Adopted Son (7 page)

When she stopped, he opened his eyes wide, so she kept on singing. Finally those gorgeous lashes fluttered against his cheeks.

“Night, Brady,” she murmured as his beautiful eyes stayed closed. When she walked out, she met the nurse. “He’s asleep,” Grace whispered. At the nurses’ station, she asked, “How is he?”

“His wounds are healing. There’s a large infected wound on one butt cheek that’s going to take some time, but it’s those inner wounds we’re worried about.” The nurse held out her hand. “My name is Jennifer and I was on duty when they brought him in.” They shook hands. “It’s hard to tell how long he went without his diaper being changed, but his skin was raw and infected. Poor thing had to have been in so much pain.”

“But he’s not now?” The thought of Brady being in any type of pain disturbed Grace.

“Maybe some. We keep a very loose diaper on him to prevent any pain we can. And we keep the sores medicated and we change his diaper frequently. Brady’s been through a traumatic experience, but he has a real friend in Ranger Tucker. Tuck is here first thing in the mornings. He comes on his lunch hour and he comes after work and stays to put Brady to bed.”

Grace noticed she called him Tuck. How close were they?

“They said your clients were here this morning,” Jennifer went on. “But I haven’t seen them tonight.”

Grace slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Thank you for letting me see Brady. I appreciate it.”

“As you can tell, I’m partial to Tuck and I will be testifying for him.”

“Yes. I can see that. Good night, Jennifer.” Grace quickly walked away before she smacked Jennifer with her purse. She wasn’t a violent person, but she was suddenly filled with a desire to pull Jennifer’s hair out by the roots.

She needed chocolate, the more the better.

Rounding a corner, she spotted a vending machine. Digging in her purse, she found her wallet and pulled out a dollar. She inserted it into the slot and made her choice. Oreo cookies, for sure.

The machine took her money and gave her nothing. Damn. She beat on the glass with her fist. Nothing. She pulled off her shoe and gave it a good whack. The machine groaned and spit out three bags of Oreo cookies.

She sank to the floor, leaning against the machine. Did she just hit the machine with her shoe? Her expensive shoe? She examined the leather and discovered the shoe was fine.

And so was she.

Letting down her hair had released a new Grace. She was sitting on the floor, probably a dirty floor. Still she made no effort to get up. She was taking tiny baby steps, even though they seemed gigantic to her. But they were steps she was willing to take, needed to take.

Ripping open one bag, she removed a cookie and twisted off the top, licking the icing in the middle. When she and Caroline were kids they had perfected a routine of eating an Oreo and dunking it in milk. Sometimes they’d race to see who could eat a cookie the fastest. Caroline always won because she wasn’t afraid to get milk all over her. Grace ate fastidiously, not wanting to get crumbs or milk on her clothes.

Even at that age, she was repressed.

What had made her that way?

Her thoughts went back to her childhood. When Grace was born, Stephen Whitten had wanted a son. From as early as Grace could remember, her father had said, “You’re my son, Grace. I know you’ll make me proud.”

And she had tried to be that son in every way that counted. She excelled in school and she didn’t rebel or get in trouble like Caroline. Her father didn’t like it when Caroline got dirty, so Grace stayed extremely clean and neat. Caroline’s room was a disaster area. Grace’s was immaculate.

Although Caroline rebelled at times, she still tried to fit the mold her father had planned for his girls. Caroline got her law degree, but after a year in the Whitten Firm she bolted for freedom. She pursued her love of photography and was now a great photographer. Their father was not pleased, but Caroline stuck by her decision.

On the other hand, Grace had become the chosen daughter, the good daughter. She’d told Caroline many times that she was happy in her career. Lately that wasn’t true. So much of her life was based on material profits, gains and wealth.

But at what price to her personal well-being?

She thought of the lady asleep by her sick child in Brady’s ward. Grace wondered if she slept there every night. Did she ever leave her child? Grace pulled up her knees, munching on an Oreo. Real love. That’s what life was all about—being there for another person no matter what.

Grace wanted that—to experience a love that strong.

She heard a noise and glanced up to see Jeremiah staring down at her.

T
UCK TURNED THE CORNER
and stopped dead in his tracks. He’d gone to watch one of his boys, Pablo Martinez, wrestle. He was on the wrestling team in school and Tuck never missed a match. Pablo’s mother had found her husband in a motel with another woman and she’d waited in the parking lot, running over both of them with her car. They died from their injuries.

Pablo now lived with his grandparents and he was filled with a lot of anger. Tuck got him into wrestling and it helped to work off his negative energy in a positive way. His grandfather encouraged him and that helped, too. Pablo was going to make it, despite his parents.

Afterward he congratulated Pablo and treated him and his grandfather to supper. Pablo was excited about his win and Tuck had stayed out longer than he’d planned. He wanted to check on Brady one more time before he went home. Since Brady wasn’t used to a routine, he slept sporadically. Just in case Brady was awake, Tuck strolled to the vending machines for animal crackers. Brady loved them.

Tuck blinked. He must be seeing things. All day he’d been trying to get in touch with Grace, even went by her office, but he kept missing her. Now…could that be Grace? A woman sat on the floor, her back against the machine and her blond hair hung to her shoulders in disarray. She looked like Grace, but the Grace he knew would never be caught with her hair down doing something so out of the ordinary.

She looked up and he knew it was. “Grace.”

“Uh…hi…Jer…Tuck.”

The moment she said his name something happened inside him. The annoyance he’d felt toward her vanished. That’s what it came down to—her respecting him enough to use his name.

Removing his hat, he sank down beside her, propping his back against the vending machine. “What are you doing here?”

“Eating Oreo cookies. Want one?” She held out the bag to him.

He positioned his hat on his knee and reached into the bag.

As he took a bite, she said, “There’s a special technique to eating an Oreo.”

“Really?” He finished the cookie in record time.

“But you need milk.”

“Wait a sec.” He swung to his feet, walked to the nurses’ station and asked for milk. Jennifer wasn’t there but another nurse gave him a carton without question. He often brought Brady milk with animal crackers.

He eased back down by Grace, placing his hat beside him and showing her the milk.

“Magic.” A smile lit up her face and his chest tightened.

He opened one corner and she shook her head. “Not big enough for dunking.”

He pried opened the lid fully. “How’s that?”

“Great. Now watch.” She twisted off the top, licked the icing in between, dipped the top in milk, took a bite, licked the center again and dipped the rest of the top. Lick, dip and eat, over and over. He was captivated by her tongue. Licking the last crumb from her lips she added, “That’s how to eat an Oreo.”

He stared at her chin.

“What?”

“You have milk right there.” He pointed to her chin and he restrained himself from licking it away.

“Oh.” She wiped at it with her hand, getting some on her blouse.

“Now you have it on your blouse.” He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and handed it to her.

“Thank you.” She wiped at her mouth and her blouse. “I’m usually not so messy.”

“I know.”

Their eyes met and emotions he couldn’t define hovered just below the surface—emotions he wasn’t ready to define. He cleared his throat. “Now let me show you how a man eats an Oreo.” He reached for a cookie, dipped it into the milk, popped it into his mouth and ate it in one bite. “Simple, easy and no mess.”

“But not as much fun.”

“No.” He watched her lips, coughed and took a swallow of milk. “I tried to reach you several times today.”

She brushed at the crumbs on her slacks. “Did you? What about?”

“I wanted to apologize for barging into your office and saying what I did.” He raised his knees, staring down at his cowboy boots. “I was angry and upset. I knew that filing for custody of Brady was a long shot. I guess I just didn’t expect you’d be the one to make sure that didn’t happen.”

“I…”

“Don’t say anything. You have a right to represent anyone you want. I was the one who was out of line.”

Grace couldn’t believe how much the apology meant to her. His opinion mattered. His feelings mattered. And she rather liked sitting on the floor, milk and cookie crumbs on her clothes, talking to Tuck. Making that leap from Jeremiah to Tuck had been the easiest thing she’d ever done. She wondered if she had called him that from the first moment she’d met him, what type of relationship would they have now?

“What happened to your shoe?”

His question threw her for a second, and then she realized her shoe was still in her lap. “The machine took my money and I whacked it a couple of times with my shoe.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “You hit the machine with your
shoe?
”

“Crazy, hmm?” She shrugged. “What can I tell you? I wanted chocolate.”

He rested his forearms on his knees, his eyes on her face. “So when you need a chocolate fix, it’s okay to scuff up your shoes?”

She winced. “Okay. I need to apologize, too. I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain. Seeing myself through your eyes was a big eye-opener. If we ever dance again, I won’t care if you step on my shoes. That’s really very silly.”

“Grace.” He stretched out his long legs and folded his arms across his broad chest, his eyes holding hers. “I haven’t stepped on a woman’s shoes since I was thirteen years old.”

She recognized a sexual undertone in every word and welcomed the warmth that flooded her body from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

“I like your hair like that,” he said unexpectedly.

She touched her hair, feeling almost giddy. “Thank you. I’ve had it like this all day and although I’ve received some startled glances, no one said a word.”

“Maybe they didn’t know what to say,” he commented.

“Maybe.” But it felt extremely good that someone had mentioned the change in her appearance. At the moment, she didn’t resemble Grace Whitten of the Whitten Law Firm.

“What are you doing here, Grace?” He asked the same question he’d asked earlier.

“I came to see Brady.” There was no reason to lie.

Tuck rose to his feet and reached out a hand to her. She placed hers in his and he pulled her to her feet. She hopped around on one foot until she slipped her other foot into her shoe.

He watched her for a moment. “Let’s call a truce,” he said. “For our family’s sake and our own, we’ll abide by the judge’s decision without any ill feelings.”

She should tell him that she’d recused herself from the case, but for some reason she didn’t. Her firm still represented the Templetons and she had to support them professionally. Personally was another matter.

They’d just had a very nice conversation and had started the process of getting to know one another. Trust had to be built and earned, not just given. If they had a future, it would happen naturally.

She nodded. “That’s fine with me. And if you’re at Eli and Caroline’s, am I allowed to visit, too?”

He picked up his hat from the floor and placed it on his head. “Of course. That was uncalled for.”

“Good.” She held out her hand. “Let’s shake on it.”

He stared at her hand then raised his eyes to hers. “We’re family, so we should hug on it, don’t you think?”

She was taken aback, but only for a second. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she replied, “Yes,” then stepped into the circle of his arms and wrapped hers around his waist.

His chest was solid, his heartbeat strong and the sensation that enveloped her was something she’d never felt before, something that had been missing from her life—the touch and feel of a man. Her feelings for Tuck were as strong as the arms that held her. She admitted that for the first time. That’s why his words had hurt so badly. That’s why she’d changed her appearance and her ingrained habits about neatness and order. That’s why she’d attacked a vending machine. Tuck mattered to her. But now they were set on a course that would test their relationship. Sadly, she wasn’t sure if she mattered to him at all, except as Caroline’s sister.

She forced herself to step back. “I wish you all the best in the custody hearing.”

“I just want Brady to have a good home.”

“We all do.” She picked up her purse and the empty milk carton, her eyes catching his. “Good night, Tuck.”

“Night, Grace.”

She walked away, resisting the urge to look back and also resisting the urge to brush the dust from her clothes.

Another baby step.

T
UCK STROLLED
down the hall to Brady’s ward. Jennifer sat at the desk. “How’s Brady tonight?” he asked.

She smiled a welcome. “You’re back.”

“I just went out for a bite. Nurse Dunbar said Brady’s not sleeping well.”

“He’s used to doing his own thing and suddenly there are so many people around him that he’s confused. He was awake a little while ago, but Ms. Whitten, the Templeton’s attorney, stopped by and got him back to sleep.”

“Grace got him to sleep?”

Jennifer’s eyes opened wide. “You know her?”

“My brother is married to her sister.”

One eyebrow arched. “Now that’s interesting.”

“Yes. It is, sometimes.”

“She seems like a high-maintenance type of woman so I was a little surprised when she asked to give Brady his bottle.”

“She has a nephew and she’s good with him, too.”

“You could have fooled me. I thought she was a little on the uppity side.”

Words rose in his throat to defend Grace. He smiled inwardly. Grace didn’t need his defense. She could take care of herself. “I’ll just check on Brady,” he said instead. “And I’ll be very quiet.”

“If you don’t get custody of that little boy, then there’s something wrong with this world.”

“Thank you, Jennifer.”

He caught all of Jennifer’s signals, but she didn’t trigger a response in him. He must go for high-maintenance, uppity women because he could still feel Grace’s body against his. Her scent, a delicate lilac, still teased his senses.

Entering the room, he thought it was ironic they were pitted against each other. But they didn’t have to be enemies. Tonight proved that to him. He’d seen a side of Grace he hadn’t seen before and he wanted to get to know her better. Though in light of everything going on, he couldn’t see that happening.

Barbara was asleep in her chair and he wondered how long she could continue to do that. For as long as necessary, he was sure—that’s what loving parents did.

He straightened the blanket around Brady, careful not to wake him. Brady deserved devoted, loving parents and Tuck intended to stay in the game until that happened.

W
HEN
T
UCK GOT INTO HIS CAR
, his cell rang. It was Beau.

“Hey, Tuck. I got a call from Ann Demott.”

“Who’s that?”

“She’s the Templetons’ new attorney.”

“What?”

“Grace has recused herself. The Whitten Law Firm is still handling the case, but Grace is no longer personally involved.”

“Oh.” He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He’d just seen Grace and she hadn’t said a word. Why, he wondered?

“I guess Grace realized it was best for the family.” There was a slight pause. “She’s not as bad as you think she is.”

“I never said Grace was bad.” He was immediately on the defensive.

“Really? I always got the impression you’d rather be audited by the IRS than spend any time with Grace.”

“Well, your impression was wrong.” He could actually feel Beau smiling. “And stop smiling.”

“How do you know I’m smiling?”

“I know you, Beau McCain. You’re a natural born peacemaker trying to keep everyone happy.”

“You could be right.” Beau laughed. “Now let’s get down to business. I have other news.”

“What?”

“The hearing has been set for next Thursday at two o’clock in the judge’s chambers.”

“That was quick.”

“CPS is pushing for a quick decision from the judge. They feel Brady needs a stable environment as soon as possible so we have to have our ducks in a row. How are you coming with help for Brady while you’re at work?”

“I plan to take four weeks’ leave so Brady can be well-adjusted before I’m gone all day. Mrs. Wiggins has agreed to keep Brady at my house. She’s no longer keeping her granddaughter. I hadn’t realized that.”

“That’s great. The judge will look at that favorably.”

“But not as favorably as a married couple where the wife is willing to stay home with Brady?”

“No, I’m sorry, Tuck. That’s going to be a hard one for us to beat. But I never give up until that gavel bangs.”

“Thanks, Beau. I knew from the start this was going to be tough.”

“How is Brady doing?”

“Physically he’s healing quickly, but mentally is another matter. He’s still not responding to anyone.”

“I guess that’s what CPS is worried about. They want the caregiver in place so Brady can feel at ease to form that bond. It will happen. Jake went through the same thing with Ben.”

“I know some of the story, but not all of it.”

“Ben was three years old when Jake found out about his existence. Ben’s grandmother, who had custody of him, had passed away. Not able to understand why his grandmother was gone, Ben shut down completely. Jake’s name was on the birth certificate and that’s why the authorities contacted him. As newlyweds, it was rough for Jake and Elise. They suddenly had a baby they weren’t expecting who had developmental problems. It took a lot of patience, but they made it. You’d never guess now that things had been so rough at the start.”

“No, and, Beau McCain, I bet you were right in the middle of it.”

“When it comes to family, you bet I am. I’ll be in touch before Thursday to go over some details.”

“Thanks, Beau.”

Beau would give the case his all, but Tuck was afraid it wasn’t going to be enough. The outcome didn’t look good and he had to be prepared.