me all about it.”
Rafe hoped she wouldn’t mention his state of undress. The fewer who knew that tidbit, the better. It was bad enough Tristan Durrance, the responding sheriff deputy, and a pack sentinel, had arrived before Doc got there with an old pair of sweats for Rafe to wear. He expected it would be a long time before Tristan would let him forget getting caught bare-ass by a human female.
“I hope you used the opportunity to get to know her a little better,” Cassie continued. “Grace is like a sister to me and she’s become an important part of mine and Brice’s lives. Just as you are.”
“What are you getting at, Red?”
Laughter rose above the soft chatter of guests in the lobby. Rafe’s gaze slid to Grace, directing a family into silly poses as she took their picture next to an indoor totem pole with several wolf heads carved into the wood.
“It’s okay to let people into your life again,” Cassie said. “People like Grace. She’s fun, and kind, and never meets a stranger.”
“I’m managing fine with the way things are.”
“Managing isn’t the same as living.” She touched his arm. “Trust me, I know.”
* * *
“Here you go, little mama.” Grinning, Grace held out a cup of hot tea she’d made in the microwave. Her posh suite at the Walker’s Run Resort was nothing short of a small apartment equipped with a kitchenette, a cozy living room, and a luxury bedroom with a balcony view of the forested mountainside. All compliments of Cassie’s in-laws, Gavin and Abigail Walker, the resort’s owners.
“Thank you.” Cassie, her best childhood friend, accepted the drink. They’d reconnected through social media after Cassie had married.
The internet was Grace’s lifeline. Not only was the internet vital to her web design business, it helped her stay connected with friends all over the world. She needed it as much as she needed coffee.
But, moving to Knoxville last year to help her brother had put Grace within driving distance of Cassie. She and Brice had visited while Matt was at the rehabilitation center. After Matt’s discharge, and once he was comfortable staying a few days by himself, Grace had accepted Cassie’s father-in-law’s open invitation to stay at the resort.
Since Cassie had no family after her mom’s passing, Gavin said Cassie needed a “sister.”
How could Grace say no?
Now she had her own room—dubbed the Grace Olsen Suite, available anytime she visited.
“Want anything else?”
“I’m good.” Cassie tucked a loose red ringlet behind her ear. “I hate that you’re doting on me. You have a concussion.”
“It’s only a bump and I have a hard head.” Grace sat on the couch, drawing her bare feet beneath her.
“I can’t believe you saw Rafe naked.” Cassie stretched her legs and propped her tiny, swollen feet on the coffee table. “Funny, Brice was naked when we met, too.”
Cassie rubbed her pregnant belly. “See where that led me?”
“Don’t jinx me. I will adore the little girl right there,” she pointed at Cassie’s belly, “but I don’t do serious relationships and I don’t want to be a single mom.” Grace had seen how hard it was on her mother, single parenting every time her father was deployed.
“I never planned on this, either. Yet here I am and I couldn’t be happier.”
“It’s different for you. You’re planted here.” Grace fluffed her pillow. “I’ve never lived in a place longer than a few years.”
Cassie sipped her tea. “Maico was no different from any other of the half-dozen towns my mom dragged me to. I expected we’d be here for eighteen months tops before we moved on. Then, she died, I had nowhere to go and Maico became home.”
“Because you got stuck here. Once Matt gets on his feet again—figuratively speaking, I’ll be free to live anywhere.”
“What about here? Maico is a great place.” A hopeful smile lit Cassie’s face, just like the one she’d given Grace when they were seven and Cassie had asked her to be friends. “Give it a chance to become your home, too.”
Growing up in military housing, Grace had always craved a real home. A place where she could put nails in walls to hang her pictures and posters. But, every time she started getting comfortable, her family would move again. Eventually, Grace stopped unpacking her suitcases and boxes. Why bother if she was going to repack them anyway?
Cassie tucked an errant red curl behind her ear. “I want you around for Brenna’s sake, when she finally gets here.”
“No matter where I am, I’ll only be a text away.”
“You can’t hold her over the internet.”
Grace clenched her jaw. Many of her childhood milestones had had to be video relayed to her father overseas or emailed. She thought it sucked then. It would suck if she did the same to Cassie’s baby.
“I’m only a few hours away.”
“For now. How long until you move away?” Cassie’s red brows angled over her eyes and Grace hoped it wasn’t bad luck to make a pregnant woman frown. “I remember you used to complain about moving so often. When you grew up, you wanted a big two-story house, a husband and six kids.”
“I got used to moving. Now it’s in my blood and I get antsy if I stay too long in one place.” Grace shook her head. “I must’ve been crazy to want six kids. I have a hard enough time keeping up with myself. As for a husband, I’ll stick to friends with benefits for now.”
“How’s that working for you?”
“I’m in a slump.” More of a Sahara dry spell, actually. She’d left her sex buddy in Seattle and hadn’t had much opportunity to meet anyone in Knoxville.
“Any sparks with Rafe last night?”
“If we were beakers in a chemistry lab we would’ve blown up the building.”
“He’s a great guy. Good-looking. Dependable.” An impish grin broke on Cassie’s face and she rubbed her palms.
“Sometimes the packaging doesn’t match what’s inside.”
“Rafe’s does.” Cassie’s face pinked. “Not that I’ve actually seen his package.”
“He has a mighty fine ass.” Grace laughed.
“You should explore that.” Cassie’s flush deepened. “I mean, your attraction to him. He really is one of the good ones.”
“So was Derek, or so I thought.”
“Rafe isn’t Derek.” Cassie set her cup aside. “Trust me. You’ve never dated someone like Rafe.”
“Uh, no.” Grace shook her head and a heavy
