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

  “I know. I heard you,” Charity said with a snicker.

  “Nuh-uh,” Corina moaned. “That was me. I was in the room next to yours, Charity. I was afraid she was going to kill me. That first strip was murder. The other one was even worse.”

  “Other one?” Charity scoffed. “What did you get, just a basic bikini line wax, two little strips?”

  “Uh-huh!” Corina said pathetically.

  Teresa looked over at Corina in stunned surprise as Charity snickered. “Teresa’s gonna kill you if you keep talking, Corina. How’s that ice pack, honey? Need a shot of whiskey to go with it?” she asked Teresa sympathetically.

  Teresa looked at her and started laughing, and soon they all joined in.

  Finally, with tears streaming from her eyes, Teresa said, “What would my poor, sainted mother say if I told her I had my ass waxed today? How would that conversation go? ‘No Mom, not my BUTT, my ass, right up the middle!’” She giggled and made a ripping motion with her forearm and laughed hysterically along with the others. All the spa techs were giggling, as well.

  “Stop, I’m gonna pee in my pants!” Rosemary wheezed, doubled over while they all sat in their chairs getting pedicures.

  Teresa wiped tears from her eyes, chuckling. “I said a lot of really bad words. I’m appalled at myself.”

  “Yeah, it was you I heard,” Charity said with a chuckle.

  Grace’s phone rang, and she answered, “Hi, honey, I have you on speakerphone. How’s it going at the apartment?”

  They could hear distinctive Adam’s voice. “Well, we’ve about got everything packed up, but we’ve run into a little snag.”

  “What’s that?” Grace glanced at Teresa in concern. Something about Adam’s voice led Teresa to believe that the little snag was anything but minor.

  Adam hesitated for a moment. “Well…Ash accidentally knocked Juliana off the seven-foot ladder in the living room—”

  There was a collective gasp from all the women.

  He continued, “Onto the coffee table, the one with—”

  Teresa groaned. “The glass top.”

  “Yeah, we’d moved it into the center of the room to take out with the next load of furniture. Juliana was using the ladder to take the clock down that hangs over your front door. She didn’t lock the door, and Ash came barreling through it. She toppled right on the table. When he tried to help her up, she got a little upset with him and started fussing, backed away from him, and tripped backward over a box and busted her head good on the kitchen counter top.” They all cringed at the vivid picture he painted.

  Grace asked, “Is she all right?”

  Adam groaned and then chuckled. “From the sound of her, she’s going to be fine, but man, that girl can cuss. Ash carried her, crying, screaming and cursing out to his truck to take her to the ER. She’s probably gonna need a bunch of stitches. I’m pretty sure her wrist is broken, and she’s got a bad knot on the back of her head. Sorry Teresa, but the table is broke all to pieces.”

  “I’m just glad it wasn’t more serious, Adam. What are you doing now?” Teresa asked.

  “Well, there’s one more load of boxes to take over that they’re loading right now. We thought after we dropped them off we’d go check on Ash and Juliana. They…they don’t seem like they get along well, kinda sniping at each other all day.”

  “Oh, they like each other just fine.” Charity snickered. “Did you see them at the Christmas party?”

  “Sorry, Charity, what?” Adam asked.

  “Nothing, Adam. So you’re going up to the ER?” Charity asked.

  “Yeah. Ash said he feels responsible, seemed worried about her.”

  “We’re almost done at the salon. We’ll swing by there when we leave. So she was cursing a blue streak?” Grace asked.

  “Yeah. She was pretty upset. I’ll bet she gave Ash a good tongue lashing in the truck.” Adam sighed, so he didn’t hear Charity when she sputtered in her Coke.

  Grace rolled her eyes at her sister. “Oh, honey, I hope not. He’s so sweet.”

  With a laugh, Adam said, “Well, you might not think so if you heard what he told her after he loaded her in the truck.”

  The room got quiet. “What did he say?” Grace asked.

  Now it was Adam’s turn to snicker. “He told her he was going to take her to the hospital since it was his fault she got hurt. He told her she was in no condition to drive herself, and if she didn’t shut the fuck up, he was going to duct tape her pretty little potty mouth closed.”

  Giggles erupted and filled the room. Grace asked “What did she say?”

  Adam replied, “She opened her mouth to pop off at him again, and he slammed the door in her face. I’m not sure why, but I get the impression he likes her.”

  Grace pressed her lips together. “Maybe so. We’ll talk about that some more later, honey. Are we all still on for supper, or should we—”

  “Oh, yeah. They both said to go on ahead without them, but we’re going up there first anyway. So, you’re about done?” he asked in a deeper, sexy voice. Grace immediately reached for the cell phone and took him off speaker.

  “Yes, you’re off speaker now.” Teresa noticed Grace’s voice took on a huskier, dreamy quality. “Yes, we are. Mmm-hmm, I sure did. Just like you asked, baby. I think you will. No, not that bad.” After a sharp intake of breath, Grace giggled delightedly. “Really? Oh, Mama! I live in heaven. Uh-huh, I love you, too, baby.” Grace ended the call with a smile on her face and a blush in her cheeks.

  “You two are nauseating.” Charity chuckled, examining her fresh manicure.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Grace gazed out of her dining room window with satisfaction. The wedding was going to be absolutely beautiful. Tables and chairs had arrived and were already set up. The layers of the wedding cake were waiting on the breakfast bar, ready to be assembled into a tiered cake. Dave, the DJ from The Dancing Pony, was setting up his sound system, and the musicians who would be playing the wedding processional were preparing. Ethan was directing his helpers in the kitchen and out at the smoker pit. The weather had even cooperated. Sunny and unseasonably warm with a high of seventy degrees.

  Rachel and Kelly’s decorations were bright and cheery, making up for the lack of greenery in the trees and on the shrubs. Grace had been able to arrange for a large white tent to cover the area in the backyard where everyone would be seated for the meal and reception. The portable dance floor was to be under the stars, assembled in the level-flat area in the ranch house’s large backyard.

  Teresa’s parents were in Jack’s bedroom, napping in preparation for the festive evening. Jack and Angel had picked them up from their nursing home in Tillman the day before, and they’d all had a wonderful meal at Grace’s Friday evening. It was the first time her parents had ever seen Michael. Because she suffered from Alzheimer’s, Mr. Palacios had to remind Teresa’s mother several times why they were there and who Michael was. Teresa seemed joyful at seeing her parents, but Grace had noticed her wiping her eyes on several occasions.

  Angel and Joaquin’s family arrived Friday night and were all staying at a bed and breakfast Grace had arranged for them in Divine. Maria, Eleazar, Ricardo and Marco seemed captivated by Michael and hung on his every word.

  Grace went upstairs to check the bride’s progress. Teresa sat at Grace’s vanity in her bathroom as Serena from Madeleine’s worked on her hair and makeup, while Teresa and Grace chatted.

  Grace looked out of her bedroom window as she asked, “Have you noticed what flirts Luka and Matthias are?” They were currently chatting with Ethan’s younger sister, Erin.

  “Yes! Angel warned me about them. Luka asked last night, if, ‘when he’s finished growing up,’ would I consider allowing him into our marriage.”

  “No he did not! What did you say?” Grace giggled.

  “I asked him what he meant by ‘finished growing up’ because he’s in his early twenties now. He confessed he meant ‘finished sowing his wild oats.’
Joaquin knocked the back of his head for being disrespectful, but he still blew me an air kiss, the scoundrel.”

  Grace had never seen a bigger pair of flirts than those two handsome devils working in tandem with each other. No single women were safe from their charms at the reception tonight.

  * * * *

  The gathering was surrounded by tall oak trees whispering in the wind. Angel remembered wondering what it would be like to be the bridegroom waiting at the end of the aisle when Teresa participated in Grace’s and Rachel’s weddings. He and Joaquin experienced it firsthand now as the musicians began the processional. Angel and Teresa had suggested an instrumental version of “Remember When” by Alan Jackson because of its beautiful melody.

  Grace appeared at the open back door of the Divine Creek Ranch house. She made her way slowly forward and took her place opposite them beside the pastor.

  Next, Rachel appeared escorting Michael as he reprised his role as ring bearer, opting to be carried in his ‘Rachel-baby’s’ arms. She set Michael on his feet as she reached the end of the aisle. Michael approached gamely with the rings pinned to his tuxedo. His little chest stuck out proudly as he beamed at Angel and Joaquin.

  The music increased in volume to signal the arrival of the bride. He groaned appreciatively as Teresa appeared in her simple, white satin v-neck gown. She carried a bouquet of white lilies and wore the turquoise necklace, bracelet, and earrings Joaquin had given her for Christmas. Her face shone with joy as her father escorted her down the aisle. A breeze caught her veil and it billowed behind her as she moved forward. Her hair was in a style Angel particularly liked, done up, but with tendrils left curling down to her shoulders. He grinned when he heard Joaquin give a whistle of admiration.

  * * * *

  Tears flowed from Teresa’s eyes as her men both took a knee in front of her. She trusted that the binding ceremony would be similar to the wedding that had just occurred downstairs but was unprepared by the way both of them kneeling reverently in front of her, affected her.

  Their eyes brimmed with unshed tears as they looked up at her, ready to begin. After the public ceremony, Teresa, Angel, and Joaquin had been joined by Angel and Joaquin’s parents, Grace and her men, and Rachel and Eli in the sitting area of Grace’s mistress suite upstairs.

  Rosemary, Kelly, and Charity kept the event downstairs moving forward as they relocated the folding chairs under the tent for the meal.

  A good friend of Ethan’s, Blake Gray, had driven down from Dallas to perform the binding ceremony. He stepped forward to stand beside Teresa, also facing the men.

  Blake gestured toward the men. “Teresa, these men desire to enter into marriage with you. They profess to love you and want you for their own. Is this what you desire?”

  Her heart throbbed as she nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  To the men before her, he said, “Do you understand the sacrifice Teresa is willing to make to be with both of you? Will you protect her, provide for her, and love her every day for the rest of your lives? Will you claim her son, Michael, as your very own and help him to grow into the man he is destined to become?”

  “I will,” both men replied in unison.

  Blake turned to Teresa and said, “Will you love these men for the rest of your life, seek to honor them by your actions, and care for them to the best of your ability?”

  “I will,” Teresa replied. Joaquin’s mother and Grace both quietly sniffled in the background.

  Joaquin repeated the vows Blake spoke and placed his ring upon her right ring finger, now complete with the attached diamond wedding band. He turned her hand, kissed her palm, and laid his cheek in it. He stayed that way for a moment, and Teresa could feel his hand tremble as it held hers. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and ran between her fingers.

  She received Joaquin’s ring from Grace and repeated her vows to him. She slipped the wedding band on his finger then kissed his palm. Still kneeling in front of her, he drew her to him solemnly. Wrapping his strong arms around her waist, he looked up at her with adoration burning intensely in his eyes and whispered, “I love you, Teresa,” as his family stood proudly by.

  Angel repeated his vows to her and kissed her palm, placing his cheek in it as well. Teresa’s hands were both damp with their tears, which she allowed to dry there. She repeated the same vow to Angel. They rose to their feet and kissed her.

  Returning downstairs, they found that the guests were all seated under the tent, eating the evening meal. The DJ announced the happy couple’s arrival, and all the guests applauded. The music started after Teresa and the others had eaten, and Angel stood and held out his hand to her.

  “May I have this dance, beautiful?” His eyes glowed with love. Placing her palm in his, she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor where they danced to Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us.”

  After their dance finished, Teresa’s father claimed his turn and danced with her to a slow love song.

  “Your mother and I are so happy for you. There are so many things I would change, looking back over the years, but I’m so glad that life has brought you the love and devotion of such a fine man. You’ve done well. He obviously adores you and Michael.”

  She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Dad. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” Before she could say more, the song had ended, and Eleazar approached them to claim a dance with her. Soon, everyone joined them on the dance floor which was strung with brilliantly twinkling little lights.

  “Teresa, you know that if there’s anything you ever need, you can call on us, yes?” She nodded as he continued. “We are proud of Angel and Joaquin’s choice for a wife, and we consider your little Michael as our first grandchild.”

  “Thank you, Eleazar.” A little bowled over by his words, Teresa stumbled a bit when her toe bumped his dress shoe. Her cheeks tingled with heat, and she apologized as he kindly helped her get back into the rhythm of the dance. As the last chorus played, she knew what she needed to say to him. “Eleazar, I owe you my gratitude for raising such wonderful sons. I feel very blessed.”

  Eleazar smiled and kissed her cheek as he looked over her shoulder. “The other half of that charming duo has come to claim his dance.” He gently turned her as the last note played, and she went more gracefully into Joaquin’s waiting arms.

  She looked into his twinkling green eyes and smiled dreamily. She heard the opening strains of Andrea Bocelli’s rendition of “Besame Mucho” as it began to play. Her heart felt like it might burst with love for him and she couldn’t help the tears that welled in her eyes. His features were schooled because she was supposed to be dancing with her brother-in-law, but she never wanted to kiss him so badly as she did right then.

  “Do you think anyone will wonder why you’re dancing with your brother-in-law to a song about kissing you…a lot?”

  She sniffled and replied, “I don’t mind. I love you, Joaquin,” she said, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

  His deep voice resonated with feeling as he said, “I love you, sugar.” Then he sang along with Andrea Bocelli, whispering the words to her. Tingles went up her spine as she listened to him.

  “Has Angel ever told you how he got his name?”

  “No, he hasn’t.”

  He chuckled. “Well I’ll tell you. My mother said Eleazar charmed her into falling in love with him by singing love songs to her. She said he sang like an angel. Long story made short, she married him and his brothers, and a year later it was time for their first baby to be born. Her labor was difficult and painful. He was her first baby, and the only thing that would calm her was if Eleazar sang to her. The midwife wouldn’t allow him in the bedroom with them, so he stood beneath her open window while she labored.

  “Angel was born that night and she took one look at him after the midwife presented him to her and wept, calling him her sweet little angel. We all grew up on the ranch, singing like our fathers. It calms the horses, as well. Anytime they are in the doghouse with our
mother, my dads sing to her. It never fails to break down her defenses.”

  “I hope you’ll sing to me, too. I never knew you had such a beautiful singing voice.”

  Joaquin’s lips twitched with a hint of a sexy grin. “Thank you, sugar. I guess we got out of the habit. If it makes you happy, we’ll sing for you.”

  Marco tapped Joaquin on the shoulder as the song ended, a teasing twinkle in his eye as he murmured a warning to Joaquin to be “less obvious” in the way he charmed his new bride. Teresa smiled, knowing he was right but she was like putty in Joaquin’s hands.

  “So, you have succumbed to the charm of both my boys?” Marco asked as he guided her smoothly around the dance floor. He led her in the dance as though this were the hundredth time she’d danced with him and not the first.

  “Yes, sir. I love them very much,” she murmured happily.

  “I can see how much they love you. They certainly have a way with your son,” he said, indicating Michael who was busy talking to both Angel and Joaquin. Both men took a little hand and led him to the drink table for a glass of punch. Teresa laughed with Marco as Michael studiously attempted to walk the same way they did.

  She smiled up at Marco and said, “Michael adores them both.”

  “Joaquin told me he fell in love with you the moment he saw you standing in the doorway that night.”

  “Yes,” she replied, feeling her cheeks heat.

  Marco nodded, a tender, faraway look in his eyes. “It was that way for me and my Maria. Eleazar introduced us at a dance. She looked up at me and smiled with fire in her eyes, and I was lost to her from that moment to this.”

  “Now I know where Angel and Joaquin get their romantic ways from.”

  “I merely tell the truth, Teresa. Ah, here is Ricardo, ready to push me aside,” Marco murmured as he twirled her into his brother’s arms.

  Ricardo bore the closest resemblance to his brother, Eleazar, just as Joaquin most closely resembled Angel of all his brothers.