Thad’s Grandma’s house was a cottage in a retirement community that looked adorably maintained with big window boxes of flowers and a garden in the side of her yard that was producing a lot of vegetables. From inside the house, I heard a deep bark and then a softer command for the barker to hush.
“Are you sure we should thrust Biscuit at her, too? She’s already watching your dog.”
Thad snorted. “You can’t thrust anything on Willie Mae Brooks.”
“But Thad, isn’t one dog enough? Two is going to be too much.”
“She’s the one who trained Tank. I couldn’t break him from anything he was doing wrong, but she did. She’ll be fine. She’s not your average grandma, Rain.”
At that remark, the door flew open and a tall woman with a shocking amount of bright red hair stepped out. She was followed by the biggest dog I’d ever seen, who charged right at Thad.
Thad’s Grandma was beautiful. She smiled as she watched Tank try to take his dad down for cuddles and her barely-lined face lit up. Eyes that matched Thad’s moved from Thad to me and they lit up then, too. Then she moved on to Mack and interest played in them. I could instantly tell that his grandma was a spitfire.
“Thad, who’d you bring with you?”
Thad, looking sheepish at not making introductions right away, looked up at me and grinned. “This is Rain Willows. She’s”
“Your girlfriend! Finally! Oh, honey, I’ve been waiting so long!” She took me into her arms and hugged me fiercely against her chest. She was so tall that I was buried in her impressive cleavage.
I couldn’t find an ounce of annoyance at the action. Coming from someone who would normally shy away from being touched by most people, it was a weird sensation. I couldn’t remember the last time a motherly figure had wrapped me in her arms. My mom had died early, but before she died, she hadn’t been the model of motherly love, so it might’ve even been a new experience altogether.
“And such a beauty. I knew my Thaddeus would snag a beautiful girl, but you’ve outdone yourself. Is this a boxed dye color? I need to know.”
I blushed as she pulled me away and studied me. “No, ma’am. It’s natural.”
She swatted my arm. “Call me Candy. And natural? If only I’d been so lucky. You’re stunning, honey. Thad’s going to have his hands full keeping the men away from you.”
Feeling the need to let her in on the truth for some reason, I pushed my hair behind my ear, revealing my scar. She could think that Thad and I were together, because for some reason that didn’t bother me as much, but her ranting about my beauty felt like I was lying to her by not admitting the truth.
Her eyes went to my scar and then back to my eyes. Her finger gently stroked it and then she stared at me with fire in her own mismatched eyes. “I hope you killed the bastard.”
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. She was amazing.
“Beautiful and with a story. Don’t lose this one, Thad.” She tucked her arm into my elbow and pulled me towards her front door, but only after casting another interested look in Mack’s direction. “Thad used to date these vapid little things in high school and I’d want to pluck my eyes out and shove them into my ears when he brought them over after school. It’s about time he brought home someone I can talk to.”
I laughed and it felt like everything bad was releasing its grip on me, if just for a little while. “They were that bad, huh?”
She scoffed. “Worse. Now, before Thad gets wind of this, tell me about that fine wine out there.”
I couldn’t not do what she wanted. I got why Tank was suddenly listening to orders after a stay with her. Biscuit would probably be ready for the K-9 unit after we picked him up from his stay. She was a force.
What was supposed to be a short stay to just drop off Biscuit turned into an event. Candy insisted on us staying for dinner, where she showed off more skills with a meal of fried pork chops with gravy and mashed potatoes with homemade rolls and an apple pie for dessert. She told me stories of teenage Thad and made sure to include embarrassing ones.
She also paid close attention to Mack the whole time. Mack, who was flabbergasted, it seemed. He’d never been so quiet. The man had had his tongue stolen and I doubted he’d get it back if he didn’t get away from Candy.
When Thad finally got up the nerve to tell her that we were leaving, she pursed her lips and shook her head. “Why are you dragging poor Mack into hiding? He can stay in my extra room until his house is fixed and this is all settled.”
We’d told her about our trouble and that I was actually a job for Thad, to which she replied with a laugh and a wink at me. Thad had narrowed his eyes at Mack, who looked innocent enough, if not a little eager.
“He can come with us.”
“Thaddeus. Mack can stay with me. There’s tons to do here and he won’t be taking away from the time you two have to get to really know each other.”
I blushed, hard. She was sure that Thad and I were going to make her grandbabies.
“Grandma, I don’t”
“You’re being difficult. Don’t argue with me. Ask Mack what he wants to do.” She batted her thick eyelashes at Mack and smiled, showing off a perfect set of white teeth. “Do you want to stay with me, here, or go with Thad?”
“Here.” Mack answered so quickly that I couldn’t help but laugh, which earned me a glare from him.
“Dammit, Grandma.” Thad scooted his chair back from the table and frowned at her. “You can’t just”
“I can’t just what?” She leaned towards him, daring him to finish his sentence.
I rested my hand on his knee under the table and smiled at him when he looked at me. “I would feel better if Mack wasn’t with us, in danger. I feel bad enough for what’s happened already. You drove in circles all around Texas to make sure no one followed us here. He’ll be safer here. No one will find him.”
Thad sighed, but rested his hand on top of mine under the table. “Fine. You’re keeping a gun, though. I want you to be able to protect her if anything happens. Nothing better happen, though. Understand me?”
Mack rolled his eyes, picking up the sexual implication in Thad’s threat. “Your grandma is a lady. She wouldn’t want an old wrinkle like me. Don’t be crazy. And I have three guns in my suitcase. I’ll protect her with my life.”
Candy leaned in closer to Mack, giving him a view of her cleavage, and patted his hand. “It always amuses me when men think they know what a woman wants.”
My eyes went wide and I felt like my face was on fire from the signals that Candy was putting out. Suddenly feeling like we were watching a show that we shouldn’t be, I squeezed Thad’s leg and then stood up. “Thank you so much for watching Biscuit. I owe you.”
Candy tore her eyes away from Mack and grinned up at me. “Honey, you’re fine. Just take care of my boy.”
Thad grumbled, but still stood up. “For the record, I’m not happy about this.”
Candy raised an eyebrow when Thad naturally put an arm around my shoulders. “Maybe you’ll thank me later.”
Thad looked down at me and seemed to follow his grandma’s line of thought. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but his eyes were hot as they held my stare. I suddenly felt like Mack; both of us pinned beneath the seductions of a person so far out of our league that we were turned into stuttering fools.
“Maybe.” Thad’s fingers tightened on my shoulder and I heard a barely audible growl under the word that sent goosebumps racing down my spine.
“You two get out of here. It’s already dark and you’ve still got to get to Dallas. Be safe. I don’t want to hear about anyone getting hurt. Except for the asshole who thought he could mark you.” Candy came around the table and took me into her arms. “I bet it eats him alive to know that he didn’t take away any of your beauty.”
From anyone else, I would’ve felt patronized, but the words from Candy’s mouth felt true and sincere. Tears formed in my eyes and I held her a little longer, desperate to keep feeling the acceptance and love that she naturally emitted.
When I finally let her go, she patted my cheek and then took Thad into her arms. “Keep her safe. She’s important.”
I turned away so they didn’t see that I was crying. Embarrassed to be so emotional, I slipped out of the dining room and into the back yard where Biscuit and Tank were fenced. They were already cuddled together in the dog house.
Kneeling in front of them, I stroked both of them, letting my feelings from inside settle. It was crazy, but Candy had managed to make me feel pretty. I’d never felt that way. I knew I’d been okay before, but it wasn’t something I had much use for; but after Sallisaw, I had known that I wasn’t pretty. I was grateful for it at times. No one would want to take the ugly girl, I told myself.
With that thought came a hefty dose of fear. Feeling feminine always brought it. I pushed through it, though, wanting to keep that warm feeling of Candy’s hug instead of the ugly fear.
I told Biscuit that I’d see him soon and gave both dogs a kiss on their heads before standing and turning to find Thad watching me.
His eyes shifted from the space my ass had been inhabiting to my face. “I think I’ll be sad if Biscuit stops eating all of your panties.”
I groaned and stomped past him. “You’re a pervert. You weren’t supposed to be out here, looking.”
“Bodyguard. I guard your body, Rain. Where you go, I go.” He caught my arm and pulled me to a stop before I reached the door. “And there’s no way I’ll ever be strong enough to not look when you’re bent over like that in front of me.”
So much desire pooled between us, growing and pulling me towards him with a gravitational pull stronger than the moons. I was almost in his arms when the back door opened and Candy called to us. “Save it for your own house, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy each other.”
Thad groaned. I blushed. Biscuit barked. Over it all, Mack could be heard laughing from the dining room.