“I didn’t see any reason to attend a reunion with people that were never my friends,” Grace confirmed. “I’m still in touch with the volleyball team. If there’s another reunion, maybe we’ll all attend.”
“I’m not on the planning committee for the next one,” Robyn admitted. “As the former class president, it was up to me to plan the ten-year reunion.”
“I see. I’d no idea you were working for the Griffins. What’s that like?”
“When our star players are rushing into the crowds, it’s stressful,” Robyn replied.
Dallas was ready to cut this off in the bud. For some reason, Russell did it for him.
“Robyn, are we here to make trouble for your ex and his girlfriend? If so, we’re out,” Russell warned, standing next to her.
“We drove all this way,” she whined. “I’m not feeling welcomed, are you?”
“The hostility is directed at you,” Russell said. “I’ve got no beef with Dallas after he served that suspension.”
Dallas decided to let Russell deal with Robyn. The two deserved each other.
“Fine,” Robyn almost growled. “We’ll go, even though we risked life and limb to get here on time.”
Shaking his head, Dallas guided Grace down the hallway to the family room and sat beside her on the sofa. He was relieved when the front door closed and the two unexpected guests left before they’d taken their coats off. He didn’t like Robyn’s attempt to cause trouble so soon after he’d started dating Grace.
“You okay, baby?” he whispered.
“Of course,” she insisted. “You were right. She’s a bitch. She was in high school too. I guess not all that much has changed other than her name.”
Dallas smiled, hoping to reassure Grace that everything would be okay, until Ricky chose that moment to crash down on the opposite side of the sofa. “Hey there, pretty lady, I’m Ricky,” he introduced himself, sticking his hand out to Grace. “I hear you’re my favorite target’s girl.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “That was a nice pass the other night to set up that touchdown.”
“Thanks. I’ve learned a lot from Kyran the last few months, especially working with a deep threat like Dallas.” Ricky beamed at his success, rocking back on the sofa with his longneck.
Things settled down after that, attention back on the game and the occasion. But Dallas was worried about Grace. She stayed next to him, participating in football banter. However, her body language spoke volumes. The confident woman she’d been when they arrived was shaken. He intended to make sure Robyn St. Clair never hurt Grace again.
* * * * *
Grace had wondered when the safety bubble surrounding her and Dallas would burst when they went public. She hadn’t expected it to happen within the first few hours.
Even though Dallas remained at her side and was as attentive as ever, she couldn’t stop thinking about Robyn St. Clair. In high school, she’d been Robin Miller, one of the ringleaders for bullying.
Grace knew in her heart that those years were gone. She was thirty now and her boyfriend was Dallas McKay. It shouldn’t worry her that his ex was partly responsible for the viciousness that plagued her as a teenager. Robyn hadn’t acted alone, sure, but she’d been particularly nasty and it had hurt because they’d initially been friends when she first moved to Baltimore. Whatever happened to change Robyn’s view was beyond Grace’s understanding. Surely, Robyn St. Clair had grown up since then, although seeing her after all these years had made her feel like she was seventeen again.
It hadn’t helped when she saw that Robyn was still gorgeous and pencil thin. But there’d been one change. Unlike Grace, whose breasts were surgically reduced in size for comfort and self-esteem, Robyn had gone in the opposite direction. And that certainly wasn’t welcome news, especially given Grace’s hormones were wacked out and a persistent ache tightened in her lower back.
“Gracie?” Dallas whispered. “Do you want to leave?”
“No, I’m okay, really. Seeing Robin again, and knowing she was your Robyn, was a shock. I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“I hope so. At your next reunion, I intend to go with you and crack some skulls,” he said.
“I won’t go,” Grace said. “Not without the volleyball team. None of us were notified of the reunion until it was too late.”
“What is it about teenagers that can make them vicious sometimes?” Dallas asked.
“It isn’t all of them,” she answered. “It feels like a lot when the venom is directed personally. I have to admit, I’m glad you figured out that your ex wasn’t the right woman for you.”
“Me too, baby,” he stated, easing back against the sofa cushions. “I’m half tempted to get her scrawny ass fired.”
Grace shook her head. “My problems with her are in the past. There’s no reason to play dirty.”
“You’re a fine woman, Grace Daniels,” Dallas complimented.
“Thanks, McKay. Besides, I don’t think you really meant it.”
“Nah, if she makes trouble for you, I’m going to nip it in the bud ASAP.”
Kyran announced that the chili was officially ready. Everyone gathered in the kitchen. Grace liked chili, but it wasn’t her favorite dish, so she put a smell helping of tortilla chips on her plate, poured some cheese onto them and added a little chili on top. Dallas copied her, but added far more of Kyran’s famous recipe.
“Careful, Gracie,” Dallas warned. “Kyran uses my hot sauce in his chili.”
“Of course he does,” Grace replied, not surprised.
They went back to the family room for the rest of the game. But she had lost her appetite. She forced herself to eat a little, but feared the extra sodium in the chips wouldn’t help her one little bit. Dallas ate with gusto, but he kept watching her.
“Something’s going on,” he murmured.
“Oh no, no,” she assured. “Um, you know that little problem I mentioned this morning?”
“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “No need to explain further. Let’s get you home.”
Grace let him take her half-empty plate into the kitchen. On his return, he went over to speak with Kyran and Alexander Grant. The two agreed to whatever he’d asked and then he returned.
“Ready?” He offered his hand and she let him help her stand.
“I’m ready.” They walked to the kitchen, said their goodbyes to Anna and the others milling around talking and left.
Outside, the air had gone frigid. The driveway that had been plowed and wet earlier now showed signs of ice around the edges. The Blacks’ plow driver had done a good job at snow removal. He’d also applied a layer of sand for traction. It was good to know. Grace hated walking on anything slippery.
Dallas tucked his arm around her, leading her safely up the stairs to her apartment. Inside, Grace started toward the bedroom, stopping halfway there.
“Gracie?”
“Dallas?”
“Don’t let her defeat you again,” Dallas said. “I’m sure that was a shock. Fuck, I’m still reeling from the fact that you two know each other. You are my priority and I won’t let her hurt you.”
He was such a good man, Grace thought. “I know you won’t. I’m just feeling a little out-of-sorts, you know?” Her cramps were getting worse. “Maybe I should just stay home. You can call me when you get to your house. We can talk for hours.”
“No,” he refused. “Am I going to have to seduce you again?”
Grace smiled a little. “Ha, like you’d need to do something like that where I’m concerned. Actually, given the way I feel right now, I doubt there’s going to be any sexy stuff happening for awhile.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I want you in bed with me until I leave for Vegas.”
“You sure?” she tested, staring back at him.
“We can sleep together without having sex. Go pack or I’ll do it for you,” he promised.
“I’m going.” Knowing she wouldn’t back out of staying with him, Gra
ce headed to her bedroom to pack a small suitcase with what she’d need for work the next two days.
Dallas came into her bathroom as she was putting some makeup in a Vera Bradley bag, along with her flat iron, hairbrush and toothbrush. “Grace, do you mind if I take a few things from your bedside table?”
“We won’t need them,” she said, more aware that what she’d thought would start tomorrow was going to happen sooner than she’d planned.
“For when we will,” he explained.
Curious as to what he intended to get, she decided to wait and see what he would do when they could have sex again. He went back to her bedroom and she made one last dive under her small sink and tossed the pink box she’d found into her shoulder bag.
“My briefcase and laptop are at your place, so I think I have everything I need,” she said, walking out to meet him.
“Let’s go home then. I’ll build a fire upstairs and we can watch some TV or something,” Dallas said.
She had to admit it. She missed his big, warm house with its curious mix of cowboy and Native American culture and the smell of pine and sandalwood. She’d always associate those scents with Dallas McKay. She also missed Max and couldn’t wait to see him again.
“Sounds perfect,” she agreed.
He grabbed her small travel suitcase and shoulder bag. Grace liked this man, she really did.
“I need my car keys,” she said, ready to make a dash to the kitchen side of the apartment.
“You won’t need them. It’s getting icy again and I’d rather drop you off at work tomorrow on my way to practice.”
“Dallas, that’s really nice of you to offer. But I can handle driving and it’s supposed to warm up tomorrow. Besides, it’ll be easier for me to get to work and back to your house when I wrap things up at the office. I can make dinner tomorrow night.”
He didn’t like it, but he nodded his head. “All right, get your keys.”
Grace smiled, grabbing the keys for her apartment and Camaro. Dallas put his cowboy hat on her head. “Wear this for me.”
“I’d love to,” she said, liking the way the cowboy hat fit her.
Dallas set down her bags long enough to help her into her parka. Once she was zipped up and warm, he pulled on his leather coat. He grabbed her bags and led her out of the apartment. Grace remembered to lock the door and headed to the garage.
The Blacks’ had a code system for the garage doors and Grace punched in the numbers for the third garage to the left. The door slid up and her fire engine red Camaro came into view. Dallas whistled.
“Nice wheels,” he said as she walked toward the car. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked, pretty certain he was checking out her butt.
She’d never thought she had a stare-worthy backside, but Dallas sure seemed to like what he saw. Feeling more confident, she walked a little faster. She clicked the key fob to open the trunk and Dallas stowed her bags.
“I’ll see you in a few,” he said, coming up close to lean down and kiss her. “You drive safe, baby.”
“You too, McKay,” she replied, stepping back.
He opened the driver’s side door and handed her into the modernized muscle car. It felt good to be behind the wheel of her Camaro. She’d saved for it and she did love driving, even when the weather wasn’t so great.
Luckily it wasn’t snowing. It was just really cold. She turned on the engine, letting it warm up. Dallas closed her door and tapped the window.
Grace punched a button. The window whooshed down. “Is something the matter?”
“Nothing, just wanted to remind you of something.” He bent at the waist, putting his arms on the door. “I love you.”
Her heart sped up like she’d run ten miles. “I love you too, Dallas McKay.” Butterflies fluttered deep inside as he leaned in and kissed her senseless. When he drew back, she knew she was blushing.
He went to his truck, climbed in and got the thing started. A k-turn was necessary for him to maneuver around the cars parked in the driveway. Grace followed him out. She had GPS in the Camaro, though she wouldn’t need it. Following him to his big house was easy. By the time they pulled into his lane, it was beginning to get dark.
Inside his house, Max greeted them in the kitchen. Grace gave him a great, big hug and scratched his ears. Dallas led him out the back. When he returned, she followed Dallas upstairs, Max right on their heels, and collapsed on the comfy sofa.
“Can I get you anything, Gracie?”
“In my bag I have some ibuprofen.”
“Be back in a sec with your things.” Dallas rushed off to get her bags. He returned with a glass of ice water and the small trial-sized bottle of pain reliever. While she took her pills, she watched him put her bags on the bed.
Then he started the fire and Grace made a dash to the bathroom, grabbing her Vera Bradley bag as she went. A few minutes later, she was on the sofa enjoying the pleasant warmth that radiated from the cozy fireplace.
Feeling like she really was home, she kicked off her boots and put her feet up. Dallas came over and nudged her a bit, moving her to lie against his side. He clicked on the television and they watched some football. Relaxing with her man, Grace sighed as the ibuprofen began to work its magic.
The fire was nice. The game was good, but being with him was exactly what she needed after the stress of what happened with Robyn St. Clair. Here, Grace knew that her old nemesis couldn’t do a damn thing to hurt her anymore.
Chapter Twelve
The next two days flew by. While Dallas went to practice each day, Grace drove herself to her office and worked on his case, along with the two cases she’d taken on the week before.
Because the two cases weren’t particularly difficult, one was based on an insurance claim and the other was for a local attorney, she was able to concentrate on finding Dallas’ birth parents. So far she’d not gotten much, the records from that time were sketchy and the police in charge of the investigation into his mother’s disappearance had closed the case after it became apparent to them that the parents had disappeared of their own free will. However, she’d made some headway with his three foster families.
Phalen Maddox was scheduled to arrive at BWI Airport soon and he’d rent a car. He’d come directly to Grace’s office from the airport. She was looking forward to his help, especially with finding the doctor. From what she gathered so far, Dr. Joseph Mathews had been a promising young physician just out of his obstetrics residency thirty-two years ago. Nothing that she found in her search indicated that he was a fraud. The man simply disappeared soon after Dallas was left at that police station in South Dakota.
While Grace worked at her desk, concentrating on Dallas’ last foster family, her receptionist Rachel tapped on her door. “Grace, do you mind if I run out for some coffee? I’m in desperate need of a soy latte.”
“Go ahead. Would you get me a cup too?” She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a ten dollar bill. “Something mocha with lots of whipped cream would be heavenly.”
“You bet. Anything else?” Rachel asked. She wore a pair of black slacks and a green sweater that made her straight auburn hair shine.
Grace had decided to wear a chocolate brown skirt, a pair of matching knee high boots and a cream-colored sweater. She’d taken the time that morning to use her flat iron and her hair was relatively tame, with only a slight wave. She’d felt pretty when she got dressed and had Dallas’ approval as he’d watched her. It’d had been so nice to get ready for work with him, especially as they’d made time to talk over an easy breakfast of cereal, wheat toast and coffee.
“I’d love something decadent and chocolaty. But I don’t need it.”
Grace had been really sad when he left before her this morning to go to meet his teammates for their trip to Vegas. It was eleven o’clock now. She didn’t expect to hear from Dallas until the Griffins’ plane landed and he’d made his way to his hotel room.
“I’ll see what I can get at the coffee shop,” Rachel
said. “We have Phalen Maddox arriving at lunchtime, right?”
“Pick up a large coffee for Phalen and some deli sandwiches.” Grace gave Rachel an extra twenty and waved her on.
“You have a new client, a Mr. B.A. Brown, scheduled to come in at eleven thirty,” Rachel reminded. “I’ll do my best to get back before he arrives. He’s the one calling for help with a potential cheating spouse.”
Grace remembered the client had called on Monday morning. Rachel checked with her schedule and Grace didn’t think the new client would interfere with her work on Dallas’ case.
“I can handle it if he gets here sooner,” Grace said, watching her receptionist grab her winter coat and head out of the office.
Since she was alone in her office, she preferred to keep her door to the small waiting room open. Her business was located in a small office building that housed a law firm, a family dentist and a chiropractor. The company that owned the building leased the office space and not all the spaces were filled. The spaces were also varied in size. Hers had the smallest floor plan, with a waiting room and her work area divided into two rooms. There was also a unisex bathroom that was large enough to be handicapped accessible. Rachel’s desk was long, with a counter that was slightly higher than her work area. When clients came in, they checked in at the counter.
Looking around her office, Grace saw her license and degrees hanging on the wall behind her. The walls were painted a pale blue with white crown molding and navy blue carpet covering the floors. Her main office door was simple and she’d had a gold nameplate made for it. Mail to her office was delivered to a set of post office boxes at the entrance of the professional building. She’d picked up some framed paintings made by local artists at a bargain shop at the local mall and added them to the walls.
Returning her attention to the job at hand, Grace studied what she’d found on Kohana Blackstone, the man who’d been Dallas’ foster parent when he’d turned eight years old. Dallas had stayed with the Blackstone family for two years. There’d been no abuse, but there had been reports of the other foster children harassing Dallas and that he’d often defended himself with his fists. Kohana Blackstone was still alive, although he was a widower now. Years ago he’d helped pave the way for Quinn and Mary McKay to adopt Dallas.
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