Hunter (Stud Ranch 2)

A picture of Isobel appeared on the screen.

Isobel winced. Oh God. It wasn’t a bad picture. They must have gotten it from her phone, but it was one Veronica had snapped of her smiling at Jason back when they’d all been at Cornell. Had they been sleeping together even back then or had it only started after she left?

They’d cropped Jason out of the picture but Isobel couldn’t help wondering if Catrina chose it because she was hoping to get a reaction out of Isobel.

“Do you have any last words in case Isobel or anyone who might know her whereabouts is watching this?” the hostess asked Catrina, who seemed to have barely recovered from her most recent sobbing fit.

The camera focused back on her. “Just please, please, Izzy bear. It’s time to come home. Everything will be forgiven. Just come home and get what you’re due.” Then a number flashed across the bottom of the screen.

Isobel slammed the phone back into Liam’s hand and turned away, barely managing to stop her scream of fury. Izzy bear was the nickname her mom—her real mom—had given her. It always set her off when she’d heard it after her mom died. And Catrina knew it. The bitch knew it and she was trying to goad her.

Plus, what was all that bullshit about Dad leaving her the money?

“Iz?” Liam asked cautiously.

“It’s bullshit.” She swung back around to him. “My dad didn’t leave me squat.” He couldn’t even look at her in the end. “Catrina had him so wrapped around her little finger.” Isobel was shaking, she was so mad. “The first thing she would have done was made sure his will was changed so she’d be the sole beneficiary.”

“I don’t know what that shit was about.” Isobel waved her hand toward the phone that was still in his hand. “Maybe some sort of trick to get me to turn myself in. Like I’d be stupid enough to go back just for the money.”

“Turn yourself in?” Mack asked at the same time Liam said, “Whatever’s going on, just tell us. We can help you. We can—”

“When did that air?” Isobel interrupted both of them.

“This morning,” Liam answered.

She turned away from them, shoving a hand out behind her. “Just give me a second,” she said, knowing they were following her. “I just need a second to think.”

Her first impulse was to run.

Go get in her car and start driving. They knew she’d been on I-80. That interstate led in almost a straight shot across the country to Wyoming. She could go south. Bleach her hair blonde. Cut it short. Head to Mexico.

What if you’re not running away from the bad but are actually running towards something good?

If she ran now, she wouldn’t be running toward anything good. All the good was here. The good was Hunter. And Mel. And Liam and Mack and Nicholas and the twins and Xavier and the boys. It was the animals she got to work with every day. It was this tiny nowhere spot on the map that had embraced her.

She stopped pacing.

No more running.

All along she’d been looking for what she’d found here. A place to belong. Family who loved her unconditionally. People who built her up instead of tearing her down.

When Hunter got back tonight, she’d tell him everything. Whatever repercussions she had to face from her past mistakes, they’d face them together.

And if it was too much for him? Her heart hurt at the thought. But it was better to know that he couldn’t handle all her baggage before she got even more of her heart invested in him. She was stronger now. Every day built her confidence. She’d do her damnedest to handle whatever life threw at her.

And in the meantime?

She took a deep, cleansing breath in. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy the hell out of her party.

She turned back to Mack and Liam with a bright smile. “How about this? I promise I’ll tell you all about it—tomorrow. Tonight, can we just kick back and have a great time? Can you guys do that for me?”

Mack and Liam exchanged a glance. Mack was the first one to speak up, stepping forward and offering her a quick embrace. “Whatever you need, beautiful. You just let us know.”

She pulled back, laughing as she looked at the two of them. “Wow.” She glanced over their shoulder. “Did I miss the flying pigs?”

“What?” Liam frowned like he was questioning her mental stability.

“The two of you.” She gestured between them, laughing. “I thought the two of you would only get along when pigs flew.”