Sunkissed (8 page)

She shook her head. She didn’t even want to attempt to do that herself. “You’d better do it. I’ll just bang up my leg even worse.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

She arched a brow.
“That I’d bang up my leg?”

“No. That you’d let me do it. I’ve always wanted to shrink wrap someone.” His eyes lit with boyish glee.

She laughed deeply, shaking her head in amusement.

“All right, ready?” he asked, moving the blankets aside.

“Yes.”

He lifted her leg, carefully wrapping the limb in plastic. A twinkle of amusement lit his eyes when he was done.

“I’m glad you find this so amusing.”

“Oh, I do. I look forward to shrink wrapping you tomorrow.”

She snorted.

He lifted her easily, carrying her to the adjoining bath. The turquoise hues in the room soothed her, making her imagine the warm, silky-smooth water of the Caribbean.

“I set a stool in the shower for you to sit on. And there’s a detachable showerhead in here that should make it easier. I’ll wait on the other side of the door in case you need me. You’ll have all the privacy you want.”

“Thank you.” She was humbled by his thoughtfulness.

He placed her on the stool. “You’re welcome. Just throw your clothes over the door and we’ll take care of them later. And take your time. There’s no rush.” He closed the door, leaving her in the quiet room.

She was grateful for the detachable showerhead. She didn’t think she would have been able to manage washing herself if it wasn’t there. And letting Grant clean her when she was so vulnerable was something she wouldn’t allow.

Reaching up, she grabbed the towel that hung over the door. When it was knotted securely around her body, she called out, “I’m finished.”

Opening the door, Grant looked at her from head to toe, his gaze lingering over her exposed, heat-flushed shoulders.

“Ah. Would you like to get dressed before brushing your teeth or after?” he said, his voice hoarse.

Her lip curved. “After.”

“Okay. I’m going to carry you to the sink and set you down, but I don’t want you to put any weight on that leg at all. I’ll balance you from behind.” She nodded in agreement.

He helped her to the sink where he gripped her hips lightly. The feel of him touching her, holding her, burned through her, but she was too exhausted to do anything about it. She wavered.

“Tired?” he asked. She nodded. “Come on. Let’s get you back in bed.”

He carried her back into the room, helping her slip on a clean night shirt. She couldn’t tell if he peeked or not, he put it on so quickly. But she didn’t mind. She was too tired to think about it.

“Here, take another pill. You’ll sleep better.”

She nodded drowsily, taking the pill and crashing before she thought of anything else.

* * *

Making sure he was around if she needed him, Grant stayed close to the house, delegating responsibilities to Carlos that he would have normally handled himself.

Carlos was updating him on the progress of the harvest when Noah pulled up.

“Is everything all right?” Grant asked when Noah got out of the car.

“Yeah, why?”

“You never stop by in the middle of the day.”

“Ah, well, as you can see,” he gestured to his casual clothes. “I took the day off.”

“Any particular reason?”

“I just needed some time off,” he said easily, but Grant knew that there was more to it. His brother didn’t take days off to hang out at the orchard. He was dedicated to his cases and hardly ever took personal leave. “It’s still early, but do you want to come in and have a drink?”

“Aren’t you busy out here?”

Grant nodded toward the house before heading in that direction, his brother following. “No. I’m taking a few days off as well.”

“This time of year?” he
asked, his tone incredulous. “Must be important.”

“It is.” In the kitchen, he handed his brother a cold beer.

“It must involve a woman.”

“Why would you think so?” Grant opened his drink before taking a swig.

“Because it always does.”

Grant leaned against the counter. “Is that why you took the day off?”

A sardonic smile curved Noah’s lips. “We’re not talking about me.”

“Maybe we should.”

“You first.”

“You remember how I told you that a woman was asking about Grandpa?” When his brother nodded, Grant continued. “Well, I’ve been in contact with her. We’ve actually found some interesting things that I’ll tell you about later. Anyway, someone tried to run her over with their car.”

“Damn.” Noah put his drink down in distaste. “Is she all right?”

“She will be. She needs rest to recover.”

“And so what does that have to do with you taking a few days off? Are you going to go visit her?”

“No. I’m taking care of her.”

It took a moment, but Grant saw when it dawned on his brother. “You mean here? She’s here. You have a woman here that you are taking care of?”

“Keep your voice down.” He glared. “Yes. She’s upstairs sleeping right now.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because you never bring people home. I was shocked when you said she was coming over the other Sunday. But this… this is more.”

“I’m in love with her.”

“Impossible,” he scoffed. “You don’t even know her.”

“I know enough.” Grant shrugged. “It just happened.”

Noah looked bewildered. “It doesn’t just happen. A cold just happens. You have to work at love and sometimes that doesn’t even help.”

Grant knew his brother would never understand unless he’d personally experienced it.
“In any case. She’s staying here.”

“How long are you looking after her?”

“She’ll need constant help for a few days until she gets a hard brace on. Then she can use crutches.” He hesitated, taking another sip. “But she’ll be staying longer.”

“You mean she’s moving in?” Noah’s mouth dropped open.

“Yes. But she doesn’t know it yet. It’s not safe for her to leave.”

Noah shook his head, sucking in a deep breath before sitting down at the table. “Maybe you should start from the beginning.”

Grant did, telling him everything that happened up to her attack.

Noah took a contemplative gulp before placing his empty bottle on the counter. “I guess there really isn’t much of a choice. If she’s already been attacked once, it’s likely to happen again. I hope they catch him soon.”

“Me too.”

“And as for the other thing?
The love thing. Don’t make any decisions until this is over and your head is clear.”

“I won’t. But it won’t matter.”

“All the same. I should head out. You have enough to deal with.”

Grant walked his brother out. “Is everything all right?”

Noah waved him off. “Nothing to worry about. I’ve got it handled.” With a salute, he was in his car and gone.

Grant sighed. Once this sabotage business was taken care of and Natalie was safe, he’d have to see what he could do to help his brother.

If life had taught him anything, it was that there was always something to worry about.

It was light out when Natalie woke. Stretching, she felt disoriented, but brushed it off as a likely side effect of her pain meds.

Her leg ached, but it felt better than it had before her nap.

“Ah, finally.
You’re awake.” Grant lounged in her doorway.

She smiled sheepishly.
“Yeah, sorry. I must have passed out again. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

His grin widened. “Natalie, you’ve been asleep for almost twenty-four hours.”

“What?” Her mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head while walking into the room. “You must have needed it.”

No wonder she felt groggy. She had never slept so much in her life.

“The doctor told me that this might happen the first day or two. You were in shock from the accident. It’s normal.”

That was a relief.

He sat on her bed next to her, giving her a feeling of déjà vu of yesterday’s events. “You feel like coming down today?”

“I’d like that. Not that I’m sick of this room since all I’ve done is sleep in it. But it would be nice to be somewhere else.”

He nodded in understanding. “No problem. How about we get you dressed, and then you can have breakfast on the couch.”

“How about at the table?”

His eyes crinkled in amusement.
“If you like. Are you always this difficult?”

“Yes,” she said immediately.

He laughed. “I guess I’ve been warned then. Come on.”

He took her into the bathroom and helped her get ready with a minimum of fuss. The tension she had felt between them yesterday had eased as he helped her with a clinical air.

“Omelet?” he asked when he sat her at the table.

“Sounds great.
You make fantastic breakfast food.”

“Thanks. I’ve always thought a good meal started the day off right. I’m making a roast tonight, though.
Meat. Potatoes. Carrots.”

“Very manly.”

“Absolutely. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

She rested her arm on the table, leaning her face on her hand. “I think I will too. You do manly very well.”

“I’m a man.”

She shook her head. “Being a man doesn’t necessarily make you manly. I’ve met plenty of men in my
business that are more feminine than I am.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

She laughed. “But you, here on the orchard, all rugged and sexy,” she sighed.

Her pulsed jumped at his heated look. “Are you trying to get me started?”

“Is it working?” she asked sweetly.

“Yeah.
It is. But we aren’t doing anything.”

She lost her smile then. “What do you mean? I thought this was friends with benefits. Have you changed your mind?”

He turned off the griddle, walking toward her like he was stalking prey. He lowered until he was eye level. “I like the benefits just fine. But I’d rather wait until you can fully participate. I don’t want you any more injured, particularly if I’m the one hurting you.” He gave her a quick kiss before standing and moving back toward the stove.

She didn’t know how to react to him. She didn’t understand him. He wanted her, and she was a willing partner. But he refused because he thought he might hurt her. She appreciated how considerate he was, but she wasn’t worried about getting hurt.

He didn’t ask for her opinion. He only gave her his decision.

Could she fight it? It seemed silly to bother.

Flipping the golden mixture, he said over his shoulder, “I need to be in the orchard for an hour today. Will you be all right on your own? I’ll have my phone on me if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry about me. I know you have things to do.”

“Well, until you get your cast on, it’s my job to worry. Eat up,” he said as he put the plate in front of her.

Once she finished her breakfast, he placed her on the couch, remote in hand, books on the side table. “Need anything else?” he asked.

“No. You go ahead.”

She watched him leave before turning on the TV. Not really following the show, she dozed after a set of commercials. As the rosy haze of twilight filtered through the sheer curtains, the front door opened, waking her. She stretched her stiff shoulders before gaping at the slowly fading sun.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” Grant apologized.

“What time is it?” she croaked, bringing him forward with a glass of water.

“It’s around six. I kept checking on you, but you were out.”

“Must still be the
drugs.”

He nodded in agreement. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m all right.”

“Okay. I’ll bring dinner in here and we can eat informally. Maybe catch a movie on TV?”

“Sounds good.”

She looked around the living room while he was busy in the kitchen. He had more books than she would have suspected, nestled into a cozy reading nook with a sunken chair and table. They were well loved and obviously used.

She glanced at the side table. He had given her a few books from his collection to enjoy. A romance novel. That made her grin. A sci-fi novel she had never heard of, and the newest James Patterson novel. She appreciated his choices. He could have given her something from his non-fiction section, and she was flattered that he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t enjoy reading something like that for pleasure.

She imagined him in the chair, a drink sweating on the aged wood. Were there coasters? She peered at the table top, looking for water damage and was shocked when she saw an inlayed chess board instead.

Did he play?

He didn’t seem the type.
Interesting.

“Here we are.
One serving of succulent roast beef and a mountain of potatoes and carrots. I hope you’re hungry.”

She tore her attention away from the chess table and offered him a smile. “I am.” He handed her the plate, her mouth watering. “I feel a little guilty. This must have taken a long time to make.”

“Nine hours, to be exact.”

“Wow. You really don’t have to go through the trouble, you know. I’m not super picky.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry. The Crockpot did most of the work.”

“A Crockpot?”
She eyed him, reevaluating. “You?”

“What? It doesn’t work with my manliness?”

She laughed. “Not at all.” She scooted over on the couch, making room for him. “So, I noticed the table over there.” She gestured to the reading nook. “Do you play?”

“Yeah.
As often as I can.”

“Chess.
Wow. I hadn’t guessed that.”

“Checkers.”

“What?”

He grinned. “I use the table to play checkers.”

“Checkers.” She drew the word out, testing its sound before laughing. “Seriously?” He nodded, then took a huge bite of meat. “Unbelievable. Well, it fits more with your manly outdoorsiness.”

“Hey.” He pretended offense. “Checkers involves quite a bit of finesse I’ll have you know.”

“Right.”

“Want to play a round or two instead of the movie?”

He looked so hopeful, she could only chuckle her agreement. “Why not? But I warn you, I haven’t played since I was a kid.”

“That’s okay. The rules haven’t changed. Move diagonally, hopping over your opponent’s pieces to capture them. You can only move forward until you hit the opposite side of the board and get kinged.” He threw her a lopsided grin that had her feeling as if she were seeing a glimpse of the boy he used to be.
“Or queened in your case.”

“Hey! I can be a king if I want.”

“Technically, you can’t.”

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “This is the day and age where women can be anything they want.” She laughed, unable to keep up the pretense. “It doesn’t matter in any case. I would much prefer
to be a queen. Queen Elizabeth the First was amazing.”

“Touc
hé
. Red or black?”

“Red.”

He moved the table over to the couch, setting the pieces up with relish. She sat back against the cushions, enjoying a bite of rosemary flavored potato. She liked him like this. Carefree. Happy. She felt relaxed around him, enjoyed having her guard down.

She could be herself around him and he accepted that.
Accepted her. It wasn’t often that she was fully at ease with others. Her grandmother and James had been the only two in her life whom she felt completely comfortable with.

“Ready? You take first move.”

They were several turns in when she realized that she was going to lose. He was shrewd, calculating while playing checkers. She wouldn’t have guessed that about him.

“Hey! You cheated.”

She looked at him innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, yes, yes you do. You completely jumped a row to capture that piece.”

“I admit nothing.” She speared a carrot and pointedly chomped. “Looks like I’m catching up though.”

His eyes narrowed before he threw back his head and laughed. “Wow. You really are something.” He looked at her with admiration. “I hadn’t expected you to cheat. I guess I’ll need to keep a closer eye on you.”

The way he said it had her stomach jumping in pleasure. It was whispered in a way that tempted closeness between them, a deeper connection.

But did she want that? Could she afford to get closer to him? Did she even have a choice?

She could protect herself. Caring didn’t equal dependence. There was nothing wrong with caring.

I already do
, her heart whispered.

Finished eating, they put their plates aside and continued playing. One round bled into another as they laughed at her cheating attempts and his playful indignation each time she tried.

“Do you think our grandparents were like this?” she asked as Grant set up for another round.

He paused, playing with the pieces in his hands. “I am a lot like my grandpa, and from what you’ve told me, you seem a lot like your grandma. It would make sense.”

“I wish I knew what happened.”

“Why do you think anything happened? They could have drifted apart. That happens.”

“I know. I just…”

“Feel like something happened,” he finished for her.

“Yes. Do you think we’ll ever know?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll do whatever we can to find out. I plan to keep looking through his things when I get the time.”

“I could search through more of her boxes, but I don’t think we’ll find anything. In any case, I’ll start in a few days when I go back home.”

“About that…” He hesitated, setting the pieces aside. “I think you should stay here.”

“I am staying here,” she said, refusing to acknowledge what he meant.

“After you get your brace on.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not going to move in here, Grant. I need my own place.”

He smiled, but it never reached his eyes. “I’m not asking you to give up your place.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I think you should stay here.
Temporarily. For safety reasons.”

“Safety reasons?”

“Yeah. Look, you were already attacked once. It’s possible that it could happen again, and I’m not willing to take the chance.”

“It’s not your choice to make. It’s mine.” She wished she could stand up and pace. She felt caged, trapped.

“I know that.” He raked a hand through his hair before taking both of her hands in his. “I’m not asking you to give up your independence. I’d never do that. And this isn’t forever. I’d just never forgive myself if something else happened to you. Do you understand how much this kills me? To see you hurt and know that this happened because of me, because of the orchard?”

Her eyes widened. “Grant
, you’re not responsible for what happened.”