Chapter Thirty-Three
“Sometimes doing the right thing is hard…doing the best thing for you can feel damn near impossible.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.
Gracie stood just outside the front door of Buck’s at half past ten that night. It had taken her longer than she expected to get Pip to sleep, and she’d been loath to leave until she was sure she was out cold. She was in a hurry, as unromantic as that might be, and the big lug blocking her entry was not helping matters.
“Grant, so help me GOD, if you do not let me pass, I will make you sorrier than any man has ever been!”
Grant leaned back against the wall and turned the lower half of his body away from the possible danger. “He’s working. You can see himtomorrowwhen the mere sight of you isn’t going to send him drowning in a full bottle of tequila.”
“I am not going to upset him—”
“Upset him? You broke his damn heart, and I’m not letting you do it again.”
Gracie knew Grant’s concern was coming from a place of love, but her patience had reached its breaking point. “I’m not going to hurt him! My plan is to make him ecstatically happy! Now get out of my way.”
When he still didn’t budge, she had no choice. Gracie kicked Grant in the shin with her pointy boots, and he grabbed his shin with a yelp.
“You are a menace!” Grant reached for her, and she ducked under his arms. He lost his balance and fell on his face in the snow. She took the opportunity to run through the doorway. She searched the bar for Eric and saw no sign. Her eyes caught the stage, where Bobby Lassiter’s band was performing. Gracie grinned and started forward, only to be grabbed from behind.
“I told you, you can talk to himtomorrow. He’s had a rough night, with people giving him shit about that book he wrote, so—”
Gracie struggled, kicking and swinging her arms as he effortlessly held her off the floor. “Dammit, Grant, if you don’t let me inside, I’m going to make sure you never father children!”
* * *
Eric was in a surprisingly good mood considering several ladies had hit him with their oversized purses. He was also pretty sure Mrs. Andrews had thrown an apple at him in the grocery store, but still, he was downright chipper. Because the people that mattered, his family and friends, had all rallied behind what he’d done. They were proud.
He was just waiting on one more person to show up.
Eric opened the storeroom door in time to hear Gracie’s angry shout. He rushed out and found Grant with his arms around Gracie, holding the fire-breathing wildcat off the ground.
“Grant, let her go.”
Gracie saw him and, after shooting him a wide grin, elbowed his brother in the stomach
“Ow, dammit!” He dropped his arms from around Gracie and stepped away from her, glaring. “You’re evil!”
She pushed her wild hair out of her face to reveal a dark scowl. “Next time a woman says to let her go, maybe you should listen.”
Grant threw his hands in the air. “Can you deal with this, bro? For such a little woman, she’s ornerier than a three-legged cat in a gunny sack.”
Gracie turned all her attention to Eric and pointed. “You.”
He crossed his arms calmly and confirmed. “Me.”
She closed the distance between them until they were toe to toe. Eric was aware of the people standing around them, but he didn’t care. His attention was completely riveted.
“I was fine you know,” she said. “I was doing great until you hauled me off that stage on Valentine’s Day almost two years ago. And even when you kept pestering me and coming into the shop, I was still good. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”
“I did leave you alone. I’ve left you alone for months at a time.”
His words carried a definite bite, which drained away as he added, “And it killed me to do it.”
Her eyes filled with tears and his heart hammered as he wondered what all this meant.
“Why, though? You could have picked any other girl!”
He didn’t know what else to say but,“They wouldn’t have been you.”
“See, and then you have to go and say all these amazing things when I want to be mad.” She sniffled loudly. “You know I’m a wreck when it comes to relationships. You’ve said it yourself, I always run.”
“I have a theory about that.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I like to think you weren’t running away from them, but toward me.”
She didn’t struggle as he pulled him to her. “What about the times I ran from you?”
“Your feelings were just too strong. But now that you’ve seen the worst, you’re ready for the best.”
Gracie’s lips twitched. “Weeding through all the frogs?”
“And penguins.”
She laughed huskily. “Penguins?”
He nodded. “Yeah, penguins. Nice enough fellows, but aren’t as cool as a bald eagle.”
“Except you aren’t bald now. Your hair’s getting a little too long, actually.”
He scowled at her. “You know, I have no idea why I missed you. Grant is right; you’re ornery. You are the orneriest woman I’ve ever met. First my beard makes you itch, and now my hair is too long? Are you never satisfied, woman?”
Her laughter died. “With you? Yes. And I missed you too. I haven’t slept very well without you.”
“Just because you’re still sleeping on that hard couch.”
“It could just be that maybe I’m used to your snores.” Her smile was teasing and a little sad.
He clenched his hands into fists around her waist so he wouldn’t reach up and shake her. “I’ve told you how I feel. I love you. The question is, how do you feel about me?”
She seemed to be thinking awfully hard for someone who had just fought his brother to have her say.
“I’m waiting.”
She took a deep breath and stared up at him, and the look on her face nearly brought him to his knees. Her smile was soft, her eyes were shiny in the dim light, and she was watching him with such a tender expression, his arms fell limp at his sides.
“I’m an idiot. A dipshit. A moron…” She took another breath. “Dumbass, stupid, crazy…”
He didn’t want to hear her call herself names, he wanted her to tell him that he hadn’t been crazy to write that column. “Gracie, get to the point!”
“I needed to tell you that you are the only man who has ever known me and liked me anyway, and that I think you’re the most amazing…”
“For God’s sake, are you just going to keep rambling at me?”
Her eyes narrowed. “…pain-in-the-ass guy I’ve ever known.”
His mouth twitched a little. “I don’t think that’s what you were going to say.”
“If you’d stop interrupting, I’d probably be able to get it out.”
He waved his hand in front of him and said, “Go ahead.”
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anyone, and I can’t breathe without you, I can’t sleep without you. I want to spend all my minutes, days, hours…”
He took her shoulders in his hands, and this time, he did gently shake her. “Okay, I know I said I wouldn’t interrupt, but I’m a guy. I don’t need romantic speeches or dramatic gestures. I want it straight forward and to the point.”
She swallowed hard. “You want straight forward? All right, I’m sorry, and I want to start over. For real this time. You and me. Because I love…”
His mouth covered hers before she could finish, and he held her tightly to him, kissing her desperately, putting every lonely night, every smile he missed, every misery he’d felt over the last week without her into the kiss. He felt her melt against him and slip her arms around his waist, meeting his lips and tongue. The sound of cheers broke through the blood pounding in his ears, and he pulled back. The bar patrons, his family, and the band were whooping and shouting.
He shot them a glare. “Can’t a man get a little privacy around here?”
“Not in this town, Miss Know-It-All!” someone shouted.
Laughter erupted, and Eric smiled good-naturedly. “Wanna take this somewhere private?”
She squeezed his waist. “Sure.”
He led her back to the storeroom and shut the door behind him.
“You didn’t let me finish,” she said.
“So finish. Who’s stopping you now?” he teased her, and when she opened her mouth, he cut her off again. She laughed against his lips, and he took advantage of the opening. Gracie tasted like chocolate and strawberries, and she was his. All his.
He felt a sharp pain in his side and yelped, pulling his head back. “Ow! What did you pinch me for?”
“Because I love you!” She sounded exasperated, even though she was smiling.
He reached up and cradled her cheek in his palm. “I love you too, Gracie Lou.” He kissed her again, hungrily. “God, I wish I could take you home and make up.”
“I can’t. I need to get home before Pip wakes up and finds me gone.”
He frowned down at her. “So, she’s yours, then?”
“I’m her guardian for now, and soon I’ll petition to adopt her. Why, does that upset you?”
“No, I just wish we hadn’t been fighting so you would have told me sooner.”
Gracie sighed and snuggled into his chest. “Are you sure this is what you want? You don’t have to say it if—”
He kissed the top of her head and slid his arms around her back. “I want this. All of it.”
They kissed again, and Eric whispered, “When do you need to be back?”
“Soon. Why?”
“I can lock the door and use nine minutes to make up.”
The corner of her mouth curved. “You’ve got six.”
“I can make that work.”