Page 90 of Love’s Silver Bullet

Which is why Sheridan and Grace had taken one look at each other and burst out laughing, because the idea of Sheridan and Gray being anything other than friends was sheer lunacy. But for Gray to tell her uncle such a thing in front of her brothers and Jake? A shiver rattled her body that skittered clear to her toes, the memory of Jake’s hard-chiseled scowl burned deep in her brain. What on earth had the man been thinking??

The doorknob squeaked, and Sheridan spun around, body paralyzed as she watched Grace quietly enter the room and close the door behind her. “What did he say?” she whispered, the sound harsh in the dark quiet of the moonlit room.

Grabbing Sheridan’s hand, Grace pulled her to the bed and scrambled in while Sheridan followed behind, the two girls sitting cross-legged to face each other head-on. “He said he did it for you,” she whispered, moonlight highlighting the sympathy in her face.

“What?” Sheridan sat straight up. “What does he mean, he did it for me?”

Expelling a weary sigh, Grace inched back against the headboard with arms hugging tented knees, propping her chin on top of her nightgown with a little groan. “Well, I suppose it’s partially my fault, Sheridan, because I wrote Gray about how upset you were when Jake said he never planned to marry, and apparently that upset Gray quite a bit too.”

“For heaven’s sake, why?” Sheridan asked, palms splayed wide.

Grace tipped her head with an affectionate smile. “You know why, Sher. He’s convinced he’s in love with you and wants to see you happy.”

A grunt tripped from Sheridan’s lips. “Well ostracizing half of my family is not the way to do it, Grace, and you know it.”

“I know, and that’s what I told him, but he’s determined to light a fire under Jake to either marry you or”—Grace chewed on the edge of her lip with a soft slope of brows—“get out of his way so he can have a shot.”

“What?!” Sheridan shifted to plop back against the headboard with a groan. “That’s crazy. Gray and I are like brother and sister, and you and I both know it.”

“Maybe to you, Sher,” Grace said quietly, “and maybe to me until tonight. But after talking to him right now?” A sad, whispery sigh parted from Grace’s lips. “I had no idea that his feelings for you were that deep, my friend, because Gray is always ‘falling in love’ as we both know. But this?”—she shook her head with a hint of a sheen in her eyes—“My heart aches for him, Sheridan, because I think he may actually be falling in love with you, and I know you can’t return that love the way that he wants.”

Sheridan blinked, the idea that Gray could actually be in love with her sending goose bumps skittering across her skin. Buffing her arms, she glanced up at Grace with a soulful smile. “I love Gray, Grace, you know that, but I’m in love with Jake and always have been, and Gray knows that, too, which is why I always thought his feelings for me were merely a case of wanting what he couldn’t have.”

“Me too,” Grace whispered. Brushing the wetness from her eyes, she sat up, shoulders square against the headboard. “And it still might be, Sher, because heaven knows a girl has never turned him away before, so that may be all it is.”

“I hope so.” A mournful breath quivered from Sheridan’s lips as she squeezed Grace’s hand. “Because I would never want to hurt your brother. I care about him way too much, Grace. You and Gray have become two of my dearest friends.

Grace squeezed back. “And you, ours, Sher. Which,” she said with a nervous grate of her lip, “is why Gray insists on helping you with Jake.”

Sheridan’s nose scrunched. “What do you mean, help me with Jake?”

Grace lifted a shoulder. “By laying it on thick with Jake, your uncle, and your brothers, convincing them he poses a problem to their plans to keep you away from all men. He seems to think that might break down Jake’s barriers, forcing him to love you like ‘you deserved to be loved’—his words exactly.”

Moisture pricked at the back of Sheridan’s lids. “Oh, God bless him! But I doubt that will have any effect, Grace. Both you and I already told everyone in the parlour that Gray and I are only friends, so I’m not sure what purpose that will serve other than make half of my family dislike him intensely.”

Brows raised, she put a hand to her chest. “Especially Uncle Finn! Oh my goodness, I’ve never seen him so tense as when he called me into his office for a private chat tonight after everyone else went to bed. Heavens, he even made me swear on the Bible that I didn’t have romantic feelings for Gray, if you can believe that.” Her nose wrinkled. “Besides, I already tried the whole jealousy thing once before with Clay, remember? And it made me feel awful, like I was using Clay and lying to Jake.”

Grace scooted around to lean a shoulder to the headboard, face wrinkled in thought. “But that’s just it, Sher. Gray thinks it will have an impact based on Jake’s, your uncle’s, and your brothers’ reaction to him tonight. You know, like they wanted to string him up?”

Sheridan nibbled on the edge of a shy smile. “Gray did seem to upset them pretty badly.”

“Yes, and he doesn’t want you to have to do a solitary thing but be yourself and totally honest—not lie or manipulate or feel like you’re using him because it’s his choice to do this for you, Sher—out of love.”

Sheridan shook her head, amazed at Gray’s willingness to help her win Jake. “But even if Gray’s plan doesn’t work, Grace, I’m just not sure I’ll ever feel anything more than deep friendship for your brother.”

Grace patted Sheridan’s arm. “I know that, Sher, and so does Gray, and he told me he’s okay with that.” A sparkle lit in her friend’s eyes. “But I think it’s only fair to warn you that my brother is not only a confident man, but a determined one as well, my friend, so he doesn’t plan to give up hope until he sees another man’s ring on your finger.”

“Well then, who knows?” Sheridan said with a lift of her palms. “I’ve always believed Jake and I were meant for each other from little on, but if I’m wrong about that? I suppose I could be wrong about ever falling in love with Gray too.” She shrugged. “And I can honestly say now that I’m more than willing to marry whomever God ordains, if that’s anyone at all”—affection warmed in her eyes for the lovable rogue twin she now saw as a brother—“even if it’s dear, sweet Gray.”

A gentle smile flickered across Grace’s lips. “I think you would be good for him, Sher,” she said quietly, “because you’re the first girl who’s ever been able to tame the rogue in him.”

“That’s because I’m a challenge, Grace, that’s all, just like you told me at the onset, remember? You warned me that Gray would make a better friend than a beau, and I should avoid falling for him like every other girl seems to do, so I did. Which was easy to do since I’m so in love with Jake, of course”—she punctuated it with a lovesick sigh—“whose kisses branded both my lips and my mind.” Her smile shifted to dry. “Or used to.”

“Well, speaking of those kisses …” Grace leaned in with a soft clap of hands. “Do you want to hear what Gray has planned to get them back?” She wiggled her brows.

Hunching her shoulders with a nervous grin, Sheridan scrunched her nose. “Uh-oh … knowing Gray, I’m almost afraid to ask.”

A low, throaty giggle popped from Grace’s mouth as she lowered her voice, a gleam of trouble glinting in her eyes that strangely enough, reminded Sheridan of Gray. “Well, I wouldn’t worry if I were you, Sher, because it’s not you who has to be afraid, my friend.” She winked, making Sheridan grin outright because it was so out of character and far more reminiscent of her brother. “It’s Jake.”