Divine Grace (50 page)

* * * *

Adam drove while Jack looked at their shopping list. Adam noticed that Jack seemed distracted, looking at the pad but not really seeing it. The silly grin on his face probably looked just like the one that Adam knew must currently perch on his own face.

He contemplated his morning and afternoon spent with their gorgeous woman. Her effect on him was powerful, both her words and her touch.

They’d talked earlier about visiting Moe and Bill in Conroe when the foals came, and she’d mentioned that she would be his wife by then. The bliss in her voice and on her face made his heart palpitate. He wanted to dedicate his life to keeping that look on her face, that soft velvety tone in her voice.

She’d totally blown him away when she mentioned that it might be possible that she would be pregnant with his baby by that point. Prior to meeting Grace, he hadn’t really dwelt on what it would be like to be a dad, much less envisioned a wife pregnant with his child, beyond the “one of these days”

kinds of daydreams. Since meeting her, his cock had been in overdrive, so all he could think of was being with her. But she’d brought the future front and center to his mind that morning.

He imagined Grace sitting in the glider on the back porch at sunset, wrapped in his nice warm robe, one dainty bare foot tucked under her, the
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other pushing the glider to rock. Wrapped in a fluffy pink blanket in her arms was a beautiful infant girl with fuzzy blonde hair the same color as her mama’s. Grace sang softly to her as she held the baby to her full, round breast, nursing her. Grace’s delicate fingers gently caressed the baby’s tender cheek. The vision made his heart throb and ache with love for her.

“Earth to Adam?”

He blinked once, and grinned over at the understanding look on Jack’s face. “I’m her slave.”

“I know, man. Me, too.”

* * * *

She could definitely tell two bachelors lived here. There were a couple of young Monterey Oaks in front and more on the side that looked like they’d been planted after the house was finished being built but no other landscaping, just bare mulch around the foundation of the house. A deep porch wrapped around the front of the Garner house, and Grace wondered if it continued all the way around. There were no plants in clay pots or baskets hanging from the porch eaves. The house was beautiful, but it needed a woman’s touch.

Ethan had reassured her that Wesley and Evan would like her just fine, but as Jack and the others introduced her to them, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they had more than a passing interest in her relationship with her men. With Evan especially, she felt like she was being observed. Wesley was as friendly as could be, asking questions about her work and what she thought of the Divine Creek Ranch. He was sweet and good natured, very open. Evan was much quieter, more reserved. There were times she caught him watching her when she was close to one of her men. She didn’t feel judged by him but rather like she was under a microscope.

She treated Jack, Ethan, and Adam the same way she normally would, paying attention to each of them as the opportunity presented itself. With a touch here, a kiss there, teasing with Adam, or scratching Jack’s back. Jack had told her she could be herself around Wesley and Evan, and she wasn’t planning on pulling back from her men just because Evan had issues.

“Thanks for bringing steaks to grill tonight,” Wesley said. “You spoil us bringing such fine cuts of meat. We baked some potatoes earlier today, and I

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have vegetables in the refrigerator for a salad, if that sounds all right to you.” He showed her the baking pan in the oven with the hot potatoes still in it.

“That sounds great, Wesley. Why don’t you show me where you keep the knives and cutting board, and I’ll chop the salad for you.”

He showed her, telling her she didn’t have to do that. She said she preferred to help out and not just stand around. She washed the vegetables in the sink and went in search of a colander and a serving bowl in the cabinets.

The cabinets all had organizers in them and slide out drawers on the shelves, but they could have stood a little organizational work. The rest of the house was neat as a pin, but the kitchen?
Sheesh.
Everything was helter-skelter in the cabinets.
Bachelors.
She grinned, fighting the urge to organize just one or two while she searched. After preparing the salad, she covered it and put it back in the refrigerator.

The men came and went out onto the back deck where the grill was located, preparing the steaks and heating the grill. Someone turned on the stereo, so Stevie Ray Vaughan played in the background both in the house and outside over the outdoor speakers. Grace had been a Stevie Ray Vaughan fan since she was a little girl. Her dad always enjoyed his music, and she could remember dancing to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” when she was a little girl. They turned it up when “Voodoo Chile” came on, and she didn’t mind a bit. Some music was meant to be enjoyed loudly. She was washing the knives and colander and other dishes in the sink when “Honey Bee” started. She had to laugh. She loved that song when she was little and had called herself “Daddy’s little honey bee,” but the song had some seriously grown-up connotations, listening to it as a woman.

She couldn’t resist bobbing and swinging her hips to the tune, just enjoying herself, singing along softly. Suddenly, she felt a tall hard body press gently against her, pinning her to the counter’s edge. Large warm hands slid down to cup her ass.
Adam.
She couldn’t suppress a throaty laugh as he sang along softly.

“’Cause the way we kiss just can’t miss,
Don’t make me wait to feel your warm embrace,
Each and every time that we get the chance,
Come on, little baby, let’s make some romance.”

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She giggled as he sang to her. She bobbed and swung with his hands on her, careful to not rub too hard against him, not wanting to start something she couldn’t finish just yet.

“Yeah, you really groove me, baby, when you move your hips,
Shake it all around—”

“It’s a good thing I came in here and got to see that, baby. You just made my day.” Adam chuckled as the guitar played on. “I didn’t know you were a Stevie Ray Vaughan fan.”

“Ever since I was little. My parents loved his music. They couldn’t see me dancing outside, could they?” she asked as she picked up the dish towel.

“No, baby, I’m the only one who got that pleasure, I think. You have great rhythm.” He nuzzled her neck with his warm lips, kissing her there.

She chuckled softly. “Thank you, baby. Y’all make me feel like dancin’.

Are the steaks almost done? I’ll hunt down some plates and silverware and make some tea.”

“Good luck with that,” he said wryly. “I’ll send one of the guys in to show you where they have that stuff hidden.” He kissed her again before heading back out.

“That’s okay, I can find it!”

She got on her hands and knees, mumbling, “With a hunting dog and a flashlight.” She searched for a pitcher she’d seen earlier in the jumble but couldn’t remember where. She heard him close the screen door and continued the search for the pitcher and found the salad tongs as well. In a cabinet? She shook her head and backed on her hands and knees away from the cabinet, right into another tall male body. Startled, she looked up at Evan.

Great. On her hands and knees, ass stuck up in the air. She plunked it down and smiled timidly. She handed him the pitcher and tongs and took the hand he offered her. She dusted off and took the found items from him.

“Adam said you needed help finding stuff.” His face was a carefully blank page.

“Yes, plates, utensils, and glasses, tea, and a measuring cup.”

He found her the measuring cup and tea first. She filled the cup with water, popped in three tea bags, and put it in the microwave while he got down the dishes.

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“Do y’all like your tea sweet?” She reached for the canister marked sugar. It was empty.

“Yeah, but we keep the sugar in the pantry. I’ll get it for you.” After he handed it to her, he stood there watching her. It made her a little nervous.

She filled the pitcher with water, added half a cup of sugar, and stirred it until it was dissolved, then removed the measuring cup from the microwave when it dinged. Dipping the teabags up and down in the hot water, she waited for the tea to darken before pouring the hot liquid into the pitcher of sugared water. She found a long spoon and stirred it and looked over at him still watching her.

“Ice for the glasses?” she asked, trying to distract him a little. His staring seemed to have a purpose. He acted like he was thinking or trying to figure something out.

He took the glasses and filled them with ice while she removed the pan of potatoes from the oven and put it on the table, then searched the fridge for whatever they could put on baked potatoes and put the items on the table.

She set six places at the table, lamenting the fact she hadn’t thought to make a dessert. She turned to see he still watched her and caught a confused look on his face.

Enough of this bullshit.

She tried unsuccessfully to look into his hooded eyes. “What is it you want to know, Evan? You are Jack, Ethan, and Adam’s friend. If you have a question, why don’t you just ask me?” Rose Marie would be so proud to see her facing a daunting situation head on.

Seize the day, baby!

He seemed surprised by her direct approach. He surprised her in return.

“Don’t you worry at all what people will think of you being with three men?” His tone was not judgmental, merely curious.

Way to lead with the tough questions there, Evan, she thought. Her answer came straight from her heart as she paused, able to finally look directly in his eyes.

“Of course I am concerned by what people think, Evan. I’m only human. But I’ve lived
enough
of my life worrying what people think of me, only to discover they’re too busy thinking of themselves. I care what Jack, Adam, and Ethan think. I’m not a whore, and they know I’m not a whore.

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They know what is in my heart. With them by my side, I can deal with anything that comes at me. What else do you want to know?”

Evan took the opportunity. “So…what? You just decided you loved all three of them?”

“That’s a very complicated question, Evan. What do you really want to know? How can I love all three of them? Or are you curious how it came about?”

“How did it come about?”

“Jack’s mother introduced us some time ago. I was involved in a terrible relationship, so Jack would not ask me out, and I could not show that I was interested in him. Through a series of events, I met Ethan and Adam as well.

They rescued me from that bad relationship and, quite literally, saved me from an actual beating.”

She thought she saw his eyes narrow and a fleeting angry look, but he schooled his features just as quickly. “You might think it’s convenient that I fell in love with the men who saved me, but once I was free, I realized that the feelings that were growing for them were reciprocated by them. In the face of such care and devotion, how could I not fall head over heels in love with them? Before they came into my life, I was convinced I was ugly, fat, and hopeless.” At her words, his face registered surprise and disbelief.

“Only love can make that kind of change in a person’s heart. Did I answer the question you were trying to ask?”

“What’s in this for you?”

“Are you asking if I’m a gold digger?” At her question, his face showed surprise again but also a grudging respect. Maybe also relief that she did not appear offended.

“Maybe?”

“What’s in it for me is love, a chance to belong, to make a difference, and to belong to three men who adore me as much as I adore them. Beyond that, I have not the slightest clue.”

“You don’t know how much they are worth, collectively?” he asked incredulously.

“Beyond what I see in their hearts and their eyes, I have no idea. Sorry. I know what you’re asking, and I’m doing my best to not be offended by the insinuation because I know you’re their friend, and you seem to have more than a passing curiosity about our relationship.” She tried to maintain a

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neutral body posture because she had a feeling she was being observed from outside.

She sighed before she continued, “Evan, you’ve presumed on the budding friendship between you and me, and so I’m going to do the same.

I’m not going to pry and ask intrusive questions, just tell you something you need to be reminded of. Not
every
woman is a gold-digging whore, not every woman is going to break your heart. And not just any woman is going to wait around while you try to make up your mind. You won’t know if you never take a chance. And
that
would be a crying shame, Evan, because some of us aren’t
just
good, we’re
damn
good.” She hoped her streak of intuition was right and that this was about a woman.

“I think they are coming in. If you want to ask me any other questions, now or later, feel free, but I’d keep the gold-digging insinuations to a minimum.
They
won’t appreciate that, and I still need to talk to Wesley about our bed. No sex questions, either. Ask the guys that stuff when you’re alone. Could you bring the tea pitcher and the salad from the refrigerator?”

she asked as the French doors leading out to the back deck opened.

The men came in bearing a platter of bacon-wrapped filets and a grilled onion, wrapped loosely in foil. Wesley commented, “Grace, your men tell me you like your steak rare, very rare, is that right?”

She laughed. “As in ‘wipe its nose and threaten it with an unlit match’

rare.”

“I seared the bacon on the grate, that okay?”

“Perfect, Wesley.” She took the platter from him and put it on the table.

“That onion smells wonderful.”

“Thanks,” he said as they all washed their hands.

Ethan approached Grace with curiosity and concern on his face. She
knew
it was him watching her. He’d be the one to pick up on any tension in her posture if he was observing her through the window.

“Is everything all right in here, Gracie?” He leaned down to kiss her quickly, shielding her from the others for a moment. She looked up at him and smiled tenderly. They were always watching out for her, protecting her.

She nodded reassuringly. “Yes, we were just talking. Evan had a few questions about how things worked out for us. I was just answering his questions. Helping him understand women.” She chuckled as she kissed him again.

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“Lord, help him. I don’t think he has enough time for that conversation!” Ethan softly snickered.

“All he needs to do is talk to you, honey, and he’d learn a thing or two about women.” She stuck her fingers through his front belt loops. “I love you, Ethan.”

“Love you, too, Gracie.” He pressed his forehead to hers gently.

They lingered over the meal, enjoying the steaks and the conversation.

Evan’s demeanor seemed to relax somewhat, and Grace enjoyed chatting with him and Wesley. After the meal, Jack, Adam, and Evan cleaned the kitchen while Wesley, Ethan, and Grace looked at the sketches of the bed Wesley had made using the clear overlay and the drawings Ethan had already showed her. Wesley made note of the dimensions and the type of wood, stain, and finish. Ethan looked at Wesley over Grace’s head and nodded at the catalog, which showed the different pieces of furniture he could make that would go with her bed.