CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
BACK TO YOUR HEART
Grady pulled his rental car up in front of 321 Shade Tree Lane. “You have arrived at your destination,” Siri proudly announced.
“Thanks. Sorry I got irritated with you earlier,” he apologized with a nervous chuckle. “You gotta admit it was damned confusing that the Cincinnati airport is actually in Kentucky,” he added, and then realized he was speaking to his phone as if it were a real person.
Grady parked behind the Mini Cooper, got out of the car, and stood on the sidewalk, looking at the little brick house that meant so much to Arabella. He’d seen pictures, but seeing the stately little home on the tree-lined street in person somehow made him feel emotional. He was getting a glimpse of Arabella’s past, and today he would hopefully begin a lasting future.
The conversation he’d had with Arabella’s mother had gone well, so much so that he was afraid she’d spill the beans, even though she’d vehemently promised not to. He’d even done the old-fashioned thing and called Arabella’s father as well, asking permission for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Grady blew out a breath he could see in the cold air. Now all he had to do was walk up the steps and ring the doorbell. He patted the pocket of his jeans and felt the small box. Part of him wanted to wait and take Arabella to a fancy restaurant or do something crazy like hire a plane to write a marriage proposal in the sky. Jesse had suggested hiding the ring in a pizza box. Oliver said he should present the ring with a Heartbeat dance move. No, just . . . no. Jimmy said to keep it simple, with a heartfelt speech.
But the bigger part of him just wanted the ring on her finger, like, now.
Hopefully, she was going to say yes.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Grady whispered to himself, and started making his way up the steps to the front door. His brothers were waiting impatiently for Arabella’s answer. Now he wished he’d kept his damned mouth shut. No, surely she wouldn’t refuse.
Grady took a deep breath, raised his finger, and firmly pressed the doorbell.
Bing, bong!
He waited a few seconds in silence. Nothing.
Bing, bong!
Dear God, when he finally heard footsteps his heart started pounding like he’d just run a marathon.
When Arabella opened the door, her eyes widened. “Grady? Ohmigosh. Wow.” She stared at him for a few moments.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by,” he joked, hoping her “wow” was a good “wow” and not a bad “wow.” “Can I come inside? It’s freezing out here.” The jacket he was wearing wasn’t adequate protection against the chill.
“Oh . . . oh yes, sorry.” Nodding, she stepped back for him to enter. “I just wasn’t expecting you. I’m surprised.”
“A nice surprise, I hope?” he asked, testing the waters.
“Of course it is.” Arabella smiled, easing his apprehension a little bit. The house smelled of buttery vanilla and lemon and was just as warm and quaint as he’d imagined. Arabella looked cute in hip-hugging jeans and a snug Tinkerbell T-shirt. As if reading his mind, she grinned. “I didn’t pack for winter weather, so I’ve been wearing some of my old clothes left here from my teen years. They don’t fit quite the same as they did back then. And I need some big hair to make the look complete.”
“I think you wear them well,” Grady said, and walked farther into the house. He wanted to draw her into his arms for a long, hot kiss but the ring in his pocket was making him jumpy and nervous. Maybe he should do it right now and get it over with.
Arabella pointed to the small living room filled with antique furniture. “Take your jacket off and have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’m okay, thanks,” Grady replied, but a shot of whiskey would be nice to calm his anxiety. Should he just dive right in or beat around the bush? Engage in small talk and then suddenly get down on one knee? Damn, he should have had more of a plan. A speech. Something. Anything.
“Why are you frowning? Is everything really okay? I know you weren’t simply in the neighborhood.” She looked at him, knowing there must be a reason for his impromptu visit.
“Yeah.” Grady nodded and sat down on an overstuffed floral-print sofa. “I hope you aren’t upset that I showed up while you wanted some time to yourself. I just couldn’t be apart from you one more day.”
“Grady, I missed you too.” Arabella tossed a fringed pillow onto the floor and eased into a matching wing-backed chair directly across from him. “How did you know I was here?”
Grady gave her a small grin. “I guessed as much and your mom confirmed my hunch.”
“Oh, she did?” Arabella nodded slowly. “Cheeky move on her part.”
“I asked her to keep it a surprise,” Grady said, and he wondered if she could see the box pressing against his pants leg. He put his hand over it and then had to force himself not to do a jittery foot wiggle. “You know, I think I’ll take you up on that drink offer.”
“Water? Soft drink? I don’t think I have any beer.”
“Water is fine, thanks,” he said, and as soon as she left the room he took the blue box out of his pocket and tucked it in between the sofa cushions. When she returned, he tried to act casual but was glad to accept the bottle of water to quench his suddenly parched throat.
“You guys were awesome on Good Morning America.”
“Thanks, Mom’s song is doing amazing on iTunes and we’ve been trending on Twitter,” Grady said, trying to put together a speech in his brain, but needing to have her in his arms interfered with his ability to think.
“Great news.”
Grady inhaled a deep breath, deciding to give it a try. “Arabella,” he began, but when she tilted her head in question he didn’t want to bungle this important moment. Maybe he should just make it simple and straightforward like Jimmy had suggested. Yes, good plan. He reached between the cushions and pulled out . . . the TV remote?
“Oh, wow, I’ve been looking for that! Sweet! Hey, would you like a tour of the house?”
Grady put the remote on the oval cherry coffee table. “Um,” he said, trying to discreetly locate the elusive box, but the sofa seemed to have swallowed it whole. “Sure.”
After standing up, Arabella said, “Follow me. This, of course, is the living room.” She pointed to the fireplace. “The tile around the fireplace is Rookwood, the famous pottery from here in Cincinnati. I’m so happy that Granny York didn’t paint the gorgeous woodwork. The house is small but filled with treasures. That’s another reason I didn’t want Dad to sell it.” She pointed to the foyer, where a carved banister led up the staircase hugging the far wall. “I used to slide down the banister when I was a kid. It seemed so long when I was little.”
“Wow, did you ever fall off?”
“Oh yeah. Seven stitches under my chin.” She reached up and touched the scar. “But I still did it afterward, even though I’d get scolded.”
Grady shook his head. “I just bet you were an adorable little kid.”
“There’s plenty of pictures in the attic. And isn’t the stained-glass window up there pretty? I used to love when the sun would shine through the colors.”
“I can see why this house is so special to you.” Grady followed her into the open dining area from the living room.
“There are pocket doors that close this room off, and I used to play with them like they were curtains opening to a stage.” She pointed to a chandelier. “That always reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. Isn’t it so delicate?” She pointed to a wide window at the far end of the room overlooking a small backyard. He followed her over to gaze into the waning light of the late afternoon. “I used to climb that big oak tree. I felt like I was on top of the world up there.”
“Any broken bones?”
“No, I was pretty agile,” she said, and his brain went to actions other than climbing trees. “I’ve been hoping for snow. Wouldn’t that be pretty?”
“Yes,” Grady agreed, wondering when he could get the opportunity to find the engagement ring. Searching through the sofa would ruin the moment. “Damn,” he said quietly.
“What?” Arabella looked at him in surprise.
“Damn, the house is sweet.”
“Oh.” She smiled and led him into a small kitchen. “I used to sit on top of the table and watch Granny York cook up a storm. She refused to get a dishwasher or microwave and perked her coffee. Nothing much changed over the years. The appliances are all really old but I don’t want to replace them with anything sleek or modern. It’s like stepping back in time, isn’t it?”
“I love the retro look,” he said, trying to focus on what she was saying.
“That door leads to the basement. The washer and dryer are down there but Granny York used to hang most of her clothes up to dry either in the basement or outside during the summer.” She glanced at him. “Sorry, is this incredibly boring? You seem in another world.” Although she smiled, Grady could tell that he wasn’t handling this right, and he tried to concentrate on the tour.
“I’m not bored. Being from Florida where there are no basements, I was always kind of fascinated by the idea of having space beneath a house.”
“It can be kind of scary. The furnace makes weird clunking noises. And every so often, a mouse would get in, scaring Granny and me to pieces. We hated setting traps.” She shuddered.
Grady chuckled. “Let’s skip that part for now.” Unable to wait one more second, Grady pulled her into his arms. “I’ve missed waking up next to you. I’ve missed your laughter.” He put his nose in her hair. “The way you smell. The way you taste.” He tilted her head up and kissed her tenderly but deeply and then held her close. “It’s only been five days, but—”
“I know.” Arabella nodded her head against his chest. “I needed to come here and reconnect, feel grounded, try to digest all that’s happened.”
“And did it work?”
“Is that your polite way of asking if I’m still overthinking? Having stomachaches?”
Grady chuckled. “Yes.”
“It did. And my mother was a big part of opening my eyes to so many things. We had a lot of catching up to do . . . like a lifetime’s worth,” she said softly. “And she has this bright red hair!” Arabella shook her head.
“Seriously?” Grady remembered Mindy Janson as being outgoing but in a fussy, mom kind of way.
Arabella grinned. “She’s really surprised me in so many ways. She and I need to get to know each other as adults.”
“Yes, and I can tell you’re going to have fun together.”
“I know.” She stepped back and took his hand. “I want to show you the upstairs.”
“But there’s something—”
Arabella put a fingertip to his lips. “Whatever it is can wait,” she said with an arch of an eyebrow. She tugged at his hand. “There’s one room I want to show you in particular,” she added.
Grady suddenly understood and felt his blood stir. He followed her up the creaky stairs, admiring her cute butt in the tight jeans. They came to a landing, then took three more steps to the left before they reached the top floor.
“Bathroom.” She pointed quickly. “Master bedroom, office,” she said, and then pulled him into “my room.”
Grady had to laugh when she tugged him hard and shoved him into what was sort of an Arabella museum of childhood things, from stuffed animals to trophies.
“Off with your clothes.”
“So, we’re back to bossy pants.”
Arabella tugged her tight Tinkerbell shirt over her head and shimmied out of her jeans. “Bossy, no pants.”
Grady laughed again, thinking that her coming here was the best thing she could have done. He could feel the difference in her, almost as if she had shed whatever had held her back from loving him completely without hesitation or fear. He came up to his elbows, looking at her. “It says Thursday on your underwear.”
“It is Thursday. Hey, day-of-the-week panties used to be a popular thing.”
Grady laughed. “We need to get you to the mall to get clothes. Although you sure look cute.”
“Why aren’t you naked?”
“Because I’m having too much fun looking at you.”
Arabella unhooked her bra and shed her Thursday panties. “Well, I’m going to have to do this for you,” she said, and tugged his shoes off.
Grady helped her, and in nothing flat he was naked. He laughed again when she straddled his thighs.
“Wow, you look so masculine in this frilly room. Very sexy,” she said, and trailed her fingertips down his chest and then put her hand around his cock. When she stroked him, Grady sucked in a quick breath.
“You need to slow down.”
“Not a chance,” Arabella said, and a moment later she came up to her knees and guided him into her wet heat. She braced her palms on his chest and rode him quick and hard. Grady watched the jiggle of her breasts, and he reached up and cupped the fullness, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. She gasped and cried out, and when he felt her tighten around him, he thrust upward and felt the pleasure of his white-hot release.
When Arabella collapsed against him, Grady held her tightly, cradling her against him. He loved the feeling of having her fragrant hair spread across his chest. He threaded his fingers through the tresses and then slid his hands over the delicate curve of her back. “I love you,” he said next to her ear.
“I love you too, Grady. I’m going to stop running away from you and run to you instead. I really do need you in my life,” she said gruffly. “And I like the feeling.”
Overcome with emotion, Grady held her close. After a few moments, he said, “You probably won’t ever hear me ask this again.”
“What?”
“Put your clothes on.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and then meet me downstairs in a few minutes in the living room.”
“Can’t we snuggle for a little bit? Take a little naked nap?”
Grady kissed the top of her head. “No.”
“So it’s your turn to be bossy pants?”
“No, that title belongs to you. Please, just join me?”
“Okay,” she said, but in a tiny bit of a grumpy tone.
“Give me five minutes.”
“I hope this is about you fixing me a sandwich.”
Grady laughed and then tugged his boxers and jeans on. “It’s cold in this house.”
“Welcome to the Midwest, Florida boy.”
Grady hurried down the steps and over to the sofa. He removed the cushions and found the little blue box. Just seeing it made his heart pound and his hand shake. He swallowed hard and then shouted, “You can come down now.”
“Are we playing hide-and-seek?”
“I already did that and found you here,” he said, and heard her footsteps on the stairs. As soon as she walked into the room he dropped down on one knee and extended the box.
“Oh my gosh.” Arabella’s eyes widened and she put her hands to her cheeks.
“Arabella?”
She nodded silently.
“Will you marry me?” He opened the blue Tiffany box to reveal a heart-shaped diamond in a four-pronged classic setting.
“Yes,” she whispered, looked at him, and then shouted, “Yes!”
Grady laughed and then slipped the ring on her finger. She looked at the ring and burst into tears.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I . . . I l-love it! A heart? P-perfect.” She held her hand up and danced around the room. “I can’t stop looking at it. I’m going to run into things because I’ll be looking at it all the time.”
Grady laughed. “Give me your hand. I want to see it too.”
Arabella extended her trembling fingers, and when he saw the diamond heart sparkle he felt moisture gather behind his eyes. “You’re right, it’s perfect.”
“Oh, I’m really going to be bossy pants after I’m your wife. You just wait.”
Grady laughed but then pulled her close and kissed her. “I can’t wait,” he said, and then picked her up and spun her around.
“Can I call my mom?”
Grady grinned.
“She knows?”
“Yeah, and I asked your dad for permission.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. Do your brothers know?”
“I had all kinds of advice on how to propose. They are waiting to know if you said yes and they’ve been blowing up my phone. I would have asked sooner, but I lost the ring in the cushions of the sofa.”
“No . . . that’s hilarious. Wait, that’s when you found the remote?”
Grady nodded. “I had it in my pocket and I was afraid you’d see the outline of the box and ruin the surprise. I’ve been a nervous wreck since I got here.”
“And here I thought I was just boring you.”
“You will never bore me, Arabella. I would be bored without you in my life. And cranky. Just ask my brothers.” He tugged her over to sit beside him on the sofa. “Time for a selfie and to let them know you said yes.”
“Did you really think there was any way I wouldn’t?”
Grady shrugged. “I hoped not.” He lifted her hand and looked at the ring. “I knew it was the one I wanted as soon as I saw it. Hold it up for the picture,” he said, and took several pictures with his cell phone. After he sent his brothers one of the pictures, his phone wouldn’t stop pinging, making them both laugh. “I don’t want to wait a long time before getting married, if that’s okay with you?”
“Oh, I get the feeling my mother is going to be totally on top of planning a wedding.”
Grady had to laugh. “She was so excited that I was sure she was going to somehow give it away.”
“Looking back, she almost did, but I was oblivious.”
“Well, good, it made it more fun.”
“And so did losing the ring in the sofa. Makes for a better story.” She giggled but then grabbed his hand. “Grady?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I don’t want to hold you back from doing anything you want to do with Heartbeat. I think it’s important for us both to be able to be a team but to also have the freedom to pursue our own ambitions and dreams. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“I thought you didn’t like promises.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I promise I’ll come to you always, instead of running. I trust you and believe in you. My days of doubt are over. I feel stronger, a feeling of power saying those words. Loving you, needing you doesn’t mean I must give up my independence. It just means I get to share it with you,” she said, and leaned against his shoulder.
Grady kissed the top of her head. “I understand, Bella. I was afraid too. After losing my parents, I thought that loving someone meant risking that heartbreaking loss. I know the same fear has held my brothers back from finding someone in their lives.”
“Well, hopefully they will see how happy we are, how our bond, our love, makes us stronger and not weaker.”
“I’m glad they intervened and offered you the choreography job. I think they knew all along what was bound to happen,” he said with a grin. “You know, back when we were kids, I thought you were all I ever wanted.”
“And now?” Arabella asked.
“Now I know it.”