“Okay.”
“And we have to talk about what will happen to me, Gracie.” She turned and looked at her sister intently. “I want you to know what to expect and what you’ll need to do.”
Gracie nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the thought of anything bad happening to her sister. “Whatever you say, honey,” she told her softly.
Melanie turned to face her and smiled brightly. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I’ll be fine. I’ve already seen that I’m going to have at least two more children. And before long, you’ll be asking me to help you with your babies.”
Gracie followed her sister as she turned and made her way to the refrigerator. She hoped her sister was correct in telling her that all would be well. She couldn’t handle it if she was the cause of Deuce’s sadness.
Chapter 12
“Claire! Where are you?” Jake bellowed as he walked through the kitchen.
He was not happy that he couldn’t find her. When he had decided to come home early for lunch, he had expected that she would be busy preparing the noon meal. Instead he had found a quiet house, an empty kitchen, and no Claire.
He opened the refrigerator and saw that she had already prepared several platters of food for lunch, and the oven was on, cooking something that teased his taste buds, but she was nowhere to be found. Walking out of the kitchen, he slowly made his way up the main staircase, his leg particularly sore today. He had known that it would be. He had ridden his horse longer than he should have yesterday, but he was tired of not being able to do what he loved, damn it!
He was walking down the hallway toward his room when he heard the thump of something falling and the soft cry of pain that came from Spence’s old room. Rushing toward it, he pushed open the door and found Claire facedown on the floor with her hands pinned underneath her.
“Claire!”
The panic that filled him made him freeze momentarily before he got himself moving to go to her. He slowly knelt beside her and bent down to put his face next to hers. She had her eyes closed, but her face was contorted in pain.
“Angel, are you hurt?”
“Of course I’m hurt, Jake,” she told him, exasperated.
He smiled at her anger. He loved when she was testy. It was good for her. She needed to be able to vent once in a while and not be afraid of the consequences. Someday he would break her of her habit of being afraid of talking back. He was not like her mother or her older sister. None of the McKade family would ever disrespect her or belittle her. Someday she would know and be comfortable with that fact.
“Do you think I can help you up, or should I call an ambulance?”
“Don’t you dare call an ambulance, Jake McKade!” Her eyes flashed open, and she glared at him in frustration.
“There are those pretty, brown eyes,” he whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. “Where do you hurt, Claire?”
“I twisted my right foot in the bedding and hit my right cheek when I landed,” she gritted out through clenched teeth.
“You didn’t hurt your back or your neck?”
“No,” she muttered, pushing her hands against the floor and straightening her arms to lift herself up. “Just my knee.”
“Hold on there, darlin’,” he grabbed for her and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Just a little sore. My pride is hurt more than anything.”
She pushed out of his arms and tried to stand, wincing as her knee twisted and pain shot through her leg. She eased off it immediately, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing at her cheek lightly.
Jake looked up at her from his position kneeling on the floor. He watched her silently, already concerned by the redness on her cheek. He knew it was going to turn into a full-fledged bruise very quickly. He could only imagine how her knee was hurting her if she was willing to admit to it being injured.
He stood slowly, pushing against his weaker leg to help himself. He looked down at her silently, waiting for her to look up at him. She was a stubborn woman. That was okay. He could wait. He stood with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting. He saw her fidgeting then her head slowly lifted and her eyes met his.
And there it was.
He could feel her guilt and sorrow reaching out to him. He could feel the way she needed his forgiveness, but he couldn’t give it to her just yet. She had put herself at risk. That would never be tolerated.
“You can look at me with those puppy dog eyes all you want, angel,” he told her firmly. “It’s not going to help you get out of trouble.”
“Why am I in trouble? I didn’t do anything wrong,” she defended herself instantly, her voice trembling just slightly.
“Oh, I don’t think so, Claire,” he warned her. “You’re not going to get away with this one. Deuce told you to wait for me to help you with the canopies.” He took her face between his two hands, making sure she saw the importance of his words. “And I told you to make sure I was here to see to your safety. We didn’t tell you that just for jollies. We both knew this job had risks, and you agreed to wait for me.”
“I know, Jake, but I have to get to my class earlier today so I thought I could do this before lunch.”
He straightened and raised his hand to stop her, relieved when she immediately stopped talking. “If you had to get to class earlier, we could have done this when you got home tonight. There is no way this was worth injuring yourself.”
Claire blushed and nodded, lowering her head so he couldn’t see her face. “I’m sorry, Jake.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Jake nodded and looked at the canopy of the bed she was sitting on. He saw that she had spread the pastel purple material of the canopy over the arched frame and had connected the edges of three of its corners to the high posts of the bed. Only the fourth connection hadn’t been made. He reached out and lifted her by her waist to stand her on the mattress.
She squeaked in surprise and held onto his large hands as he spanned her waist. “What are you doing, Jake?” she squealed.
“I’m holding you steady so you can finish connecting the canopy.”
“Oh.”
She worked quickly and fastened the last corner of the material to the high post. Once she was finished she found herself airborne, and he was carrying her to the other bed.
“Do this bed now,” he told her gruffly.
He waited patiently while she grabbed for the canopy material, flipped it over the arched framing, and fastened it to the first corner post of the second twin bed. He carried her around the bed to each of the other three corners until all of them were securely fastened.
She looked down at him and smiled. “Thanks, Jake. I’ve finished just in time to get lunch on the table.”
“Not quite, Claire,” he told her, swinging her into the cradle of his arms to carry her toward the open door of the bedroom.
“What’re you doing? I don’t need to be carried.”
He ignored her protests, walking to the top of the stairs and looking down into the living room to see Deuce as he walked in the front door. Perfect timing.
“Deuce. Take out what’s in the oven and set out the platters already made up in the refrigerator. You can get lunch going. Claire and I will be down shortly.” His deep voice was firm as he looked down at his big brother.
“No problem. Take your time,” Deuce called up to them, turning and heading into the kitchen.
Jake looked down at the sweet woman in his arms and had to try very hard not to smile. He had to stay angry with her. Turning, he walked into his room and kicked the door shut behind them.
Going directly to his custom-made bed, he set her down gently and placed two pillows behind her back as she sat against the headboard. Reaching down, he carefully placed another pillow under the crook of her knee.
“Don’t move,” he told her gruffly. His right eyebrow rose as if to dare her to challenge him.
“Fine,” she muttered.
He walked i
nto the adjoining bathroom and reached for a facecloth, wetting it with cold water. He wrung out the excess water then walked back into his bedroom. Sitting beside the small, curvy woman in his bed, he reached up to brush her silky, black hair back from her face so that it hung behind her shoulder. He smiled as she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and had to control his urge to card his fingers through the silky softness. It was a test of his control to keep his hands to himself. He wanted to touch this special woman. He wanted to make love to this beautiful angel who had miraculously come into his life. But he couldn’t. She deserved a better man than he was. Pulling his desires under control, he lifted the cold cloth and held it tenderly against her bruised cheek.
She sighed into the coolness, closing her eyes with relief. She raised her hand to take the cloth from him and pressed it closer to her cheek. “Thanks,” she told him softly.
“You’re welcome,” he answered without hesitation. “Can you move your leg or do you think we should get an X-ray of your knee?”
“I’m just a little sore,” she told him. “I really am okay, Jake.”
Getting up, he went back into the bathroom and returned with a compression bandage. He pushed up the hem of the denim skirt that she wore, revealing her shapely legs to his gaze. He worked silently, carefully wrapping her knee before smoothing down the bandage, running his hand up her thigh soothingly, and lowering her skirt to cover her knees once again. When he looked up at her, he saw that she was watching him.
“You are never to chance getting hurt again, angel. Am I clear?” Before Claire had a chance to answer, he reached out and held her hand in his. “Please, Claire, I need you to take care of yourself when I’m not here to make sure you’re okay.”
Claire nodded slowly, silently looking at the man that she was afraid to love. She would allow his words and not fight him. She knew she was certainly able to take care of herself and had been doing so for many years, but his softly spoken words of concern had forged an amazing step forward for her. She had felt his concern for her through her empathic ability and knew that he had some feelings for her, but he had kept those feelings close to his heart, never vocalizing them or betraying any interest he might have in her.
He had finally admitted out loud that he might possibly care about her. She would take that. With a smile.
* * * *
Gracie placed the baby clothes Melanie had given her in the top drawer of the bureau in the nursery. She ran her hands over the tiny, pink creations and smiled. After talking with Melanie today she was hopeful and had hesitantly accepted that having children of her own might be a good thing.
Melanie was right. A lot of their problems growing up were because of their parents. They were not supportive. Hell. That was an understatement if ever there was one. They were downright mean and abusive.
Gracie knew that any babies she and Deuce had together would be raised with total love and acceptance. Deuce would be a wonderful father. She had seen him practically raise his brothers, and despite his toughness, he had showed them love and caring every day. The way he was with Robbie was amazing. There was nothing fake about the man. When he loved, he loved completely.
She heard her cell phone ringing and pushed the bureau drawer closed. She walked into the bedroom and reached for her purse to pull her cell phone from the front pocket. Seeing Deuce’s name on the screen, she couldn’t prevent the flutter in her stomach or the smile that crossed her face as she touched the screen to connect the call.
“Hello, Mate,” she answered happily.
“Well, hello to you, too, Mate,” his deep voice greeted her. “Are you home yet?”
“Yes, I just got home. I’m putting away the baby clothes and things Melanie gave me for her baby. Everything is ready for her, complete with diapers and pacifiers. Melanie said we’d probably be meeting our niece within the next couple of days.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Deuce answered, his warm voice conveying the deep emotions he was feeling.
“Where are you, Deuce?”
“I’m just outside, waiting for you.”
“You are?”
“Yes, honey. Come on out. Make sure you take a jacket and your hat because I want to take you for a ride. I’ve got Misty saddled up for you.”
“Where’re we going?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
“Oh, you’re a mysterious man today.” Deuce’s chuckle made her smile. “Okay, I’ll be right out.”
She reached for her brown, suede jacket with the warm lining and grabbed her white cowboy hat, seating it firmly on her head. Leaving the bedroom, she ran lightly down the stairs to the front door. When she opened it wide, she smiled at the sight before her. Deuce sat atop his chestnut mare Daisy, leaning forward with his hands crossed casually over the pommel of his saddle as he waited for her. His tan cowboy hat was pulled low over his forehead, and the smile he gave her sent a shudder of need through her.
“Mount up, Gracie.”
“I won’t comment on that one, Deuce,” she teased, turning to go back inside to reset the house alarm then quickly returning and closing the door behind her. She walked over to the midnight black mare she knew was one of the sweetest, calmest horses she had ever had the pleasure of riding and placed her foot into the stirrup, stepping up and seating herself in the saddle with ease.
Deuce chuckled as he pulled at the reins and led his mare away from the ranch. Just the thought of Gracie mounting him sent immediate need through his body, causing his cock to harden at once. She was proving to be feisty as hell, and he knew she would continue to bring complete joy into his life. In the short time they had been together as mates, he was already so filled with happiness it amazed him. How he loved his woman.
They rode in silence side by side for a while. The horses loped forward at an easy pace, and Deuce looked forward to surprising Gracie with a romantic evening. Thanks to Claire, he had a basket filled with food hanging from his saddle and two blankets rolled and tied down behind both of their saddles.
They rode for nearly twenty minutes. Gracie watched Deuce as his horse traveled beside hers, smiling at him as he turned to look at her every few minutes. The warmth that filled her heart was nearly overwhelming, but when she saw where he led them, she pulled her horse to a halt and sat openmouthed in her saddle.
“James,” Gracie’s soft voice called out to him.
“Remember how we used to come here as kids, Gracie?”
Gracie nodded, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at the meadow where she used to escape to when her parents were particularly mean. She remembered how Deuce used to watch over her as she waded in the bubbling brook while she searched for smooth stones. She also remembered how he would sit with her for hours, watching over both her and Melanie.
“I always liked coming here with you, Gracie. You always made me feel so calm.”
He pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted, tying the reins to the branch of one of the trees that surrounded the small clearing before the brook. Walking over to her, he waited while she dismounted, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her softly as soon as she stood beside him.
“I wanted to bring you here for a special picnic.”
“We’re having a picnic?” Gracie looked at him, stunned.
He nodded as he took the reins from her hand and walked over to tie them to the same tree where his mare was patiently waiting and eating the sweetgrass that was indigenous to the area. Reaching up, he untied the blankets behind each of their saddles and tossed them to Gracie, smiling as she caught them effortlessly.
Ducking under his mare’s neck, he walked around her to unhook the filled satchel that held their meal. He was sure Claire had given them everything he had asked for and more. He was certain she had realized how important this night was to him.
He led them over to the brook, setting down the satchel and reaching out to take the navy blanket from Gracie’s hand. He unrolled it quickly and snapped it
open to allow it to flutter to the ground, covering the bed of grass just three feet from the water’s edge.
“Have a seat, honey,” he told her, reaching out to take her hand and lead her to the center of the blanket.
She followed him easily, sitting down on the blanket and toeing off her sneakers to set them aside before sitting cross-legged in front of him. “I hope there’s plenty of food. I’m hungry.”
Deuce smiled and opened the satchel, pulling out the wrapped sandwiches and setting them between them. He handed her a maroon, linen napkin and a fork, winking at her as he reached back into the satchel and pulled out two covered containers. He set them on the blanket and pulled out the bag of potato chips.
One last delve into the bag returned two bottles of cold water. A romantic picnic might include wine or champagne for some, but he knew his Gracie. She preferred water, and he wanted to make sure she didn’t have any alcohol just in case she was already pregnant. If she wasn’t, she soon would be. He smiled at her, his heart filling with warmth as he pictured this adorable woman with her belly large with their growing child.
He watched as Gracie unwrapped the first sandwich and handed it to him before unwrapping the other one and bringing it to her mouth to take a bite. Bringing the overstuffed roll to his mouth, he took a bite and smiled at the hum of appreciation that escaped the adorable woman before him.
“Good?” he asked her, reaching out and tugging lightly on the end of her hair.
“Delicious,” Gracie answered, nodding. “Claire makes the best egg salad sandwiches.”
“She does,” Deuce agreed.
Gracie took another bite, closing her eyes with pleasure before opening them and smiling at Deuce. She couldn’t prevent the blush that spread across her cheeks. “I’m so hungry,” she explained softly, winking at him playfully.
“Did you eat lunch?”
“I did.” She laughed and reached for the plastic container, pulling the cover off and spearing a forkful of macaroni salad. “It must be the fresh air. Being cooped up in an office building for so many years must have stunted my appetite.”
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 15