Page 14 of The Chance

After Guthrie left Aubrey’s,he checked in with his staff at the hospital for half an hour, then headed to the ranch. He kept clothes there since he often helped his siblings when things needed to be done or when he’d be too tired after a midnight delivery to drive the thirty minutes back to Barrattville. His mother was there when he walked in.

She gave him alook.“Where have you been?”

“I stayed with… a… friend. Someone keyed her car, and she was upset.”

“And this friend’s name?” Giavonna asked. That devil-sister was there, too, apparently. Gene’s son Calvin was riding on her hip. She sent Guthrie alookthat told him she already knew.

“I was at Aubrey Fisher’s. Yes, I stayed the night. But it’s not what you think, you naughty woman.”

“So you were just Aubrey-sitting while Ayla was with Greer and Hala last night?” Giavonna was really good at interrogations. She did it for a living, after all. Something about her beady hazel eyes got suspects to confess, fast. Guthrie would probably be no exception.

“Something like that. I didn’t want her to be afraid.”

“Uh-huh. So you slept with her, so she wouldn’t be afraid.” Giavonna was such a brat. No denying that. Maybe he and the brothers should marry her off—so she could become some other poor guy’s problem instead. He would have to come up with a list of possibilities. Grady was right there at the counter, too—maybe Grady would have some suggestions. Grady’s suggestions for Giavonna’s love life were bound to be very entertaining.

“We didn’t sleep together… I mean… we slept together, but we didn’t… I didn’t touch her. We were just asleep in the same room. She was on the couch; I was in a pink recliner of torture. That pink chair needs to be the base for a big bonfire. It was seriously uncomfortable for a man my size. Aubrey’s not the kind of woman a guy messes around with. And I’m not the kind of dog who would mess around with a woman like that.” He took Calvin from Giavonna’s arms and hugged him, then put the kid down when he squirmed and ran off on some Calvin-adventure. He was a good kid—Gene was doing a fantastic job with the single-parent gig. And… he was glad Giavonna was there. He had some questions for her, legal-type questions, for Aubrey’s little slander problem at the hospital. “Where’s Gene?”

“Out on a breakfast date,” Guthrie’s mother said, with a very pointed look. “With Chantal. He is currently the favorite child. Other than George and Gene, none of my other children sees fit to give me grandchildren. Or even children-in-law! Only one of you is married. I’m disappointed.”

She had told him similar before. Guthrie just grinned at her. “I am married to my job, Mama. I’m a successful doctor now.”

Shouldn’t she be busy tutting over Chantal at the moment? Since Gene was the favored child and Chantal was the love of Gene’s life now and everything? They had a wedding to plan! That should keep his mother distracted, right?

“So what were you doing fooling around at Aubrey’s?” Giavonna was a holy terror. No wonder his pal Hudson calledher a witch and a demon. The two worked together every day—and from what he’d heard, argued constantly.

Giavonna was really good at arguing.

Whoever they married her off to should probably be made aware of that fact. Fast. The man would need a backbone made of steel, and a will of iron.

And that was just to survive the honeymoon.

“I wasn’t fooling around with Genesis’s bestie,” Guthrie told his sister patiently. “She was afraid, and Ayla was with Greer, and I wasn’t going to leave her there alone. And I kept my hands to myself because Aubrey told me ‘friends only,’ okay? I was a gentleman, just like my mama raised me to be.”

He saw the approval in his mother’s eyes and knew he had said the right thing. Was it because he had admitted to keeping his goods in his pants—or what he’d said about Aubrey? Or that he’d been with Aubrey in the first place? It was hard to tell with his mother.

She could be rather wicked, his mama. It was where his sisters got it from—he was sure of it. His daddy said so all the time.

“So why did you sleep with her, if you didn’t touch her?” Grady had to ask, a smirk on his face. “I am not sure I’d have been able to resist. She’s seriously hot. And was right there. You’re stupid not to have at least tried. Or did you, and she turn you down? If so, can I have her number? I’m serious—she’s hot.”

“Don’t be a jerk, Grady. That’s one of my friends you’re talking about,” Giavonna said, giving Grady the look she was so good at. “She’s very shy and easily embarrassed, too.”

Guthrie couldn’t help himself. He slugged his younger brother, hard. “Don’t talk about her like that. Ever.”

“Hell, man, I was only teasing.” Grady looked at him for a moment. Then his hazel eyes narrowed. “You’re serious about her. You have it bad for Genesis’s friend. What, is theresomething in the water around here? You guys are falling like flies whenever Genesis’s friends get too close. First Gene, and now you, too? Was that slumber party a trap or something?”

“If that’s the case, there are still little Hala and Ayla available. And I do have two more sons to go,” Guthrie’s mother pointed out a little too gleefully. “Either one of those young women would make a wonderful wife for one of my sons someday, Grady Treyton Hiller. I would happily have either as a daughter-in-law, just so you know.”

“Not going to happen; those two are seriously way too young for any of us. If this is some kind of scheme you’ve concocted, Mom, forget it. Focus on marrying off the girls. They are getting old now. Should we dangle a few of our friends in front of them and see what happens? Gene has a few friends who could possibly tolerate Gia. Maybe. She’s kind of a troll.”

Giavonna slugged Grady for that.

“I know… how about Chad for Genesis? I cansosee that happening,” Grady said, rubbing his shoulder. Grady winced—Giavonna could punch hard when she wanted. Guthrie and Gene had made certain of it years ago.

No one could miss the sarcasm now. Guthrie just kept where Genesis had spent the night to himself. No sense giving Grady fuel for the fire. Grady would catch on eventually.

He could be a bit obtuse wherewomenwere concerned. Guthrie hoped the woman his little brother married was prepared, knew what she was getting into. Grady required careful handling at times.

“Oh, go milk a damned bull, you idiot,” his mother said, shooing Grady out of her way. “I think one of those girls would suit you just fine. I am just not sure they’d deserve you.”

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