Page 103 of Chasin’s Surrender

“And you’re glowing.”

“I certainly hope so,” I returned.

“I freaking hate you,” she said with no heat.

“Yeah, it totally sucks to be me.”

“Now you’re just rubbing it in that you have a hot guy givin’ it to you regular.”

I shrugged my shoulder and looked from the big yellow barn to my best friend.

“Sorry?”

“Ugh. You’re not sorry.”

I didn’t confirm or deny her assessment.

“This place is beautiful,” I noted. “They have a horse.”

“That’s Sally,” McKenna told me when she stopped and offered me a beer. “She’s a rescue pony and a total bitch. The only person she doesn’t bite is Nix. Goat was wandering around in there, too, but then I let out the dogs and they ran off to the far end of the paddock.”

“You have a goat?” I asked.

“Yeah. Though, Goat thinks she’s a dog. So anytime Duke and Axel are out, they tromp off together. I was worried about how Sally was going to take this deflection because Goat and Sally are friends. But Sally proved to be the cantankerous bitch I always knew she was and seems happy now that Goat leaves her alone.”

I didn’t know what to say to any of that so I changed the topic.

“How are you feeling?”

McKenna’s hand immediately went to her baby bump and a momentary flash of jealousy slashed through me.

“So much better now that the morning sickness is gone.”

“Do you know what you’re having yet?”

“Nope. We’re not finding out.”

“I hate surprises,” Bobby joined. “I’d have to know.”

Alec’s wife, Macy, strolled up, followed by Silver and Kennedy.

“Finally, we get some alone time with you two,” Silver started. “I was beginning to think Chasin was gonna keep you locked away forever.”

“Thanks for having us,” I replied, and McKenna waved her hand.

“I’ve been trying to set something up for a week but Nix told me I had to wait.”

“Okay, so I’m just gonna throw this out there so I can get it out of the way, I’m a huge fan,” Macy told me. “I played it cool the first time we met because it wasn’t the right time to fangirl all over you, but I just needed to tell you so I can move on and not act like an idiot. Oh, and I watched the video. Girl…that new song. Awesome.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

I felt my cheeks heat.

“Crap. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Damn. I had no idea how to handle these situations because I’d never been confronted with wanting someone to like me as Genevieve. I knew how to act around my fans, but I didn’t want these women to be fans, I wanted them to be my friends.

“You didn’t.” I felt Bobby’s eyes drilling holes in me, ready to step in and be the buffer she always is. Be brave. “I truly love that you like my music. Hearing that never gets old. But I’m not good at this. No, I suck at this.”