Carrying in empty serving bowls and a bag of trash, I found Grace at the sink washing dishes with her back turned to me. e barbecue had gone well, and it was actually nice getting everyone together again. I think Grace enjoyed herself too, which was all that mattered. I stopped in my tracks and observed her. I could watch her all day. e outline of her body curved in and out in all the right places. Her long blond hair was tied up in a high ponytail, giving me a glimpse of her slender neck. I wanted my lips on it, on every part of her, leaving no inch of her skin untouched or unmarked by me. She must have sensed me standing there because she snapped her head in my direction. Her shoulders tensed.
“Hey,” I said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s ne.” She relaxed her face and exhaled deeply. “I’m just a little jumpy.” I wasted no time strolling over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist,
leaving a trail of kisses along her neck and jawline.
Grace pushed into me and laughed. “Did everyone leave?” “Yeah.”
She turned, facing me. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip. “Good.” ose
blue, blue eyes seemed to double in size.
I leaned down and kissed her again. Wet, soapy hands wrapped around my neck but I didn’t mind. Grace kissed me back like she was hungry.
e sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted us. Damn it. Grace
and I immediately pulled away from one another. Char stood in the entryway,
holding a wire basket with less than a dozen eggs in it. Grace turned toward the sink and submerged her hands in the dishwater.
“Hey Char, thought you left,” I said nonchalantly.
She looked angry—actually, more hurt than anything. Her eyes were shiny and red, which could have been from drinking beers all afternoon, but I hadn’t noticed them like that when she was leaving earlier.
“Yeah, I was but decided I may as well gather the eggs before I left.” She tossed the basket onto the oor. A couple eggs fell out and splattered against the tile.
“Jesus, Charlotte.” I threw my hands up.
Without another word, Charlotte stomped out the back door. Grace glanced over her shoulder and raised her brows.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, letting out a sigh.
I caught up with Charlotte just as she was getting into her car. My hand blocked her from closing the door, and I grabbed it, pulling it open. Tears streamed down her face while she scrambled with her keys.
“What is your problem?”
Char looked up with narrowed eyes and leapt out of her seat at me. “Me?
Me? What’s wrong with you?” She shoved a nger into my chest. “Nothing.” I took a step back, putting my hands up.
“What are you doing with Grace?” She seethed.
“It’s none of your business.” I shook my head and stared o at the setting sun. at’s how I felt. Half here, half gone. I’d felt that way for a long time.
“It is my business.” Her voice cracked. More tears escaped her eyes. “Char, are you drunk? I can take you home.”
“No, I’m not fucking drunk, Calvin!” She kicked at the gravel and peered up at me. “Can’t you see it?”
A blank look came over me. “See what?”
“Grace. ere’s something not right about her.” Char’s eyes widened as she spoke. “Why is she here? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“She’s on vacation. How many times do I have to say that?”
“A million because it doesn’t make any sense.” She took a small step toward me and put her hand on my forearm. “Please, tell me you see that.”
I sighed. “I don’t.”
Char pulled her hand away and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Is that it then? Are you with her now?”
“If I say yes, are you going to stop all of this?” I gestured to her with my hands. I was tired of Charlotte. She was walking a ne line.
“What about us?” “ ere is no us.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “But . . . we slept together.”
“One time. I’m sorry, Charlotte, but that’s all it was for me—one time.” She just didn’t understand no matter how much I told her. She even broke up with Wyatt, thinking there was a chance with me. I regretted sleeping with her right after I nished. It was a moment of weakness, and my one moment of weakness had left her permanently weak. I knew I had to be mean to get Charlotte to understand that she and I were never going to be anything other than friends. I let out a deep breath and stared directly into her eyes.
“Charlotte, I want every night with Grace, but with you, one night was enough.”
In her weakened state, she immediately broke. Her face crumpled and tears poured out of her eyes like a faucet in her brain just turned on. When an animal was su ering, the most humane thing you could do was put it out of its misery. I hoped this was enough for Charlotte.
Without saying a word, she got into her car, turned on the engine, and slammed on the gas. Her tires did the rest of the talking as they spit up dirt and gravel.
I let out a sigh of relief as I watched her car disappear down the road. I wouldn’t be made to feel guilty for liking Grace. I had four days left with her, and I wanted to make them the best four days of her life. I didn’t care what Char thought, or Joe, or Betty, or any of them. is town wasn’t good to
outsiders. ey didn’t like people that were di erent than them. But I did. I’d
always been much more welcoming to strangers. Perhaps because I knew what it felt like to be di erent, and I myself felt like an outsider sometimes.
Back inside, Grace was nishing up by wiping down the counters. She took
care of everything, and it was my turn to take care of her.
“How’d it go?” she asked, wringing out the dishrag over the sink. She looked back at me, waiting for me to speak, but I was just in awe over her.
I shrugged and looked down at my feet. “We both said some things we shouldn’t have.”
Grace dried her hands o with a towel. “It’s probably best she doesn’t come
around here for a while,” she said, tilting her head.
I nodded and walked to her, lifting her chin with my hand. “Let’s not talk about anyone else. I just want to focus on you.” I sealed it with a kiss.
“I like that idea.” She smiled.
“I have a surprise for you. Come with me.” I took Grace by the hand and led her outside. Out on the porch, I picked up a picnic basket I put together earlier in the day.
“What’s that?” she asked. “Shhh . . . it’s a surprise.”
We walked out to the pasture with only the light from the stars guiding us.
It hadn’t rained in a while, so the grass crunched beneath our feet. e night would have been completely silent if it weren’t for the buzzing cicadas. I never understood how such small creatures could make so much noise. I held her hand tightly to keep her steady on some of the uneven ground. Grace leaned her shoulder into me as we made our way to the spot I prepared earlier.
“Stand right here,” I said, letting go of her hand. From the picnic basket, I
pulled out a lighter and lit a circle of ten tiki torches. Grace gasped as the area came to light. I smiled and pulled a blanket from the basket, laying it out in the center of the torches. Her blue, blue eyes looked like crystals.
“Have a seat,” I said as I unwrapped a plate of grapes and sliced cheese and set out two glasses and a bottle of red wine.
Grace smiled, slid her shoes o , and sat down while I uncorked the wine
and poured it.
“Here you are, Miss Grace Evans,” I said, extending a glass to her. “ ank you, Mr. Calvin Wells.”
I slid my shoes o and took a seat next to her. “Cheers, to you, Grace.
ank you for being not only a guest in my home but a guest in my heart too.” It was a cheesy toast, and I regretted it as soon as the words slithered out of my mouth, but she didn’t seem to mind it.
She clinked her glass against mine and smiled. “Perhaps I’ll take residence up in both.”
Maybe I wouldn’t have to convince her to stay. Maybe she had already convinced herself she wasn’t leaving. We both sipped slowly.
Grace pulled the glass from her lips and glanced around the pasture. “ is is really nice.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
She scooched a little closer, leaning her head on my shoulder. A loud whistle came from the mountains. Grace jumped, her eyes bouncing in all directions.
“What was that?”
I put my arm around her and pulled her into the crook of my shoulder. “Just a mountain lion.”
“Just a mountain lion? Are we safe?” Her voice was higher pitched than usual.
“Yeah. ey don’t come out this far,” I said with a laugh. “And if they did, I’d protect you.”
Her body relaxed a little and she took another sip of her wine.
“Oh, one more thing. I almost forgot.” I pulled the teddy bear from the basket. “For your comfort.”
Grace bumped her shoulder into me. “Mr. Snuggles.” She held it against her chest.
“You gave him a name?”
“Of course, I did.”
“It’s cute.” I kissed her on the cheek, and she sank further into me.
We sipped at our wine, listening to the sounds of the night. Crickets chirping. Coyotes howling. And mountain lions whistling. I re lled both our glasses, and we clinked them together again. My skin pulsated just being this close to Grace, like a bee buzzing near a ower. I wanted Grace more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. Actually, I didn’t want her. I needed her.
“I really love it out here,” she said. “I really love you out here.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
I let out a cough and drained the rest of my red wine. “You know what I mean,” I corrected with a laugh.
Grace nished her drink in one gulp. “I think I know exactly what you mean,” she said, and then she didn’t hesitate to put her lips on mine.
I kissed her again and again. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled
me on top of her. I pushed a few pieces of blond hair from her face and traced her full lips with my nger. Her eyes re ected the ame from the nearest tiki torch. She had re in her eyes. I looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. e ame danced in her irises, but she quickly extinguished it when she closed her eyes and pulled me to her.
Just like the last time I kissed Grace, her tongue grabbed onto mine and her teeth sank into my lower lip, delivering that subtle feeling of pain meets pleasure. I moaned, and she bit a little harder. She ran her hands through my hair as she kissed me. I tore my mouth from hers and kissed her neck and ear, biting and licking. She lifted her hips to me, giving me the green light.
“I want you, Grace.” I whispered hot breath into her ear.
A gentle breeze blew out six of the tiki torches, leaving just enough light to see only part of her face. Grace brought her hands to the bottom of my shirt. Her ngers curled beneath it, and she tugged it over my head. Running her nails down my neck, chest, and abs, she smiled.
I grabbed her shirt and she lifted her arms, allowing me to remove it. She
was wearing nothing underneath. My hands immediately went to her breasts,
cupping them, squeezing them.
Grace pushed me o of her and rolled me onto my back. She straddled me and then leaned down to continue kissing but only for a moment. Her lips left mine and left a wet trail going down my body. She unbuttoned my jeans and pulled part of me out of them. I laid under the stars while the most beautiful woman in the world devoured me. How did I get so lucky?
I stopped her before I nished. I couldn’t have the rst time with Grace end so quickly. I wanted it to last forever. I wanted us to last forever. I’d never need another woman again if I had her, I told myself. I pulled her back up to me and kissed her again. Grace rolled onto her back, and I settled in between her legs, sliding her bottoms down. Kneeling in front of her, I took her all in. She was like a piece of art. She begged to be looked at, examined, studied. Grace smiled up at me. Her lips were swollen from our kisses. e re returned to her eyes. I parted her legs a little more and brought my face to her center. I wanted to taste all of her. She moaned when my lips brushed against her most sensitive skin. She gasped as I went to work. Grace tasted sweet like a strawberry. Her back arched, and I ran one of my hands up her stomach, settling onto her breast. She grabbed a stful of my hair as my tongue quickened.
“Calvin,” she said breathlessly. “I want all of you too.”
at excited me more, and I wanted her to lose control. I wanted her body to shake and tremble. I wanted her heart to race. I wanted her skin to sweat, her legs to quiver. I wanted her to explode, to cry out, to beg me to stop. I squeezed her breast hard. Everything I wanted out of her; she gave. She moaned so loudly, it sounded like the howl of a wild animal. Her whole body tightened, and she grabbed at my hair, yanking up on it.
And then she nearly collapsed. “It’s too much,” she gasped.
I went a little longer, making sure she felt more pleasure tonight than she had in her whole life.
Grace opened her eyes as I crawled up her. She panted while I kissed her
neck and ear. When she was ready, she let her legs fall farther apart, inviting
me inside.
I grabbed a condom from the picnic basket and held it up with a smile. “Packed it just in case.”
“Good,” she whispered.
It took a few seconds to unwrap it and put it on. “Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded. I kissed her again and then settled between her legs. I stared into those blue, blue eyes where the re danced and slowly lowered myself into her. She moaned when I was inside and so did I. Her hands grabbed at my back, the scarlet red ngernails digging into my skin as I thrust in and out of her. I cried out when she drew blood, but I kept going. Sometimes pain felt just as good as pleasure.
“Don’t stop,” she said. “Never.”
I wrapped my hand around a clump of her blond hair and yanked it. I felt
her center clench me, and I nearly lost it right there.
Grace felt so good—like the feeling of a warm bed on a chilly night, or the cold side of your pillow on a hot evening. I let go of her hair and ran my hand up and down her body. She orgasmed more than once. I could feel it like a jolt of electricity. My body tensed up. is was it. Grace felt too good to hold back and all at once I collapsed. She kept pushing up into me, our sweaty skin gliding against one another. It was too much, too sensitive, and I pulled completely out of her.
“You’re goddamn amazing, Grace,” I said in between breaths. I rolled on my side to face her.
Grace laid on her back and looked up at the stars. ere was no point in
looking at them now. ey paled in comparison to her. “ at was incredible.”
She didn’t say anything. She just nodded.
I had never felt that with anyone else. We were in tune with one another. Our bodies craved the same touch, the same energy. We were like animals
tearing into one another. Grace was the best I ever had. And thinking that
made me wonder if I was the same for her.
“Whatcha thinking?” I asked, immediately regretting my question. It was something girls who were hung up on boys asked. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to know.
Grace turned her head toward me. e ame intensi ed in her blue eyes. “I’m thinking . . .” She bit her lower lip. “ at I don’t want this to end.”
I smiled. “I was thinking the same thing.” “Calvin.”
“Yes, Grace.”
“ ere are no secrets between us.”
I wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, but I nodded. “No secrets,” I said. But I wondered what made a secret. Was it having information that you hadn’t yet shared with the other person, or was it intentionally lying and withholding information? If she didn’t ask, was it a secret?
“What happened to your parents?”
I let out a sigh. It wasn’t something I liked talking about but I agreed to no secrets, and she did ask. “ ey died in a re.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I’m so sorry, Calvin.”
We sat in silence for a little while. I didn’t know what to say. e past belonged in the past, and there was no sense in talking about it.
“Can I tell you something?”
I scooched a little closer toward her. “You can tell me anything, Grace.” “Earlier today, Charlotte said something that I didn’t understand, but it
made me uncomfortable.” She tucked her chin in. “What did she say to you?”
“She said she hopes Joe keeps me here permanently.” Grace furrowed her brow.
I looked up at the sky and screamed internally. Char and Joe were going to mess all this up for me.
“What did she mean by that?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You said no secrets.”
I let out a sigh. “I told you about my ex, Lisa.” Grace nodded. “Yeah, she died in a car accident.” “One year ago today. Joe was driving that night.” Her eyes widened.
“We had gone out for my birthday. He drove us back because Lisa and I had a little too much to drink. He hit an elk going sixty not far down the road from here. Lisa was gored by the elk. She died before the paramedics arrived. I walked away with cuts and bruises. Joe su ered a traumatic brain injury. He was in a coma for a week. He doesn’t remember anything about the night of the accident. Doctors said he probably never will.” I looked to Grace, gauging her response.
“ at’s awful. But why would Charlotte say something like that?” “Some people think Joe hit that elk on purpose.”
“What? How could they think that?”
“Because the police didn’t nd any tire marks, meaning he never hit the brakes.” I folded in my lips.
“I don’t understand. Why would he even do that?”
“Joe’s always resented me. I don’t blame him though. Dad was harder on him even though Joe did everything he asked. He stayed here working on the ranch while I left. And when they died, they still left it to me.” I let out another sigh.
Grace pulled the teddy bear to her chest. “Do you remember anything? Do you really think he would do that on purpose?”
I laid back and stared up at the sky full of stars.
“I just remember the car going sixty and then not going at all. I was in the back seat, half asleep, so I didn’t see it. I wish I could sit here and say there’s no way my brother could have done that, but I really don’t know.”
“And he’s not in jail for vehicular manslaughter?”
“He got a year in county but was released after six months. Since it was an
animal-related accident, they went easy on him. If he hadn’t been going ve
over the speed limit, they wouldn’t have charged him at all.”
“I don’t know what to say, Calvin.” Grace laid beside me, staring up at the sky.
“ at night changed Joe.” I looked over at Grace. “When he came out of the coma, he wasn’t the same.”
“How so?” she asked.
“He’s angry, reckless, impulsive. It’s like there’s a darkness in him, festering.
I’m not sure what he’s capable of now. I think killing someone changes you.” She swallowed hard.
Joe had demons. Deep down, we all did. e things we think we’re the least capable of are the things we end up doing, and they are what de ne us. e town rede ned Joe that night. To some, he was a victim. To others, he was a murderer.
“I really wish Charlotte hadn’t said that to you.”
Grace glanced over at me. “Me too, but I’m glad I know,” she said, sliding her hand into mine.
I squeezed it tight. “I wouldn’t let anything ever happen to you. You’re safe here with me. I promise.” I had every intention of keeping that promise, but intentions were just partially laid plans, and they were subject to change.
