4. Grace
Chapter 4
Grace
It’s Jesse who just spoke.
My heart lurches in my chest as the other three Alphas step up beside Easton, a clear united front. I have to admit it’s pretty attractive, four gorgeous men all stepping up together as a unit. If I didn’t know they were pack mates already, I’d know it in this moment, seeing the way they stand together.
Jesse is glaring at William like the man is worse than the gum under his shoe, and I blink rapidly in surprise. Jesse hates me, but I don’t know what he’d have against William, unless he just hates William by his association with me. Sure, he can probably put two and two together and knows William’s pissed at Easton, but I don’t see why that would automatically make Jesse this angry.
“What’s going on?” Cade asks, his voice a quiet, dark growl.
Easton finally takes his glare away from William long enough to look at his pack mates. “Just showing a guy what happens around here if he’s stupid enough to cheat on his girl.”
My heart races as all three Alphas go from pissed to furious . I can see them bristling from over here.
For a second, all five men look furious at one another, and I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know how to defuse the situation, or even how it got this bad. There’s also the part of me that’s bristling too, the part of me that asks, why should I have to be the one to fix this? I was just cheated on. I shouldn’t have to do anything at all.
William’s gaze darts between all four men, and I see a bit of the wind get knocked from his sails. He doesn’t fully deflate, he’s too angry and prideful for that, but he does take a small step back and his shoulders hunch slightly.
“This is a personal matter,” he snaps. “I don’t see how it’s anybody’s business.”
“A man mistreats a woman, it’s everybody’s business,” Hendrix says.
“Especially one of our own,” Jesse adds.
My heart is still racing but I feel warmth spread through me. I’ve been away for years. I didn’t know Jesse still thought of me as one of the townspeople.
“So how about you get the fuck out of our town,” Jesse continues, “before we make you.”
“Trust me, after the stunt you crazy assholes pulled, I’d like nothing more.” William shoots me a cutting glare. “But I can’t exactly get anywhere in this car now, can I?”
Jesse’s face is like stone. “You’ve got two working legs, don’t you?” he replies coolly.
“For now,” Cade mutters.
“I suggest you get the fuck out while that’s still the case,” Easton adds.
Holy shit. My jaw drops a little.
William scoffs, an incredulous smile on his face like he can’t quite believe this is happening. He looks at me. “Babe, you’re seriously going to let these guys threaten me and decide that they’re the better option? This is insane.”
“I haven’t decided anyone is a better option,” I bite out. “Just as long as I’m not with you. I’m single, as of right now.”
William seems to melt, almost, and he gives me this look that I always thought was sweet. I thought it meant he found something I did cute.
But now, in the glow of the streetlamps, in front of his ruined car, I realize that it’s actually something completely different: condescension.
A cold shudder runs through me. I feel like I’m looking at a stranger.
“Grace.” William’s voice is gentle. “I don’t understand. Whatever you think you saw, it’s clearly taken you off the deep end. This isn’t you. You’re sensible, you don’t get emotional like this.”
“What—what are you talking about?” I’m so confused, I don’t even know what to say. “I’m emotional because you’re sexting with another woman, anyone would be emotional about that, what is this? What are you trying to say?”
“I wasn’t—it was nothing,” William explains. “She’s a work colleague, we joke around. She took the joke too far, that’s all.”
“People don’t joke about wanting someone’s dick,” I shoot back. “That’s not something you joke about. Especially not with someone who’s in a serious relationship.”
“Would we really call this thing between us that serious?” William looks confused. “Now, okay, I think we might be on different pages here…”
“I took you to meet my family!” I yell. I feel insane. “That didn’t give you a hint that maybe that I saw this as a serious relationship?”
All four of the other Alphas have their brows raised, like they’re not sure what to make of all this, either. Worry settles in my gut that it’s me they’re raising their eyebrows at. That they might take William’s side.
“I don’t think you should keep talking,” Hendrix says, and he’s not talking to me, but William. His tone is mild, but somehow that makes it sound more dangerous. “Not if you want to still be able to walk out of town.”
William stares at him, like he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. “You realize I’m the victim here?”
“I realize that’s how you’d like everyone to see it,” Hendrix replies coolly.
My heart leaps in my chest. They believe me. They’re not falling for whatever bullshit William is trying to pull just because he’s a fellow Alpha.
William’s jaw works. He must understand that there’s no way he’ll win in a fight against these four. Or any four Alphas, really, but especially not men like these. His only hope was to convince them I was making it all up or crazy, and now that attempt has failed.
“Fine,” he snarls. He gives me a cutting glare, one that sends a chill up my spine because it seems weighted with a promise of this isn’t over , then he walks away.
I exhale heavily. I had no idea I was holding my breath, but my lungs are burning.
“Grace?” Hendrix asks. His voice is soft.
I rub the back of my neck. I feel relieved, but also so embarrassed. I hate that anyone had to see what just happened, had to witness my total humiliation and the way that William just treated me. But at the same time, I’m glad that these Alphas are here. I don’t know that William would’ve backed down if they hadn’t stood up for me.
“I…” I swallow and try again. “We were just driving back from my parents’ house and his phone wouldn’t stop going off. I thought it was work.” I can feel tears filling my eyes, but I can’t quite stop them. “His boss is demanding. Or I thought he was. I’ve met the man, and he’s the kind of Alpha that makes other Alphas look bad, you know, so of course when William would talk about how he had to work late all the time, I believed him.”
As I talk, though, my mind whirls. Maybe William wasn’t staying late at work or fulfilling some stupid errand for his boss. Maybe he was sleeping with this woman all this time. Or any other number of women. I don’t know how many affairs he might’ve had.
“But when I looked at his phone it was this… this woman. Misty.” I shake my head, trying to maintain my composure, or what’s left of it. “I’m not the suspicious prying kind of person. I really only went into the phone because I wanted to give his boss a piece of my mind. He knows William’s on vacation with me. I was annoyed he kept bothering him and how selfish it was. And instead I saw this woman telling my boyfriend how much she wanted his—his—”
I can’t make myself say it, but I clearly don’t need to, judging by the thunderous looks on the faces of all four men. Even Jesse and Cade.
“You see why I was beating on the car,” Easton grumbles to the others, like they might be doubting his reasoning.
Hendrix takes a few steps toward me. “Grace, I know you must’ve liked the guy if you were dating him, but trust me, he wasn’t worth your time. He wasn’t worth shit, actually.”
I laugh wetly. “I’m sure he isn’t, I just don’t understand. I feel stupid.”
“Don’t. Men like that are good at what they do, they’re good at lying. He’s a scumbag, Grace. You’re not stupid for seeing the best in him.”
I wipe at my eyes. “And now you’re all being kind to me, it must be really bad.”
“Oh, don’t get your panties into a twist,” Jesse snaps. “We’d do this for any woman who was cheated on, trust me. Men who do that are all spineless slugs, every last one of them. It’s never the partner’s fault they were cheated on. It’s always something to do with the man, Grace. Not you. You were doing everything right.”
“It sure wasn’t anything to do with your looks,” Easton says, so quietly I’m not sure if he intends to say it out loud.
I flush. Jesse might be right and they’d do this for anyone, and I think that shows what kind of good men they are, helping anybody out that way, sticking up for a woman even if they don’t know her or even like her. But it does make me feel better.
“Thank you,” I tell them all earnestly. “I really mean that. I know you’d do it for anyone but it still means a lot.”
“Do you need anything?” Hendrix asks.
“To go back in time and not give William my number,” I joke, although there’s not much humor in it. “No, seriously, I’m just going to go back home.”
All my stuff is back at the hotel but I’m sure Mom and Dad still have some of my childhood clothes and things around. I can borrow something of Mom’s if I have to, we are roughly the same size, same petite figures.
“Could one of you give me a ride, actually?” I ask. “I wouldn’t mind walking during the day, it might actually be nice, help me blow off some steam but I don’t want to end this shitty evening by getting run over.”
“You just want to go home?” Hendrix puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head. “Nah, you need a drink after all of that. Let me buy you something. Let all of us buy you something.”
“I don’t remember offering up my wallet,” Jesse notes dryly.
“Mine’s up for grabs,” Easton says.
Cade shrugs as if to say, why not?
I grin, feeling lighter. “Well, if you all insist…”
“I’m not insisting,” Jesse protests. “But I agree with Hendrix you do deserve a damn stiff drink after that bullshit.”
Hendrix offers me his arm. “Come on, little lady, let’s get a move on,” he drawls, exaggerating his rough n’ ready voice to sound like a stereotypical cowboy.
I laugh and take his arm. “Such a gentleman.”
“I always am.”
That’s Hendrix’s problem. He is a gentleman. And a flirt. It’s how he gets all the women.
There are a few main restaurants that everyone goes to and treats as the usual watering holes: a steakhouse, a Mexican place, and an Italian place. If you want something else, you need to go out to Denver, so good luck if you have a craving for sushi.
When it comes to bars, however, you’re never really out of luck.
The one the men take me to looks like a small white cinderblock building, tiny windows, just one bare room. It’s the place we would all go as teenagers because nobody carded you at the door. I grin as we step inside, and we’re hit by a wall of heat and noise.
There’s a jukebox, and a couple pool tables, and various tall, elbow-height tables for putting your drink down. It’s packed, as usual. I’ve never been here when it’s not packed.
“What do you want?” Hendrix asks, his hand at the small of my back and his head bent low so we can speak above the noise.
“A rum and coke,” I say. “Please?”
Hendrix winks at me and shoulders his way to the bar.
In a crowd like this, I’d get swallowed up, but with three large, strong men around me, I have a veritable entourage as we make our way through and grab one of the few rickety tables you can sit down at.
I end up sitting in between Easton and Cade, half on Easton’s lap, just so that we can all fit around the table. It makes my heart race, but I don’t feel uncomfortable. In fact I feel safe.
Hendrix brings me my drink, along with some beers for the men, then leans in on the table with his elbows. He has a conspiratorial air about him. “All right. I’ve gotta know. Where the hell did you meet that guy?”
I burst out laughing. Out of all questions I thought I’d get, that wasn’t it. “At a work party.”
All four Alphas boo. I laugh. “He was charming! Or I thought he was at the time!”
“The man smelled like Wall Street,” Jesse says.
“He smelled fine.”
“A ringing endorsement,” Hendrix points out. “Just what every Alpha wants to hear from his girlfriend.”
I wince, but I suppose it’s true. Honestly, the smells of these four Alphas give me so much more than William’s smell ever did. Being surrounded by the four of them, and the heady mix of their scents, has me feeling almost dizzy but in a good way. Like we’re in a bubble away from the rest of the world.
“I guess I just thought he was successful and sophisticated.” I don’t know how to add, and that’s how I wanted to be.
It’s like Easton can read my mind, because he says quietly, in that soft tone of his, “You’re plenty sophisticated without him.”
I stare at him. “You really mean that?”
I don’t want to sound small and young and vulnerable, but I can’t help it after the night I’ve had.
Easton looks at the other three like I just spoke French. Hendrix grins. “You’ve always been sophisticated, Grace. Just ’cause you’re from a small town doesn’t mean you have the quaint vibe. I bet you fit right in, in the big city.”
“You’ll make me blush,” I say dryly, even though I really do feel a flush creeping up my neck. “And here I thought we were shaming me for leaving?”
“No, we moved on,” Jesse says. “Now we’re shaming you for picking that guy, of all the Alphas out there.”
“Well, I suppose that’s a slight improvement.”
“We appreciate the growth,” Jesse says, deadpan.
“And I appreciate the honest feedback,” I shoot back, just as deadpan.
“Seriously, why did he rent that car?” Hendrix muses. “It was way too fancy for the area. Did it even have four-wheel drive?”
“He insisted.”
“Of course he did. He insisted on everything his way, didn’t he?”
“Don’t most Alphas?”
“Hey now!” Hendrix puts his hands up in a placating gesture, grinning at me. “Don’t stereotype!”
I laugh. Maybe it’s the bit of alcohol, although one drink isn’t enough to give me anything other than a bit of a relaxed buzz, or maybe it’s just the insanity of the night, but I can’t stop laughing.
Maybe it’s just that these four really are that funny. Or, well, three. Cade still hasn’t spoken. Not surprising.
“Can I get another drink?” I ask Hendrix.
He eyes me carefully. “Maybe just one more.”
“Are you calling me a lightweight?”
“I’m saying that you’ve had an upsetting night, and you weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet.” Hendrix doesn’t sound condescending, just genuinely concerned. “You don’t want to drink your troubles away, trust me.”
“I’m not,” I promise him. “I mean it. I’d just like one more.”
“One more.”
“Yes, Dad .”
Hendrix rolls his eyes and gets up from the bar. When he comes back, he has another drink, and a glass of water.
I glare at him. “I know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
I roll my eyes at him but I do drink the water, then the alcohol. It’s been forever since I had anything to drink other than wine. I grimace. “That’s the other thing.”
“The alcohol here isn’t that bad,” Jesse teases.
“No, no, it’s not the drink. It’s fucking William. ”
“Fucking William,” Easton and Jesse chorus in amusement and agreement, raising their beers.
“We only ever drank wine. He was such a snob about it. And don’t get me wrong, wine tastes good, but it doesn’t taste five hundred dollars good! It’s all a scam!”
“Oh, this is adorable,” Hendrix says under his breath.
I go to kick him, but Jesse yelps ow instead, so I think I accidentally got him. “Sorry.”
Someone puts a familiar country song on the jukebox and several people cheer and start dancing. I laugh. “I forgot that people did that here.”
“You seem to have forgotten a lot,” Jesse notes.
I want to say something smart and snappy at him, but I’m scared that he’s right. “I think I wanted to forget.”
Jesse looks like he isn’t sure what to say to that. He glances away, something dark and unreadable in his eyes. I swallow hard.
Another song is put on the jukebox and people cheer again. I grin, watching the dancers. I used to do a lot of dancing when I was here as a teen, sneaking in. I did more dancing than drinking honestly. It was all about being in the crowd of people for me. I didn’t need alcohol to feel alive and to let go.
“You know what? I like this song.” I down the rest of my drink. “I’m going to dance. Who’s with me?”
“Uh…” Jesse looks panicked.
“Not you. I wouldn’t dance with you anyway.” I wave my hand, then point at Hendrix. “You.”
“I feel like I’ve been drafted into the army,” Hendrix jokes, but he gets up.
I push my way over Easton’s lap to get out. He’s stiff but I try to ignore it. I get that these four still haven’t exactly warmed to me even if they’re trying to be kind in the face of my heartbreak. Hendrix politely offers his hand to me and helps me.
“Come on.” I tug him out onto the space that’s unofficially the dance floor to join the others.
There really isn’t a ton of space in here, although there’s more than you’d think looking at it from the outside. Hendrix keeps me close, twirling me and spinning me around. I stumble over his feet a little, but he doesn’t seem to mind at all.
I haven’t laughed this long in ages.
“Easton!” I call when the song ends, sticking my hand out. “My hero! Come on!”
Easton looks alarmed. Jesse laughs and Hendrix lets go of me to grab him. “Come on, you saved her honor by beating up the car, you earned a dance.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Easton says, but he’s smiling as he takes my hand and lets me tug him out onto the dance floor.
“I never kid about something as serious as tipsy dancing,” I inform him.
“Clearly.” Easton spins me around. “All right, let’s find out if this princess still knows her proper dance moves.”
“Princess?” I scoff. “I’ve only been away from home for a few years.”
“You were a princess before then too.”
“Oh, you’re so on.” I grab him and tug hard, causing both of us to stumble, but then we’re off.
Hendrix and Easton are both good dancers. I have fun keeping up with Easton. He knows his moves, not something I would’ve really expected from him. It’s a pleasant surprise. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be passed back and forth between them, to be spun from Hendrix to Easton and back again, dancing with them both in turn.
It’s a silly thought, and I immediately feel bad for thinking it. The song ends and I pull away.
Easton doesn’t seem fazed or to even notice my weird moment. He just looks over at Jesse. “All right, man, I need to finish my beer. Your turn.”
“What?” Jesse shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” I splutter. I’m not going to make him spend more time with me than he has to. It’s kind of him to stick around and put up with me because Hendrix and Easton are feeling gentlemanly but I don’t want to push it.
“Oh, absolutely not,” Hendrix insists. “Come on, Jesse, don’t be a coward.”
“Coward?” Jesse growls at him.
“You’re worried that you won’t be able to dance like we do, we get it, you’ve always had two left feet—”
“For fuck’s sake.” Jesse cuts him off and gets onto his feet. He holds his hand out to me. “All right, let’s show ’em how it’s done, shall we?”
I have the feeling I’m in for it, but I take his hand anyway.
Boy, was I right.
Jesse whirls me across the dance floor, so fast that I’m dizzy, but I don’t care. I whoop delightedly, determined to keep up with him and show him just how well I can follow along. I’m not going to be bested by Jesse Stone of all people.
“Damn, okay,” Jesse says with a laugh as the song ends. “You can keep up better than most.”
“I think that’s the first nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“I say nice things to you when you deserve them.”
“Wow, with lines like that, I’m shocked you’re still single.”
Jesse raises his eyebrows and I feel my face heat up. I’m talking a big game for someone who just had to break up with her boyfriend for cheating on her. It’s the low-hanging fruit, but it’s also the cruel fruit, and I’m both surprised and not when Jesse doesn’t take it.
Surprised, because he hates me. Not surprised, because he might hate me, but Jesse isn’t that kind of asshole.
I remember how smug William would be when a colleague would make a mistake or fail in something. It hadn’t quite sat right with me, but I hadn’t really put much thought into it. Maybe I should have. Maybe I should’ve seen the warning signs…
I cut off that train of thought. There’s no use in going down that road.
Jesse frowns. “You okay there?”
“You spun me a lot,” I say, fumbling for an excuse.
“Here, let’s get you back to the table.” Jesse puts his hand on the small of my back. I try to ignore the fissure of heat that shivers up my spine at the touch. It’s natural in a crowd like this, especially when I’m on the small side.
It still makes a flush rise to my cheeks, even though it shouldn’t.
“Your turn, Cade,” Jesse announces cheerfully.
Hendrix and Easton burst out laughing. I frown at them. “What’s so funny?”
“Cade never dances,” Hendrix explains.
I drape myself over the table, being overly dramatic for the joke. It gives me a distraction from the way I nearly made an idiot of myself, anyway. “Aww, Cade! What a spoilsport!”
“We all went, Cade,” Jesse agrees, grinning at him.
I expect Cade will grunt out some excuse. If the others say he never dances, then I believe them. Dancing doesn’t really seem like Cade’s thing, and stubbornness sure is.
But instead, to my surprise, he steps up and pulls me into his arms.