The boy ran off to his mother. When he reached her, Gina put her arm around her son and they walked off together. Grady had to resist running after them both. The pain in his chest spread to his heart as the two most important people walked out of his life.
“Those two are really special.”
He glanced at Tim Keenan. “Yeah, they are. I need to go.”
“I’ll walk with you to the parking lot,” Tim said. “I couldn’t help but overhear you tell the boy you’re leaving town.”
Grady nodded. “I’m going to look at some property in San Antonio.” Although he knew staying here would be better all around, he needed to make a clean break from Gina. “It’s close to the base where we can get more dogs.”
Tim nodded. “I guess a convenient location is important.” There was a pause. “I would think staying here would be even more convenient, especially with your grandfather here and other special...friends.”
Grady stopped. “Look, Tim, I know you’re trying to help, but this is best for everyone.”
Tim nodded toward Gina’s car as it drove out of the lot. “I know there are at least two people who don’t feel that way.”
* * *
Later that evening Grady sat in his grandfather’s room at Shady Haven.
“So you’re really gonna go?” Fletch asked, not looking happy.
This wasn’t getting any easier. “You knew I was leaving eventually.”
“Hell, son, an old man can hope.”
Grady noticed the sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Granddad.”
“I can deal with you leaving again, Grady, if it’s for the right reasons. And if it makes you happy.”
“It’s for my business.” God, he was a lousy liar.
“Let’s at least be honest, son. My eyesight isn’t so bad that I can’t see you care about that pretty Gina Williams.”
Damn, he didn’t want to do this. “Look, Fletch, I know you want me to stay here, but...” Grady wasn’t sure if he could be around Gina and Zack. “I’m not sure I fit in to all this family stuff.”
Fletch looked sad as he shook his head. “I blame your parents for that. After their divorce, I wanted you to live with me permanently, not just those summers when your dad didn’t have time for you.”
Grady swallowed back the emotions clogging his throat. “I know.”
“You always tried so hard to keep your distance, son. You wouldn’t let anyone get close.” He paused. “Not all people are out to hurt you like your parents, or your ex-wife.”
Grady tensed. He didn’t want to rehash any of this. “I tried to play the family man before—it didn’t work.”
His grandfather watched him, then said, “I wish I was wise enough to give you all the right answers, son, but I can’t. I lost your grandmother too soon. I didn’t want to try to find someone again.” Those kind hazel eyes stared at him. “That was a mistake. I was a lonely man for a lot of years.”
“At least your marriage wasn’t a failure. I’ve done so many things wrong.”
“People make mistakes, son.”
The pain was nearly overwhelming. “I was never home...not even when my son was born.” He felt his throat closing up. “He didn’t survive.”
Fletch leaned forward and gripped his grandson’s hand. “Oh, Grady, I’m so sorry.” The old man was silent for a long time then said, “As tragic as it was to lose a child, you can’t blame yourself for what you have no control over.”
Grady didn’t want to hear excuses. “I should have been there.”
“Of course you should have been there for your wife. But, son, would it have changed the outcome?” Fletch asked.
He shook his head, unable to say the words.
“We can’t live on what-ifs, son.” His grip tightened. “You’ll always grieve for your child, but it’s time to forgive yourself, too. Let people help you,” Fletch told him. “Maybe that special someone.”
“Gina.”
Fletcher shrugged. “I just thought that she would be someone you could build a future with. And what’s not to like about a seven-year-old kid? Seems to me, that boy could use a good male role model in his life.”
His heart ached. He couldn’t stop himself from wanting the same thing. “I failed before.”
“You weren’t alone in your first marriage, so don’t take all the blame.” There was a long pause, then his grandfather said, “Gina’s marriage was a tragic one, but she trusts you. That’s because she sees what I see, a good man. Love with the right person can heal a lot of wounds,” the old man added.
Grady felt a glimmer of hope. He’d never planned on another relationship, and then along came Gina and he couldn’t get her out of his head, out of his heart. And she made him want to reach for that dream.
Grady thought back to the afternoon Gina had held him and cried with him for his child. How her touch had comforted him, how it had soothed his scarred body. How she had made him feel...loved. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. God, he loved her, and all he did was reject her. Would she ever forgive him for that? Take a chance on him?
He had to convince her. He suddenly realized how badly he wanted to make a life with her and Zack. How badly he wanted to stay right here in Destiny.
He stood and smiled at Fletch. “Do you think you could put up with me hanging around?”
The old man grinned. “Maybe if you bring Gina around to see me once in a while, and I wouldn’t mind getting a great-grandkid or two out of it.” He arched an eyebrow. “You need me to put in a good word for you?”
“No, I think I can handle that part,” he said, though deep down he wasn’t so sure. He had to repair a lot of damage.
* * *
Two days later Gina had been at work for an hour at the thrift shop. Since 7:00 a.m. She’d managed to get a lot done, too, including moving another reupholstered sofa to the display window.
“Marie, your work is incredible,” Gina told her as they stood back and enjoyed the view.
“What are you talking about? You redesigned it. The sofa looks totally different.”
“Well, you did most of the sewing. So why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine, really. I have a ton of work to do here.”
“Not today. Take the baby to the park. You need some sunshine. Go.”
The woman didn’t argue, and within ten minutes Gina was alone. Oh, boy. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. She had too much time to think.
“Do some paperwork.” She went behind the counter and picked up the receipts from yesterday and started to head back to the office when the bell signaled over the front door. She glanced up to see Grady Fletcher. Her breath caught as the tall man dressed in jeans and a collared shirt walked in.
Oh, God. What was he doing here?
He looked as nervous as she felt. “Hello, Gina.”
“Grady.”
He shut the door and flipped the Open sign to Closed. Then he locked it before he walked over to her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’d like to talk to you. So I need a few minutes of uninterrupted time.”
“And I have a business to run.” She started to walk past him when he reached for her.
“Please, Gina. It’s important.”
Those dark eyes bored into hers. “Funny, you didn’t have time for me when you needed to leave town.”
“I didn’t leave,” he said.
She froze. “Why not?”
“I had things to do here. To settle.”
She felt the imprint of his hand on her arm. She pulled away. “So when do you leave?”
“I’m not going to Texas.”
Those words got her attention.
He glanced around. “Could Marie watch the sh
op for an hour or so? I want to show you something.”
“Marie isn’t here.”
Then she heard the voice from the back room. “I’m here, Gina.” She walked in from the back, pushing the stroller. “I returned to get my purse.” She looked at Grady. “If it’s for a good cause, I don’t have a problem staying a few hours.”
“A very good cause.”
Grady turned back to Gina. She looked so pretty it took his breath away. Stay focused. He glanced over her jeans and pink blouse and tennis shoes.
“Good, you’re dressed for where I have to take you.”
She still resisted. “Who said I’m going anywhere?”
He stopped. “I’ll make it worth your while. You can have all the furniture in the cabin.” When she still didn’t move, he added, “Please, Gina. If it wasn’t important, I wouldn’t ask you.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking of me.”
“I do. I’m hoping you still trust me enough to give me this chance.”
She sighed. “Okay, I’ll go.” She glanced at Marie. “But I won’t be gone long.”
To Grady she said, “This had better be important.”
He nodded, staring into those mesmerizing green eyes. “It’s the most important thing I’ve ever done.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TEN minutes later they were going out of town, and at first Gina wondered if they were headed to the cabin.
No! She couldn’t go back there. There were too many memories. Before she could protest, Grady drove by the turnoff. Instead they passed the new construction site that was Jace’s new project.
“Isn’t that the new mountain bike training center?”
“Yes. They’re moving fast to complete it by mid June. Justin already has twenty students enrolled.”
Gina studied the man behind the wheel. With the cowboy hat pulled low, she had trouble reading him. Why did he want her to come along? Better question, why had she consented to go with him?
He pulled off the road and into a clearing, then parked. “We’re here,” he announced as he climbed out and hurried around to her side. She had no choice but to take his offered hand to help her out of the truck.
“Come on.” He didn’t release his hold as he walked her to the edge of the hill.
She didn’t want to think about the warmth of his large hand engulfing hers. How safe and utterly feminine he made her feel.
She concentrated on the beauty before her. Miles of pine and cedar trees covered the mountain range—the peaks looked as if they could touch the rich blue sky.
“It’s breathtaking.” That wasn’t a lie, but why was she here?
He turned to her. “You really like it?”
“What’s not to like?”
“This is where I’m building Sarge’s Rescue Dogs and Kennel.” He pointed off in the distance. “Well, it’s actually going to be over there.”
Her heart raced as she fought to contain her excitement. “So you decided against Texas.”
“I weighed the options.” His dark gaze locked on hers and held for a long time. “This is my grandfather’s land. He gave it to me. Then Justin offered me a good deal to help my business—even Josh encouraged me. It seemed impractical to leave.”
Well, that was just great. “Good for you. It’s a lovely spot.” How would she deal with Grady staying, running into him around town?
“I’m happy for you, Grady. Now, could you please take me back?” She started to leave when he stopped her.
“Not so fast. I haven’t finished telling you everything.”
He’d said enough. She didn’t want to hear about his new life here. How he’d moved on and didn’t need her in his life. “Grady. Please.” She turned and marched back to the truck.
“Gina, wait,” he called.
She ignored him as she reached for the passenger door, when he caught up and stopped her from opening it. He stood so close that Gina couldn’t move. His breath was warm against her neck.
“You aren’t even going to hear what else I have to say?”
She didn’t turn around to look at him, just shook her head.
“You don’t want to hear that I plan to build a place on the crest over there. How I want the whole back side of the house to be glass so you can see that view from every room.”
“Sounds lovely. Can I leave now?”
“Not before I tell you—”
“Stop.” Gina swung around. “I’m glad you’ve moved on, Grady. Okay.” She hated that tears filled her eyes. “I just don’t need to hear—”
Her words were smothered when his mouth closed over hers. She moaned and gripped the front of his shirt, and in her weakened state, allowed Grady to have his way. She’d missed him so much. The feelings he created in her.
He broke off the kiss. “I’ve missed you, Gina. God knows, I tried to stay away, tried to let you find someone who would be better for you than a set-in-his-ways ex-army guy. But I discovered that I want you, only you.”
Even though his confession thrilled her, it wasn’t enough. “Grady. I can’t deny I want you, too.” She couldn’t help but think about their little time together. “But I want more than some stolen hours.”
He pulled back and his hard gaze locked on hers, then he stepped back.
“I want more, too, Gina.” He still looked uneasy. “I know it’s hard for you because of your bad marriage. And my track record in that department was lousy.”
She frowned when he backed away. She watched as he pulled off his hat, raking fingers through his hair.
“Grady,” she called to him. “Tell me why you brought me here.”
He turned back to her. “I’m not good at this, Gina. In the army, you’re given orders and you carry them out.”
“Then consider this an order and tell me what you have to say.”
Grady felt his palms sweat, his heart race. Hell, he felt like a teenager.
“I want to stay in Destiny, be close to my grandfather. Build my business here.” His gaze met hers. “But most importantly, Gina, I want to build a life with you.”
* * *
“But I thought you wanted to leave so badly,” she finally said. “That you weren’t the man for me. You couldn’t give me what I needed.”
He blew out a breath. So she wasn’t going to make this easy. He thought about Tim Keenan’s advice. He straightened and walked toward her. “That was before I realized that I could give you more than any man.” His throat suddenly went dry. “Because no one could love you as much as I do.”
Gina blinked, then he saw the tears in her eyes. “Oh, Grady.”
He stepped closer. “Is that a good ‘Oh, Grady’ or a bad ‘Oh, Grady’?”
She smiled. “It’s good.” She rushed into his arms. “I love you, too, Grady Fletcher.”
He tossed his cowboy hat into the back of the truck, then reached for her. “Those are the sweetest words I ever heard,” he whispered right before his mouth captured hers.
There was no way he could ever express the depth of his feelings for her, but he was going to try. He pulled her tighter against him, letting her know how much he desired her, wanted to cherish her for a lifetime.
He pulled back, but didn’t let her go. He cupped her face tenderly. “I meant what I said, Gina. I want a future with you and Zack. I know you’ve gone through a lot. You can have all the space you need to heal, just know I’ll be there. I want you to trust me that I’ll never hurt you intentionally.”
She kissed him sweetly. “I know that, Grady. I’ve known that from the first.” She reached up and touched the scar on the side of his neck. “That afternoon when we made love, everything you shared with me, I know it was painful for you, both physically and emotionally.” Her gaze met his, but he felt the c
onnection deep down into his soul. “I’ve never felt that way...ever. Being with you was so special.”
“I want to make you feel that way always,” he said. “I want to marry you, Gina.” He saw her surprised look. “Okay, maybe it’s too early for that step. But I want to be your husband, your partner and Zack’s father.”
This time the tears did fall. “Oh, Grady.”
He searched her face. “Again, is that good or bad?”
She nodded. “Oh, definitely good.” She cupped his face. “You’ll be a wonderful father... One any child would be proud of.” She knew he was thinking about the son he’d lost. “Zack is going to be so lucky to have you.”
“No, I’m the one who’s lucky to have you both.” He took a steady breath, then knelt on the ground in front of her. “Gina Williams, I love you more than I ever thought possible. Would you do me the honor to marry this old soldier? I promise to love and cherish you forever.”
Her eyes widened at his proposal. “Oh, yes, Grady, I’ll marry you.” She leaned down and placed her mouth against his. With a groan, he stood, wrapping her in his arms and kissed her until they were both breathless.
“Oh, Grady, I’m so happy.”
“Enough to play hooky with me for the rest of the day?”
Gina looked up at the handsome man who was going to be her husband. “Sounds tempting.” She hesitated. “I guess I could call Marie and have her close the shop. So what do you have in mind?”
“I could lie and say we have a lot to discuss, but I have a feeling we’ll get distracted the second we’re alone.” He grinned at her and she couldn’t resist.
“So you’re saying you can make it worth my while?”
“I’m a soldier, I don’t back down from a challenge. Especially someone as tempting as you.”
She gave him a soft kiss and turned in his arms. Together they looked at the view as she pointed toward the ridge. “You said you’re building a house there?”
“Our house,” he corrected. “First, though, I need to finish the kennel for the dogs, which Jace said would be complete by summer’s end.” Grady smiled. “Then we can break ground on our home. We want to get as much done as we can before winter.” He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. “I want to do everything quickly so it’s ready for you and Zack.”
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