Chapter 12 Cole
Chapter twelve
Cole
We fell into such an easy rhythm. Each day I’d wake before the sun, and Zane and I would drink our coffee before heading out onto the ranch and getting to work.
We’d break for lunch then push on until our arms ached and our stomachs rumbled.
We took turns cooking before we’d find ourselves sitting out on the porch drinking a beer, shooting the shit, and waiting for Grace.
Grace was a breath of fresh air. She breezed into my life when I was least expecting her and I’d never been so glad to be thrown off-balance.
She was trying to help her sisters with the B&B, but it was more than just a job for her.
Grace was trying to reconnect with them.
She hadn’t shared all the details, but she’d told me enough.
After her mom passed away, Grace was lost and felt disconnected from Wattle Creek and her family.
Now she was back, the regret weighed heavily on her and her guilt drove her.
Morning would arrive all too soon, and Grace would crawl out of my bed and kiss me goodbye before heading back to the B&B.
All day she’d help with chores and spend time with her sisters.
Her relationship with Gabriella was coming along but she was still worried about Georgia.
She was proving a much harder nut to crack, and I had no doubt she was making Grace work for it.
Then, each night, she’d drive back out and we’d sit on the porch catching up on each other’s day and getting to know each other.
Grace was an incredible woman. She was so smart and kind, genuine and humble.
She had no idea how amazing she was, and if I ever got my hands on that Ben fuckwit who’d stomped on her confidence and left her second-guessing everything she was, he’d need an ambulance.
“Grace coming out tonight?” Zane asked as he rocked back in his chair.
“I think so. I haven’t heard from her,” I answered, checking my phone only to find it sadly silent.
I still wasn’t sure where Zane’s head was at or how long he’d be here, but I would let it run its course. He worked hard and when Grace arrived, he made himself scarce without being rude. Besides, I liked the company.
“You ever think about taking her out?”
“Taking her out where?”
“Come on, Cole. You can’t be that stupid,” he accused, shaking his head. “A date. Take Grace on a date.”
Shit! I hadn’t thought of that. We’d fallen into such a comfortable pattern, it felt like we’d been together for years, not only a few short weeks, and somehow, I’d completely skipped that step.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
“Grace is an amazing woman,” Zane started.
“She is,” I confirmed.
“Maybe you should think about taking her out. Showing her off.”
“I don’t know about that …”
“Grace deserves to be romanced,” Zane declared and while I knew he wasn’t wrong, romance wasn’t something I knew.
Thankfully, Zane’s romantic advice was cut off by headlights bouncing down the drive. I recognized the car immediately. My drive was certainly not the place for Grace’s car, but that didn’t seem to deter her in the slightest.
“Looks like you don’t have to wonder,” Zane commented, draining his beer and rising from his chair.
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to give you two some space,” Zane answered, looking at me confused.
“You don’t have to run off the moment Grace gets here,” I told him as her car rolled to a stop.
“I just thought …”
“Stay. Hang out for a while anyway. Unless there’s another reason you don’t want to hang around.”
Now I’d put it out there, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was another reason Zane disappeared as soon as Grace showed up. I hadn’t seen anything and had no reason to think something was off, but maybe I’d missed it.
“Nah. It’s all good. Just didn’t want to get in your way.”
“You’re fine,” I assured him as I stood up and headed down the steps to meet my girl.
Grace stepped out of the car in a pair of denim cutoffs and a sleeveless white top. Her hair was piled high in a messy bun. She looked effortlessly gorgeous.
“Evening, boys,” Grace greeted with a beaming smile as she headed toward me, bowl in hand.
“Whatcha got there?” I enquired.
“Brought you a surprise.”
“I like surprises.”
“Georgia made peach cobbler for dinner tonight and I managed to steal some for you.”
“Georgia can cook?” It came out before I realized how rude it sounded.
“She's actually pretty good in the kitchen,” Grace confirmed as she stepped into my personal space.
Without hesitating, I bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek, managing to stifle the groan as Grace’s vanilla scent mixed with the sweet dessert almost set me on my ass. Grace giggled and it was music to my ears.
“Come on. You’re going to want to enjoy this before it gets cold,” she recommended, starting up the steps and leaving me to be hypnotized by the sway of her ass.
When I looked up, Zane was shaking his head and holding the front door. “You’re fucked,” he told me as I passed by him and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, he wasn’t wrong.
Grace let herself into the kitchen and served up two big bowls of cobbler then spooned on some vanilla ice cream left over from the other night.
“You’re not having any?” I asked when she handed me my bowl.
“Not tonight,” she answered, and I hated how it sounded.
For a few moments, Zane and I ate in silence. Only the clinking of our silverware against the side of the bowl and the appreciative moans flitted through the room. Grace busied herself wiping down the counters and straightening up.
“This is so good,” Zane garbled around a mouthful.
“Mmmhmm,” I replied as I shoved another spoonful in my mouth.
“Yeah. Georgia loves making desserts. She’s pretty good at it too,” Grace explained proudly.
“No wonder the B&B is always busy. If this is what’s on the menu, you can’t blame people for coming back for more.”
“Georgia and Gabriella do an amazing job.”
Grace stood in front of the window, her arms folded across her chest, staring out across the dark yard. Something was up. She wasn’t her normal self. It was unsettling her and I was going to get to the bottom of it.
We finished our dessert and cleaned up before Zane went to wish us both a good night.
“Actually, I was hoping to ask you both something,” Grace started, sounding unsure.
“What’s up?”
I hated how nervous she looked.
“I was wondering … tomorrow I don’t have to work. Actually, I’ve got a few days off,” Grace started, stumbling over her words.
“Okay.”
“And I need a break. Georgia—” Now we were getting to it. She’d had a fight with her sister and if I knew Grace like I thought I did, the fact that it was Georgia was tearing her up.
“How do we help?” Zane interjected. For better or worse, Zane was a fixer. He didn’t know how to stand idly on the sidelines and let things work themselves out. I’d seen him throw himself in the middle of a problem a hundred times if he thought he could help with complete disregard for himself.
“I was wondering if I could help you guys tomorrow?”
“Help us?” I asked.
“You know, do farmer things.”
As soon as the words left Grace’s lips, her cheeks turned pink, and she stared at her feet. At least she was smiling.
“Farmer things?” Zane questioned.
“Yeah, you know. Around here.”
Zane looked at me, and I shook my head before moving toward Grace. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched. I wrapped my arms around her waist and tugged her to me.
“You want to do farmer things?” I clarified.
Defiantly, and with more stubbornness than I’d seen in a long time, Grace lifted her chin and met my eyes. “Yep. I want to see what you do around here all day.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to just hang out on the couch and binge-watch those terrible reality TV shows you love so much?” I offered. I knew if I ever got a day off, the last thing I’d be wasting it on would be farmer things as Grace so eloquently put it.
“Nope. I want to see what it is you spend all day doing.”
Her mind was made up and I knew nothing I said or did would be able to change her mind. I might as well get on board.
“Well, if you’re sure, I’d love to have you help me tomorrow,” I confirmed, my mind already racing as I tried to rearrange my plans.
“Thank you,” Grace replied with a huge sigh of what I could only imagine was relief before she sagged against me, nestling in my arms. With her boobs crushed between us and her arms tightening around me, I knew I’d made the right call.
Even if it slowed me down, it didn’t matter.
Life was too short to worry about to-do lists when the woman of your dreams needed you to distract her from her troubles.
“Well then,” Zane interrupted with a clap. “I’m going to leave you two to it and head to bed. I need my beauty sleep …”
“You definitely need it,” I tossed out only for Grace to slap my ass.
“We heading out at seven?” Zane asked, his eyes bouncing from me to Grace and back again.
“Eight,” I adjusted, feeling Grace stiffen in my arms.
“Eight?”
“Yep,” I replied, not wanting to elaborate.
“Right then. See you in the morning. Night, guys.” Zane waved before disappearing down the hall, leaving me standing there with Grace who obviously had questions.
“And before you even ask, yes, we’re starting late because you’re joining us, but no, it’s not for the reason you think,” I began only for Grace to wriggle from my grasp and put some distance between us.
“Okay then. Why did you move the start time? I can do this, you know.”
Grace was stubborn and determined and it was sexy as hell. “Grace,” I began, my voice low, “I have no doubt in my mind that you can. But you’re going to need the extra sleep,” I told her.
“Why?” she pressed as her tongue darted out and wet her lips.
Woman was a minx, and she knew it.
“Because right now, I’m going to take you to bed and I’m going to show you how much I’m looking forward to spending the day doing farmer things with you.”
“Cole.” My name sounded like a plea as it fell from her lips.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“You don’t have to pick me up. I’m more than happy to come willingly.”
“Oh, you will be. But, Grace, I want you in my arms and we’re going to need the extra hour. Trust me,” I promised, my dick already standing at attention.