Embracing Her Heart

by Melissa Foster

  Reed set his roller down and came to her. He set her roller aside and laced their fingers together. “I watched you on the phone this morning. You’re obviously business savvy, and you always had a knack for figuring things out. Can’t you find a way to produce less and write more?”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t really work that way unless I take a hiatus, and then I have the struggle of trying to get back into the game. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy producing, and I’m grateful for all that I’ve achieved. The class today just sort of amplified how much enthusiasm I’ve lost, and I want to get that back.”

  He gathered her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s brainstorm. What makes you happiest? What’s missing?”

  This. “A number of things.”

  “Give me an example.”

  “Besides time to breathe?”

  He rubbed his whiskers over her cheek, sending titillating tingles all the way to her toes. “Come on, Gracie. I want to help.”

  “Orgasms,” she said with a playful smirk.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear that, since I haven’t been there with you. We’ll have to make sure you go back fulfilled and have lots of FaceTime trysts in between visits.”

  “FaceTime trysts? I can’t…” Can I? She was surprised to realize she wanted to. She shivered with the idea of doing something so naughty with Reed.

  “Baby, there’s nothing we can’t do together.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek, and his eyes darkened seductively as he dragged that thick digit over her lower lip. “You can, and we will.”

  “Okay,” came out easily, surprising and exciting her at once.

  “Now, focus on your job for a second. How can I help you find that excitement again? Do you want to figure out a way to teach? I know you want to write. Can you do that on your lunch hour, or on the weekends?”

  “You’re such a fixer,” she said, smiling, because he’d always tried to fix things for her when she was younger. It didn’t matter if it was an argument with a sibling or trouble memorizing her lines for a play, he was there by her side trying to figure out a solution.

  “And you’ve always been too stubborn to let me help. But why was that? Is it because you’re the oldest and you think it’s your job to help everyone else? Let me in, babe. Let’s talk about it.”

  She’d seen needing help as a sign of weakness for as long as she could remember. She prepared to tell him that he had no idea of the magnitude of her schedule and that if she couldn’t figure it out how could he, but she forced herself to slow down and take a step back.

  She’d felt this way about her job for the last several months, and she’d done nothing to make it better. Maybe talking it out would help her see things more clearly. Maybe if we’d taken the time to talk through all of our options before I’d gone to college, I wouldn’t have jumped to the wrong conclusion and spent a decade carrying around unnecessary hurt. Maybe you never would have left town. Or maybe you would have come to New York at some point.

  She squeezed his hand and said, “Do you have any wine?”

  Chapter Twelve

  TUESDAY MORNING GRACE got up early, ate a handful of M&M’s, and pulled on her running clothes even though she and Reed had probably worked off enough energy last night to negate the caloric content of the candy. After they’d talked about her crazy life in the city, she’d felt much better. Not that they’d come up with any firm answers, but they’d come up with some ideas for her to think about. More importantly, she’d been handling her own issues in such a vacuum for so long, it was cathartic to share her innermost thoughts with someone who cared about her without any ulterior motives toward her work or trying to get her to move back home. They’d finished painting the walls, ended up naked, painted, and intertwined on the tarps in the living room, and then they’d taken a shower together, where they cleaned each other up only to get down and dirty again.

  She was lacing up her running shoes when Sable sauntered into her bedroom, wearing the same outfit, from boots to Stetson, she’d worn yesterday. She walked past Grace, grabbed a fistful of M&M’s, then sat beside her on the bed. Grace glanced at the time—6:02—and bit back the urge to tell her to find her own boyfriend and eat his M&M’s.

  “Who was the lucky guy last night?”

  “Nobody got lucky.” Sable shoved the candy in her mouth and flopped onto her back. “After band practice we went to JJ’s Pub and hung out until it closed. The only guy who piqued my interest was a certain fireman who’s blown me off too many times for me to try again.”

  “Who?”

  Sable gave her a deadpan look. “How many hot firemen do you know that would blow me off?”

  Grace pushed to her feet and began stretching, uninterested in guessing, but knowing one for sure. Chet Hudson had never given Sable the time of day, which made him the ultimate challenge for her ballsy sister. “I’m surprised you didn’t find some other hot guy to hit on.”

  “I did, but I wasn’t into him.”

  “Maybe you’re getting tired of hookups.”

  “Bite your tongue. I was sidetracked. I’ve been working on some new ideas for songs, so I sat out on the hill and tried to get inspired, but…” Sable sighed. “I’m just not feeling it. I’ve been having a hard time with that lately. I even spoke to Axsel for a while. He’s so good at opening my creative pathways.”

  While Grace never liked to ask for help, Sable preferred people not to have any inclination that she might even need it. Grace was glad to see her easing up on the typical tough-as-nails vibe she gave off and not only turning to Axsel but sharing with her, too. It helped Grace feel closer to the one sister who had always made her feel a little unnecessary. Her mind traveled back to her conversation with Reed about her predicament at work. He’d had some good suggestions, like cutting back from three productions a year to two and trying to work in a few more afternoons off once each production was up and running. She’d been on such a fast track for so long, the idea of taking any time off just to rejuvenate had somehow become slated as wasted time. How had that happened? Time off to sneak in some writing or enjoy a long weekend with Reed was definitely not wasted time. She had a lot to consider.

  She caught the tail end of something Sable was saying and realized she’d zoned out. Trying to play catch-up, she said, “How is Axsel?” Axsel was just shy of six years younger than Grace, and he traveled so much, she saw him only once or twice a year.

  “Has he ever not been great? Chill boy is always good. He never gets rattled. He’s back in L.A., and bummed he’s not here to hang with you.”

  Grace laced her fingers together and stretched her arms above her head. “I miss him and Pepper, but I guess there’s always Christmas.”

  “Speaking of Pepper. Mom invited her to the barbecue next Friday night, but she can’t make it, of course. She said something about a research project.”

  “Pepper is always researching, but what barbecue?” She shifted, stretching her hamstrings, thinking about how infrequently she saw her scientist sister.

  “You two are more alike than you might think,” Sable said with an air of boredom. “Last night Mom said she’s throwing a family barbecue next Friday night after Reed finishes the porch. Oh yeah, you’re supposed to invite him, and I was supposed to text you and let you know. Sorry.”

  “Great. That should make him run for the hills.” Her family was a lot to handle in small doses. As a group they could be downright overwhelming, especially to a guy who was used to quiet.

  Sable smiled and closed her eyes. “It’s best to indoctrinate him to the chaos earlier rather than later.” She set her hat over her eyes and said, “You don’t mind if I just crash right here, do you?”

  Normally Grace would kick her out of her room, but she didn’t want to close the door Sable had only begun to unlock. She pulled off Sable’s boots and set them beside the bed. “Get some rest. I have to go run off my junk food.”

  She wrote a quick note for Reed—Sable is slee
ping on my bed, so don’t go in and whip off your clothes or anything. I went for a run. Xox, Grace—and went to the kitchen to find tape. She found it in the family junk drawer and put a piece on the top of the note. Then she grabbed a pen, crossed out Grace and wrote Gracie.

  Humming, she went outside and taped it to the outside of the glass door that led to her bedroom. Reed had done a gorgeous job on the porch so far, and she was happy that her childhood home was being lovingly restored.

  Remembering the mornings she and Reed had secretly met by the football field before the sun came up, she took off jogging in that direction.

  As she rounded the corner toward town, energized by thoughts of Reed, she realized her childhood home wasn’t the only thing being lovingly restored.

  REED STOPPED BY Roy and Ella’s to catch his uncle up on his progress at the Montgomerys and check on the delivery status of the materials for his kitchen, which Roy had offered to handle. They were sitting at the table enjoying breakfast when he tapped on the kitchen door and walked in.

  “There he is,” Ella said as she rose to greet him, and promptly ushered him into a seat. “I’ll get you a plate.”

  “It’s okay, Ella. I didn’t come for breakfast. Sit down and relax.”

  “You know that isn’t gonna go over very well,” Roy said under his breath.

  “A working man has to eat.” She set a cup of coffee in front of him and patted his shoulder before turning back to the stove. “You just relax.”

  “Thank you.” Reed took a drink.

  “Cade said you’re almost finished with the porch,” Roy said. “He’s mighty pleased with your work, of course.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’ll be finished by the end of next week.”

  “More importantly,” Ella said as she set a plate of pancakes in front of Reed. “Why are we the last to hear that you and Gracie are together again?”

  Aw, hell. He’d forgotten how quickly word moved between towns. “You’re not the last to hear.”

  Ella sat beside Roy and set her napkin in her lap. “According to my friend Rosie, who saw Hellie at bingo last night, the whole town knows about you two.” She sipped her coffee, her smiling eyes peering at him over the rim. “Are we done keeping secrets?”

  Reed chuckled and stabbed a hunk of pancake with his fork. “We are definitely done keeping secrets.”

  “Well, thank goodness for small favors,” Roy said. “You can’t ever find honest love when you’re shrouded in secrecy. Life doesn’t work that way.”

  Reed focused on his breakfast and not the message his uncle was really sending, which had landed loud and clear. When he’d returned to town, they hadn’t been pleased to hear that he had been serious enough to almost have been engaged to a woman they’d never met.

  Ella reached across the table and touched his hand, bringing his gaze up to hers. “Honey, we understand why you had to keep things hush-hush when you were in school. Kids can be cruel, and you wanted to protect your girlfriend. You did the right thing under the circumstances. And as far as that last woman goes, well, I can only assume she hadn’t yet kissed your heart for you to keep her a secret. But moving forward, we’d really like for there to be no more secrets.”

  A spear of guilt pierced Reed’s chest. “No more secrets,” he agreed. “And I’m sorry for keeping them in the first place.”

  “That woman was a stopgap, son,” Roy said as he cut his pancakes. “Someone to hold you over until the time was right for you to come back home and find your true soul mate.”

  Reed’s fork stopped midair. “That makes me sound a little callous, Roy. I didn’t think of her as a stopgap. I just wasn’t capable of giving her all of myself.”

  “That’s not what I meant, Reed, so put out those fumes.” Roy sat back and exhaled a long, slow breath. “Love’s a funny thing. When it hits, there’s no keeping your distance or wondering if you should do something to fix whatever feels off. That’s how we knew you and Grace were meant to be together, and that’s why we kept your secret, when the proper thing to do would have been to make you stand up to your friends and her friends and pick her up properly at her daddy’s house. The stopgap I spoke of had nothing to do with you treating that other woman badly, or making a bad judgment call. I meant you were filling the emptiness inside you. That’s only natural, just as it was only natural for her to feel the weight of another woman in your heart.”

  Reed set his fork down on his plate. “Roy, did you know Grace was coming back to town?”

  “I may have heard she was scheduled for a visit,” Roy mumbled, and filled his mouth with pancakes.

  “Ella?”

  “My memory is not what it used to be.” She patted her mouth with her napkin.

  They ate in silence for a few minutes while Reed processed that new information. Were they matchmaking? He dragged an assessing gaze over Roy’s face, wondering what else he might have kept to himself.

  “Most of your appliances are being delivered Thursday,” Roy said a few minutes later. “Are we still on for starting your kitchen after you’re done with the Montgomerys?”

  “Yes. I’m looking forward to working together, although Grace and I have already gotten some of the painting done. There’s not much left to do beyond the kitchen.” He eyed the two people his father had trusted with his life. The two people who knew what he needed even before he did, and he had to ask the burning question. “When did your doctors give you the okay to return to work?”

  Ella choked on her coffee.

  Roy stilled, staring at his plate.

  Reed’s gut clenched tight as shock tore through him. “Roy?”

  “Well, heck, Reed. What do those doctors know? My body needed the rest, and you were here anyway. We still hadn’t settled the new corporation paperwork, and the jobs we were bidding on hadn’t come in yet. It made sense for you to take on the Montgomery job.”

  “He really did need to rest, Reed,” Ella added. “You can see how much stronger he is now.”

  “I can, and I’m happy to do the work.” Reed finished eating and carried his plate to the sink, stewing over, and touched by, their efforts. “I sure am glad we’re done with secrets.”

  Ella’s gaze darted to Roy.

  “Aw, come on, Ella. What more could there possibly be?”

  She glared at Roy.

  “Gosh darn it.” Roy tossed his napkin on the table and said, “You know how I said that most of your appliances would be delivered Thursday? I transposed the numbers on your stove and accidentally ordered a bright red one. But it’s handled.”

  Ella stood up and reached for Roy’s plate. Roy slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “And for the record, your aunt gave me hell for being less than up-front with you about work. But the stove order is fixed, so don’t you worry about that.”

  Reed chuckled. “That’s all right, and speaking of fixes…” He kissed Ella’s cheek and patted Roy’s back. “I have to go get my Gracie fix for the morning. Love you, and I appreciate you watching out for me. Not just now, but…well, you know.”

  “Yeah, we know,” Roy said. “Now get your lazy ass over to that job before your girl thinks you’ve forgotten her.”

  Twenty minutes later Reed pulled into the Montgomerys’ driveway and was greeted with the most spectacular view of a fine ass, an ass he’d know anywhere. He stepped from the truck as Grace unfolded her gorgeous body and reached her fingers toward the sky. She turned, smiling brighter than the morning sun, and holy smokes, her black running pants rode low on her hips, clinging to every inch of her like they were painted on. And her running bra did some sort of cross-over thing that pressed her breasts together, creating cleavage so deep he wanted to crawl in and live there. Her hair was pinned up in a high ponytail, exposing her long neck and cute ears he liked to nibble on. Her cheekbones looked even higher with her hair pulled back, her eyes looked greener, and her skin glistened with a sheen of sweat that made her appear oiled up and scorchingly sexy. He was catapult
ed back to the days of watching her cheer for the opposing team and was reminded of how jealous he’d been over the guys who had been lucky enough to watch her practice on a daily basis. She had womanly curves now, and her eyes were sharper than that of a naive girl, which made her that much more attractive.

  As he reached for her, his heart tumbled inside his chest, and he sent up a heap of silent gratitude that his relatives had known him well enough to keep their secret about Grace’s visit. Had he known she would be there, he might not have taken on the job.

  “You have never looked more beautiful than you do right now,” he said as he gathered her in his arms.

  “I’m all sweaty,” she warned.

  He guided her arms around his neck and said, “I don’t care if you’ve rolled in horse manure. You’d still look and smell better than any woman on earth, because you’re mine, Gracie, and I adore you.”

  He pressed his lips to hers, soaking in her sweetness. He ran his finger along her side, and she shivered in his arms. “I didn’t know you were a runner.”

  “I usually run at the gym, but I haven’t gotten a temporary membership at one here yet,” she said as they made their way to the porch. “And if I keep eating M&M’s and pizza, I’m going to need to go twice a day or buy bigger clothes.”

  “I would love to get you out of those clothes,” he said as they climbed the steps and followed her toward her bedroom door, earning an adorable blush. “Why would you work out in a gym when you can enjoy sunshine and fresh air? Help me today. You’ll get a great workout, and I’ll get to spend the day with you. Win-win.”