Hard as Stone (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnnon Sisters) (9 page)

“Patience
McKinnon!  You take those out of my bag
right now
!”

“Don’t you dare,”
Faith ordered Patience over her own shoulder.  “You know the saying, sis.  An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” she proclaimed, tugging on
Harmony’s hair as she swept it off her sister’s neck into an easy updo.

“You’re both nuts!”
Harmony almost whimpered, cringing as Faith’s tugs became almost painful.  She
made a mental note to thank Honor for keeping Heaven occupied baking cookies in
the kitchen.  There’s no way in hell she’d want her baby girl witnessing this
circus. At least one McKinnon sister had enough sense to know how to behave!

“Put a clean pair
of underwear in there, too,” Faith advised, ignoring Harmony’s cringe as she
leaned down to whisper in Harmony’s ear, “Doin’ the walk of shame in dirty
underwear wouldn’t be any fun at all.”

Swatting at her
sister and missing, Harmony snapped, “I am NOT sleeping with Jake tonight.  Why
in the world are y’all suddenly pimping me out to the first man to take an
interest?”

“First of all, he
ain’t the first man to come sniffin’ around you, Harmony,” Aunt Orla pointed
out as she fussed with her own pocketbook.  “He’s just the first one we liked
well enough to make an effort.  Second, I’m not advocatin’ that you offer the
man your entire milk supply, but givin’ the poor, thirsty dear a drink is just
the Christian thing to do.  Speakin’ of which, put this in her bag, too,
Patience,” she directed, finally locating a clear plastic baggy from her purse
and handing it over to her niece.

This time, Harmony managed
to turn completely around in her seat and watched as Patience took the mystery bag
from their aunt.  “Do I even wanna ask what you’ve put in there, Aunt Orla?”
she asked, growing more anxious when her aunt’s smile turned positively wicked.

“That there has
been my saving grace for the last ten years, girl,” Aunt Orla pronounced with a
satisfied smirk.

Craning her neck to
see what they were talking about, Faith asked, “What
is
that?”

“One of your Uncle
Jethro’s little blue pills,” Orla informed the girls primly.  Aiming an
understanding look in Harmony’s direction, she shrugged.  “Like mine, your man
is quite a few years older than you are, darlin’.  He might need a little
assistance to get his flag flyin’ high and proud.  Think of it as a little
grease to oil his pole.”

Harmony nearly
swallowed her tongue as she realized what the old woman was saying.  Uncle
Jethro was 86 and deaf as a post.  And they were still active?!  There were no
words for a moment like this.

“Yeah, and just
remember, if the flag won’t lower after four hours, don’t bother tryin’ to turn
it upside down.  Seek medical attention,” Faith added with a wide grin, patting
her sister’s head.  “Just don’t call Cain, okay?  We’ve got plans that don’t
include your man’s unmentionables.”

Turning back toward
the mirror, Harmony stared numbly at her reflection as her sisters and aunt
continued to cackle behind her.  Just how badly would she be hurt if she made a
break for the window?

 As Jacob withdrew
his tall body from behind the wheel of his gleaming black truck and looked
toward the front of the white two-story McKinnon farmhouse, his chiseled jaw
hardened and he frowned at what he saw.  Grabbing the flowers and gifts he’d
picked up earlier, he slammed the truck door, all while keeping one eye on front
door of the house.  The ordinary wooden door stood wide open for anyone who
might choose to walk inside.  Only an insubstantial screen door that had seen
better days stood between him and the women that lived inside the house.  A
quick glance around confirmed that at least they had a couple of strong-looking
security lights installed at the two front corners of the house.  That screen
door obviously would be the first improvement he was making for Harmony.

Climbing the solid
steps to the wraparound porch, he could hear Heaven’s giggles and the soft,
serene voice of her Aunt Honor from somewhere within the home.  Knocking with a
firm fist on the screen door, he heard pounding feet head toward him and smiled
as he watched Heaven skitter around the corner, her long blonde hair flying
behind her.

“Mistah Jake! 
Mistah Jake is here, Auntie Honor!” the happy looking little girl war cried,
throwing her sturdy little body at the screen door and knocking it open as she
ran headlong into Jacob’s legs.

Bracing as her tiny
body plastered itself to his legs, he bent to lift her in one arm, crossing the
threshold and closing the front door behind him.  He was relieved to find that
it at least had solid deadbolt locks attached to it.  He imagined he had the
good sheriff to thank for that safety measure.  “Well, hello there, Princess. 
How are you doing today, Miss Heaven?” he asked, brushing a kiss against her flushed
cheek.

“I maked cookies,”
the child chirped enthusiastically as she bounced in his arms.  “Two kinds,”
she chortled, popping up two pudgy fingers beneath his nose. 

“You did?” he
rumbled, shifting the energetic little girl against his chest.  “What kinds did
you make?”

“I maked chockie
chip and peanut buttah,” she informed him eagerly, swinging one leg as she
perched on his hip. “Dey is my Momma’s favorite kind.  What your favorite kind,
Mistah Jake?”

Laughing softly, he
looked at the little girl he held in his grip.  “My favorite kinds are whatever
kind you make for me, Princess.”

“Den you like
chockie chip da best,” she decided for him with a pat to his cheek.  “I putted
da eggs in dem.”

Honor chuckled
softly as she walked into the room.  “And only a little bit of the shell made
it into her batch.  Hello, Mr. Stone,” she greeted him quietly, inclining her
head slightly toward him before smiling at her niece.  “I see Heaven showed you
inside.  I’m sure Harmony will be down in just a few minutes.”

“No hurry at all
and it’s Jacob, Honor.  Or, Jake if you prefer,” he returned with a nod to the
young woman.  Bending to put Heaven back on her feet, he pulled the pink
stuffed teddy bear from the plastic bag around his wrist.  “Got you something,
Peanut,” he murmured with a grin as he held out the toy to her.  “I thought
this guy could keep you and Aunt Honor company while I take Momma to eat
tonight.”

“It’s pink!” Heaven
squealed, eagerly grabbing the stuffed animal.  “I like pink the bestest of all
da colors!  Look, Aunt Honor,” she yelled, holding up the bear for her aunt to
praise.

“Very nice.  What
do you say, Heaven?” Honor prompted gently.

“Thank you, Mistah
Jake,” Heaven replied, throwing her arms around Jake’s legs again.

“You’re welcome, darlin’,”
Jake murmured dropping one hand to Heaven’s fine hair.  “I brought a movie,
too.  Have you seen ‘Frozen’ yet?” he asked, showing her the DVD case.  “Maybe
you can watch it while you eat your cookies if it’s okay with your aunt?” he
asked, glancing at Honor and seeing the woman’s soft smile.

“I think we can
arrange that,” Honor agreed as Heaven hopped up and down. 

Heaven took the
animated movie from Jake’s hand and gave him another hug.  “I like you da best,
Mistah Jake.”

“Right back at ya,
sweetheart,” he replied in a low rumble, returning Harmony’s daughter’s hug. 
God, she looked so much like her momma that every time he looked at her it made
his heart clench.  She was truly a beautiful child.  He could tell by the
stunned look on her little face that one gift was shocking, but getting two at
once was almost unheard of in her tiny world.  That might worry him more if he
couldn’t feel the love radiating from the adults that filled this kid’s world. 
Heaven might not have every toy on the market, but she had an abundance of
people offering her love, encouragement and support. Her pictures and drawings filled
the I Don’t Care Café, and almost everybody that frequented the restaurant knew
her by name and took the time to speak to the child when she was there.

Watching her niece
with an amused smile, Honor directed softly, “Alright, Heaven, honey, turn
loose of Mister Jake’s leg and thank him, then go wash up for supper.”

Proving she was an
obedient child, Jacob felt Heaven’s grip on his legs tighten for a brief moment
before she looked up at him with those wide, rounded blue eyes just like her
mother’s, and thanked him again.  Dropping in front of her, he tucked a strand
of hair behind her ear.  “You are more than welcome, Princess,” he stated
quietly before she beamed one last smile at him and took off toward the
kitchen.

Meeting Honor’s
serene gaze as he straightened back to his full height, he couldn’t help
grinning.  “She’s something else, isn’t she?”

Honor nodded. 
“She’s definitely the best part of my day.”

“Won’t lie.  She’s
quickly becoming a big highlight to mine, too.  She looks so much like her
momma that it steals my breath.  I hope I didn’t overstep by bringing her
presents.  I just didn’t want her to feel left out tonight,” he explained.

Honor offered him a
tiny smile.  “You didn’t.  Heaven adores getting treats, and she’s been begging
to see that movie.  You’ll be her hero for weeks now.  It’s good to see that
you’re trying to spoil my sister, too.  Nice flowers, by the way,” she
remarked, nodding toward the bouquet he still gripped in one hand.  “How’d you
find out that tulips were her favorite?”

“They’re her
favorite?” Jacob returned, mildly surprised as he glanced down at the flowers. 

Honor hummed, “Mmm
hmm.”

“I didn’t know. 
Dumb luck, I guess.  Can’t deny that I’m a little relieved, though,” he
replied.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to impress a woman.  I’m a
little rusty.”  Hell, rusty was an understatement of untold proportion.  He
couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been out with a woman that he either
wasn’t trying to get between her legs or watching for one of his undercover
stings. 

Generally, Jake
couldn’t give a shit about what kind of impression he left on a chick.  Sure,
he treated them right while he was in bed with them and left them with a smile
on their faces, but he couldn’t give two shits about what they thought of him. 
He had a three-point simple policy when it came to the women he’d taken to his
bed:  find ‘em, fuck ‘em, and forget about ‘em.

But, then again,
Harmony wasn’t just
any
woman.  He was quickly beginning to believe that
she was
the
woman for him.  He’d in all likelihood eventually fuck her,
but there was no way in
hell
he’d ever be able to forget about her.  Forgetting
somebody as sweet and perfect as she was would be a sin.  Besides, if she
suited him as well as he thought she would, he’d never be letting her go.

“She’ll love them. 
You chose well, Jacob,” Honor complimented him as she moved toward the entry
table.  “Now, I have something for you,” Harmony’s sister murmured a bit
uncomfortably, picking up the plain brown sack that had been sitting on the
table.  “This is for you.”

Perplexed, Jacob
stared at the bag she lightly shook at him before reaching for it with his free
hand.  Crinkling the paper as he opened the bag and peered inside, he sensed
Honor shifting nervously on her feet in front of him. And after seeing the
contents of the bag, he couldn’t helped lifting shocked eyes to stare at her. 
“Condoms?” he choked, unable to believe the shyest and most reserved of the McKinnon
sisters had just handed him a bag containing enough birth control to keep him
baby-free for several years to come.

“Let’s not discuss
it.” Holding up her hand, Honor blushed deeply.  “I just need you to understand
that we’re out of bedrooms in this house, Jacob.  There’s no room left at my
inn, so to speak, and I want you and my sister to be prepared for
any….eventuality,” she informed him in a voice just one decibel above a
whisper.

Dumbfounded, Jacob
could only stare mutely at Honor for what seemed like forever.

After a long,
fraught minute, Honor asked him worriedly, “Jacob, you aren’t having a stroke,
are you?”

“No,” he finally
forced himself to reply hoarsely.  “No, I’m fine.  And, don’t worry, I take
your meaning.”

Honor sighed in
relief. “Thank goodness.”

It was a toss-up
which of them was more gratified to hear the sound of footsteps coming down the
stairs a moment later.

It was only when
Jake turned around and saw that Harmony had reached the bottom step that he offered
up silent thanks for Honor’s impromptu gift as he stared right at a walking,
talking temptation in high heels.   Seeing Harmony in a sapphire silk
wraparound dress that kissed every curve a very generous God had given her, he
knew that whatever well-intentioned plans he’d had to keep his hands to himself
tonight had just gone right out the window.

Like a gift begging
to be unwrapped, she stood there, tempting him to act on his primal instincts
and throw her over his shoulder and carry her away where he could take his
slow, sweet time worshiping all that was her.

It wasn’t until he
heard her soft, uncertain ‘Hi, Jake,” that he was shaken from the sexual stupor
she’d cast over him.  Jacob Stone took a step forward to claim the woman he
knew without a single further doubt in his mind would be his in every way there
was.