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Chapter
Twenty-Five
Bea opened thedoor, and Fresco streaked into the house first.“He’s not exactly a guard dog,” she said over her shoulder.Behind her, Grant chuckled.Bea almost couldn’t believe the difference in her mood and feelings since the last time she’d left her house.
Then, only hours ago, she’d been miserable but determined to make the best of her evening with her friends.Then, she’d left early to go to Bessie’s, because she couldn’t stand being here alone for another second.Then, she’d thought she’d never talk to Grant again.
Now, she knew Grant had already contacted Bessie.Her friend hadn’t said anything—not a word—and Bea had forgiven her and understood why once she and Grant had explained that he’d wanted it to be a big surprise, in front of everyone.His declaration of his love, no matter what, no matter where, no matter who watched.
It was terribly romantic, Bea thought, and she turned in the mudroom to smile at him.He took her into his arms and kissed her, and Bea immediately started making new memories in this house in Texas she loved.
“So this is the mudroom,” she said as he slid his lips along her neck.“It really saved us when Ted played football.That boy didn’t seem to know how much dirt he brought home.”
“I’ll bet,” Grant said.“You don’t do any ranching here?”
“No,” she said.“My ex-husband was a finance guy.Not a cowboy.”
“So why here?”Grant asked, wandering further into the house.
She followed him into the kitchen.“We wanted somewhere away from town.The quiet, country life.Mostly because Nort worked long hours in a busy office, and he wanted the peaceful nature of living further out.”
Bea didn’t need to defend Nort.He had worked a lot, and she’d been more than happy to move to the country.She could drive forty minutes to get groceries, and the kids had driven their own cars to school and back.
“For a while there, I thought Curtis might get a couple of horses,” she said.“But he didn’t.”Her children would all be here this weekend, and Bea’s heartbeat thumped strangely.“They’re coming.The kids.All three of them.On Saturday.”Grant turned toward her, and she told herself to string together more than three words into a sentence.“If you’re going to be here, you could meet them.”
His eyebrows went up, and he held his ground a few paces away from her.“I’m going to be here through Monday morning.”
Bea smiled at him and drifted closer.She reached up and ran her fingertips along his beard and up into his hair.“So you’ll meet them.”
His arms came around her easily.“Have you even told any of them about us?”
“No,” she said.“But that’s a text.It’s easy.”She swallowed after saying so, because she honestly wasn’t sure how her children would take the news of their mother being in a new relationship.
She pictured each of her children and knew they’d be happy for her.“I’ll send it right now, and then let’s pull out our calendars and find a time I can come to Hilton Head.”She met his eyes, that same electric arc that had always been so prominent still there.Stronger.Hotter.More vibrant.
“All right,” he said.“I am kind of mad at you, though.”
Bea fell back a step, in the act of withdrawing her phone.She looked from it to him, shock coursing through her.“You are?Why?”She narrowed her eyes at him.“And you get mad?I’ve never seen you mad.”
Grant laughed then, the sound rich and beautiful and filling the house with joy.“Of course I get mad, Bea.I’m a human being.”
“So this is one of those things where I’ve only known you for a few weeks type of things.”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning at her.Definitely not mad at her.“I heard you’re planning a trip with your friends to a National Park.”He dropped his chin, his eyes following his head, and hooked his pinky through hers.“I thoughtwewere planning a trip to some National Parks.”
Bea’s chest turned cold, all the heat rushing to her face.“We were.Weare,” she said.
“Big Bend is in what?A week?Two weeks?”
“How do you know that?”
He glanced up but quickly dropped his gaze again.“Your mama said something about it.”
“My mother.”Bea scoffed, though her mama wasn’t wrong.“She needs a lesson on what’s appropriate to tell to complete strangers.”
Grant chuckled, and his shyness dried up.“Yeah, probably.I think she was glad to have someone new to talk to, in all honesty.”
“Sounds like Mama,” Bea said, hating that she hadn’t been there when Grant had met her parents.“I suppose she roped you into something tomorrow.Lunch?Dinner?”
