Gracie - Sherry Foster Page 0,52

in bed so you can rest. You can’t think if you aren’t rested. I will fix you something to eat and draw you a bath and put you to bed . Come on take my hand. Gammon has requested we get the hell out of his house so he and Mia can talk.”

Gracie looked at his hand before turning confused eyes toward Mia. “I didn’t hear him say anything”

Hendrix tapped his head, “No, but the rest of us did. Did you not put two and two together yet? It didn’t occur to you that we didn’t call anyone earlier but everyone knew what was going on?”

“I, no, I don’t know. I—” Gracie broke off what she was trying to say when Hendrix leaned over and scooped her into his arms. Holding her close she watched him give a nod to Gammon before he smiled and winked at Mia. She felt him kiss the top of her head as he walked them toward the door. Dimitri wheeled around and headed down the hall, reaching the front door ahead of them and holding it open until they were outside. He then jogged ahead of them and by the time they reached a different house he had the front door open for them. As soon as they passed through he closed it, leaving them alone together for the first time in almost a month.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hendrix flipped the light on with his elbow and heard a soft gasp. He walked over to the couch and gently laid Gracie down and turned and walked away.

“Where are you going?”

“I told you. You need a bath, food and a bed.”

Gracie struggled into a sitting position. “This,” she swung her head around taking in the room, “isn’t anything like I imagined for your house.”

“Why? Because I lived like a soldier would live?”

She nodded.

“I told you I enjoy working with my hands and building things.”

“You built this? Can I, would you mind if I looked around?”

“This is your home, that is, if you will stay with me. If you see something you don’t like tell me and we will burn it.” He twisted around looking at the room, trying to see it as if for the first time. He felt uncertain of his footing. He cared for Gracie, a part of him loved her. Maybe more than a part but he had guarded his heart for so long he wasn’t sure how to let her in. He wasn’t sure if he could let her in. If he was honest he wasn’t sure if he wanted to let her in. She was a human with no wolf. He was only half shifter. He had no idea if he could give her a wolf and if it turned out he couldn’t she would age and die leaving him alone and their child, well he would be grown but to lose a mother so young would hurt him. Trying to hold a taste of heaven had been a mistake. He should never have gone seeking her.

“Burn it? I would never. Your home is beautiful. The furniture, the carvings and woodwork is incredible. Oh,” he watched her as she walked around the room, touching things, his body burned for her touch. He saw her run her hand along the mantel. “You carved wolves into the wood. So detailed.”

She turned to face him. “I can’t stay. Everything is different now.”

He gave a short laugh but the laugh contained no joy. “You can’t leave the territory. If you can’t bear to live here with me we will find you a place to stay.”

“It isn’t you, I mean, I don’t understand so much. Today has been too much. But Hendrix, I have a life I have to get back to.”

“You don’t.”

“I do. Telu expects us back in another week or so. We have missions to run and children to save.”

“He doesn’t expect you back.” He turned toward the back of the house and left Gracie standing in the living room staring after him. He didn’t want to have the conversation with her. Not yet, not while the days events were still an open wound and the shock still raw. But Gracie, his Gracie didn’t give him a chance. She followed him through the bedroom and into the bathroom where she gave another soft gasp. He busied himself with the facets and getting the water temperature set before he turned around.

“This is my dream bathroom.”

“Mine too. That’s why it was built this way.”

“How can you leave this,