Grace noticed that Ford had certainly piqued everyone’s interest, including hers.
“I’d like to take a poll, if I could.” Again, his gaze searched the hundreds of faces peering up at him. “How many of you want After Hours to remain in this town?”
The only hands that rose were the few patrons that frequented the disreputable establishment, which seemed to please Ford. The vote was clearly on his side, and he took advantage of it.
“I’m tearing down After Hours,” he told the residents of Whitaker Falls, and wasn’t met with much protest on that issue. “And in its place I’m building a new ten-cinema theater and a Steakhouse with a lounge and dance floor, to replace After Hours.”
Excited murmurs rippled throughout the throng of people, and Darcy said to Grace, “You have to admit that Whitaker Falls could use a new theater and restaurant, not to mention the employment opportunities those new businesses would offer people.”
Grace nodded her agreement.
“What about the other businesses that are presently there?” someone spoke up, asking the question that had been lingering in Grace’s mind. The fate of those other shops, after all, was the main concern of so many.
“As for the other establishments that are currently on that strip, I’ll be giving them a structural face-lift to match the new architecture of the FZM Center.” Moving to the easel next to the podium, he turned the presentation board around, which revealed a preliminary sketch depicting a modernized building including the proposed theater and restaurant, and noting the existing shops in bold, black type. “All the shops will be able to remain open during renovations, so no one should lose any business.”
The general consensus of the audience was support for Ford’s presentation, and gratitude for his ingenuity and consideration. A sense of pride filled Grace, that her husband had managed to strike a balance between what he’d wanted, and what was in the town’s best interest.
“You’re a good man, Ford McCabe!”
Grace recognized the voice as Marie’s, though she couldn’t see the woman in the swarm of people in front of her. Up on the platform, Ford’s expression softened and he smiled. Grace wondered if he realized in that moment that he’d gained the acceptance and respect he’d craved for so long.
Gradually, like a slow rolling wave, everyone started to clap, the resounding applause echoing Marie’s approval. With tears filling Grace’s eyes, and emotions crowding her chest, she made her way through the attendees and up to Ford on the platform. He watched her as she approached, his gaze hopeful, his expression so achingly vulnerable that she knew this man she’d adored for so long had finally made peace with his past, and was ready to embrace the future awaiting him.
He didn’t care that everyone witnessed this very sentimental moment between them, and his tenderness endeared him to her even more. She stood less than a foot away from him, and though they were surrounded by hundreds of people, for her the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
“Thank you,” she said, the two simple words holding an abundance of meaning. That simple statement expressed her appreciation for the admirable man he’d become, for making respectable choices, and mostly for sacrificing something so important to him, yet gaining so much more as a result.
He understood. “I did it for you, as much as I did it for us, and our daughter.”
Certain she couldn’t contain the overwhelming emotions bubbling up in her, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping them both in a fierce hug.
“Don’t believe a word he says about that piece of property he bought!” Grace’s father’s angry voice intruded on the private moment, shattering it.
Ford let her go, and she found her father out in the crowd instantly because everyone else had turned to look at Ellis Holbrook, making him the center of attention. His face was red with fury, his features creased with loathing. And all that live, seething energy was directed at Ford.
“He’s only telling you what you want to hear,” Ellis went on, taking advantage of the quiet that had settled in the courtyard. “Don’t you remember what he did to this town eleven years ago? He destroyed lives, and he’ll do it again.”
Nobody said anything, though the shocked expressions Grace saw on various faces spoke volumes. An awful premonition swirled through Grace, that her father was out to extract his own brand of vengeance toward Ford, and she couldn’t allow him to disgrace himself, or the respectable man Ford had become.
She stepped forward, toward the microphone, but Ford gently grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Let him say what he needs to say, Grace.”
Ellis’ expression twisted with malevolence. “You killed my son and tore apart my family, Ford McCabe! I lost everything because of you, including my daughter!” He was so filled with rage, he nearly shook with it. “You might be making nice with the rest of the town, but you’ll never be anything more than the selfish, good-for-nothing kid who never thought of anyone or anything but yourself!”
Still, Ford said nothing, just stood there with his head held high while Ellis spewed his bitter emotions. But Grace couldn’t take any more, and when her father continued to publicly malign Ford’s character, she had to put a stop to his ranting.
“That’s enough,” she said, her harsh words cutting off her father’s tirade. “You’re being unfair, Dad. Ford is good and honest, and he’s trying to do something honorable. You have to put the past to rest, Dad, if not for me, then for your grandchild’s sake.”
Just like that day in his office, he didn’t seem swayed. His eyes remained dark and impenetrable.
Knowing she had nothing left to lose, she put her heart on her sleeve for all to see. “I love you, Dad, but I love Ford, too,” she said in a clear, strong voice. Her public declaration of her feelings for Ford set off a few surprised comments, but no one publicly scorned her or Ford. In fact, as she looked out at the audience, she realized she and Ford had the support of the very people who’d once ostracized him.
As for Ford himself, she had no idea how he’d reacted to her spontaneous announcement, since he stood behind her. She knew she should have saved her declaration for a more private moment, but she needed to make her father understand how much her marriage, and her husband, meant to her.
With her gaze, she implored him to soften, to try and find it within himself to forgive Ford for the past. “I don’t want to choose between the two of you, Dad.”
Ellis’ glare encompassed her, then Ford. “Seems to me you’ve already made your choice,” he said, then turned and stalked away.
Ford was furious with Grace’s father—not because Ellis had humiliated him in front of the entire town, but that he’d openly rejected his own daughter. As he led Grace off the platform, his heart wrenched at the devastation reflecting on her face, and the tears of despair swimming in her eyes.
“Oh, Ford, what am I going to do?” she asked, looking to him for the answer.
Not knowing what to say, he drew her into his arms and kissed her temple, wanting nothing more than to shelter her, protect her, and take away the pain her own father had inflicted upon her. But, as he stroked her back and offered her silent comfort, he realized he was the wedge that had come between father and daughter, and until that chasm was somehow breached, there would always be an underlying strain to their marriage.
He loved Grace, more than he thought he could ever love another person, and it was that pure emotion that urged him to make amends with the man who’d hated him for too long.
Instead of taking Grace home, he drove to her father’s two-story Victorian home. She instantly became uneasy when he parked his vehicle at the curb and cut the engine.
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and worried it. “Ford, I don’t think coming here is a good idea right now.”
There would never be a better time to confront Ellis with the past than the present, he thought. He brushed his fingers along her soft cheek, trying to reassure her with that gentle touch. “There are a few t
hings I need to say to your father, and I want you with me when I do.” When she continued to look skeptical, he offered her a lop-sided smile. “How much worse can it get than what we just went through?”
“Not much, I suppose,” she admitted.
“Then come with me.”
To his relief, she did. They exited the car and walked up the cobblestone pathway to the porch. The door was locked, and instead of alerting her father to their presence and risk him refusing them, Grace dug her key from her purse and let them in. The house was quiet, but Grace seemingly had an idea where her father might be.
They found him in the study at the back of the house, his back to the door as he looked at the framed picture of his wife in his hands.
“Ellis?” Ford said quietly.
Ellis whirled around, his gaze narrowing on Ford. The older man looked torn and tormented, and oddly enough, it made him seem very human and vulnerable.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
Ford entered the room without being invited, with Grace beside him. She took a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of her father’s desk, but Ford opted to stand.
“I think you and I have unfinished business to settle.”
“I have nothing left to say to you, McCabe.” Ellis set the photograph back on his desk, his gaze flickering briefly to Grace. “You know how I feel about you, your marriage to my daughter, and you trying to save face with the town.”
“But you have no idea how I feel about what happened to Aaron.”
“Guilt is a powerful emotion,” Ellis said, his lip curling into a sneer. “Is that the reason for your return, and everything else you’re doing? To shake off the guilt that’s been riding you for the past eleven years?”
“No,” Ford said calmly, refusing to rise to the older man’s bait. He understood that Ellis was hurt and lashing out, because he’d lived that anguish himself for the past eleven years. “I used to feel guilty about what happened to Aaron, but the truth is, it was an unfortunate accident, and I just happened to be the one driving the car. I can’t tell you how many nights I laid in bed, wishing it was me that died instead, but it didn’t happen that way, so I’ve learned to forgive myself.”
“How convenient.”
“For me, it was a matter of self-preservation, or the guilt would have destroyed me. So I understand your pain, because I still live with it, too.”
The defensive scowl they’d been greeted with had turned into a considering frown as Ellis listened to Ford.
“I’m sorry that you lost your son, Ellis, but I lost one of the best friends I ever had. Aaron was one of the few who befriended me at a point in my life that had become very bleak. Your son had a big heart, and so does your daughter. You ought to be proud of both of them for having such generous qualities. I plan to raise our children the exact same way.”
Ellis’ eyes shimmered with a multitude of emotions, and the tense set of his shouldered eased. He looked as though he were teetering between giving in and clinging to old resentments.
Ford continued, determined to reach the older man. “I know I’m not your choice for a husband for Grace, but I love her more than anything. I would never purposely hurt her, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make her happy and bring my child up in a secure, wholesome environment.” That was a vow he’d keep until the end of time. “And I know I speak for the both of us when I say we’d really like for you to be a part of our family.”
Ford heard Grace sniffle, and both men looked at the woman who meant so much to them.
Standing, she rounded the desk toward Ellis, her gaze issuing the silent plea she put into words. “Give Ford a chance, Dad,” Grace whispered, resting a hand lightly over the swell of her belly. “Please?”
His gaze dropped to the baby she carried, his expression miserable, and filled with regret. “Dammit, Grace, I don’t want to lose you!”
“You haven’t.” She swallowed back the tears making her voice quiver. “You never will. I promise.”
“I . . . I want to be a part of my grandbaby’s life,” he said, the admission seemingly costing the proud man, yet giving him a sense of peace, too.
“That’s the way it should be,” Ford said, and in a gesture meant to heal the past and pave the way to a smooth future, he extended his hand toward Ellis Holbrook.
Ellis hesitated for only a moment before slipping his palm into Ford’s and shook his hand. They still had a long way to go in becoming friends, but Ford was optimistic that this was the first step in dissolving the dissension between them.
“Did you mean what you said today, about loving me?”
Back at Ford’s house, Grace wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and gazed lovingly into his violet-hued eyes. In the depth of his gaze she saw his devotion for her, and also the barest hint of insecurity.
She catered to the latter, knowing she was going to spend the rest of her life making sure he knew just how much she adored him. “Yes, I meant what I said. I love you, Ford McCabe. And I’m sorry for doubting you.”
His large hands skimmed down her spine, warming her, and sparking a tantalizing hunger that made her breasts swell against his chest. “And I’m sorry for not telling you about me buying that property, and I hereby solemnly swear to never keep anything from you ever again.”
Her fingers threaded through the soft hair at the nape of his neck as the awareness between them increased. “All you have to do is trust me, Ford, and I’ll give you the same in return.”
A smile eased up the corners of his mouth. “I love you, Mrs. McCabe. You’ve given me everything missing from my life, and I can’t imagine a life without you.”
“You won’t have to. I’m not going anywhere.” Sliding her hands around the collar of his shirt, she began unbuttoning his shirt. She gave him a sultry, upswept look full of sensual promise. “In fact, I think there’s a little detail to our marriage that you need to attend to.”
He lifted a brow, but he was definitely interested. “Oh, and what’s that?”
“Consummating it,” she said huskily.
Desire heated his gaze. “Yes, Ma’am.”
In a move that took her completely by surprise, he swept her into his arms, and she squealed in delight and clutched at his shoulders. Laughing, he headed toward the bedroom and laid her gently on the mattress, following her down and settling beside her. All amusement ceased as he glided a hand beneath her blouse, and trailed his fingers over her rounded belly.
The spontaneous, but unmistakable kick beneath his palm startled them both. It was the first time Ford had felt the baby move.
“Oh,” Grace said, her eyes wide.
Ford chuckled warmly.
Leaning down, he placed a downy soft kiss on the spot where his daughter had kicked. “I love you, too,” he assured her, then looked back up at Grace with a hopelessly-in-love grin.
The man was a marshmallow, and his baby hadn’t even been born yet. Reaching out, Grace touched the crease in his cheek. “I hope she has your dimples.”
He scooted back up and gazed reverently into her eyes. His fingers threaded through her hair, then he cupped the back of her head in his palm. “I already know she’ll be as beautiful as you.”
The man had a way with words, but at the moment, she didn’t want to talk. Sensing her need to be intimately close, he kissed her leisurely, taking his time seducing her, until they were both breathless and anxious and naked.
Hard, heated skin slid over soft, bare skin, and a delightful shiver coursed through Grace when he finally pushed deep inside of her and joined their bodies. She craved this man with every fiber of her being, loved every feverish sensation he created with the slow, lazy thrust of his hips against hers.
Moans of pleasure mingled as Ford consummated their marriage in a ritual as old as time, and spent the entire night showing her the depths of his love for her.
In Ford’s arms, Grace found heaven. Within his embrace, she experienced peace and con
tentment. And as his wife, she discovered complete fulfillment.
Epilogue
“Tell me the story again, Pappa,” four-year-old Kambria said, looking up at her grandfather with big round eyes the color of spring violets. Though she had her father’s eyes, Kambria had her mother’s blonde hair and delicate features. She was a beautiful combination of both of her parents.
From a doorway behind her father and daughter, Grace watched the two of them, keeping her presence a secret. There was something incredibly heartwarming in witnessing the bond between the pair, which had been evident since the moment Kambria had been born.
Since Dr. Chase had been on vacation when Grace had gone into early labor, Ellis Holbrook had delivered his grandchild. Grace would never forget the tears that had filled her father’s eyes as he held the squalling baby in his hands, or her own husband’s overjoyed expression when Ellis had informed them they had a perfect little girl. Together, the two men had cleaned her up and bundled her warmly, though it had been Ford’s deep, crooning voice that had settled his daughter’s cries.
Kambria was crazy about Ford, and had her daddy wrapped around her little finger, as most little girls seemed to learn from the cradle. But Kambria had a soft spot for her Pappa, too, and it seemed Ellis could deny his granddaughter nothing, either.
Ellis shifted the little girl on his knee and smiled at her, making him look young and happier than Grace could remember. “Aren’t you tired of hearing the same old story, Munchkin?”
“No.” Kambria snuggled against his broad chest, which was her way of telling him she wasn’t going anywhere until she got what she wanted.
“Oh, all right.” Ellis sighed, a sound of contentment, and leaned back in the recliner. His hand stroked the top of her head as he began the story that so captivated his granddaughter. “Once upon a time there lived a handsome prince, a beautiful princess, and an evil step-father . . .”
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