When the time came, she locked up the house, got into her car, and drove out to Warner Ranch, which was just a little farther down the road from the Divine Creek Ranch. She parked in the row of cars lining the long driveway. She was feeling a little sad, a little tired, and slightly wilted as she walked down the drive to join other friends and family in the house.
* * * *
Jack stood with Ethan and Adam, talking in the living room, when Ethan nudged Jack and gestured toward the window with his head. Grace walked down the drive, looking like an angel of mercy come to comfort them. Each graceful stride brought her closer to him.
The long black skirt clung slightly to her legs as she walked, her sheer black blouse rippling in the breeze over the camisole underneath. She was modestly dressed, but there was just something about the way she moved and the style of the clothes she wore that set off her feminine curves. The sight made him wish for a chance to see the bare, sweet flesh that filled out that outfit so perfectly. Sometimes showing less really was more. As she came closer, Jack noticed sadness around her mouth and wanted nothing more than to kiss those soft lips and make it better. Ethan nudged him again and nodded his head at Adam, who was also staring out the window. Adam was tall, greater in height than either of them, but he seemed to stand a little taller, and his eyes took on a fierce glint as he asked, without taking his eyes off of her, “That’s Grace, isn’t it?”
A wide, knowing grin spread over Jack’s face. “Yes, that’s Grace. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
* * * *
By the time Grace made it to the steps, she felt her chin wobble slightly. On the walk up the drive, she had reminisced over many of the fun times she’d had with Rose Marie in the years she’d worked at Stigall’s. Grace had waited on her frequently, but what she loved about Rose Marie was that she would stop just to chat with her. She’d even invited her to lunch on a couple of occasions. She had been so wise but not pushy in giving advice.
Once, Rose Marie had found an outfit she thought Grace would look good in and insisted that she try it on right then. She had told the manager she wanted to see what it would look like on someone else, and Juliana had sent Grace right into the dressing room so she could model it for Mrs. Warner. What a hoot she was. Rose Marie had bought the outfit just to cover for her lark and told Grace she looked so beautiful in it she should consider it for herself as well. Grace wound up buying it later on sale. It was hanging in her closet at home.
Grace paused at the bottom of the steps, feeling like she needed a moment to compose herself before joining all the others inside. She took a deep breath and climbed the first step up to the porch. As she looked up, three men dressed in black suits and black cowboy boots walked out the screen door onto the porch. One handsome cowboy would have been enough to make her salivate, but three of them?
Jack looked so handsome in his new suit. Ethan, with his shoulder-length dark hair and those sparkling blue eyes, looked like he belonged in the pages of a magazine. The other cowboy was a stranger to her, but she imagined this was their other roommate, Adam Davis. What startled her most about their appearance, though, was how genuinely happy they seemed to be that she was there, even the one she didn’t know.
He never took his intense pale green eyes off of her, this giant of a man. His hair was dark brown like Ethan’s but cut much shorter, so only a little showed under his hat. He was taller by two or three inches than Ethan, so they were like stair steps, but all three were so imposing in their own way. They were all muscular, but this stranger was broader through the chest, and she thought he’d probably had to order that suit coat-custom made to fit as well as it did. There she went again, thinking inappropriate thoughts at Rose Marie’s expense.
Jack trotted down the steps, took her hand in his, and kissed her cheek. He led her up to the shaded porch. Her cheek tingled, and heat bloomed where his lips had touched her. Her hand trembled slightly in his big, callused hand. She found his work-roughened, capable, working man’s hands to be incredibly sexy.
“Grace, you met Ethan at the house yesterday, I hear. I’d like to introduce you to my other roommate, Adam Davis. Adam, this is Grace Stuart.” Jack sounded so pleased that she was there.
“Grace, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve been looking forward to it.” Adam reached out to her, and his big hand dwarfed hers as he lifted it and bent down slightly to kiss her knuckles. She was surprised by the old-fashioned gesture but even more so by the undisguised interest in his eyes.
Ethan leaned in and kissed her cheek, shocking her completely. She was not accustomed to receiving so much attention but had a feeling she could easily get used to it. He leaned in and said, “Supper was really good last night. We enjoyed it so much we thought about stealing you and bringing you home with us. Maybe we can cook for you some time to return the favor.”
Surprised at his words, her lips popped open, but she wasn’t sure what to say.
Oh, my gosh. Steal me. Plunder and pillage!
“He’s serious, by the way,” Jack said, chuckling a little. “Maybe sometime soon, after things settle down a bit, we could have you out to the ranch for a nice meal.”
She had no idea what to say. She wasn’t stunned speechless because she thought their invitation was inappropriate, though it might just be at the moment. She didn’t know what to say that would not come across as overeager. Then Owen reared his ugly head in her mind again. He was so out of there it was almost funny. Like Wile E. Coyote careening over a cliff with an anvil tied to his ass. He never should have asked for her ATM card.
Thoughts of Rose Marie came to mind, and she could almost hear the old woman say, “Seize the day, baby.” It was a truly surreal moment.
She grinned back at him and bravely said, “That sounds like a fantastic idea, Jack. I’d love to. Just give me a few days. I have some serious house cleaning to do first.”
Though she meant it figuratively and not literally, it did bring her current housekeeping dilemma to mind, which made her pause and frown.
“You don’t know any reliable, and more importantly, available air conditioner repairmen, do you, Jack?” It seemed like a reasonable, legitimate question. She wasn’t prepared for the mild surprise on all three of their faces. Or the grins that followed. What had she said? They seemed pleased and amused by her question, even Adam, who finally spoke up.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“My AC quit on me yesterday. I got home from dropping off your supper, and it wasn’t cooling the house anymore.”
Jack said, “You remember me telling you that one of my partners was an AC and heating contractor? Adam’s your guy. He can fix whatever is wrong with it.”
Adam quickly nodded and said the magic words. “I can come over later this afternoon if you’d like.”
“Oh, I’d like that just fine,” she replied, so relieved she wanted to cry happy tears. “I’m definitely feeling a little wilted.”
Jack took her hand in his and said, “Why don’t we get you inside and cool you off a bit.”
The men brought her inside and stayed with her until it was time to walk to the cemetery, which was a short distance from the ranch house. She would have preferred to blend into the background with the other mourners, but Jack kept her hand securely clasped in his own as the preacher spoke.
At the reception afterward, Jack introduced her as a friend of his who was close to Rose Marie. She visited briefly with some of the other attendees and got some interesting looks, but overall, she felt accepted.
“Adam, why don’t you ride with her to our house and then follow her home in your truck.” Jack said something else quietly to him, to which Adam nodded in agreement.
“I’ll need to change out of my suit, anyway.”
Jack and Ethan walked them down the drive to her car. She’d sensed a shift in their friendship today, and she felt it strongly as she turned to Jack. For the very first time, he took her gently in his arms and hugged her to him. For on
ce, Owen didn’t come to mind. She slid her arms around his shoulders, not retreating or holding back. She pressed into him, inhaling his woodsy, masculine scent.
“See you soon, darlin’.” Jack squeezed her briefly, then released her.
Ethan leaned in and kissed her cheek and thanked her for coming. He hugged her, too. She got into her car, a little breathless, and Ethan closed the door for her again, reminding her to buckle up.
Adam climbed into the passenger seat, dwarfing her little Honda, and buckled up as well. She was unused to being so close to someone so big and strong, so powerful and masculine. He made her feel tiny and feminine by comparison. She smiled up at him as she turned the key in the ignition. She could lose track of time gazing into those pale green eyes. Jack and Ethan waved to her and watched as she and Adam pulled down the drive.
“I feel a little guilty for taking you away from your family this afternoon,” she said, glancing over at him.
“There is no need. Everything around the ranch has already been taken care of, and Jack’s older sister, Anne, is going to be staying with Joe for the time being. Jack and Ethan will probably stay around to visit a little longer and then head on back to the house themselves.”
“Maybe so,” she said, “but I imagine you were close to her as well. I’m sorry to put you to work on a day you would normally spend with your family.”
“It seems to me Jack is more worried about me seeing to your AC problem than he is about whether I follow funeral protocol, whatever that would be in a case like this.”
When he asked her, she described the problem in detail to him on the way down the drive. He asked her a few questions to make sure he had whatever he’d need on the truck. When they got to the house, he insisted she come inside while he changed out of his suit. Their house was cool and neat as a pin, everything in its place. While she waited, she looked at the photographs that hung on the living room wall near the front door.
She especially liked a larger black and white photograph of the three of them as boys. It was an outdoor shot of them all piled into an inner tube floating on a river. She guessed they must have been in about first grade because they were all missing their front teeth. Their hair was wet and standing up in spikes, and all their toothless grins were a mile wide. The little boys looked like they were having the time of their lives.
Adam came up behind her. “Rose Marie took that picture on the Guadalupe River when our parents took us camping in New Braunfels. They let us have a tent all to ourselves. We swore we’d stay up all night, and our parents said we could if we wanted to. We were on the river all day, had a cookout that night, and we were all sound asleep by eight o’clock. The sun had barely even set.
“Did you notice we were all missing our front teeth? They all started getting loose about the same time, and we wiggled and worked them until they were barely hanging on. Then one afternoon on a dare, we pulled them all out at the same time. Our parents told us the tooth fairy was gonna go broke.” He chuckled. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” she replied in a daze.
Listening to him tell that story in that deep voice of his, she felt like she was there watching it happen. His voice drew her in and had a sort of hypnotic effect on her. Her confusion over her earlier feelings for Jack and Ethan increased, and she was troubled by the way she was now responding to Adam as well. She should feel nervous about being alone with him, but she wasn’t. She wanted to stay and listen to him tell more stories.
She took one last look at the photograph, then turned to find him gazing down at her. “You know, it meant a lot to Jack that you came today. I noticed he never let go of your hand. He was right. You have a very sweet spirit.” He leaned down and inhaled as he kissed her cheek.
Surprised, all she could do was stand there and blush. Was he saying these things to test her reaction? His kiss felt like so much more than just a peck on the cheek. It felt intimate. If he was testing her reaction, he certainly was getting one because her cheeks were flaming and her panties were damp.
“He said you blush easily. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just wanted you to know we appreciate you, you know? You look very pretty in that outfit.” His voice sent a pleasurable shiver up her spine.
“Thank you. I’m just not used to people paying so much attention to me and saying such nice things. It’s not that I’m mistreated or anything, I’m just…not used to it.”
Owen was so out of there. She was too mistreated.
“Well, be that as it may, what I said was true and not just flattery. Let’s get on over to your house and see what I can do about the AC.”
She followed him out, feeling all warm and fuzzy.
She cringed when she turned onto her street and saw Owen was home, his beater truck parked in the driveway. She pulled up to the curb, and Adam parked behind her. She got out of her car and noticed the grim look on Adam’s face as he climbed out and opened the toolbox on the utility camper.
She wondered if Jack told Adam what he had seen of Owen’s behavior that day in the store when he’d come in asking for money. She felt embarrassed and ashamed that Adam was probably going to meet Owen when he was at his worst—hungover and mean. She gathered her purse and led Adam into the house.
Owen must have been home for hours because the house looked it. Where he’d gotten the money for pizza she didn’t know, but the remains of one were scattered across the coffee table. He was lying back in the recliner scratching himself when she walked into the living room. He grunted when she introduced Adam and said he was there to check the AC.
“About fuckin’ time. It’s hot as hell in here. I was about to leave and go somewhere cooler.”
She bit her tongue and showed Adam where the thermostat was. He went outside to check the compressor, and she busied herself cleaning up after Owen. He must have had company while she was gone. At least some of the dishes made it into the sink. When she turned around, she saw him standing in the kitchen doorway. She scraped the plates off and ran soapy water in the sink.
“Where have you been?” he asked sullenly, scratching again.
“At a friend’s funeral.”
“Who’s that guy?”
“He is an AC repairman.”
“No, I mean who is he to you? I can tell he’s a fuckin’ AC repairman.” He threw his beer bottle in the trash can, where it struck something else and shattered. She cringed. He was working on another drunk.
“He’s my friend. He offered to come over and check it out,” she replied, hoping he would accept her answer and walk away. For once, not start in on her, not while Adam was here. Please, not while Adam was there.
“Maybe what he’s really doing is checking you out. He must be blind or something.” He belched.
“What?”
“Maybe he needs glasses. Or maybe he prefers fat asses like yours. It takes all kinds, I guess,” he muttered with a shrug.
“Whatever, Owen. Go watch your game and let me get done in here.” She would not give in and start crying. In his current state, that was like blood in the water to a shark.
“Whatever?” he slurred. “That’s probably what he was thinking when he saw your fat ass. I’m going to Dave’s. I don’t want to be around for whatever method of payment the two of you have worked out. Of course, he may demand cash payment on the spot after fucking your fat ass or maybe even demand a refund from you. That cunt will probably disappoint him, too. There’s a paper bag on the refrigerator if he needs it, fuckin’ slut.” He grabbed his keys from the table and allowed the screen door to slam shut on his way out.
Grace had frozen as the evil filth flowed from his drunken lips. Each horrible word flowed over her like acid. She was such a chickenshit. That was her opportunity, and she’d passed it up. Maybe not the best opportunity because Owen was not a drunk she wanted to piss off.
In the next second, what she’d thought was the worst moment of her life became so, so, so much worse.
She heard a tool clan
k against the air conditioner compressor, right outside the open kitchen window. She listened to the crashing thud of her heart. She broke out into a cold sweat, and each rasping breath made her throat hurt. Adam had probably heard every despicable word Owen uttered, the names he’d called her, and the innuendo he had dropped. Her day was now complete.
When she started seeing black spots in front of her eyes, she realized she was holding her breath and turned to make her way to a kitchen chair. She sat forward, placing her elbows on her knees, her forehead in the palms of her hands. The black spots went away, but the mortification stayed.
He startled her when she felt his large hand sweep across her back. She jumped, but kept her eyes closed, not wanting to look into his. He pulled up a chair and sat down and gently rubbed her back.
“You heard?”
“Yeah.”
“How much?”
“Every ignorant word. Why do you put up with someone who treats you like that, baby?”
“I plan to throw him out. I just don’t want to do it when he’s drunk. He’s mean when he’s drunk, as you can see. I didn’t want an ugly scene while you were here.”
“You were trying to avoid a scene because of me, baby? I wish I’d known you want to break up with him. I would have personally kicked his stupid drunken ass for you and then helped you throw his shit out with him. Is that the house cleaning you told us earlier that you needed to do?”
She nodded as he continued, “Grace, all you have to do is call us when you’re ready to clean house. All three of us will come whether he’s drunk or sober, and your house cleaning will be done.”
“Thank you, Adam. I’m really sorry that he was here, and I’m very embarrassed about the things you heard him say.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad he was here so that I could see firsthand what an ass he is. You deserve better.”
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection) Page 4
