Wood U (Carved Hearts #4)

by L. G. Pace III

  Minutes later, we reached our destination, and the parking lot was vacant. Most Austinites were hunkered down indoors, and I’d hoped the cold climate would give us the privacy I needed. I grabbed the picnic basket from the backseat, and taking Kelly by the hand, I led her down the path toward the stairs. I paused nervously at the bottom of the stairs when I noticed how Kelly favored her left leg.

  “Ya alright?” I asked, and she nodded. She’d just finished her first honest-to-God marathon earlier that day, and I couldn’t have been prouder. I felt guilty as hell for my off-the-cuff remarks that got her into it. When she’d logged in to register for the race, I’d teased her about doing “only a half marathon.” It was a stupid joke, of course, but Little Miss Alpha had glared at me over her shoulder, turned back to the computer, and clicked on “full marathon entry” instead. Then she pressed the enter key.

  My entire family had been at the finish line (Francis and Beverly were, too), but no one had cheered louder for her than M.J. had. I could tell by her face that Kelly was disappointed with her time, but she seemed even more disappointed when I sent the boy off to spend the night at Mason’s. Kelly had said the night before that she wanted us all to chill on the couch and gorge ourselves on take-out. I told her I’d already planned a celebratory picnic for just the two of us, which seemed to irritate her.

  Now with her slight limp, I was especially glad that Mt. Bonnell wasn’t much of a climb. Even so, I was aware there was a chance I might have to carry Kelly back down. A marathon is serious business, and I’d asked Nick to be on standby just in case. He was still at the shop with the two former interns who were now permanent employees, The Normal Kid and oddly enough, Sonic the Hedgehog, who’d somehow transformed, Optimus Prime-style, into a decent little worker bee.

  Nick had moved into Kelly’s old apartment above the shop, and The Normal Kid lived in Francis’s old place. Joe and I had a new understanding. Going forward, we were only taking on two interns at a time. Our three permanent guys still needed a lot of mentoring, and interns were more work than they were help most of the time. Joe and I both had families to think about, and the pace we’d been working at wasn’t sustainable.

  The truth was, I wasn’t concerned about work in the slightest. I was concerned about my girl and my hare-brained plan to drag her up a giant flight of stairs just hours after she’d run twenty-six miles. I’d carry her back down if I had to. I’d done it before, and she was just as light now as she’d been back then.

  Once we got to the top of the overlook, I spread a blanket out on the half-wall that served as our table, put the basket aside, and helped her to sit. The sigh of satisfaction she gave when she was finally able to stop moving was amusing as hell. She leaned back against the stone pillar behind her and closed her eyes.

  “I’m never going to be able to get back up. You should have just taken me home, hon. Now, you’re going to have to carry me back to the truck like a princess.” Her smug chin-lift made me grin as I unpacked the basket. My mouth watered immediately. Molly had whipped us up some of her famous fried chicken, spiced potato wedges, the unhealthiest corn a person could ever hope to eat, and two bottles of home-brewed sweet tea. Say what you like about Short Shit, but she knows her way around the stove top. As the smell of Molly’s cooking hit her, Kelly shuddered and moaned in a way normally reserved for me in the bedroom. “Oh, that smells so good.”

  Handing her a plate, I let her eat in peace, not saying a word when she grabbed a second helping of chicken. It had been a struggle, but she seemed over some of the food issues she’d had when we met. A few still lingered; she refused all desserts and fast food, and she always tracked what she ate versus how much she exercised…but she no longer carried protein bars to family gatherings and had stopped ordering a side salad every time we went out to eat.

  I was the one struggling with my appetite at that moment. My nerves were getting the better of me, and I forced myself to choke down just enough food so that Kelly wouldn’t get suspicious. I needn’t have bothered putting on a show. Kelly had been training for a long time, and Molly’s celebratory feast had her rapt attention.

  Once our meal was over, I packed everything away, stalling for time as Kelly put her gloves on and admired the incredible sunset. She swung her legs over and dropped off the other side of the short stone wall, inching away in the direction of the cliff face. Though I’d wisely chosen to bring her over to the viewing platform this time around and we had an iron fence between us and the drop off, I hurriedly tossed the basket aside and rushed to catch up to her. I wrapped my arms around her from behind just as she came to a stop near the fence. I’d love to say I was trying to keep her warm, but considering her ability to find danger everywhere, that’d be inaccurate. Kelly melted back into my embrace with a contented purr and her fingers stroked my arm.

  “So what’s next, Champ? A mud run? Triathlon?” I whispered into her hair, breathing in her sweet scent, all buttery and vanilla. She smelled like egg nog tonight, and I briefly wondered why I hadn’t opted for a picnic in bed.

  “Actually, I thought I’d give my body a rest for a while,” she sighed. All at once, I was glad she was facing the sunset. The relief I felt was surely transparent on my face. She pushed herself too hard. I found her routines both fascinating and a little worrisome. Brushing the pom-pom of her winter hat aside, I kissed the cool skin of her temple. I moved so that we were standing side by side. The wind gusted, and Kelly wrapped her arms around herself protectively. I knew my time was limited and that sunset would be gone in minutes, plunging us into darkness. Fueled by the ticking clock, I took her hand in mine.

  “Do you remember the first time we came here?” I asked. Covering her face with her gloved hand, she collapsed against my chest in giggles. Looking up at me, she grinned, her cheeks red with obvious embarrassment.

  “You mean the day I tried to fall off a cliff to get away from you? Good thing you’re the persistent type or I might have gone over the edge.” The memory wasn’t nearly as funny to me, and squeezing her tightly, I took a deep breath.

  “I was fixin’ to ask you to move in with us that day,” I confessed. She pulled away suddenly, gaping up at me in surprise.

  “Wha…uh…really?” Her expression slowly transformed, and she studied me carefully, as if trying to assess whether I was pulling her leg.

  “Really.” I took both of her hands in mine. “I already knew you were the one. I’m pretty sure I was already in love with you the first time…”

  I trailed off, afraid of how she’d interpret what I was about to say.

  Her wry smile was unexpected as she attempted to finish my thought, something she was frighteningly good at these days. “When we had crazy sex on my couch?”

  It was quite the mental picture she was painting, but I shook my head. There was no humor in my response. “The first night you read Peter Pan to M.J.”

  Kelly’s smile melted slowly, her stare boring into mine.

  “I just…knew. It was…kinda weird. A little scary, actually. Like I’d always known, but seeing the two of you sitting there on his bed with that book between you, I finally…remembered? I’m sure it sounds totally nuts. But when you left a few days later, I knew you weren’t where I was. You weren’t ready.”

  She shook her head, and her cheeks flushed. “No, I knew it, too. But felt too good. I liked it way too much. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, understanding her response more than I could convey.

  “The past few months…” I started, and I had to stop speaking for fear that my voice might crack with emotion. Time had slipped by so quickly now that we were back together. We’d all gone to Kelly’s mom’s in Denver for the week of fall break. Considering everything that had gone down when they’d been in Austin, my reception was a surprisingly warm one. Junior loved the snow, and I had to practically drag him back in from the cold more than once. Kelly’s mom spoiled him as if she were legitimately his grandma, and Kelly seemed pleased
but leery.

  Before heading off to bed the last night of our visit, Candice demanded Junior make a Christmas wish list for her. Junior had no problem whatsoever complying, and Kelly and I snuggled by the fire, answering M.J.’s insane questions like “how do you spell Porsche?” Kelly saw an opportunity to pester and harass me about what I wanted for Christmas. I’d had a couple of tall glasses of Bart’s twenty-year-old scotch, and it made me too loose-lipped.

  “I want you to move in with us. It’s time.” I blurted it out, right in front of Bart and M.J. I’m a spectacular jackass sometimes.

  To my surprise, Kelly didn’t flinch. She exhaled and fluttered her dark lashes in that charming way she isn’t even aware of. “Well, alright then. Consider it done.”

  She’d been with us ever since.

  Reflecting back on that pivotal night and all of the precious ones that had come and gone since, it took a minute for me to get my bearings. What I was trying to say here and now needed to be far more carefully planned than my stupid ‘move in with us’ had been. Kelly waited patiently, and looking at her in the setting sun with the faint lights of downtown twinkling in the distance left me tongue-tied. Her brows narrowed as she realized how badly I was struggling, and when she reached out to stroke my bearded cheek, I fought my natural inclination to crack a joke.

  “The past few months have been my personal version of heaven, Sugar. You make me so happy. Every day. M.J. too. You…you being with us makes our house a home.”

  Her eyes shone with emotion, and her lips curled gently toward the darkening sky above us. “You’re so sweet, Mac.”

  She moved in close as if she was going to kiss me, but I took her by the shoulders and held her at arm’s length. Her eyes widened with astonishment and a trace of hurt, but I’d come this far, and there was no turning back now. “It’s hard to remember what my life was like before you. That’s not exactly right…it’s painful to remember. I remember all too well what it was like. I don’t want to go back there.”

  “Mac—” The pretty eyelash flutter was in full force, but I had to get it all out.

  “I love you, Raquel. I’m yours now. I’d do anything for you. That was already clear to me when I carried you down this hill. I didn’t want anyone else to take care of you. It was already my job.” I put my hand in my pocket and felt the velvet box.

  “B…but I—” Kelly started, and I trampled over her words once more.

  “I’ve waited as long as I can to ask you this, and I hope like hell it doesn’t make you want to run from me, but I’m done marking time and pretending I’m alright with it.” I dropped to one knee, and Kelly’s eyes widened just a hair. Considering they were already about the size of my mother’s best china, it was a fairly remarkable sight to see. “You’ll never have to doubt me, Kelly. Never. I’ve got you. I got this.”

  I pulled out the box that I’d purchased so long ago. I popped it open and saw the sun’s last rays reflected in the two carat solitaire Granny informed me was likely to get Kelly mugged. Kelly’s eyes were fixated on mine, and I’m not sure she even saw it. “I’ve spoken to your mother, and she claims she’s on board. I asked for your father’s blessing way back before we went to Galveston, and he told me to put the ring away for a while. But your opinion, Sugar, is the only one I’m interested in. Kelly…what I’m trying to…what I’m asking is…would you…would you do me the great honor of being my wife?”

  She paused, and I didn’t trust the strange expression on her delicate features. When she started laughing, it was a happy sound, but so unexpected that I blanched. She saw this, and she took a step in my direction, her hands cupping my face. “I was just making sure it was finally my turn to talk. Yes, Malcolm, now that I can get a word in edgewise. I would. I can’t think of anything I want more than to marry you.”

  I was on my feet, and she was in my arms; and by the time we came up for air, there was no trace of the sun. I reached into the box for the ring, and it wasn’t there.

  “Umm, babe?” I said.

  “Yeah?” She sounded breathless, and in spite of the delicate subject I was about to bring up, I was very turned on.

  “You didn’t happen to snag the ring out of the box while we were making out?”

  “What?” She sounded as serious as a ticking time bomb, and it was a cold shower on all of my eroticism.

  I pulled out my keys and turned on the tiny flashlight I had on my keyring. I handed it to Kelly, and we both couched down to look around. To add insult to injury, we smacked our heads together with a resounding “thunk.”

  “Owww,” I deadpanned, palming my forehead.

  “Ugh. My legs hate me so much right now that I didn’t even feel that.” Kelly grumbled.

  “Shine the light over here.” I said, and when the beam of light landed on me, I gently took the ring from its resting place on the top of my boot. I blew out a giant breath. I’d spent three month’s salary on the thing and gone to three different stores before finding one that spoke to me. The last thing I’d wanted to do was spend half the night looking for it. Especially after the kissing. I had way better things to do with my time.

  “Mac.” Her voice broke in the darkness as she said my name. She had the tiny beam of light trained on the square-cut diamond. “It’s beautiful.”

  I found her hand in the darkness, and gently placed the engagement ring in her palm for a closer look. I watched her admire it by the light of the flashlight.

  “It’s…huge!” Kelly gasped.

  “That’s what she said,” I quipped. She snorted and swatted at me with the tiny flashlight. It connected with my padded jacket.

  I plucked the ring out of her grasp. “I think I’m supposed to put this thing on your finger to make it official.”

  “You think?” she asked, turning the flashlight upward so she looked like she was trying to tell me a scary story. “You’ve done this before!”

  “Uh, yeah. That one wasn’t exactly planned. Those rings came from a 24-hour pawn shop down the street from Harrah’s.”

  She snorted, and I carefully slipped the ring on her slender finger. Thankfully, it seemed to fit. I entwined my fingers with hers.

  “It was made for you,” I said, giving myself a mental pat on the back.

  “It’s too much.” Her grave tone wiped the smile off my face.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” I replied, but when I stroked her cheek in the blackness, it was wet to the touch. “I want you to listen to me. This is important. Are you listening?”

  “Mmm hmm.” She sniffed.

  “Nothin’s too much for you, Sugar. Nothin’. Do you understand me?”

  I could only see her silhouette, but her sniffling was undeniable. She finally sounded like the ball of emotions I’d come to expect after a guy pops the question.

  “I love you. God help me.” She added the last bit with a sigh, as if she were resigning herself to the unfortunate fact of being saddled with my bad jokes for the rest of time.

  “I love you, too.” I put my arm around her and sweeping up the basket in my other hand, I guided her toward our certain death on the stone staircase that would take us back to the truck. “Now let’s get the hell out of here. That body of yours isn’t gonna rub itself.”

  Robin Harper of Wicked by Design: thank you for being eternally fabulous and flexible. You never fail to amaze us. We’re grateful that you designed a cover we could build a novel around. You’re the best.

  Julie from J.T. Formatting: Not sure what we did to get so lucky, but we’re not going to jinx it. You always give the interior look something special and you’re an angel to work with.

  Carmen Comeaux, Editor: Thanks for making us look better than we are. Sorry we can’t take all of your advice. Maybe one day we’ll write characters who actually speak proper English!

  Jay McAtee, Lisa Fox, Jerry Mogler, Annette Chesmore, Tamron Davis: Our dear real life friends who not only read this document while it was in the developmental stages, but allowed us to
use their names in the Carved Hearts Series. Hope you’re cool with your fifteen minutes of immortality.

  Laura Wilson, Sally Bouley, Brett Lewis, and Stacey Grice: for being our tried and true betas for the entire 4 books process. We owe you so much for reading and re-reading and READING AGAIN!!! We’ll settle up once we hit the big time. Seriously though, thank you for believing in what we do and always keeping us grounded. Y’all are simply the best and you must know you’ll be our go-tos for as long as we keep doing what we do.

  Michelle Cable, Chelle Northcutt, Tesrin Afzal, Linda Cotter: Our new friends we met along the way as the Carved Hearts books introduced us. We couldn’t be happier that Joe and Molly brought us all together. It means the world to us that y’all appreciate what we do. Love you, ladies. Thank you for all the reading, promoting, and cheerleading. You kept us motivated to tell great stories on the darkest of days.

  A special thanks to Lisa Figliolino and Crystal Blais: These two lovely Pace readers happen to be teachers. We appreciate all the advice and thoughtful consideration regarding Kelly’s job at the elementary school. Thank you for taking the time to assist us in adding some authenticity to our tale.

  and to Colt: What’s your wife think now? :)

  L.G. Pace III has spent several decades pouring creative energy into other things besides writing. He began his current journey by telling his two daughters bedtime stories about a magical realm and a hero named Terel. Though that story is still sitting unfinished in the electronic universe he has managed to bring two other stories out of the dark maelstrom of his mind for others to enjoy.

  He dwells in the great state of Texas with his wife, novelist Michelle Pace and their children.

  OTHER WORKS BY L.G.PACE III

  Vigilance

  The Lost One

  Oculus (with J.L. Mac)

  CONNECT WITH L.G. PACE III AT: