“Don’t let Faith come any closer,” Carter said to Grace. “I don’t want her to see Joss.”
“No,” Grace said. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”
“Yeah, I know.” Carter inhaled in pain as one of the paramedics caught him and started lowering him to the stretcher. “Oh, this ain’t fun.”
The other paramedic helped his partner get Carter all the way on, taking care with his hurt leg. They slowly raised the stretcher on its struts and prepared to wheel him out. Both paramedics watched the moving pump nervously, but they had enough room to maneuver the stretcher through the hole in the fence.
Another team slid in to deal with Joss, and another had already gone to the man lying in the grass. Their shouts told Grace he was alive, but the paramedics with Joss were silent.
Grace walked alongside Carter’s stretcher, Ross on its other side. Carter reached up and took Grace’s hand.
“Hey,” he said. “Gotta say something.”
“Let them take care of you,” Grace answered, trying to sound soothing. “We’ll talk later.”
“No, I’m gonna say it now, so just listen.” Carter’s hazel eyes softened, any trace of hardness in them gone. “I love you.”
Grace’s heart squeezed until she could barely breathe. “Carter …”
“I love you, Grace. I want you to know, okay?”
Grace wrapped her hands around his. “I love you too, Carter. But I think you already knew that.”
“It was the best moment of my life when you said that to me. I was too stupid to say it back.”
“I think you were too busy kissing me,” Grace said, warming as she remembered. They were almost at the ambulance, which would shut its doors and take him away. “But that was okay too.”
Tyler was waiting at the ambulance, his face drawn with worry, the usual sparkle in his blue eyes absent. The paramedics steadied the stretcher while they folded up the wheels, and Carter’s hand slipped from Grace’s.
“Hey,” he said to the paramedic at his head. “Don’t let them drive me off yet. I need to see my daughter.”
At the same time, Faith yelled. “I want to go with my Daddy!”
The paramedic gave Carter a nod, and Grace waved Grant to bring Faith over.
The paramedics slid Carter into place inside, the first one climbing up with him, but they waited for Faith and Grant.
Grant lifted Faith inside with his strong hands. The paramedic gave Faith a place to sit, and she folded up, watching Carter with big eyes.
Grant was as subdued as Tyler, though he gave Carter a weak smile as he peered in at him. “The med center should give us our own wing.”
“I’ll ask them. Hey, sweetie,” Carter said to Faith. “I’m gonna be okay. These guys know how to take care of me. They’ve done it before.”
“Yeah,” one of them said. “We keep scraping you off the ground, Sullivan. I thought you guys were supposed to be good.”
“We’re giving you job security,” Carter answered. His gaze flicked to Grace, who waited forlornly next to Tyler and Grant. “Grace, you come too.”
The second paramedic turned without a word and helped Grace inside. Grace, sending him a look of thanks, sank down with Faith, drawing the scared little girl into her arms.
Neither she nor Faith could reach for Carter while the paramedics fixed him up with drips and oxygen. Grace could only hold Faith, sharing her tears, while the ambulance doors slammed shut, and they rocked over the uneven ground, heading for Riverbend and home.
***
When Carter peeled open his eyes, he remembered how he’d slept on the hard chairs in the waiting room while the surgeons worked on Grace.
She’d come through, living so he could love her.
Now when Carter’s vision cleared, the first thing he saw was Grace, curled up on a chair beside his bed. His daughter was next to her, Faith’s head on her shoulder, both of them sound asleep.
“Aw,” Carter said, his voice no more than a broken whisper. “That’s the sweetest thing I ever did see.”
Grace blinked, like a green-eyed kitten coming awake, then she slid out of her chair to her feet. Faith, awakened by her movement, sprang up and rushed to Carter’s bedside.
“Daddy!” She cried the word softly, but it held a wealth of emotion.
Carter had tubes in his inner elbow and a monitor on his finger, but he opened his arms enough to enfold Faith in a partial embrace. “Hey, baby.” He pulled her down so he could kiss her forehead. “So, so good to see you.”
“Grace is here,” Faith said excitedly.
“I see that.” Carter rested his gaze on Grace, feeling his body relax, his breath warming and easing. “Looking so beautiful, like always.”
Grace’s cheeks turned pink, completing the pretty picture. “Your doctors say you’re going to be fine. You have a lot of work to do on your leg, but they stuck it back together with bailing wire and duct tape—so they claimed.” She smiled, which was like sunshine breaking through clouds.
“Is that why it feels like crap?” Carter asked. He twitched the slightest bit, feeling dull pain creep through whatever drugs they were pumping through him. “Mmm, what happened to Joss?”
Grace’s look went somber. “He was pronounced dead on arrival at the ER.”
“I figured as much.” Carter tried to feel sorrow for the man who’d taken him in so long ago, but he found only numbness. Joss had done his best to kill Carter, and he’d been an evil man. The last link to Carter’s past dissolved and flowed away.
“The other man, who worked for him, he survived,” Grace said. “He’s so grateful to be alive, he’s turned himself over to the police without fuss. Ross says he’s singing like a canary.” Her lips twitched. “Ross actually said that.”
Carter took in her slight blush, her eyes shining with her half smile. “You know what, sugar?” he said, his voice still raspy. “You’re gorgeous.”
Grace raised her brows. “Those must be some painkillers.”
“Yeah, they’re great.” Carter slanted her a sinful look. “I’m not wrong, though.”
Faith raised her head. “Hey, you two want to be alone?” Her eyes sparkled with tears, but also teasing.
“No, no.” Grace sounded suddenly nervous. “There’ll be plenty of time for your dad and me to talk. Right now he needs to get better.”
Carter reached out his hand, his monitor beeping a little faster when she took it. Damn, that thing might get embarrassing. “I’m not ashamed about what I feel, Grace. When I thought I was gonna die, my biggest regret was not telling you.” He squeezed her hand as much as his exhausted weakness let him. “I love you, Grace.”
Grace went still, but Faith’s grin beamed. “That’s awesome. Tell him you love him back.”
Grace swallowed, her amusement gone. For one, heart-stopping, awful moment, Carter thought she’d shake her head, say she’d changed her mind, turn from him, and walk away.
She blushed a shade redder, and cleared her throat. “I love you, Carter. Always have. Always will.”
Carter didn’t think the world could get any better. His monitor sped up again, and Faith giggled.
Carter tugged at Grace. She came to him, leaning to hug him the best she could, while Faith cuddled up to his other side.
“I got my two best girls right here,” Carter said. “I think my life right now is pretty damn good.”
Chapter Twenty
The Campbells had a big dinner to welcome Carter home. Grace insisted on doing the cooking for it, fixing Carter his favorite foods, with something involving crème anglaise for dessert.
Ross and Olivia brought Carter to the house. His lower leg was in a big splint, and he had crutches, though there’d be a walking cast later.
He was surrounded by Campbells as he came in, with hugs from Bailey and Christina and welcomes and teasing from his brothers. Grace watched from the kitchen door, seeing Carter’s face flush and then soften as his family surged around him.
r /> She thought maybe it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how much they loved him. The lonely boy had finally come home.
Once dinner was served, Grace noticed a change—instead of Grace sliding into whatever chair was available, Bailey had arranged it so Carter had Faith on one side, Grace on the other.
“Grace, you’re here,” Bailey had said, touching the back of the chair on the way to her own seat.
Carter had already been in place before Grace sat down. Ross squeezed in on Grace’s other side, sending her a fond look.
“Sorry for not being a gentleman and getting up,” Carter said, winking as Grace seated herself. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Woo!” Tyler said from across the table. “Heard that.”
Grace went hot, but her embarrassment was drowned in the commencement of a Campbell family meal.
After falling completely silent for the blessing, the table became a place of noise, good-natured argument, or interruptions like, “Would you pass the gravy for the tenth time?” in deep male voices.
The mood was buoyant. Carter was home.
Once Carter finished his food, he leaned back, easing his leg, and rested his arm along the top of Grace’s chair. He was warm, strong, himself again.
“Grace and I have something to tell y’all,” he said.
Grace flashed him a look of alarm. She hadn’t had a moment alone with him while he’d been in the hospital these last several days. She’d gone to see him often, but there was always a Campbell in his room—if one was leaving, another would immediately take his or her place. Carter’s friends came too—he was surprised he had so many—and of course, Faith practically lived there when she wasn’t in school.
“We do?” Grace asked nervously.
“Yep.” Carter slid his arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer. “Grace and me are engaged.”
Grace started, but the uproar she expected didn’t come. Adam frowned down the table at him. “We knew that, bro.”
“We never announced it officially,” Carter answered. “Now we are. I asked Grace to marry me, and she said yes.”
“But—” No, he hadn’t, and no she didn’t. Grace started to explain that, but Carter pulled her to him and silenced her words with a kiss.
Now the noise came. The Campbell boys whooped, cheered, whistled, and banged on the table. Carter ended the kiss, and Grace faced them, her skin hot.
Olivia left her seat to hug Grace. “Thank you, sweetie. I’m so happy.”
Faith stood up on her chair and cheered. Only she knew the secret, and her elation was clear. The dream had just come true.
“You have to wait a little bit for the wedding,” Christina called. “First, so Bailey, Lucy, and I have time to plan something spectacular. Two, so I can fit into a dress.” She caressed her very large abdomen. “Plus Carter has to get back on his feet, so to speak. How about Valentine’s Day?”
There were yesses, and groans, and then everyone had to weigh in.
Not Carter. He’d said his piece. He picked up his iced tea and knocked it back—he couldn’t have alcohol on his medication. He said nothing, returning to his silent mode, but Grace could see he was enjoying himself.
Grace didn’t manage to be alone with Carter until much later. The guys had to sit out on the porch, enjoying the night and talking, and Grace helped clean up—though the others insisted she didn’t need to. But Grace was proprietary about the Campbells’ kitchen now. No one else put things away right.
Kyle and Ray knew Grace wasn’t coming home—she’d called them and broken the news that the engagement was now official.
Ray said, “I’m happy for you, sweetie. I know he really cares about you.”
Kyle’s answer made her warm. “Like I said, if you’re happy, I’m happy. Carter’s turned out to be a good guy. Part of that is because of you, I’m pretty sure.”
“Thanks, Kyle,” Grace had said. “Love you.”
“But I can still whup his ass,” Kyle said.
Grace had only laughed as she’d hung up.
Faith was already tucked in by the time Grace made it to the suite at the back of the house, Carter having said good-night to her and retreated to his room.
Grace entered Faith’s bedroom, went to the girl’s bedside, and kissed her. Faith would be her daughter now. That thought brought both happiness and worry.
Faith looked up at her. “Thank you,” she said.
Grace kissed her again. “For what, sweetheart?”
“Making it real.” Faith’s eyes shone in the dark. “For not forgetting about it.”
Grace smoothed her hair. “Your dad wasn’t going to let me. And I wasn’t going to let him. You know what’s scary though? I’m going to have to learn on the fly how to be a good mom.”
“That’s all right.” Faith sent her a happy look. “I’ll show you.”
She would.
Grace said her final good-nights, closed the door, and made her way across the private living room to Carter’s bedroom. On the way, she picked up what she’d brought for him.
She wasn’t sure whether she should knock or not. When Grace heard Carter make a noise of pain, though, she was inside instantly.
“You okay?” She set her burden on the dresser and hurried to him.
“Yeah.” Carter, in his underwear, heaved his legs up onto the bed. “This is gonna take some getting used to.”
“I don’t have to sleep in here. Might be easier for you if I don’t.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Carter said at once. “I need you here.” He gentled his voice. “I mean—Don’t go. Please, stay.”
Grace couldn’t stop her laugh. “You’re not good at the tenderness part, are you?”
“Hey, I’m a rough cowboy. But, you know, you can teach me.”
Grace climbed onto the other side of the bed, careful not to jostle him. “Faith said that about me learning to be a mom.”
Carter considered. “Better watch her. She can be devious.”
“Like her dad.”
“Where do you think she learned it?”
Grace settled down beside Carter, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Like tonight. You didn’t mention you were going to go ahead with the engagement announcement.”
“Because I knew you’d try to stop me. This way, it’s done. We’re engaged, and that’s it.”
“Not really.” Grace kissed his bare shoulder then studied him. Carter’s face was pinched from his injury, but the glint in his hazel eyes remained. “There’s a lot to getting married and having a family.”
“A lot of good things,” Carter answered. “And I want them. I realized I didn’t want to let that part of my life go. Didn’t want to just hope it might happen.”
Grace gave him a once-over, her hot-bodied cowboy, mostly bare for her on the bed. His chest and abdomen were tight with muscle, and his battered face held a deep handsomeness no scars could ruin. Even the incongruity of the dark blue splint didn’t take away from the completeness of him.
“You never asked me, you know,” Grace said. “You just decided.”
“Well, I was gonna wait until I got better, then do it right. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, candles, flowers—the whole works. Then get down on one knee in front of everyone and hope you didn’t laugh at me.”
“I don’t want all that,” Grace said. “Anyway, we don’t have a fancy restaurant in Riverbend. You’d have to use the diner, and the whole town would be watching.”
“I was working on that,” Carter said. “There’s restaurants all over Hill Country, you know.”
“But I’d want it right here.” Grace traced his collarbone. “Without the candles and flowers, and all that. When I was in cotillion, they taught me the importance of complicated flower arrangements and how to use sixteen forks. But all that crap doesn’t matter. I only want you, Carter. That’s all I need.”
“Well, now.” Carter cleared his throat. “In that case …” He took her hand, holding
it hard. “Grace—will you marry me?”
Grace’s heart flooded with emotions so intense her eyes stung with tears. She came up on her knees and cradled his big hand in hers. “Yes, Carter. I will.”
Carter let out a long breath. “Good. Good—’Cause for a second there, I was afraid you’d say no.”
“No way in hell.” Grace came forward and wrapped her arms around him. “I want to marry you, Carter. I will marry you—just you try to stop me. I love you … It hurts how much I love you.”
“No hurting, Grace.” Carter slid his hand under her hair, and gave her a soft kiss on her mouth. “Never hurting. I’m done with that in my life.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Grace said resolutely.
“You already have.”
Grace went quiet. Carter guided her down for another kiss, his lips parting hers.
The kiss went on, growing deeper, more loving. Grace laced her arms around him, sinking into his warmth.
Carter’s hand slid to her breast, cupping it, two fingers catching the fold of her shirt. “Take this off.”
“I will.” Grace made herself move from his intoxicating touch, and slid from the bed. “But I brought you something.”
The hunger in Carter’s gaze made Grace for a moment want to forget about her idea and fling herself on him, kissing, holding, enjoying what she could.
But she didn’t want to hurt Carter’s leg. She’d planned something they could do without too much stress on his injury.
Grace went to the dresser and returned with the big bowl of chilled cream she’d whipped after supper when she’d kicked everyone out of the kitchen.
Giving Carter a sly smile, she scooped up a blob with her fingers and let it land, plop, on his chest.
Carter’s loving look went intense. “You’re an evil woman.”
Grace leaned down and licked up a long swipe of cream from his chest. “I told you—I’m tired of being the good girl. I want to be very—very—bad.”
“Well, I can sure teach you all about that.”
Carter’s strong arms had her on the bed on her knees before Grace realized he’d moved. He quickly stripped off her top and lacy bra, and used both hands to smear large gobs of cream onto her breasts.