by Marie Force
And more and more, he found himself thinking of Daisy. He wasn’t sure he was ready for another full-blown relationship, but maybe it was time to start dating again. Nowhere was it written that a date had to lead to forever. So if he asked Daisy to dinner—a real dinner at a restaurant—it didn’t mean he was making promises to her that he might not be able to keep, did it?
She’d been so nice to him at a time when her own life was in disarray. If he took her to dinner to say thank you, he wouldn’t be starting something he couldn’t finish, would he? After spending his entire adult life with the same woman, he’d never done the casual-dating thing before, so the rules were somewhat of a mystery to him.
One thing was patently clear, however—he was definitely overthinking this. It was a meal, not a marriage, for crying out loud. Disgusted with himself, he got into his car and headed for Daisy’s place in town.
By the time he parked in front of her house, he’d nearly talked himself out of the whole thing. But he soldiered on, took the rickety steps to her porch two at a time and rapped on the door, half hoping she wasn’t there. Then he wouldn’t have to follow through and could have a stress-free, relaxing night at home.
He was about to give up when the door swung open, and there she was. Her hair was in a ponytail and her clothes were covered in various colors of paint.
She seemed pleased but surprised to see him. “David. I wasn’t expecting you, as you can tell,” she said with a delicate, sweet laugh. “I’m doing some painting.”
“So I can see. I’m sorry to bother you. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if you were interested in dinner, but you’re busy.”
“Not that busy.”
She had a way of making him feel better about himself. He didn’t know what she did or how she did it, but he always felt better when he was with her.
“Do you want some help with the painting?”
“You don’t feel like doing that after how many days at the clinic?”
“Four or five. I lost count.”
“Give me fifteen minutes to clean up, and we’ll have dinner.” She stepped back from the door and gestured for him to follow her inside where the odor of fresh paint was pervasive. “I was fixing the hole Truck put in the wall, and once I got going, I decided to change the color.” She took a measuring look at the dark orange wall. “What do you think?”
“It’s not one you see every day.”
“I know,” she said with a laugh. “You probably think I’m crazy.”
“Not at all. I like it.”
“You don’t have to say that. I’m not sure I like it. I’d hoped it would be warm and welcoming, but it’s just kinda…orange.”
He laughed. “That it is, but you might like it better when you finish.”
“Maybe. What do you feel like eating? Pizza?”
Watching her talk about the paint had him oddly captivated, which gave him the courage to take a gamble. “I had something a little nicer in mind. Maybe Stephanie’s?”
“Oh.”
“That doesn’t sound good to you?”
“It sounds expensive. I don’t need that if you don’t.”
“It’s not that I need it. I thought it would be fun, and you might enjoy it. After all the nights you’ve fed me lately, I wanted to return the favor.”
“Pizza would be fine.”
“I’ve heard such raves about Stephanie’s, but I haven’t had time to try it yet,” he said, hoping to cajole her.
“I don’t have anything to wear there.”
David wanted to shoot himself for not thinking of that. “No problem. We can go there another time.” Great, he thought, commit to a second date when this one was starting off so well.
“I might have one thing that would work.”
“We can go wherever you want. It wasn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable.”
She shocked the hell out of him when she went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I know, and you didn’t. I’ll be quick.”
After she dashed upstairs to change, he stood rooted to the spot where she’d left him, his cheek still tingling from her impulsive kiss. If she could unman him with a simple kiss to the cheek, what would a real kiss with her be like?
He’d never kissed anyone but Janey. And the woman he’d cheated on her with, of course.
Remembering that incident jarred him out of his thoughts about kissing Daisy, and he wandered over to plop down on the old sofa she’d once delightedly told him she found abandoned by the side of the road outside of town. He recalled her pleasure in telling him about the find.
At some point, if this went anywhere, he’d have to tell her he’d cheated on Janey. After what she’d been through with her abusive ex-boyfriend, she deserved to know the truth about what she’d be getting with him.
“Let’s see how dinner goes before you worry about emptying your closet of skeletons,” he muttered.
True to her word, fifteen minutes later she came skipping down the stairs wearing a pretty summer dress and carrying a sweater. “I hope this is okay.”
He stood to greet her. “You look lovely, as always.” Extending his arm to her, he said, “Shall we?”
She looked up at him with big, trusting eyes and curled her hand around his arm. “Yes, please.”
Grace gave Evan seven days and seven nights to bury himself in his work before she went to bring him home. Driving to the studio, she was nervous about what she might find there. In all the months she’d spent with Evan, she’d never once been nervous about seeing him.
Until now.
She cringed as the overgrown brush scraped against the side of her car, adding to the scratches from the last time she’d been here a couple of weeks ago, before the accident that had changed everything. He hadn’t been the same since then, and she was determined to bring him home for at least one night so they could reconnect.
She hoped he’d be happy to see her.
The old motorcycle of Mac’s that Evan had been using was parked in the driveway, if you could call it that. While the building had been fully refurbished and was ready for business, the grounds needed some major work.
Grace stepped inside and gave her eyes a minute to adjust to the near darkness. She followed a light to the back of the studio where she found Evan in his office bent over a laptop. She knew a moment of relief when she realized he was here alone.
“Hey, stranger,” she said.
“Grace? What’re you doing here?”
His eyes were red and rimmed with fatigue, his hair was standing on end, and it had been days since he last shaved. The poor guy was working himself to death. “If you can’t bring the mountain to Mohammad…”
He sat back and gestured for her to come in. Rather than take one of the visitor chairs, however, she went around his desk and slid onto his lap. His arms encircled her waist, and Grace snuggled up to him, breathing in his comforting, familiar scent.
“Missed you,” she said.
“I’ve missed you, too. I’m sorry I’ve been spending so much time here. There’s an endless amount of stuff that has to get done before we officially open next week.”
“I know, but I wondered if I might be able to lure you home just for tonight.”
“I don’t think I can, babe. I’ve got all these invoices—”
Grace kissed the words right off his lips, going for broke with a kiss designed to remind him of what would be waiting for him at home. “Please?”
“Aww, baby, what am I supposed to say when you ask me like that?”
“How about, ‘Yes, Grace, I’d love to go home and sleep with you tonight.’”
He smiled and kissed the end of her nose. “Yes, Grace, I’d love to go home and sleep with you tonight.”
“Excellent.”
He squeezed her tight before he released her. “You’re full of beans tonight.”
“I’m lonely for you.”
When they were both standing, he embraced her again, kissing the top of h
er head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to neglect you.”
“Have you been hiding out here?”
Perplexed by the question, he said, “Hiding from you?”
“Not from me, but from something else maybe?”
“I’m not hiding, Grace. I’m working. I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
She waited while he shut down all the equipment and locked everything up. Outside, she watched him glance at the motorcycle with a bit of trepidation. “How about I drive?” she asked. “I can bring you back in the morning before work.”
“Are you sure?”
“You’re exhausted, Ev. Let me drive you home.”
“I won’t say no to that.”
“You need to do something about this landscaping.”
“I’ve got my friend Alex Martinez coming tomorrow.”
“Is he related to the Martinez Garden people?”
“One of their sons. I went to school with him and his brother Paul. Alex is a master gardener. He worked for a time for the National Conservatory in Washington. He came back to the island after his mother got sick, because Paul needed help running the business.”
“Is his mom Marion Martinez?”
“Yes, I think that’s her name. Do you know her?”
“I haven’t met her, but her sons come into the pharmacy. Nice-looking guys.”
“So now you’re checking out the customers, Ms. Ryan?”
Grace smiled at his proprietary tone. “I might be madly in love with my sexy boyfriend, but I’m not blind or dead.”
He leaned across the console to nibble on her neck. “Madly in love, huh? That boyfriend of yours is one lucky bastard.”
“I keep telling him that, but sometimes I wonder if he knows it.”
“He knows, baby. You don’t ever need to wonder about that.”
“I was kidding, Evan.”
Resting his head on her shoulder, he said, “I know.”
At home, Evan took a shower and shaved while Grace brushed her teeth and changed into a nightgown. Listening to him in the shower, she realized how much she’d missed sharing their home in the last week. Nothing was the same without him around.
She got in bed and picked up the book that had been keeping her company during her nights alone, but couldn’t seem to concentrate on what she was reading.
Evan emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. Once it cleared, she saw that he was completely naked and heading for the bed.
She licked her lips in anticipation.
“Aaah,” he said as he settled in next to her. “Feels good to be in a real bed. That sofa in the office isn’t very comfortable.”
She rested her hand on his chest. “I’m proud of what you’ve done with the studio, Evan. It’s going to be an awesome success. I know it.”
He covered her hand with his own. “I sure hope so.”
“Why do you look so worried?”
“I’ve got a lot riding on that place. A lot.”
“You’re worried about protecting Ned’s investment, but you know he gave you that money free and clear—”
“That’s not the part I’m most concerned about.”
“Then what?”
“I can’t tell you. It’ll make you mad.”
She tugged lightly on a tuft of chest hair. “Now you have to tell me.”
“Only if you swear not to get mad.”
“Something tells me that’s something I shouldn’t do before I hear your big secret.”
“You have to swear you won’t get mad if you want to hear it.”
“Fine. I swear. Now tell me.”
“I promised your dad I wouldn’t propose to you until the studio was making real money.” He looked over at her. “And I really want to propose to you.”
Grace went cold all over with shock. “You… He… You did what? When did this happen?
“A while ago.”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe him! This is outrageous! You don’t have to honor that promise, Evan. I absolve you.”
“I do have to honor it, Grace, and you can’t absolve me. I gave him my word.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because it seemed to matter a lot to him that you not marry a freeloading loser.”
Grace had never been more furious in her life. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill them both.”
“No, you’re not. He has a good point, and if you were my kid, I’d probably feel the same way about my smart, studious daughter shackling herself to a musician who’s had more bad luck than good.”
“This is why you’ve been working like a madman over there?”
“Not the only reason, but the most important one. I’m determined to show him—”
“Stop,” Grace said, blinking back tears as she covered his mouth with her fingers. “Don’t say any more. You don’t have to show anyone anything, least of all my family or me. You’re everything. From the first minute you came over to me after that rat bastard Trey abandoned me here without a nickel to my name, you’ve been my everything. You always will be. I don’t care if you’re dirt poor and never have another paying job. None of that matters to me, and if you know me at all, you know I’ve long ago stopped letting my parents’ opinions matter to me. If I’d continued to listen to them, I’d still be three hundred pounds and as miserable as any person could possibly be.”
“Grace…”
“I love you, Evan. I love you exactly the way you are. The studio could be the most successful in the business, and I wouldn’t love you any more than I already do.”
“Do you know,” he said, leaving a trail of kisses from the crook of her elbow along the tender skin of her inner arm, “that I thank God every day for the rat bastard who abandoned you at our docks?”
“Is that right?”
Nodding, he kissed the palm of her hand and then looked up at her. “Marry me, Grace.”
“Of course I’m going to marry you. All you had to do was ask.”
“Stay there,” he said, bounding out of bed.
“Where’re you going?”
“You’ll see.” He returned a minute later, slid back into bed and tugged her in close to him. “Hold out your left hand and close your eyes.”
Smiling, Grace did as he directed, holding back tears as he slid a ring onto her third finger. “Can I look yet?”
“Go ahead.”
“Oh, Evan! Oh my God, it’s gorgeous!” A large, emerald-cut diamond sat surrounded by smaller diamonds in an antique setting. She couldn’t stop staring at it. “When did you do this?”
“Remember when I went to the mainland to buy the equipment for the studio?”
“That was a couple of months ago.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’ve had it all this time and never said a word?”
“I told you. I wanted to get the studio off the ground before I asked you.”
Grace threw her arms around his neck and held on tight.
“Do you like the ring? If you want something different—”
She kissed the words right off his lips, putting everything she had into a kiss that she hoped would tell him all he needed to know about how much she loved the ring—and him.
“Whoa, Nelly,” he said when they resurfaced many minutes later. “I take that to mean you like it?”
“I love it. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“I want you to know I paid for it with the money I made on my record deal, not the money Ned gave me for the studio.”
It touched her to know that he cared about such things. “You shouldn’t have spent so much on me.”
“Who else should I spend it on?”
“When I went to fetch you tonight, I didn’t think our evening would turn out this way,” she said, still gazing at the gorgeous ring. “I can’t believe it. I never thought anything like this would happen to me. And then last week, when you were missing all that time… I found o
ut what it feels like to have your heart literally break.”
“Aww, baby. I’m so sorry I put you through that. You were all I could think about out there. Thinking about you kept me going.”
They held each other for a long time, and then he drew back so he could see her face. “Are you happy?”
“So happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.”
He kissed her softly, holding her gaze. “So am I. No one has ever had so much faith in me or loved me the way you do. Have I ever told you how glad I am that you insisted on trying to pay back the money I loaned you?”
“If I recall correctly, you were annoyed with me for tracking you down.”
“That wasn’t annoyance. It was relief. Pure and simple. I’d never been so happy to see anyone.” As he spoke, he moved them as one so he was on top of her. “I’ve been happy to see you every day since then, too. There’s no one I’d rather be with in this whole world.”
Cradling him between her legs, she raised her hips, letting him know what she wanted.
He didn’t have to be told twice. “There’s nothing like this, Grace. No one like you.” He made slow, sweet love to her, driving her crazy the way only he could, her one and only love. “When do you want to get married?”
“As soon as we can.”
“We can’t upstage Laura and Owen.”
Grace wondered how he could think so clearly when he was making a muddled mess out of her brain one stroke at a time. And then he reached down to where they were joined and caressed her in all the right places, clearing every thought from her head that didn’t involve the incredible high that came with loving him.
“God,” he said, groaning. “I love you. I’m so glad you’re gonna marry me.”
Laughing and crying, she held him close, soothing him as he reached his own release.
“This winter,” he said when he could speak again. “We’ll get married this winter.”
“Fine by me.”
Reclining against a huge pile of pillows, Abby couldn’t take her eyes off Adam as he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off at her request but left his pants on. “Could I ask you something?”
“Anything you want.”
“Is it weird that before yesterday we never thought of each other this way, and now…”