Because he had no real answer to that question, he let his thoughts drift back to Grace and the boys. Those three would move on to Grace’s apartment. He’d never been there, but he envisioned it as being cozy. The one they’d shared years ago had been, even though she’d furnished it on a shoestring with junk shop finds. She’d had a talent for mixing colors, for creating an atmosphere of warmth every bit as welcoming as what Trish had done with her home here.
He forced himself to face facts. If he didn’t want to lose all three of them, he had to take action, do something. Anything. A grand gesture. Whatever.
For the next two days, though, Michael seemed plagued by indecision and inertia. Oddly enough, he had discovered that when the four of them were left alone, there was a certain comfort to be found in having two rambunctious, wise-ass boys underfoot and Grace’s company on the front porch at the end of the day. He was even beginning to find a certain soothing delight in those blasted wildflowers.
He realized with a sense of astonishment that he hadn’t called his office in several days. He didn’t have to fill every empty minute of every quiet hour. He could just sit still, savor a morning cup of coffee on the deck, enjoy the view of Grace as she padded barefoot out to sit beside him, exposing shapely legs as she curled up on the lounge chair.
So, this was what it meant to relax, he concluded one lazy afternoon as he put aside a book and closed his eyes. It wasn’t half-bad, especially with the sounds of boyish laughter echoing through the house and the occasional kiss from a woman who could send heat rocketing through him.
Despite the fact that everyone—himself included—seemed to expect something from him where Grace and those boys were concerned, he was surprisingly at ease. Maybe that was because Grace didn’t seem to have any expectations at all. She just seemed glad to have company while she awaited further word on her petition to become a foster parent to Jamie and Josh.
He came to enjoy the mind-numbing monotony of the ranch routine, the laughter the four of them shared over cutthroat card games every night after dinner, the nonstop electricity that sparked between him and Grace.
In fact, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d been as happy as he was right here, right now, sitting on the deck in the afternoon sun. Maybe this was what people meant when they talked about living in the moment, about not looking ahead or borrowing trouble.
“Michael?”
He opened his eyes and glanced up at Grace’s worried expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked, sitting up at once, heart thumping with sudden trepidation. He had the oddest sense that his contentment was about to be shattered. “Are Jamie and Josh okay?”
“They’re fine, but I’ve been thinking.”
“About?” he asked, when she didn’t elaborate.
“Going back to Houston. I think it’s time I took them there and got them settled in. I just spoke to the judge’s office and got an okay. They’ll notify me there when I need to be in court.”
“I thought you took the whole week off. It’s only Thursday,” he protested, aware of a knot of tension forming in his stomach.
“I know, but they need time to adjust. I have to make some arrangements for them for next week, maybe a summer day camp. And I need to look for a bigger place. We can’t all crowd into my apartment. There’s a pull-out bed in my home office, but they won’t be comfortable on that for long.” She held up a sheet of paper. “I’ve been making a list. It’s getting longer and longer. I have to get started or I’ll panic.”
Why had he foolishly thought that they would go on as they had been forever? Why had he counted on having more time? Obviously this living in the moment concept had a serious drawback. It left a person totally unprepared for the intrusion of reality.
“We can take the rental car and drive back,” she went on, seemingly oblivious to his dismayed reaction.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said more tartly than he’d intended. At her surprised look, he forced himself to temper his tone. “When the time comes, you can take the corporate jet. I can have the pilot back over here in no time. Jamie and Josh will love it.”
She grinned. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping you’d say that. They’ll be thrilled. I imagine they’ve never flown before.”
“You’re sure you need to go now?” he asked, trying to buy himself more time to wrestle with the decisions he’d been avoiding.
“Yes. I know they’re having a good time here, but I’m just beginning to realize how much needs to be done. I think we should go first thing tomorrow.”
He studied her intently. “Second thoughts?”
“About taking them in? Never,” she said fiercely.
“Then all the rest will fall into place,” he said, offering a solace to her that he wished he could find for himself.
“What makes you so sure of that?”
“Because I know you. When there’s a task at hand, you plunge in wholeheartedly. I’ve seen you accomplish miracles. You’re an amazing woman, Grace, professionally and personally.”
She regarded him with surprise. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course. Why would you doubt it?”
“Professionally, at least, you and I almost never see eye-to-eye.”
“I called you when I needed help, didn’t I? Doesn’t that prove how much I respect what you do, even if I’m often on the opposite side of a case from your client?”
“I suppose so,” she said. “What about personally, though? I dumped you, remember?”
“I’m not likely to forget.” He met her gaze. “I thought we were making progress on getting past that, too. A lot of progress, in fact.”
Patches of color stained her cheeks. “Yes, I suppose we have.”
“You aren’t thinking that will end when we get back to Houston, are you?” He didn’t like the heaviness in his chest as he awaited her reply.
“I guess that’s up to you,” she said. “You’re the one with the nonstop schedule.”
“If you can make time for Josh and Jamie in your schedule, then I can find time in mine for all of you,” he declared emphatically.
“We’ll see,” she said, sounding blatantly skeptical.
Her tone was as good as a challenge. Michael resolved then and there that he would never give her a moment’s doubt. He intended to see to it that he found a way to fit into her life…whether she wanted him there or not.
This wasn’t just his second chance, as Tyler had reminded him. It was his last one.
The flight back to Houston the next morning was such an adventure for Josh and Jamie that Grace almost forgot that the moment they landed she and Michael would move back into their old familiar routines. Even though he’d promised to be there for her and the boys, she couldn’t help wondering how long that would last once he set foot in the office. She knew what Bryce Delacourt was like. He was a demanding father and an even more demanding boss. He was the reason Michael had spent a lifetime trying to prove himself. He was chintzy with praise and generous with criticism, even though she knew he loved all of his sons. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from doing the very things that drove most of them away.
At the airport as they left the plane, she spotted a limo waiting for them. Josh saw it, too.
“Wow, look at that car.” Wide-eyed, he glanced up at Michael. “Do you think it belongs to somebody famous?”
“Not unless you think I’m famous,” Michael said, grinning at him. “It’s here for us.”
“We don’t want to take you out of your way,” Grace said, not sure why she was resisting the offer. “We can take a taxi.”
“The car’s here,” Michael countered. “And it’s not out of my way.”
“You don’t even know where I live.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m in no rush. Besides, I’d like to see where you live.”
“Please, Grace,” Josh begged. “We’ve never been in a fancy car like that.”
His plea zeroed in on her real fear. With Michael offering
them all of these luxuries—riding lessons, a company jet, a limo—would they be content with what she could give them? She made a comfortable living, but it didn’t include this kind of perk.
Of course they would be content, she chided herself. They were the least materialistic kids she knew. While they had been grateful for the things they’d received, the opportunities they’d had the last few days, they weren’t taking them for granted. What they really wanted was a loving home where they could be together, and she was giving them that. Nothing else mattered.
She lifted her gaze to meet Michael’s speculative expression. “Thank you. We’d appreciate the lift.”
When she had directed the driver to a high-rise condominium in the heart of downtown Houston, she saw Michael’s eyebrows lift. It was definitely a far cry from the tiny apartment that they had once shared in Austin. That had been a temporary aberration, a blip in his life, a stepping-stone in hers.
This building was more in his league. She knew for a fact that he had once dated a socialite who lived on the penthouse floor. It had driven her crazy when she’d read about it in the paper, knowing that he was in the same building, making love with another woman. And that was during a time when she’d sworn to herself that she hated him. Obviously she’d been deluding herself for years. The past few days had proven that.
The boys were awestruck by the towering skyscraper, by the lobby and by the swift, silent elevator that whisked them upstairs.
“This is so cool,” Josh said. “I could go up and down all day.”
“No, you couldn’t,” Grace admonished. “It’s not an amusement park ride.”
Josh looked crestfallen. “I just meant it would be fun.”
She ruffled his hair. “I know you did. I just want you to remember that there are lots of other people who need to use the elevator. It can’t be going up and down just because you like to push the buttons.”
“We won’t even get on except when we have to,” Jamie assured her, shooting a warning look at his brother as if he feared that one little mistake might ruin their chances of staying.
“I think that’s enough talk about the elevator,” Michael said. “Looks like we’re here.”
Grace led the way down the hall to her apartment, wondering what they would think of it. “Just remember,” she said to the boys, “this will be temporary. We’ll hunt for someplace with more room.”
“Like a house?” Jamie said wistfully. “With a backyard?”
A house meant the suburbs, Grace thought, not entirely pleased by the prospect. That meant more driving than she was used to, more chances to get herself tangled up in traffic and thoroughly lost. It was also the way Jamie and Josh thought of home, the way she had once envisioned living.
“We’ll look at houses,” she agreed impulsively, as she unlocked the door to their current quarters.
When they walked inside, she wasn’t sure which of them was more shocked. Jamie and Josh stared at everything, clearly stunned by the view and the very modern decor. She sensed that Michael’s amazement was about something else entirely.
“It’s not what I expected,” he said candidly.
“Oh?”
“All this chrome and black and white,” he said with a visible shudder. “It’s not you.”
“Maybe it is,” she said defensively, rather than admitting that she had hated it on sight. She simply hadn’t wanted to waste the time it would take to hire another decorator. She had given the woman free rein and refused to back down even when she’d been shaken by the way the woman apparently viewed her. She had consoled herself with the reminder that she was never here, anyway.
“I thought our place in Austin suited you better,” he said, capturing her gaze. “I loved that apartment.”
She swallowed hard. “You did?” The words were little more than a whisper.
“It made me feel good just walking through the door.”
It had felt that way to her, too, but she had told herself it was because she was young and crazy in love. At that stage, she might even have liked this decor.
She glanced around at the sterile environment she rarely paid any attention to and reconsidered. Maybe not.
“Well, it is what it is,” she said with a dismissive shrug. “I’m not here a lot.”
“When do you plan on going house-hunting?” Michael asked.
“Tomorrow. Maybe the next day. I’ll call a realtor.”
“Let me know when you make an appointment.”
“Why?”
“I’d like to come along.”
If she hadn’t had years to school herself never to show a reaction, her jaw might have dropped open. “You want to look at houses with us?”
“Why not? It’ll be fun.”
“Fine. If you’re sure.”
“I am,” he said firmly. “Somebody has to make sure you don’t do anything like this again.”
She was certain that when the time came he would be tied up in meetings. Now that he was back in Houston, he wouldn’t be able to resist sticking his head into the office, and that would be the end of his so-called vacation. It could be weeks before he surfaced again.
He stepped closer and tilted her chin up. “Everything okay?” he asked, lowering his voice so the boys wouldn’t hear. Once they’d been granted permission, they had raced off to explore the rest of the apartment. “You look a little lost. Or maybe that’s panic.”
“I guess I am feeling a little overwhelmed,” she admitted.
“Then why don’t I come back around six, and we’ll all go to dinner?”
“Won’t you be tied up at the office?”
“I’m on vacation, remember?”
“I thought…”
“I know what you thought,” he said, brushing a kiss across her lips. “But I’ll be back, Grace. You guys discuss what you’d like to eat. I’ll go along with anything.”
The man who dined out at four-star restaurants was going to let two boys choose where they had dinner? Grace couldn’t imagine it. But sure enough, a few hours later when they said they wanted Mexican fast-food, Michael didn’t bat an eye. To her added amazement, he actually knew where the closest one was.
Crammed into a booth, the table littered with an assortment of tacos, burritos and nachos, she found herself wedged thigh-to-thigh beside him.
“If your friends could see you now,” she teased.
“You think they never come here?” he said. “They have kids, too.”
“They probably send them with the servants.”
He peered at her intently. “When did you develop this reverse snobbery?”
Taken aback, she replayed what she’d said and sighed. “That is what it sounded like, isn’t it? I’m sorry.”
“No need. Are you having fun?”
“Actually I am,” she admitted. Not that she could stop worrying about whether Michael thought he was slumming in some bizarre way, but beyond that she was enjoying being here with the three males who’d appeared so unexpectedly in her life.
“Good. Then you’ll agree to buy some popcorn and rent a video when we leave here,” he suggested. “Then after the boys are in bed, you and I can snuggle up on that monstrosity of a sofa.”
“It’s actually very comfortable,” she said.
He winked. “I hope you’re right, because I have big plans for that sofa.”
“Michael!” she protested, casting a horrified look his way.
“Well, I do.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Acting like you’re going to stick around?”
“Because I am.”
“For how long? Till you go back to work next week?”
“No, darlin’. I thought I told you. I’m in this for the long haul.”
Her pulse leaped, despite all the mental warnings that it was nothing more than a turn of phrase. Her gaze narrowed. “How long is that?”
“Five years. Twenty years. Who knows, maybe even fif
ty years.”
“Five days is more like it.”
He reached over with a napkin and dabbed at something at the corner of her mouth. Hot sauce probably. That would explain the burning sensation she felt at that exact spot. Surely, it wasn’t because of his touch.
“Why don’t we tackle this one day at a time,” he suggested, “and see how long it adds up to be?”
She could do that. But could it possibly ever add up to enough to erase all these doubts that experience had taught her were totally justified?
Chapter Fourteen
“Where have you been?” Bryce Delacourt demanded irritably when Michael poked his head into his father’s office the next morning. Even though it was Saturday, he had known his father would be here. His only concession to the day of the week was leaving off his tie and jacket.
“I’m amazed you don’t know,” Michael retorted. “I thought your spies were better than that.”
“Just answer the question.”
“Your other children conspired against me.”
His father’s lips twitched with unexpected amusement. “Did they? That’s twice now. They’re cleverer than I’ve given them credit for being. Or you’re not that great at learning from your mistakes.”
Michael thought of the mistake he’d made in letting Grace get away years ago. He’d learned from that one, all right, but he wasn’t ready to discuss it with his father. Instead he said, “Given how they’ve managed to slip out of your control, I would have thought you’d know better than anyone how inventive they can be.”
“Don’t remind me.” His father pulled a thick pile of folders off the corner of his desk and held them out. “You need to go over these.”
“No can do,” Michael said, remembering his promise to Grace. He kept his hands clasped tightly behind his back to prevent himself from instinctively reaching for the work. “I’m still on vacation.”
His father regarded him with surprise, then nodded. “Okay, take ’em home with you, then.”
Michael grinned ruefully. “You seem to have the same problem with the concept of a vacation that I’ve had. Fortunately, I’ve reformed.”
Marrying a Delacourt Page 16
