Divine Grace (20 page)

“Because things changed last night. I know Gracie. If she can’t have what she wants, she’d rather wait than settle for a substitute. She just subjugated her needs for ours.
That’s
Grace.”

“You’re right, not that it helps right now,” Jack muttered.

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Grace had a full day at Harper’s on Monday. She was sitting in the break room eating her lunch when her cell phone rang.

“Hi, Ethan.” She giggled into the phone.

“Hi, Gracie,” he said. “Guess where we are.” He snickered.

“You’re all together? Shouldn’t you be working? Are you playing hooky?” She tried to sound scandalized.

“Nuh-uh. We’re at Dr. Guthrie’s office, waiting for our appointments,”

he replied.

“All three of you?”

“Yep.”

“Thank you, Ethan, for understanding. You’re a peach.”

“You’re worth it, babe.” She heard a feminine voice in the background say, “Ethan Grant?”

“Time to go, Gracie, love you.”

“Love you, too.” Then he hung up.

They were really going through with it, for her. They really wanted this very badly if they got into the doctor so quickly. They must have waited to be worked in.

“Good news?” Martha asked her, coming in to get another cup of coffee.

“I heard you on the phone and now you’re blushing and smiling. You seem to do that a lot lately.”

“Yeah, that was Ethan.”

“Oh? As in ‘Ethan, Jack, and Adam’ Ethan?”

“Yeah. He loves me.”

“I’d have to be a dummy not to see that.”

“Grace?” Rose said, slipping into the break room. “Owen is out front asking for you. You want me to call Jack?”

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“No, I’ll deal with Owen. Don’t call Jack. If Owen gets ugly, call Hank.

I’ll get rid of him.” She walked up front to the counter. Owen waited there by the door, looking very agitated.

When he saw her approaching, he stepped to the counter and got straight to the point.

“Grace, I need some money.”

“What?”

“I need some money. I know you have some from your mom.”

“Why?”

His face got red and he bellowed, “
Hey
! Because of you, all my stuff is gone. I need some money. Now, today.”

She noticed that his demeanor was different. Something was wrong with him. He looked bad, but a different bad. He didn’t act drunk, slurring his words. He was talking too fast and his eyes darted around. She was willing to bet he was on something. She didn’t recognize the clothes he had on, but they didn’t look new. He must have taken her men’s advice and gone to the Goodwill store. He’d been angry with her the other day, but today he seemed worried, apprehensive, and ready to jump out of his skin.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Who bailed you out the other day?”

“None of your business. I need the money.”

“I’m not giving you any money.”

“Grace, I’m not fucking around with you. You owe me.”

“I owe you
nothing
, Owen. If anything, you owe me.” She heard Rose talking on the phone to Hank. “Jack, Adam, and Ethan told you to leave me alone. They were serious, and they will not overlook your little visit to me today. Even if I could touch my investments to help you out, I wouldn’t. My days of enabling you are officially over.”

“Are those their names? Your fuck buddies? Don’t kid yourself, Grace, they’re just using you. Once you’ve paid off that AC repair, they’ll move on, and I’ll be around to pay you back for all this fucking trouble you’ve caused me!”

“What trouble have I caused you? You got yourself arrested.”

“I need to pay the person back who bailed me out. I
need
that money, Grace.” He was still angry, but there was a desperate quality to his anger.

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“If you couldn’t pay your bail back, you should have stayed in jail. If you keep pestering me, I’m going to file a restraining order. Now go.”

“You’re going to regret this, Grace.” He growled, taking a step closer.

She didn’t back down. She placed her hands on the counter and leaned across it slightly. “Not as much as you’re going to regret coming here today.

I was the best thing that ever happened to your sorry ass, and you screwed it up. I have a feeling Rose is on the phone with Hank Stinson right now. Do yourself a favor and pull your head out of your ass before your stay in jail takes on a more permanent quality. Now
get!
” she yelled at him, pointing toward the door, satisfied at the glimpse of surprise she saw in his eyes. He yanked on the door handle, slamming it as he left. A few seconds later tires screeched outside as he tore out of the small parking lot.

“Well done, Grace. I wish you’d have stood up to him years ago,” Rose said as she entered the front room.

“I wish he’d stay away. I’ll have to get the restraining order if he doesn’t stop this.”

* * * *

Jack was the last to exit the doctor’s exam room. Each of them had blood drawn and made good on the requested samples. The unpleasant part was over—the gloved and lubricated finger. Doc had insisted they do this.

“It’s not my favorite exam to perform any more than it’s your favorite to be on the ‘receiving’ end of. Look at it this way, Jack. At least I don’t have to stick a cold metal speculum up your ass and crank you open to do your exam.”

Doc laughed hard at Jack’s full body shudder and the look on his face.

“The nurse will let you know your test results when they come in. I think it’s really nice you’re doing this for Grace. Your relationship is a very unconventional one. Grace is a favorite patient of mine, a real sweetheart, and she deserves to be happy. Don’t you break her heart, okay?”

“You can keep a secret, can’t you?” Jack asked with a grin.

“Sure. Patient confidentiality and all that. What’s your secret?”

“We’ve ordered her ring. I’m proposing to her when it’s ready.”

Dr. Guthrie clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Congratulations!

You’re a lucky man, men—oh, you know what I mean! I think y’all are

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going to be very happy. Will you remind her I’m here if she needs me, if she has questions or she needs to talk?”

“Sure. I promise we’ll take very good care of her.”

“I know you will, and thanks for being so candid with me about your relationship. You’d be amazed at the vital information my patients sometimes withhold from me.”

Jack left the office with Adam and Ethan, ready to get on with the rest of their day. He was glad to have that behind them, both literally and figuratively. Jack called Grace from the parking lot to let her know they’d been seen by the doctor.

“Did you have a prostate exam?” she asked sympathetically.

“Yes, we feel like we need to take showers now,” Jack said, shuddering.

“I’m sorry baby. I sort of know how you feel.” She sounded sympathetic, but he had the feeling she was covering a giggle.

“At least it’s done now, and we’ll have our results in a few days.” Jack said, opening the door on the SUV which was hot as an oven inside.

“Thank you, honey. Are you done working for the day?” she asked.

“Yes. I miss you. You get off in a few minutes?”

“Yes. I’m going to the grocery store, then home. Something happened that I need to tell you about. Could you put me on speakerphone, please, honey?”

He gestured to Adam and Ethan to come closer and listen as he switched to speakerphone. “You’re on, what happened?”

“Owen came by the shop asking me for money.”

Jack looked at the others in disgust.

“Are you all right?” Ethan asked.

“Yes, I’m fine. I told him no, of course, and Rose called Hank for me.

He came by and took my statement, and I told him I would tell you myself.

Owen looked like he was on something, and he was very agitated, almost scared.”

“Did he threaten you, darlin’?” Jack asked, itching to take action of some kind instead of talking on the phone in the parking lot.

“Yes, I suppose he did. He told me I’d regret not giving the money to him. He told me I was responsible for his things being stolen from his truck bed. He said he needed to pay back the person who bailed him out.”

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“I imagine that he does,” Jack said. “We did some checking on Owen after his visit to your house yesterday. Hank told us he’s made some new friends while in jail and mixed up with some potentially dangerous people.

He could lead them to you as a possible means of paying his debt. What they really want is for him to begin dealing for them, but they’ll extract their pound of flesh, with interest, however they can. I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay alone.”

When they hired the private investigator to watch Owen, Jack had let Hank know about it. Hank said the individuals Owen was hanging around were under surveillance, and that his investigator should hang back so he didn’t jeopardize their ongoing investigation. Jack planned to have Ace assist them in watching over Grace when he arrived. Today’s confrontation just proved to him that Grace needed protection as much as Owen needed watching.

“I agree, Gracie,” Ethan said quickly.

“Me, too, baby,” Adam agreed.

“I refuse to be run out of my house,” she replied firmly.

Jack couldn’t fault her for feeling defensive. She had been at Owen’s mercy for a long time. Now that she finally had some power and control back, she was holding on to it with tooth and nail. “Darlin’, Adam has an appointment he needs to go to, and Ethan needs to get over to the Pony.

Why don’t you go on to the store, and I’ll meet you at your house. We can talk about your options and figure out what to do, all right?”

“Okay. I don’t want Ethan and Adam to be late. I’ll be about thirty minutes, Jack. See you at the house.” Bidding them all good-bye, she hung up.

“She didn’t sound very happy,” Jack said as he put his phone away. “It’s better if only one of us talks to her. Otherwise she’ll feel like we’re ganging up on her.”

“I want her in our house where she’s safe,” Ethan said as he climbed into his truck and lowered the windows, “but not if she feels like she’s there under duress. Let me know how it goes.”

Adam turned and looked at Jack seriously. “You know, you could offer to stay with her. That way, she’s in her home, but we know she’s safe. It’s okay with me if you two sleep together. I would understand under the circumstances.”

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Ethan nodded in agreement. “Same here, Jack. If she offers to let you stay the night, do it. I’d rather that when she moves in with us it’s because she wants to and not because she feels pushed. I’ll understand, too.”

Hands on his hips, Jack shook his head. “No, we agreed the first time for all of us would be together. If she lets me stay, we’ll watch a movie and I’ll sleep on the couch. But thanks for telling me that.”

“Okay, see y’all later. I’m running late,” Ethan said as he rolled up the windows now that the truck interior had cooled a little and drove out of the parking lot.

Adam’s phone rang, and he nodded and waved to Jack, answering the call. It was probably his last appointment of the day wondering if he was still coming. Jack got in the SUV and drove out to Grace’s house. No point in dawdling. He sure hated to make her unhappy, and she was not happy at the moment.

* * * *

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the dark, overly cool interior of The Dancing Pony. Happy hour was well under way, so a few of the regulars were there already, including Patricia. He spoke with Ben briefly and fixed Patricia a mixed drink. They left the patrons at the bar in the capable hands of the other bartender, and brought it over to her table where she sat alone and joined her. She smiled flirtatiously, but seemed confused by Ben’s presence.

This was primarily Ethan’s problem, given Patricia’s behavior toward Grace on Saturday night. But Patricia and her friends’ behavior in the club in general were an issue for both Ben and Ethan, and the nightclub’s reputation as well.

“We need to have a talk, Patricia,” Ethan began.

“About what?”

“About your behavior Saturday night. And about what you and your friends have been up to.”

“What did I do Saturday night?” she asked defensively.

“I’ll put it simply for you, if that’s how you want to play this. This is a place of business and not your territory. The decent hard-working men who come here are not your territory.
I
am not your territory,” Ethan said,
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leaning toward her a little so he couldn’t be overheard. “You will stop threatening the female customers—”

“I didn’t threaten anybody,” she muttered angrily, looking down at her drink, tapping her long nails on the rim.

“—stop threatening the
ladies
who come in here to unwind after a hard day
working
and want to have a good time visiting with their friends.”

Ben spoke softly, “The ladies’ room has a lock on the door so that our waitresses can change clothing if they need to, not so you can use the restroom to have quickie sex.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Ethan was repulsed by the innocent act she put forth, having seen her in action slipping into the ladies’ restroom with a male club patron a time or two. He’d heard rumors from other reliable sources as well.

“Patricia, we’ve all seen it, so please just listen,” Ben said reasonably.

Ethan kept his tone even as he continued. “You’re to leave Grace alone.

Regardless of whether or not she is here, you will keep your hands
off of me
.

You did that the other night just to get a reaction out of her, and she bested you.”

As he said those words, her eyes narrowed to black slits. Her mouth turned down into an even bigger pout. She opened her mouth to say something further, and he cut her off.

“The little stunt that you tried to pull in the bathroom backfired on you when Rachel caught you eyeing Grace for a shiner. Grace
works
two jobs to earn a living. She’s taller than you, and I can tell you she’s a lot
stronger
than she looks.” Ethan could not stifle the grin that thinking of Grace inspired. When she saw it, Patricia glowered at him and looked about ready to come unglued.

Ben took a sip from his glass of soda before saying, “Patricia, if you are
that
into a regular threesome or foursome experience, you really need to move to a bigger city where they have private clubs
devoted
to that kind of entertainment in a safe setting.

“For now, we are not banning you from The Dancing Pony,” Ben continued. “Some of our customers enjoy your company. But if we get any more complaints or more fallout from you and your girlfriends’

shenanigans, we will reserve the right to not serve you further.

Comprende
?”

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“Yes,” she said through gritted teeth.

“And you understand about Grace?” Ethan asked.

“Yes. No!” she whined, her face flushed under her heavy makeup. “I
don’t
understand. How am I any different from Grace, who was in here openly kissing the three of them, flaunting herself with
all
of them?” she asked, looking at Ben.

Ben sighed. “Patricia, the difference is that she came in with them and left with them and didn’t cause
problems
while she was here. She acted like a lady. Now you’re welcome to stay if you’d like. Nobody else knows what we’re talking about over here. But you’re going to behave yourself.” Ben stared at her until she nodded.

As Ben and Ethan got up to return to the bar, Patricia reached out a hand but didn’t go so far as to touch Ethan. He paused and nodded at Ben as he turned and walked away. Ethan looked at her hand, then into her eyes, a little curious to hear what she had to say.

“Why don’t you want me? Why her? Why not me? You could have shared me with Angel. I would have let you share me with Jack and Adam. I would never have refused you. Why not me, Ethan? I could please you in ways she can’t even imagine. Why do you want that cow and not me?”

As she spoke, any compassion he might have felt for her situation dissipated. Her words turned his stomach and gave him a glimpse into her black heart.

He stood there and crossed his arms over his chest, contemplating his answer. “Why her and not you? You have an itch for multiple penetrations that has nothing to do with love, Patricia. You don’t want to
share
with me and Angel, you enjoy cuckolding him. You get off on it.” She opened her mouth to interrupt, but he cut her off.

“Jack and Adam would remain celibate rather than have anything to do with you. You say you can please us in ways Grace can’t imagine. To me that means I can
only
imagine
how you got that experience. And as for your reference to her being a cow?” Ethan shook his head and looked at her with distaste.

“She’s fat, and you could do so much—” she whined, which made her even less appealing than she already was.

“She’s absolute stunning
perfection
to us because some men prefer a woman who isn’t obsessed with her weight and can love a man into slow,
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sweet oblivion, as opposed to taking a chance on having to pick bone splinters from his cock after fucking a thin, angry, and malnourished spiteful witch. You have some odd notions about what men find appealing in a woman.”

“I hung around all this time waiting for you.”

“Patricia, you are supposed to be Angel’s girlfriend. You live with him, for crying out loud. You didn’t wait for anyone or anything. You were just biding your time fucking every man who looked your way in here. If you were waiting on me it was in vain because I would never have agreed to have any sort of contact with you.”

“Why?”

Ethan wished he’d walked away with Ben when he had the chance.

“You’re not making this any easier by asking me questions like that, Patricia.”

“Why, Ethan? I would take it however y’all would give it to me.”

Didn’t that just paint a rosy picture in his mind?

He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face. “And that’s why you can’t have it. You’re desperate to fill a void that can’t be filled with sex.

You need to take a few steps back from what you’ve been doing and get some help.”

His words served only to anger her, and he watched a deep flush come over her overly made-up face. Her mouth clamped down into an ugly frown.

“Seriously, Patricia, get some professional help. We’ll let you stay tonight, but no shenanigans.”

As Ethan returned to the bar Ben said, “Well, that was interesting.”

“This problem isn’t going away,” Ethan muttered in disgust. “We’re going to have to keep an eye on them. They might behave for a few nights, and then they’ll be up to their old tricks again. We better tell the waitresses so they can watch for trouble. Watch both restrooms, too, I guess. We should have just banned them for all the trouble we’ll have to go to watching them. Shit.”

“Well, they’ve been warned, so they can’t complain if they get banned later.”

“Once her friends get here, I’ll check in with them myself. She may not tell them anything out of spite, just to cause trouble. I’ll let Rogelio and Mike know also.”

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“It’s a shame she caused all that trouble for Grace. It really backfired on her, seems like,” Ben said. “I’m gone if we’re done.”

“Later. Enjoy your evening.” Ethan turned his attention to one of the regulars and opened a beer for him.