Chapter and Verse (19 page)

“
What in the hell was all of that?  What did we walk in on.”

I shrugged because frankly, I was just as stumped as they were.  Grant was smiling, so I deferred to him.

“
Grant what are you grinning about?  Help me out here.”

He took his wife’s hand and spoke as if he were explaining it to children.

“
My son is in love.”

Not good enough.  Sorry.  I looked at him and my impatience must have shown.

“
You said that before and no offense, but I’m not sure why you seem positive.  I know he kissed me and all, but it could have been relief that we’re friends again.”

Grant started laughing and shaking his head.

“
Tell me something Dorothy.  Is that how you kiss and make up with all of your friends?  Bullshit.  What you just experienced and what we just witnessed was my son saying, pardon the expression, fuck it.  He’s made up his mind that he’s tired of fighting it and he’s taking what’s his.”

Wrong thing to say.  Bree was smiling and looked like the lightbulb went on but I wasn’t as happy as they obviously were.  I mean think about it.  If it wasn’t true, then I was being set up for another heartache and months of disappointment.  We’ve already established that a dump by Deacon didn’t bode well for my sanity or my diet.  If what he said WAS true, then I was nothing more than another acquisition to the CEO himself.  He wanted me so he was going to “take what was his”?  What kind of neanderthal shit was that?  I’m an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of girl and what he and I had prior to the cold war was fine by me.  A romance?  With Deacon?  That had disaster written all over it.  He dropped women like people drop nickels into wells.  I didn’t need that, I’d rather have my friend back.

They watched all of this play over my face and they were patient with me.  For a minute or two.  Then they seemed to understand the clock was ticking.  Deacon would be down in a few minutes and our discussion would be over.  Bree reached over and took my hand, jarring me from my internal monologue.

“
Dorothy, I know Deke can be forward and possessive.  You haven’t seen that side of him yet, but it’s there.  I want you to think about something.  He’s never brought a woman here before and he’s certainly never kissed one in front of us.  Think about the war that started over that one little kiss that you gave him.  He’s made up his mind sweetheart.  He’s going all in.  How do you feel about that?”

Okay.  Well that was a little more diplomatic, but somehow Grant’s words although fewer, rang truer.  Not the “he’s in love part”, the “taking what’s his” part.  I still couldn’t get around that and it rubbed me the wrong way.

I looked at them both and I wanted them to see that I was serious.  Dead serious.

“
I appreciate the sentiment and although I may or may not agree with it, I’ll admit that you know your son better than I do...”

“
No we don’t.  Not anymore.”

Grant’s words threw me for a second but I had to finish what I’d started.

“
...but you have to see my side of this.  I know you care about both of us.  I can tell by the way you’ve taken me in and I love you both.  But he’s screwed with my head twice now and that last time was a doozy.  His track record with me is less than stellar.  I can’t allow my heart to waltz back into Deacon’s kill zone without clear lines and boundaries.  That man is too dangerous.”

The light in Bree’s eyes dimmed just a little, but Grant was shining enough for both of them.  He still had faith that his son could and would win me over.  He saw the grandchildren that Bree was withholding hope for.

“
Dor’, he was dangerous because he was refusing to go in with determination and all of his guns blazing.  He was fighting it because he didn’t understand it.  He gets it now and he’s planning on winning.”

Grant had no idea he was digging the hole a little deeper.  Bree saw the change in my posture and started rubbing her husband’s back.

“
Grant, she’s right.  Deacon has a lot of explaining and groveling to do.  Just because he wants it, it doesn’t mean he’ll get it.”

Grant turned to her and chuffed.

“
Says who?  Have you ever seen him fail at something he’s set his mind on?  She’s as good as bagged.”

Bree’s eyes grew huge and she was all but smacking him.  I had no intention of being “bagged”.

“
I’m sitting right here Grant.  If you’re going to talk about me as if I’m some kind of trophy animal, you could at least wait until I’m gone.  What is it with you Sloan men?  Bree?  Was Grant this way with you?”

She closed her eyes and tried unsuccessfully to play Switzerland.

“
Yes and no.  He had his choice of girls, just like Deacon.  But when he’d made up his mind that it would be me, I didn’t stand a chance.  I mean come on Dorothy.  Look at him.  Look at Deacon.  Or Anton.  Or Pierce.  They could charm a gazelle out of a lion’s mouth, and they’re not hard to look at either.”

“
So I should just give up and lie down?”

Grant dug one more shovel full.  He gave me a cheeky grin first though.

“
That’s the first step.”

At that point, two things happened.  I understood where Deacon and Anton got their dirty minds, and the man himself came walking in looking like sex on legs.  I was thanking every saint that existed (and some I thought should be saints) that his folks were in the room.  That’s when I was reminded that prayers weren’t always answered in your favor.

Grant stood up and pulled Bree to her feet.

“
We’re gonna take a walk and give you two some time alone.  I’m sure you’ve got things you need to discuss.”

Deacon and I watched as Grant practically pulled Bree through the backdoor.  He looked at me and I shrugged.  He sat down in front of his sandwich and chips and I stood up.  He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm.  Oh he was good.  I had no experience with this level of seduction and that didn’t necessarily go into his “plus” column.

“
Where are you goin’ babe?”

“
I was going to get you something to drink.  What would you like?”

“
Iced tea would be nice.  Thanks.”

He gave me the full dimpled smile and I did my best not to appear as flustered as I felt inside.  If he ever found a way to patent those dimples, the female population at large was in big trouble.

I poured his tea and put it down near his plate.  I contemplated a quick retreat out the back door when he stopped me.

“
Sit with me.  I haven’t talked to you in too long and I’ve missed you.”

I sat down and got down to business.  No time like the present.

“
And whose fault is that?”

He swallowed the bite he’d taken and took a sip of tea.  I thought for sure he’d have a smart ass comeback, but he didn’t.

“
Mine and I take full responsibility.  I acted childish and I was out of line.  I knew that a week after it happened.”

“
It took you a whole week?  Why?  And if you knew after a week, why did you let three more go by?”

He turned to me, giving me his undivided attention.  Let me explain something.  Lounging around with Deacon Sloan while you’re goofing around and interviewing him is one thing.  Having those gray laser beams concentrated on you, is something else entirely.  Now I knew why his business was such a success.  It was the look he had in his eyes right now.  If his opposition was seated at a boardroom table and he looked at them the way he was looking at me, I’d be willing to bet they were begging for a pen to sign over everything they owned.  Deacon nailed you to the spot with those eyes.  I could not have moved if the house was on fire.

“
When you kissed me, we had clear lines drawn.  I take full responsibility for making those lines murky.  I held your hand, I hugged you, and I got familiar with you in a way that I don’t with other women.  You, are not other women Dor’.”

“
Thanks for noticing, but I still don’t understand.  I didn’t kiss you like you were kissing me Deacon.  It was a friendly kiss.  Nothing major, no big deal.”

“
Wasn’t it?”

I swallowed hard because I needed to ask something but I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.  Yet.

“
Wasn’t it what?”

“
A big deal.  Are you gonna sit there and tell me that you didn’t feel what I felt when you kissed me?”

I closed my eyes to give myself a brief reprieve.

“
I don’t know what you mean.”

“
You’re right.  You are the world’s shittiest liar.  Never play poker with Anton, he’ll take you for every dime you’ve got.”

I opened my eyes and he was eating again.

“
Why do you think I’m lying?”

“
Because you don’t cry and I upset you so badly, you left in tears.  That kiss hit you as hard as it hit me.  There was something there and there’s STILL something there and you know it.  You felt it and I denied it.  That’s where we got into trouble.  Well guess what?  I’m through denying it.”

He took another sip of his tea and turned to me again.  I reached over, picked up his glass and took a sip myself.  My throat was suddenly dry.  Once I’d put the glass down on the table, he leaned over and I could feel his breath against my ear as he whispered.

“
Dorothy baby, I’m in.”

I felt those words all the way to the toes that were curling up inside my moccasins.  This was not a good thing.  It meant that he was getting to me and I could not let Deacon Sloan get to me.  Not yet anyway.  Been there, done that.  Know what I mean?

I leveled him with my best stare, but it was nothing compared to his.  Still, he seemed to take it seriously.

“
That’s all well and good Deacon, but what if I’m not ‘in’?  What if I’m tired of being the one with the broken heart and confusion?”

The sonofagoat chuffed at me.  He actually chuffed.  At me.

“
That won’t happen again.”

“
How can you say that?  I piss you off on a regular basis!  How do I know you won’t come to your senses and drop me again?  You seem to do that rather easily.  What if I don’t want to take that chance again?  Huh?”

Oh I was pissed.  That man could press my buttons like no other and for the life of me, I could not figure out why I kept putting myself through it.  Other than the love thing and all.

He was finished with his sandwich and he dabbed his mouth with the paper napkin.  He slowly finished his tea and I couldn’t tell if he was doing it for effect or if he was allowing himself time to formulate his response.  When he turned back to me, he took both of my hands in both of his.

“
Dorothy, you pissed me off because I was confused about my feelings.  I’m not anymore.  I could say the words, but I don’t think you’re ready to hear them.  I’ve never said them before and when I say them, I want it understood that I mean them and all that they imply.  You’ll take the chance because you don’t have a choice.  You know, I know it, and I don’t know why you’d fight it.  It’s inevitable.”

“
What’s inevitable?”

“
You and me babe.  You can run, but I’ll chase you.  I have the advantage of living one floor above you and I’ve got infinite patience when I want something.  You’re mine Dor’.  You really should accept it sooner rather than later.  It’ll save us both a shit ton of misery.  Just ask Anton or Pierce.”

“
Why?  Do you own them too?  I don’t want to be a possession!  That macho, ‘you’re mine’ crap might fly with the women who bat their eyelashes and say, ‘yes dear’ and ‘whatever you say babe’, but I’m not them, Mister.  The sooner you come to terms with that, the better.”

He leaned over and planted a chaste but firm kiss on my tightly drawn lips.  My eyes were narrowed and I was loaded for bear.  The asshat was in full display today boy.  He needed to understand who he was dealing with.  He might be Deacon Sloan, but I was Dorothy Lincoln and my daddy didn’t raise any sniveling daughters.  We were taught to stand up and fight for ourselves.  I doubted if Mr. CEO had come across any women like that.  If he had, he wasn’t acting like it.

He did that dimple grin thing again and his eyes were twinkling.  I wondered if he knew how close he was to being snatched bald-headed.

“
Oh Dorothy, you are a prize.  I love it when you’re feisty.”

It was a good thing he was holding on to my hands.

“
I am no prize!”

No wait a minute.  That didn’t come out quite right.  Do you see how muddled he made my head?  I needed some airspace that didn’t smell like Deacon.  All sexy and clean and dark hair and gray eyes and such.  Oh for the love of... he was speaking again.

“
Baby, I know this is all a surprise.  Believe me, when I realized how I felt, I was surprised too.  But you’ll get used to it and settle in.  We’ve got decisions to make and then plans to discuss.  It’s good that we’re here together for a few days.  We need to be out of the influence of our siblings.”