Chapter 11 #2
"What a lovely day." Marisol raised her face to the sky. "This is such a beautiful ranch. I'm so glad Gabe has married into this family." She stopped walking and looked up at him. "Dare I hope Grace will get the same privilege?"
Damon grinned. "I hope so." Then he let out a sigh of his own. "But I haven't been able to convince her to take a chance on me."
"She will, don't worry." She gave him a knowing smile as she started walking again.
"I'm running out of time, Marisol." The desperation that had been building in him over the last few days tightened his chest. "I leave the day after tomorrow."
"She'll come around soon."
"How do you know?"
She patted his arm. "I've seen the way she looks at you."
Damon thought about the soft and playful look she gave him after the ceremony.
"But you need to let her know how you feel."
"I plan to. Tonight."
"Good."
They reached the house, and Damon helped Marisol settle into a recliner with a throw blanket over her lap. She refused to rest in bed because she didn't want her dress wrinkled and her hair messed up.
Once she was comfortable, he crouched down near the recliner and cleared his throat. "This may not be the best time to ask this, but I'm not sure I'll get another chance."
Marisol's brows furrowed. "Ask me what?"
"For your permission to propose to Grace." Then he rushed on. "Next Spring of course, after I come home from deployment."
"You have it, my boy." Tears filled Marisol's eyes as she patted his cheek. "Promise me you'll take good care of my Gracie."
"I promise." It was Damon's turn to blink back the tears. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Marisol's temple. "Thank you."
When he returned to the rec center that buzzed with activity, his gaze sought out Grace like a homing beacon. She locked eyes with him for a long moment. He gave her his most charming grin and winked.
She smiled back, setting his heart to racing.
Maybe Marisol is right.
The desperation that had been plaguing him all week slowly gave way to anticipation each time their eyes met.
The glances grew more frequent and the smiles broader as the evening wore on, and Damon's uniform jacket grew hotter.
The air in the big gym seemed to crackle with electricity whenever she was near.
Before long, Marisol had returned to the rec center, and the reception was in full swing.
Feeling impatient for the dancing to start, he made it a point to visit with and say goodbye to his cousins. Even then, his eyes sought out Grace often. She spent most of the evening by her mother's side as many residents came and introduced themselves.
A sudden case of nerves assaulted him when the DJ invited everyone to the dance floor after the cake was cut and the bride and groom had danced with their respective parents. There were so many things he wanted to say to Grace he was afraid he'd come on too strong and ruin everything.
Robert stepped up beside him. "You deploy without making your move, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." He looked across the gym at his wife Jesse. "Trust me."
Robert had been on the verge of proposing to his high school sweetheart when she was offered an internship in New York City and the chance to follow her dreams. He never got over her. Until she returned five years later, seeking protection from her abusive husband.
"What makes you think I haven't made my move?"
"She'd be hanging on your arm right now, if you had." Robert gave him a sly grin, then looked Damon in the eye. "Don't assume she knows how you feel. She needs to hear you say it."
"Right. I'm going to tell her." Damon smoothed the front of his jacket. "I am. It's just...She friend-zoned me last week, and even though we've continued to spend time together, I'm not sure she—"
Robert smacked his shoulder. "A man would have to be blind not to see the way she's been looking at you all day.
" He tilted his head and grinned. "If you don't go ask her to dance, I will.
Then, I'll make sure Jake and Daniel dance with her.
And Rudy Wheeler. Although I'm pretty sure he brought a date toni—"
"Okay, I'm going." Laughing, Damon held up a hand to cut Robert off. "Will you keep an eye on Marisol?"
Damon's chest grew tighter as he crossed the gym to where Grace sat. He prayed Robert and Marisol were right—that Grace wanted to be more than friends—otherwise, he was about to make a fool of himself.
Grace's chest constricted as Damon approached. Her stomach fluttered so hard she could hardly breathe.
He was incredibly handsome in his uniform. It wasn't so much the clothing that attracted her, but the man himself. He was kind and thoughtful. He always seemed to be in-tune to her mood. He knew when to be serious and when she needed a good laugh or a hug.
She'd enjoyed spending time with him these past two weeks and more than once, she'd regretted brushing off his desire to get to know her better.
She wanted more than friendship too, but she couldn't seem to shake the fear that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her when he found out about her baby.
He was leaving soon, and she didn't want him to go thinking she wasn't interested.
She had no idea how things would work out between them, but she'd finally admitted to herself that she wanted them to work.
Even if it meant she might have to leave her brother.
She wouldn't force Damon to choose between her or the Army.
A pang of sadness hit her knowing that by the time Damon returned she wouldn't have to worry about leaving her mother. Unable to face that reality, she forced the thought away.
Damon stopped in front of her, and Grace's heart lodged in her throat. He bent and held out his hand to her mom. "May I have this dance?"
Her stomach plummeted as her mom burst into laughter.
"That's very flattering, guapito, but I'm afraid my dance with Gabe—brief as it was—wore me out.
Besides, we both know I'm not the one you really want to dance with.
" Mom nudged Grace so hard, she almost fell off her chair.
She was surprisingly strong for such a slender, sickly woman. "Grace is dying to dance with you."
"Mom!" The word came out a harsh whisper.
"She was especially hoping to check out the lights floating in the pool."
"Is that so?" Damon grinned as he shifted his gaze to her and offered his hand. "Grace, will you dance with me?"
"How could I not after she ratted me out like that?" She shot a scowl at her mom as she placed her hand in his and rose to her feet.
"Guess she figured you needed a nudge." Damon took her left hand in his right and rested his other hand at her waist. "Did you?"
His proximity made her heart do funny things.
"Was that what Robert was doing?" She ignored his question by asking one of her own. "Nudging you?"
"If you saw that, then you know I didn't need much."
"Me either."
The hand at her waist slid to her back, pulling her a little closer as the music switched to a slow song.
She met his gaze for a moment before dipping her head.
Why am I suddenly shy?
She'd flirted with him all day, waiting for the opportunity to tell him she wanted more. Now that it was here, her heart flipped somersaults in her chest powerful enough to rival an Olympic gymnast. Damon held her close enough it shouldn't be so hard to tell him she wanted him to kiss her.
"What does quapito mean?" he asked.
"Guapo means handsome, and -ito is a diminutive. Literally, it means little handsome one." Warmth filled Grace's cheeks. "But my mom means it as an endearment like: 'cutie' or "handsome sweetie.'"
Her mom always referred to him as handsome in one variation or another. In addition to guapo and guapito, she'd also called him guapetón; handsome one. Even Don Guapo or Senor Guapo; Mr. Handsome. Never to his face of course. Until tonight.
Grace gave up fighting her mother on the nicknames, because there really wasn't an argument. Damon was incredibly handsome.
His face split into a grin, and he laughed. "I love your mom."
Her heartbeat was erratic before, but that was nothing compared to the frenzy his words sent it into now. He had endeared himself to her mother and inserted himself into her life in a way she could not ignore. Even Gabe seemed to approve of him.
But he's leaving soon.
That's exactly what she'd tried to avoid. Falling for Damon, only to have him leave her heart in tatters.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Yes, he was leaving, and a long-distance relationship was not appealing, but she didn't want to lose what they'd built. She'd already made up her mind to do whatever it took to have a relationship with Damon.
He ducked his head, bringing his mouth close to her ear. His warm breath distracted her from her thoughts. "Is that a like mother, like daughter thing?"
"What?" Her face jerked toward his.
He was mere inches away. It would be so easy to lean in and close the gap between his lips and hers. Would kissing him now—knowing the kind of man he was—be as amazing as it was when they were strangers in the elevator?
"Do you think I'm handsome?"
She pulled back a little and eyed him. The white fairy lights crisscrossing above his head gave the gym a whimsical ambiance. Combined with the slow music and fake candles flickering on the tables, it was about as romantic as it could get. But it was also crowded with people.
"In this dim light..." She tilted her head and squinted one eye. "I supposed you could be considered handsome."
"What?" Damon feigned offense. Then his mouth was by her ear again. "Maybe I should take you out by the pool. See if the lighting is more conducive out there."
"Maybe you should," she challenged.
Damon took her hand as an upbeat song started and led her to the closest set of open patio doors. Even though they could still hear the music, Grace was glad to leave the noise behind.