Marrying a Delacourt

by Sherryl Woods

  “You must be Grace Foster,” he said, extending his hand. He enfolded her hand in a powerful grip. Gaze steady and filled with curiosity, he surveyed her from head to toe. “Even prettier than I’d been told.”

  She grinned. “Thank you. You’re as charming as I’ve been told.”

  “So the grandkids have been blabbing about me again,” he said with a resigned expression. “Told all sorts of tales, no doubt. Don’t believe ’em. I’m not half as bad as they say.”

  “I suppose that depends on your point of view, Mr. Adams.”

  “Call me Harlan. Or Grandpa Harlan, if it suits you better. Mind if I come in and sit a spell?” He gave an impatient wave of his cane. “Blasted knee’s not what it once was, so they make me use this thing. It’s a damned nuisance, but what can I do? It puts Janet’s mind at ease.”

  “I’m sure your wife appreciates your thoughtfulness,” she said, leading the way into the kitchen.

  “Sometimes she does,” he agreed as he sat down heavily. “Sometimes she doesn’t quite see it the same way I do.”

  Grace chuckled. “You mean even after all these years, you two haven’t worked out all the kinks in your marriage?”

  “Gracious, no. If we had, we’d just have to dream up new ones. Have to keep things lively.”

  Grace offered him some iced tea, but he opted for coffee instead. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “Of course not.”

  He regarded her with a satisfied smile that had her worrying. “Are you supposed to drink coffee?” she asked as a scoop hovered over the coffeemaker. “I noticed there’s decaf here, too.”

  “Decaf’s a waste of time. I like the real thing.”

  She regarded him evenly. “Which isn’t an answer at all.”

  “Oh, for goodness sakes. It’s one little cup of coffee. No need to make a big deal about it.”

  Rather than argue, she made it weak. “Something tells me you’re a sneaky man, Mr. Adams.”

  “I am, and proud of it,” he declared, snatching the cup of coffee before she could change her mind. He took a sip, then made a face. “No oompf.”

  “Precisely what I intended,” she retorted, thoroughly enjoying him. “Now why don’t you tell me why you’re here? I don’t imagine you came all this way just to sneak a cup of coffee.”

  “Came to meet those boys, of course. And you. I like to know what’s going on around these parts, especially with family.”

  “Family?” she questioned, surprised by the claimed connection.

  “Hardy works for me. I rent that bookstore space to Trish. Had a hand in getting the two of them together. That’s close enough to being family for me.”

  “I see. So you’ve claimed Michael as well.”

  “He’s Trish’s brother, isn’t he? Of course I do.” He winked at her. “We’ll have to see about you.” He tapped his coffee cup. “You’ve got promise, though.”

  “Thank you, I think.”

  “Justin help you out with this situation?”

  “He did.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  “Not at the moment. He was able to get the authorities to agree to let me keep Josh and Jamie for the time being, while the rest is worked out.”

  “They’d have a good home with Sharon Lynn and Cody,” he said. “She seems inclined to offer.”

  “I know and I appreciate it. I really do, but I’m thinking that they ought to stay with me.”

  “They’d have two parents here,” he countered. “You and that young man gonna offer them that?”

  She stared at him. “Michael? And me?”

  “You know any other young men around here?”

  “We’re not…I mean, there’s been no talk of anything permanent happening between Michael and me. We’re just friends.”

  “Too bad. From what I’ve heard, those two boys could use a stable home.”

  She drew herself up, taking exception to the notion that only a two-parent home could give a child what he needed. She’d seen plenty of examples of a single parent being far better than a man and woman who didn’t get along. “I can give them that,” she said stiffly.

  “Well, of course, you can. But boys especially need a man’s influence. Where will they get that?”

  Grace had no answer for that. He was right, too. Even though she didn’t like admitting it, Jamie and Josh needed a male role model. Once again she was forced to consider whether she was being selfish in trying to keep them. Could she fight their feelings of abandonment any better alone than her mother had been able to fight hers?

  “Just something to think about,” Harlan Adams said mildly, then pushed himself up and reached for his cane. “Think I’ll go outside and meet them now.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Grace offered.

  “No need. Seems to me like you’d do better to spend a little time thinking about what I said.”

  “I will,” she assured him. “I promise.”

  “A man can’t ask for more than that.” He stepped outside, then smiled at her. “It’s been a pleasure, Grace. I look forward to seeing you again.”

  “The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Adams.”

  But after he had gone, she was left with the disquieting sense that despite his warm remarks, he didn’t entirely approve of what she was planning. What she didn’t understand was why that bothered her so. Could it be because she feared he might be right?

  Michael looked up with surprise when he spotted Harlan Adams exiting the house and heading for the corral. Michael knew Harlan only from scattered casual meetings at Trish’s wedding and later Dylan’s. But he knew his reputation for taking charge and making things turn out the way he thought they ought to. No doubt it had been only a matter of time before he turned up here to check out what was going on, just as Justin had predicted he would.

  “Mr. Adams, good to see you again,” he said, crossing the yard to meet him.

  “Thought I told you to call me Grandpa Harlan, like the rest of them. Said the same thing to that little gal inside, but she didn’t pay a bit of attention to me either.”

  “Maybe we think it seems a bit disrespectful,” Michael suggested.

  “It’s not if I say it isn’t,” Harlan said, then gazed around, his expression alight with curiosity. “Okay, then, where are they?”

  “Jamie and Josh have gone off on their first real ride with Slade. They should be back any second. Would you care to have a seat over here by the corral? I can bring a chair from the barn.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind, that would suit me fine. Bring two and sit a spell with me. It’ll give us a chance to talk.”

  Uh-oh, Michael thought. “About?” he asked aloud.

  The old man grinned. “This and that. It’s not an inquisition, boy, so don’t go getting your dander up already.”

  Michael let the comment pass, retrieved two chairs from the barn and took a seat next to Harlan.

  “So, tell me,” he said, casting a sly look at Michael. “What do you think of Grace’s plan to take in those boys? Think she’s taking on too much?”

  “She doesn’t think she is,” Michael said.

  “Now, that’s not exactly what I asked you, is it?”

  “No, I suppose not.”

  “Well, then?”

  “I think Grace will give them a good home and the love they deserve.”

  “You gonna be around to be a role model for them?” he inquired pointedly. “Boys need the influence of a strong man.”

  “I suppose I’ll see them from time to time,” Michael replied cautiously, not especially crazy about the direction of the conversation. He knew all about Harlan Adams’s penchant for matchmaking and his very large role in getting Trish and Hardy together. This was not the kind of pressure Michael needed, not right now when he and Grace were still finding their way.

  “Seems to me like you need to do a little more than that, son,” Harlan declared.

  “It’s not up to me,” Michael insisted, not liking th
e glint in the old man’s eyes one bit.

  “Who’s it up to, then? The court?” Harlan scoffed. “You think the court gives a hoot about the boys the way a father could? The judge isn’t going to be there day in and day out. The judge isn’t going to hug them or discipline them when they need it or see that they stay in school and get an education.”

  “Now wait just a damned minute,” Michael protested. “How did we shift from maybe giving those two a male role model to me becoming their father?”

  “You got other family obligations?” Harlan inquired tartly, as if that were the only issue to be considered.

  “No, but—”

  “No buts about it,” the old man said, waving off Michael’s attempted protest. “A man steps up to the plate in a situation like this. Does what’s right. Looks to me as if that woman inside would be happy to take on the lot of you. Oh, she says she’s got it all under control, that she doesn’t need a lick of help, and maybe she doesn’t, but people are meant to go through life sharing good times and bad with someone who’ll understand.”

  Michael swallowed hard. This whole situation was spinning wildly out of control. “Grace and me?” he said as incredulously as if he hadn’t known all along that this was where Harlan was heading, as if he hadn’t considered the idea himself a time or two.

  “Why on earth not? You blind, boy? The woman’s beautiful. Smart, too. Had a little talk with her before I came looking for you. She’s a keeper, the kind who’ll stick by you. You’re the one who called her over here at the first sign of trouble, am I right? And she came running.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” Michael protested, annoyed more by the pressure than by the concept of marriage to Grace. “I know about you and your matchmaking schemes. I am not in the market for a wife or a readymade family. And when the time comes that I am, I will work out my own arrangements.”

  Harlan Adams just chuckled at that. “We’ll see, son. We’ll see.”

  Michael was still thinking about that long after the boys had returned, spent time with Harlan Adams, then gone inside to wash up for dinner. He had been thinking about spending more time with Grace, seeing where that led, but the rest? Marriage? A family? Was he ready to take that plunge?

  And even if he suggested it, would Grace agree? He doubted it. She would probably howl with laughter all the way back to Houston. It would ruin the nice, steady courtship he’d had in mind.

  Of course, a courtship implied a certain amount of intent, didn’t it? Or was he just playing a game of semantics here? What the hell did he really want?

  “Something on your mind, bro?” Tyler asked as he joined him, settling into the chair Harlan Adams had occupied earlier.

  “Just thinking about something Harlan Adams said.”

  “Can I wager a guess about what it was?” He studied Michael intently. “He thinks you should marry Grace, adopt Josh and Jamie, and live happily ever after.”

  Michael stared at him. “How did you know that? I thought you were off riding with the boys. Were you eavesdropping instead?”

  “No, but I’ve spent even more time around him than you have. The man dearly loves to meddle and he thinks everybody ought to be paired off and settled down. He’s tried it on me a couple of times, but I always sneak out of town before his schemes can work.”

  He slanted a look toward Michael. “It’s not such a bad idea, you know.”

  “What isn’t?”

  “You marrying Grace. You’ve been in love with her for who knows how long. Stupidity and pride got in the way last time, but there’s no reason to let that happen again. I say go for it.”

  Michael grinned. “You always were her biggest fan.”

  “No, you were that. I was just an interested bystander who thought you were a damn fool for letting her get away.”

  “She’ll turn me down,” Michael said.

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do. She’s not buying that I’ve changed.”

  Tyler chuckled. “You haven’t.”

  “You’re a help. Be sure to share that with Grace.”

  “Well, you haven’t.” He regarded Michael evenly. “You could, though, if it was for something you wanted badly enough. Do you want her that badly, Michael?”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out for the past couple of days.”

  “And?”

  He felt a smile tugging at his lips. “I think I do.”

  “Now there’s a declaration of passion guaranteed to make any woman’s heart go pitter-patter.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “No,” he said evenly. “I don’t. And if I’m not sure, Grace won’t be either. Stop hedging your bets. It’s time to go for broke or get out of the game.”

  Tyler was right. He had to make a clear choice, in or out. And he had to do it fast, before Grace created a loving, tight-knit little family that left him out in the cold.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Michael had expected to feel calmer once Harlan Adams left for White Pines, but it wasn’t turning out that way. In part that was his own fault. He was the one who’d invited Tyler over here. Now his brother refused to let the matter rest and was almost as interested in Michael’s intentions toward Grace as the old man had been.

  “Okay, bro,” Tyler said as they sat on the deck while dusk settled in around them. “You dragged me over here because you anticipated some sort of problem. I assumed your concern was with Josh and Jamie. That problem hasn’t materialized. After our conversation this afternoon and watching the two of you at dinner tonight, I have to wonder if you weren’t just hoping I’d provide a buffer between you and your old feelings for Grace.”

  Irritated by the observation, Michael stared at his brother, cursing the fact that Tyler could read him like a book. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, feigning cranky innocence.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve all but admitted it. You’re still in love with her. You’re scared to death to confess it to her, because then you’d have to risk being rejected for a second time.”

  “You’re here because of Jamie and Josh, nothing else,” Michael insisted.

  “You did not need me just to get them out from underfoot for an afternoon. I’m sure Kelsey would have been happy to run over and pick them up, but you didn’t even consider calling her, did you?”

  “This could have gotten complicated,” Michael said. “If Justin had gotten a notion to take those boys away today, I wanted backup to help me keep them here.”

  Tyler uttered a heavy sigh. “Okay, whatever you say, but I’ve got to tell you, if you let Grace get away again, I’m disowning you. Even a stubborn Delacourt should have enough sense to put pride aside and go for the gold.”

  “This isn’t the blasted Romance Olympics,” Michael muttered in disgust.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I suppose I do.”

  Tyler stood up. “Good, then I can go back to Baton Rouge and face the music.”

  Michael’s gaze shot to Tyler’s face, but in the shadows he couldn’t read his expression. “Ty, is everything okay? That’s the second time you’ve alluded to a problem.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” Tyler assured him blithely. “You just worry about Grace.”

  “And Jamie and Josh,” Michael reminded him.

  Tyler chuckled. “Whatever. Let me know how things turn out.”

  “You’re sure you don’t want to stay the night?”

  “Nope. You’re on your own. I’ve got places to go and people to see.”

  Michael heard a worrisome note of dread under his brother’s light tone. “If there’s anything I can do to help,” he said again.

  “There isn’t,” Tyler assured him.

  “Then I’ll walk you out.”

  Out front he gave Tyler a hug. “Take care of yourself. Thanks for riding to the rescue.”

  “Not a problem. It gave me some breathing space.”

  A
gain, there was that hint of trouble, but Michael knew Tyler had already said all he intended to on the subject, even though it was precious little. In fact, it was rare that he even let this much leak out about his personal life, which meant whatever it was had to be weighing heavily on him.

  For some time Michael had suspected Tyler was involved with a woman he’d met in Louisiana while working on a Delacourt Oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, but his questions drew only the most cryptic, uninformative responses. It was ironic really. Tyler gave the impression of being the most open of the brothers, yet he could keep his own counsel better than any of them. One topic was absolutely off-limits and that was his relationships. He withstood the teasing the rest of them dished out about his flirting in stoic silence.

  After Tyler had gone, Michael returned to the deck. In no time the pressure that had begun building up in his chest earlier felt like it was about to explode. Options chased through his mind at a dizzying speed. He couldn’t sort through them quickly enough, so he just counted his lucky stars that he had a few more days here with Grace, Jamie and Josh before they all went their separate ways. Grace and the boys together. Him alone.

  The prospect of peace and quiet, of a return to routine, should have been heartening. Instead, the thought depressed him. He’d been going his own way for far too long. What had it really gotten him? His father relied on him, yes, but that would have happened anyway. Tyler had been right when he’d said that Michael was the only one in the family who really wanted an executive position. He would have won by default even if he’d devoted only half of his time and attention to the company.

  Of course, that wasn’t how he wanted to stay on top. He needed to prove himself, to be the best. For his own peace of mind, he needed to know he’d earned the right to head Delacourt Oil someday.

  But hadn’t he done that? Did he need to go on doing it forever, sacrificing everything else that really mattered?