby brother or sister. Although from what I gather, he’s going to have a little niece or nephew to play with as well.”

    “Yeah, that was a bit of a shock,” Grant admitted.

    Hugh patted him on the shoulder again and gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure it’ll all work out. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience, though. Things are never easy in this family.”

    “So I gathered.”

    Hugh got up from the couch. “Better go see how Danny’s doing. Mom seems better.” He nodded in the direction of his mother-in-law and Izzie. “But it was him I came for. Haven’t seen my boy in a while.”

    Grant knew all too well what that felt like. “He was pretty miserable when I saw him earlier. He’s upstairs with Bernie.”

    Hugh nodded gratefully and quietly left the room just as Hunter walked back inside. The sight of Hunter made Grant’s breathing speed up, but instead of Hunter joining him on the couch, he went to his mother’s side.

    “You okay,