" This cook, Preacher? He's unbelievable. I had some of his venison chili when I first got to town and it almost made me pass out, it was so good."

Hi slips curved in a smile. "You at venison, Marcie?"

"I didn't have a relationship with the deer," she explained.

"You don't have a relationship with my deer either," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but I have a relationship with you--you've seen me in my underwear. And you have a relationship with the deer. If you fed him to me, it would be like you shot and fed me your friend. Or something."

Ian just drained his beer and smiled at her enough to show his teeth. "I wouldn't shoot that particular buck," he admitted. "But if I had a freezer, I'd shoot his brother."

"There's something off about that," she said, just as Jack placed her wine in front of her. "Wouldn't it be more logical if hunters didn't get involved with their prey? Or their families? Oh, never mind--I can't think about this before eating my meat loaf. Who knows who's in it?"

-Ian and Marcie "

― Robyn Carr , A Virgin River Christmas (Virgin River, #4)