Her Rocky Mountain Protector Page 10

  “How is Joe?” Helen asked. “Did he enjoy the pie?”

  “Yes, he did. He told me to tell you it was delicious.”

  Helen grinned. “Well if that just doesn’t make my day.” She handed out the menus. “I may have to go see that old man.”

  After the woman walked off, Grady leaned forward. “No doubt by tonight the town will be buzzing about us being together.” He looked around the room, seeing glances from the curious patrons. “They’re probably wondering what an old guy like me is doing with someone as pretty as you.”

  “You aren’t old, and thank you for saying I’m pretty.”

  He leaned back in the booth. “He sure did a job on you, didn’t he?”

  Gina didn’t want to talk about her past, or her ex. “It’s not something I’m proud of.”

  Grady wanted to set her straight, but Helen reappeared and took their order. After she left he said, “That’s what you have to change, Gina. Your way of thinking that anything that bastard did was your fault.” He leaned closer again, his eyes locked on hers as his voice lowered. “It wasn’t, Gina. You found the courage to take your son and leave him. I’d say you’re a pretty amazing woman.”

  Gina’s heart was pounding at Grady’s words. “Thank you.”

  “I’m speaking the truth. You’re making a fresh start for yourself and Zack. You’re building a business that seems to be doing well. Soon there’ll be men lining up to spend time with you.”

  She quickly shook her head. She couldn’t stop the panic she felt building up inside. “I’m not sure I can get involved with a man again.”

  “Why not? You managed to kiss me.”

  She didn’t want to rehash her sudden impulsiveness. It had been so unlike her. “You’re different.”

  He frowned. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve got to know you. I trust you.” And she was attracted to him, she added silently. “Too bad I can’t practice on you.”

  * * *

  Grady hadn’t been surprised after Gina’s admission that lunch was eaten quickly and the subject had been changed to work. Twenty minutes later Grady drove Gina back to her store. He parked out back and she thanked him, then couldn’t get out of the truck fast enough.

  He sat there a few minutes, telling himself what Gina had said at the Silver Spoon was just joking around. He needed to let it go. So why couldn’t he?

  Grady climbed out of the driver’s side and walked to the back door of the store. He said hi to Marie as she pushed a baby stroller out the door.

  He moved into the work area and stopped, amazed to see that the old sofas were nearly finished. One was covered in a gray-and-white stripe, and the other was in a camel color. He smiled as he imagined all the work Gina and Marie had put into them.

  He went down a hall past an office, then a small bathroom. He continued his journey into the main room where there was furniture arranged in groups. Against the far wall were lamps and several dining room tables and chairs. He moved toward the front and discovered a high counter. Gina stood behind it with her back to him, talking on the phone.

  “Yes, Mrs. Browning, I can be out tomorrow morning.” She paused. “Of course, I’ll give you my price before I take anything. Okay, goodbye.” She hung up and turned around.

  That was when she saw him. “Grady. I thought you left.”

  He should have. He was crazy to be here to pursue any part of this woman. “What did you mean by saying you want to practice on me?”

  Gina groaned. She was so embarrassed. “Oh, that. I was just kidding around.”

  He came behind the desk. “Were you joking around when you planted that kiss on me at Shady Haven?”

  He wasn’t going to let this go, she realized. “Gosh, you caught me. I was impulsive and talkative all in one day.” She waved him off. “Just forget it happened.”

  He moved closer as he pushed his cowboy hat back off his forehead. “What if I don’t want to forget it? What if I want to hear what you’re thinking?”

  Gina brushed back her hair, feeling her heart racing with him standing so close. “You’ve got to have better things to do than—”

  “Than what?” he asked. “Show you how to kiss properly? How to feel comfortable around a man?”

  She swallowed. Her throat was bone-dry. “It sounds silly to hear you say it. Besides I don’t have time to date anyway. Zack needs my attention.” She sighed, trying to push away the endless loneliness she always felt. “But there are times when I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Like in the middle of the night?”

  She wasn’t ready to admit that yet. “More like when you get invited places and you’re the fifth wheel, or everyone wants to fix you up with someone. I’m tired of the pity. The poor girl whose husband was abusive...the poor girl who had it so rough.”

  He reached out and touched her cheek. “First of all, you aren’t a girl anymore, Gina. You’re definitely a woman. A strong woman who has started a new life and is doing a good job of raising her son. Those who think differently, to hell with them.”

  He lowered his head and her heart began to race. “Now, as for the amount of instruction you’ll need, first I’ll need to sample you again.”

  Before she could say anything, his mouth closed over hers. It was soft, a whisper of a kiss, teasing her, making her want more.

  Before she could react, Grady pulled back a little, enough for her to see his dark gaze. “Open just a little, Gina.” It wasn’t a demand, but a request as his thumb caressed her lower lip. “Perfect,” he breathed, then went back for more. This time he added some pressure, then his hands went to her face and held her tenderly. His mouth moved over hers, tasting and caressing until she lost all track of everything except this man. Oh, my, she sighed in a moan as her hands came up to his chest. His tongue teased along the seam of her lips, then darted inside when she opened wider. And her own body’s reaction caused an ache she’d never felt before.

  He pulled back and looked down at her. She couldn’t miss the desire she saw in his eyes.

  She managed to speak. “How was I?”

  “I think you know the answer already. I want you, Gina.” He released a breath. “Does that frighten you?”

  She was thrilled at his declaration, but scared to death. But knowing how much she wanted to move on, to take a chance on finding happiness. “Yes! No! I don’t know, but I do trust you.”

  Those words seemed to bring him back to reality. He took a step back. “Don’t make that mistake. You need to find a man who wants to settle down and have a family. Someone closer to your age.”

  She didn’t remove her hands from Grady’s chest. She didn’t want to break the contact with him. “You have this thing about your age. You’re not that much older than I am.” She moved closer to him. “It didn’t feel like an old man kissing me.”

  “You’re asking for trouble.”

  She raised an eyebrow, going after what she wanted. To stop letting the past dictate the future. “Seems you are, too. Isn’t that the reason you walked in here?”

  She saw the confusion in his eyes. She forced herself to stand her ground.

  “I need to go,” he said, and she was a little relieved and a little disappointed when Grady turned and walked out.

  * * *

  It was Tuesday and Grady had promised Zack that he’d work with him after school. Since he’d walked out of Second Best four days ago he hadn’t contacted Gina. He hadn’t even called her, and that was for the best.

  He needed time to think, needed to come to his senses. It hadn’t done any good, though. The bottom line was he wanted to be with Gina Williams. And yet, he wanted more than just to spend time with her. He wanted to get her naked, to make love to her until they both couldn’t think about anything else.
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  He released a breath. He hadn’t been with any woman since his divorce. And not since he’d been burned. He touched the scar above his shirt collar and recalled Gina’s hands on his chest. A portion of his upper body had been burned, too. Would the scar repulse her?

  He turned down Cherry Street and found Zack was waiting for him at the curb as he got out of the vehicle.

  “Hi, Grady. I’ve been working with Bandit every day. He’s been behaving really well, too.”

  He retrieved Scout from the back. “Glad to hear it. Let’s go see how he works today.”

  Grady placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder as they headed to the side gate and into the backyard. Gina came out of the sliding door off the deck. He stopped cold seeing her in snug jeans and a T-shirt. Her legs might not be that long, but they were toned and shapely. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

  She smiled. “Hi, Grady.”

  “Gina.”

  She came down the steps and he had to stop himself from reaching for her and giving her the proper greeting he’d been aching to do since he’d left her four long days ago.

  “How have you been?” he asked.

  “Good.” She beamed and her eyes brightened. “I sold the camelback sofa today.” She giggled. “I got six hundred dollars for it.”

  He blinked. “Hey, that’s a good profit.”

  “I’m glad I could give Marie a nice bonus, too. She and her husband could use the money. I feel like I should give you some, too.”

  He shook his head. “You did me a favor and hauled it out. I should have paid you.”

  “Okay, we’ll call it even.”

  Zack came up to him. “Grady, can we start now?”

  Okay, so now she was distracting him from his job. “Sure.”

  He walked off with Zack and for the next hour they worked Scout, all the time hoping that Bandit would follow the boy’s commands, too.

  Grady observed the boy and his dog. He was impressed at how well the kid handled the large animal. “Okay, tell Bandit to heel.”

  Zack had his dog on the leash at his left side. The twosome began walking, then Zack gave the command and Bandit obeyed. Both dogs were rewarded with some play time. They tossed tennis balls so the animals could retrieve them.

  Zack came up to him. “Grady, can I ask you a question?”

  He was surprised the see the serious look on the boy’s face. “Sure, I’m not guaranteeing I’ll have an answer.”

  “Does the scar on your neck hurt?”

  Grady knelt and the animals came up to him. He had them sit and gave his full attention to the boy. “It used to hurt a lot,” he answered honestly. “Not so much anymore.”

  “Did you get it when you were fighting the bad guys?”

  He wasn’t sure he could explain it to a seven-year-old. “Yes. There are a lot of us over there fighting.”

  “My teacher says you’re making it safe for all of us so we can live free. And we should always thank you.”

  Grady nodded. “There were many soldiers who gave their lives for that freedom, too.” He couldn’t help but think of the men he’d lost that day. “Honor them for their sacrifice.”

  “I will,” Zack promised. “I’m glad you came home, Grady. Really glad.”

  Zack smiled. “I’m glad you live in Destiny, too.”

  Before Grady could contradict the boy, Gina called out, “Supper’s ready.”

  Grady glanced up, not surprised to see her curious look. He stood. “I’ve got to be going.”

  “No, please stay,” Gina coaxed. “Unless you have plans.”

  He could lie, but Josh had gone out tonight, so he was just going to pick up a sandwich in town before heading back to the cabin. “No plans.”

  She smiled. “Good. I hope you like meat loaf.”

  What does one meal hurt? “You’re talking to a man who spent twenty years in the military. We appreciate any home cooking we can get.”

  Leaving Scout out on the deck with Bandit, he walked into the homey kitchen. Not the most updated appliances, and the countertops were chipped, but Gina had painted the walls a soft green and added those womanly touches.

  “We’ve got to wash up,” Zack said, and took him down the hall. There was a detour into the kid’s bedroom. It was blue with a lot of baseball posters on the walls.

  Grady said, “I guess you like the game.”

  “I get to play Little League next month, but I’m not very good. Uncle Jace has been practicing with me, but I still have trouble catching.”

  “You’ll get better with practice.”

  “But the other boys have been playing for two years.” Zack moved his gaze away. “I didn’t get to play when I lived with my dad. He didn’t like me playing ’cause I couldn’t do anything right.”

  Grady knelt down to be eye level with the sad boy. He worked to hide the anger he felt toward Lowell. “You have to know that your dad didn’t treat you right. It had nothing to do with you. None of it was your fault. You can do anything you want to do. Look how much you’ve accomplished with Bandit.”

  The boy’s head bobbed up and down. “And now Mommy and me don’t have to be scared. I’m glad my dad went away.”

  So was Grady. “And he’s never going to hurt either you or your mom again. Sheriff Larkin will make sure of that.”

  Zack threw his arms around Grady’s neck. “Thanks, Grady. And I’m glad you’re around, too.”

  There was a sudden constriction in his chest as he felt those tiny arms around him. He couldn’t help but wonder if his son had survived, how close they would have been. Would they have had moments like this?

  “You’re welcome, kid.” He stood.

  After washing their hands, they went back into the hall and walked past another bedroom. No doubt it was Gina’s. The walls were painted a soft yellow. It had a queen-size bed with a solid pale blue comforter, adorned with several pillows. As much as he tried to fight it, he could picture her in that big bed, with all that pretty dark hair spread out on the pillow.

  He blinked away the daydream and caught up with Zack as they entered the kitchen where the food was on the table. Zack took his seat, then Gina sat. An ache filled him as he took the empty seat.

  Okay, maybe he did want this. As a kid, he’d never been part of a family. The army had been the family he’d shared his life with. He looked at Gina. Why now? What was it about her that made him want something he’d already failed at miserably?

  * * *

  Two hours later Gina was surprised that Grady was still there. He’d insisted that he and Zack would do the dishes, then the next thing she knew, he was helping her son with his homework.

  Once Zack was tucked into bed, she went in and kissed her son good-night. When she came back out to the living room she found Grady waiting by the front door, hat in hand.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  She nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take up so much of your evening.”

  He reached for the doorknob and stopped. “I’m not good at this, Gina. I’ve tried before and I made a lot of mistakes.”

  He must be talking about his marriage.

  “I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories. I’m sorry, Grady.” She glanced away, feeling foolish about all those kisses they’d shared the other day. “Thank you for all your help with Zack.”

  She heard his curse, then he reached for her. She gasped, not from fear, but from surprise when his mouth closed over hers. She was hungry for him, praying all evening that he’d kiss her again.

  He broke off the kiss. “Damn. I shouldn’t have done that.” His dark brooding gaze searched her face. “It’s not you, Gina.”

  That made her angry. “Even I have heard that line before. If you don’t want to get involved with
me, that’s okay, but don’t make up excuses.”

  “Dammit, I’m not a good bet.” He glanced around. “My marriage was a disaster.”

  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know that he had loved another woman. “How long were you married?”

  “Five years.” He laughed. “On paper, but in reality, we weren’t together much of that time. I was overseas twice. The second time was the clincher. Barbara left me.”

  “I’m sorry, Grady. I know that must have hurt you.”

  “Not as badly as I hurt her. I was never there for her. I can’t blame her for ending it.”

  “If you were in the army when you got married, she had to know that you’d be away a lot.”

  “That’s easier said than done. Barb asked me not to go, but I chose a unit that was going to be deployed. I chose ‘the cause’ over her.” His pained gaze met hers. “I realized then that I could never be a permanent kind of guy. And that’s exactly the type you and Zack need, a family man.”

  She nodded, understanding what he was trying to tell her. “Someday I want to give my son the security of a family.” She hesitated, feeling her fears and emotion surface. “That’s what I’m afraid of, Grady, that I never will be able to. I’d been with Eric since I was a teenager. He’s been the only man I’ve...known. I’d never even kissed another man until you.”

  Grady was shocked at her confession. “Hell, Gina, there’s a hell of a lot of men out there who would love the chance.”

  She stepped away, and he missed her closeness. “I lost so much of my adolescence, and with my abusive marriage, I’m frightened to try another relationship.” Her rich green eyes met his. “I don’t know if I can ever be with a man again.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “Not intimately anyway.”

  He fought going to her and proving her wrong. “It’ll take time, but I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

  He watched her swallow, square her shoulders, then she asked, “Would you help me, Grady?”

  Not what he expected her to say. Of course nothing had been what he’d expected since he’d met this woman. Common sense told him to leave, but that didn’t stop his ache for her. His head said to run away. He didn’t want to know what his heart said.