Chapter 21 Grace
Chapter twenty-one
Grace
Ilay on Cole’s chest listening to the pounding of his heart as he trailed his fingers along my spine. Our legs tangled together and both in our birthday suits.
After he made good on his promise of wishing me a very, very happy birthday we shared a shower where he washed my hair and massaged my shoulders.
I didn't know if it was the hot water pounding down on us or the feel of his fingers tangled in my hair, but I’d never felt so treasured in my life.
Then, wrapped in a towel, he’d carried me into the bedroom and laid me down, sliding in behind me, spooning me.
It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday.
“We need to finish the chicken coop,” Cole told me, and I burrowed even closer.
“Five more minutes,” I murmured with my eyes closed.
He’d fucked all the energy from my body. I was about as useful right now as a limp noodle. Every muscle in my body was completely relaxed. Even my mind, which normally whirled at a million miles per hour, seemed to have slowed. I wanted to savor the moment as long as we could.
“You drive a hard bargain, woman,” Cole teased, placing a kiss against my temple and tightening his grip.
“I wish we could just stay like this and pretend the world didn’t exist,” I mumbled barely coherently.
I was thinking out loud and not really making sense. I knew that, but Cole didn’t dismiss my ramblings. Instead, he took it in stride and seemed to play along.
“Who says we can’t?”
It was like the universe heard me. I’d just closed my eyes and snuggled against Cole’s chest when the ringing of my phone interrupted us.
“Ugh. Let it ring,” I grumbled, not wanting to move.
“It could be important,” Cole reminded me.
“It’s not. Nothing’s important right now,” I assured him as the annoying shrill died. “See? All better.”
Cole kissed my forehead, and I was beginning to think they were my favorite. There was just something sweet and tender about his kisses that I couldn’t resist.
Then the phone rang again. This time though, it wasn’t mine.
“I should get that,” Cole told me responsibly.
“Stay,” I whined, tightening my grip.
I wanted the outside world to stay exactly where it was. Outside.
“Come on, Grace,” Cole said in his no-nonsense voice, and I knew I was shit out of luck. He wriggled from my arms and stood up. He was butt naked and if I thought his ass looked good in his Wranglers, then it was something else without them.
Without a care in the world, Cole strode out of the bedroom, leaving me to groan, roll over, and wish the world away.
Just as Cole’s phone stopped, mine started again.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snapped with a huff, still refusing to get up.
There was no one who needed me that desperately.
If it was Ben calling again, then he could fuck off.
I didn’t want to talk to him. And if it was my sisters, well they could wait too.
They’d made it perfectly clear. They didn’t need me so if things had changed, they could deal with it on my schedule.
“Where’s my phone?” Cole called out.
How the fuck was I supposed to know where his phone was? I wasn’t even sure where my panties were.
A moment later, Cole stepped back into the bedroom wearing his boxers and my mood soured even further. Looked like he wasn’t going to spend the afternoon lounging around with me. A wicked thought crossed my mind … bet I could make him.
Cole handed me my phone. I had three missed calls and two messages. Because I was like every other normal person on the planet who knew phones weren’t for calling but for messages and social media, I checked them first.
Gabriella: Happy Birthday Grace! Can you call when you’re free
I had to shake my head. Even in a text message Gabriella was polite. Georgia, not so much
Georgia: Why aren’t you answering your phone? Call me! I need your help. BTW happy birthday
“What’s wrong?” Cole questioned curiously.
“I’m not sure. Gabriella and Georgia are blowing up my phone.”
“Mine too.”
“Huh?”
“Gabriella is who was calling me,” Cole explained and my confusion grew.
“Why would she be calling you?” It sounded bitchier than I’d intended.
“Maybe because she couldn’t get a hold of you? Why don’t you call her and find out.” Sometimes Cole’s logic was infuriating.
I was sulking and being a baby. They hurt me yesterday. They made me feel like they didn’t need me or want me around. Now they wanted something from me. Part of me wanted to make them wait. Leave them to sweat it out. But given the phone in my hand was ringing again, I didn’t really get a choice.
“Hi,” I answered unenthusiastically as I toyed with the sheet.
“Grace! You answered,” Gabriella rushed out.
“Yeah. I’ve been busy. Look, Cole’s waiting for me to give him a hand so, what’s up?” I asked, trying to hurry her off the phone, while Cole just raised an eyebrow at me.
Gabriella didn’t hesitate. “We need your help.”
“No you don’t,” I countered, sinking back into the pillows and feeling like shit. “You made that pretty clear yesterday. Besides, I’m busy.”
“Please, Gracie. We just need you for an hour or two,” Gabriella pleaded.
“For what?”
“Um. Well, you know how we said we had an event today?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell her we fucked up and overestimated what we can do, and if she doesn’t come and save our asses we’re royally screwed,” I heard Georgia call out, sounding frantic.
Guilt gnawed at me. I didn’t want them to drown but at the same time, I needed them to know they hurt me.
“Georgia said we overestimated …” Gabriella started, repeating the message.
“Yeah, I heard,” I replied.
Gabriella took a breath and waited. But so did I. If they wanted something, they could come out and ask. Eventually, she broke the silence. “So will you come and give us a hand? Please, Grace.”
I knew I was going. I was already tossing the sheet off and scrambling to the side of the bed. If I was going anywhere, I needed a shower first. The last thing I wanted to do was show up smelling like sex.
“What do you need?”
“Oh my god! You’ll do it?”
I could picture Gabriella flapping from here.
“What do you need?”
“Can you be here in about an hour? We’re just figuring things out now, and by the time you get here we’ll have a game plan. Right now, all we know is we need an extra set of hands.” Gabriella’s fluster took over and she was talking a million miles an hour.
“An hour?” I glanced over at Cole whose eyes seemed to be fixed on my boobs. When he nodded, I agreed. “Yeah. I can be there in an hour or so.”
“Great! Thanks! See you then.”
“Yeah, see you soon,” I replied.
“Oh and, Grace?” Gabriella caught me just before I hung up.
“Yeah?”
“Can you ask Cole if he’d mind coming and giving us a hand for ten minutes? We just need some muscle to move a couple of things.”
“I’ll ask him.”
“Thanks.”
“Gabriella!” Georgia’s shriek sounded serious.
“Gotta run. See you soon,” Gabriella rushed before ending the call.
I glanced down at my phone before throwing it on the bed and putting my hands on my hips.
“You’ll ask him what?” Cole asked as he prowled toward me, the look on his face like a hungry lion.
“They asked if you’d come and give them a hand. Something about needing a big, tough, strong man to carry heavy things.” I laid it on thick as Cole reached for me.
“Do you want me to come?” he asked, cupping my face in his hand.
“They sounded pretty stressed,” I told him honestly.
“That doesn’t answer my question, Grace. Do you want me to come and help?” Cole clarified, and I knew without a doubt or judgment that he was on my side.
“Do you have time?”
“I have time.”
“Then yes, Cole. If you could come and help out, I’d appreciate it. As much as they bug the crap out of me, they’re my sisters. If they need help, it’s kinda what I came back here for. Wattle Creek wasn’t supposed to be my forever home, but I wanted to help while I can,” I explained.
Cole looked like there was something he wanted to say, but he swallowed his words. “Well, why don’t you jump in the shower, and I’ll make us some sandwiches. If I’m going to be any good to anyone, then I need to eat something other than your pussy.”
“Cole!” His dirty words never failed to shock me. Or turn me into putty in his talented hands.
“We both know you love it. Now, shower!” he bossed with a smack on my ass which had me skedaddling toward the bathroom.
An hour later, with a chip on my shoulder and a chocolate bar in my hand, I climbed into Cole’s truck, and we headed to the B&B.
“Hey, I was thinking …” Cole started, and my stomach lurched.
I’d been around long enough to know nothing good usually followed.
“Yeah?” I choked out.
“How long did Gabriella say they needed you?”
“An hour or two. Why?”
“Well, since it’s your birthday, when you’re finished doing whatever you need to do, why don’t we go out for dinner? We can grab a steak at the Dusty Boots or something.”
“And pie?”
“If I throw in pie will you say yes?” Cole challenged, taking my hand and enveloping it with his.
“Throw in pie and a dance, and you’ve got yourself a date,” I confirmed with a smile. Maybe this day wasn’t going to be the complete shit show I’d been dreading.
By the time we were pulling into Sweet Dreams B&B I was feeling a bit lighter. “Holy hell,” I commented, noticing all the cars parked everywhere. No wonder they needed extra hands.
“This is different,” Cole commented as he found a spot under a tree and parked.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” I mumbled as I unbuckled my belt and slipped out of the truck, grabbing my purse and slinging it over my shoulder.
“I don’t think they were either,” Cole offered, taking my hand. “Let’s go give them a hand.”
Cole led me up the stairs and when I called out, Georgia’s voice echoed. For that many cars, it was strangely silent.
“We’re out the back on the porch,” Georgia called out.
“Okay,” I replied, leading Cole through the kitchen which looked like a tornado had torn through it. If I thought yesterday was a disaster, then today was nuclear.
Cole dropped my hand as I rounded the corner and stepped through the wide-open French doors.
“Surprise!”