The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection)

by Heather Rainier

  They walked back to the house, talking and joking, and were on the porch when they saw lights coming down the driveway that led from the main ranch house. “That must be Grace bringing Teresa and Michael their Christmas presents,” Angel said as they turned and came back down the porch steps to help her as she parked the SUV.

  “So this is Grace?” Joaquin said in obvious anticipation to finally meet the woman Jack had been going on and on about anytime he talked to him the last few months.

  “Hang on to your hat, brother. She’s a flirt.” Angel smiled, remembering a time when Grace was almost as afraid of her own shadow as Teresa had been. Grace popped the rear door on the back of Jack’s SUV and climbed out.

  “Hi! I’m sorry…or…at least I was…about not coming down to drop these off sooner. Wow, Angel, it’s like you have a yummy twin! Can we keep him?” She giggled enthusiastically when Angel groaned.

  “Grace, this is my brother, Joaquin. Joaquin, this irrepressible blonde is Grace Warner.” He turned to an unrepentant Grace and shook his finger, unsuccessfully hiding his grin. “You behave or he may not stay. You made him blush and nothing makes this cowboy blush.”

  Joaquin gave her a crooked little grin and turned up the high beams on his charm. “Grace, up until now, I thought everything I was hearing about you was fanciful rumors. It turns out you’re every bit as precious as Jack, Ethan, and Adam have been bragging about.”

  Grace’s eyes twinkled with merriment and good humor as she redirected their attention. “He’s a sweet-talker too, I see. Okay, boys. The presents are in the back, and the one in silver paper is very fragile. I’m going to run in and say hello to Teresa and Mini Me.”

  “Mini what?” Angel lifted a large gift wrapped in brightly-colored paper.

  “You know, ‘Mini Me’? Michael? He’s your little ‘Mini Me’ in his cute little cowboy hat,” Grace said, giggling gaily. “I saw you in the barn earlier. He’s watching you close, Angel. He even tries to walk like you.”

  Warmth suffused his chest at her comment. “Really? I hadn’t noticed. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for that.”

  Grace reached for the gift wrapped in silver paper. “Every little boy needs a good male role model in his life, Angel. Michael is lucky to have you. So is Teresa. I think you are so good for each other. Joaquin, have you met Teresa yet, or did you just arrive?”

  “I got in a few minutes ago, but we have been introduced to each other.”

  “Isn’t she beautiful? She’s a dear friend and one of the best people I know.” They climbed the stairs to the deck carrying all the gifts.

  Teresa opened the door and smiled happily. “I thought I heard your voice, Grace. Michael, look who’s here. It’s Aunt Gracie.”

  “Gracie-baby!” Michael crowed and came running.

  Teresa tilted her head and grinned at Grace and mouthed “Gracie-baby?” at her and raised an eyebrow.

  Grace giggled and said, “He heard Jack call me that in the barn the other day, and somehow it must have stuck.” She handed Teresa the gift and lifted Michael into her arms and received a big, wet kiss. “Merry Christmas, Michael-baby!”

  “Merry Christmas!”

  Grace left a few minutes later after she wished them a good night and reminded them to come for the party the following evening. Teresa reheated the plate she’d set in the microwave for Joaquin while they put the gifts under the tree then sat down to visit for a little while before she took Michael home. Joaquin thanked her gratefully, and they had a good time talking. Angel and Joaquin did most of the talking, with interjections here and there from Michael. Angel noticed Teresa said little but observed much.

  * * * *

  Teresa noticed the two handsome brothers shared some mannerisms. Such as the little sideways, twinkling eyes and grin, which made her so nervous when she and Angel first met, but she now loved to see. The nerves she felt when she was on the receiving end of it from Joaquin was nothing like Angel had had to deal with back when he’d first asked her out. She supposed that was progress of some sort.

  Joaquin was almost the same height as Angel, maybe less than an inch shorter. His hair was the same ebony black as his brother’s, the length being the only difference. It was thick and had a little wave in it. He dressed the same, in faded blue jeans, denim shirt, and the requisite cowboy boots. Another similarity between the two was the smile lines around their eyes and mouths. He was as easygoing as his brother, and she was willing to bet he’d left many a yearning heart behind when he’d come to Divine.

  She loved listening to them talk. The deep, resonant quality of their voices was soothing after her long day. Michael drifted off after he climbed sleepily into her arms. She kissed the fragrant top of his head and smoothed her hand down his little back. She needed to get him home soon and ached for a moment to know what it felt like to not have to gear up to go home after an evening at Angel’s house. She glanced up and caught them both gazing at her.

  Angel’s eyes were filled with deep tenderness, which made her smile. The look in Joaquin’s eyes was warm and open. There was a soft desire there that she would have been a fool not to notice. She looked away in embarrassment when a response stirred within her core. The heat of her blush spread over her cheeks, and her nipples tingled, her breathing came faster. The folds between her legs swelled and throbbed in response to his gaze. She looked up at Angel, embarrassed, and whispered, “I should take him home.”

  Angel rose from the couch and lifted Michael’s limp little body from her arms, grazing her cheekbone with his lips as he did. She looked up at him, confusion probably apparent on her face. He smiled at her and cuddled Michael against his chest as he offered his other hand to her to help her rise. She turned to his brother and said, “Joaquin, it’s been a pleasure finally getting to meet you. I—I’ll see you in the morning when we get here.” Joaquin smiled and responded in kind. He watched from the door for a few seconds as Angel helped her get Michael into his car seat before closing the front door, allowing them their privacy.

  Once Michael was settled, Angel closed his car door carefully, trying to not disturb him. He turned to Teresa and pulled her into his embrace. He looked into her eyes and tucked a loose lock of her long hair behind her ear.

  “Angel, are you sure you want us to come early? You might enjoy having some time alone to visit with your brother.”

  “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t come in the morning. We’ll probably be up late getting caught up tonight, so don’t you fret about that. If you come early, I can make breakfast for you, which is what I was hoping to do. I’ll be up by five taking care of things around here. If Michael is usually up by six or six thirty, why don’t you bring him around seven, unless you can get him to sleep in a bit?”

  She chuckled and replied, “I don’t have that kind of luck. Michael has always been an early riser. I’ll see you around seven then, but we’ll both need a nap by mid-morning.” She emphasized that thought with a little yawn behind her hand.

  A sexy smile spread over his handsome face, and he murmured, “That’s fine. I’ll tuck you in for a nap when you get sleepy. Of course, I’d also take responsibility for waking you, too.”

  “Really? Like earlier?” she asked breathlessly, smiling at his nod. “I wouldn’t complain, I-I don’t think.”

  “I love you, beautiful.” Angel cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly. She felt a pulse between her legs as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her off her feet and press her body to his. She moaned against his lips and stroked his tongue tentatively with her own, eliciting a soft growl from him. He set her down carefully.

  “I love you, too, Angel.” She rested her head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. “I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” she whispered as she stroked his biceps.

  “But it’s a good kind of hurt, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is. I’ll see you early in the morning.” She sat down in the driver’s seat of her car. He clos
ed the door and leaned in to kiss her again after she lowered the window.

  “Sweet dreams,” he whispered.

  Yeah, like she was going to be able to sleep at all.

  * * * *

  Angel stayed up late into the night talking with Joaquin. Angel sensed her unease and imagined she thought she betrayed her love for him by feeling an additional interest in Joaquin.

  Taking him into strict confidence, Angel told Joaquin everything Teresa told him about her past and how she’d been when they first started dating six months before. He was gratified by the anger in Joaquin’s eyes as he imparted the details of Teresa’s horrific experience with Ranulfo, the pain and terror he’d inflicted on her.

  “So now you can understand why we’ve taken our relationship so slowly. Her only sexual experiences were painful ones. The last six months have been all about taming her fears and earning her trust.”

  “Do you know where the bastard is right now?”

  Angel explained what Teresa had told him of Ranulfo’s whereabouts. Angel smiled at the need he saw in Joaquin’s eyes to set right this wrong and knew it mirrored his own feelings on the matter.

  “I’m asking her to marry me in the morning. I want you to know that as far as I am concerned, there’s room for you within our family. If she says yes to me, that is. She would have to want you and welcome you also.”

  “Damn, Angel.” Joaquin swore softly, taken by surprise.

  “You’d have to make it permanent with her. I won’t allow you to come and go or treat her love casually. If she’ll have you, you stay permanently. Remember the only experience with polyamorous relationships she has is what she sees between Grace, Jack, Ethan, and Adam. She knows about our family, but she was raised differently. That would be a major hurdle for her to jump, wrapping her mind around two men loving her. She’s probably confused by her reaction to you, and I’ll need some time alone with her to talk to her about it tomorrow. Give her time to get used to you, and you take some time to decide if this is what you want.”

  Joaquin retrieved beers for both of them from the refrigerator and handed one to Angel. “I remember talking to Adam when he called one day after he got engaged. He went on and on about Grace and how he fell in love with her the moment he set eyes on her. I gave him a hard time about it. Now I’m eating my words, because the moment I laid eyes on her, I—I just knew.”

  Joaquin ran his hands through his hair and scrubbed his whiskered cheeks with his palms. “I laid eyes on her one second and…wanted to take her in my arms in the next. It felt like she reached into my chest and stole my heart from me while I was busy staring at her like a calf at a new gate. I’m going to have to confess all to Adam now and let him laugh at me this time, because I’m smitten.” He rubbed the center of his chest. Angel grinned at the action, familiar with the feeling.

  “Do you think you could love her the way she deserves? Make her your first priority? Consider her son as your own?” Angel had seen the answer in Joaquin’s eyes all evening but needed to voice the question point blank.

  Joaquin mulled the question over, his eyes hooded as he thought before answering, “Yes. The question is can she love me and learn to trust me, the way she does you? And what about when she finds out about my life on the circuit? I mean, I wasn’t exactly a priest.”

  Angel smirked sarcastically. “So I gathered from your little predicament this morning. Big bunny-slut.”

  Joaquin swore but also had the grace to blush. His reputation amongst the buckle-bunnies that followed the rodeo circuit was legendary.

  * * * *

  Teresa woke to the sound of excited screeching coming from the living room. She smiled sleepily and looked at the clock. It was 5:45 a.m. It was a good thing they hadn’t stayed up too late last night. She knew he’d be up early no matter what time he went to bed. It brought happiness to her heart to know that Angel was already up, as well. That thought, of course, brought his handsome brother to mind. She’d gone to bed troubled last night.

  Her heart belonged irrevocably to Angel. She’d been attracted to him since the day she met him. Where the attraction to his brother came from, she didn’t know. Was it because of the resemblance? Was it the long look that passed between them at the door?

  Her mother always told her the eyes were the windows to the soul. Perhaps she should have followed her mother’s teaching and averted her eyes when she’d first seen him, then she wouldn’t be having these feelings. Last night, he’d seen straight into her soul as deeply as Angel ever had. That didn’t sit well. Angel had patiently earned her trust and the right to see that deeper part of herself.

  He’d encouraged her to hold her head high and told her that she had nothing to be ashamed of. He’d told her once that her mother was wise in her teaching, but perhaps averting her eyes had become a way to hide from even those who cared about her and intended her no harm. She knew he was right.

  Any way she looked at it, she was confused. She didn’t feel violated for having allowed Joaquin to look in her eyes—that would be silliness—but she worried about what he saw there that made him respond to her.

  She groaned and rose from the bed and donned her bathrobe. Maybe everything would be fine this morning. Maybe it was her exhaustion that made her feel that way last night. Maybe he was noticing and concerned because she looked so worn out from work. Right, that would explain the desire she saw plainly in his eyes last night. She hoped if Angel noticed her reaction to Joaquin that he wasn’t mad at her for acting so silly at the door. He was not one to take offense easily. Maybe she was worrying for nothing, or maybe she was a loose woman needing her head checked.

  She walked into the living room and couldn’t help but smile, watching Michael in his cowboy hat and pajamas, astride the rocking pony. He rocked back and forth on it with one arm up high in the air. She picked up her camera and started taking pictures. After jumping off the horse, he brought the little play tool belt to her, needing her help to put it on. When it was secure around his little hips, he turned to her and said, “Now me and Daddy are gonna build you a house.” She pulled him to her and hugged him close as tears stung her eyes. He had such a tender, giving heart.

  “You play, and Mama is going to get ready so we can go to Angel’s house.”

  Those were the magic words. “Angel’s house! Angel’s house! We gotta go!”

  “Slow down, you have time to play. Mama is going to make herself pretty then get you dressed, and we’ll go.”

  “Take my tools?”

  “Sure, baby.”

  Teresa texted Angel, and he called her right back. She handed Michael the phone, and Michael said, “Angel! Santa came! Santa came! He got me a horsie! Yeah, a rockin’ horsie. Yeehaw!” Michael screeched as he rocked on the horse. “Yep, I’m a cowboy just like you!” he crowed. “We comin’ over soon. Bye!” he yelled and handed the phone back to Teresa.

  “Good morning, Angel. Merry Christmas.”

  “Good morning, sweetheart. You coming over?”

  “We’ll be there as soon as we can. Michael was so excited. He wanted to call you and tell you about the horse.”

  “A cowboy’s first horse is a special thing. Sort of like first love. I’ll finish up here and get breakfast going. I love you.”

  “I love you, Angel.”

  Chapter Ten

  Teresa stood beside the couch watching Michael trot around the living room dressed in his chaps, spurs, cowboy boots, and plaid shirt that looked so much like the ones Angel wore. Over the shirt, he wore the little denim vest Grace had given him. His cowboy hat was perched on his head as he rode his little stick horse. She looked up at Angel standing beside her, his arm around her and his hand resting on her hip. Her heart was so full it felt like it would burst.

  Angel said, “Why don’t we take the little cowpoke in the backyard and let him run that horse a little. I want you to open my gifts now.”

  “But Joaquin—”

  “Joaquin will come out with us and keep an
eye on Michael.” He gathered several boxes and twined her fingers with his. “Come on.” He pulled her to the back door that opened onto the covered porch built onto the back of the house. His backyard was fenced, and the fence was lined with mature trees and shrubs.

  Joaquin found a rope and showed Michael how to tie it to the stick horse. While the toddler held the rope, Joaquin galloped in a circle around Michael, hollering “Yee-Haw!” Michael cackled ecstatically at Joaquin’s antics with the toy. She imagined what Michael would look like in years to come if he stayed within the loving shelter of Angel and Joaquin’s guidance here on the ranch, if Joaquin stayed. He’d probably grow up to be an expert horseman, strong and hard-working, just like them. Though she hadn’t seen him work with the animals yet, Joaquin’s reputation had preceded him on the ranch.

  Teresa watched appreciatively as Joaquin interacted with her son, unable to ignore the strong, handsome lines of his muscled body or the noble profile that was currently turned to her. Like Angel, he was poetry in motion. He talked and joked with Michael easily, judging by their combined laughter at something Joaquin had said. She feasted her eyes on the way his faded blue jeans clung to the backs of his thighs as he bent to help Michael adjust the little chaps that were strapped on him. Her body responded to the sight, as well.

  As her eyes roamed over Joaquin, Angel took a gift from the stack on the table near the porch glider. She turned her attention guiltily to him as he handed it to her, and her cheeks felt like they must be beet red. She wondered how she could act and think like that when the man she loved most in the world sat beside her. To make matters worse, she had a feeling that he knew what was going on inside her.