Chapter 19
19
When had he moved so close? He had helped her down from the chair, and his warm hands had been around her waist. Then he had pulled her just a little closer. She liked it. He smelled good. He looked good. And the air even felt a little different now that he was here.
She’d sat there at the island and studied Mr. Grady Hiller, trying to figure Gunn’s clone out. He was just as beautiful as his identical twin. A little quieter and less affectionate, overall. Maybe. He was a lot more serious than Gunn, too. A tiny bit leaner, less… soft, maybe. Both Hiller twins were incredibly gorgeous creatures.
Of course, Hala had been snarking at him since they’d gotten there. Grady had kept watching Hala when she wasn’t looking. Snarking back, too.
But while Grady was very beautiful, hot, attractive, and nice—he didn’t make Ayla feel fluttery at all.
But now… was she even breathing?
She pressed a hand against Gunn’s chest, just to kind of steady herself—balance really wasn’t her thing sometimes, especially with sudden changes of position—and she just felt how perfect he seemed beneath her palm. Hard, muscly, strong, perfect.
She was seriously in trouble here. The door opened. Her sister was there, then. Ayla pulled back before she did something totally crazy and curled up against Gunn Hiller’s perfect man chest and let him hold her.
With no super-thick blanket between them this time.
Kind of like Genny was curled up against Chad’s chest, actually. Chad had been at the hospital—he’d driven in right behind Guthrie. They’d come in together. Gunn had introduced his quiet houseguest to her sister—Ayla had seen the inevitable look in Reverend Riordan’s eyes when he first saw Aubrey; her sister was so beautiful—and to Guthrie.
Guthrie, who had had his hand on Aubrey’s uninjured shoulder, like they belonged together or something.
Like they were together.
She hoped so. Her sister had an actual happy look in her eyes all through dinner. And Guthrie was making it very clear he was interested in Aubrey. Everyone just acted like they were together, too. Even though no one really said they were.
She was going to have to sister-interrogate tonight. No doubt about it. Because there was definitely something going on there.
Ayla spent dinner right next to Gunn, aware of every move the man made.
Although, he had put his arm around her in her own backyard “garden” as Aubrey always called it. There had been a thick blanket between them, and Aubrey had been just inside, but nothing really improper had happened . But she hadn’t even told his sister that they had been out there together for several hours. Just talking.
She had never just talked with a man like that, and definitely not alone and that late, in her entire life.
“You are quiet tonight.”
She turned. He was looking at her. Right there. Between her and his friend. “I’m just people watching.”
More people came in. Loud ones. Hala’s brother was there to get his son, and Greer’s oldest brother’s entire family—George and Ronnie had four little girls—and Gene and Gunn’s father, Max. There were Hiller people everywhere. Of all sizes. The Hillers were so lucky to have each other. She used to wish when she was little that she and Aubrey had had a family just like this to love them. But alas, that had not been in the cards for them back then. But… maybe for Aubrey now?
She couldn’t think of anything more wonderful than that. Her sister, with a real family to love her, too.
“Crowds are a little overwhelming sometimes,” Gunn’s friend said. “Gunn’s very lucky. To have a big family.” Oh, mind reading powers with this one—she had been thinking that very thing, after all.
“Totally. I only have Aubs. We’ve stuck together my whole life. Mostly. We had a few years we were separated by the evil old state. Do you have a big family?” There was something a little sad about this Emerson Riordan. A hurting look in his blue eyes. But she sensed he was a kind man at heart. Just a little… hurting. Well, Ayla understood that, too. “Brothers or sisters?”
“I have an older brother. Collin. He’s the sheriff back in Evalyn, Nebraska. My father was the sheriff before.”
“Is he married? Do you have nieces or nephews? I hope to have lots of nieces and nephews very soon,” Ayla said. She shot her sister a grin. “Aubrey just won’t get to it, though. She’s a little stubborn. Just a little.”
“No kidding,” Genny said. “Aubs takes stubborn to a whole new level. Like, I have all of these brothers I need to marry off. She can at least take one off my hands, but no, she’s not going to help me out here or anything. Hala, Ayla, too. Since Chan and Ronnie have already done their duty, so to speak. You do know, Chan, Gene is a no-take-backsies, right? He is yours forever.”
The redheaded woman on Ayla’s left laughed. “I’ll manage Gene just fine.”
“You can manage me all you want, whenever you want.” Gene shot Chantal a look that scorched a woman, just from being in the vicinity.
“I think you should just marry off Greer and Gia or something. Much more likely to happen,” Grady said. He had a glowery look on his face—but only when he looked at Hala. And… Emerson. Didn’t he like his brother’s friend? “If we can pay a pair of guys enough money to take them without us going bankrupt. Anyone have any suggestions?”
“I’m game. How do either of you feel about moving to Nebraska?” Emerson asked.
“For you, hot stuff… I would almost think about it. Except… it’s colder there, right?” Greer said.
“A bit, but only a little bitty bit. Ok a lot bit. I also have an older brother, if you or your friends are interested. Collin is well-established, well-behaved, and still has all of his own teeth and hair. Except… one tooth. I may have knocked one of his front teeth out with a baseball when I was eleven.” He looked at Hala. “You like small-town sheriffs, Ms. Hanan? I suspect you’d give my brother a real run for his money. He is incredibly afraid of kindergarten teachers, for some reason. Ours was really scary back then, and then she moved in right next door. Collin was never the same. You look nothing like her, I can say.”
“I am almost tempted, I am almost tempted.” Hala grinned back at him.
Grady just got all extra-scowly then.
He had been that way ever since they’d arrived. They’d been talking about Hala’s date with Louis Sandoval a week or so ago. Ayla just thought maybe Gunn and Louis didn’t get along or something.
But Hala was sending Grady little looks right now. Like maybe they’d argued or something. Grady did like to say things to Hala sometimes. But… Ayla kind of thought he liked to watch Hala sometimes, too.
She was still trying to figure them all out.
People could be so complicated.
Just look at what mess Greer had found herself in lately.
It was no wonder her bestie looked a little green at the moment.
Talk about scary.
Then… Gunn was leaning closer. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Probably just hanging at the house alone while Aub works, actually. After my class at ten, anyway. I’ll take the transit over to Finley Creek. Sometimes, when I get home, I will walk to the library and hang out with Jake for the day. I am the best unofficial library volunteer, you know. Why?”
“I was thinking… would you like to have lunch with me at Mamaw’s Place tomorrow? I have the morning free—Emerson is going to be in meetings most of the morning. I’m going to drop him off, but I’ll be at loose ends for several hours. And I’d like to spend it with you. I can drive you to class when I drive him to his meeting.”
Ayla found herself nodding before she thought. “I would like that very much.”
“Great. Emerson and I can drive you to class so you don’t have to take the transit. I can pick you up at FCU after.”
“Sounds like a plan, Reverend Hiller.”
Someone snickered. Ayla looked up.
“It sounds more like a date than a plan.”
Greer always thought she was so funny.