Gracie turned and walked toward the crib, carefully lowering Mary Grace into it and covering her with the light pink blanket that Melanie had crocheted for her daughter. Turning on the tiny lamp with the teddy bear base that sat on the small bureau in the nursery, she took a breath to calm herself as she thought about how Deuce had picked out that lamp to match the crib that meant so much to both of them.
“Go on and get ready for bed, honey,” Deuce’s deep voice drew her out of her musings.
She turned to face him and smiled as he walked into the nursery dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy sweatshirt. He kissed her cheek lightly before walking over to the big bed, climbing into it quickly and tugging Robbie against him to hug him. Robbie’s soft giggle made her smile.
“Okay, buddy,” Deuce told him softly. “Get some sleep. Don’t you worry about anything. I’m here.”
He pulled the blue and pink quilt over them both and looked up at Gracie as she stood beside the bed looking down at them. He saw the tender expression on her face and wondered if she was picturing him in bed with their own little boy. When she looked from Robbie to him, he winked at her.
“Go on and get changed, Gracie,” he told her softly. “I have a feeling neither of us are going to be getting much sleep tonight.”
Gracie smiled and turned to go into the bedroom that had become hers to share with him. “I don’t think we’ll be getting much sleep for a while, Deuce,” she told him, laughing. “Better get used to it.”
Deuce smiled as he watched her leave the nursery. If he never got any sleep again because they were making love or taking care of their children—he was good with that.
“Unca Deuce, I’m sleepy,” Robbie told him softly, reaching up to touch his face and tap at his cheek lightly.
“Me, too, buddy,” Deuce whispered. “Close your eyes and relax. I’ll be here with you. Aunt Gracie will be here, too. We’ll all stay in the nursery tonight so we can watch over Mary Grace.”
“Okay,” Robbie answered, closing his eyes and leaning against his uncle’s broad chest.
Gracie walked back into the nursery wearing a pink velour sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Deuce couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he watched his mate walk over to the bed and climb in beside Robbie. She snuggled against the little boy, kissing the top of his head before settling back on the pillow next to him.
“Good night, Robbie,” she whispered, tugging at the quilt to rest at her waist. Reaching out, she searched and found Deuce’s hand, holding it loosely and squeezing it lightly. “Good night, Mate.”
Deuce rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, leaning over Robbie to kiss Gracie’s lips lightly. “Good night, Mate,” he whispered against her lips. “Get some sleep.”
Gracie settled back and closed her eyes, loving the scents of the nursery that called to her. There was something about the smell of a new baby and an adorable toddler that made her happy. She knew she was going to be exhausted watching over her niece and nephew, but she couldn’t be more content. Knowing Deuce was going to be beside her the entire time settled her. She knew she could depend on him.
Just before she slipped into slumber she felt Deuce’s arms surrounding both her and Robbie. She immediately gave herself up to his power, submitting to him and trusting that he would take care of them all.
Deuce watched his mate as she settled beneath his hand. The quiet of the nursery gave him such a sense of peace. He knew it was because he was with his mate and there were children for them to take care of and love. There was nothing he wanted more.
Chapter 20
The sound of the baby’s soft cry startled Gracie awake. Her heart raced as she bolted upright.
“It’s okay, honey,” Deuce whispered, his deep voice wrapping around her as he reached out and held her waist. “Don’t panic. It’s just Mary Grace.”
Gracie smiled and lay back against the pillow, taking a deep breath to calm herself. The baby let out a soft whimper, and Gracie knew she would be winding up to let out a loud wail of protest very soon.
Pulling back the warm quilt, Gracie eased her legs over the side of the bed and stood slowly. She tried to pull herself awake and wasted no time in going over to the crib and picking up the baby to hold her tenderly against her chest. She crooned to the baby softly, patting her back lightly.
“I’ll go heat up the bottle.”
Deuce’s voice startled her as he stood directly behind her. She turned to face him and smiled thankfully.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
Deuce nodded, leaning forward to kiss her temple lightly before leaning down to kiss the baby’s cheek. “You go ahead and change her. I’ll be back in just a minute.”
The baby settled somewhat as Gracie walked toward the changing table. “You are just the sweetest little baby,” she told Mary Grace softly as she lay her down gently and carefully opened the yellow material of the baby’s terrycloth jumper.
She quickly and efficiently removed the wet diaper, wiped her clean, and replaced the diaper with a clean one. Snapping the closure of the pajamas, she picked up the baby and held her gently against her shoulder.
“Uncle Deuce will be here shortly, baby,” she told her gently. “He’s a wonderful man. You’re going to like him a lot. He’ll be the one you’ll always be able to go to if you’re ever worried or afraid.” She turned to sit in the rocking chair and looked up to see Deuce standing beside the crib, watching her.
“So how much did you hear?” she asked him, smiling.
He walked toward her and knelt beside the rocking chair, handing her the warmed bottle of breast milk. “Enough to know that you may like me a little bit,” he teased her.
Gracie took the soft cloth diaper she had placed on her shoulder and tucked it beneath Mary Grace’s chin, took the bottle from Deuce, and placed the nipple at the baby’s mouth. Mary Grace latched onto it quickly and settled in to drink hungrily.
“She certainly isn’t wasting any time taking what she wants. Good for you, little girl,” Gracie praised her niece.
Deuce watched Gracie feed the baby, his heart filling with love for both of them. He saw the way Gracie looked at the little girl and saw the softness that filled her. It was as if something in Gracie melted as she settled into the role of motherhood. He could imagine nothing more beautiful than her being a mother. She was a natural.
“Are you trying to evade my comment?” he asked her, reaching out and wrapping his arm around both her and Mary Grace.
“What comment?” Gracie whispered.
“That you like me.”
She looked at him and smiled slowly. “James, I more than like you. I love you,” she told him honestly. She leaned toward him and kissed his lips lightly before pulling back to look up at him. “I got really lucky because my mate also happens to be my best friend.”
“Gracie,” he whispered, too overwhelmed by her words to say anything more. Leaning in to rest his cheek against hers, he hugged both her and the baby very gently.
“Am I your best friend, Deuce?” she asked him softly.
“You’re my best friend, my lover, and my mate,” he told her finally, his voice hoarse with emotion.
She leaned against him, content to feel his support and warmth as Mary Grace finished her bottle. She was about to put the baby to her shoulder to burp her when Deuce reached out and took the cloth diaper from beneath the baby’s chin and draped it over his left shoulder. His large hands reached out and took the tiny bundle from Gracie and placed her against his shoulder, standing carefully and walking toward the crib as he gently tapped her back.
“I’m going to have Spence, Tim, and John help me carry up one of the oversized recliners to put in here tomorrow,” he told her as he gently rocked from side to side as he encouraged Mary Grace to give up a burp.
“Why?”
“Because I want to sit beside you while you feed the baby,” he told her. “If you’re too tired to take one of the feedings throughout the night
, just let me know. I’ll do it so you can rest.”
“Deuce, you need to sleep,” she told him firmly. “How are you ever going to be able to work the ranch if you’re exhausted?”
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “Once we get Mary Grace on a schedule it’ll be better, and we’ll be more used to getting up. I don’t want you to ever go downstairs to get the bottle and possibly fall because you’re tired,” he told her quietly. “I’ll always do it for you.” His expression was stern as he looked at her. “You will do as I say, Gracie. This is not a debatable issue. There is nothing more important than your safety.”
Gracie looked at him tenderly. His concern for her touched her deeply. No one had ever cared about her like he did. No one had ever loved her like he did.
“I’m not going to argue with you, Deuce,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his hand where it rested against the baby’s bottom. The relief that crossed his face made her smile.
“Besides, when we have our own babies I won’t have to go downstairs to get a bottle for them,” he told her softly. “But I will still sit beside you in the recliner and hold you both while you nurse all of our babies.”
The all of our babies comment made her look at him with concern. “How many babies do you want, Deuce?”
“As many as you’re willing to have, Gracie,” he told her honestly. “I’m looking forward to having a family with you.”
She watched him as he gently laid the baby in the crib and covered her with the crocheted blanket. When he turned to face her, he reached out and offered his hand to her. She took it immediately and was pulled into his arms.
“We don’t need to decide tonight, honey,” he told her as his mouth claimed hers.
Gracie melted under his onslaught of kisses. There was nothing she could think about but how right it felt to have his arms around her. He surrounded her with his strength, and she felt his caring and protection as if they were living entities. She wanted to feel those same feelings for the rest of her life. And if a lifetime with him meant a houseful of children—her heart was pushing her to say yes even though her head was yelling at her to be cautious and say no.
Chapter 21
Gracie held Robbie’s hand as they walked down the front porch steps. Mary Grace was snuggled against her chest in a baby harness. Gracie had never felt such peace and contentment in her entire life. She loved taking care of Melanie’s children. And she loved sharing that responsibility with Deuce. He had been an equal partner in the care of both children for the past four days.
Each night, he got up with Mary Grace for every one of her night feedings, making sure to get the bottle of breast milk from the kitchen while Gracie changed her diaper. He sat beside her in the oversized recliner as she fed the baby, often taking the bottle from her and feeding her himself. There was something incredibly touching about the sight of him holding their niece day after day, never hesitating to offer his support and honest love for the kids.
All of the McKade brothers had come forward to help. Mrs. McKade had certainly raised her sons well. There wasn’t one of them who hesitated to help another brother, their friends, or the women Melanie had seen would become their future mates. The women had also been a big help since the kids had come to live with Deuce and Gracie. Claire was there every morning to help with the kids at breakfast. When she left to go to her classes, John’s mate Jamie came up to the ranch house to help with the late morning, lunch, and early afternoon. Claire came back from classes in time to make dinner and share the responsibilities of taking care of Robbie and Mary Grace. And every evening, Becca and Lainey shared in the care and feeding of the children, often taking over playtime with Robbie to give everyone a break.
The evening meal was shared with every one of the brothers except for Luke. Tim and John were also present along with all of the women. Gracie had never been so thankful to be a part of the loving group of people that was the McKade family. The way all of them were such naturals with Robbie and Mary Grace spoke of the true love and caring they had for them. It awed Gracie to see before her daily exactly what she had always hoped would be a part of her life. She craved what these people gave her.
Walking toward the corral, she leaned down to pick up Robbie and settle him on her hip as the watched Deuce ride his chestnut brown mare Daisy over to the fencing. She could feel the excitement rising in Robbie as his uncle drew nearer, and she admitted to herself that she felt the same flutter of emotions racing through her as she looked up at the very masculine man before her.
“Well, hello there, Robbie,” Deuce greeted his nephew. “Did you take care of Mary Grace and Aunt Gracie today?”
“I did, Unca Deuce,” Robbie told him proudly. “I helped throw away stinky diapers.”
Deuce’s warm laughter made Gracie’s heart squeeze with happiness. She loved to see him happy, and he was happy when he was with the kids. When he leaned down and reached for Robbie, she relinquished her hold on him so Deuce could pull him up onto his saddle so he sat on his lap facing him.
“I’m proud of you, buddy,” he told him seriously. “That’s pretty good of you to help with Mary Grace’s diapers. I bet Aunt Gracie really appreciated it.”
Robbie leaned in and wrapped his arms around Deuce’s neck. “Can I ride on Daisy?” he asked him happily.
“Sure, baby,” he told him, kissing his cheek lightly before turning him around to settle in front of him on the saddle then pulled him back against him securely. “We can take a few turns around the corral. Then you can help me put away her saddle and tack and brush her down. Do you want to fill up her oat bucket while I fill up her water pail?”
Robbie nodded happily, leaning forward to pet Daisy’s mane gently as Deuce walked her around the corral. Gracie watched them silently, smiling at the feeling of complete and utter contentment that filled her.
The sound of a vehicle driving down the long, dirt driveway toward the ranch house drew Gracie’s attention. Rafe’s truck passed her as he drove toward the barn to draw to a stop just below the corral. He shut off the engine and climbed out, slowly making his way toward the corral to stop beside Gracie.
He leaned down and kissed the top of the baby’s head before stepping back and smiling softly at her. “Boy, she sure is cute,” he said quietly, speaking more to himself than to Gracie.
Gracie watched him and smiled as he looked up at her, suddenly becoming incredibly uncomfortable at having been caught admiring the baby. “She’s such a sweet baby,” Gracie confirmed. “She definitely looks like a McKade. You McKade men have some strong genes.”
Rafe’s wide smile greeted her comment. He was pretty pleased that both Robbie and Mary Grace had the black hair and the blue eyes that all of the McKade brothers had. As he looked down at the baby he grew serious as he experienced an immediate need to see his own daughter being held by the one woman he had no right to desire. It didn’t make the desire go away though. He wanted Becca Markham—no, he needed Becca Markham—more than he needed oxygen.
“Gracie, do you want me to take the baby for a while?” Claire asked as she and Jake made their way down the porch steps to stand beside her and Rafe. “You haven’t had much time alone with Deuce.”
Rafe looked at Gracie in immediate concern. He felt guilt at not having given his big brother the time he needed with his new mate. He should have been more aware.
“I’ll take Robbie when Deuce comes around to the fencing,” he offered.
“No, that’s okay. Deuce promised Robbie that he could help him water and feed Daisy and help him brush her down,” Gracie stopped him, reaching out to touch his forearm lightly. “I don’t mind waiting to spend time with Deuce.”
“If you’re sure,” Rafe answered hesitantly.
“I really am, Rafe. Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s my turn to play with Robbie,” Jake spoke up, claiming his right. “I didn’t get a chance to finish building the pirate ship with him last night.”
“Okay, but only if
I can help,” Rafe told him seriously. “These kids today have such cool toys. I wish we had them when we were kids.”
Jake laughed softly. “I think we had pretty cool toys, Rafe,” he spoke up. “Dad used to sit on the floor with us all the time and build blocks into forts and castles. And we got to ride horses all the time. Now how many kids got to do that on a daily basis?”
Rafe turned to his youngest brother and smiled at the happiness that seemed to be surrounding him lately. It was a nice change. Jake had suffered a great deal after his accident. Looking at Claire, he knew that she was the reason his brother was happy even if Jake didn’t acknowledge it to himself.
Turning, Gracie released her hold on Mary Grace, allowing Claire to take the adorable bundle from the cloth carrier. Claire always liked to hold the baby directly against her skin. She said she felt such peace when she touched her. Gracie could understand the feeling completely. She felt that whenever she held the baby, or Robbie, or touched any of the McKade brothers or their extended family.
She knew that was why she felt such a sense of belonging now that she was spending her days on the ranch. Every single person who was part of the family, either biologically or adopted, gave her nothing but good feelings. It had been a long time since she had felt that awful feeling of ants crawling on her skin whenever she touched a man who was not part of this family.
As Claire turned to walk back toward the ranch house, Jake followed her, careful to stay by her side and keep her steady as she climbed the stairs. When they got to the top step, Claire looked up at him and smiled.
“I’ll bet you would make a baby as beautiful as Mary Grace, Jake,” she told him softly, reaching up to touch his chest lightly. “I would like it if you made one with me.”
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 24