Chapter Twenty-One

The scissors in her hands gave another snip-snip.

He stepped backward, out of her reach. “Thanks for the offer, but you know…my hair is, ahh…just fine.” In no way would he let Grace near him with that glint in her eye and scissors in her hand. He liked his hair, it served a purpose. Then again, maybe he didn’t need to hide behind its curtain.

Bruce’s deep laughter echoed from inside the house. “You might run, boy, but you’re not goin’ hide. My girl doesn’t give up easy.”

Grace stood before him, arms crossed, in full pout mode. Heath slumped into the chair. How did she do that? With just a look, she had him eating out of her hand.

“Ewww, you’re all sweaty and gross. Go put your head under the outdoor faucet and wet it.” She untied the leather strap, and his hair fell to his shoulders. “How did it get this long? Didn’t you have to keep it short in the Army?”

“I was part of Special Operations.” He grinned with pride. “We had relaxed grooming standards. While we were deployed, most of us had beards and let our hair grow. By the time we got back to the States, we looked like ZZ Top.”

“A tribe of wild men…huh?” Her eyebrows arched. “Now go rinse off your head before I get the clippers and give you a military crew-cut.”

Laughing, he walked over to the faucet and stuck his head under the icy water. When he came back, he sat and Grace gently ran her fingers through his hair. Her fingertips danced across his scalp, sending tingles of pleasure across his skin. The act was casual, yet so intimate.

“How short can I go?” She stood behind him.

“I trust you.” For the first time in a long time, he really meant it. In Grace’s hands, he was putty. She could take his battered body and spirit and mold him into whatever she pleased.

Strands of brown hair fell to the floor like autumn leaves. With each one, a piece of his past was set free. As she worked, the breeze reached his scalp, making him feel cooler. When Grace moved to his side, her body brushed his arm. The sensation caused him to visibly tremble.

Grace’s smooth hand moved over his beard. “What about this monstrosity? Can I at least trim it?”

“Sure, why not?” By this point, he’d totally resigned himself to her will. If she would ask to dye his hair purple, he’d say yes.

She oscillated around him with a swift, efficient style.

All too soon, she was done.

Her face illuminated in a wide, cheeky smile. “Wait here.” Grace disappeared into the house.

While she was gone, he ran his hands through his much-shorter hair. Feels good.

Grace came out holding a mirror and a stack of papers. “Take a look.” She passed him the hand mirror.

He gazed at his reflection, seeing a man he hadn’t seen in a long time. His brown hair was about three inches in length and wavy. Grace had done a good job. He ran his hand over the small fraction of beard she’d left him and enjoyed the smooth texture. This new look was definitely more suitable for working outdoors in the Texas heat. Heath raised his gaze to see a tear fall from Grace’s chin.

“I don’t believe it.” Grace shook her head and covered her heart with her hands.

“What? You can’t believe how good I look?” He wiggled his eyebrows. Finally, she’d admit she found him sinfully handsome and roguishly charming.

“I can’t believe you’ve been hiding big ears under all that hair.”

His hands flew up to cover his ears. “Hey, be nice. I’m very sensitive about them. They called me Dumbo in grade school.”

Grace pulled down his arms before giving one exposed ear a light tug. “They’re actually kinda cute. I like them.”

“You did a good job.” Heath smiled. “Thank you. I feel like a new man.”

“You look like one, too.” She took the stack of papers she’d brought out and handed them to him. “These are for you. When Granny and I went to visit the Cherokee History Museum, we found out they were in possession of Ezra Burchfield’s journal.”

Standing, Heath flipped through the papers. “Amazing.”

“The museum has the original, but they gave me scanned images of each readable page. Ezra was a Private in the Army and traveled with a group of Cherokee over the Trail of Tears. That’s where he met Kamama. The story is chronicled in his journal entries.”

Heath glanced at the papers while Grace continued to talk.

“I did some research on the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee people had been living peacefully alongside the European settlers until gold was discovered on Cherokee land. Pressure was put on President Jackson, and he signed a law claiming the land for the United States. Kamama’s family was living in Tennessee when the Army came and forced them out at gunpoint. Ezra volunteered to be a medical escort.”

“Did he say why he volunteered?” Had Ezra been a troubled youth, like Heath, looking for discipline and direction? Or had his reasons been nobler? While he read, words like death, disease, and cold jumped off the page—words which described his past.

“Ezra explains in his journal. I think you’ll find that even though there’s almost two hundred years of separation, you and Ezra have a lot in common.”

The bonds of brotherhood, even distant ones, provided his soldier’s heart with a sense of belonging. Heath brushed some fallen pieces of hair off his shoulder. “Thanks. I’ll read Ezra’s journal as soon as I have a chance. But now, I should get back to work. Thanks again for the haircut. See you around.”

Her hand touched his forearm, resting lightly on top of a cluster of old scars, and sighed. “You look very handsome. Colleen will like it.”

At the sight of her downturned mouth, he gave a lazy smile. “Why would Colleen have an opinion about my hair?”

She bit her lower lip. “Because…you’re dating her.”

“Last night was not a date.” He didn’t want to admit to Grace that he’d sought help. If she understood how dark his soul was stained, would she detest him? But he couldn’t let her think he was romantically interested in Colleen. Not when Grace owned his heart.

Man up, cowboy. He raised his gaze to meet her wide, dark chocolate eyes and felt all the air leave his lungs. “I’m seeing Colleen professionally. She’s helping me learn to cope with the struggles I’ve had since leaving the Army.” He reached over to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His finger lingered, yearning to keep contact with the warmth of her skin.

“Oh.” She let out a deep breath and twisted the wide bracelet looping her wrist. “I saw you two at the bar last night, and I might have gotten a tiny bit jealous.”

“Don’t be, sweet Grace. I’ve found no one on earth I’d rather be with than you.”

****

In that instant, her decision firmed. Her heart belonged to Heath. Whether they’d get a happy ending together remained to be seen. But she knew for certain Tyler was not the man she wanted to spend her life with. Later that night, Grace called Tyler. Their conversation was filled with raised voices and a few tears on her end. But she was honest. Marrying him would be a mistake. After weeks of anxiety and uncertainty, she was filled with a wonderful calm. Tyler’s chapter in her life was at an end.

For the next three days, she’d listened to her mother’s hysterics. Now, Grace sought refuge on the porch. The lowing of the cattle in the field calmed her troubled spirit. They assured her she’d made the right decision. Her heart and soul were at peace.

Still unsure of his intentions, she hadn’t told Heath. What if he was preparing to leave the ranch? The night of their first and only kiss, he’d made clear his desire to avoid a relationship. Her new single status might not change anything between them, and that thought scared her into silence.

Her engagement ring now rested next to her engagement picture, which now were both tucked away inside a dresser drawer. As Grace sat outside, she rubbed the bare finger and listened to her mother’s voice drift out from the kitchen window. Grace had heard her name several times, followed by the phrases—“please come over soon,” and “you have to talk some sense into her.”

So, her brother had been asked to help. Mom hoped Alex could convince Grace to go ahead with the wedding. What her mother didn’t know was Grace had already talked with Alex, and he, along with Jenny, supported her decision one hundred percent. Follow your heart, they had said—you know the truth better than anyone else.

Grace opened her laptop and spent some time playing with the security features of a new program she’d installed on a client’s server. The task wasn’t complicated, but it took her mind off her problems. She was in the middle of updating a virus scan when Heath stepped onto the porch. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a casual button-down shirt. Because he looked so different with his hair cut short, she did a double take. When he smiled, Grace caught a glimpse of that devilishly handsome dimple.

Heath walked past her, up to the door, and knocked twice. “Hard at work?”

“The great thing about being self-employed is I set my own schedule and can work from anywhere. I’d rather be out here than inside, especially right now.”

Her mother answered the door. Her narrowed gaze darted from Heath to Grace. “Good morning, Heath. I’m sorry, but Bruce isn’t feeling well. He can’t come with you to the football game.”

Heath’s face fell. “Tell him that I hope he’s better soon.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell him.” Joslyn stepped inside and closed the door.

But not before giving Grace a look that could have curdled milk. She brushed off the disapproval, adding it to the growing pile. “Are you still going to the game?”

Heath turned to face her, stuck his hands in his pockets, and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Closing her laptop, she went to stand next to him. “I like football.”

“Oh…yeah,” he said. “Everyone likes football around here.”

Grace sighed. Geez, how more obvious do I have to be? “You know…I could go with you.”

He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “You coming would be great, but your mother wouldn’t be too happy.”

His hazel eyes stopped her heart. “Let me worry about my mom. She doesn’t control my life.” She did love her mother. Even more so when they weren’t living under the same roof. “I can drive.” A long car ride with Heath would give them a chance to talk. Maybe she could use the time to get to the bottom of what was going on between them.

“Cool. We should leave soon.”

His dimple appeared again. Grace wondered what he’d do if she leaned over and kissed it. How could one little dimple on a handsome face drive her to distraction? “Let me go change.” She sprinted up to her room.

An hour later, they were in Grace’s car on their way to San Antonio. She turned the radio station to classic rock.

“You’re not wearing your engagement ring.” He pointed to the bare ring finger on her left hand.

Her breath became shallow, and her heart rate increased. Even though she wanted to look at his face to see his reaction, she didn’t take her gaze off the road. “We had a long conversation over the phone several days ago, and I broke off my relationship with Tyler.”

“Why isn’t he here? If I were Tyler, I would have jumped in the car and come straight to you.”

“I told him over the phone. The next day, Tyler had to fly out on a business trip. He was meeting some Congressmen about an environmental bill. I don’t think he had a choice.” The excuse seemed weak, even to her ears.

“How can you defend him?” Heath spat. “He had a choice, and he chose wrong.”

Grace remained quiet and focused on driving. Heath was right about Tyler’s priorities. His career came first, which was the main reason she couldn’t envision a future with him. She never wanted to play second string to a job.

“I’m sorry.” He exhaled. “It’s none of my business. I only want to make sure you’re all right.”

“Thanks for caring, but I’m doing fine. Tyler will be home in two days, and then we’ll talk face to face. I won’t be dissuaded from my decision.”

Heath pressed his lips together and turned to stare out the window.

Grace’s self-control cracked and tears blurred her vision. His rejection was her biggest fear.

After a long, quiet car ride, they arrived at the football stadium. As she entered, Heath took hold of her hand. She loved the way his calloused hand felt on hers.

They wandered around for awhile, until Heath asked an usher for help.

The friendly, gray-haired man pointed them toward the ramp leading to the suite level.

She was soon standing in front of the door to Julie Harrison’s suite. Grace noticed Heath’s nervousness at seeing Julie, his best friend’s widow, again. He drummed his fingers against the side of his leg, and his foot tapped on the cement floor.

She remembered the night of the fireworks, when she’d sat with him on the front porch, and Heath told her about the loss of John. Magic had been in the air that evening because he’d opened up. The memory of their almost first kiss brought the curve of a smile to her lips.

Heath opened the door and held it for Grace.

As she entered the suite, a beautiful, red-haired woman jumped off the sofa.

“Heath!” She ran over and pulled him to a hug. “I’m so glad you came.” Stepping back, she looked him up and down. “You’re looking well. I like the hair.”

Heath rested his hand on Grace’s lower back. “Julie, this is Grace…a good friend. And Grace, this is Julie Ellis…I mean Harrison. Sorry, old habits.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Grace said as Julie gave her a quick hug. “Heath was very kind to invite me along.”

“I’ve known Heath a long time so I can vouch he’s a sweetheart.” Julie gave Heath a nudge in the side with her elbow. “Come over to the balcony. Aiden’s out there watching the team warm up.”

On the way to the balcony, Julie looked at Grace, and then at Heath. “A good friend, my foot.”

Grace’s face grew incredibly warm. She kept her gaze on the football field spread out before her. Not on a smiling Heath or a teasing Julie.

A young boy, who looked to be about nine or ten, sat in a chair on the balcony. He watched the action on the field.

On his lap sat the cutest ginger-haired baby girl Grace had ever seen.

The boy turned his head at the sound of their approach. “Uncle Heath.” He stood, and Julie took the baby so the boy could run into Heath’s outstretched arms. “Mom said you were coming. My dad’s playing today.” He pointed to the field, and then held up his finger for the baby to grab. “Oh, and you get to meet Hope.”

“Grace, this is my son, Aiden.” Julie kissed one chubby baby cheek. “And this little bundle of trouble is Hope. She’s discovered crawling and has become quite a terror. Nothing is safe.” Julie smiled at her children.

A twinge of jealousy tightened in Grace’s chest. Would she ever have children of her own to love?

The baby let out a burp, and then giggled. “Just like her dad,” Julie said, shaking her head.

Grace only had a short wait for the first kick-off. As she watched the game, Grace sat next to Aiden, who gave her a play-by-play account. He cheered especially loud when his step-dad, Reagan Harrison, was on the field. Julie seemed distracted with the needs of the baby, so at halftime, Grace offered to take Hope. Besides a momentary crying spell, Hope was a contented baby and had Grace laughing at her antics.

While playing with the baby, she dreamed about her own future child. Did Heath want children? She hoped so. The way her nieces adored him, she knew he would make a wonderful dad.