It had been a week since Manuel Cardoza died in that warehouse. Ariana was bruised from the monster’s hands on her arms and she had knots on her little head where he pulled her hair, but she was healing. Somehow, she seemed to be healing just as quickly emotionally. She had nightmares for the first couple of nights, but Grant had driven to the Alabama reservation and come back that night with a giant dreamcatcher that was as wide as her bed. She could barely sleep the first night he hung it up at all; she kept waking up to look at it with a smile on her face. By the fourth night the nightmares were gone and she was sleeping peacefully again and playing out in the yard with Billy, Nate, or Grant most days. He wasn’t as worried about her as he thought he would be. He supposed what he heard about kids being resilient was true. It was her mother that he worried about now.
When Rosa got to the sheriff’s office the day it all happened, she sat silently holding her baby while Cade spoke to the sheriff and Grant told his side of the story for the fifteenth time. Rosa wouldn’t look at him and he was afraid that meant she was angry with him or blamed him in some way. The ride home was just as quiet. Ariana fell asleep in her mother’s lap and Rosa closed her eyes and rested her head on top of Ariana’s. Detectives showed up later that afternoon to record his statement, and that was when Rosa sat down next to him, took his hand, and said, “Thank you.”
“For what?” Grant was being genuine. He blamed himself for what Ariana had gone through. He never should have turned away from Ariana, even for a split second.
“For saving her…for saving me. If she were gone, I would die. I heard you telling the officers that Manuel said he was going to kill her. You were going to be his audience and he would have gladly died by your hand, knowing you watched him kill her.”
“I hope the evil bastard is rotting in hell.”
“I believe he is.”
“But I didn’t really save Ana, you know?”
She looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“Ana saved me. She saved us both.”
“How?”
“She didn’t tell you? She was so proud of herself I feel like I should let her tell you,” he said with a chuckle.
“Well, it’s been a week now and she’s not really talking about it anymore. I think if she were going to tell me, she would have by now. I don’t want to bring it up…”
“Okay, then I’ll share it with you. As the police were busting down the door I heard Cardoza scream like a little girl. That’s when Ana came running toward me, and when she grabbed me around the legs and hugged me her exact words were, ‘I kicked the bad man in the marbles.’”
“Oh my God!” Rosa covered her mouth as she burst out laughing. “Where on earth did she learn that?”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you taught her that to protect herself. She was so proud and she should have been. She saved us, not me.”
Rosa put her arms around Grant and hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry if I’ve been distant this week. There’s just been so much going on inside my head it’s been hard for me to concentrate on anything else. I guess my four-year-old daughter is emotionally stronger than I am.”
“No. Your daughter gets her strength from you.” Grant leaned in to kiss her just as there was a knock on the door. “If this isn’t an emergency I might just turn it into one.” He got up and pulled open the door. Nate and Angel were standing there, smiling, with their arms around each other.
“Bad time,” Grant said, trying to close the door. Nate stuck his foot out to stop it.
“Nope, I think it’s a perfect time. We have news.”
“Tomorrow.” Grant tried to close the door again. Again, Nate caught it with his foot. Grant looked down at it and said, “I’d really hate to break it.”
“Nate asked me to marry him!” Angel squealed. Rosa jumped up off the couch and ran over to hug her, forcing Grant to step back. He finally gave in and put his hand out to his friend, who was smiling from ear to ear.
“I take it she said yes?”
Nate nodded and Grant shook his hand and then pulled him in for a hug. “Congratulations, buddy.”
“Thanks, man,” Nate said, still grinning. “We have more news. This news is for you.”
Grant sighed. He was trying to be patient but if they woke up Ariana and he didn’t get that kiss… “What’s that?” he finally asked.
“There is a bottle of champagne chilling in your cabin. The firewood is stocked and the cabinets are stocked with food. You two are going up there tonight to celebrate and Angel and I are staying with Ariana.”
Grant and Rosa looked at each other and then back at Nate. “What are we celebrating? Your engagement?”
“Oh, no! I forgot the best part. Cade called a while ago; he couldn’t get ahold of you.”
“My phone’s on silent—I had to speak with a bunch of detectives earlier.”
“We were up at Marcus and Sadie’s place when he called, sharing our news with them. He said to tell you that Chef Bardot and Bethany, the maid, have both been arrested. They’re being charged with conspiracy to commit a murder.”
“Seriously? But the statute…”
“Doesn’t apply. It’s for Becker’s death, Grant. The DA dropped the charges against your brother and they also arrested Martin Becker. When they went to your father and told him your mother was the one that pushed you out that window, he broke down in tears and thanked the Lord the truth had come out.”
Grant rolled his eyes. “As if he didn’t know all along.”
“Right. So, we didn’t come up with any way to keep him in prison, but the people responsible for part of what happened to you will be punished and so will Becker’s killers. Oh, and Duke sent a message to ask if it was okay if he stayed at the house.”
Grant couldn’t help it. He laughed. Some things never changed. Rosa hugged him and he held her back and asked her, “My cabin tonight?”
“I don’t know…do you think Ana’s okay to be without me so soon?”
“You’re leaving her with family, honey. Did she tell you that she saved the day by doing what I told her to do?” Angel asked.
“Oh my gosh! You’re the one who told her to kick him in his marbles?”
“Hey, us little girls have to resort to dirty pool sometimes.”
Rosa hugged her. “Thank you. God, I love you all. We’re so blessed.” She looked at Grant then and, with an almost shy little smile, she said, “Let me pack my bag.”
********
Grant could tell that Rosa was nervous on the way to the cabin. He tried chatting about silly things, like the text messages he had on his phone from his brother asking if the gas and electricity bills go to Grant in Texas or if they’d be coming to him and if Grant had some spare cash for him to stock the cupboards. Rosa laughed at his stories of Duke, and Grant was surprised that for the first time in his life, he actually enjoyed telling them. Instead of telling them with the darkness he’d always felt in his heart for that place and for his “family,” he told them to Rosa just as another way to bond with her. He wanted her to know him, the good and the bad. She saw everything with a childlike wonder. So many things were still new to her, and that excited Grant in a strange kind of way. It made him think of all the things they’d be able to discover together.
When they got to the cabin Rosa stopped on her way to the door and said, “This is so lovely, but look, your flowers have died. Is that my fault? You haven’t slept in your own bed in ages, have you?”
“I haven’t wanted to sleep in any house that you’re not in in ages.” He unlocked the door and led her inside.
“Oh, Grant, it’s beautiful!”
He smiled. It was really just average. Marcus and Wanda had helped him decorate it when he first bought it. He didn’t have anything fancy; it was all bought from roadside stands or Indian reservations. “Thank you, I like it. Have a seat and I’ll make a fire.”
“Do you mind if I change first?”
Grant’s mouth went dry. He wasn’t going to pressure her, but if she was ready tonight, he wasn’t about to say no. “Of course. There are only two rooms down the hall. One is a bathroom and the other my bedroom. The kitchen is through that door over there.”
She looked over at the little table next to the wood stove in the corner.
“That was so sweet of Nate and Angel to leave us champagne.”
“Yeah, it was. Do you like champagne?”
She giggled. “I’ve never tasted it. I’ve actually never drunk alcohol before.”
“What? You work at a bar! You’ve really never had a taste before?” Grant asked in shock.
“No—well, just a sip of beer once, but it was literally the tiniest sip and it was pretty gross,” Rosa said, scrunching her nose, which Grant thought was adorable.
“Oh, well I’m sure there’s something else in the fridge,” he said, not wanting to pressure her to drink.
“No, I want to try champagne. Tonight will be my night of firsts,” she told him with a wink.
Grant watched her take her little bag and go into the bathroom, and then with a racing heart, he set about starting a fire in the little potbellied stove. Once he got that going he took the champagne out of the chiller and started to pop the cork. Then he nearly kicked himself—he’d scare Rosa to death with the noise. When she came back out, however, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it. His hands were shaking and his mouth was as dry as a bone.
“Wow.”
She smiled shyly again. She was wearing a silk black nightgown that wasn’t see-through or low cut at all, but it fit her curves perfectly and made Grant want to run his hands down every one of them.
“I’m sorry, this is the prettiest nightgown I own and I just wanted to look nice for you,” she said with a blush.
“Sorry? No apologies. It’s perfect. God, Rosa…you’re so beautiful.”
She walked over to him and he put his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. When they pulled away, he said, “I was going to pop the cork on the champagne, are you ready?”
She stepped back and looked at him. “I don’t know. I might feel a little more comfortable if you were dressed in something comfortable…like me.”
Grant smiled. “You know, I think all my nightgowns are in the wash…”
Rosa giggled. “Just take off your shirt at least.”
She was getting bolder, and he liked that. He left her by the table and went down the hall to his bedroom. He quickly took off his clothes and pulled on a pair of silk pajama pants. They were black too, so they matched. He’d never worn them before. Some woman had bought them for him as a gift. He tried not to accept them but she’d left them there even after he told her he wasn’t looking for a relationship.
The pajama pants did the trick. He found Rosa standing with her back to the stove, warming her body. When she saw his body, her entire face went flush and her eyes grew wide. They trailed from his tense traps, down his firm chest and abs, and landed on the v-cut that led to the edges of the pajama pants. She was ready tonight, he was sure of it. “Come on, let’s sit on the couch. I’ll get you a blanket and pour you a glass of champagne.”
“Do you have a bed in your room?”
“Um, yeah, I do.”
“With blankets?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
“Can I drink champagne in it?”
He chuckled. “You can eat crackers in my bed if you want to.”
She looked confused and he realized she probably didn’t get the reference. “Yes, baby, you can drink champagne in it. Go on back. I’ll grab the champagne and the glasses.”
Grant’s hands were still shaking slightly as he grabbed the chiller with the bottle in it and the two flutes. He hurried down the hall to find Rosa already snuggled under his down comforter. “You have a comfy bed.”
He smiled at her again. “It’s yours if you want it.” He lifted the champagne bottle. “Cover your ears.” He swiftly popped the cork and Rosa squealed as it shot up and bounced off the wooden beam overhead.
“That was cool.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He set the glasses on the nightstand and poured them each a flute. He handed one to her before climbing into bed next to her and positioning his back up against the headboard even with her. “To us,” he toasted, raising his glass. Rosa tapped her glass to his.
“To us.” She took a big drink of the champagne and squealed again. “Oh my gosh, the bubbles!”
“Sorry, I forgot to warn you.”
“I like it.”
“You should take a bath in it someday,” he told her with a grin and a wink.
“That sounds…interesting.”
They sat quietly for several minutes, sipping their champagne. She finished hers and handed him the glass.
“More?”
“Not yet,” she said. Grant finished his and put both flutes on the nightstand. Rosa shocked him again by leaning over and licking his lips.
“Thought the champagne would taste even better on you,” she said with a devious grin.
“And did it?”
“Mhmm.”
“Taste anything you want, baby.”
She leaned in again and he stopped her and looked into her eyes. “You’re sure about this though, right? You’re ready?”
“I’m ready,” she said without hesitation. She continued to lean in and both of their tongues sizzled with the taste and bubbles of the alcohol.
The kiss was explosive in more ways than one. They kissed like they were tasting each other for the first time and as they did, their clothes began to come off slowly. When Grant pulled her nightgown off, he peppered her shoulder with soft kisses. When he pulled off her panties she shivered. He wasn’t sure if it was with cold or fear. He pulled the covers up over her and then ducked down and left soft butterfly kisses across her thighs. He touched her like she was a doll that he didn’t want to break but she was responding with desire, moaning and arching her back so that she could grind her body into his. She had her hands on his body too and her touch was as fiery as the hot oil that was poured over a body during a massage. He kept his hands on her back and shoulders, but let his lips roam from her lips to her neck. He eventually climbed up over her and took her face in his hands and kissed her again, this time deeper and with more passion. He knew she had to be able to feel how hard he was for her. He couldn’t wait to be inside of her but at the same time he didn’t want to do anything to ruin this for her…for both of them. The more she arched up into him and begged silently for him to make love to her, the harder he got. He was at the point of physical pain when Rosa finally put her hands on the elastic band of his pajamas and started pushing them down. Grant smiled against her flesh and kissed her one last time before sitting up and taking them off in one movement. He reached over and pulled a condom out of his drawer, and she watched in fascination as he put it on. He doubted that she’d ever seen one of those before either.
Then he positioned himself back on top of her and kissed her deeply while using his hand to line himself up with her body. He shuddered when he felt how wet she was for him. He pushed forward just barely at first, letting just the tip of him touch her. He could tell with that simple movement that she was tight. It had been a really long time for her. He wanted her to remember this night like it was her first time ever. He leaned back a little so he could look down at her face and he locked his dark eyes into her own dark brown ones full of desire, and he eased in a little more. He watched her face for pain or distress, but all he saw was pleasure.
That excited him more and he pushed into her all the way, both of them gasping out loud from the sensation. Rosa arched her body up off the bed and she was clutching his shoulders with her fingernails. His body felt like it was burning from the inside out as he began to move inside of her. He started moving slowly but he knew that wouldn’t last long. It had been a while for him too, and so long since he’d wanted this with Rosa. The faster he moved, the more she clutched at him and pulled him down to her so that she could suck on his shoulder or kiss his neck. The soft, sexy moans she breathed into his ear were driving him crazy.
“Grant, I love you!” she cried out breathlessly as she all but screamed in pleasure. He had no more restraint. His movements became a frenzy of lust and Rosa responded in kind with her own. It wasn’t long before they were both crying out in earth-shattering orgasms. Grant rocked into her for as long as he could before he finally eased out of her and collapsed on the bed next to her. For a moment they just lay there, their chests heaving to catch their breaths. He rolled off the condom and tossed it into the can next to the bed and then pulled her into his chest and held her.
When he could speak, his voice was husky and low. “Was that okay?”
He felt her body shake as she laughed. “Okay? Were we in the same bed? That was incredible. I was going to ask if you had more condoms for later.”
Grant laughed and kissed the side of her face and across her neck and up to her lips. When he leaned back and looked at her face he said, “I love you, Rosa. That was the first time I ever made love, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
She smiled. “Me too, Grant. I love you too.”