The Trouble With Tomboys(73)

wrapped her arms around him, kissing his temple.

“I think I like starting the day this way,” he murmured.

B.J. threw back her head and laughed. But her chuckle died when he lifted his face and she caught his frown. He reached for her cheek and touched a tear at the corner of her eye with his index finger.

“I hurt you?”

Realizing he was worried, not angry, she let out a relieved breath and rolled her eyes. “God, Slim.

Don’t you remember trying to yank me bald? You damn near pulled my hair out by the roots.”

“I did?” Eyes wide with concern and alarm, he reached for her scalp and eased his finger gently over her still aching noggin. “God, B.J., I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“Oh, can it, Rawlings. I loved every second.

Sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a full dose of rowdy sex.” To prove her point, she purred like a contented cat and stretched out her arms above her head. “Man, I feel great.”

But when she glanced over her shoulder at the tabletop, she frowned. “Oh, damn. My breakfast went soggy.”

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Grady burst out laughing.

B.J. whirled around and gaped at him, a little shocked to hear him laugh so openly. She’d seen him smile and even chuckle in the past few weeks, but...she hadn’t seen him really let go like this.

Watching him laugh now caused something inside her to spark. And she fell in love...completely, hopelessly, irreversibly in love with her husband.

205









Chapter Eighteen


Tucker Rawlings couldn’t stop pacing. But

where the hell was his son? Grady never arrived late. He checked the clock on the wall, then the watch on his wrist, and cursed. If the kid didn’t walk through that door within ten seconds—

The door opened and Grady entered. Tucker

almost jumped out of his skin. Okay, that was Twilight Zone weird.

Whistling as he moseyed through the entrance like he hadn’t a care in the world, Grady lifted his hand in greeting, and Tucker returned to his senses.

“Grady, where the hell have you been? The

meeting was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago.

Your mother’s been trying to entertain a room full of investors with coffee and doughnuts, but they’re getting restless.”

“Oh, hell,” Grady yelped and leapt into action, hurrying toward his office. “I completely forgot about the meeting.”

“Do you have your presentation with you?”

Tucker trailed his every step, unable to believe his ears. Grady never forgot meetings...and come to think of it, he never whistled either. Not since—

He slowed to a stop.

“It’s in my office,” Grady assured him, opening the door and flying into the room. He snagged the folder off his desktop.

Tucker shook his head, forcing his mind back to the task at hand. Meetings. Investors. Got it.

“Thank God,” he said, but only paused again as he took in the features on his son’s face. “Jesus, 206



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Grady,” he said, stepping forward and reaching for his son’s crooked tie. “What’ve you been doing?

You’re a complete mess.”

He straightened the knot and started to smooth out Grady’s unruly hair before he realized his son was coughing into his hand and turning tomato red.

Pausing, Tucker frowned in confusion until Grady lifted his head, letting his dad see the glow of contentment in his eyes.

Dropping his fingers, Tucker took a shocked step back. Then he shook his head and laughed. “I guess this means your marriage is going well.”

Grady grinned as they shared a knowing look.

With a nod, his son answered, “Can’t complain.”

Tucker chuckled again and grabbed Grady’s

shoulder, feeling a blast a relief. “Shit,” he murmured and turned his son toward the meeting room. “Go give your presentation already.”

As Grady tucked his file under his arm and

hurried to comply, his father stood there a moment, staring after him. An emotion of immense pressure slipped off his chest and loosened the knot that had been there for two and a half long years.

Running his hand over his face, he made sure there weren’t any tears in his eyes. But, God. He’d waited so long to see his boy happy again.



****

A Rawlings Oil company truck sat parked at the

Gilmore hangar when B.J. landed her plane for lunch. She taxied to a stop near the entrance of the opened double doors and killed the engine. Rudy had agreed to go up with her today to take some aerial pictures but once again hadn’t shown on time. So she’d gritted her teeth and dragged Leroy along. But her older brother had actually been halfway decent for once in his life. They’d gotten six farms photographed, and he hadn’t made one rude