Chapter 12
12
They’d stayed at the ranch with Genny for days. Ayla wasn’t entirely certain why they weren’t going back to their own house just yet. Aubrey had said the sheriff had told her it was safe now.
But they weren’t.
Something about the Gorgeous Hiller boys needing to repair the ramp leading into her bedroom hallway—it had been torn out somehow, which she totally did not understand—and Grady had insisted the ramp needed replaced before it was safe for her to return. He was doing the work himself, he’d said, so that he knew it would be one hundred percent done correctly this time. Safe.
Aubrey had wanted to be there when Genny came home. And… they had been. Days ago.
Genny was napping right there on the couch. Ayla was watching over her, while she studied. Just in case Genny needed something. Greer was cutting potatoes for potato salad in the kitchen nearby.
Everyone else was gone—Guthrie had been called in to help with a baby. Chad and Aubrey had both returned to the hospital today. Ayla really didn’t want to think about her sister being at the hospital—not after what had happened. She still hadn’t processed what had happened to Aubrey and Genny, not fully. How could she?
That man had just snapped. And stabbed Genny. Because he thought he loved her. Well, Ayla wouldn’t ever fully understand that.
Grady and Gene were out doing ranchy type things.
And Gunn was off somewhere, taking care of his congregation’s various needs. She’d wanted to see him. Reverend Hiller was a very busy, busy man.
Last night on his garden patio had been… real. Different. They had talked out there for hours.
Until the sun had come up, and his eyes had widened. He’d checked his watch, she’d giggled.
He’d carried her back inside, to where her crutch waited. To where one Giavonna Hiller was up, wandering around the house with something obviously on her mind, and that had been that.
Ayla had headed to her guestroom, and gotten four or five hours of sleep. And had been conflicted all day.
Ayla had wanted him to kiss her. But… he hadn’t. He had held her hand a little bit though. Cupped her cheek once or twice. Ran his fingers over the back of her hand, brushed against the inside of her wrist. Everywhere that man had touched, had burned for hours.
And thoroughly, completely confused her to the bottom of her toes.
How could she figure out if he was the man she wanted to be with, if she wasn’t with him? Spending time with him?
She seriously doubted there would be any wicked physical affection like she’d walked in on with Chantal and Gene in the family room a few hours ago—not with the good reverend.
Even if he had the most perfect hazel eyes and wicked grin. And the tush was pretty perfect, too. Ayla had looked. Several times.
If she got involved with Gunn, it would probably be with all serious intent. Like… the love and marriage kind. Was she even ready for that kind of life change?
She wasn’t sure she was. She wanted to find a man she could fall in love with, of course. And marry. She would like to at least try to have children someday, too. Have a family, that kind of thing. She just didn’t know if right now was a good time for that.
But Aubrey had told her once that time had nothing to do with it. You would meet the man you were supposed to meet… when you met him.
Her sister had an odd viewpoint on the world sometimes. Like… everything happened for a reason in Aubrey’s world. Ayla thought it was her sister’s way of coping with what had happened to them. Their mom had died when Ayla had been eight and Aubrey had been almost fourteen. They didn’t know what had happened to their father—he had taken off when Ayla had still been in diapers.
Aubrey just accepted that things happened the way they were supposed to—Ayla just focused on doing the things she had to do each day. But they’d be okay—she had always tried to remember that. They did just fine taking care of each other.
And they had each other. No denying that.
“You have a serious look on your face,” Greer said, coming down the steps into the sunken living room. “What’s up?”
“Just thinking about the difference between love and obsession really.” Ayla waved a hand at the sleeping Genny. “At what point does love get so twisted and broken that something like this happens?”
“Isn’t that a million-dollar question?” Greer sank down on the couch near her sister’s head. She was quiet, sad for a moment. Ayla waited. Greer obviously needed to talk.
“Have you ever really been in love?” Ayla didn’t think she and Greer and Hala had ever talked about love. Not really. Usually, they discussed other important things—their families. Their future careers. That kind of thing. But the topic of guys… no. Not really. Not on a deep, serious kind of level.
Maybe since none of them had really planned on guys right now or anything. Ayla certainly hadn’t.
Guys were so complicated.
Greer’s hand covered her stomach for a moment. “I thought… I thought I was. Recently.”
“ Him. I know about him, you know. Well, I saw you with him one day. He’s very pretty.” A local wealthy rancher—very beautiful. And about eleven or twelve years older than Greer. Kind of like… Gunn and Ayla, actually.
Did that make this whatever it was with her and Gunn—if there was something between her and Gunn, anyway—an age-gap romance kind of thing?
How interesting. She would have to think about that later.
“He’s a jerk and I never want to see him again.”
“Did you… really love him?”
“I thought I did. Now… I really don’t know. He is a liar and jerk and an asshole.”
Well, that was pretty emphatic.
Greer rarely cursed at all.
“Then we won’t talk about him ever again.”
“Let’s talk about your love life instead.” Greer shot her a wicked grin, looking very much like her brother. The one who had been on Ayla’s mind all day, and everything. That one.
The one confusing her right now and everything.
“I have no love life. I think we have long established that.” Not since she had been sixteen, anyway. And even that had just been some seriously tepid kisses before the dude had gotten out of hand, and Aubrey had shown up just in time to grab him by the hair and drag him off of Ayla. Aubrey had actually shoved him down the front steps so hard he’d landed on his face and broken his nose.
Aubrey had threatened to break his legs and his… um… pecker… next if he didn’t get out of there at that very moment.
He’d run so fast, he’d left skid marks. He’d been bigger than Aubrey, too. That was what was so shocking.
Aubrey could be kind of scary, maybe?
Deep down in that beautiful blonde Aubrey soul was a fierce wildcat, after all. It usually only came out when she was protecting someone she loved.
There was that word again: love.
It really was a remarkable thing.
“I think… if you really wanted to, you could have one particular guy very shortly. Gunn is really in to you. I wholeheartedly approve,” Greer said, snickering—and looking just like the man in question for a moment. It was the eyes—those Hiller eyes were killers.
“How do you know? I have never had a guy really in to me. What are the signs? Aubrey told me to just relax and take things as they happen, but… well… she’s Aubrey. She takes a single breath and has fifty guys mesmerized in an instant. Kind of annoying really. And it seriously skews all scientific observation.”
Okay, so she was definitely exaggerating, but Aubrey was the most physically beautiful woman Ayla had ever known. Guys looked at Aubrey everywhere they went. And always had.
It totally freaked Aubrey out, though. Her sister was really shy. Ayla had to protect her from large groups of people, most times. Especially googly-eyed men.
Aubrey was way shier than Ayla had ever been. Ayla had never had a whole lot of trouble talking to people. It had probably come from being twelve years old and stuck in a nursing home with many, many people far older than she was. They had always wanted to talk to little Ayla when they could.
She had gotten lucky there, though. Several of the residents had made a point of protecting her and taking care of her while she had spent that first year there. Watching over her in a world, a place, she just had not understood.
She’d been hidden away by the state. No denying that.
She had talked to Greer about that before. About maybe someday doing something with her story publicly. So people would know. And maybe not make the same mistake with some other kid out there.
“I think you took one breath and had Gunn mesmerized in an instant.”
“So what do I do about him now?”
Wasn’t that the biggest question?
Before Greer could answer, the sound of the front door opening had Ayla looking in that direction.
As if they’d conjured him out of thin air, Gunn and his beautiful clone, there he was. Gunn looked right at Ayla and stepped toward her—like he had been looking for her all along. “Hi. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“I’m the official Genny-sitter while Greer starts dinner, actually. I didn’t mind. Genny is behaving for once and everything. Hi. How are you today?”
“Great. I had a meeting in Finley Creek this morning, did some work on the back walkway to the barn, and then Grady and I fixed the ramp into your hallway. It’s sound.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t really know what to say right now. Was there some sort of romance handbook out there somewhere that would give her a step-by-step guide? How to Charm a Preacher Man in Five Days , maybe?
“Let’s move to the kitchen so we don’t wake her, and so I can toss in the carrots,” Greer said, handing Ayla her crutches. “Do either of you have any idea who is going to be here tonight? Gia was picking up Calvin at preschool. I think she’s grabbing Hala, too.”
“Plan on everybody,” Gunn said. “I’m sure everyone will show up here, eventually. Mom texted me today. About the barbecue menu. I think she’s planning to stop by to talk to you girls tonight.”
His hands were there, to help Ayla up when she stood. She technically didn’t need him to help her—she was at a good angle right there—but Ayla liked it when he put his hands on her. He felt… scorching. Made a girl want to press closer and everything.
She was so wicked. So, so wicked.
He looked right at her, and leaned closer. “There’s a new movie at the vintage Barratt theater in Finley Creek tomorrow night. A private screening. I have two tickets. Would you like to go with me? It has Quade Davis in it.”
“Is it the children’s movie about an archeologist getting sucked to an alternate world? That looks awesome.”
“TBFN co-produced. The reverend my meeting was with today—his son owns TBFN, and the movie complex in Finley Creek. Adrian and his wife were going to go, but they can’t—they’d already committed to a fundraising function with their oldest son. He’s the mayor. So… Adrian gave his tickets to me. Would you like to go?”
“I would like that very much.”
“Great. I can pick you up around five?”
“Works for me. I usually get done with aquatherapy by three-thirty, so that gives me plenty of time.”
And just like that, she had an official date with Gunn Hiller.
Greer snickered at her. The brat had heard, apparently.
Well, so what?
Maybe Greer could help her figure out what to wear…