by Lara Jones
Grace sniffed. “It’s easy to love you.”
“And I love you, too. Please let us help. You can make a home here with us. Isn’t there anything you ever dreamed of doing? We can make it happen.”
A spark lit up in her eyes, but she quickly distinguished it but not fast enough for Lily to catch a glimpse of. If she remembered right, Grace loved to bake and was really good at it. She’d talk to her men later about that.
“Grace, you’ll stay with us,” Alec said.
Grace turned in frustration.
“Grace, look at me,” Mora bit out.
Grace jumped at the stern voice behind her and turned to Mora.
Mora held tight to Grace’s shoulders and made sure Grace kept her attention on Mora.
“This is one of those choices in a person’s life that can change it forever. For the worst or for the best. You can go and end up somewhere you’ve never been, with people you don’t know, and do whatever you can do to survive. Or you can stay here, where people care about you, and begin a new fulfilling life.”
Grace stood frozen.
Mora released her grip on Grace, narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and tapped her foot when Grace didn’t answer her.
“You’re a smart, generous, sweet girl, and I really can’t see you making a stupid decision. But then I really don’t know you that well.”
The men groaned and shook their heads at Mora’s sarcasm.
“But I’m good at reading people, Grace. So, go ahead and decide.”
Grace watched the stubborn tilt to Mora’s face, and Lily’s hopeful expression, and her shoulders fell, giving up for the moment.
“I’ll stay.”
Mora hugged her. “I knew you would.” She bent, so her head didn’t hit the hat on Grace’s head, and kissed her on the cheek. “We are going to have loads of fun, and we have so much to talk about.”
Lily giggled, the men behind them groaned, Grace looked a little frightened, and Mora grinned.
Chapter 19
Later that night, Lily brushed through Grace’s thick hair slowly. Grace had tried to grab the brush from her when she started, but she knew how relaxing it was to have someone brush your hair and Grace definitely needed relaxing.
“What are you thinking about, Grace?” Lily pulled the brush through the silky tresses that ran down Grace’s back in a flow of different colors. From light blonde to medium browns with some red tints mixed in. It was a beautiful display of hair, and one Grace did everything she could to hide.
“I’m just worried about staying here with you.”
Lily moved to the side to see Grace’s face.
“I want you to stop worrying, Grace. My guys are policemen and watch me like a hawk just like they are going to do with you.”
Grace looked at her hands that lay in her lap.
“Lily, it’s not right that I’m invading your life.”
Lily’s heart went out to Grace. She knew what it was like to be alone and then think you’re in people’s way.
“But you’re not. You were a friend to me when everyone else either believed I was a means to an end or were afraid of me.”
“Our people are overly superstitious.”
Lily stayed silent for a moment as she ran her fingers through Grace’s hair.
“Are you going to be able to leave your hat here when we go out?”
Grace shook her head. “No, not yet, and I don’t think I’m ready to wear girl clothes either. Thank you for them, but I’ve been in my brother’s clothes so long it scares me to think of the attention I would get.”
“You’ll know when you’re ready, Grace.” Lily brushed a little more. “Will you miss anyone back home?”
“My brothers but that’s it.”
“Not your father?” Lily had heard the rumors but had never talked with Grace about it.
“No. He’s the one that was going to give me to the sparrow.”
Lily gasped. “But why?”
“Because you know Mr. Sparrow is the leader on the mountain, so by giving him his only daughter it gives my father a power he’d never had before.”
“But your father knows how that man is. What he does to women.”
“Yes, but it was between my happiness and his gaining Mr. Sparrow as a son-in-law. It was no contest.”
The thought of Grace with that man made bile rise in the back of her throat.
“That’s terrible, Grace.”
“Yes, it is. I’m just glad my brother Logan heard about it and warned me. That’s when we found out about the sparrow wanting you, and I knew I had to warn you and get away at the same time. Logan gave me what little money he had and said to run.”
“You know you can never go back there, right, Grace?”
She nodded. “I know. I’d be better off dead. I’ve shamed my father and Mr. Sparrow. One or both would punish me severely, and if I had to guess, I’d say I probably wouldn’t survive it.”
Both women turned at a knock at the door.
Lily waited until Grace covered herself with a throw blanket.
“Come in,” Lily yelled.
The door opened, and Alec stuck his head in. His eyes widened when he caught his first glimpse of Grace without the hat and baggy boy’s clothes.
Lily frowned and shook her head behind Grace’s back.
Alec caught the look and didn’t say anything about the transformation.
“You ready for bed, baby?”
“Do you need anything Grace?” Lily asked as she climbed off the bed and put the brush on the bedside table.
Grace shook her head. “No, Lily.”
“If you need anything just come knock on our door, okay, Grace?” Alec said and held his hand out to Lily.
Lily grabbed onto his hand then turned back.
“Good night, Grace. I’m really, really glad you’re here.”
“Good night.”
Chapter 20
Lily cuddled between Alec and John’s hot sweaty bodies. Their lovemaking had been hard and fast because their need had been exceptionally high that night.
Alec’s hand rested on Lily’s stomach, sometimes running his fingertips around her belly button, and other times resting his hand.
“What’s going on with Grace, baby?”
Lily stretched as she turned her head toward him.
“What do you mean?”
“The clothes and the hat? Why does she wear them, and why does she hide her hair?” Alec had been shocked when he’d opened the door to Grace’s room and seen her with Lily on the bed. She was a pretty young woman with delicate uniform features. Her small nose fit her oval face perfectly, and her brows framed gorgeous eyes. Not as beautiful as his Lily’s, but he was sure men were going to notice her.
If he were to guess, Adam and Joe would be the two to eventually claim her. They both had been enthralled with her, and neither had taken their eyes off of her the whole time.
Alec would be happy with that arrangement. He trusted both of them one hundred percent and knew they’d take care of her and make her happy.
“Grace is beautiful, and when she started to mature, she got a lot of unwanted attention. She didn’t have Granny’s protection, so she was vulnerable to the mountain men. Thankfully she had brothers who were protective of her and started dressing her in their clothes to hide her figure. She started wearing her braid tucked inside her clothing, and the hat hides some of her face.”
“What about her father? Why didn’t he protect her?”
“He’s a lot like Mr. Sparrow. They’re power hungry and don’t care who they hurt. Grace’s mother ran off when she was three or four, and so her brothers are the ones that had to raise her.”
Alec saw the look of distress cross Lily’s face.
“What, honey?”
Lily wiped a tear from her eye. She swallowed. It was hard just saying the words out loud.
“There was talk on the mountain of her dad molesting her.”
�
�Oh God, that bastard,” Alec bit out.
“Goddamn him. I’d like to get my hands on him,” John growled.
Lily nodded. “I know. Granny checked into it and was told her brothers confronted their father and threatened him if he touched her again. We never heard about it again after that.”
“Her hair is as long as yours but dark.”
Lily nodded. “You saw it when it was wet. When it’s dry, it’s a beautiful mahogany color, thick and silky, and her eyes are multicolored…”
“You mean hazel?” John asked before he yawned.
Lily turned his way.
“Yes, some people call them that, but they're mostly blue and green with little specks of yellow. No brown at all. I’ve never seen eyes her color before. Some people called them cat eyes because of the way they’re shaped and the color.”
Alec bent and nibbled on Lily’s bare shoulder.
“Well, I’m partial to blondes with light blue eyes.”
“Oh yeah?” she giggled.
“Yeah,” Alec said and then smacked his lips down on hers. He lifted his head and his gaze swept over her face. “I love you, Lily.”
Lily reached up and smoothed her hand against his cheek.
“I love you, too, Alec.” She turned her head. “I love you, John.”
John sighed. “I love you, too, sweetheart, but can we please go to sleep?”
Lily and Alec looked over at John and smiled.
Lily kissed John on the tip of the nose. “Night, John.”
John pulled her tighter against his broad chest. “Night, baby.”
Chapter 21
Lily awoke the next day cuddled against Alec’s chest with her head on his shoulder. She raised her head and smiled when she saw he was awake.
Alec moved the hair from her face with his fingertips.
“Good morning, baby girl.”
“Good morning, Alec.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Your bed is like sleeping on a cloud, and to have someone on either side of me to keep me warm and to protect me, well, I don’t think I could sleep any better.”
Alec cupped her cheek with his hand.
“For one thing, it’s our bed. Not just mine and I’m very glad you feel safe with us. We’d never let anything happen to you, baby. You know that, right?”
Lily rubbed her fingertips against the stubble on his cheeks and giggled when it tickled.
“I do know that.”
“Good.
“What are the plans for the day?”
“I thought I’d show Grace around and maybe visit with Mora, Sara, or Isabel.”
“All right, that sounds like a plan. I’ll shower in the hall bathroom so you can have ours, and then I’ll meet you in the kitchen. John should have already started breakfast. How does that sound?”
Lily traced her fingers over his chest and looked up at him through her eyelashes.
“Are you sure you don’t want to help me?”
Alec rolled until she was under him and kissed her until they were breathless.
“Oh, yeah, I want to help, but if I do, we won’t be out of the house until noon.”
Lily giggled. “Probably not a good idea then. We have Grace to care for.”
Alec pressed a quick kiss on her lips and then rolled out of bed.
“Come on, baby girl. We’ve got people to see and places to go.”
Lily sprang from the bed and ran to the bathroom laughing when he tried to make a grab for her.
* * * *
Lily punched down on a roll of dough and turned when she heard a noise behind her.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
Grace shuffled into the kitchen and stood beside Lily and watched her knead the dough.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes, you can sit down and eat some breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry. I’d rather help.”
“And I’d rather you sit and eat,” Lily said gently and smiled. “You can help me bake another time. You still enjoy baking?”
“Oh, yes.”
“You better do what she says, Grace. We don’t want Lily to get grouchy,” Alec commented and chuckled as he tried to help Lily but was mostly getting in the way. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her.
Grace and Lily smiled because they both knew Lily never got grouchy or mean.
Lily turned her head to fit better against him and held her flour-covered hands out at her sides, so she didn’t get it all over Alec’s uniform.
Grace turned away, not wanting to intrude on their personal moment.
“Bye, honey. Bye, Grace.”
Grace turned to see Alec walk out the door and Lily return to making bread. After a minute Lily wiped her hands on a towel that sat on the counter next to her.
“Grace, sit down,” Lily said and put a plate of food in front of her.
“I can’t eat all of that,” Grace gasped.
“I know it takes some getting used to,” Lily chuckled. “They have so much here. I’ll take you to the grocery store. I almost had a stroke when I first walked in. There are eleven types of apples and tomatoes. Every vegetable we’ve ever heard of is stocked on tables on one end of the store. You know I can have orange juice every day if I want.”
Lily grabbed two cups of coffee and sat down next to Grace at the table. She watched Grace take several bites.
“I am so glad you’re here.”
“I just hope I haven’t brought danger to you.”
“Think about this, Grace. If Mr. Sparrow wanted me, I think you’re right to assume he’ll find out about the truck driver. We would have not had the warning and had our guards down. By you coming here, the town now is watching out for strangers. We couldn’t be safer than we are here.”
“You’re right about that, sweetheart,” John said as he strolled into the kitchen and placed a kiss on the top of Lily’s head. He noticed Grace had on her drab, baggy clothes but was missing her hat. “I like your hair, Grace.”
Grace’s hand flew to her head. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten her hat. “Thank you.”
John ignored her embarrassment and grabbed a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter as he sipped it.
“What are the plans for the day, girls?”
“I thought we could show her around and maybe introduce her to people.”
“That’s a great idea, sweetheart. Are you up for that, Grace?”
“Yes. What should I do with the rest of this food? It would be a crime to throw it away.”
“I’ll eat the rest, Grace.”
Grace handed the plate to John.
“You haven’t had breakfast?”
“Yes, but I can always eat more, right, Lily?”
Lily laughed. “Alec says he’s a bottomless pit.”
Grace smiled at that.
“I’ll be right back.”
John watched Grace walk away.
“How’s she doing?”
“I’m worried, John.”
John set down the plate and pulled Lily into his arms.
“About what?”
“She just seems so much more subdued, and the fear never leaves her eyes.”
“Give her a chance to get used to everything. It’s probably overwhelming to her.”
Lily rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I hope that’s all it is.”
“We’ll all watch her.”
Lily nodded, relieved, and pulled away from John to put the dough into a pan and cover it with a cloth to let it rise. By dinnertime, they’d have fresh bread to eat.
Grace came back into the kitchen with the hat pulled down over her ears. Neither John nor Lily made a comment. Both hoped with time she’d feel relaxed enough to give it and the clothes up.
“Are you not going to work, John?”
John sipped at his coffee as he looked at Grace.
“No. Alec and I are going to mix up ou
r schedules, so one of us is with you.”
Grace used the hat to hide her face and the tears that burned her eyes.
“Is me being here causing trouble already?”
“Grace, look at me.” The tone of his voice was stern. He waited for her to lift her head. The hat still hid most of her face, but he let it go for the time being. “None of this is because of you.” He lifted a hand when she opened her mouth. “No, listen to me. We were already watching over Lily diligently because we always believed someone might come to take her back, and we are not going to let that happen, to Lily or now to you. We’re so thankful you’re here, not only for the heads-up about the potential threat, but you make Lily happy, and that makes us happy.”
Grace just nodded, but he could tell she was far from believing they wanted her there with them.
“Let’s go into town, and sometime today we’re going to stop at the sheriff’s department for a briefing. The sheriff and captain have some questions for you. Is that okay, Grace?”
“I’ll do whatever I need to help protect Lily.”
“And you. Right, Grace?” John asked with one of his eyebrows raised.
Grace nodded.
“Come on, ladies, let’s head out.”
John helped both into the truck and watched as the girls put their seatbelts on. He glanced in his rearview mirror and was struck by the sadness on Grace’s face.
If it was the last thing he did, he would give this girl a home with people who cared for her. She was such a sweet young thing. The fact she wanted to protect Lily at her own cost made her hold a space in his heart for her. Not many people were that selfless.
Chapter 22
Lily reassured Grace when she saw how overwhelmed she was by the grocery store. She knew exactly how she felt and didn’t think she’d ever get used to all the food there was.
They didn’t stay at the store long. They still had to go to the police department, and Grace was already looking tired.
John opened the door to the police department to let the women go through.
“This won’t take long, Grace, and then we’ll head home so you can get some rest.”
Lily worried about Grace. The closer they got to the police, the more she shook. Lily tried calming her and kept her grip tight on Grace’s hand.