The Throwbacks (47 page)

Despite whatever seating arrangement Mabel had planned, Grace gripped Pixie’s arm and pulled her into the chair next to her, with Jason on her other side. She was satisfied that she’d get through dinner, whether she ate anything or not.

What she didn’t plan on was David sitting directly across from her, flanked by Dan and Esther. Mabel, naturally, was at the head of the table and the maid, her dear friend Marsha, would sit at the end of the table nearest the kitchen.

“Doesn’t this all look delicious?” Esther said.

Jason nodded his agreement and jumped in, serving himself a healthy portion from the platter in front of him.

“It’s David’s favorite meal, to celebrate his new career. Isn’t it wonderful that I’ve found Grace a new apartment right around the corner from here?” Mabel said to Pixie.

“What?” Grace and Pixie said at the same time. Grace would have laughed at Mabel’s left-field comment on any other occasion.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I was hoping she’d stay with me for a while.” Pixie looked at Grace for guidance.

“I haven’t seen it yet…I’m not sure.” Grace looked back at Mabel, trying to avoid David’s eyes from across the table. Too bad her peripheral vision was so good. She noticed that his expression couldn’t be further from neutral. He looked concerned. Her pulse picked up and she tried to clamp it back down, to no avail.

“Of course, dear,” Mabel said. “I suppose you want to move to the suburbs now—and find a young gentleman there to raise children with and live in that charming Cape Cod house with the white picket fence you’ve always talked about.”

“Now wait a minute—” David interrupted, but Mabel interrupted him right back.

“Isn’t that still your dream?” she asked, and not in a dinner-conversation tone of voice. Grace felt like she should be having this discussion alone somewhere with her closest friends, but when she looked around the table, except for the absence of Oscar and the rest of Pixie’s family, these were her closest friends, after all. She breathed a sigh and spoke from her heart without thinking.

“No.”

“What?” David and Pixie said simultaneously. Dan and Esther’s eyes widened and they put down their silverware, abandoning any pretense at eating. Jason looked at her with mild interest as he stabbed a piece of meat with his fork and put it in his mouth.

She looked straight at Mabel. “I don’t have that longing anymore for a white picket fence. I can’t even envision it, and when I try to think about a family of children, I don’t feel any pleasure or warmth or the desire I used to feel. Somewhere along the way I lost my dream—or it lost me.”

“It’s only temporary—you’ll bounce back. You’re just feeling a little down right now,” Pixie said with a pointed glance at David. Grace stared at her plate. She was too chicken to look up at him. She knew David was staring at her.

“Pixie is right, you know,” he said in a quiet but confident voice.

Grace looked up at him and felt a flash of anger.

“What do you know? You didn’t want to stick around and talk about it. You think you know what’s best for me? You have no clue.”

“Now we’re making some headway,” Mabel said with a smile. She clasped her hands together.

“Wait a minute here.” Dan made a feeble attempt at coming to the defense of his friend before Esther nudged him under the table.

David looked around the table at each person and smiled when he got to Jason, who gave him a thumbs up as he chewed his food. Then his eyes rested on Grace. Pixie reached over and squeezed her arm.

“I’d like to hear what you have to say, Grace. I’d like to know what will make you happy. Because as it happens, I’ve been miserable thinking that I’ve caused you more than a moment’s unhappiness. If I could—”

“Would you?” she challenged him.

“I would try with every ounce of my being.”

His words stunned her, and she felt like all the air whooshed out of her lungs. She believed him. The look on his face was determined and kind. Then the cloud of an unspoken “but” appeared in his face.

“Maybe you two should talk in private,” Dan said and he stood.

Esther stood also, and then Pixie looked at her with a question. Grace nodded okay.

“Well, Jason, it looks like we’ll have to miss the important stuff, but maybe it’s time to leave Grace and David alone.” Mabel looked at the young man as he reluctantly put down his fork, still chewing some meat.

“Maybe Grace and I should leave and you all stay and eat.” David rose.

Grace jumped to her feet and Jason nodded, unable to speak with his mouth full. Before anyone had a chance to contradict the idea, Grace stepped away from the table and out the door to the kitchen as Marsha came in.

“Finished already?”

“I believe we may be just getting started, actually.” David smiled and put his hand on the small of Grace’s back as he caught up to her. She felt the instant shock to her system. It was as if her world had been realigned to its rightful axis.

Then she reminded herself of the unspoken “but” and the lump jumped to her throat again as they walked from the dining room. Nibbles jumped and raced to her as the kitchen door swung closed behind them. With shaking hands, she scooped him up and turned to face her true love, keeping nothing from her face; all her emotions were there in her expression and voice.

“Meet your new puppy, David. I bought him for you as a house-warming gift. So you wouldn’t be lonely.” She looked up into his eyes and felt tears well. She wasn’t sure what emotions were overwhelming her right now—whether they were happy or sad—but she couldn’t remember ever being so far out on a precipice and waiting.

“That’s the kindest, most generous thing anyone has ever done for me.” David paused. “Especially under the circumstances.”

She held her breath waiting for him to continue, wary of there being a “but” to come along and ruin his sentiment.

“It’s no wonder I’m head over heels in love with you,” he finished. He took the puppy and, holding him between them, he leaned over and kissed her lips with a possessiveness she’d never felt before. She felt her mouth covered and cherished as he sucked her into his.

Nibbles yelped and slipped to the floor. She leaned into David’s embrace and threw her arms around him to kiss him for all she was worth. She smashed her lips on his, exploring his mouth with urgency, pressing her entire body against his.

To his credit, he held up well, receiving her determined force against him and meeting her urgency in return in spite of whatever shock he may have initially suffered. But then, with his gentlemanly way, he separated from her and held her face in his hands. She felt lightheaded with dread.

“As much as I enjoyed that, and needed it, I need to talk to you even more.”

She stared at him, holding his eyes steady with hers, and waited. There was no way she was going to make any assumptions. She had already put herself out there—in front of everyone, no less. He loved her. Now he had to explain what his “but” was about. The pause seemed interminable.

“I’ll give you anything you want—including the picket fence and children.” His voice was low and he looked calm, but she could hear that tense sound, almost a wavy quality. She let out her breath but couldn’t speak. She was afraid if she interrupted he’d snap and retreat back to his safe life—risking it fighting crime every day.

But she managed to croak out one word. “Why?”

“Because I suddenly realize that the renewed life of crime-fighting that I’m embarking on is really something we created together. I thought it would be sufficient to go back to crime-fighting on my own—but in spite of the official reinstatement of good graces with the Yard and being surrounded by family and friends—my future looks empty without you.” He smiled and put his hands on her face to tilt her chin up. “I’d move to the suburbs if you wanted to.”

In spite of the tears welling up with her emotions, it felt unreal.

“What about that minor problem about you fearing for my life if I join you in a future of crime-fighting?” she asked with a clear voice. Then, even though it killed her to do it, she pushed back and separated herself to hear his answer. This was too important. She had to know that he was really ready—like Dan said—to deal with these problems. Because they would have them.

“I had a conversation with Esther. She’s a very wise woman. We decided I’m too tough a guy not to deal with the challenges.” He pulled her back in and stopped her from asking anything more by kissing her lips in a wildly sensual exploration, where the world shrank down to only their two mouths.

Whatever worries David had that Grace was still skeptical—and she had a right to be—it all disappeared in the taste of her mouth and the velvety feel of his tongue stroking hers. When he needed to give his hammering heart a rest, he rained kisses on her cheek and jaw and finally her forehead. Then he looked at her sparkling eyes, dewy with unshed tears, and waited for her verdict.

“I guess I realize that it doesn’t matter after all where I live as long as I’m with you,” she said in a breath. “And having people I love like Mabel nearby—and Pixie and Dan and Esther too—would be wonderful. They’ll all be family—real family.”

He smiled at her rushed words, but his heart was not settled. In fact, it was in his throat and flopping around mercilessly. There was still one big issue between them and he had to ask.

“What about children? Wouldn’t you still like to have a family with your own children?” He studied her loving, lovely face and watched her frown. It was more than he could stand, but he stood it, tamping down on the rush of adrenaline that urged him to run the other way.

“Are you talking about your children?”

He grinned at her then and literally gritted his teeth to keep from laughing out loud. She was too precious.

“Who else’s children would I be talking about?” he asked with one arched brow and a corner of his mouth twitching upward.

Then she laughed and arched her brow back at him, realizing how she sounded.

“In theory, I could be talking about that young man from the suburbs who Mabel referred to.”

“No suburban upstart would scare the likes of Boston’s new-century Sherlock.” He swept her in for an enveloping hug that made her tingle. A sense of well-being washed through her entire body, and she could have stood there in his arms forever. She wanted to be in his circle forever.

“You know I’ll have to be Watson if you’re going to be Sherlock,” she eventually decided to mention—not that she wanted to shake things up. But then again, she’d always be compelled to shake things up. The thought didn’t worry her. She knew he’d handle it.

“Frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. You do have a certain talent—although some would call it luck. I don’t believe in luck.”

“Oh, you mean like the parking space thing?” She looked up at him to see the puzzled look on his face.

“What parking space thing?”

“Never mind.” She burrowed into his warmth and smiled. There’d be plenty of time for him to discover her parking-space talent. She couldn’t wait.

He loosened his hold and stepped a few inches away from her then. His look was serious. They were still so new together that her heart suddenly pounded at the implications. Until he gave her another look. It was a look that said “You are mine forever. From now on. Period.” And it held such delicious promise that she started feeling a little dizzy.

“I have a gift for you too, sweetheart.” His smile turned from greedy possession to the most tender and loving look she ever saw. Her hair-trigger emotions caused tears to well up instantly while she watched him reach into his pocket.