Adopted Son (14 page)

Now she knew why Caroline smiled all the time. Grace would be smiling now, too. She knew the secret and she savored this moment out of time. This moment that belonged to her and Tuck.

To her and Jeremiah.

G
RACE WOKE UP
to a wet kiss and bad breath. Opening one eye, she was relieved to see Sam licking her face.

“Get down, boy,” Tuck said, raising up on one elbow.

Sam hung his head and turned to jump off the bed.

Grace grabbed him, unable to withstand that pitiful face. “It’s okay.” She stroked him and scooted up in bed.

Tuck watched her. “Do you realize that a few weeks ago you couldn’t stand for him to touch you?”

“I’m changing,” she replied, and glanced at the rumpled bed, his warm eyes and tousled hair. For a second she forgot her train of thought as desire swept through her stomach. “I’ve had these rules and this structured behavior that I adhered to. I had to have discipline and order in my life so I could achieve the goals I had set for myself.”

“Or goals your father had set for you?”

“Yes.” She pushed her hair behind her ears. “I’ve finally realized that. I was very unhappy and I found that letting down my hair released a whole new me. I think she’s always been there, but I’ve been afraid to let her out because…”

“You wanted your father’s approval.” He finished the sentence for her.

“Yes. The Mann situation was the last straw for me. I could see Dad didn’t care about my opinions. I was just a figurehead like my colleagues had whispered behind my back.”

His forefinger lifted her chin and she stared into the warmest eyes she’d ever seen. “It’s more than that. Under your leadership the Whitten Firm has become a powerful, prestigious law firm.”

“You think so?” Fishing for compliments wasn’t her thing, but it was pure feminine vanity that made her ask the question.

“I know so. Grace Whitten is the force behind the success—you’re a lot more than just a figurehead.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that to have sex with me?” Teasing wasn’t a part of her personality, either, but she had to tease or burst into tears at his praise—something she thought she would never hear from his lips. “Not that you have to do that,” she added quickly. “All you have to do is touch me.”

His eyes darkened. “And all you have to do is say my name.”

“Tuck or Jere…” The word was smothered under his mouth. She threw her arms around his neck and the kiss went on and on. She wiggled farther down in the bed to feel his body against hers.

Sam yelped.

“Oh, Sam.”

“He’s fine,” Tuck said, cupping her face and staring into her eyes. “What do you think? Did we do the right thing last night?”

“Yes. We’re two consenting adults. What happens next is up to us.”

He needed to hear her say that. In the cool light of day he was having second thoughts. Last night was magical and that wasn’t a word he would normally use. However, magic was a favorite theme of the books Caroline sent to read to Jesse when he kept him. There was power in magic—the power to believe, to believe in love.

He’d shared more emotions with Grace than he had been willing to share with any other woman. At times he felt vulnerable that she could so easily make him forget his life’s goals. All he wanted was to make love to her. Nothing else mattered.

This morning everything mattered. He didn’t want a casual relationship with Grace. He wanted a life with her and that frightened him to death.

She was going through changes and she had her own life to sort out. They had jumped the gun, but he didn’t regret that.

He stroked her arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She kissed his jaw, his ear and her lips trailed down his neck. “I’d rather not talk at all.”

“Women always want to talk.” He closed his eyes and savored her lips on his skin.

“Mmm.” She straddled him and he looked up, her blond hair tickling his face. Her eyes were dreamy, laden with desire. He pulled her down to him and nothing else was said for some time.

Later they took a shower together and those three magical words were never spoken. She didn’t seem to need them.

And he wondered why.

He had never needed to say them before, but he wanted to say them to her. So many things held him back. Their lives and goals were so different. Only time would tell if their feelings were strong enough to sustain a future.

In the meantime, he would believe in magic.

“T
UCK
,
ARE YOU AWAKE
?” Eli’s voice came from the kitchen. “Can I borrow some milk? I’ll replace it as soon as I get into town.”

“I may have to change my locks,” Tuck said, reaching for an oversize towel as they stepped out of the shower. He wrapped it around Grace, taking his time. “Damn. I never thought I’d regret having Eli next door.”

With a hand towel, he towel dried her hair. “I’d better go to the kitchen before he comes back here.” His tongue licked water from her shoulder and she had trouble concentrating. “Do you mind if he knows about us?”

“Us” sounded almost as good as “I love you”—almost. She swallowed, leaning into him and loving the feel of his wet, naked body. “No, we’re adults, not teenagers.”

He grinned a gorgeous grin that she was beginning to associate with him. “I feel like a teenager.” His lips caught hers in a slow, lingering kiss.

“Tuck.”

He groaned. “I’ll be right back.” After one more, quick, tantalizing kiss, he did a fast dry-off and hurried into the bedroom. Grace unashamedly watched his long, lean legs and slightly rounded buttocks. He looked as good from the back side as he did from the front.

Slipping into jeans, he winked at her. “I’ll get rid of him—fast.”

She strolled into the bedroom and sank onto the bed, feeling warm enough to burst into flames. This was better than anything she’d ever imagined and she hoped they could make the feeling last outside this room.

Sam crawled into her lap and she stroked him. “You really like this, don’t you?” Sam licked her hand and she resisted the urge to laugh. Here she sat in a rumpled bed holding a dog. Was there something wrong with that picture? Most people would say yes. That wasn’t Grace Whitten.

But it was. The new Grace Whitten.

Glancing around, she took in the rustic country bedroom. The wooden engraved headboard was an antique and reached almost to the ceiling. The bed linens were a golden tan, as were the drapes. Simple, neutral colors. There was so much warmth in the room that she could actually feel it.

A photo of Tuck’s adoptive parents stood on the nightstand. Picking it up, she looked into their faces. The man, tall and lean, had his cowboy hat at a slight angle, a gleam in his eyes. He looked strong, capable and loving. His arm was around the woman, who leaned against him, one hand on his chest. Grace stared into her blue eyes and all she saw was good—a good woman, wife and mother.

She got up, walking around the room barefoot on the hardwood floor, holding Sam. On the dresser was the photo of Sam and Dee that Caroline had taken. But the photos on the wall were the ones that held her attention.

Pictures of the Tuckers and their foster children covered almost every inch. Grace could almost pinpoint the before and after photos. The smiling kids had been touched with the Tuckers’ love. The pictures of scowling kids were taken when they had just arrived.

She touched one photo of Tuck and Eli with two little boys. Tuck appeared to be about ten or eleven, the boys about four. Eli was older and stood in the back. Tuck held the boys’ hands, smiling, as if to let them know they were welcomed.

Staring at the photos, she sensed all the sacrifice and love that had been given selflessly to kids in need. For the first time she fully understood Tuck’s desire to give back a small portion of what all these kids had been given.

And her love for him grew that much more.

T
UCK BUTTONED HIS JEANS
as he hurried into the kitchen.

“Hey, Tuck,” Eli said as he spotted him. “We’re out of milk. Mind if I borrow some?”

“No. No problem.” He ran a hand through his damp hair.

Eli opened the refrigerator. “What’s Grace’s car doing here?”

Tuck took a breath. Once he said the words he couldn’t take them back. “She spent the night.”

Eli grabbed the milk and closed the refrigerator. “Here? Oh, she’s hiding from her parents and she didn’t want to bother us?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

Eli frowned at him. “If her car’s broken down, I can take a look at it.”

“Her car is fine.”

“Then…”

Grace sashayed into the room in one of his old T-shirts, her hair damp, hanging down her back, and Sam held tightly in her arms. “Good morning, Eli.”

Eli looked from Grace to Tuck. “What’s going on here?”

Tuck took his brother’s arm and led him toward the back door. “If I have to tell you that, then you need to go home and get reacquainted with Caroline.”

Grace burst out laughing as the door closed. “Did you see his face?”

“He’s in shock,” Tuck said, smiling.

They stared at each other and both sobered. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I’m wonderful,” she replied.

“Good.” He kissed her cheek on the way to the refrigerator. “Hungry? I make a mean batch of scrambled eggs.”

“Ravenous.”

“You can put Sam down or he’s going to forget he has legs.”

“He’s such a sweetie,” she said, placing Sam on the floor.

Tuck opened a can of dog food and dumped it into a bowl. “Here.” He took the bowl to the utility room and Sam scurried after him.

Grace placed her hands on her hips. “I’m devastated.”

“Sam’s fickle. Food is his number one love.”

“But he’s so sweet.”

Tuck eyed her from the doorway. “That shirt looks better on you than it does on me. I’m trying very hard not to get sidetracked.” He looped his arm through hers. “Come. You can help me with breakfast.”

Together, they made breakfast, laughing and joking. Grace sat at the table, munching on toast. “I saw all the photos in the bedroom.”

“When I had the bedroom redone, I didn’t have the heart to take them down.”

“There’s a lot of history in this house. I love that bed.”

He took a swallow of coffee. “It belonged to Ma’s grandmother.”

She ran her finger over a name on the table. “Do you think your mother might have been one of the girls who stayed here as a child?”

“Pa was a Texas Ranger and he did a thorough investigation at the time. He said every lead was a dead end and I was a gift from God. I was meant to be their son.”

“But you still wonder?”

He ran both hands through his hair. “The older I get, the more I think about it. Who was she? What had driven her to give me away? My parents were the best, but I’d still like to know those answers to fill the empty place in my heart and in my mind.”

Tuck had never said those words to anyone, not even Eli. Yet it felt so easy to tell her.

She slipped onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “You do realize it doesn’t matter to anyone, especially me.”

Their lips met in an explosive kiss and it took a moment for them to realize someone’s cell phone was buzzing.

“It’s not mine,” Tuck said raggedly.

Grace ran her finger down his straight nose. “That means it can only be one person.”

“Caroline,” they said in unison and laughed, knowing Eli had had enough time to inform his wife where her sister was.

Grace hopped off his lap, grabbed her purse and fished out her phone.

“Grace, it’s Dad.” Suddenly her world came roaring back and she wanted to close the phone, breaking the connection. But she had to deal with her past before she could have a future.

“Yes, Dad, what is it?” she asked, sitting in a chair, her eyes on Tuck and his concerned face.

“Could you please meet your mother and me for lunch?”

“Why?”

“I would like to talk. No pressure.”

“We did that yesterday.”

“This is different. Things have changed and I’d rather talk to you in person than on the phone. Is one o’clock okay?”

She took a deep breath. “Okay.” He gave her the name of the restaurant and she clicked off.

“Your father wants to see you?” Tuck asked, watching her.

“Yes.”

“You seem upset.”

“I don’t understand what has changed in a day.”

Tuck carried dishes to the sink. “He wants you back at the helm of the Whitten Law Firm.”

She placed her phone on the table. “I know.”

“So you have to decide what you want.”

“I know.” Her eyes caught his and she was as honest as she knew how to be. “I don’t want to lose what’s happening between us.”

“You won’t. Just be honest with yourself and with me. You’ve put a lot of time and effort into the success of the Whitten Firm. That’ll be hard to walk away from, but you’ll know in your heart if it’s right. It won’t change a thing between us.”

She was reassured and buffered by his words. He respected her as a businesswoman and whatever decision she made wouldn’t affect their relationship. That was good. They would build on the emotions they’d discovered last night and soon she’d be able to tell him that she loved him.

“I’d better go to my apartment and change.” She hurried to the bedroom, made the bed and dressed, then stared at all the photos. Her hand touched the photo of Tuck, Eli and the two boys. She would love to have a child with that face and those big brown eyes. For the first time she realized just how much she wanted that. She also realized that she was the marrying kind. Was Tuck? Caroline had said that he wasn’t, and he had admitted as much. But could love change his mind?

With a deep sigh, she walked out of the room.

T
UCK WATCHED HER
drive away with a lump in his throat. For a brief moment in time they had connected, but now he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. They’d made no promises or vows and that’s the way he had always liked his relationships with women. Grace was different, though. He could dance with her for the rest of his life.

He went back into the house and it seemed empty without her. He walked down the hall to his bedroom. On the top of his neatly made bed lay his T-shirt, folded perfectly—in typical Grace style. His heart constricted and he eased onto the bed staring at the wall of photos.

He didn’t remember half the kids on the wall. Maybe he should have taken them down when Ma had passed on. But he hadn’t. Now he wondered why. Why was he clinging to the past? He took a long breath. Maybe he’d kept them as a reminder, especially when someone like Grace touched him and filled his heart with dreams other than his own.

He buried his face in his hands, his elbows on his knees. Every time he made love to her he wanted to say those magical words, to believe they could have a life, a family. What was the right decision?

His parents, the kids on the wall and Grace battled inside him.

The man in him recognized that his motives were changing.

He’d always been very sure about his goals, even breaking up with two women who saw life differently than he had. How would Grace react if he asked her to share his dream? He didn’t know, but he felt an ache in his chest at the thought of letting her go.

He stood. Maybe it was time to let go of the dream, or just postpone it. Could he do that? Could he do that for Grace?

Again, he wasn’t sure, but he was willing to give it time. Time to make sense of everything he was feeling.

Time to find out what love was all about.

G
RACE WALKED
into the restaurant five minutes early, but her parents were already there. A maître d’ showed her to their table and her parents stood.

Joanna hugged her. “Darling, you look wonderful. I love that suit.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

She hugged her father briefly and sat down.

Stephen stared at her. “I wish you wouldn’t be so angry.”

She placed her napkin in her lap. “I wish you wouldn’t treat me like a child.”

“Darling, please listen,” Joanna begged, and Grace relaxed at the entreaty in her mother’s voice.

“I don’t understand what’s happened since yesterday. My decision is still the same.”

“A lot has changed,” Stephen said. “I…” He was interrupted by a waiter. “We’ve already ordered. What would you like?” Her father looked at her.

She handed the waiter the menu. “I had a late breakfast. I’ll just have a house salad and tea please.”

The waiter nodded and walked away.

“Your mother and I had a long talk last night.” By his tone, Grace suspected the discussion wasn’t to his liking. “We’ve decided we don’t need Cavanaugh’s money. We trust the voters.” Grace knew that was the last thing he wanted to do, but evidently her mother’s opinion had won out. “If I win, I’ll retire after another term. If I lose, I’ll retire sooner. Your mother and I plan to become more involved in our girls’ and grandson’s lives.”

She folded her hands in her lap. “So you’re not hiring Mann?”

He moved restlessly. “That wasn’t ever my decision.” He coughed. “I’m sorry I sprang Mann on you like that. I was desperate and afraid of losing everything I’d worked for. Desperate men do desperate acts.”

“Thank you, Dad. I appreciate the apology.”

The waiter brought the food and the conversation stopped. She noticed her father was eating grilled salmon where normally he would order steak. Since his heart attack, Joanna was on him constantly about his diet. Seems her mother was winning the game these days.

As she poured dressing over her salad, Grace wondered what this meeting was really about. Was it just to apologize or did her father have something else up his sleeve?

They talked about family and Joanna gushed on about Jesse. Finally, Stephen wiped his mouth and laid his napkin on the table.

“I apologize for interfering in the firm. I was so out of line and I really realized that when your mother reminded me that Mann would be working with you, near you. I suddenly had a clearer picture of the situation. My career is not worth one hair on your head being harmed.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Tears welled in her eyes at this revelation.

“You’ve done an astounding job and I hope you’ll reconsider and come back to
your
law firm, because it is yours and not mine anymore. Sometimes I tend to forget that.”

Yesterday she would have jumped at this sincere apology, but today was different. She’d spent the night in the arms of a man she loved and she was unsure if she wanted to spend the rest of her life in a job that didn’t make her happy. She didn’t need to prove anything to her father anymore. She didn’t need his approval.