They quickly reached his truck again.For once, Willow didn’t grumble when he opened her door.
Minutes later, they were on the road back to the ranch.
“I’m sorry you’re missing all the fun,” she said after a while.“I hope you go back after you’ve dropped me off.”
“I only went because of you.”
She rolled her eyes.“We’re alone, you can drop the act.”
“No act.You know I like you, Willow.Have since the first time I laid eyes on you.”
“I told you I’m not bride material, don’t you remember?”
“I haven’t asked you to be my bride,” he said.“When I do, there’ll be no uncertainty about it.”
Sighing, she rubbed her temple.“Well, you can’t like me, I can’t get involved with anyone.I’m… weird.I’m sure you’ve heard that talk about town about me.You’ve probably also noticed I feel what people close to me feel.I know when something bad is about to happen to anyone I care for.Especially after Walker’s death… I can’t ever go through that again.It’s bad enough coping with my family and their feelings, I’m not adding anyone else to that list.”
“So how does it work?This thing you do?”
“There is no rhyme or reason to it.It’s not as if I can switch it on or off.I don’t know everything, but I do pick up on thoughts, sometimes their wishes.I wish I hadn’t been born this way, but I try to manage it as best I can.It becomes overwhelming at times, especially when my brothers are struggling, and they don’t want to talk about it.The worst thing, though, is that I know when something bad has happened.Sometimes even when it was about to happen.Except with Walker’s death, I was so wrapped up in my own stupid world, I didn’t knowthatwas going to happen.Anyway, I have to live with this even though I didn’t ask for it.Apparently, it’s something I’ve inherited from my Irish grandma.”
“Cooper and Luke have something similar.”
She nodded.
“So you don’t want to get involved or get married because you don’t want to experience someone else’s feelings?”he asked as they drove through the entrance to the ranch.
“It’s more than that.Emotions, feelings can be overwhelming, but I can handle that.It’s when something happens to anyone I care about—that’s what I’m trying to avoid.That’s about it.”
“Is that the reason why you don’t have a dog or cat or some sort of pet like all the other Westons?”
She nodded.“Yes.I couldn’t bear it if anything should happen to them.”
He parked in front of her house.“Have you been in a relationship before?”
“No, I decided a long time ago I’d rather be on my own.”
“So, you don’t know for sure that having a relationship with someone will also mean you’ll necessarily have to cope with that person’s feelings?”
“No, I don’t know for sure, but…”
Chuckling, he opened his door.“Practice on me.Everyone thinks we’re engaged, you might as well use the opportunity.”He was still smiling as he opened her door.
With a slight frown, she got out of the truck and walked toward the front door.
He was going to make sure she was safely inside before he left, but as she opened the door, she looked at him.“Come on in.Isabella has sent leftovers, and I have wine.Let’s talk about your idea.”
And damn, if he didn’t just follow her into her house.
*
The evening hadquickly moved from strange to downright bizarre.Willow stared at the wine in her glass.Her mother had already phoned five times and had left a bunch of messages she hadn’t yet responded to.
She still wasn’t quite sure how it came about that she and Hunter Grant were having dinner.In her house.In her kitchen.Alone.What was she thinking?
Hunter sighed contentedly.“Isabella is a great cook, thank you for this.It’s a bit of a consolation after I had to give up my hot chocolate.”
“I’ll make sure you get your hot chocolate at some point, I promise.Yes, Isabella is the best.She knows I don’t cook and always make sure I have enough food in the house.”
