Brock's Bunny (2 page)

“Thank
you,” Brock turned from him to the woman. “Can I get you anything while you
wait for your dinner?”

Their
eyes met and time seemed to stop. Violet eyes stared back at him from a petite
face surrounded by platinum blond hair. Not many could pull off the look, and
though he was sure her hair and eye color were fake, he wanted them to be real.
Her beauty was unmatched in the crowded room and he wanted to scoop her up and
hide her away for protection.

“No,
thank you, but why don’t you have any vegetarian dishes on your menu?”

“Vegetarian dishes?”

“Don’t
mind her, Mr.
Smith,
she’s one of those health nuts.” Her
date glared at her and through tight lips, said, “Shut-up,
Hollie
.”

Why was
she with this piece of slime? Brock’s anger grew and he laughed.

“This
is a steakhouse.” One look in her direction and he knew it was the wrong thing
to say. He cleared his throat, forced himself to stop laughing, and tried
again. “Truthfully, a vegetarian dish never crossed my mind and no one has ever
asked for one before.”

“Well,
now someone is asking. I’m not the only “health nut” in Chestnut Rock.” She kept
her eyes on him and he saw anger and something else.
Pain.
He’d unintentionally hurt her and it affected him more than it should. He
didn’t know her, would probably never see her again, but her pain made him
uneasy.

“No, of
course you’re not,” he said at the same time she stood, causing him to back up
and get out of her way.

“Good
night, Ronald. Don’t ever call me.” She looked at her date and whispered the
words. Then she turned her attention to him. “Excuse me.” Her voice broke on
the last two words, but why? Why was she so upset?

Brock stepped
out of her way and watched her hastily make her way out of the dining room and run
out the front door. She confused him. Why were his feelings toward her so
strong?

“Good
riddance. She’s crazy, huh?”

He
wasn’t confused at all by his feelings toward her date. Without responding,
Brock left the man alone and disappeared into his office to clear his head.

Chapter Two

Hollie
ran out into the night, the cool air was a shock to her heated skin.
Before the owner showed up, she’d been thinking about where to go when she
walked away from her date. The feeling that he’d follow her had fled when she
saw his reaction toward Brock. He would stay and eat his steak, desperate for
Brock’s approval.

Hollie
thought about running into the woods and shifting, but the night was
nice and home wasn’t too far away. Besides, she was a lot slower as a bunny.

“Rabbit”
was the proper term for her shifted form, but
Hollie
was a solid white fur-ball with violet eyes. Not a normal sight in the forest,
and very much like the star of so many children’s tales surrounding Easter. The
term “bunny” was a better fit. What would Brock think?

She
shook her head. It didn’t matter what he thought. He’d laughed at her when she
questioned his menu. As she replayed the events of the night, her heart nearly
broke in two.

Hollie
practically stopped breathing when Brock stepped up to their table. He
was average height, with strong, squared shoulders and flat abs. He would complement
her small frame, and not tower over her like Matt or Bull. His black hair was
cut short and blue eyes stared back at her from a strong, clean-shaven face.
His voice caressed her skin, chasing away the anxiety and bitterness from
Ronald’s nasty words. He was flawless and more than she ever hoped for.

A shifter
dreams of only one thing: meeting her mate, changing him, and sharing a mating
bond. What is she supposed to do now that the dream is dashed? Every story
she’s ever heard about a shifter finding his or her mate is always the same.
There are strong, confusing feelings, but there is always instant attraction
and admiration. Though they don’t understand it, the non-shifting partner longs
to be with the shifter and bind their lives together. It’s then up to the
shifter to explain things and hope a bond can be forged.

For a
brief moment,
Hollie
remembered her mother and wished
she was still alive. Her mom would comfort her and know just what to say to
make everything seem better. A single tear slipped down her face.
Hollie
never knew her father and her mom passed a long time
ago. Nothing could change that.

Unfortunately,
her mating wasn’t meant to be. Brock owned a steakhouse and she was a
vegetarian. That one difference was a big obstacle to overcome considering he
probably liked steak. Adding to that major detail, he’d laughed at her. He was
no different than slimy Ronald and she wanted nothing to do with him.

If she
repeated that thought enough times, maybe she could convince herself it was
true.

****

Ugh!
Why had he laughed at her? Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? Brock knew
nothing about the girl, other than her choice of men was questionable, but he
couldn’t stop thinking about her.

She’d
challenged him, yet instead of being mad, he wanted to rise to the challenge.

Going
to his office did nothing for his muddled head and he’d spent the rest of the
night doing menial tasks in the dining room, hoping for distraction. Nothing
worked. The staff closed the doors, completed their nightly tasks and left for
the evening. Brock sat alone at the dimly lit bar, nursing a beer.

The
only solution was to make the menu changes and find her.
Maybe
not in that order.
Menu changes take time and he wanted, no needed, to
see her again.
Soon.
Right now.

Brock
thought about calling Ronald, but decided to save that recourse as a last
resort. Brock didn’t trust him and wouldn’t speak to him again unless he had no
choice. The guy was shady. He’d left his business card in the payment folder
with a note for Brock to call him for details on a business venture. He could
only imagine what the venture would be. More than likely it involved Brock’s
reputation or money while Ronald did nothing and reaped the benefits. Brock
didn’t do business that way and he didn’t voluntarily associate with anyone
that did.

His
fingers rolled on the counter as he tried to come up with a solution. Her date
had called her a “health nut.”
Maybe
other “health nuts” knew who she was.
The
Harvest
was the only health food store in town. Brock had been inside a few
times with Candace. Maybe Candace, or one of the employees, would know who she
was. Lucky for him, her features were unique. Anyone he described her to wouldn’t
make a mistake and direct him to someone else.

Brock
started to get excited about the possibilities of a healthier, lighter menu.
Candace had expressed an interest in running her own place. Maybe his dream of
owning a chain of restaurants wasn’t extinguished after all.

Chapter Three

After
hours of staring at the ceiling,
Hollie
finally gave
up on any hope of sleep. An image of Brock rolled around in her head, mocking
her. Now that she’d found him, she wanted to be with him more than anything. It
hadn’t even been a full day and she was convinced she would go insane. Brock
occupied her every thought.

The
need to see him was beyond anything she had experienced before and she finally
gave in to the overwhelming desire.

A quick
check online the night before confirmed his address and his close proximity
added to her desperate need. He was only a few blocks
away,
his house bordered the National Forest.

With no
real plan,
Hollie
rolled out of bed, quickly brushed
her teeth and hair, and threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. At the door she slid
her feet into a pair of no-back sneakers, grabbed her keys and left for her
car.

The
brisk morning air cleared her head some and reminded her of the early morning
hour, but she wouldn’t be deterred. If there was a chance to see him, she was
going to take it. What if he wasn’t alone? That thought had her sitting at a
green light until the only other car on the road honked and she stepped on the
gas. Finding him with another woman would be bad.
Very bad.
Still, she continued driving until she pulled into the National Park and found
the small parking lot she was looking for.

Bull
and Christina had shown her their favorite cave for remaining undetected to
full humans. The entrance was large, but also misleading. The depth of the cave
looked small from the outside. Once inside,
Hollie
took off her clothes and hid them, along with her car keys, in one of the
crevices in the wall. She shifted,
then
made her way
to the entrance, sniffing for predators, before hopping onto the forest floor.

Brock’s
house wasn’t too far away, and
Hollie
quickly hopped
the short distance to his backyard. Like many houses that shared the forest
line in Chestnut Rock, there wasn’t a fence that marked where the forest ended
and his yard began. It was one of the perks of living so close to a National
Park. The Park Service and the city wanted to preserve nature as much as they
could.

A
section of Brock’s yard next to the house was surrounded by plywood that almost
looked like a sandbox. When she got closer,
Hollie
saw that it was a small garden. Herbs grew in a smaller box on his patio. Two
lemon trees sat in the other half of his yard.

Hollie
hopped to the grass that lay between the trees and caught sight of Brock
watching her from his kitchen window. The rising sun cast an orange glow around
the frame, but she could see him looking out, a cup of coffee in his hand.

Every
instinct told her to go inside and stand beside him, but she wasn’t completely
crazy yet. They watched each other for several minutes before
Hollie
broke the connection and hopped back to the safety
of the cave.
 

****

“A white rabbit?
From the forest?
Are you sure?”

“Yes,
Candi
, I’m sure. It hopped out of the forest and sat
between my lemon trees.”

When
Brock poured his coffee this morning, he was surprised to look out and see the
white bunny staring back at him. The beautiful animal’s intensity held his
interest until it hopped away. It had to be domesticated. He hadn’t seen any “lost”
signs, but he was sure a little boy or girl was missing their beloved pet. He
was going to help reunite the pair if he could.

After a
stop at the pet store for a cage, water dispenser and food, Brock met
Candi
at
The Harvest.
His little sister was ecstatic that he’d asked for her help with a vegetarian
dish for the steakhouse. He’d tell her about the other restaurant later, when
he could give her permanent details.

“Hi
Candi
.
Back again so soon? Did you forget
something on your list?” He recognized her voice immediately and turned to see
the platinum blond from the night before talking to his sister. Their backs
were facing him, and he silently urged her to turn so that he could see her
eyes. Would they be violet again today, or did she change the color contacts frequently?

“No,
I’m all set for tonight,”
Candi
laughed. “I’m helping
my brother decide on a vegetarian dish for his restaurant.”

Candi
turned toward him eagerly, ready to do the introductions, but the blond
tensed and kept her back to him longer than was necessary.

“
Hollie
,”
Candi
asked. “Are you
okay?”

The
blond inhaled deeply, cleared her throat and slowly turned toward him.

“Yeah,
I’m fine. Sorry.”

Violet
eyes met his and Brock had the same reaction as the day before. Everything
around them seemed to disappear until it was only the two of them in the store.
Candi
did the introductions and the spell was broken.

“Brock
is your brother?” she said to
Candi
and then without
waiting for a response she turned to Brock. “You’re putting a vegetarian dish
on the menu?”

Her
eyes were softer than the first time he’d seen them, and her mouth slowly grew
into a wide smile. Brock got the feeling it was unintentional, but he’d take a
smile over her pain from the night before any day.

“Someone
informed me my menu choices were limited.” He looked directly at her. “As you
know, the customer is always right.” He winked and the three of them burst out
laughing.

“I’ll
be right back.”
Candi
ran off to say hello to another
friend and left the two of them alone.

“
Candi
is helping me with the recipe and ingredients, but
she’s busy tonight and I’d really like to play with these dishes. Care to help
me taste-test?”