The last time had been the evening before while she’d been packing.
“If you don’t stop that, he’s going to develop improper speech habits,” Kelly had fussed at him.
“He’s two and a half months old,” Eli had said, defending himself.
“Yes, but if you’re in the habit of baby talking with him, you’ll still be doing it when he’s a year old. When his kindergarten teacher contacts me and wants to talk about speech therapy, I’m going to call you first.” She’d poked him with a little manicured index finger. Rachel thought watching the little pixie fuss at her big brother had been like watching a tiny kitten taunt a big, lovable mastiff.
“Come on, it’s not that big a deal—”
“Stop it. Or I bring Rachel your baby pictures, including the nekkid ones the next time I come visit.” She’d put her hands on her hips, and an evil grin had spread on her face. Rachel had a feeling Kelly was going to bring them anyway.
Eli looked genuinely horrified, quickly changed his tune, and had started backtracking. “Never mind. I won’t do it anymore.”
“What a minute, there are nekkid baby pictures of Eli?” Rachel had asked with a snicker. Her imagination had gone wild, trying to picture this big, formidable, sexy man as a little baby or toddler.
“It’ll never happen again!” Eli had yelled in mock horror. “I promise!” He’d threw his hands up in surrender.
“I may carry them with me for insurance. Especially the one with the water hose,” Kelly said then had laughed with an unladylike snort. “Rachel, you’d be amazed by how big those old-fashioned diapers would swell up with water before they finally exploded,” she’d hinted with an evil gleam in her eyes.
“Sis, don’t you dare!”
Wow, Rachel had thought, it must have been a really embarrassing picture.
Rachel had consoled Eli. “Oh, come on, Eli. Mom showed you mine, and you’ll recall there were several nekkid baby pictures.” She’d rubbed his chest and winked at Kelly. She had every intention of seeing all his baby pictures.
“Yeah, but you were a pretty little baby girl. And your mom promised no other boyfriends ever saw those pictures,” Eli had reminded her.
Kelly had snorted. “Eli, you were as cute as you could be with that water hose stuck in your diaper. You looked like you were really enjoying it.”
He’d glowered at his little sister. “It was hot! Come on.”
“Aw! You thought I was a pretty little baby girl?” Rachel had cooed, pretending to disregard their argument.
Grinning at her, Eli had ignored Kelly like a bothersome gnat. “Angel, you were gorgeous! With your pretty widdle bwoo eyes and your cute widdle dimpled heinie,” he’d replied as he nuzzled her neck then he’d whispered softly, “Luscious.”
In disgust, Kelly had said, “Oh, you two make me wanna gag!”
“It’s got more dimples now!” Rachel had giggled as he’d palmed her ass.
She’d hoped Kelly couldn’t hear his reply. “I’d like to nibble your luscious ass right now.”
She’d whispered back, “You only want to nibble it?”
The devilish look in Eli’s eyes had led her to believe what other things he’d like to do to her ass.
Kelly had made a gagging sound and gestured like she was sticking her fingers down her throat before she’d turned to Matthew in his bouncy seat. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mommy won’t let Uncle Eli teach you any bad habits.” Matthew had passed gas and blown a spit bubble. She’d frowned and said, “Too late.”
All three of them burst out laughing at Matthew’s well-timed humor.
“Remember, I have those pictures, you,” she said, jabbing her finger at him in mock-threat, and then she winked at Rachel.
Yep, she’s still bringing the pictures.
Kelly hugged them both hard and got on the road, anxious to get the three-hour drive over with.
At the Toyota dealership in Morehead, Rachel found a jet-black four-door Tundra that she fell in love with. It had leather seats, dark tinted windows, and a decent stereo. She negotiated with the salesman and got a great deal. Rachel wasn’t jazzed about taking on a new car payment, but she’d had great luck with her last Toyota and knew this vehicle would be around for a while. Plus, it had four doors, so it would be great for when they had kids and car seats to deal with.
They decided before they got out of Eli’s vehicle that if she found a truck she loved, she’d negotiate the best deal she could and then tell the salesman she wanted to take two days to cool off and make sure it was the right choice. The salesman didn’t greet this announcement with enthusiasm, as predicted, and threw in an upgraded MP3 compatible stereo, premium floor mats, heavy-duty bed liner, and a maintenance package if they did the paperwork today.
“I don’t care about those things. We’ll upgrade the sound system with a stereo of my choosing, not whatever you have in inventory. The floor mats that are in it will last forever. I don’t need ones that have the company logo on them, which is the only real difference. The heavy-duty bed liner is fine, but the maintenance package is really nothing but oil changes, which I can do myself,” she said with a bit of a scoff. She smiled at the salesman, who was anxious that they not leave without a truck, and said, “Knock another fifteen hundred off the price you’ve already quoted to us and we’ll sit down and fill out the paperwork right now.”
The salesman excused himself to speak with his “supervisor,” who Rachel knew was just another salesman in a different office. As they walked around the car, Eli surreptitiously caressed Rachel’s ass. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss Lopez.”
“I’m good at negotiating, Mr. Wolf. There’s nothing I love more than driving a hard bargain,” she said seductively.
Eli groaned softly and leaned over to her as she climbed in the driver’s seat. She glanced at the salesman through the glass window in his office.
“What if he offers a thousand off?”
“I’ll ask for twelve hundred and settle for eleven hundred if he makes the offer and doesn’t waste any more of our time. It’ll be suppertime by the time we get back to Divine, and I’ll be hungry. Heaven forbid I should get cranky,” she said.
The negotiations went as predicted. Eleven hundred with the stereo upgrade and bed liner. Rachel smiled when the salesman offered to deliver the vehicle since she was not cleared to drive yet. They were home with plenty of time to go by the store, get shrimp to put on the grill, and a buy bottle of wine to celebrate.
Crankiness averted.
Chapter Thirty-four
The following weekend, Eli’s suspicions were realized when he drove Rachel to Grace’s house and found Kelly there already. She made no secret of the big box on the dining room table, which he knew contained baby pictures. His mom and dad had taken lots of baby pictures. Lots and lots.
Hell, if it made Rachel happy, Kelly could show them every single one, even the really embarrassing ones. Renata and Grace’s friend, and former co-worker, Teresa was also there. Eli pulled Rachel into the kitchen so he could talk with her in private.
He slipped his big hands over her hips and groaned softly as she pressed her soft breasts against his chest. “I slipped a little something for you in your makeup case and in your luggage.”
“You did? A surprise for me? Will I like it?”
“I already know you like it,” he hinted then grinned at her curious expression.
“I know you’ll probably stay up late, but text me after you find them tonight.”
“I have to wait?”
“Until bedtime. Text me when you go to bed.”
“What if it’s super late?”
“Angel, I only sleep well with you. I’ll probably still be awake. Text me, and I’ll call you back. Where are you sleeping?” Eli asked, looking around.
“I’m in Ethan’s bedroom.”
“Good, any roommates?”
“No. Everyone got their own room. We’ll probably be down here in the living room most of the eve
ning.”
“Good, so when you go to bed you’ll have some privacy.”
“I should, yeah. Eli, are we going to have phone sex?” Rachel whispered, blushing a pretty rose color.
“You’ll see,” he said mischievously.
Everyone was talking in the living room and going in and out of the front door, loading up.
Ethan came in the kitchen. “Hey, Eli, can you help me for a second?”
Eli nodded then smiled down at her. “Be right back, angel. I’m not leaving until I get my good-bye kiss.” He left her with Grace as she came in the kitchen.
Eli followed Ethan up the stairs to Grace’s opulent master bedroom suite. Jack and Adam were downstairs helping load the two SUVs they were taking with them. Eli could tell how much Grace’s men cared about her and how much they enjoyed spoiling her as he looked around at the beautifully furnished and decorated room.
“While they’re all occupied, I wanted to show you something we did for Grace as a wedding present. Grace’s sister arranged for these to be done. I thought I’d suggest you doing something similar that fits your relationship and your personality, for Rachel. Grace was floored when she saw these the first time. She really loves them. She told me if the house ever catches fire, she’s grabbing us, these three portraits, and her laptop before she heads out the door.” Ethan led him to each one and showed him the three outdoor portraits they had made for Grace as a wedding gift.
“Charity arranged this?”
“Yeah, she was a pivotal force in our relationship with Grace,” Ethan said cryptically.
“I’ll have to call her. These are awesome, man. I’ll bet Grace loves them,” Eli said. Looking around, he added, “Your house is nice.”
“That’s Grace. We did some major remodeling, but Grace has a touch that makes everything around her better,” Ethan said then slowed on the stairs and turned to him. “It was just a house and then she came.”
“I know what you mean, Ethan,” Eli said, nodding. “Where would we be?”
“Cold and lonely, man. Cold and lonely,” Ethan replied knowingly. “Thought I would share those with you. Food for thought. It would make a nice surprise for her.”
“I’ll call Charity. It’s a great idea, and I know Rachel would love it.”
“Charity would probably help you get it arranged since you’ve known each other a while. She’s a hoot.”
They returned to the hubbub downstairs. A few minutes later, all the men loaded up into Peter and Ethan’s SUVs and left the girls to their fun.
* * * *
Rachel went out with the girls to Rudy’s for supper. Rudy seated them at a large secluded booth in the corner and hand delivered complimentary appetizers to their table. He turned their service over to his best and most well-mannered waiter.
They nibbled on shrimp cocktail while they talked and looked over their menus. Remembering a few of the details Grace had shared with her about enjoying shrimp cocktail with Jack, Ethan, and Adam at Tessa’s, Rachel leaned over to Grace and asked, “How’s that shrimp cocktail?”
Grace laughed and nearly choked on her shrimp. “It’s good, but I know a place where I get more personalized service,” Grace said and jabbed Rachel in the ribs.
Grace had told her once that on their first date, Jack had held her in his lap while they fed her shrimp cocktail, and one thing had led to another right there in the private dining booth. Rachel hoped she got to visit one of those privacy booths at Tessa’s someday. Rachel remembered Teresa was with them and she should probably keep the risqué references to a minimum. Teresa was shy and needed time to come out of her shell a bit before they brought out the bawdy humor.
“How are things at Stigall’s, Teresa?” her mom asked politely. “Has business picked up much for the holidays?”
“It’s fairly slow right now, which is why I was able to get this weekend off, but after Thanksgiving we’ll be very busy.”
The waiter returned and listed the evening’s specials for them and took their orders then returned to refill their drinks.
Grace said, “Remember, Teresa, if you ever need to leave Michael with me at the house, you can,” Grace said.
They’d talked Erin, Ethan’s sister, into babysitting for them tonight. Erin would’ve liked to have gone out with them but was trying to pay her way through school and needed the cash, so had stayed home to babysit Michael and Matthew. Michael was two and a half years old, while Matthew was two and a half months old. Having a babysitter would make it possible for them all to go shopping the next day because the moms could be completely unencumbered.
“Thank you, Grace,” Teresa said, then added with a blush, “Angel also told me he could help out with Michael in the evenings if I needed him.”
“What a great guy,” Grace said, and Rachel noted the high color in Teresa’s cheeks.
Rachel changed the subject, knowing that Teresa hated being the center of attention. They gabbed for two hours and lingered over their meal, enjoying the excellent food and service. Rudy served complimentary desserts to them himself.
After they got home, Kelly opened the box of pictures while Rachel’s mom assembled the ingredients for homemade sangria, and Teresa helped her make it. Grace crooked her finger at Rachel silently and drew her down the hall.
“I had Erin put the babies in the office so I could show you something tonight without disturbing them.” She paused outside of a bedroom door. “This is Ethan’s bedroom, where you’ll be sleeping.” She motioned Rachel in and turned on the light so that Rachel could see. On the wall hung a large, tasteful, but undeniably sexy portrait of Grace dressed in a low-cut black top and high-cut black ruffled panties. The ruffled top edge of a demi-bra peeked from the low neck of the top. Otherwise, Grace was bare-legged and sporting a sassy grin in the portrait.
“Recognize that top?” Grace pointed, giggling.
“Like mine?”
“Yep. I love Hips and Curves.”
“I’ll bet Ethan loves this portrait. It’s perfect for him,” Rachel said, admiring her chutzpah for modeling barelegged.
“I modeled in clothing each of them ordered for me from there.”
“Can I see the others?” Rachel asked eagerly.
Grace took her to Adam’s room and showed her the picture of her curled up in the champagne-colored robe and teddy, appearing as though she were taking a nap but undisputedly sexy.
Slipping quietly across the living room, Grace led her into her old bedroom, now Jack’s bedroom. There on the wall was the portrait of Grace in a pretty pink satin robe and nightgown, one sexy bare knee perched on the edge of a four-poster bed.
“I’ll bet they flipped for these, Grace. They’re beautiful. I’ve been wondering, do you think I should try and do something like this for Eli? Is there even time?”
“I talked with Carrie and Raquel this week about doing a family portrait of the four of us, and she said they had some openings. I’m sure they could fit you in, and I know they would appreciate the business. Things were slow for them this year, and their rates are reasonable. We’ll call her tomorrow if you’d like.”
Rachel nodded. “I think I would, very much. Thank you for showing them to me. Kelly and Mom will think they’re beautiful, too. You know they love you all.”
“Friends like you mean a lot to us. Do you have something sexy to model in? We could always take a look and see what’s new at Hips and Curves.”
Rachel chuckled and said, “I already have the perfect thing, but I want to take a look at Hips and Curves with you, anyway.”
They went out into the living room to find the other three enjoying their sangrias. Grace turned on her laptop computer and pulled up the plus-size lingerie website.
“Ooooh, pretty!” Erin squealed softly, trying to be considerate of the babies she’d just left sleeping in the other room.
“Wow. That’s just…wow,” Rachel looked over Grace’s shoulder at the computer screen.
“I know. Check her out,” G
race said, pointing to a model. “See? It’s all about angles. She’s the same size as you, maybe a tiny bit shorter.”
“Dang, she’s hot! Gorgeous hair,” Rachel commented, drawing her mom and Kelly’s attention. Teresa rose from the couch and followed them over.
“Forget her hair, that’s a great ass,” Kelly said matter-of-factly. “She’s plus-size?”
“You’d never know it. It’s the way she carries herself. Look at this one,” Grace said, navigating to another page. “Isn’t that corset pretty? Yeah, those are real boobs, no silicone implants. They also have some beautiful gowns and robes. Everything I’ve ever bought through them has been of excellent quality. No cheap fabrics or scratchy lace, and their prices are reasonable. But I love this website because the lingerie is modeled on plus-sized models, so you can see what it will look like.”
Kelly piped up and said, “Speaking of plus-sized models, Mizz Lingerie Diva, did you model your dress for your hunky men?”
Grace blushed and chuckled happily. “Did I ever! They loved the dress and shoes, and adored my new corset. Yep.”
“That’s all you’re going to say?” Kelly said.
“Yep.”
Kelly smirked and said, “That’s code for they couldn’t get it off of you fast enough and may have even torn some of it, isn’t it?”
Rachel’s mom snickered, Teresa blushed, and Rachel snorted her sangria.
“Maybe. Yep.” Grace nodded seductively then giggled more. “I need sangria. Kelly, show me these precious nekkid baby pictures of Eli you’ve been cackling over.”
Chapter Thirty-five
Rachel and the girls spent the rest of the evening looking at pictures of Eli at various ages, including the one Kelly had threatened him with. It was a black and white photograph of him at maybe one year of age. He sat on a shaded porch, dressed only in a diaper, and just as Kelly had described, he had a beatific grin on his cute little face. The garden hose was running full blast and gushing out of the front of his very swollen diaper.
Rainier, Heather - Her Gentle Giant: Remember to Dance [Divine Creek Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Page 6
