Katrina smiled as she hung up the phone. It was nice to hear Hunter’s voice, and she couldn’t wait to see him again tonight.
“Katrina Holmes?” a voice rang out.
She pulled her gaze from her phone and focused on the guy standing in her office doorway. He held a vase full of daisies. Her favorites.
“Yes,” she replied.
The tall, thin man grinned and stepped toward her and stretched out his arm, offering her the flowers.
“Special delivery.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
The man wasted no time exiting her office.
She pulled the small envelope from the plastic holder nestled among the cheerful daisies. Of course, she knew who the flowers were from, but how did Hunter know daisies were her favorite?
The card simply read, “Can’t wait to see you again.”
Hunter was amazing. He made her feel valued and warm and fuzzy on the inside. She couldn’t wait to see him tonight, too.
Her gaze landed on the clock again. Would this Monday workday ever end? She wasn’t normally a clock-watcher and had no reason to be. Not until today, that is. She glanced at the bouquet on her desk. The thought of seeing Hunter soon had her reeling with anticipation. She hadn’t felt this invigorated since...she’d kissed Hunter a decade ago.
After her three o’clock meeting ended at five o’clock, she ran home, changed, and headed over to Hunter’s place as he’d reluctantly agreed upon when they’d spoken on the phone earlier in the day. He’d insisted he should follow her home, but she threw cold water on that, ensuring him she’d be fine. The measures she’d put in place would keep her safe.
By six o’clock, she’d parked in Hunter’s driveway. He waved her in through the garage door.
Once she was close enough to him, he reached out, cupped her cheeks with his large, warm hands, and then kissed her softly, before stepping back.
“I was just pulling down my old kayak from the rack because I got a new one,” he said as he gestured toward a long, sleek red kayak on the floor next to one that was wider.
Glancing around his tidy garage, she studied all the sporting goods. Skis and snowshoes hung on the wall. Inner tubes, life vests, paddles, camping equipment. You name the sport activity, and there was something in this garage to help partake. It was his own mini sporting goods store. Made complete sense.
He abandoned the kayaks on the floor and motioned for her to follow him into the house. Once in the kitchen, a wonderful aroma hit her nostrils.
“I hope you like venison loin. I took a chance you did because of your outdoor nature, but I can whip up something else if you want,” he said as he lifted the lid of the pan on the stove.
Lean meat and onions were browning in the sizzling butter, making her mouth water.
“It smells fantastic. I haven’t had venison loin in years. Not since my brothers and I moved out of the Northwoods. They’d be so jealous if they knew about this. Every now and then, someone brings venison sausage to work, but that’s it.”
He spun, put the lid in the sink located in the island, and then turned around and lifted the lid off the pot on the stove.
“And here we have wild rice.”
“Great.”
“I still guide hunting trips occasionally for my Uncle Lee, and I get to do a little hunting for myself.”
“Your Uncle Lee, how is he?”
“Good as ever, still living the dream in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”
“And your brother and sister?”
“They’re still in Door County doing fishing charters. And they still work for Uncle Lee, too.”
Katrina hesitated before she asked the next question that popped into her head.
