Heart of the Hunter

by Chance Carter

  She’d tell me, wouldn’t she? If she was carrying my kid? She’d tell me?

  I pulled the car over again and turned toward her.

  “What are you doing?” she said.

  I reached out to her, and took her face gently in my hands. Then I leaned in and kissed her. I was consumed with a feeling I’d never experienced before. It wasn’t just lust for the delicious sweetness of her lips. It was love too. I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to put my tongue in her mouth, because of the love I felt for her.

  Kissing her was like being frozen, on a cold night, naked, and suddenly the sun coming out and shining on me. It gave me life. It poured warmth and joy into my heart the way the sun pours heat and light.

  I pressed my lips against hers, creating a seal that I never wanted to break. My tongue touched hers, the softness creating a surge of desire through my body that I couldn’t control. My cock stiffened and throbbed.

  My hands slid down over her shoulders and down to her back. I pulled her closer to me, lifting her from her seat and forcing her to straddle me and sit on my lap. I continued to kiss her, my mind and heart melting into hers in an embrace that rocked me to my core. It wasn’t like any kiss I’d ever known. It wasn’t even like the kiss I’d had with her before, in the loft. This was different. It was different because I knew I was in love with her now. And I knew I could lose her. If I didn’t do something, and soon, she’d end up with Rob, and that would be a crime against our destiny.

  “Grant,” Lacey said, after I continued to kiss her, more and more passionately. “Grant stop. We can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Grant. I’m engaged. Please stop.”

  “Lacey,” I said, but I didn’t have any words to follow it up with. Words had abandoned me.

  She climbed off me and got back into her seat. Then she looked at me.

  “I can’t,” she said. “It wouldn’t be right. Rob might not be the perfect man, but he proposed to me, and I said yes. I can’t cheat, Grant.”

  I nodded. Of course she couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her.

  “I’ve been cheated on,” she continued. “I know the pain it caused. It just wouldn’t be right to inflict that on another person, no matter how badly we want it. I can’t do that.”

  I nodded. I pulled back into the traffic and cleared my throat.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “Of course you’re right. I wasn’t … I wasn’t thinking.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “Sometimes I get carried away.”

  “We all do, Grant.”

  “You make it so that I can hardly think straight, sometimes. I’ll always … have a thing for you, Lacey.”

  “Well, at least it happened now, and we did what we did when we did. Before I became a married woman.”

  I nodded. I wiped my eye. A tear fell down over my cheek. I was suddenly overcome with emotion.

  “You’re wearing the perfume you wore the first day I met you,” I said.

  Chapter 29

  Lacey

  WE ARRIVED AT THE FLORAL MARKET and the place was even more amazing than I’d heard. They had every single type of flower imaginable, imported from dozens of countries around the world. Buyers came from all over the country to see the exotic plants. From here, they were taken in refrigerated trucks to the airport, where they would fly express to the fanciest stores, hotels and weddings in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. It was an incredible sight.

  “Wow,” Grant said. “I never knew flowers were such a big deal.”

  I looked at him, my gaze lingering a little too long on his red lips. Those lips that never failed to intoxicate me when I tasted them. I still couldn’t believe he’d kissed me. I stopped him, but I wanted more. I wanted his delicious mouth on mine more than I wanted anything else in the world.

  “Are you kidding me?” I said, forcing myself to keep my mind on the flowers. “Flowers are amazing. You know you can’t have a wedding without them, right?”

  “I know,” he said, “but aren’t the roses at the local grocery store usually enough?”

  “Sure they are,” I said, “but a girl can dream, can’t she?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Grant! I’m getting married. Do you have any idea what that means for a girl?”

  “Sure I do.”

  I laughed and shook my head. He didn’t have a clue. He was literally the most clueless guy in the world when it came to weddings. He didn’t have a sentimental bone in his body. And then I remembered, that wasn’t true. He’d kept photos of me hidden in the loft for years. He was a romantic without even realizing it.

  But still, Grant was the only guy I’d ever heard openly admit that he hated weddings.

  We walked to a huge display of roses. They had everything. I mean everything. Only a trained botanist would be able to appreciate the effort that went into bringing a selection of that many varieties together in one place. We were looking at literally hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of flowers. They had single leaf varieties from southwest Asia, Western Roses from the Rocky Mountains, flaky roses and chestnut roses from China, cut stems from India, and the finest greenhouse varieties in Europe. It was incredible.

  I looked at Grant. His eyes were wide with appreciation.

  “Pretty impressive, huh?” I said.

  He was surprised. “Yes,” he said. “They are actually.”

  “You’ve got the whole world right here, Grant.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Just like all the varieties of wine depend on the different growing conditions, climates, weather patterns and soil compositions from around the world, so do flowers.”

  “I never thought about it that way,” he said.

  Grant spent almost all of his free time cultivating some of the finest grapevines in the Socorro Valley. He knew about plants, and soil, and the minute variations that could make the difference between divine flavor and bitter trash.

  “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

  “Yes they are, Lacey.”

  He looked at me and didn’t look away. The intensity of his gaze shook me to my core. I was forced to break eye contact.

  We spent hours wandering the market, and we saw more flowers in that time than many people see in a lifetime. When we got to the end, there was a little cafe and we sat and ordered two coffees.

  Grant faced me with a tender look in his eyes.

  “Thank you for taking me here, Lacey. I never realized there was so much beauty in this stuff.”

  “Thank you for accompanying me.”

  He nodded. “Rob missed out,” he said.

  I nodded and got the attention of the waiter. I ordered a slice of the cake they were famous for. It was made with rosewater, extracted from a certain rose that only grew in one small valley in China.

  “Wow,” Grant said when he took a bite.

  “Delicious, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “Not the most delicious thing I tasted so far today.”

  I blushed. I held his gaze for just a second, then pretended I needed something from my purse. I lifted my bag onto my lap and rummaged among the contents. My fingers touched my lip gloss and I took it out. I hadn’t meant to grab it, but I’d felt the need to busy myself somehow. Grant watched closely as I applied the gloss to my lips, giving them a seductive sheen.

  “So,” he said, “apart from exotic roses, what else would be involved in your perfect wedding?”

  “My perfect wedding?”

  “Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it a million times. I know you, Lacey. You’ve got everything planned, down to the tiniest detail.”

  “I do actually,” I said, smiling.

  “So, what else would you get?”

  “If I could get anything?”

  “Yes. If you could have absolutely anything you wanted?”

  “Well,” I said, glad to have someone I could talk to about my plans, “one thing which is kind of silly, is that
I’d like doves.”

  “Doves?”

  “I know, it’s a bit of a cliché, but doves are really remarkable animals.”

  “They’re romantic.”

  “They are. They’ve been a symbol of love and peace for centuries. Did you know that during the Middle Ages, people believed doves chose their mating partners on Valentine’s Day.”

  “And do they?”

  “Well, I don’t know what scientists say, but I like to believe they do.”

  “Pretty romantic,” he said.

  I shook my head. I was embarrassed. “It’s just a silly thing.”

  “I don’t think it’s silly. You’ve got to create your own special meaning for things in life. Otherwise everything is gray and drab.”

  “Yes,” I said. “Doves also stay true to their mate. The ancient Greeks always depicted the goddess of love, Aphrodite, surrounded by doves. The Romans did the same with Venus.”

  “Interesting.”

  “And of course, Jesus is often depicted with a dove, representing love and peace.”

  “I noticed that.”

  “Noah sent a dove to find land after the flood.”

  Grant smiled at me. He was really listening. He didn’t think I was silly at all.

  “So, doves, roses. What else do you like?”

  “Well, sunsets obviously.”

  “Obviously,” Grant said.

  “But not just any sunset. It has to be over the ocean.”

  “Why stop at just a normal sunset? Why not add the ocean?” he said, smiling.

  “Hey, you said if I could have anything I wanted.”

  He nodded. “Roses, doves, sunsets. Sounds like you’ve got your bases covered.”

  “And one more thing,” I said. “Music.”

  “Romantic music?”

  “Not necessarily, but live music. Real music, from a band I like.

  “Any band in particular?”

  “No. Just a good band. I’m not picky.”

  “Sure you’re not,” he said, a wide grin on his face.

  Chapter 30

  Lacey

  “OKAY, EVERYONE,” I SAID TO THE ROOM.

  Faith, Jackson, Forrester, Grady and Grant all looked up at me expectantly. I’d called this dinner to make an announcement, and now was the time.

  “So, the news I wanted to share, is that I’m getting married.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence. Everyone looked up at me, their eyes wide, their mouths open. This was my family, they knew everything about me, and now, out of the blue I was announcing my engagement, and they didn’t even know who the lucky man was.

  I looked at them, my heart pounding, dying for them to give me their support.

  To my amazement, it was Grant who spoke first. He rose his glass and everyone else followed suit.

  “Congratulations, Lacey,” he said, giving me a warm smile. “That’s amazing. We’re so happy for you.”

  “Are we?” Forrester said. “How is this the first I’m hearing of this?”

  “Of what?” I said.

  “Lacey,” he said. “I don’t even know who you’re marrying.”

  “Rob, of course. Rob Crawford.”

  “Rob? I didn’t know you were still seeing him.”

  “I am.”

  Grady spoke up next. “You’ve only been going out with him a few weeks.”

  “Sometimes things move fast,” I said.

  “Yes, they do,” Faith said, giving Grady and Forrester a stern look. She obviously saw that I needed everyone’s support on this next step in my life, even if it was sudden.

  Only Jackson hadn’t said anything. I looked at him. Of course, I didn’t need his permission to get married, but I did need his blessing. I needed blessing from all of them.

  “Well,” Jackson said, looking at Grant as much as at me, “I don’t really know Rob Crawford, but if you think he’s the man for you, Lacey, that’s good enough for me.”

  “So I have your support?” I said.

  All of them nodded. “Of course you do, Lacey,” Forrester said. “You’re our family, the best family we have, and we’ll support you in whatever you decide. We just want your happiness.”

  “Thank you so much,” I said, looking around the table at the faces I loved most in the world.

  “This means there’ll be a wedding,” Faith said, a look of excitement on her face.

  I nodded.

  She got up and hugged me. “Oh, Lacey, it’s going to be perfect. You know we’ll all pull together to give you the perfect wedding.”

  “Thank you, Faith.”

  “Speaking of weddings,” Jackson said, “where’s the happy groom to be?”

  I took a deep breath. That was the question I’d been dreading. I’d told Rob that this dinner was important to me, I’d begged him to be there for it, but he’d said he was swamped at work and couldn’t make it.

  “Rob’s got a lot of clients right now. He couldn’t make it.”

  “Couldn’t make it?” Forrester said, indignantly. “Doesn’t he know we’re your family?”

  “Of course he does.”

  “Doesn’t he care enough to show up for his own wedding announcement?”

  “He really wanted to be here,” I said. “He just couldn’t.”

  Faith saw my distress and stepped in. “He works hard, Forrester. He’d have been here if he was able.”

  “It just seems a bit weird that he wouldn’t want to be here for this.”

  “Forrester,” Faith said. “Drop it.”

  Everyone looked at me. I felt a flush of heat on my cheeks. It was so humiliating. Yes, I was the girl who was getting engaged to the guy who didn’t even care enough to come to his own announcement. It was just one more sign that I was a complete loser when it came to matters of the heart.

  They all knew everything that had ever happened to me. When my last boyfriend, Matt, cheated on me, the brothers had punished him for it. I was grateful to them for always defending me, but I was also ashamed and embarrassed of the fact that I needed them to do so. When would I just find a good guy? A guy who didn’t let me down and humiliate me?

  Didn’t I deserve that?

  I was beginning to have my doubts.

  “Let’s see the ring,” Grady said, trying to turn the topic onto something more positive.

  But it was no use. I shook my head. I stammered as I spoke, humiliation and embarrassment flowing over me.

  “I don’t have one yet,” I said, weakly.

  They all nodded. There was kindness and sympathy on their faces. I opened my mouth to offer more explanation. I was going to make some excuse for Rob, say he was planning on getting me a really beautiful ring and just needed more time to find it, but I knew there was no point. He hadn’t even bothered to give me an engagement ring, and everyone at the table knew it.

  I sat down and looked at the food I’d spent the whole day preparing.

  “Please start,” I said, and passed the potato dish to Faith on my right.

  Quietly, in an atmosphere that was far more somber than it should have been, we started our meal.

  Chapter 31

  Lacey

  I FELT TERRIBLY AWKWARD A few days later, having coffee with Rob in a trendy cafe near the center of the city.

  “They asked you about a ring?”

  “Of course,” I said, trying not to let my embarrassment show. “When you get engaged, it’s the first thing everyone asks.”

  Rob nodded. He put his hand on mine and his touch felt foreign to me. I was marrying a stranger.

  “Well, I suppose they’re right.”

  “Really?” I said, surprised that he was agreeing.

  “You should have an engagement ring, Lacey. You should go find one you like.”

  “Find one?”

  “Yeah, go to a few jewelry stores, see what’s available. Tell me what you find.”

  I thought about it. I supposed it was a nice gesture. Usually, the man would present the ring
he’d chosen to the bride, but I wondered if these days it was more common for the bride to choose her own ring.

  “I guess I could go look at some.”

  “Yeah. Come back and tell me what you like.”

  “Don’t you want to come with me?”

  “I’d love to, Lacey, but I’m so swamped at work right now.”

  Rob’s phone started ringing. I saw Cassie’s name flash across the screen before he rejected the call.

  “You can answer if you want,” I said.

  “No, no,” he said. “It’s just a buddy from the gym. I’ll call him back later.”

  “A buddy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “A guy?”

  “Yeah.”

  Rob didn’t realize I’d noticed Cassie’s name. I thought about telling him I’d seen it. I wondered why he would lie about that. He worked with Cassie. There was nothing wrong with her calling him. Or was there?

  Instinctively I forced myself to stop thinking about the possibilities. I’d been cheated on before. I was an expert at ignoring the signs.

  “Well,” Rob said, after finishing the last of his coffee. “I’d better get back to the office. You go look at some rings and let me know what you find.”

  “Sure,” I said.

  He put some money on the table for the coffees and got up to leave.

  “I love you,” I said, quietly as he left.

  I wasn’t sure if he heard me or not. He didn’t respond.

  The jewelry district wasn’t far from the cafe and I decided to go right there. I knew Rob wasn’t going to get me a ring unless I pushed for it, and I couldn’t go on facing Faith and the brothers without one. Not having it was like a constant reminder that I was getting married to a man who wasn’t passionate enough about me to make the financial commitment. I caught a cab to Goldman’s, the largest and oldest of the city’s classic jewelers.

  As I walked through the ornate, art deco doors, I felt a pang of nervousness. Goldman’s was one of those old institutions that oozed luxury, status, and prestige. A man in a classic suit approached me.