Chapter Eighteen
Grace
Zachary’s bed was the most comfortable place on the planet. When I woke up in the morning, I stretched my arms, shaking my ass against the mattress. It was fluffy but still firm. I’d had the best night’s sleep in forever.
I looked sideways, expecting to find Zachary in a very deep sleep, but the man wasn’t there at all. His blankets were all off the bed. But then again, my side was sheetless too.
It had gotten really hot in the evening, especially after our sexy activities, and we’d thrown the covers off. I sat up, glancing around with a grin. We’d pulled the sheet off at both corners. I smiled, thinking how at peace I felt. Completely the opposite to how I’d felt back at the ranch, when I’d been extremely nervous. I wondered why there was a difference. Was it because of the way he’d treated me back at the bar? He’d been so patient with me and seemed genuinely interested in knowing why I was uncomfortable.
Zachary was different from any man I’d ever dated. He wasn’t controlling or trying to overpower me. He actually cared about me, and that meant so much to me that I couldn’t even explain. Lais was right. I needed to get out more often, but she was right about Zachary too. He really was special.
Even though I loved the bed, I wanted to find out where he’d gone. I got up and grabbed the towel I’d laid out on the armchair in the corner after drying myself following my shower last night. It was still a bit damp, but it would do. I covered myself up.
I walked carefully down the steps, realizing music was blasting through the house. Zachary loved jazz—what a pleasant surprise. There were certain local things I loved to the moon and back, and jazz was one of them.
Downstairs, I spotted him leaning against the kitchen island. He was talking on the phone.
“Sure. Just let me know when you want to watch it, and we’ll do it. Yeah. You know me, I’m at your service. Yes. Of course I’ll bring beignets for my favorite girl.”
My chest tightened. Holy shit. My girl? No, no, no . I put a hand on my throat, swallowing hard, but I was having a bit of trouble breathing. My next intake of breath was audible.
Zachary glanced at me. “I’ll call you back later, okay?” As soon as he lowered his phone, he rushed to me.
“Grace, are you okay?” He tried to touch my arm, but I stepped back. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“On the phone, who was that?” I knew I sounded accusing, but I couldn’t help it. I was distraught thinking he had another woman.
“What?”
“Who were you talking to?” I wanted him to answer quickly so he wouldn’t have time to make anything up.
“That was Bella. She finally got Chad to approve of her watching Goblet of Fire and is now trying to find a day for us to actually watch it before he changes his mind.”
No one could come up with that on the spot. It was impossible. Finally I was able to breathe properly.
“Right!” My shoulders slumped. My whole body seemed to unwind and relax. When had all my muscles knotted up? Zachary owed me nothing. We weren’t exclusive. My behavior wasn’t warranted, and I started feeling embarrassed at my actions. “I’m so, so sorry.”
He was still frowning. “What just happened?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I just came in here and...”
“Heard me talking on the phone, and you assumed what?”
I closed my eyes for a beat and then opened them again. “I didn’t think you were talking to your niece.”
“You thought I’d be making plans with another woman while you’re still in my house?”
“When you put it like that, it sounds callous.”
“It would be callous,” he said in a strong voice, “and not something I’d ever do.”
“I know. Ignore me. You don’t owe me anything, I’m not sure why I’m acting like this.” Oh God. I was full-on embarrassed right now.
“Grace, don’t. You jumped to conclusions for a reason, and I don’t like it.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “It was the first thing that came to mind. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to offend you, but I don’t know you that well, do I?”
Zachary’s frown melted. Instead, he flashed me a very seductive smile. “That’s right, you don’t. But we’ll change that.”
“How?”
“First things first, let’s head out and grab breakfast.”
I rubbed my eyes. “I’m not exactly dressed for breakfast. My dress is a dead giveaway that it’s a... you know... morning-after kind of thing.”
“So? I’ll be right there with you. Everyone will know you’ve been with me.” He came closer. “That you’re mine. They won’t know exactly what I did to you.”
I blushed. “I hope not, but they’ll imagine. Don’t you have any breakfast food in the fridge?”
“I don’t have anything in the fridge. Period.”
That couldn’t possibly be true. He had one of those double-door monsters.
“Really? You don’t cook at all?”
“I can cook. I choose not to. I eat a lot of takeout. And I go down to LeBlanc & Broussard’s fairly often when I’m at the office or have stuff sent up.”
“You’ve just described my life for the past year. Although, I do enjoy cooking.” My stomach took that exact moment to grumble. “Damn, I am hungry. I’ll go put my clothes on. Have to say, that dress looks good, but it’s not very comfortable.”
“Then let’s head to your place. You can change into something else, and then we can find somewhere to go on your side of town.”
“Ooooh, there’s a bakery with the best bagels next to my building,” I told him.
“Perfect. Do you have other plans for today?”
“Yes. I’m going to drop by my parents’ house later.”
“Are they out of the city today?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. They’re in the Garden District, but I don’t have a set hour when I’ll stop by.”
He grinned. “That means you’re mine for the foreseeable future.”
***
The drive from Lakeview to the Warehouse District didn’t take long on a Saturday morning. Zachary came up with me to the apartment. I couldn’t help remembering the last time he was here. God, I’d been such a mess. But looking back, it was also the moment when my feelings had changed. Possibly because I owed him my life.
I changed in record time, not wanting to waste a minute I had with Zachary. He was different in a good way, and I wanted to learn more about him.
“I’m ready,” I exclaimed when I rejoined him in my living room, twirling around for him to get the full view.
“Fuck, you look so beautiful. It makes me want to just keep you here.”
“Careful, or I’ll think you have no intention of being with me in public,” I teased.
He cleared his throat. His eyes were feral.
“I can pounce on you out there too.” He wiggled his eyebrows, then gestured to the street. “If that’s your thing.”
I gasped. “It’s definitely not.”
He laughed, taking my hand as we left the apartment. My bagel place was just one block away, and as usual, it was crowded. During the week, it was packed at eight o’clock in the morning, but on a weekend, it was just as busy at ten.
“Is this place that good?” Zachary asked. “I see another bagel place up there.”
“It’s like drinking Sazerac anywhere but the Lucky Bar,” I explained to him.
“Fair point.”
“What are you doing today?” I asked.
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Watching Goblet of Fire with Bella and whoever else from the family she managed to coerce.”
“What do you mean by ‘coerce’? It’s one of the best movies.”
He whistled. “I’m glad you think so. I think Order of the Phoenix is my favorite one.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe we’re two adults talking about Harry Potter.”
Zachary shrugged. “Why not? We practically grew up with it.”
“So, you’re going to your brother’s house?”
“Yeah, in the Marigny. That’s where he lives with Bella, his fiancée Scarlett, and their baby Simone.”
“Fiancée?” I asked as we finally stepped inside once a huge group had left after getting their bagels.
“He was married to Bella’s mom, but they divorced years ago. He was single for a long while, but now he’s very happy with Scarlett. But in those years when he was single, the family got to spend a lot of time with Bella. These days, we hang with Bella and Simone when he and Scarlett go out for a date night.”
“I like that the whole family is involved,” I said.
Our turn came quickly.
“We’ll have the Three Favorites and two coffees,” I said as I looked at Zachary. “Trust me.”
“I do. Bagels are not my thing.”
I gaped at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. I take after Bella, or I guess Bella takes after me. I’m a beignet guy.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Never really got the hype around beignets.”
He cocked a brow. “Really?”
I shrugged. “Yep. Not my poison. Mine are these.”
The vendor sliced each of the three bagels in half before putting them in the carton. We grabbed it and our coffees and walked out, making space for others waiting in line—which had gotten longer.
There were a few tables in front of the bakery. No one was really sitting down because this was more of a take-out type of place, but Zachary and I snagged a table.
“The difference is in the toppings,” I explained. “Cocoa, walnut, and pistachio.”
“Pistachio cream cheese? All right. Not my favorite.”
“I thought so, too, but it’s actually really good.”
“Then I’ll start with that one,” Zachary said. “That’s how much I trust you.”
I handed him the one he’d requested, and he took a bite.
“Not bad,” he said, but clearly he wasn’t impressed.
I, on the other hand, savored mine in very small bites. I only drank my coffee after eating so as not to spoil the taste.
“My favorite treat,” I murmured.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I glanced at the time on my phone. “Hmm, I wonder if Mom would like me to drop by for lunch.”
He frowned. “I was banking on more time with you.”
“Oh, okay.” I smiled, but suddenly, I was feeling a bit nervous. Now that we didn’t have any food to share, I wasn’t sure what we wanted to do.
“What do you typically do on Saturdays?” I asked him.
“It depends. I sometimes go with my grandfathers out in the bayou to fish. Although, I’ve been skipping that lately, probably because my dad’s been offering to go.”
“Everyone in your family like to fish?”
“No, just the grandfathers. The rest of us take turns going so we can keep an eye on them. The conversation with them is always good. Other times, I just hook up with some friends and play tennis. But they didn’t arrange anything for this weekend. Even the most expensive tennis courts are booked into the next century.”
“Playing tennis in this heat,” I said, shuddering.
Zachary touched my leg under the table. “Only very early in the mornings.”
“Define very early.”
“Seven o’clock.”
I practically felt my jaw drop. “On a Saturday?”
“I know. I can sacrifice some sleep for tennis.”
He shifted in his chair, and I didn’t realize what he was doing until he moved next to me. Feeling the warmth of his body was enough to make me happy. How surreal was that?
“I only sacrifice sleep for work,” I said.
“Tell me about it.” He interlaced our fingers like it was nothing at all. I sighed at the gesture. “What made you choose that industry?”
“I’ve always been a cosmetics freak. These past few years, I started being more mindful about the ingredients. And when I couldn’t find what I wanted, I started making some of my own. My husband used to make fun of me, that I have all that money and yet I’m wasting my time putting together creams like some simpleton.”
Zachary groaned. “Fucking hell.”
I looked up. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep bringing him up. I don’t think about him that often, I promise. It’s just...”
“You do what you need to, Grace. I’m not judging you. He sounds like an asshole.”
Those simple words put me at ease. Why was I so used to everyone judging me? Maybe because whenever I brought Roger up around Lais, she insisted that I should just never mention him again. My parents kind of did the same. I knew everyone did it out of love and because they wanted to see me happy, but I appreciated Zachary allowing me leeway.
“Well, you’re right about that. But I’d been toying with the idea of starting the business even during my marriage. The problem was, it caused a huge fight every time I brought it up.”
“He wanted you barefoot and dependent on him. And let me guess, it pissed him off that you were independent because you had your own money.”
“Yes, exactly. How can you tell? It took me so long to see it.”
“I think,” Zachary said, slowly caressing the back of my head with his thumb, “that it’s sometimes easier to see things objectively when you’re not in that situation.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I waited until the divorce was final, so it didn’t get to be a part of our asset divisions. But once I was free, I put all my resources and time into it.”
“You financed it yourself?”
“Part of it, but I also needed investments. Banks weren’t keen on loans. I found some investors. It was hard work because the Deveraux name isn’t really popular nowadays.”
“I’d say I’m sorry, but your brothers deserved it.”
I snorted. “No question about that. Honestly, not even my parents are holding a grudge against Xander. As far as we know, he’s the one who did all the legwork.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Dad says it’s a good thing he ousted them or else my brothers would’ve probably sunk the company altogether. Can’t believe they would just throw away our family’s legacy like that.”
He frowned. “But it made things difficult for you. We made things difficult for you.”
I shook my head. “The way I see it, my brothers are the ones who made it more difficult. Anyway, I got all the investment I needed. I don’t plan to expand for now, so I don’t need more capital. My ambition was to turn a profit as soon as possible. I don’t believe in endless expansion without seeing profit.”
“That’s smart.”
I felt something bloom in my chest at his words and realized how starved I was for praise. It wasn’t just that I wasn’t used to it. I simply didn’t expect it at all, especially from a man who I was dating. It seemed completely foreign to me compared to what I’d experienced.
“Thanks. And it took four months for us to break even.”
“Grace, that’s really impressive. I bet investors lined up at the door after that.”
I nodded proudly. “They did. Even those who turned me away. They insisted that if I was ever looking to expand, they were open to negotiate with me. But for now, I keep working with those who invested from the beginning.”
“I like your business savvy. You’re known for it. One of my grandmothers, Isabeau, mentioned it once.”
“Isabeau,” I said slowly. “Why does that sound familiar?”
“I think every man and his dog in New Orleans knows Isabeau LeBlanc.”
“Wait! I think she was the head of the cotillion the year I attended or something. She was on the committee at least.”
“She’s on a lot of committees, so that doesn’t surprise me. And she was in even more back then.”
“So, what did she say about me?”
“That she thinks you’re a good person. And that she heard your father’s company was growing profits by leaps and bounds when you were still involved in it.”
I pushed my hair back, nodding. “Yes. We had a few years of very high profits. It was always a point of contention between my brothers and me.”
“Why?”
“Because they wanted to take more money out of the company for, you know, personal reasons. But I was very strict with what had to be reinvested and so on. Because of those reinvestments, profits grew, and so did their frustration with me. They were so happy when I announced that I was leaving. A small part of me was relieved that I didn’t have to work with them anymore. I’d done it for so long for my dad, but...”
“I understand what you’re saying. I couldn’t imagine being at odds with my brothers and still working together. Was your mom involved in the company?” he asked.
“No. She does charity work. Your mom?”
“She was never part of the conglomerate. She opened her own gallery when she was in her twenties.”
“There’s no gallery named LeBlanc-Broussard...”
He flashed me a smile. “Mom is a bit of a rebel. She wanted to do things under a completely different name so people wouldn’t put two and two together.”
I grinned. “I like her. She came from a well-known family and married someone who also came from a well-known family, then decided to go rogue.”
“That’s Mom to a T. Even now, she mostly does her own thing. My grandmothers were involved in the company—they were chefs. Now they have a fragrance shop.”
“That’s so interesting. Where is it?”
“It’s called Fragrant Delights, on Dumaine.”
“Oh! I’ve passed it so many times. They make soaps and lotions too. I’ll drop by sometime. We could collaborate.”
“Just be careful,” he growled.
“With what?”
“My grandmothers, they... Well, they’re special.”
“In what way?”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. “That’s a conversation for another day.”
Then it dawned on me. “I wouldn’t tell them anything about this.”
“Grace!” Zachary leaned closer to me, raising our interlaced hands and kissing the back of mine. “If I know anything about my grandmothers, it’s that they’ll find out before I tell them. They always do. And I don’t mind. I want the whole world to know that we’re together.”
“Oh, okay.” I was melting inside. No man had ever cared about me in this way, and I loved it.
“I fucking love being seen out and about with you.” He lowered our hands before kissing me. It was slow but deep, and I was a goner. Goodness, I could kiss this man all day.
He kissed me until I shuddered, and then pulled back. I winced when my phone beeped.
“Let me check that. I think it might be my mom.” I glanced at the screen. “Yep, it is.”
Mom: I’ve got your favorite for lunch in case you can make it.
“She’s bribing me with lunch.” I glanced at the clock on the phone. “Oh my God. We’ve been here for more than an hour already.”
“And I enjoyed every second of it,” Zachary said.
“Me too.”
“I’ll drive you to your parents’ house.”
“I can take my own car... unless you’re going in that same direction.”
“I am.”
“Great. I’ll Uber back. No sense in driving separately.”
We headed back to his car, holding hands the whole way.
Half an hour later, we pulled in front of my parents’ house. Zachary came over to my side even though I’d already started to open the door. He pulled it open even wider as I stepped out. Then he closed it, looking down at me.
“I want to see you again, Grace.”
“I want to see you again as well,” I whispered.
“Good. Then that’s settled. Now, as to when—”
“Hi, Grace.”
“Oh!” Oh crap. My parents were on the porch. I hadn’t seen them.
Zachary stepped to one side. Mom and Dad were coming toward us. I instantly felt sixteen again.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”
“And who are you?” Dad asked Zachary without even as much as a hello.
“I’m Zachary LeBlanc, Mr. Deveraux.”
“LeBlanc.” Mom looked surprised. “Were you two at the ranch?”
Oh, that would be a good explanation... except it wasn’t true.
I cleared my throat. “No, we had breakfast.”
“For goodness’ sake,” Dad exclaimed. “This man was all over her, disrespecting her right in front of our house.”
I stared down at my feet, now feeling even younger.
“Clayton, you don’t have to be so explicit about things,” Mom admonished. “Let the kids do what they want.”
Dad cleared his throat. “No, I’m the head of this family.”
I snapped my head up, needed to quell this before it got out of hand. “Dad, that won’t work. I’m not sixteen. Zachary and I are dating. Please don’t make a big deal about it, and don’t embarrass me.”
I didn’t like to be short with my parents, especially not in front of others, but it had to be done.
Dad looked at me intently for a few seconds and then nodded. “Okay, but one of these days, you and I will have a chat,” he informed Zachary, who nodded right back.
“Sure. I can give you my number. You can call me and ask anything you want, sir.”
Dad just narrowed his eyes, which meant Zachary wasn’t in the clear. Then again, I considered it a victory that he’d stopped his tirade.
Zachary turned to me. “Grace, have a great weekend.”
“You too. Enjoy the movie.”
He winked at me before getting in the car. “Will do. It was great meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Deveraux.”
“Likewise,” Mom said, then turned to me the second he closed the door. “Oh, he’s a looker.”
I grinned. “I know.”
Dad hmphed.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Dad, stop being such a grump. Come on. Let’s all go inside.”
I interlaced my arms with both of theirs, and the three of us walked up the front porch and into the house. It smelled of jambalaya.
I inhaled deeply. “Oh, this brings back memories of when I was a kid.”
“Yes, I should tell Anne to make it more often,” Mom said.
“Grace, I’m sorry,” Dad apologized. “I didn’t want to put you on the spot in front of him. You know I don’t like to get involved in what you’re doing.”
“I know, Dad.”
“I just worry about you, baby girl, after your marriage. Roger turned out to be such a bastard.”
“He did. But Zachary is nothing like that.”
As we all went to the living room and sat down at the mahogany dining table, Dad asked, “What do you know about him? Last time we talked, you were telling us that he’s not a good person.”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I was wrong about that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I find it hard to believe that you changed your mind so fast. Did he coerce you into something?”
“Do you have to believe the worst of everyone?” Mom asked.
“Darling, you know I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but when it comes to our daughter’s happiness, I’m not taking any more chances.”
I loved my parents to the moon and back, but sometimes Dad could be overprotective.
“I misjudged him in the beginning. And, based on my past experience with men, I jumped to conclusions. But he’s a really good person. He’s good to me,” I emphasized, and that seemed to take the wind out of Dad’s sails.
“One more question.”
“Clayton, really?” Mom chastised.
“Just one. You sure this isn’t some LeBlanc vendetta against us Deverauxes?”
That took me by surprise. “Dad, of course not. You said it yourself, you don’t hold a grudge over them.”
“I know, but it’s a bit weird that Xander LeBlanc exposed your brothers, and now you’re dating this Zachary.”
I liked how he said “this Zachary,” like he still hadn’t decided whether to like him or not.
“The two things aren’t related. If anything, Zachary was very cautious with me in the beginning precisely because of my brothers and everything that’s happened.”
“All right. Well”—he looked at Mom, and I could practically see him softening under her gaze—“if you think it’s the right thing, then of course we’re happy for you. So, are things moving forward with the horse ranch in any way?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t heard from the owners since I went there last week.”
“Honey, are you sure you want to do it at all? I mean, you really do work a lot,” Mom said as Anna brought three portions of jambalaya.
I grinned. “Thanks, Anna. It smells delicious as usual.”
“Of course. I knew you were coming today, so I asked your mom if I could make your favorite,” she said.
I pressed my lips together so as not to laugh. I had been surprised when Mom said she’d made my favorite, just because it wasn’t the type of thing she remembered. But of course, Anna had actually remembered it. Mom was very blasé about Anna blowing her cover.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
Anna scurried back out of the room. Even though my parents had asked her time and again to sit with us and eat, she said she didn’t like to interrupt our family time.
I turned my attention to my parents. “I wouldn’t have to do a lot,” I admitted, “because the owners are very hands-on. It’s something dear to my heart. Animal therapy helped me a lot when I went through the divorce. That’s why I’d like to invest in something that I know would help others.”
Mom looked at me with soft eyes. “You’ve always had a great heart.”
“By the way,” I said, “do you know Isabeau of the LeBlanc-Broussard clan?”
Dad looked up. “Of course. Everyone knows her. And Celine, too, though Isabeau is always a bit...”
“Harder to overlook,” Mom said. “Why?”
“I heard they have a store in the Quarter with natural handmade fragrances and soaps, creams, and so on. I was thinking about maybe paying them a visit, see if there’s a way we could work together.”
“That would be a smart way to restore a bit of credibility to the Deveraux name in the Quarter,” Dad said.
“That didn’t occur to me.” It was the first time I realized how important this was for him. He wanted to fix the family name in any way he could, and this collaboration would help a great deal.
“Darling,” Mom cut in, “it’s not Grace’s responsibility to repair what our sons did wrong.”
“No, no, of course not,” Dad said. “It was just a thought.”
I decided to change the subject. “So, tell me what you two have been up to.”
My parents had an amazing social life. Even though they didn’t attend as many events as they used to, they filled their time with a lot of activities such as visiting art museums and so on. I wanted to know every detail, and they were more than happy to oblige.