but still worried that he might get too worked up over it. “How is your mom, anyway? I miss her,” I said, partly because I really did miss his mom, and partly because I wanted to change the subject.
“She’s good,” Hunter said. “A lot better than she used to be. But still struggling to get by, as always.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “I always liked her.”
“She always liked you too,” Hunter told me. “And she’ll be all right. That’s why I want to win this damn tournament so badly. The prize money would be enough to pay the rest of her mortgage and then some. It would take a great load off of her shoulders.”
“Hunter, that’s so sweet,” I said. “You’re very generous.”
“It’s the least I can do after she raised me all by herself,” he said. “Anyway, who is this ex of yours? Where does he live?”
“I don’t want you to do anything,” I said. “And anyway, I don’t know where he’s staying. He just flew in from Australia. He’s probably in a hotel or something.”
“I’m not going to do anything. But I don’t want you staying there by yourself, OK?” he asked. “It’s not safe.”
“OK,” I agreed. “I’ll stay with Betsy for a while longer.”
“Fine,” Hunter said. “Anyway, I’m really sorry that happened to you, Anna. I wish I had been there.”
“I wish you had too,” I told him, reaching over to put my hand on his knee.
“I hope there isn’t a next time,” said Hunter, “but if there is, I’m damn well going to be there.”
“Thanks, Hunter,” I said, hoping we could change the subject. Even though I was glad it didn’t seem to upset him too much, I didn’t really want to talk about it anymore. “So, tell me about this fight. Who’s going to win? What are your odds?”
“Odds?” Hunter laughed. “Well, it’s not a horse race, so we don’t have odds, exactly.”
“Wait, you aren’t taking me to a horse race?” I joked.
“Haha, very funny,” Hunter said, nudging me with his elbow. “Anyway, under normal circumstances I would beat Wayne easily. But it could be tricky since this is my first fight since I broke my ankle.”
“I see,” I said. “Well, I hope you kick his ass.”
“Thanks, baby,” Hunter said with a grin.
Chapter Twelve
Anna
W hen we arrived at the arena, Hunter got me my tickets before leaving to change his clothes.
“You’ll be sitting next to my friend Jake and Trina, my agent,” he told me. “You’ll like them, I think.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “Maybe they can give me the dirt on you.”
“I hope not,” he said with a wink, then leaned in to give me a kiss on the lips. Though it was just a quick, affectionate peck, it still sent the butterflies in my stomach on another rampage.
“Kick his ass,” I told him with a grin, and left to go find my seat. When I got there, I saw that Trina and a man, who I assumed must be Jake, were already there.
“Hi,” I said, extending my arm. “I’m Anna.”
“Trina,” said the beautiful woman I’d once taken for Hunter’s girlfriend, taking my hand. She had a pretty firm handshake, I noticed. She must be a go-getter , I thought.
“And I’m Jake,” said the tall, kind-looking man beside her. “Hunter has told us a lot about you.”
“Oh, has he?” I said, feeling the color rising in my cheeks. “Good things, I hope.”
“Definitely good things. Too good to be true, is what I thought before I met you,” Jake said with a sweet grin.
“Definitely too good to be true,” Trina said, in a tone of voice I couldn’t quite interpret.
“Um,” I said, not quite sure what to say.
“Don’t mind her,” Jake said. “That’s just her sense of humor.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to smile. “I see.”
We made small talk for a few minutes, until the house lights dimmed and the announcer entered the ring.
“Ladies and gentleman!” he crooned into the microphone. “Tonight! We have the Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final
“She’s good,” Hunter said. “A lot better than she used to be. But still struggling to get by, as always.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “I always liked her.”
“She always liked you too,” Hunter told me. “And she’ll be all right. That’s why I want to win this damn tournament so badly. The prize money would be enough to pay the rest of her mortgage and then some. It would take a great load off of her shoulders.”
“Hunter, that’s so sweet,” I said. “You’re very generous.”
“It’s the least I can do after she raised me all by herself,” he said. “Anyway, who is this ex of yours? Where does he live?”
“I don’t want you to do anything,” I said. “And anyway, I don’t know where he’s staying. He just flew in from Australia. He’s probably in a hotel or something.”
“I’m not going to do anything. But I don’t want you staying there by yourself, OK?” he asked. “It’s not safe.”
“OK,” I agreed. “I’ll stay with Betsy for a while longer.”
“Fine,” Hunter said. “Anyway, I’m really sorry that happened to you, Anna. I wish I had been there.”
“I wish you had too,” I told him, reaching over to put my hand on his knee.
“I hope there isn’t a next time,” said Hunter, “but if there is, I’m damn well going to be there.”
“Thanks, Hunter,” I said, hoping we could change the subject. Even though I was glad it didn’t seem to upset him too much, I didn’t really want to talk about it anymore. “So, tell me about this fight. Who’s going to win? What are your odds?”
“Odds?” Hunter laughed. “Well, it’s not a horse race, so we don’t have odds, exactly.”
“Wait, you aren’t taking me to a horse race?” I joked.
“Haha, very funny,” Hunter said, nudging me with his elbow. “Anyway, under normal circumstances I would beat Wayne easily. But it could be tricky since this is my first fight since I broke my ankle.”
“I see,” I said. “Well, I hope you kick his ass.”
“Thanks, baby,” Hunter said with a grin.
Chapter Twelve
Anna
W hen we arrived at the arena, Hunter got me my tickets before leaving to change his clothes.
“You’ll be sitting next to my friend Jake and Trina, my agent,” he told me. “You’ll like them, I think.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “Maybe they can give me the dirt on you.”
“I hope not,” he said with a wink, then leaned in to give me a kiss on the lips. Though it was just a quick, affectionate peck, it still sent the butterflies in my stomach on another rampage.
“Kick his ass,” I told him with a grin, and left to go find my seat. When I got there, I saw that Trina and a man, who I assumed must be Jake, were already there.
“Hi,” I said, extending my arm. “I’m Anna.”
“Trina,” said the beautiful woman I’d once taken for Hunter’s girlfriend, taking my hand. She had a pretty firm handshake, I noticed. She must be a go-getter , I thought.
“And I’m Jake,” said the tall, kind-looking man beside her. “Hunter has told us a lot about you.”
“Oh, has he?” I said, feeling the color rising in my cheeks. “Good things, I hope.”
“Definitely good things. Too good to be true, is what I thought before I met you,” Jake said with a sweet grin.
“Definitely too good to be true,” Trina said, in a tone of voice I couldn’t quite interpret.
“Um,” I said, not quite sure what to say.
“Don’t mind her,” Jake said. “That’s just her sense of humor.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to smile. “I see.”
We made small talk for a few minutes, until the house lights dimmed and the announcer entered the ring.
“Ladies and gentleman!” he crooned into the microphone. “Tonight! We have the Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final
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