Embracing Her Heart

by Melissa Foster

  “I’m looking forward to it,” she said honestly. It wasn’t the class that made her stomach flutter. “How many people have signed up?”

  “Only four so far, but that’s a start.”

  “It’ll be a nice change. I’m used to working with big casts and crews. Where is everyone this morning?” Grace glanced out the window, catching sight of Reed’s broad back as he tore wooden planks from their tethers and tossed them aside like toothpicks. Gone was the lean teen she’d fallen in love with. She’d noticed the breadth of his shoulders, his muscular chest, and his thick thighs when he’d been breathing down her neck. When he’d grabbed her wrist, there had been a moment, a connection, so startling she’d been unable to breathe. No wonder her sisters were gawking. The man was built like a solid, intoxicatingly beautiful red oak.

  “Mom’s at the store,” Sable explained. “Dad took Dolly and Reba to the park.” Dolly and Reba were ten-month-old golden retrievers their mother was raising to train as service dogs. “Brindle’s working on something for her drama class’s upcoming play, and Morgyn had to meet a supplier at her shop.” Brindle was a full-time teacher at the high school, and she also ran the drama club for the elementary school. Morgyn owned Life Reimagined, an eclectic store where she created her own fashions and accessories, as well as repurposed gently used items. “Brindle and Morgyn are going to the county fair later, and they’re coming by tonight to hear my band play. You’re coming tonight, too, girlie, so don’t even think about trying to back out.”

  Sable tapped Grace’s shoulder, jolting her brain back into gear and reminding her that she was irritated with her secret-holding sister. But before she could get a word out, Reed reached over his shoulder, nimbly gathering his T-shirt, and tugged it over his head, unveiling planes of hard, tanned flesh. A collective gasp rose between them as he tossed the shirt aside. All his delicious muscles flexed as he picked up another plank and rested it on his shoulder. Grace’s fingers curled with the desire to touch him—confirming once again that it had been way too long since she’d been around a real man—and that she had to get the hell out of Oak Falls.

  She opened her mouth to try to capture all the energy coming to life inside her and aim it at Sable for keeping Reed’s presence from her again, but her mouth had gone bone-dry.

  “Girls! Give that poor man a break.”

  Their mother’s voice cut through her Reed-induced trance. They spun around as their mother set two bags of groceries on the counter. Marilynn Montgomery was a strong woman. Some said it was from years of gardening, horseback riding, and training service dogs, but Grace thought it had more to do with raising seven complicated and often wild children.

  “You’d think you were a bunch of horny teenagers the way you drool over that man.” Their mother pulled Grace into a warm hug, squeezing her longer than usual, giving her the extra love Grace hadn’t realized she’d needed until just then. “How’s my sweet girl?”

  Hot, bothered, and frustrated. “Good, Mom,” she said, because she was pretty sure her mother wouldn’t appreciate the truth.

  “We’re not drooling. We’re just making sure he’s working and not goofing off,” Sable said, turning to watch Reed again. “It was Grace who was trying to get him into bed, not us.”

  Obviously Sable wasn’t going to make this easy. Maybe Grace would have to leave after all.

  “Ugh, Sabe, you’re so raunchy,” Amber said, her cheeks flushing.

  “Grace is the one who went out there half naked to flirt with him,” Sable pointed out.

  “Grace?” Her mother’s brows knitted as she looked over Grace’s silk cami and pajama shorts. “You didn’t go out there like that, did you?” She poured a cup of coffee and shook her head. “Poor Reed probably didn’t know what hit him.”

  Grace rolled her eyes. If her mother had known that Grace and Reed had once secretly dated, she’d never have hired him.

  “I didn’t go out there to flirt with him. I went out to find out why the heck someone was making noise this early. I had no idea you were renovating. I thought Dad was tinkering again. Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Her father taught engineering at the community college and had summers off, during which he often took care of odd jobs around the house.

  “Oh, honey.” Her mother’s gaze softened. “You have so much going on with your plays. Right after one gets going, you dive into the next, and you finally got some time off. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

  Sable suppressed a smile, and Grace knew her sister was thinking the same thing she was. Reed Cross is a very big deal. Sable dug through the grocery bag, trying to dodge the weight of Grace’s stare.

  “Anyway, where’d you find that guy?” Grace tried to act nonchalant, busying herself filling bowls with food and water for Clayton, who was currently winding himself around Reno’s feet. Reno buried his nose in the cat’s fur, while Sable gave Grace a nice-try look.

  “It’s the saddest thing,” their mother said. “I hired his uncle, Roy Cross, who came highly recommended and lives in Meadowside, but Roy had a massive heart attack a few months ago. Reed dropped everything and came back to town to help him complete all the projects he’d taken on. Apparently, Reed followed in Roy’s footsteps and he’s some type of big historical preservationist in Michigan.”

  Michigan. So that’s where he took off to.

  Their mother began putting groceries away and said, “All I know is that any man who would drop everything to help his family is a man worth his weight in gold.”

  “Pepper would say that a man needs to treat a woman like a diamond before he’s treated like he’s worth a penny,” Amber said.

  “Yes, well…” Her mother smiled warmly. “Our girl Pepper might find herself eighty years old and alone in a house full of computers, books, and electronic gadgets one day if she’s not careful. I love your sister, but she’s pickier than a cotton gin.”

  They all laughed.

  Sable opened a box of cinnamon buns and held one out toward Grace. “Here, Gracie. You can take Reed a cinnamon bun and apologize for your bitch attack this morning.”

  “Sable. Language, please,” their mother chided, causing Sable to roll her eyes and Amber and Grace to smile. “Although, there is that look you give men, Grace. I wouldn’t call it bitchy, but I’ve noticed that you’re not quite as soft as you once were.”

  Grace set the bowls on the floor for Clayton. Reno ambled over and tried to stick his nose in, but Clayton hissed.

  “Leave it,” Amber said, and Reno backed obediently away.

  “Not quite as soft? Was I ever soft, Mom?” She’d certainly tried to change, but had she become hardened or bitchy?

  Her mother lovingly touched her hand. “You weren’t really soft, Grace, just softer than you are now.”

  “Maybe so, but I don’t have a look. If anything, I’m just tired and maybe a little cranky from being woken up at four thirty in the morning by the Pop ’n’ Fresh girls.” Grace arched a brow at Sable. “And then again at God-knows-what-time by him.”

  “Mm-hm,” their mother said, exchanging a look with Amber that Grace couldn’t read. The two of them were putting away groceries shoulder to shoulder, and Grace swore she heard them whispering, too.

  “Right,” Sable said sarcastically. “And I don’t have a look either.” She snorted a laugh and popped a piece of a cinnamon bun into her mouth.

  “Oh my,” their mother said. “I can only imagine what Morgyn would say to that. She thinks you have a look, a laugh, a line, and anything else a woman might need to snag a man.”

  “You don’t need a look, Sabe. You’re not exactly shy about letting guys know what you want, or who you want it with,” Grace said. “I, on the other hand, am a little less obvious and much pickier. Although not nearly as picky as Pepper, so don’t even go there.”

  “Oh, please! Picky?” Sable narrowed her eyes, pointed at Grace, and said in a singsong voice, “Ice queen.”

  The sound of a man clearing his throat sent them
all spinning in the direction of the doorway, where Reed stood looking mildly embarrassed and wickedly hot. He’d put his shirt back on, but it clung to his athletic frame. His hair was tousled, and his skin glistened with perspiration, which for some reason made him look even sexier. Grace tried to ignore her quickening pulse, but it was hopeless with the sensual heat rolling off the man she’d once known so intimately.

  Reno bounded toward him.

  “Settle!” Amber said.

  Reno skidded to a stop in front of Reed, a bundle of fluffy energy, his tongue hanging from his mouth as his eyes begged for attention. The dog’s reaction told Grace how well Reno already knew their visitor. She silently repeated the command to her own libido—Settle. Settle. Settle—but unlike the well-behaved dog, it didn’t listen, and lust simmered deep in her belly. From the look Sable was giving her, and the devilish grin spreading across Reed’s lips, everyone in the room could see it.

  Chapter Three

  REED TRIED NOT to let the way Grace was staring have an effect on him, but he knew the fiery passion she was capable of, and the ravenous look of desire in her gorgeous green eyes was impossible to ignore. The chip on her shoulder she’d flaunted earlier gave her an edge that made her even more appealing. Surely if she knew her defensive attitude only made her hotter, she’d do what she could to temper it, and for that reason alone, he’d never clue her in.

  He cocked a smile and hiked a thumb over his shoulder, trying to remember why he’d come into the house in the first place. “I knocked, but you probably didn’t hear me.”

  “Reed, come on in, honey.” Marilynn lifted a coffee mug. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thank you,” he said as Amber crouched to love up Reno.

  Sable leaned her hip against the counter, her eyes dancing between him and Grace. As if Grace had just realized she was staring, she shifted her gaze away. Reed wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

  “I wanted to show you what I’ve found outside. Do you have a moment? And is your husband around? I’d like to show him, too.”

  Sable pushed away from the counter. “What’d you find?”

  “Something bad?” Amber took a curious step closer.

  It didn’t escape him that Grace had not made a move to get closer. If anything, she’d retreated a step or two.

  “Cade is out, but you can show me.” Marilynn set her coffee cup on the counter and headed out the door. Amber, Sable, and Reno followed her.

  Seeing Grace’s close-knit family magnified how much Reed had missed his own family while he’d been in Michigan. And just seeing Grace made him realize how much he’d missed her. He hesitated at the door, unwilling to let this morning’s encounter be the last thing said between them. Grace crossed her arms, the lust in her eyes cooler now but still there. Has it remained for all these years, or is this new?

  She lifted her chin and drew her shoulders back.

  He took a step closer and said, “I’m sorry I woke you this morning.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I have work to do anyway.”

  Even when she was trying to keep her distance he was drawn to her. He knew that beneath that steely facade, she had a soft, feminine side that needed to be loved and taken care of. Grace had always been a walking dichotomy of tenderness and strength. A true beauty inside and out that Reed knew had nothing to do with skimpy pajamas. Her very essence was sweet and loving. Breaking through the iron gates she’d erected around it hadn’t been easy all those years ago, and he could see that hadn’t changed. But something had, and it wasn’t Grace.

  It was him.

  He wasn’t going to let her get away that easy.

  “Would you like to join us?” He nodded toward the door.

  For a moment she just looked at him, expressionless. She wore no makeup, and her creamy skin was void of a tan. Clearly her life in New York didn’t allow for much time outside, which saddened him. He knew how much she had enjoyed the outdoors. Had that changed? What else might have changed?

  “Apparently house renovations are a family affair around here,” he added, going for levity.

  She laughed under her breath, and a few dark tendrils fell in front of her eyes. A genuine smile spread across her lips, illuminating the flecks of gold in her eyes. She blinked up at him from beneath her hair, looking sexy and youthful, pulling more memories from the recesses of his mind.

  “No, thank you,” she said, sending a strange sense of disappointment through him.

  Sunlight cut a path between them, creating a line he wanted to cross to the woman he’d never been able to forget. But he knew better, damn it. Why was this so hard? Her life was hundreds of miles away, and he was just beginning to rebuild his life here with his family. It was hard to turn away with so much left unsaid, but really, what could he say? Was it worth it? Did you find the exciting life you were seeking? Are you happy? Or the question he really wanted to ask but knew he never would—Do you regret not giving us a try for the long haul? It wasn’t even a fair question. They’d been nothing more than lovesick kids.

  Following his gut rather than his heart, he nodded curtly and went outside to join the others.

  Reno lumbered toward him. “Hey, buddy,” he said, reaching out to pet him as he approached the others.

  “Is it worse than we anticipated?” Marilynn stood with her hands on her hips and a serious look in her eyes, reminding him of Grace.

  “It’s not bad. Pretty much what I expected to find.” The dog went to Amber’s side. Reed loved animals, but he was glad for the space. His mind was still on Grace, and he needed to focus on the job, not the hungry look in her eyes he’d seen when he’d first walked into the kitchen.

  It wasn’t easy to switch into work mode, but he did his best. He caught himself glancing at the house several times, hoping Grace might be unable to resist joining them. But those sparks of hope were doused by reality.

  As he walked them through his findings, Marilynn and Grace’s sisters listened to every word. Sable added her two cents along the way, which consisted mostly of, “We have to fix that,” while Amber and Marilynn agreed.

  They came around the corner of the house, returning to the place they’d started, and Reed noticed that Grace’s bedroom curtains were open. His gaze swept over the neatly made bed and the cat curled up in the center, and he felt another wave of disappointment when he realized Grace wasn’t anywhere in sight.

  GRACE SAT IN the gazebo on the hill reading through the scripts she was considering for an upcoming performance. She had taken these three weeks off, but her job as an independent producer never stopped. There was always another production to get underway. She’d been at it all day, and she was no closer to making a selection than she’d been when she’d started. It didn’t help that she pictured Reed as the lead role in each story, imagining him reciting the lines, acting out the scenarios—in nothing but a pair of jeans, boots, and that wickedly naughty smile of his. She needed to stop this silly daydreaming. It’s not like she’d follow through with her desires, and she didn’t need to play with either of their emotions in that way.

  Wouldn’t Sable just love that? Her vixenish sister would encourage her to take him and leave him, and probably give her a detailed lesson on how to do it well. While Grace had never taken Reed, she’d loved him, and she’d already done the leaving him part, and that had been treacherous. She hadn’t even allowed herself to admit how badly she’d hurt both of them until years later, when she was still missing him and trying to convince herself she didn’t.

  She tipped her face up to the sky, listening to the leaves rustling in the trees and letting the gentle breeze wash away her memories.

  Her phone buzzed with a text message, pulling her from her thoughts. She opened Brindle’s text and smiled at the selfie, all smoky eyes and blond hair. Her youngest sister had the darkest lashes and brows she’d ever seen on a natural blonde, giving her a sultry appearance that matched her rascally personality. Another text bubbl
e popped up and Grace read it. Hey, sis! You coming tonight? I need to talk to you about stuff.

  Grace’s writer’s mind immediately homed in on the word stuff. If Brindle were a playwright, she’d correct her, tell her to be more specific, to give the viewers something to latch on to. Stuff was just another small-town idiosyncrasy that usually grated on Grace’s nerves. When it came to her sisters, however, she was never affected in the same way as she was with strangers. Use of the word stuff fit Brindle’s personality perfectly. Brindle was always moving a million miles an hour, going from one thing to the next, wanting to experience everything life had to offer, which was why she’d planned a solo trip to Paris for the summer. Grace would never be that brave.

  She sent a quick reply. Missed you at breakfast. I’ll be there and can’t wait to see you and Morgyn. Bringing Trace or flying solo tonight?

  She threw in Trace Jericho’s name just to get a reaction from Brindle, because what fun was it to have younger sisters if she couldn’t taunt them every once in a while? Brindle’s response came immediately. Solo. I told you we’re done! We’ll talk tonight. Xox.

  She and Trace had been done at least a dozen times in the last year alone. Grace set her phone aside. She was excited to spend time with her sisters, even if she’d rather it was at her parents’ house, where they wouldn’t have the noise of Sable’s band to contend with. Amber wouldn’t be at the party. Like Pepper, Amber had never enjoyed rowdy crowds. Grace had always thought her parents were crazy to have seven children so close together, but her mother claimed that it wasn’t children that made life difficult; it was the parents’ inability to give up certain aspects of their own lives in order to care for them.

  She glanced across the property to the barn, where she’d spent her youth mucking stalls and helping care for the dogs her mother trained. She’d never regretted escaping those chores for life in the city, even if she loved the animals.