The Millionaire's Proposal (13 page)

She realized that for all of Ford’s confidence, he wanted
her
approval. She found she couldn’t refuse him, or disappoint him. “I’d like that,” she said, hoping the comfortable relationship they were establishing would enable her to get to know her husband better. “Give me half an hour to shower and change, and then I’m all yours for the day.”

Ford walked casually alongside Grace as they passed the empty corral he hoped to someday soon fill with a few Quarter Horses. A huge sense of contentment warmed him as he told her of his plans and they talked companionably about nothing in particular. They’d spent the past hour strolling around his property while he showed her the improvements he’d made to the land, and indicated his intentions for the future. She’d been suitably impressed, and he’d been filled with pride for all that he’d accomplished.

It was a heady sensation to realize just how far he’d come in eleven years. To an outsider looking in, he seemed to have it all: a sprawling home that exceeded anything in Whitaker Falls, a thriving million dollar business, a beautiful wife, and a baby on the way that would complete the craving he’d always had for a family of his own. Life couldn’t get much sweeter for a man who’d spent his youth as a juvenile delinquent, struggling for acceptance, and resenting the fact that nobody cared enough about him to
try
and give him the guidance he’d so desperately needed.

But for all that he’d obtained, the one most important thing seemed to allude him—Grace. For all that she’d accepted their situation, she was still cautious with him. Not that he could blame her. Everything had happened so quickly between them, from his surprise return, to their whirlwind courtship that hadn’t allowed time for them to discover who they’d become in the past eleven years. No amount of money would banish that reserve of hers, or gain her trust and respect . . . just time, care, and a whole lot of patience . . . and those stolen kisses he’d insisted upon this morning.

He glanced at the woman beside him, and frowned. Though they’d only been outside for a short amount of time, she looked tired, her face flushed from the warm sunshine. Taking into consideration her delicate condition, he lightly grasped her elbow and steered her toward the house and the sturdy, hand-carved oak swing he’d had installed on the back porch.

She settled herself on the swing, her brown eyes holding a combination of bewilderment and feminine curiosity.

He sat beside her, leaving a foot of space between them. “What’s on your mind, Grace?” he asked, determined to find out what had his wife so perplexed.

She tilted her head, regarding him speculatively. “Out of all the places you could afford to live, why would you choose to return to Whitaker Falls?”

Her curiosity was certainly valid, since nothing had been easy or welcoming about his return. He’d concluded years ago that it would be much less complicated for him to build a house near Richmond, where people knew and acknowledged him for the successful business man he was, yet he’d always known that he’d return to Whitaker Falls, despite the possible tribulation of doing so.

Stretching his arm across the back of the swing, he wove the tail end of her French braid between his fingers, unable to resist touching her. “I know it seems crazy, coming back to the one place where I’m least wanted, and everyone associates the name ‘McCabe’ with disgrace, scandal, and a list of offenses, but my reasons for returning are pretty basic and unpretentious, actually.” He paused for a moment, hoping she’d understand his motivations, as foolish as they suddenly seemed to be. “Cutter Creek is where my roots are.”

That seemed to surprise her. “You came back because you grew up here?”

“Yeah.” It was as simple, and as complex as that. He tried to explain. “This land belonged to my grandparents, then my mother, and even though she didn’t care enough to try and hang on to the only legacy she had, it was
my
legacy, too. Cutter Creek is a part of who I am.” Bitterness seeped into his tone, and he swallowed it back, refusing to allow those resentful emotions to intrude on what had started out as a pleasant day. “I couldn’t see someone else living here, when I’ve always wanted this land for my own, to build a big house and raise a family here.”

The understanding he sought touched her expression and softened her gaze, giving him the fortitude to continue.

“I wanted to come back and make a difference in the McCabe lineage,” he said, giving her a glimpse of the vulnerability he’d hadn’t been able to shake over the years. “Everybody remembers my drunk of a mother who practically lived at the After Hours Bar, and this scrappy, illegitimate kid who caused trouble wherever he went. I want this time around to be different.”

She pushed the swing into a slow, swaying motion with the toe of her sandal. “You can’t change the past, Ford.”

“No, I can’t change the past,” he agreed, trailing his fingers over her shoulder in a light caress. “But I’ve learned that I’m in control of my future, and that’s where I’m going to make the difference, here at Cutter Creek. I’ve spent the past eleven years working hard, trying to prove to myself that I could be something, despite how I grew up. Getting to where I am today hasn’t been easy, but every struggle has been worth it.” He wasn’t defensive, just adamant about using his success to his advantage.

“And now you have your own business, which I’m assuming is doing well for itself,” she said, clasping her hands over her stomach. At his silent nod, she prompted, “So what, exactly, does FZM do?”

Remembering how vague he’d been about his business during his dinner date with Grace, and how cautious he still needed to be, he chose his words wisely. “It’s a development company. The company I originally went to work for when I left here, Khann and Associates, gave me the financial backing and support I needed to start the company a few years ago. Khann is like a silent investor. I bid on the projects and develop them, and the profits are split, which has been incredibly lucrative. I’m in the process of acquiring a piece of property I plan to redevelop, which will be my first project without Khann’s financial backing.” And until he was awarded the piece of land, that’s all he was willing to reveal.

“Will your work keep you away from home much?” she asked.

Home
. He liked the way that sounded. “I hope not. I’ve got a main office in Richmond with a full staff, and half a dozen project managers who oversee my jobs. I’m sure I’ll be spending at least three days a week in Richmond to keep an eye on things, but I can work on a bid or proposal here at the house just as easily as I can at the main office. I’ve got everything I need to run things smoothly from here.”

“Well, I’ll try and stay out of your way as much as possible,” she said, wrapping a hand around the chain link holding up her end of the swing. “Grace and Charm keeps me pretty busy, so you’ll have the house to yourself during the day.”

“You won’t ever be in my way,” he assured her, leaning closer and bypassing that one foot safety zone he’d kept between them. “Besides, I wouldn’t mind having you close by, just in case I get an uncontrollable urge to kiss you.”

Her lips parted and her eyes widened slightly in anticipation. Deciding to let the desire and craving for his kiss simmer for the time being, he merely ran a finger down the slope of her nose.

She let out a puff of breath, flustered and exasperated by his playful tactics. “You, Ford McCabe, are a terrible tease.”

He laughed warmly, feeling confident everything would work out okay between them—even if they did still have to deal with the town’s scrutiny and opinion of their marriage.

Grace blew out a disgusted stream of breath, and closed the book-keeping journal for Grace and Charm Floral Shoppe. Four weeks of being married to Ford, and her business was down by over forty percent. She thanked goodness for her standing orders for weekly arrangements for the country club and the bank, which were keeping her afloat. But she depended on unexpected walk-in and phone orders to supplement her income.

When she’d first noticed the decrease in orders a few weeks ago, Darcy assured her it was the warm weather keeping customers away, but Grace knew better than to believe that placating excuse. The tension that had developed in town since she’d married Ford, and the news of her impending pregnancy had spread, was palpable. Oh, people she’d grown up with were polite enough to her when she addressed them, but they didn’t go out of their way to be sociable or congenial. There were a few individuals she’d encountered who’d outright expressed their disapproval and hostility of her alliance with Ford and reminded her of Ford’s nefarious crimes as a youth.

The majority of the community was certain Ford had return to cause more trouble, despite his respectable presence, and what he’d achieved over the years. Few believed a hoodlum like him could ever change, and she hated that she had to lump her own father into that category.

Closing her eyes, she rested her elbows on the surface of her desk and rubbed at the slow throb beginning in her temples. She’d seen her father four times since marrying Ford, and each visit had ended the same way, with Ellis cursing the man who was now her husband and issuing an ultimatum Grace refused to accept.

Ironically, she understood her father’s bitterness toward Ford, who, in Ellis’s mind, had destroyed his family, and who now had taken his daughter away from him, too. More than anything, she loved her father, but she would not choose between him and the man she’d married, no matter how torn and hurt the situation made her. She had a child’s welfare to consider, and refused to penalize Ford for wanting to give this baby a better life than what he’d endured. All she could do was hope in time that her father’s resentment toward Ford ebbed, because if not, it would be Ellis’grandchild who would suffer in the future.

Feeling claustrophobic in her small office, and needing fresh air to clear her aching head, Grace made the spontaneous decision to go to the one place that seemed to bring her calm and peace, which she desperately needed right now.

Clearing off her desk and picking up her purse, Grace headed into the work area. Darcy sat on the padded stool in front of the cash register counter, immersed in a romance novel. All orders for the day had been filled, and the place was spotless, so Grace had encouraged her to take advantage of the lull in business.

“Could you close up the shop for me this evening, Darcy?” Grace asked.

Darcy glanced up from the book she was reading, her dreamy expression flowing into a concerned frown. “Sure, Grace. Everything okay?”

“Everything is as good as it’s going to get for now,” she said wryly. Slinging the long strap of her purse over her shoulder, she slid open the refrigeration unit housing their flowers and pre-made arrangements and stepped inside, surveying what she had available, which was a whole lot more than normal. “I think I need to spend some time with my mother and brother,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at her friend.

A smile canted Darcy’s mouth. She’d come to understand Grace’s visits to her mother and brother’s grave sites as therapeutic. “Tell them hello for me.”

“Oh, they’re getting an earful today, but I’ll try and fit your greeting in.” Returning Darcy’s smile, Grace stepped out of the refrigerator unit with a gorgeous arrangement of roses and baby’s breath for her mother, and a bouquet of bright daisies and yellow and orange carnations for her brother.

Just as she exited the flower shop, Ford pulled his car into the empty slot in front of her business. Curious as to why he was there when he’d told her that morning he’d be returning from Richmond later that evening, Grace stopped and waited as he slid out of the vehicle and came toward her. He was dressed impeccably in toffee colored slacks, a silky dress shirt in brown tones, and Italian loafers. The intent in his violet eyes caused her heart to race.

Her hands were full, and she had a sudden sneaking suspicion that he planned to take advantage of that fact. Sure enough, he reached her and immediately slipped his arms around her waist, engulfing her in an intimate, chest to thigh embrace. The kind of clinch lovers shared. Her breath hitched in her throat, the arrangements trembled in her hands, and her bones liquefied as she read the
anytime
,
anywhere
dare in his eyes.