Deuce watched as Jake slowly made his way up the main stairs to go to his room. He was worried about him. Jake seemed to be moving slower lately, and Deuce was concerned that the pain in his leg from the accident that had nearly killed him the year before was becoming more than he could tolerate.
Gracie’s arms wrapped around his waist, and he leaned back into the warmth of her body. Her touch gave him an immediate sense of peace.
“Are you okay, Deuce?” she asked him softly, rubbing her cheek against his back and hugging him tighter.
“How could I not be when you’re touching me, Gracie?” Turning, he took her into his arms and kissed her lightly. “You go on and go upstairs,” he told her softly. “I’ll be up as soon as I do one last check on the animals.”
Gracie smiled and reached up to touch his jaw, tracing the beauty of it before reaching up to card her fingers through his hair and tug on the length of curls that was already long enough to touch his collar. She could feel her heart racing and knew that she would never take for granted that he wanted to be a part of her life.
Pulling away from him, she made her way up the stairs to their room, going to the large bureau with the etched mirror and pulling open the top left drawer to take out her pink sleep shirt. Rubbing her hand across the silk material, she thought about the man who currently walked the ranch to make sure that all was well.
Walking into the bathroom, she pulled her clothes from her body, placing them on the counter next to the sink. She looked at the counter before her. Her heart filled with happiness as she viewed the double sink with Deuce’s toiletries beside the left sink and her toiletries beside the right sink. It seemed as if Deuce had prepared for her presence in his life, and his consideration of her comfort touched her deeply.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth before pulling on the silk shirt that fell to just above her knees. Looking at her reflection in the mirror that ran the length of the counter, she saw the reflection of a woman who finally felt like she belonged—who finally felt loved.
Leaving her clothes on the chair in the bedroom, she walked slowly into the room that had been set up as a nursery. She smiled as she saw how Deuce had set up the crib he had chosen. Walking over to it, she ran her fingertips over the carved teddy bear in the dark wood. The fact that Deuce had chosen the crib because the teddy bear reminded him of her had touched her heart.
She reached out and ran her hands across the freshly laundered crib sheet and smiled at the softness. She felt a sudden need to see this beautiful crib filled with Deuce’s baby. She wanted to give him that baby with all that she was.
Deuce was meant to be a father. She had never seen such a caring and devoted man who loved his brothers and friends without hesitation. The way he loved their nephew Robbie gave her an insight as to how he would be with his own child. With their child.
“Now isn’t this a beautiful sight,” his deep voice interrupted her thoughts.
She turned to face him and smiled. “All of you did a wonderful job putting together the crib and setting up all the furniture.” Her heart beat rapidly as he closed the distance between them to stand beside her. “I think you picked out the nicest crib in the store,” she told him softly, running her hand over the carving of the teddy bear once again.
“When I picked it, I was thinking about us filling this crib with our baby, Gracie,” he told her softly, reaching out to touch the satin nightshirt to cover her belly with his hand and caress it lightly. “Maybe the Great Spirit has already blessed us with that miracle.”
She covered his hand with hers and pushed it against her stomach. “I don’t think we’ve been blessed, Deuce,” she told him sadly. “As much as I wish we were, I really don’t believe that we are.”
“Why? Don’t you think we’re worthy of having mates?”
“No, it isn’t that,” she told him softly. “I’m afraid to hope for something that might never happen.”
“Don’t you want to be my mate, Gracie?” he asked her softly, looking down into the sadness of her eyes. “Don’t you want to have a future and a family with me?”
She tried to look away and step out of his arms, but he took her hands in his and turned her so that she faced him. He would not allow her to pull away.
“Rule number four, Gracie,” he told her firmly. “Never hide from me. Never hide your thoughts and feelings. Please, Gracie. I need to know.”
“James,” she began softly, taking a breath to settle herself. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
“I can’t even begin to tell you how happy that makes me.”
“Then what’s wrong, honey?”
“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be with you all the time. As I got older, I wanted it more. When I was with you I felt good, and I felt accepted. You were so kind and caring. I loved every minute that you spent with me.”
“I did, too, Gracie,” he told her honestly, reaching up to trace her jawline with his index finger. “I especially loved when you were by my side during the birthings of the ranch animals.”
“I remember how you were so calm whenever one of the animals went into labor. When I watched your hands help those babies into the world, I used to think about your babies.”
“My babies?”
Gracie nodded, looking away briefly before returning her gaze to his. “I used to think about the woman who would be the one to give you children, and I was jealous.”
Deuce smiled down at her, his heart speeding up as her words filled him with hope. “Do you understand now that you’re that woman, Gracie?” he asked her softly, worried by what her answer might be.
“I don’t want to get my hopes up,” she answered honestly. “I want us to be together, but I don’t know if I can handle it if our children were given the same abilities Melanie or I have. I don’t want them to suffer, and I don’t want you to end up hating me for it.”
Deuce looked down at her silently. He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped back.
“I need you to answer my question, Gracie. It’s a simple yes or no answer. Do you want to have my baby?”
“I…”
“The answer is either yes or no, honey.”
“But, Deuce…”
“Yes. Or no.”
Gracie looked up at him with such anguish in her eyes he nearly pulled her into his arms to tell her she didn’t have to answer him, but he knew that her answer was something he needed to hear. He would never force her to have children. It was her choice. A choice he needed her to be totally honest in making.
“Yes.”
He lowered his hands, his entire body relaxing at her soft response. “Yes?” he asked, wanting to hear it again.
“Yes,” she told him, her voice a little stronger.
He reached out and took her hand in his. “Come with me, Gracie,” he told her firmly.
She followed him silently. She didn’t understand why he was leading her out of the nursery and into the master bathroom, but it wasn’t in her power to deny him anything. When he stood her before the mirror and reached up to take the length of her hair in his hands and bring it around to hang in front of her body, she was more than confused.
“What’re you doing?”
“Be quiet.”
“Hey!”
“Gracie, if I need to, I will gag you.”
“Just try it, buster.”
His deep blue eyes met hers in the mirror. The spark of anger in her light blue eyes looked back at him.
“I need you to stay still and be quiet. Do you need to use your safe word?”
Gracie’s mouth snapped shut. She took great care to calm herself. She was not about to safe word on something so trivial.
Deuce smiled and nodded at her in approval when he saw her come to her decision. Reaching to his left, he opened the drawer below the counter and pulled out a good-sized hand mirror about six inches square. He held it behind Gracie’s neck and waited until she focused on the ref
lection in the smaller mirror as she viewed it through the larger one.
“What do you see, Gracie?” he asked her calmly.
Gracie’s eyes searched her reflection, trying to focus, unsure what she was supposed to be looking for. He saw the instant she recognized what he was showing her. Her eyes snapped up to his in shock.
“James?”
“I think the mating mark looks beautiful on you, Mate,” he told her softly.
She spun around quickly and grabbed for his head to pull it down so that he bent before her. She pushed his hair aside and gasped when she saw the same mark on his neck. She traced the golden, entwined links with the tip of her index finger before leaning forward to kiss it lightly.
He stood up and smiled down at her. “We’ve already been blessed by the Great Spirit, Gracie,” he told her. “I would not be at all surprised if we’ve also been blessed with our baby. We’ve certainly done our best to make that happen.”
Gracie’s squeal of delight surprised him, and he suddenly found himself with an armful of warm and loving woman as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He couldn’t help laughing as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Pulling away from his lips, she looked up at him and giggled. “You’re my mate,” she told him happily.
“Yes, Gracie. I am. And you’re my mate.”
Gracie looked up at him, her face filled with happiness. He watched as she grew serious, and he knew a moment of panic as he waited for her reaction.
“I love you, Mate,” she finally whispered. “Take me to bed, and help me make our baby.”
His growl of happiness and need filled the bathroom. Carrying her into their bedroom he placed her carefully in the middle of their bed and followed her down to cover her body with his. As he pulled her satin nightshirt from her body he whispered the blessing of fertility over her.
He kissed her lips lightly before pulling back to look down at her with such tenderness her heart filled with warmth. He didn’t move. He was content to survey her face, happiness filling him as he saw his woman smiling softly at him.
“What are you looking at?” she asked him, reaching up to touch his face tenderly.
“My mate,” he whispered. “And, if I have my way, pretty soon you’ll be my pregnant mate.”
Chapter 11
Gracie knocked on the front door of her sister’s home, waiting patiently as she heard her nephew’s happy voice.
“Mommy! Someone is knocking.”
The front door opened. Melanie smiled wide and stepped forward to hug her. “Gracie! I’m glad you’re here.”
Robbie grabbed for his aunt’s legs and hung on tightly. “Aunt Gracie!” he chattered happily. “Come play!”
“Okay, Robbie,” Gracie told him, laughing as she reached down and pulled him up into her arms for a quick kiss and a hug before lowering him so he could scamper away.
Melanie closed the door behind them and walked slowly toward the living room, settling herself in the comfortable rocking chair next to the fireplace so she could watch her son play with the little cars and trucks that were strewn about on the braided rug.
Gracie sat on the floor beside Robbie, placing her purse next to her and looking at her nephew with complete love. “Your trucks and cars are awesome, Robbie,” she told him, smiling at the immediate grin he gave her.
“Here, Aunt Gracie. You hold the cars,” Robbie told her, lifting his little hands and handing her three of the cars from his treasure box that sat beside him on the rug.
“Thank you, honey,” Gracie told him, smiling at the adorable little boy. “He looks so much like Luke,” Gracie told her sister.
“He does,” Melanie agreed. “The McKade black hair and blue eyes seem to be a strong trait that’s passed on. I think our little girl will look like her daddy, too.”
Gracie smiled as she watched Robbie play. She found herself lost in thought as she wondered if the baby she might be carrying would have Deuce’s coloring. She thought about a little boy and a little girl who looked like their father, and something in her melted.
“Melanie, do you ever worry that your kids will have the psychic traits that we have?”
“Sometimes,” Melanie answered her slowly. “If they do, it will be okay though.”
“How can you say that? Don’t you remember how hard it was for us growing up?”
“What I remember about growing up is that you took care of us. Our parents were nothing but abusive.”
“What about the kids who tormented you because of your visions? What about how I couldn’t touch people without feeling pain and causing them pain?”
Melanie smiled sadly as she looked down at her sister. “Gracie, I agree it was really hard growing up. I think if our parents were more caring and understanding we wouldn’t have felt so isolated and different. You and I will never do that to our children.”
Gracie nodded, accepting what her sister said. She reached out and touched Robbie’s head tenderly as he parked his little trucks in the plastic garage he had set up next to his toys. Melanie was an amazing mother. She had to admit that she would love and protect any children she had, too, just as her sister was doing with her own children.
“You helped me understand that my visions were a gift,” Melanie continued, extending her foot and tapping Gracie’s leg with the tip of her sneaker. “When you held me I always felt calm and peaceful. You have to know that I never would have survived without you. And I know of a lot of times when it was because of you that other kids or animals benefited from your touch. I don’t really know why you cause some people pain.”
“Deuce says it’s because I’m not supposed to touch any man who isn’t my mate,” Gracie told her softly. “Or part of my family,” she added.
“Well, that makes sense,” Melanie offered. “You don’t cause any pain to Luke or any of the brothers. John or Tim either. And I know you don’t cause Deuce any pain.” She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled.
“You’re so bad,” Gracie told her, blushing slightly.
“Looks like you’re just as bad, big sister.”
Gracie laughed, catching Robbie in her arms and hugging him as he giggled and threw himself into her embrace. She kissed his cheek soundly before leaning back to look at him. His smiling face stared up at her.
“Aunt Gracie is happy,” Robbie told his mother as he reached up and patted Gracie’s face with his little hands.
“Yes, Robbie, I am,” Gracie admitted, kissing him quickly before he pulled out of her arms and went back to his trucks. She looked up at Melanie and smiled. “Do you remember when you told me, Lainey, Becca, Jamie, and Claire that we would be mated to our men within the next six months?”
“Yes, and I still say that,” Melanie insisted. “And when each of you finds yourself mated, you will each owe me a giant chocolate bar with almonds. Don’t forget that.”
“I didn’t forget,” Gracie told her, reaching for her purse, opening it up, and pulling out the giant chocolate bar with almonds that she had just purchased that morning. She handed it to her sister.
Melanie took it quickly, her expression smug. “I should have bargained for something more.”
Gracie laughed out loud. Getting up on her knees, she crawled toward her sister. Taking the length of her hair, she pulled it aside and tipped her head forward so Melanie could see the mating mark on the back of her neck.
Melanie touched it reverently. “I told you, Gracie,” she whispered. “I knew you and Deuce were fated to be together.”
Gracie looked up at her, taking her sister’s hand in hers and squeezing it lightly. “Yes, you did.”
“Are you happy, honey?”
Gracie nodded. “Yes. But I’m also worried.”
“About what, Gracie?”
“I don’t want my babies to suffer as we did from what we went through.”
“They won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because, they’ll have
us. And we won’t let them feel afraid or different. They won’t be different. They’ll be like us, and they’ll be surrounded by people who love them. We didn’t have that with our parents, but we have it with the McKade family and John and Tim. Since all those people will be a big part of our kids’ lives, our babies will know only acceptance and support and love.”
Gracie looked at her younger sister in amazement. “For such a little brat, you sure are a smart woman.”
“It’s in the genes,” she responded quickly, glad when Gracie laughed. “Don’t worry, Gracie. Everything will work out. Your babies will be beautiful, and you and Deuce will love them so they’ll never feel what we felt.”
“So, have you had a vision about me having a baby?” Gracie asked softly.
The tender smile that came to Melanie’s face made Gracie’s heart beat faster in anticipation. When Melanie took her hand in hers and squeezed it lightly, she knew her sister was going to tell her something important.
“I hope you’re looking forward to having a large family, honey.”
“How large?” Gracie asked warily.
“Let’s just say it’s a good thing the ranch house has a lot of rooms,” Melanie told her calmly. “And I’ve seen how Deuce adores every one of them just as much as he adores you.”
Gracie smiled slowly, hope filling her. Melanie’s visions were never wrong, but she might be too close to this one. She wanted Gracie’s life to be good. Maybe she saw what she wished would be her future.
“Want something to eat, Mommy,” Robbie piped up, walking over to Melanie and leaning his head on her lap.
“Okay, little boy. I’m pretty hungry, too.”
She stood awkwardly and reached down to lift her son, carrying him with her into the kitchen. Gracie stood quickly and pulled Robbie from her arms.
“Melanie, you shouldn’t be carrying him,” Gracie admonished her softly.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Melanie snapped, huffing in frustration. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. When you leave you can take some of the things I have ready for the baby. Luke already brought some of Robbie’s things to the ranch this morning.”
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 14
