to come down and press charges against Owen in the morning.
After they were finished, Jack turned to Grace and Charity. “Do you want to come back to the ranch with us?” he offered, still hoping.
“He’s not going to bother me anymore tonight. Charity is here, so I know I’ll be fine.”
“I’d feel better if one of us stayed here with you. Would you mind?”
Jack asked, reluctant to leave the two of them alone again tonight. He wished now that he had made the offer earlier.
“It’s fine with me if it’s all right with Sis,” she said, not seeing the enthusiastic nod and thumbs-up signal Charity gave to Jack. He had to cover his grin.
* * * *
“It’s up to y’all who stays, Jack. Don’t make me choose,” Grace said, then yawned.
“I can stay. My first appointment isn’t until nine in the morning,” Adam said, volunteering for duty. The other two nodded and stood up.
“Jack, Ethan, thank you for coming so quickly. Once again, you’re all my heroes,” Grace said.
Jack hugged her tight and kissed her forehead, and then Ethan hugged her and kissed her cheek. They both hugged Charity and thanked her for being well prepared. Adam shared a quiet conversation with them on the porch and then left.
“Can I borrow a blanket and pillow, Grace?” Adam asked. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Charity shook her head at Grace and pointed at herself, letting her know she could sleep on the couch. Grace shook her head firmly and mouthed a no to Charity when she followed Grace down the hall to the linen closet to get what Adam needed.
Charity whispered, “I don’t mind, Grace.”
“I do, Charity. I kissed him for the first time an hour ago. I’m not ready for that yet.”
70
“Heh–heh. Yet is right.” Charity snickered softly as she retreated down the hall to the bathroom. Grace went in the kitchen and put ground coffee and water in the coffeemaker and set the timer to start brewing early the next morning.
Adam slipped his boots off and lay down on the couch. Grace turned off all the lights except the one on the end table next to the couch. Charity said goodnight and excused herself. Grace knelt down on the floor by Adam’s head and leaned in to lay her head on his chest. She hugged him as he wrapped his big, strong arms around her and gave her a little squeeze.
He turned onto his side and moved up against the back rest of the couch.
He patted the cushion in front of him. “Come sit with me. I don’t want you kneeling on the bare floor.”
She moved up onto the cushion, and he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
“Are you going to be able to rest after all this excitement?” he asked.
His warm fingers caressed her through the fleece of her robe.
“I’m one of those weird people who respond to stress by becoming groggy. My mom could always tell when something was bothering me or if I was upset because my response would be to want a nap. I’ll be all right. To know you are out here trying to sleep on my couch may be a distraction, but I’ll do my best. Will you be comfortable enough?”
He nodded and looked at her, his eyes partially hidden in shadows with the lamp lit behind him. His gaze was like a physical touch, warming her.
He reached up and caressed her bruised cheekbone lightly with the backs of his fingers. His mouth hardened momentarily, even though his soft touch didn’t hurt in the least. She had a strong urge to just lie down and curl up with him and not worry about the rest of the world. Let him deal with it.
“Grace,” he began, speaking softly in a deep voice that made her quiver inside, “I think I fell in love with you when I laid eyes on you the first time.
It took a lot of trust to tell me you loved me when we’ve only known each other a few days. We feel very protective toward you. Maybe a little possessive, too.”
“I love the gentle way you reach out and touch me, sometimes in innocent ways, like when you tucked that lock of hair
After they were finished, Jack turned to Grace and Charity. “Do you want to come back to the ranch with us?” he offered, still hoping.
“He’s not going to bother me anymore tonight. Charity is here, so I know I’ll be fine.”
“I’d feel better if one of us stayed here with you. Would you mind?”
Jack asked, reluctant to leave the two of them alone again tonight. He wished now that he had made the offer earlier.
“It’s fine with me if it’s all right with Sis,” she said, not seeing the enthusiastic nod and thumbs-up signal Charity gave to Jack. He had to cover his grin.
* * * *
“It’s up to y’all who stays, Jack. Don’t make me choose,” Grace said, then yawned.
“I can stay. My first appointment isn’t until nine in the morning,” Adam said, volunteering for duty. The other two nodded and stood up.
“Jack, Ethan, thank you for coming so quickly. Once again, you’re all my heroes,” Grace said.
Jack hugged her tight and kissed her forehead, and then Ethan hugged her and kissed her cheek. They both hugged Charity and thanked her for being well prepared. Adam shared a quiet conversation with them on the porch and then left.
“Can I borrow a blanket and pillow, Grace?” Adam asked. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Charity shook her head at Grace and pointed at herself, letting her know she could sleep on the couch. Grace shook her head firmly and mouthed a no to Charity when she followed Grace down the hall to the linen closet to get what Adam needed.
Charity whispered, “I don’t mind, Grace.”
“I do, Charity. I kissed him for the first time an hour ago. I’m not ready for that yet.”
70
“Heh–heh. Yet is right.” Charity snickered softly as she retreated down the hall to the bathroom. Grace went in the kitchen and put ground coffee and water in the coffeemaker and set the timer to start brewing early the next morning.
Adam slipped his boots off and lay down on the couch. Grace turned off all the lights except the one on the end table next to the couch. Charity said goodnight and excused herself. Grace knelt down on the floor by Adam’s head and leaned in to lay her head on his chest. She hugged him as he wrapped his big, strong arms around her and gave her a little squeeze.
He turned onto his side and moved up against the back rest of the couch.
He patted the cushion in front of him. “Come sit with me. I don’t want you kneeling on the bare floor.”
She moved up onto the cushion, and he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
“Are you going to be able to rest after all this excitement?” he asked.
His warm fingers caressed her through the fleece of her robe.
“I’m one of those weird people who respond to stress by becoming groggy. My mom could always tell when something was bothering me or if I was upset because my response would be to want a nap. I’ll be all right. To know you are out here trying to sleep on my couch may be a distraction, but I’ll do my best. Will you be comfortable enough?”
He nodded and looked at her, his eyes partially hidden in shadows with the lamp lit behind him. His gaze was like a physical touch, warming her.
He reached up and caressed her bruised cheekbone lightly with the backs of his fingers. His mouth hardened momentarily, even though his soft touch didn’t hurt in the least. She had a strong urge to just lie down and curl up with him and not worry about the rest of the world. Let him deal with it.
“Grace,” he began, speaking softly in a deep voice that made her quiver inside, “I think I fell in love with you when I laid eyes on you the first time.
It took a lot of trust to tell me you loved me when we’ve only known each other a few days. We feel very protective toward you. Maybe a little possessive, too.”
“I love the gentle way you reach out and touch me, sometimes in innocent ways, like when you tucked that lock of hair
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