He saw her and leaned down to open a gate. She set Sam on the ground and started to run. As she reached him, he removed his boot from the stirrup and held out his hand. Without a second thought or a single word, she put her sneaker in the stirrup and placed her hand in his.
With one pull, she was on back of the horse, her arms locked around his strong waist. Usually the smelly, sweaty horse would unnerve her, but today it didn’t bother her. She was with Tuck and she’d never felt more safe or alive.
They galloped through a pasture then into a valley of spring grasses and steadily climbed a steep, rocky hill. Oak branches brushed against her, but she clung to Tuck, loving the strength of his back and the easy rhythm of the ride.
At the top of the hill, Tuck stopped the horse and they dismounted.
“Oh, my,” she said, gazing at the valley below. She could see Tuck’s house, Caroline and Eli’s and miles of the Texas Hill Country. “This is spectacular.”
“It’s my favorite place,” he said, and they sat side by side in the grass. “I came here a lot as a kid. I was king of the world and superhero all rolled into one.”
She watched the excitement on his face. “You were happy as a kid.”
He nodded. “There was a lot of sadness, too, because of the abused kids. But Ma and Pa had a way of making us feel safe and secure. They were incredible people.”
She heard the love in his voice and she didn’t have to ask if he loved them. It was evident in everything he said and did. He loved them so much he was willing to give up having a life of his own to continue what they had started.
“Look.” He pointed. “Your parents are getting into their limo.”
“I can almost see the relief on Eli’s face,” she said. “Caroline’s, too.”
They watched the car pull out of the drive. “How did the meeting go?” Tuck asked.
She told him everything that had been said.
“So you’re going back to Whitten’s?”
“Yes.” She plucked a blade of grass and twisted it around her finger. “I started a lot of things I have to see to fruition, especially the day care. But my time is my own and the office will not be my whole life, as it has been in the past.”
“I didn’t know if you were coming back here or not.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You didn’t ask me.”
“I didn’t want to put any more pressure on you in case…”
She touched his lower lip. “In case I decided last night was a mistake.”
“Something like that.” His tongue licked her finger.
Her lower abdomen tightened in uncontrollable need. “Kiss me and let’s see.”
He bent his head and caught her lips in a mind-blowing kiss. Her hands found their way into his hair, knocking off his hat. Groaning, he pressed her down into the grass and nothing was said for a while.
Kissing her cheek, her neck, her collarbone, he breathed, “We have to stop. I don’t have a condom.”
She knew he would never risk an unwanted pregnancy. That wasn’t part of his plans, nor hers. But she felt a moment of disappointment that he was so in control. She recognized the insane feeling as a purely female reaction.
He rolled to his back, staring up at the dimming sky. Dark clouds were chasing away the sun as it slowly sank in the western sky. She rested her head on his chest and they lay in the peace and the quiet of a lazy spring afternoon.
“What did you do while I was gone?” she asked, making circles on his shirt with her forefinger.
“Housework.” He made a face.
“Poor baby.”
“And a lot of thinking.”
“Really?” She raised her head. “Guys actually do that?”
He tugged her hair in retaliation. “Yes, guys are capable of some deep thinking. Or, at least, I am.”
“What were you thinking about?”
He sat up. “My life. Showing you the table and looking at the wall of photos made me realize that I’m clinging to the past. I’ve changed nothing in the house but the master bedroom. Everything else is the same as when Ma and Pa were alive. I’m living in the past.” As he said the words, he knew they were true.
He drew up his knees. “You asked if I felt the need to take in children because it was something Ma and Pa wanted me to do. I guess that’s true. I don’t want anyone to ever forget the sacrifices they made, especially me. So I keep the legacy alive but…”
She linked her fingers with his and he gripped them tightly. “But what?”
“It’s their legacy, not mine.” He took a deep breath, hardly believing he was saying the words out loud, hardly believing that he was allowing himself to say them. But with Grace it was so easy. “I’m living their life. It’s time I started living my own. I know in my heart that’s what they would want.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I’m going to start refurbishing the farmhouse. I need to make it mine—my home, not my childhood home.”
“Have you changed your mind about taking in children?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m looking at life a little differently.”
He gazed into her eyes and saw the hope. He knew they had to talk about their relationship. “With everything in me I want to ask you to be a part of my life, but we both know that’s premature. I’m going through a life-changing decision and I’m not sure it’s the right one. Only time will tell. And that’s what we need—time. I suggest we take one day at a time being honest and true to each other and see what happens. What do you think?”
She smiled. “I think you’d better kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am, my pleasure.” He took her lips gently, tenderly, binding them together in a way no one would understand but them.
Raindrops peppered their bare heads. “Damn.” Tuck jumped to his feet and pulled her up, grabbed his hat and plopped it onto her head, then they sprinted for the horse. Slowly they made their way down the hill, the rain steadily growing heavier. When they reached the valley, Tuck kneed the horse and they flew across a coastal pasture. Grace buried her face against him, trying to hold on to his hat but the wind whipped it from her fingers.
“Tuck.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
The horse splashed through puddles as they made a beeline straight for the barn. As hard as they tried, they couldn’t outrun the rain. By the time they reached the barn, they were both soaking wet.
Tuck quickly unsaddled the horse and let him loose in the corral, then they made a dash for the house, laughing like kids. They stood in the utility room, their hair plastered to their scalps as water dripped onto the floor. Sam barked at them but they didn’t pay him any attention.
Tuck grabbed a towel off the dryer and began to dry their clothes, but they were too wet. “We have to get out of these wet things.”
She shivered. “I’m freezing.”
“Quick, start stripping.”
Within seconds their wet things were in a heap and they were naked. Tuck vigorously rubbed her hair then her body. One stroke led to sensuous movements that had nothing to do with drying. He pulled her against his damp body and kissed her deeply. With groans, moans, turns and twists they made it to the den, then down the hall and into the bedroom.
Tuck wanted to take it slow, but he forgot slow the moment he saw her naked body. Through heated kisses, sensuous caresses and mind-tripping emotions they made love, then cuddled together in the bed at six o’clock in the evening.
GRACE RAN HER FINGERS though his hair, loving the feel and texture of it. The threads of gray at his temples made him look that much more handsome.
“If you keep doing that, we’ll never leave this bed,” he said in a drowsy tone.
“That’s okay with me.” She trailed her finger down his straight nose to his full lower lip. She loved touching him and she loved everything about him. They hadn’t said the magic words and surprisingly she was okay with that. They both had decisions and choices to make—life-changing decisions. Time would t
ell if their lives were meant to be together. In the meantime they would get to know each other and the future would unfold the way it was meant to be.
She only hoped she had the strength to handle whatever that was.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving.”
He crawled out of bed and handed her a T-shirt then slipped on a terry cloth robe. “I make a mean grilled cheese. C’mon.” Taking her hand they walked into the den.
Sam met them, whining at Grace’s feet.
“Poor baby,” Grace cooed, picking him up. “We’ve been neglecting him.”
“He’s a con artist,” Tuck remarked, continuing on to the kitchen. As he got cheese out of the refrigerator, he watched Grace cuddling Sam. Sam never did that with him. Grace was good with dogs and babies. Jesse’s eyes lit up whenever he saw her. He wondered if she ever thought about having children of her own. All women did, didn’t they?
He’d never thought Grace had motherly instincts, but his whole perception of Grace had changed—drastically. She’d make a great mother.
Grace put their clothes in the washing machine and then cut up apples to go with the sandwiches. They sat in comfortable silence, eating.
“This grilled cheese is delicious,” she said, licking cheese from her fingers.
“It’s Ma’s secret recipe. Every kid who came here loved them.”
“I can see why.”
He took a bite of a quartered apple. “Have you ever thought of having kids?”
“Sure. All women do. But I firmly believe in marriage first, then baby. I’m still looking for my Prince Charming or—” she made quotes with her fingers “—‘Mr. Right.’ I’m told I’m pushy and bossy and men don’t go for that type of woman.”
“They just don’t know you.”
Her eyes opened wide. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
She nibbled on an apple. “So are you a candidate for my Prince Charming?”
“Definitely.” He grinned. “We’re alike in so many ways. I never realized that before.”
“How are we alike?”
“We both have very strong father figures in our lives and their approval means a lot to us.”
“Yes. And it’s time we learned to deal with the feelings about our fathers.”
“We’ve made a start.”
“How else are we alike?” she asked.
“Neatness—yours is over the top, but lately you have it under control.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes. Right now I want to wipe the table and spray bleach on the floor where Sam licked the crumbs from my sandwich, then mop the whole floor. It’s just an urge, though. It used to be important to me to be organized and neat. It meant I was in control. But I don’t need to be in control every minute, every day of my life. I kind of like running and laughing in the rain and not caring about the mess on the floor. It makes me feel more human, more feminine.”
He watched her animated face and felt a catch in his throat. Her hair was in disarray around her face, her eyes sparkled and her expression was dreamy. Could she be more beautiful? He didn’t think so.
“So how are we different?” she asked.
He thought about it for a minute. “Let me put it this way. You’re like an expensive imported bottle of champagne. Me, I’m a domestic beer made in Texas.”
Smiling, she slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That doesn’t mean we can’t find some common ground.”
He kissed her gently. “I think we already have.”
She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. They sat that way for a while.
“Tomorrow I have to turn in some evidence on a case then I’m off the rest of the week. Caleb’s taking over for me. We planned this in case I got custody of Brady. And I’ll take over for him when their baby comes. When I leave the courthouse, I’m going to see an architect about remodeling the house. I’d like to add on, maybe make the master bedroom and bath larger, add a bathroom upstairs and maybe a game room with a pool table.”
“You’ve really thought about this.”
“I have to start living my own life.”
“I know what you mean.” Her voice sounded melancholy.
“Another way we’re alike,” he murmured against her face and took a moment to breathe in her scent. “Now’s a good time to start,” he added, getting to his feet and leading her into the bedroom.
For a moment he stared at the pictures on the wall then went into the other bedroom for a plastic storage box. He’d bought several to store things away so Brady could have the room. Now he had another use for the box.
He began to take the pictures down and place them in the container.
“No.” Grace grabbed a photo. “You have to save the ones with you in them.”
“Grace…”
“Humor me.”
“There are tons of other photos in albums.”
“Okay.” She handed them back, all but one. “I like this one and I think you need to keep it.”
He glanced at the photo of him and Eli with the Cochran boys. “Okay.”
She kissed his cheek. “Thanks. What are you going to do with the rest of the photos?”
“Store them for now. Tomorrow I’ll start to clean out the attic. Ma’s and Pa’s clothes are up there along with everything they’ve ever owned. I need to sort through it. And Eli’s going to help. We’ve put this off long enough.”
She rubbed his arm. “After work, I’ll help, too.”
“I’d like that.”
That night he went to sleep with Grace in his arms. He didn’t feel guilty or disloyal. He felt an incredible peace that he was getting on with his life.
All it took was one woman to open his eyes.
All it took was Grace.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE NEXT MORNING Grace slipped from the bed, careful not to wake Tuck. But he was a light sleeper. The moment she moved, he woke up. He scooted up against the headboard.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes.” She slipped into jeans. “I want to be in the office by eight. The day care opens today and I want to make sure everything goes smoothly. I also need to have a meeting with the partners to explain my absence.”
She fastened her bra, pulled a wrinkled T-shirt over her head and leaned over, whispering, “See you tonight.”
“Grace.”
She stopped in the doorway and looked back. Morning light was creeping into the room, bathing him in a golden light, a fairy-tale kind of light. At that moment she knew Jeremiah Tucker was her Prince Charming.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye?”
She shook her head. “If I kiss you, I won’t leave and I have to go to work. I’ll make up for it tonight.”
He winked. “You have a deal. Good luck.”
Grace found her purse in the kitchen, took a moment to pet Sam and hurried to her car.
Within the hour she was in her apartment, showered and dressed in a beige power suit with a brown silk blouse. She chose a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes, slipped her feet inside and waited for the feeling.
Nothing happened.
A smile split her face. She’d finally found something better than shoes—Tuck’s love. She twirled around and said the words aloud, “I love you, Tuck.” Then she wrapped her arms around her waist and enjoyed that all-encompassing feeling.
Now she had to make her job fit back into her life. Her time would be split, but she could make it work.
She had to.
GRACE WAS IN THE DAY CARE at eight. Doris Hayden was already checking in some kids. She looked up, saw Grace and immediately came to her side.
“Ms. Whitten, I’m so glad to see you.” There was obvious relief on her face and in her voice. Of medium height with graying dark hair, Doris had been a nurse for twenty years and had a spotless record. On the first interview, Grace knew she was going to hire her. Doris had worked on the pediatric ward of a large hospital and loved
children, but she wanted her nights and weekends free.
“How are things going?”
“Wonderful. We have fourteen children registered. If this keeps up, we’ll need more help.”
“I was thinking we might need some extra people anyway. I want every child to receive the best care.”
“Yes, ma’am. I must say the decorators did a wonderful job.”
The main room was open and appealing, the walls a soft yellow and a pastel green. Balloons, a train and cartoon characters were hand painted on them. Furniture of red, green, blue and yellow made the room even brighter. A babies’ room was to the left and through the double doors at the back was a room with a large TV screen for watching movies or cartoons. There was, of course, a kitchen.
“Yes, they did,” Grace responded.
“Ms. Whitten.” Grace turned to see Nina standing behind her with her two-year-old daughter. “Am I glad to see you.”
“We’ll talk upstairs,” she said, not wanting to get into a conversation about her absence in front of everyone. Grace shook hands with several employees and made her way to her office.
Nina was a few seconds behind her. Grace took a deep breath and resumed her role as managing partner. “I’d like to see Byron in thirty minutes. Set up a meeting at ten for the partners—all partners, no excuses. I expect everyone to be there.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nina scribbled on her pad, and then looked up. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Thank you.”
After Nina left, Grace wanted to call Tuck, just to hear his voice, but she would see him later. She would be content with that.
Opening a drawer, she pulled out a phone book and looked up the hospital where Brady was. She made an appointment to see the CEO and the hospital administrator.
Then she walked to Byron’s office. His secretary jumped to her feet. “Oh, Ms. Whitten, Mr. Coffey was coming to your office in a few minutes. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
“Since I’m early, I’ll let him know I’m here.” She opened the door and stepped inside. She wanted the upper hand with Byron and surprise was a good tactic.
Byron was on the phone and he immediately hung up. Standing, he said, “Grace, did my secretary get the time wrong?”
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