Page 13 of The Hunt

“But what about my rabbits, and the ranch, and my orders?” Chantal asked. Chantal was into weaving tapestries or something. She coddled those rabbits of hers ridiculously so.And had her own studio where she did something with a loom. She’d never let him inside to see what she did all day.

He’d never pushed, though. It was time he did. Time he knew his sister.

“Bring the bun-buns to the ranch,” Genny said. “I know how to take care of them. You really can’t go home. It isn’t safe. And your parents would worry so much.”

Genny apparently knew the right cards to play.

Within an hour, Chantal had been discharged, and arrangements had been made for Chad and Genny to head back to his parents’ ranch that evening to fetch the rabbits. With one of Charlie’s pals guarding the place in the meantime.

Chad was going to take the opportunity with Genny to get exactly what he wanted from her.

He just had to figure out how to make that happen.

12

She closedthe latch on the last of the temporary homes for Chantal’s precious fluff-balls and turned to the man in charge of filling their water bowls. “We’ll have to brush them in a few days, if Chan’s not back yet.”

“She puts a lot of time into these things.” Chad held a buff-colored Angora rabbit in his hands now. It made her smile.

Genny liked to watch him hold small things. He was very gentle. She had noticed that many times before, especially in the emergency department.

She remembered him with an abandoned litter of kittens she had found in the barn once. Chad had helped her examine each one.

She’d been fourteen, he’d been around twenty-three or so. They’d shared those few quiet moments together. It had always stood out in her mind—back then, most of her interactions with her brothers’ best friend had been snarky and rude.

On both their parts. He had always just seemed like such an arrogant jerk to her back then. He’d mellowed a little, but he was still a jerk. Just in different ways now.

Their paths didn’t cross that much anymore. Except occasionally at the hospital. Life wasn’t like it had been when they were kids. She missed it sometimes.

She’d like to think she’d grown up since then, though. “She loves them. And the tapestries she creates are beyond amazing. I love watching her work.” Chantal would spin and dye the wool, from her Angora rabbits, and from her mother’s Angora goats. The goats made the most beautiful mohair Genny had ever seen. At least after Chantal got ahold of it. And she would work the mohair and the Angora wool into the most beautiful tapestries somehow.

It was breathtaking, the sheer amount of talent Chantal had. Talent only those who purchased her work online seemed to be aware of.

“She lets you in?”

Chantal had a policy of barring people from her studio at times. But never Genny. “As long as I sit there quietly. Why? You not allowed in the inner sanctum?”

“Not even for a moment. I think I’ve only seen one or two of her pieces. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal for her.”

Genny just gawked. Chantal’s work would end up in galleries somewhere eventually. Museums. “She’s the best I’ve ever seen. It makes her vulnerable, I think. She gets so consumed. She doesn’t want anyone watching her because it’s when she’s at her most real, I think. She’ll let Aub and me and Gia in sometimes, though. Last month we helped her dye some mohair. Aubrey had purple fingers for three days. Mine were dark blue. Explaining that around here was fun.”

“I can understand that.” He washed his hands in the nearby sink, then turned to her. “I’m glad she has you.”

“I’m the lucky one. Chan and Aubrey are my best friends. They get me in a way others don’t. That matters.” In ways she would never share. Aubrey and Chantal had been there ather absolute worst six months ago. Picking her up when she’d needed it most.

“Yes, it does.” He caught her by the sink after she washed her own hands. Before she could escape.

Genny found herself caught right up against that ridiculously perfect chest. “Um, what are you doing?”

“Seeing if your hair is as soft as I remember. In Chantal’s hospital room, I remember thinking how soft your hair was compared to these little bunnies. Now, it’s time to confirm that.”

Then Genny got herself scooped right up into those ridiculously strong arms.

This wasChad. Things like this didn’t happen between her and Chad. That was just crazy. His hand sank into her hair. His fingers cupped the back of her head.

“And if your hair is this soft, I can only imagine what your mouth will be like… and the… rest… of you. Just kiss me, Genny. I want to kiss you more than anything right now. I know you know how … ”

Then his lips were on hers, and he was just devouring her.