Page 35 of The Risk

She still felt like she was abandoning her friends as Gene led her to his truck.

Gene had sent Gunn to the cafeteria to grab her something to eat. And they waited. In Gunn’s truck.

Gene wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"I’m fine. But I do need to eat at regular times, and I just… forgot in the rush of things." She felt a little sick, but nothing she hadn’t dealt with before. Or wouldn’t ever deal with again. "Once I eat something and rest, I’ll be okay."

"I just want to take care of you. Hell, I want to take care of you and Calvin and my parents and my sisters. Even my lugnut brothers." His hand cupped her cheek. Then he was kissing her.

Right there in the parking lot of the hospital where both her brother and his worked.

He didn’t pull away until someone said his name. She gasped and turned, looked.

At the Hiller brother standing right there, a considering look on his face.

"Can I ask what your intentions are with that young lady?" The last man she had ‘dated’ asked. She’d accompanied him to a church organization meeting in Finley Creek a few months earlier. She would always love Gunn Hiller. The man was just one of a kind and down to his soul good. Sometimes Pastor Hiller was a bit too goody-goody for her, but she did adore him. "Honorable? If not, I can go get her brother from inside? He can ask you that very question."

But now... her cheeks flamed. "Gunn."

"Entirely honorable. You need to press your best marrying suit, Gunny. As soon as she realizes I’m the man for her, I suspect you’ll be making it official for us."

"I’ll get practicing in the mirror for when I do the ceremony."

"Hey!" Chantal didn’t know whether to be mortified or what here. The two doofuses sounded completely serious.

Gene kissed her one more time. Then lifted her into the back of the truck. "Put your legs in, honey. Let’s get you home."

She turned. He closed the door.

And then he and his dratted brother drove her home.

To their home. Not her own. And somehow, Gene just led her inside.

Like it was a done deal or something.

Chantal almost felt like a captive bride of old, carried away on—or as the case may be,in—Gunn Hiller’s steed. Shaped just like a Dodge Ram 1500.

Those Hiller brothers were dangerous to a woman.

Especially her sanity.

32

Gene tucked his son in,with hands that shook more than he wanted to admit. How close his friend had come to losing his own son tonight—this little boy was his entire world. His family and this little boy—they were why his heart just kept beating.

After he had Calvin snuggled in tight, with his stuffed Scraggle-Popp in his arms, he stepped out into the hall.

And came face to face with... Chantal.

Before he could even stop himself, he scooped her off of her feet and into his arms. She gave a perfect little squeak that made him want to completely kiss the hell out of her.

Gene carried her into his bedroom next door. It was a well-made house. Soundproof. No one would hear them in there.

He needed to hold her, too.

He lowered her to her feet, then wrapped her up and held her close.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a breathless little voice that struck him hard in the chest. "Gene?"