Lonestar Homecoming (24 page)
“Hang on a minute, love.” He rose and went to speak to the server. When he returned, he took her hand. “Let's finish this in our room. Our server says our food is up, and she's going to put it in boxes.We can eat in our cabin.”
“I'm sorry I ruined our dinner,” she said, the tears still running down her cheeks.
Where had this fountain sprung from? She couldn't turn off the tap of tears. Sobs welled in her chest as well, and only a monumental effort kept them back.
“It's not ruined at all.We'll just have some privacy.”
With his fingers on her elbow, she followed his lead through the restaurant toward the door.Their server met them with boxes of food. She flicked a curious glance in Gracie's direction, then wished them a good night. Michael quickly paid for their meal, left a generous tip, then took her to the truck, which was parked on the steep hillside. He drove up the even steeper incline to their cabin, a low-slung log structure hidden by ponderosa pines. It had a great view of the Casa Grande Peak.
Gracie sniffled her way up the walk to the front door. Her tears flowed until she stepped inside. Seeing the big king-size bed in the cabin dried them right up.
T
HE ROOM WAS A LITTLE SHABBY, BUT CLEAN
. T
HE BED HAD A PILLOW-TOP
mattress.
Don't look at the bed.
Michael deliberately turned his back and pulled out a chair at the small dining table. “Here. Sit. Let's eat before it gets cold.”
She smiled at him. “Are you always so perceptive?'
“Me, perceptive? Like a tank. No one has ever accused me of that before.”
She scooted up to the table and opened the Styrofoam boxes.The aroma of roasted peppers vied with the desert scents wafting in through the open window. A gecko ran from the window ledge onto the table, then back again.
Gracie watched it until it disappeared. “When I was a little girl, I could watch them by the hour.Their red squeaky noises.”
“Red?”
“I. . . I told you I see color and shape in sounds.The synesthesia? It's lots of sounds I see, not just music.”
“You're kidding.” But he could see from her expression that she was serious. “In every sound?”
“Not always. Music, yes.Voices too. But not every sound I hear.”
“Do you see color in my voice?”
She nodded. “It's like a deep blue wave.” Color ran up her face and settled in her cheeks. “It surrounds me and lifts me up like I'm body-surfing.”
“What about your own voice?”
She shook her head. “Nothing there.” She picked up her plastic fork. “I shouldn't have said anything. People look at me differently when they know.”
“Sure, they do! You're even more amazing.” He watched her eat, then wolfed down his food. “What about your dad, Gracie? Have you talked to him since you left?”
She put down her fork and carefully closed her box over the half- eaten enchiladas. The dying light shone in her face, and she shielded her eyes. She shook her head, and her hair fell forward to obscure her cheeks. “I've picked up the phone several times, but I never dial.”
“He may long to see you as much as you want to see him.”
“I don't think so. I was a huge disappointment to him.”
“Because of getting pregnant? Or because of your mother?”
She tore her paper napkin into strips. “I didn't tell him I was pregnant. But he shouted at me when he found her. He kept saying, âYou knew Diablo was a killer.' And I did.” She ended on a whisper.
“He probably doesn't blame you.”
She shook her head. “He does. He must.”
“What if you went back and confessed it all to him? Confront it head-on?” He nodded toward her purse. “That Bible of his fell open to the story of the prodigal. Maybe he's waiting to welcome you home.”
Her head came up. “That's always your answer. I'm not good at confrontation. If he wanted to see me, he has the money to track me down.”
“I thought you said you'd moved around a lot.”
“A good PI could find me. I've always kept the same cell phone number, even when I moved.”
“So he could call you,”Michael said. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and protect her. All these years she'd hoped to hear from the man, and her father couldn't pick up the phone and call her.
She nodded. “But he never has. So I know he hates me still.”
“Like I said, I'd go with you.” He took her hand.
She squeezed his fingers. “You always know how to say the right thing.”
“Let's go for a walk along the trail and watch the last of the sunset.”
She nodded after a surreptitious glance toward the bed. He held out his hand, and she took it. Her head barely came to his chest. He liked her smallness, compact but perfectly proportioned. Being around her made him feel he could climb mountains and conquer the world. Her hand nestled in his, and he led her along the stony path up to the top of the hill. It was deserted up here. A flat rock jutted out over the canyon and was the perfect spot for viewing the last glimpses of the sun.
“Let's sit here,” he said, leading her to the rock. He glanced over the edge. “There's another ledge just under this one, so it's safe to dangle your feet if you want.”
She knelt and scooted forward. He settled beside her with his arm around her waist. “Cold?”The wind had a bite to it.
“Not with you here.” She leaned against him and rested her head against his shoulder, then lifted her head and stared into his face.
When their gazes locked, something expanded in his chest, right around the region of his heart.The warmth spread as he sank into the depth of her eyes. He read the loneliness there, the tentative hope that this relationship might be something more.
It already was to him.
The realization made him dizzy, and he clutched her a little tighter. “I don't want to scare you,” he muttered, pressing his lips to her hair. “If I'm moving too fast, tell me.”
Lifting his head, he smoothed her hair, silken and sweet scented. He lifted his right hand up to cup her cheek and tilt her lips to meet his. Their breath mingled as he bent his head. Kissing her was like bungee jumping off the cliff. He was in freefall and wasn't sure when he would reach the end of the cord. Her lips were soft and pliant, with the faint taste of her mint lip gloss.
She pulled away with a question in her eyes. He realized she wasn't going to let him that close unless he spilled the truth. “I love you, Gracie.” His thumb traced her jawline. “I love your heart and the way you love other people. I love the way you blush so easily and pay such close attention to the kids.”The strand of hair that tangled in his fingers was fine and silky, and he couldn't resist raising it to his lips. “I love your hair and the way you smile.”
Tears were welling in her eyes, and he wasn't sure what that meant, so he rushed on before he lost his courage. “This wasn't supposed to happen, and if it's too soon for you, that's okay. I'm a patient man.”
Her tremulous smile finally came. “I love you, too, Michael. How could I not fall in love with a man who is so quick to accept me and overlook circumstances that would make most people walk right on by?”
“Anyone would have helped you.”
She shook her head. “You're a knight on a white horse to me.” Her hand came up and caressed his face. “I'm so afraid of disappointing you, that you'll find out I'm not who you think I am.”
“We'll discover each other's layers together,” he said. “I look forward to years of finding out more about you every day.”
“You're too good to be true.” She kissed him, a lingering caress full of promise. “Let's go back to our room.”
His pulse galloped at the passion in her eyes as he rose and took her hand.
G
RACIE FLOATED IN A WARM, SAFE PLACE WITH THE FRESHNESS OF A NEW
morning enveloping her. From a distance, she heard someone calling her name, but she didn't want to leave this haven. She drifted in and out of sleep for a few moments before her eyes flew open and she remembered where she was.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Michael said. He leaned on one elbow and looked down at her where she rested in the crook of his other arm.
She smiled up at him. If her heart swelled any more, it would burst from her chest. Her fingers traced the cleft in his chin. “Good morning.What time is it?”
He kissed her fingertips. “Late. Nearly nine. But we have the whole day to do whatever we want.” He wound a lock of her hair around one finger. “We don't have to get up.”
She snuggled against him. “My stomach is growling loud enough to be mistaken for a mountain lion.”
“I'm ignoring it.” He nuzzled her neck until her stomach complained again. “Fine. I'm getting up.” He threw back the covers and sat up.
“I need coffee too,” she announced, watching him rise and grab his jeans. “I thought I smelled it.”
He opened the curtains and light streamed into the room. “You did. I got up and made it a few minutes ago when you refused to open your eyes. It's all ready.” He stepped to the table and poured her a cup.
“A man after my heart. My creamer is in my purse.” She crawled from the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Only a woman would bring her own creamer.” He grabbed her handbag from under the table and handed it to her.
She dug out her plastic sack of hazelnut creamer and handed two packettes to him. She watched him dump them into the cup, then stir the coffee. “I rather like having a maid in the morning.”
Grinning, he handed her the cup. “If that's what it takes to keep a smile like that on your face, it's a small price to pay.”
She carried it to the window and looked out. Sunlight dappled the desert plants and rocks, inviting her to come out and play. “I'd like to go rafting on the Rio Grande.”
His arms came around her and he rested his chin on her head. “As long as you promise not to fall overboard.”
“You can't get rid of me that easily.” She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I'm so happy, Michael, but what about the future? You're in danger every day. How am I supposed to live with kissing you good-bye in the mornings and never being sure if you'll come home?”
He stiffened in her arms. “Gracie, it's my job.”
“And I'm your wife.You have three kids to raise.What's more important? The job or your family?”
“Not fair, Gracie, and you know it.”
When he pulled away, she knew she'd gone too far too fast. Men always compartmentalized their lives. Jobs in this box, friends in this one, family in this one.To a woman it was all interconnected. She didn't know about the men being from Mars thing, but they were sure from some other planet.
“I'm going to take a shower.” He grabbed his clean clothes and walked off to the bathroom.
She sank onto the chair. Now she'd spoiled their perfect day. Michael knew his responsibilities. It wasn't her job to change his mind about what he thought was important.Would she never learn to keep her mouth shut? She leaned her head into her hands.
Her cell phone rang, and she froze. Maybe something was wrong with one of the children. She sprang toward her purse and grabbed her phone, not bothering to glance at the caller ID. “Hello?”
“You never called me back,” said Sam Wheeler.
Gracie sank back onto the chair with the phone clamped to her ear.
Hang up.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Her heart slammed against her ribs. “I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm in the mountains with poor reception.”
She closed her phone without waiting for a response and drew a ragged breath. Flipping it open again, she pressed the button to power it down.
Michael exited the bathroom toweling his hair. “Who was that?”
She couldn't lie to him. Not now. “Sam Wheeler.”
“What did he want?” he asked, coming closer.
“I don't know. I pretended I couldn't hear him and hung up.”
“Gracie, you can't avoid this forever. If he knows about Hope and hires an attorney, what then? If you know what to expect, you can plan for it.”
“I'm scared,” she whispered, hugging herself. “What if he wants to see her? I couldn't bear for Hope to be hurt or for him to try to fight for custody of her. I don't want anything to disrupt our lives.”
His eyes softened, and he took her hand and drew her to her feet. “Honey, it's not going to go away.Those kinds of things never do. If he thinks you're avoiding him, what might have been a cordial discussion will turn into a free-for-all.”
“You're right. I know you're right. But Hope is all I have. I can't risk her.”
“What am I? Chopped liver? This isn't anything we can't handle together. Do you want me to call him?”
He reached for the phone, and she grabbed for his hand. “No!” She forced a smile. “I'm hungry. Besides, I don't want to spoil the only honeymoon we're likely to have.”
Though he smiled and shrugged, she knew he wouldn't let it rest for long. But the danger was averted for now. He smacked her bottom and told her to get dressed, and he'd buy her the biggest breakfast in Texas.
O
N THEIR LAST DAY IN THE
C
HISOS
M
OUNTAINS, THE LOT AT
R
IO
G
RANDE
Village held only a battered pickup. Dawn had barely arrived. Michael parked his truck under a cottonwood tree. “Sure you're up for a hike?”
Gracie leaned over to brush a kiss across his lips.A few hours could change so much.This time two days ago, she wouldn't have dared. “I'd climb Mount Everest as long as you were there to haul me up.”
He grinned. “We could just sit here and neck.”
What confidence love brought.Who knew? She patted his cheek. “We both need the exercise. Besides, you promised me beavers.That's the only thing that got me out of bed at this hour.”
