Chapter 15
Malachi
It warmed my soul to see Gracie moving so freely around the kitchen. I loved seeing her like this, in her element and happy. I couldn’t believe I’d told her the truth about my father. She knew my shame and stayed. She comforted me and softened the edges of my pain. I was in awe of her.
After speaking the truth aloud, everything came out into the open.
I felt ill, but Gracie had altered something within me.
I’d talked about my leg and what happened to our unit with the team therapist, Cal, but never about my past. After opening those wounds with Gracie, I realized I might need to share more with Calloway.
My father was a trigger for me, and I needed to stay on top of my PTSD to avoid any further setbacks.
I wouldn’t risk hurting my Wildflower.
Ev and Gramps came over to settle on the bar stools beside me at the kitchen counter.
“You okay?” Ev asked, not looking at me.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“She’s good for you,” Gramps said.
“Yeah, you seem, I don’t know, calmer, more centered with her around,” Ev added.
I glanced at Ev out of the corner of my eye. He was watching Gracie move around the kitchen as she mixed something in a bowl by the stove.
“She’s the only one I’ve ever wanted,” I declared, feeling the truth of my statement in my bones.
It had always been Gracie. No one else made me feel the way she did.
This burning need to be near her, to soak up her presence every chance I got, had only grown with our time apart.
I couldn’t get enough of her, and I hoped like hell I wouldn’t lose her again.
Before we could say more, Maisie came strolling in and stopped dead in her tracks.
“What’s going on here?” she asked, her gaze assessing.
“Hey, Maze,” Gracie greeted her with a little wave.
“Please tell me these men didn’t ask you to cook.” Maisie was feisty on a good day, and the fire in her voice was evident.
“Watch your tone, young lady,” Gramps scolded.
“Sorry, Gramps.” Maisie bounded over to kiss Gramps on the cheek, giggling and completely unrepentant.
“Oh, no. I offered. I love to cook and haven’t had many chances lately,” Gracie mentioned as she picked at her cuticles.
“Well, good. These men know how to feed themselves and should know better than to expect a woman to stay in the kitchen.” Maisie raised her dark eyebrows at her father.
“Cut it out, brat. I cook way more than you do, so quit the theatrics,” Ev fussed as he rolled his eyes. Maisie had always been a handful, and I didn’t envy the stress Ev had to face raising her all by himself.
“It’s ‘cause you love me!” She leaned over and gave her dad a side hug before going over to inspect Gracie’s cooking. “What are you cooking? I feel like I should ask if you need help, but I really don’t want to.”
“Maisie Elizabeth Garrison, that’s enough,” Ev said sternly.
“Ooh, full naming me!” she exclaimed with a mock gasp. “I was just being honest.”
“It’s no problem,” Gracie chuckled as she bumped her hip into Maisie’s. “I’m happy to give you a break, and so far, I don’t need any help.”
“See!” She glared at Ev and poked her tongue out.
“Maisie Beth, you know better than to behave like that in my house,” Gramps chided with little force, totally used to her antics.
“Come on, Gramps. I’m a young, independent woman who doesn’t need to be locked in the kitchen.
Grace gets it, don’t you?” she asked as she tried to hug Gracie but knocked the whisk from the bowl.
“Oops, sorry.” She hurried to pick up the whisk and dropped it in the sink before grabbing paper towels to clean up.
“Maisie, get out of the kitchen!” Gramps raised his voice, clearly exasperated.
I’d watched the whole scene unfold with my usual fondness for this family, who had welcomed me with open arms. But now, my Gracie was frozen, staring at the mess Maze was wiping up. I grabbed my crutches and quickly went to her side.
“Grace,” I whispered, afraid of startling her again.
“Gracie,” I tried again, hating how still she was.
Her chest was rising and falling at a rapid rate.
I slowly reached out, telegraphing my movements as best I could, to gently touch her shoulder.
Her gaze snapped to mine, her eyes looking haunted. “Are you okay?”
“I…ah…” She turned and dropped the bowl on the counter with a loud clang, causing more to splash out and onto the bench. “I need a minute.” She glanced at Gramps and Ev, who were watching with worried looks on their faces. “Bathroom?”
“Down the hall, second door on the left,” Gramps said, and Gracie all but fled from the room.
Well, shit. I thumped my crutch on the ground in frustration.
“What was that?” Gramps asked, confused. He didn’t know her story or even how we’d met, so he was unaware of her trauma.
“I need to check on her.” I turned to leave and follow Gracie, but Maze stopped me in my tracks.
“Let me. Maybe fill Gramps in a little before we get back.” She raised her eyebrows imploringly at me. “Gracie reacted to his raised voice,” she uttered the last part so only I could hear. How had I missed that?
I choked out an “Okay” and watched Maise leave the kitchen.
“Is she okay?” Gramps asked as he glanced between me and Ev.
“Her husband abused her, and I think much of it happened in the kitchen,” I mumbled, hating everything that had happened to her. “I knew her when I was young, but we met again when she attended one of my self-defense classes.”
“She has a husband?” Gramps asked as he shot me a look. “He’s no good. You’re much better,” he added, making Ev and me chuckle, lessening the tension.
“Thanks, Gramps. I think I am better, but you should know, her husband…he’s my brother and an evil son of a bitch.”
Gramps’ eyes widened in surprise as his body froze with tension, but he recovered quickly. “Clearly, you’re the better brother.” His gaze flicked to Ev before looking back at me. “We all have darkness within our family trees that needs to be cut out.”
Ev stiffened as the words sat heavy in the air around us.
“I’m so sorry about that,” Gracie announced as she and Maze wandered back in.
She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. It was as easy as breathing to envelop her.
“So, what’s going on here?” Maisie asked curiously, pointing between me and Gracie.
“Ah, I’m…we’re…” Gracie fumbled through her response as she blushed and glanced up at me.
“Gracie’s with me now, so you’ll see her around a lot more if I have my way.” I winked at Grace, enjoying her cheeks flushing yet again.
“Wait, hold up.” Maisie’s eyebrows disappeared into her dark, wavy fringe as she gaped at me. “You, Mal, the elusive, uninterested Radar, has a… girlfriend?”
“Yep,” I said without hesitation, beaming at her shock.
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” she remarked, awe clear in her voice, and I was right there with her.
Gracie turned away from us as her face flamed. She went back to her bowl by the stove and grabbed a clean whisk on the way. I loved how flustered she got when I expressed how deeply and openly I cared for her.
“So, what are you making?” Maisie asked, changing the subject.
“Oh, I thought I’d make biscuits and gravy, collard greens, and some country-fried steaks.” Gracie glanced at each of us. “Does that sound okay? Does everyone eat meat?”
“That sounds great! And this is a working cattle ranch, so yes, everyone here eats meat.” Maisie rolled her eyes. “Although Hunter’s allergic to shellfish. Other than that, I don’t think there are any allergies, right, Dad?”
“Walker’s lactose intolerant but not allergic, so butter is fine, but you’ll need to go light on the cream and other dairy products if you can.
If it’s a problem, he has other meals he can have.
” Ev rubbed at his beard and continued at the puzzled look on Gracie’s face.
“We have a selection of ready-made meals anyone can grab if they’re in a rush.
We prefer everyone to have something rather than skipping a meal to finish work. ”
“My dad, always taking care of the team.” Maisie gave her dad a rough side hug. It was true; Everett had taken care of every one of us, individually and as a team. He made sure we were all okay and supported as we each recovered.
“May-May!” We all turned at the sound of Everly’s sweet voice and pounding footsteps as she launched herself at her cousin. “Guess what Daddy and I found? Wolf tracks! They must have big feet cause their paw prints were huge!”
Ev, Gramps, and Ollie shared a serious look. We had to watch out for wolves and ensure they didn’t interfere with the livestock or build their dens too close to the property and become a hazard to guests.
“It looks like a new pack.” Ollie nodded grimly, fiddling with his thick mustache. “We might need to assess the eastern paddocks and bring the cattle downhill.”
“Keep an eye on the tracks, and I’ll get the crew out there tomorrow,” Gramps said.
“Can I come, Gramps? I wanna see the wolfies. Pleeease?” Everly asked, her eyes shining with excitement as she bounced in Maisie’s arms.
“Not this time, squirt.” Gramps ruffled her warm brown hair. “Don’t you have a riding lesson with Uncle Oak tomorrow?”
“Oh, yes! He’s gonna let me go fast.” She glanced around, looking at everyone in the kitchen and taking in Gracie for the first time. “Who are you?”
“I’m Grace,” she added with a soft smile.
I held out my hand for Gracie to take, and when she placed her soft hand in mine, my heart skipped a beat.
“Everly, this is my girlfriend, Grace. You’re going to see her around a bit more.
She’s even making everyone dinner tonight,” I said, adding excitement to my voice, hoping Ever would accept her.
Her dark blue eyes, so like her father’s, looked Gracie up and down before wriggling out of Maisie’s hold and racing around the kitchen counter.
“Your hair is so pretty! It looks like the fire when we roast marshmallows,” she added, beaming up at Grace.
Gracie crouched down to Everly’s level. “Thank you, sweetheart. I like your hair, too. Your braids are very pretty.” She twirled the end of one around her finger. “Your hair is so long. It must take a long time to brush it.”
“Oh, it does. It’s almost to my butt.” She turned around and tried to pull on one of her pigtail braids from behind her back so she could show how long they were.
“Everly, language,” Ollie chided.
“What’s wrong with butt, Daddy? You have a butt, I have a butt, everyone has a butt. Butt’s not a bad word.” She was so cute I couldn’t help the chuckle that burst out of me as Ollie shot me an exasperated glare.
“What? She’s got a point.” I shrugged. “More power to you if you can argue with the logic of a three-year-old.”
“I’m almost four, La-La, don’t forget.” She turned to face me, her hands firmly on her hips as she glared up at me.
“I would never forget, squirt,” I said, tugging on one of her pigtails.
“La-La?” Gracie asked with a snort.
“She didn’t like how long Malachi was, and I play the guitar when we sit around the fire pit, so she dubbed me La-La the first week we got back,” I explained to Grace, as she smirked at me, so many emotions swirling in her gaze.
“Musical La-La. I like it,” she added before going back to her cooking.
Everly had everyone on the ranch wrapped around her little finger. She was as cute as a button and a chatterbox, always ready to tell a story or ask a question. I’d never known a more inquisitive kid.
Poor Ollie had been thrown in the deep end with her.
She’d resulted from a one-night stand during leave and was dropped on the ranch’s doorstep by her mother without warning or any care to look back.
Ev and Gramps had had no choice but to take her in.
Ollie got the shock of his life when he’d called home before everything went to shit and been told he had a daughter.
Our superiors denied him leave to meet her, and it was hard to see the stoic and sensible man unable to step up.
But he was here now, and his world revolved around Everly.
He’d been building a relationship with her for the last eighteen months, and thankfully they were doing well.
Ollie’s ear damage and hearing issues had thrown us another curveball, but we’d all started learning American Sign Language as soon as we returned home, and Everly had picked it up like a fish to water.
The doctors advised us to start using it, even though Ollie didn’t use it all the time, because his loss was not repairable and would likely worsen.
He also got horrible headaches, persistent tinnitus, and when he had a hyperacusis episode, he couldn’t function at all.
It had been hard to see my friend, my brother—all my brothers—deal with their own trauma and struggles.
Everly had been a little ray of sunshine and joy for all of us.
As Grace worked, we sat, drank and chatted around the large dining table and various bar stools. The rest of our raucous crew filed in, and eventually we sat down to an enormous feast.
“Everything’s delicious, Grace. Thank you for cooking,” Ev said as he finished his second helping.
“It’s no trouble. Save room for dessert.” Her cheeks pinked as everyone turned to look at her.
“Dessert! I love sweets,” Everly exclaimed. “What is it?”
“Peach cobbler.” Turning to Ev she mentioned, “I hope you have ice cream. If not, I can whip some cream.”
“Oh, there’s ice cream. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine.” Maze piped in. “I’m willing to share it with this lot. This time,” she added with a glare around the table. “Maybe we should whip up some cream, anyway.”
With the large group of us, I’m not sure Maisie’s secret stash would be enough.
“Let me help you,” I uttered as I stood and offered Gracie a hand up before righting my crutches and following her into the kitchen.
“You are an amazing cook,” I commented as I ran my hand over her cheek when she stopped in front of the fridge.
“Thanks for this.” I nodded my head towards the guys who were all chatting animatedly.
We were our own type of family, and these men were my brothers.
I was so thankful that they all accepted Gracie and welcomed her with open arms.
“You’re welcome. This was nice. I love cooking, and being able to cook where it’s appreciated and enjoyed is all I’ve ever wanted. So, I should thank you. It feels like family here; you’re lucky to have found it.” She turned to open the fridge and pulled out a carton of cream to whip.
“I’m glad you feel that way. They can be your family too, you know. I hope you’ll be mine, too,” I whispered, wrapping her in my arms from behind and breathing her in. Hoping she could sense what I wasn’t saying but wanted so desperately to be true.
We had a long way to go and a few hard obstacles to overcome before that could become a reality, but I vowed to fight for her and our future every step of the way.