Page 42 of Hunter or Hunted

“She made out good,” Rhiannon said, extending the grocery bags to Sebastian. “She and Aubrey did the white elephant thing at dinner last night. They had a lot of fun. It was sweet.”

“I’m glad.” Sebastian blocked the open door with his foot, keeping Honey from running out, and juggled all Lizzie’s luggage in his arms. “Thanks for bringing her up. I wouldn’t have minded driving back down.”

“I was running up anyway. We’ve got a tree down in somebody’s driveway. Axel’s meeting me up here.” Rhiannon waved him off. Her gaze softened when it turned on me. “How are you doing today, kid?”

“Better than yesterday.” Forcing a smile, I shrugged. “Sorry for my meltdown.”

“Don’t worry about it. You weren’t the only one struggling.” Her expression was kind, but her tone stayed casual. “I don’t know how much it did in the way of closure, though.”

“Yeah, didn’t feel like anything was over for me.” I sat on the edge of the sofa to pull on my boots. “I wish I knew what her family was doing for the funeral. We didn’t really have one for my mom, and I think that made it harder. Didn’t really get to say goodbye, you know?”

“I actually talked to her parents last night. Just wanted to reach out with my condolences. See where their heads were at.” Rhiannon leaned against the doorway. “The cops are saying they’re going to release her body tomorrow. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna have the funeral sometime next week. If you think the closure would help, I can probably get the information for you.”

Sebastian’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, probably assuming I wanted to go to the funeral to get more information on Evan.

While that was true to some extent, I also wanted to see Delilah again. I knew it wasn’t her. Just the sack of meat and bones that’d once held her. But maybe it would give my mind’s eye a better image than the one it kept conjuring up.

“Would that be alright?” I asked. “I mean, with the ranch and everything. You don’t think it would start any problems?”

“Well, I’d ask you to use a fake name, but that’s more for your benefit than ours.” She propped herself against the doorframe. “Maybe don’t tell anyone there exactly how things run here. But if you just go and say your goodbyes, I don’t see how it could cause any real harm.”

“Yeah, maybe that would be nice.” Boots on my feet, I stood. “Could you keep me in the loop?”

“Sure.” Her phone dinged, and she glanced at her smartwatch for the notification. “I gotta head out, though. I’ll see y’all later for dinner. Merry Christmas.”

As she headed off the porch, I grabbed Honey’s leash off the hook by the door. The whole time, I felt Sebastian’s eyes on me. I only paid him a glance before I bent down to find Honey’s collar. “I know you think it’s a bad idea. But I’m⁠—”

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. When I straightened up, his hazel eyes were gentle and affectionate. “Seeing my parents’ bodies helped me accept that they were gone. Sarah’s was closed casket. I didn’t really get to tell her goodbye. I wish I could’ve. So yeah, I think it’d be good for you.”

Heart warm, my stiff shoulders relaxed. “I think I’ll go then.”

“Pretty sure you were going to regardless of what I thought.” He stepped back, holding the door open for me. “Would you mind if I came with you?”

I cocked my head to the side. “To babysit me and make sure I don’t do something I’ll regret?”

“To be there for you.” My God, the tenderness in his voice. The love in his eyes. I had never felt so cared for, so loved and adored before this man. But there was no denying the disappointed sag of his shoulders a second later. “And to meet the son of a bitch and judge for myself.”

Propping my hands on my hips, I arched a brow. “You’re considering it?”

He rolled his eyes and gestured outside. “Good day, remember? We want to have a nice, holly jolly Christmas.”

Fair enough. But the seeds were planted, and I had hope.

We went to Sebastian’s, and we sat in front of the tree.

Lizzie explained that usually she opened her presents first, and Sebastian opened his second, but we could switch it up this year. I could open mine first.

And I froze.

I’d gotten both of them presents. I had also gotten Simone, and Junie, and Rhiannon, and even Delilah a present. Even as a kid with no job and no money, I’d gotten presents for everyone I loved. Whether it was a handmade card or a bouquet of coffee-filter carnations, I got everyone in my life a gift.

But the last time I’d received a Christmas gift was a few months before my mom died.

My ex-husband never got me gifts. Aside from my wedding ring, I couldn’t remember one gift he’d ever given me.

Instead, he would tell me to get whatever I wanted—within reason—on his card. I handled the bills anyway. I knew what we could afford. Never mind the extra pressure that put on me—to stuff both our stockings, to buy the things to put in them, to wrap it all, to think about some random item I needed and could gift myself.

I always got him a video game, or new clothes, or something else he liked. But I got myself a new vacuum. Or combined it with a little bit of cash I had lying around to get something frivolous. Like a trip to the mechanic to fix the leak in my coolant tank that prevented the HV/AC from working in my car.