A CEO in Her Stocking: Reclaimed by the Rancher

Author:Elizabeth Bevarly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

Nine

It was nearly midnight by the time the partygoers left for home. Hank was sacked before the car pulled away from the curb, so when they arrived back at the penthouse, Clara handed him over to Grant to carry upstairs. Hank murmured sleepily at the transfer, then looped his arms around his uncle’s neck, nestled against his shoulder and fell asleep again. Clara tried not to notice how easily Hank curled into Grant or marvel at how much trust he had placed in him in such a short time. Instead, she battled another wave of affection for the man who had won that trust and showed such tenderness for her son.

Grant carried him effortlessly up to the penthouse and, after Francesca murmured her good-night to her grandson and gave him a kiss on the cheek, continued the journey back to Hank’s...or rather, his father’s—why did Clara keep making that mistake?—old bedroom and laid him carefully on the bed. Then she removed Hank’s shoes and the little clip-on necktie decorated with snowmen that his grandmother had bought for him—she’d also bought his little man suit that was a miniature version of Grant’s—and tucked him in. It was no problem to let him sleep in his clothes. Hank wouldn’t be wearing them again before they went home. Tomorrow, she thought further. No, today, she realized when she noted the time on the little rocket ship clock sitting on the nightstand. Which had arrived much too quickly.

In fact, she might as well just leave Hank’s new outfit here, since she couldn’t see him having an opportunity on Tybee Island to dress like a tiny businessman—unless it was for Halloween. But she could see Francesca finding lots of reasons for Hank to dress like his uncle here in New York.

Clara swallowed against a lump in her throat, brushed back his dark curls and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. She whispered, “Good night, Peanut,” which was the nickname she’d given him when he appeared on her first ultrasound looking like one, but which she hadn’t used since she’d decided on a name for him, before he was even born. Then she turned toward the bedroom door to leave.

She was surprised to see Grant leaning in the doorway, waiting for her, but was happy that he had stayed. As exhausted as she was from the evening and the hectic week before it, she was entirely too wound up to sleep. Or maybe it was something else that had put her in that state. Some churning eddy of emotions that wouldn’t stay still long enough for her to identify any of them, but which were pounding against her brain and heart with the ferocity of a tsunami.

“Nightcap?” Grant asked when she was within whispering distance.

“Oh, yes. Please.”

She followed him to the library and waited while he fixed their drinks. He poured a bourbon for himself, then reached into the wine rack for what was sure to be another very nice red for her. But Clara halted him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.