The doctor told her that Cain could go home in three more days, as long as he continued to eat well and showed no signs of infection. She counted the hours, the minutes, the seconds, watching and waiting. Cain improved with each day that passed, becoming more active, more vocal, and stronger.
“I think he’s ready to be discharged,” Dr. Carter informed her after he checked him over again. “His incision is healed, he’s breathing well, and there are no signs of infection.”
Grace sucked in a breath and covered her mouth in glee. “Yes!”
“I know it’s been a long time. He was in the hospital so long after he was born and now after this surgery. Hopefully this is the last time for a little while.” He patted her shoulder and smiled down at Cain. “I’ll have you out of here within the hour,” he promised as he left the room.
Grace swept Cain into her arms and kissed his face. “We’re going home, baby!” She pulled her phone from her pocket and called Damien. “Dad! They’re discharging us, within the hour!”
“Grace, honey, that’s fantastic. I’ll be there.”
“Okay, please bring his portable oxygen and some clothes,” Grace reminded him, worrying he’d forget the basic things they needed.
“Grace, stop worrying. I won’t forget.” He laughed softly, and Grace felt herself relax.
“I’m trying.”
After she hung up with her father, she called Drake, hoping she wouldn’t wake him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he answered breathlessly.
“Did I call at a bad time?” She chewed at her thumbnail.
“No. We just finished a set. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is amazing. Cain is going home within the hour,” Grace explained.
“That’s incredible.”
“I’ll let you go. I need to fill out some papers and get him ready to go. I’ll let you know when we make it home,” Grace offered.
“Please do. We’re finishing up here in London, and tomorrow we’re flying back to the U.S. I’ll be closer and we can get together soon. I can’t wait to see you both. I love you.”
“I love you. Bye!” Grace hung up and busied herself keeping Cain occupied.
Soon she had paperwork discharging them from the hospital, and she was waiting on her dad to show up with everything so they could go. He arrived a few moments later with oxygen, a car seat, and clothes in hand.
“The damn paps are outside still. They’ve just about lost their minds seeing me come in,” Damien grumbled.
“I’m not worried about them. I want to get Cain home.” Grace took the clothes from him and dressed Cain in the pale blue long sleeved onesie, brown pants, and soft socks. They connected him to his portable oxygen and slipped him into his car seat.
“Let me carry him, Grace.” Damien nudged her out of the way and hefted the car seat in his hand.
“I’ll drape his hospital blanket over the top when we get closer to the door. I don’t want them taking pictures of him.”
“Okay.” As they left the NICU, the two nurses at the desk cheered for them.
“We’re so glad he can go home!”
“Us too.” Grace grinned. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
“Absolutely, he was a joy. Such a sweet boy. Take care.”
“You too!” Grace waved as they hurried down the hall to the elevator. She felt giddy, excitement bubbling through her veins. She couldn’t wait to get Cain home and reintroduce him to their home and some sort of normalcy.
She draped the pale pink blanket over his car seat as they moved to the doors. The two guards flanked them, and she readied herself for the annoying flash of cameras. They swarmed them as they hurried for the car.
“Grace! How are you and the baby dealing with Drake being gone? Is he okay? Is he mentally retarded?”
Grace seethed as she climbed in the car. “Fucking leeches,” she mumbled, helping Damien snap him into the car seat base. The guards kept the paparazzi back until they could all load into the vehicle. Finally, with a final glance back at the hospital they’d lived at for almost a month, Grace bid it goodbye. Gazing into her son’s brilliant blue eyes, she knew she was walking into the future, and it looked bright.
Chapter Eighteen
“I can come to Phoenix for Valentine’s Day,” Drake offered. “Would you want to get together?”
Grace grinned and leaned against the doorjamb going into Cain’s nursery. “I’d love to get together.”
“Ah, I was thinking about getting a hotel room.”
She blushed hot at the thoughts racing through her mind. “Oh?”
“I was wondering if I could take you away…just for a night? I mean, if you think Cain would be okay with your dad. If not, then we can wait.”
Grace smiled at Drake’s thoughtfulness. “I don’t think I’m ready to leave him just yet. I’ve heard whispers that Dad has met someone. Maybe I can convince him to leave the house for the night.”
“He told me no sex in the house.”
Grace giggled then. “Drake, be serious, I’m a grown woman.”
“And he can put me six feet under,” Drake insisted.
“Then we won’t have sex. It will be like you’re back teaching at Yale and I’m your student again,” Grace suggested.
“We all know how well that worked out,” Drake groaned. “Sure we’ll give it our best shot. I’ll see you in a few days. I love you.”
“I can’t wait.”
Grace peeked in on Cain, who was still happily napping, and she rushed downstairs to her father’s office. Damien sat sipping his favorite scotch and reading a script.
“Dad?”
“Hey, sweetheart, what’s up?” He put down the script and smiled warmly at her.
“I need a favor. Well, two.”
“Anything, you know that. Do you need something for Cain? For yourself?” Damien prompted.
“I need to go shopping. By myself. And I-uh, need you to vacate the premises Valentine’s Day.” Grace blushed hot.
“I see. Would there be a certain young man flying in?” He sipped his scotch nonchalantly.
“Yes, and I really want to spend some time alone with him,” Grace pleaded.
“I told him no sex in this house,” Damien warned her.
“I know…and there won’t be.” She thought back to the conversation they’d had about what constituted sex at Yale.
“Mmhmm. I have a feeling I’ll be a grandpa for the second time by the end of the year.” Damien chuckled and shook his finger at her in warning.
“No, no babies from me for a long time. Cain is enough. I just want to spend time with him. Please? Plus, I heard you’ve met someone, so it’s a prime opportunity for you to get out of the house…” Grace trailed off nervously.
“Oh, you have, have you? Well, yes, if you must know, I met a really nice lady at the grocery store. She’s something else, and yeah, I could probably visit her for Valentine’s Day.” Damien laughed and finished his scotch. “Well, you better get going. Cain will be up before long, and he’s going to want Mama, not Grandpa.”
Grace rushed forward and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
“I know you do. I love you too, and I love seeing you happy. I haven’t seen this much light in your eyes ever. It does this old man’s heart good to see you in love.” Damien patted her cheek and pointed at the door. “Now go on.”
Grace rushed out of the house, barely pausing to slip on shoes and grab her purse and keys. She loaded up in her car and opened the gates, ignoring the lone paparazzo that still hung around the gates. She and Drake had become old news, and he seemed listless as he lazily snapped a picture as she left.
It felt good to be out and about, and she hurried to the mall, knowing there was only one place that she could find what she was looking for. Pulling into the parking lot, she shut off the ignition and exited the car before rushing across the parking lot and into the mall. Meandering through the huge building, she came to the plus sized boutique
and ambled inside.
The lingerie section would have exactly what she was looking for. The store was decked out for Valentine’s Day, and they offered a sale on lingerie, forty percent off. She delved into the racks, coming up with a lacy, black and red teddy and matching panty set. Glancing in the full length mirror by the fitting rooms, she held it up to her body and grinned. Oh yeah, Drake Stone, I’m going to make you want me.
She paid for her purchase and hurried along to the toy store to pick up something for her favorite little boy. Taking the time to browse, she finally decided on a ball that vibrated, flickered different colors and sang songs. Cain would love it. She checked out and rushed out of the mall and made the drive back home.
She could barely wait to see Drake again. They’d been texting back and forth furiously, sending flirty messages and naughty pictures. Grace wanted him, desperately. She wanted to feel his mouth pressed against hers and have his body tangled in her sheets. It was becoming unbearable. Now that the fear of something happening to Cain had passed, the only thing on her mind was seeing Drake again.
Her dreams at night were filled with his kisses and the first time they’d made love, so very long ago. She’d been a virginal innocent then, and truthfully now she wasn’t much better. Unbeknownst to everyone, she’d been sneaking the pornos her father had directed out of his office and watching them since she’d gotten back home with Cain.
She knew the characters on film weren’t turned on, and the movies didn’t necessarily make her hot and bothered. They gave her ideas. Ideas of things to do to Drake that would hopefully rock his world.
This time would be different, she was certain of it.
Valentine’s Day came, and she could barely keep it together. Drake would be flying into Phoenix in the afternoon and catching a cab to the house. She had orchestrated everything perfectly and planned everything out. That is, except for her stubborn father being a fly in the ointment. Damien seemed perfectly happy to laze about and read the newspaper.
“Dad, don’t you have somewhere to be?” Grace sighed for the fifth time in an hour.
He glanced up from the paper and grinned toothily. “Why? Got a hot date?”
“Oh my God, you know I do!” Grace wailed. “Please don’t do this. I feel like I’m sixteen.”
“If you were sixteen he wouldn’t be in the house…That’s neither here nor there. I know you’re all grown up, and yes, I’ll stop teasing you and get out of the house.” Damien folded his paper and patted her shoulder. “Be good.”
“I will…” Grace promised, a sneaky smile crossing her lips. “I’ll be very good,” she mumbled to herself. Cain squawked for her attention, and she knelt to play with him. “Are you excited to see Drake too?”
Her stomach was in knots, and she could barely keep it together as she took Cain into the kitchen and started working on their dinner. Cain was too happy to sit in his high chair and squawk at his rattling plastic keys.
She took a slow breath and pulled steaks from the refrigerator. She put together a simple rosemary balsamic marinade for them, then set them aside. Next, she readied a pot of boiling water for potatoes and chopped vegetables for a salad. As the doorbell rang, she jumped and the knife nicked her finger. “Dammit!” she murmured, grabbing a paper towel to stem the flow of blood.
You’re a wreck! He’s going to think you’re a horny, immature little girl! She admonished herself. Smoothing her hair as best she could with a bloody, wrapped up finger, she opened the door and her throat closed up seeing him there. He held a humongous bouquet of roses in his hand and a teddy bear.
“Hi,” Drake started. “You gonna let me in?”
“Yeah!” Grace stammered, stepping back. “I nicked my finger,” she mumbled stupidly and blushed at her foolish idiosyncrasies.
“Are you okay?” Drake walked inside and closed the door behind himself.
“Yep!” Grace yelped louder than she meant to. “Can you go in the kitchen and keep an eye on Cain? I’ll be back…” She ran for the stairs and hustled into the bathroom. Closing the door, she leaned against it and groaned. Oh my God.
Unwrapping her finger, she surveyed the damage. She only nicked it a bit and the blood was already clotting. Thankful she hadn’t severed the digit, she wrapped it in a bandage and checked her reflection in the mirror. The girl staring back at her looked wide-eyed, pink cheeked and beautiful. She didn’t know her, but she recognized her from a very long time ago. Fluffing her hair, she steadied her breathing and left the bathroom.
Sashaying down the staircase, she paused for a moment at the bottom and tried to mimic a walk a porn star had effortlessly done in a film. Her hips had rippled and rolled beautifully, like the waves of the ocean. It had been incredibly beautiful and sensual. Grace realized at that moment she should’ve practiced the walk, because she found she looked less sexy and more dying water buffalo. It wasn’t the look. She abandoned the awkward walk and hurried to the kitchen where she found Drake sitting in front of Cain and playing peek-a-boo.
If she’d had any miniscule doubts about Drake, they disappeared in the moment his hands came away from his face and he grinned at the laughing baby. She fell completely for him at that exact moment, and she knew then that everything fluttering through her blood stream and making her crazy was far more than a severe case of lust. No, it was love.
“You okay?” he asked, jolting her from her love colored haze.
“I’m great. No fingers in the salad this time.”
“Can I have a hug?” He stood from the chair and came to stand in front of her, and she lost the ability to breathe again. So instead of answering him, she nodded.
As his arms came around her, she bit her bottom lip and tipped her face up to his. There, in the middle of the kitchen, he kissed her, and she felt her knees go weak. She gripped his shoulders and kissed back. Their moment was interrupted by the pot on the stove hissing and water spitting out on the stove. Grace stepped back and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, and Drake turned the stove down.
“Whatcha making?” he asked, as though kissing like that was completely commonplace and it didn’t affect him one little bit.
“I-uh, steaks and potatoes and salad,” Grace finally choked out.
“Perfect. And for the littlest man in the house?” Drake glanced over his shoulder at the baby.
“Ah, that would be formula.”
“Can I feed him?” Drake asked hopefully.
“Sure, if you want to,” Grace replied.
“I do.”
Chapter Nineteen
Drake watched Grace carefully while they ate. She was nervous, that much was obvious with the way her hands shook as she picked up her glass and how the fork clattered on the plate as she placed it beside her potatoes. He was nervous too, and he hoped it didn’t show. Being on tour and singing in front of thousands of screaming fans sort of fixed the nervous thing.
She’d put his roses in a vase on the table, and he stop smirking as he noticed her ducking behind the fragrant blossoms to avoid his gaze. Ah, sweet Grace… Her gawky innocence was completely captivating. “Can I ask you something?” he finally asked after twenty minutes of silence.
“Sure,” she responded, still hiding behind the flowers.
“Was there anyone else?” He fought the urge to kick himself under the table at the jealous tone creeping into his voice.
“No. I never had time. I couldn’t forget you,” she murmured, her cheeks rivaling the scarlet of the blossoms.
“I already told you there wasn’t for me either.” He took a bite of steak to keep from sticking his foot in his mouth again.
Cain babbled in the high chair beside him, and he turned his attention to the little tyke. He looked so much better now than he had in the hospital. Tickling the bottom of the baby’s foot, he grinned as Cain laughed.
“You’re good with him,” Grace remarked, and he turned back to her.
“I love kids. I have two younger brothers. Riley is well, he’
s your age, nineteen, and Connor is sixteen. My parents have groomed Riley into a perfect gentleman. He’s off to Harvard, and he’s going to be a doctor. Connor is coming up the ranks, and I think he’s going to be a hellion like me. Last I talked to Mom, he was dabbling in music. She still thinks I’ve ruined my life.” Drake laughed softly.
“I didn’t know you had brothers,” Grace murmured.
“I want you to meet my family,” he said suddenly, wondering how those words had come out of his throat. It wasn’t the plan. Not yet.
“Maybe,” Grace murmured.
“Sorry. This is moving fast, isn’t it?” Drake choked out, hating how dumb he sounded.
“A little. I don’t know if I’m ready for marriage,” Grace informed him, and Drake nodded.
“Oh, me neither! Marriage? That’s just not in the cards for me right now.” Sadness filled the pit of his stomach, and he took another bite of his food. I sort of assumed we were going to get together and be a couple. Maybe move in together? One day get engaged and married? Is this not what she wants? Is this just casual?
“I’m glad you agree,” Grace continued. “I’m just not ready for that kind of commitment. I mean, I have Cain, and it’s just a lot.”
“Of course. So we’ll just date?” Drake offered.
“Dating sounds good. Get together when you’re in the states, maybe um…hook up and yeah. Just date,” Grace murmured, her cheeks coloring again.
“Hooking up is okay. I just...well. The only thing I want to know is if you’re planning on us being exclusive?” He self-consciously gripped the edge of the table as he awaited her answer. Please say yes, please, please…
“Yeah, absolutely,” Grace firmly replied. “We’re exclusively dating. Oh my God. I’m exclusively dating Drake Stone.” She chuckled. “How much do you want to bet that the magazines would love that exclusive story? Not that I would give it to them. They’ve finally stopped tailing me everywhere.”
Drake grinned and reached across the table, snagging her hand in his. “We’re exclusively dating.” He stroked his thumb across her knuckles, and she withdrew her hand quickly.
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