The excitement on his face was contagious, and it had me focusing on how damn cute I thought he was. Woodrow, notthe bunny, but sure, the bunny was cute, too.
It took me a minute to pull my eyes off Woodrow. I’d known the guy for two days, and somehow, I’d already developed a crush on this toyboy. Younger guys weren’t what I usually went for, but he enchanted me with his pretty eyes and quips. The issues with his throat, which his family saw as an eyesore, didn’t bother me, and neither did his lack of muscle.
To me, he was perfect. My perfect distraction.
The bunny hopped past me to Woodrow, who was waving a bigger leaf in its direction. The small cross, dangling from the rosary necklace looped around his wrist, jingled as he offered the gift from the salad bowl we’d barely touched.
The small animal jumped straight into the space between his lanky crossed legs and rested there, accepting the leaf as a gift of their newfound friendship.
“Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!” Nessie rushed over, all excited and high-pitched, splashing water everywhere.
But the bunny didn’t startle.
It found comfort under Woodrow’s touch as he gently stroked its soft coat.
“Shh. . . you’ll scare it off.” He smiled at his sister, giving her instructions that she happily followed.
Nessie looked at me as she plumped down at my side; her white dress dirtied by her enjoyment of the outside world. “Woodrow is really good with animals. One time, Daddy shot a dear, but it ran off. Woodrow found it; he saved it.”
“How?” I asked, wondering if he had powers to do more than enchant.
“He wrapped up its leg in a bandage. The deer let him do it. It didn’t even bite. He wants to be a vet.”
I watched as he swallowed, his hand leaving the bunny for a second to cover his throat. But he was too late.
Nessie grabbed his fingers, closing hers around them. “You don’t have to hide. I won’t tell Momma.”
He blinked twice, agreeing. Gratitude in a silent message.
Nessie smiled back. Her little hand rubbed the bunny’s fur. Her clammy skin wasn’t as calming as Woodrow’s soft touch, which the bunny was already craving.
“Can we keep him?”
“Don’t tell Daddy,” Woodrow whispered. “You know how he feels about animals.”
Silver eyes moved to me. Woodrow’s hands moved again through the fur of his new friend. He relaxed a little, finding peace in this unplanned session with the apparent therapy animal.
Fuck, maybe I needed to find myself a bunny, too.
“I won’t tell.” I wouldn’t tell Ville anything.
Any secrets Woodrow had, I was happy to share. Happy to keep.
“Where is the bunny going to live?” Nessie interrupted our moment.
“Shall we build him a hutch, near our den?” Woodrow suggested.
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I love that idea!”
“Go collect some wood. I’ll get some nails from Daddy’s shed.”
“Okay!” She rushed off on her search, racing like she knew exactly where to look.
Woodrow stood, bunny in arms. His hand down, his fingers spread, ready to pull me from the ground. “Are you coming?”
In the last moments, watching him with Nessie, and seeing how much love she had for him, I struggled to understand how a monster who they both feared lived inside him.
Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted him.
