“When he pops the question, silly!” When, she had said. Not if, but when.
“Kelly, we’ve only been a couple for a couple of days.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been in love since you set eyes on each other two months ago!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh! He’s going to ask you, and I bet you’re married by Christmas. Ooooh! A Christmas wedding, how romantic! Oh, Rachel, can I help you pick out your dress?” Now Kelly was dancing on the balls of her feet. Matthew squeaked in her arms and drifted back off to sleep.
“Oh, so now you’re planning my wedding?”
“Ooooh! Can I? I’m excellent at planning weddings and parties! You should totally let me do that. You would love it! So? Are you gonna say yes?” She settled down long enough to ask again.
Rachel looked at her and smiled, finding Kelly’s enthusiasm contagious. What would she say if he asked her to marry him? Oh, hell yeah. She’d say yes.
“I would say yes, Kelly, but I need a little time, and he told me we would take it slow. I don’t know about your Christmas wedding scenario. I mean, he hasn’t even hinted at that. I can’t believe I’m talking to you about it. We only just got together.” Rachel felt like she was jinxing herself, putting the cart before the horse.
“But you do love him?”
“I adore him, Kelly. If I had any idea how good it was going to be, I wouldn’t have said no to him for as long as I did. All I could see was all the women hanging off of him every night. I didn’t think I could deal with that.”
Kelly laughed. “He’s a total ho magnet, isn’t he?”
“Kelly! He’s your brother. He can’t help it.”
“Yeah, he can’t help it he’s yummi-licious.”
“You do know Charity Conners! Did you say your brother is yummy?”
“What? I’m not blind! He’s got that whole badass biker dude-slash-gentle giant thing workin’ hard for him. Worked on you, didn’t it?”
“Only totally, bad girl. Only I find him to be more of a cross between an Indian warrior and a Viking.” Rachel chortled and looked around them to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. Kelly gave her a salacious thumbs-up and then got a startled expression on her face.
“Wait a minute! You’re friends with Grace! Are you the one who saved her ass? You are, aren’t you! Oh, I have so got to meet that Hot Mama. Three freakin’ husbands. She must be a dynamo!”
“Shhh! You maniac! Sure, I’ll introduce you, but you gotta ixnay on the ee-thray usbands-hay! Grace shops here, honey. She used to work here, too.”
“Oops, sorry, big mouth here.” Kelly patted Matthew’s back gently. “I’ve gotta meet her!” she said more softly.
“Help me pick out a shower curtain and rings. I’m anxious to get back home and see how the guys did at the apartment. That was thoughtful of him to not want me to go over there. Facing all my burned up stuff would not be near as much fun as shopping with you.”
Originally, she had intended to go, but Eli had talked her out of returning with them to the burned-out apartment. The fire chief had said that while they were welcome to come and salvage they should not hold out much hope of finding much more than ash and charred remnants of her belongings. They would bring whatever they could to her, be it a little or a lot. Rachel was thankful she’d invested in the renter’s insurance policy because everything was covered, and her claim was already being processed.
Kelly asked, “Did he say if they recovered much?”
It sounded to Rachel like they’d made some progress, maybe even found a few things that weren’t ruined that she could still use, but they didn’t give her any specifics.
“No, just that it looks even worse over there in the daylight. I’m not holding out much hope, but it would be nice if a few things were salvageable. Which one do you think I should pick?” Rachel asked, gesturing to the shower curtain samples.
“Well, you picked blue towels, and your rugs are blue. Not going very girlie here, are we?”
“Blue is my favorite color, but I wanted things that Eli would feel comfortable using if he came over.”
“Okay, but go more girlie on the shower curtain. Stuff like that doesn’t bother him near as much as you might think. You’re going to need a king-sized comforter on your bed. With Eli under the covers, it will be too small, and you’ll freeze.”
Rachel snickered. “Trust me. I don’t worry about freezing in bed with Eli.”
“Like a sick kitten to a hot brick, huh?” Kelly said suggestively. “Still, you should get the king size. You can use it on his bed after you get married. Lemme have it. I’ll be right back. Don’t get the paisley shower curtain, get the girlie white lace, and make sure and get the clear liner and a window curtain to match for the bathroom window. Be right back.”
Rachel smiled, watching Kelly as she scampered away. Talk about dynamos. She picked the white lace shower curtain and got the clear liner and plain white hooks. Kelly came back with another wedding ring quilt in a king size, but with brighter colors and fewer muted shades.
“Is this one all right? The colors are a little different but very pretty. The ivory background will match your sheets. You done?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I think I like it even better than the one I picked out. You’ve got a good eye, Kelly. I like your style.”
Kelly brightened up, not missing the opportunity to self-promote. “See? You should let me plan your wedding. You would be so happy!”
They arrived home as the men were unloading Eli’s pickup into the entrance of the garage, setting everything inside for when she settled down enough to go through it all. Mike and Rogelio came over, grinning, to help her carry in all the shopping bags. She carried the first bags she’d picked up to the porch then turned to look up at Eli standing in the truck bed. He looked down at her from his tremendous height, his thick, muscular arms crossed over his broad, powerful chest.
Rachel asked, “What are you up to, Eli?”
With a big grin spread across his face, Eli jumped out of the truck bed, landing beside her. Feeling instantly enveloped in his massive presence, she looked up at him, smiling into his twinkling eyes.
He reached over the bed and said, “I found something of yours.” Then he yanked a dirty blanket off her cedar hope chest.
She let out a loud yelp and jumped into his arms. One leap and she was clinging to his neck, holding on tight. He laughed and put his arms around her hips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him, thanked him, and cried a little because she was so relieved it was okay. Finally, she released him, and he set her back on the ground and helped her into the bed of the truck.
“It’s got some pretty bad burn marks on the side nearest your bedroom door, but I think a refinisher could probably remove or repair that damage, and it would be good as new. It’s very well made, and the lid has a nice tight fit on it. I think you’re going to be happy.”
She reached to press the latch and lift the lid. Everything inside it was untouched, with no evidence of smoke creeping in around the lid. The fresh scent of cedar was the only aroma to rise from the interior of the hope chest. She paused as she gently touched the contents of the chest then closed the lid carefully, looking at the three men standing there.
“Thank you for being willing to go back there, for going to the trouble for me. It means a lot to me. I gave up hope there was anything left. Can we put it in the garage for now? I’ll empty it out and store everything inside while I work on it. I think I can remove that blistered varnish and sand it down and refinish it myself. I’m so happy. Thank you.” They lifted it down, and Kelly looked on smiling as Eli came back to Rachel, put his arms around her, and hugged her before helping her back down.
“I found your wristwatch on the floor by your night table. It must have gotten knocked off in the rush,” he added, reaching in his pocket to hand her the undamaged wristwatch her father had bought for her twenty-seventh birthday last year. She accepted it from him and h
ugged him again.
“Oh, lunch is getting cold. I got us all sandwiches at Rudy’s.” Rachel opened the takeout bag and began handing out sandwiches. The men didn’t stay in the duplex long because the smell of soot and ash permeated their clothing and boots. They ate on the front porch and the girls joined them.
They drove out to her parents’ ranch to pick up some furniture. Back at the duplex, they unloaded everything and she showed them where she wanted everything placed, smiling as Eli assembled a pretty oak bed for her. They unwrapped the mattress and box spring, and she groaned when she realized that she’d forgotten to buy pillows.
“Rachel, you can borrow one of mine tonight,” Eli offered.
Rachel remembered that tonight he’d be sleeping alone, most likely. That thought didn’t exactly sit well with her.
Kelly sat in Rachel’s rocker with Matthew and said, “I could sleep over here tonight with the baby and give the two of you some privacy. It’s the least I can do.” She winked at Rachel. “That way you won’t have to make a special trip for pillows. I’ll even help you get settled tonight before you go in to the club.”
“All right, Kelly, you’ve convinced me. Be my houseguest.”
Eli had to go in at six o’clock that evening, along with Mike and Rogelio. Rachel made arrangements for Grace and Jack to swing by and pick her up on their way to the club later that night, and then she’d simply ride home with Eli at the end of the evening. Doing this would give her time to unpack everything and begin getting settled. She hung her clothing in the walk-in closet, grimacing as she thought of all the ruined clothing in the boxes in the garage. She smiled again, though, remembering Eli’s boyish grin as he’d jumped down from the truck bed earlier.
Eli got cleaned up and offered to take the girls for an early supper. They took him up on the invitation, and after they ate, he dropped them back off at the duplex and headed to The Dancing Pony.
Rachel made up the bed and hung her new shower curtain, which was perfect in contrast to the dark blue towels. The quilt Kelly had chosen for her was beautiful on the bed, and she was right about the size issue. After everything she’d saved Thursday night and all her new things were put away, she started getting ready for the evening.
She decided to go all out and surprise Eli now that she had more clothing options. It was time to climb out of the denim jeans rut and live a little. Kelly had talked her into a little black dress she had spotted earlier at Stigall’s, along with a rather expensive pair of strappy four-inch black high heels. Grace would definitely approve when she saw the outfit.
The dress reached to just above her knees and had a deep V neckline with a gathered bodice. Underneath, she wore the black satin plunging neckline bra and a black satin G-string, both courtesy of Grace Warner and her excellent taste in men and lingerie. Rachel slipped the strappy heels on, inspected herself in the mirror, and liked what she saw.
She rolled her hair and applied foundation and light eye makeup. Her coloring was dramatic enough, and all she needed was a little extra sparkle. She was styling her wavy brown hair when the doorbell rang. She applied perfume and listened, smiling, as Kelly introduced herself. Rachel smiled at the fuss Grace made over meeting Kelly and admiring Matthew. Rachel emerged from the bedroom and made her way down the hall and watched them, hoping to gauge the effect she’d have on Eli in this outfit.
Grace’s eyes popped wide open at the sight of her, and Jack’s jaw dropped for a split second before he recovered himself. That was all she needed to know, and she smiled happily at them, hugging both. They chatted for a few minutes with Kelly while Rachel transferred the items she’d need that night to her evening bag, which had been one of the inexplicable things she’d grabbed in her mad last-minute dash through her apartment.
“Ready to go?” Grace’s eyes twinkled as she took in Rachel’s fresh new look.
“More than ready.” Rachel hugged Kelly and patted Matthew. Kelly had her pillow and a good book and was going to settle down for the night after she bathed the baby.
“You look stunning, Rachel!” Grace said as Jack walked them out to the SUV. “Doesn’t she, Jack?”
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. “I want to see Eli’s jaw hit the floor when he gets a look at you tonight.”
“You think he’ll react that strongly?”
“Oh, I don’t think, I know he will,” Jack said with feeling and reached for Grace’s hand. “You both are real stunners tonight. I love that pink on you, darlin’,” Jack murmured as he stroked Grace’s hand.
“I love that slinky, sexy dress, Grace. Pink is your best color.”
“Thank you, it’s very comfortable,” Grace said. As she turned to look at Rachel, she added, “The print is very camouflaging so no one can tell what I have on underneath it, or not.” She giggled and gave Jack a sideways glance as he tried to keep his eyes on the road. Rachel heard a small groan from the driver’s seat.
“Where is Adam tonight?”
Grace replied, “It’s his grandmother’s birthday today, and he wanted to take her out to eat.”
“Aw, that’s so nice of him. I’ll bet she loves all that attention.”
“She does.” Grace said, then giggled. “I think she was going to try and talk him into taking her to a movie afterward. She’s wants to go see the new Nicholas Cage movie.”
“But isn’t her eyesight failing?”
“Uh-huh, but she’s a big Nicholas Cage fan.”
“I see. You never know, huh?”
Rachel climbed from the cool SUV and stepped onto the still-hot asphalt of the parking lot. Jack walked them both up the sidewalk, one on each arm, and made a show of escorting them through the door of the club.
Ethan stood right in the entryway, blocking their progress. He had a big grin on his face as he looked his lovely bride over. Grace did a sassy turn for him then hugged him and gave him a long kiss. Once again, Rachel heard that barely audible groan from one of Grace’s men and knew there was more than met the eye in tonight’s outfit. She’d find out at a bathroom-buddy break. Grace was the owner of lots of delightfully wicked lingerie, and there was no telling what was under that dress.
With a hand resting on Grace’s hip, Ethan gave Rachel a friendly hug and said, “You look lovely tonight. Eli is going to have heart failure when he sees you in that pretty dress. I wanted to warn you. Dinah Cooper is here tonight and about as weirdly tenacious as she’s ever been. He’s doing his best, and I was about to step in myself when you walked in. Want me to peel her off of him, or would you like to do the honors?”
“Let me try first, but thank you for the thought. I trust Eli to not allow her to take liberties.”
“He’s trying, anyway. She’s planted herself in your chair. I’ll give it a few more minutes for you to help her understand, and then I’ll try and distract her if I can,” Ethan added, patting her shoulder. Grace kissed his cheek and left him to his work and followed Jack to a table.
Rachel walked into the entryway of the club and was greeted by a loud wolf whistle from Mike, of all people.
“Get a load of the supermodel! Rachel, you are hot stuff tonight,” he said as she approached. As she hugged Mike, he quietly said, “Dinah is in rare form. Go easy on him. He’s done his best.”
She nodded and smiled at Rogelio, who grinned and gave her a favorable once-over. Then she walked over to a very distracted Eli. He hadn’t even turned at Mike’s loud whistle.
He hadn’t seen her entrance because he was too busy keeping an eye on Dinah’s hands. Rachel knew he had to move faster than she did, or her hands would be on his thighs, in his hair, or worse, his front pocket. She had not been in the club the night before and would need to be educated firsthand like all the ladies last night.
Rachel smoothed her hand down Eli’s shoulder and biceps. He jumped and cringed without looking over at her. Wow, this had been a rough night for him when his reactions were that reflexive and abrupt. She wondered what exactly Di
nah had been up to tonight and stepped around Eli’s massive form, slipping her hand gently into his. He glanced down at her and had an instantaneous reaction to her appearance.
“Hot, holy hell, angel, you look amazing!” He looked both relieved to see her and surprised at her fresh look. He reached an arm out and wrapped it around her and pressed his lips to her forehead, still very distracted. “Honey, you look beautiful. I could eat you up.” She felt her cheeks heat up.
From the chair which had been placed there for Rachel, a sultry, deep woman’s voice said, “Why don’t you start with me and let’s see how far we get. Who needs an appetizer, anyway.”
Eli rolled his eyes and jerked reflexively again, and Rachel watched as long red fingernails curled around his other biceps and slid up into his snug shirtsleeve.
Chapter Thirteen
“Your hand is on my boyfriend,” Rachel said firmly, making direct and unmistakable eye contact with Dinah Cooper. She was dressed in a red spandex dress that barely covered her ass and her boobs. Her red hooker heels had to be at least six inches high.
“In that getup, Dinah, I’d say you have an excellent chance of finding someone who is interested in you, but Eli is off the market.” Each word from Rachel’s mouth only seemed to spur Dinah on, and she grinned at Rachel in challenge.
“It didn’t seem that way before you got here, Rachel, when he let me sit down in your chair. Maybe you need to get here earlier in the evening if you want to stake a claim. Early bird gets the worm, so to speak.” Yet again, Eli jumped and reached for her hand that had slid behind him.
Eli’s eyebrows drew together in irritation. “Dammit, Dinah, I asked you not to do that, and I did not invite you to sit in my girlfriend’s seat. You helped yourself.”
“Baby, you were so much friendlier before she showed up,” Dinah said through pouty red lips. “What? Are you afraid of her?”
Rachel tried one more time. “Dinah, I’d appreciate it if you would get the hell up out of my seat and get your damn hands off of my boyfriend.”
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection) Page 73