Stealing Grace (10 page)

“I know that.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I trust you. You could have hurt me a hundred times by now but you haven’t. Why would you start now?”

He nodded.

“Come on, lay down with me,” he said persuading.

Her pulled her down to lay on his chest and he continued to smooth her hair.

“Are you sorry you asked?” she asked him.

“No, I wanted to know. Now I do.” Elena yawned and Alex peeked down to look at her. “Go to sleep. It’s late, it’s...” he glanced at the alarm clock, “two in the morning.” He sounded surprised by how late it was. “I know you’re tired. I’m done with my questions, ok.”

“Ok. Thank you, Alex,” she said drowsily.

“For what?” he asked softly.

“For coming to get me.”

* * *

His heart ached at those words. He didn’t know what to say or do. She was utterly at his mercy and guidance and he was scared and guilty about the whole thing. How could he have not known what was going on? Did the council know what they do to the girls before they bring them there? But as he thought about it, they probably wouldn’t care. As long as they were virgins, nothing else would matter to them.

He ran his fingers through her hair and felt her breathing slow. She was beat from crying. She cried harder than he’d ever seen a woman cry. Of course, he’d only ever seen a few woman and they’d have been beat for crying so. He could barely stand to listen to what she was saying let alone just sit there and let her sob but she insisted. She’d pushed his arms away so she could finish, alone.

All he wanted to do was wrap her up and tell her to forget it but... She was asleep now, her little fist wrapped in his t-shirt. She was so tense and devastated and guilty. Funny that she should feel guilty when she did nothing wrong.

He also realized something else for certain, that he was falling for her. She was sweet and thoughtful, honest, gorgeous, forgiving. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even though they lived together and were married, he felt like he needed to date her. She deserved that and he would never just demand that they start acting like husband and wife just because that’s what he wanted.

He’d been trained since childhood of the things a man should want; family, house, money, children, community. For them, there was nothing else. Alex had most of those things already but nothing seemed real to him except this girl, this broken sweet girl in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to make all her pain and fear go away forever.

He’d never stop looking for a way to make that happen.

* * *

The next morning she woke first and looked up to see him laying there, sleeping peacefully. He was so sweet. She wanted to brush her fingers through the hair that lay across her forehead. What if he woke up? She wasn’t sure what he’d think of that. She was confused to say the least.

He had listened and tried to calm her and comfort her last night. Been so wonderful but this situation was strange and was one that needed caution.

She wasn’t sure if she was just letting her feelings get away from her because he was here and sweet and charming and she was stuck with him, for lack of a better describer.

She didn’t feel that way but, she didn’t want her attraction to him to be only because she was married to him. The more she thought about it, the more strange she felt. Was she really debating whether she should allow herself to fall in love with her husband or not?

He woke, she felt his hand move on her back.

“Hey, you,” he said cautiously, testing her mood. “Are you feeling alright this morning?”

“Perfect.”

He pulled her face up by her chin.

“Sweetheart,” he crooned and her heart jostled, “one thing I’ve learned these past few weeks is that your face gives you away when you lie.”

“Really? I haven’t lied to you.”

“Every time you told me you were fine, every time you said you were ok, you lied.” She looked down again. He sat up and pulled her into his lap. “I know you will be fine, but right now, it’s ok to be upset, to be scared, be mad even about everything that’s happened. I just want you to know that you’re safe here with me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

Elena looked up to his face, his expression was so sincere. He meant it, every word. She reached up and let her fingers travel his face; across his brow and down his nose to his lips.

“How did I deserve this?” she asked slowly.

His expression turned to guilt again.

“You didn’t. I’m so-”

“No. No, I meant, how do I deserve you?”

“Oh.” He smiled sheepishly. “Well, I don’t deserve you either.”

“Well, that’s true,” she said with a fake poignancy.

“Hey!” he yelled playfully. She giggled and tried to get up but he held her to him. She looked back to him but he was serious again. “I don’t deserve you,” he pressed his forehead to hers, “but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.”

He kissed her, barely letting their lips touch once and released her. They got up and got dressed. She made eggs and toast for breakfast and they headed to the office.

Another busy day there with a lot of visits from people who were ‘just checking in’. Alex sighed and crossed his arms when they came in when he knew they had no real business there. They left swiftly after realizing Alex wasn’t going to give them any information. It was weird.

Elena had gotten pretty good at running the office, but Alex still felt the need to lean over her shoulder many times throughout the day. His hand on her shoulder caressing, sending goose bumps and shivers.

They stopped at the grocery store that night together and picked up some things and then headed home. She cooked her grandmas’ chili recipe and he fawned all over it, telling her it was the best chili he’d ever had. And that night, she sat beside him at the table, not at the opposite end.

“You want to watch a movie or something?” Alex asked her as they finished up the dishes together.

“Yeah. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I was thinking, there’s this western coming on tonight with John Wayne.”

She tried to not show her disappointment as she turned to him and smiled.

“Great.”

He laughed, hard, pulling her to him by her hips.

“I know you don’t like westerns. I told you your face tells on you when you’re lying. But it was sweet of you to be willing to suffer through it for me, anyway.”

“Oh, thank you. No offense but black and white doesn’t do it for me.”

“Ok. What
does
do it for you?”

“To be honest, I haven’t watched any movies in years. Only whatever came on local television with rabbit ears. I have no idea what’s out now.”

“Hmm. Well, would you like to read a book with me instead?”

She pondered this and couldn’t help but think how down to earth this guy was.

“Yes, I would like that. I used to read all the time when I was in school but haven’t read anything in a really long time. There was no time to, always working double shifts.”

“Well, I have a lot of books. You can go through them anytime you like. I just got the new James Patterson. It’s about these kids who have wings. Sounds strange but it got good reviews. You like sci-fi?”

“I do, yeah. I used to watch Quantum Leap and Star Trek episodes with my friends mom. She would let me stay over to get away from my parents sometimes. We didn’t have television at my house anyway. Only a beat up console T.V. with fuzzy reception.”

He looked sad and his mouth quirked.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

“You didn’t. I loved her mom. She never turned me away when I needed to stay with them.”

“I loved Quantum Leap, too. So, book?” he asked, turning his head to the side.

“Yeah. Sweet tea?”

“Please.”

They curled up on the couch with their tea and he pulled an afghan off the chair and placed it over them holding the book in the middle. She curled up against his side. They read and he told her to call out when she was done with a page and he’d turn it. So she did.

“Turn,” she said with a pompous dignified accent.

He would chuckle and turn the page.

Several times during their reading he kissed her temple or hair or she could feel him twisting a curl of hair in his fingers. She played with a button on his shirt, pulling it in and out of the loop. It almost felt normal and an instinctive reaction to do those things; touch him, hug him, kiss him.

They read for a couple hours. Alex closed the book and declared it was late and he couldn’t focus on the words anymore. They’d gotten to chapter eighteen.

“I like Fang, he’s my favorite,” Elena said. “You’d think it was vampires with a name like that.”

“I like vampires, too. I’ve got some of those over on the bookshelf.”

“Maybe we’ll do that next.”

He nodded and pulled the afghan back, pulling her to her feet.
“Bed?”

“Bed.”

She changed into her pajamas in the bathroom and came out to find him already in the bed in his usual attire; flannel pajama pants and no shirt. He opened his arm to her and she climbed in, tucking herself under his chin.

“You know, that was fun. Thanks for suggesting it.”

“Anytime. Anything you want,” he said sweetly as he rubbed her arm.

“Is it weird that we haven’t had a fight yet,” she blurted out, “not even a little one?”

“Well, I’d count you trying to escape and me restraining you a fight.”

“That shouldn’t count, I didn’t know the truth then.”

“You want to fight with me?” he asked clearly amused at her observation.

“No, I just think it’s weird is all. I mean, I’ve lived here for what, two months? Two months of domestic arrangements and no fights? I’ve never heard of that being pulled off before.”

“Well,” he contemplated, “I think we both had pretty bad examples of marriage. So let’s forget everything else and just see what we can come up with for ourselves.”

“Sounds good.” She smiled, thinking about being married to him for years to come. She realized that thought actually made her happy. “So, work tomorrow?”

“Yep, then a couple days off, maybe. We can relax for a while. I know I’ve been working you hard at the office.”

“No you haven’t. I told you, I like it. It keeps me busy and I don’t like just sitting and feeling useless.”

“Ok, I’ll cook in the morning. What do you want?”

“Um, eggs?”

“Is that a question or your answer?”

“Well, what do you want?”

“I asked you.”

“Uh oh, our first fight,” she said grinning.

“You know, you’re right. We should make-up,” he said chuckling and pulled her face up to kiss her. “Wow, that was totally cheesy.”

“Yeah, it was.” She giggled and couldn’t believe how giddy and girly she sounded. “But I still liked it.”

He smiled gratefully at her and kissed her once more quickly and softly on her upturned lips.

“Aren’t you tired,” he asked yawning.

“Yeah. I am. Thanks for staying up with me.”

“Anytime.”

The next day they did everything as they had planned. He cooked breakfast and they headed into work.

Elena saw a couple walking down the street together as Alex helped her out of the truck. The woman was very pregnant and carrying two paper grocery bags following her husband, who carried none. He got in his truck and waited for her to put the groceries in the back and then waddle to the door and try to climb in.

Alex ran over to help her get in.

“Come on, Ian. Marlene is pregnant for Pete’s sake. You could at least open the door,” Elena heard him mutter to the man.

The woman said nothing but gave him a surprised but grateful smile as they drove away.

“I’m glad you helped her, you’re always so sweet, but won’t you get into trouble doing things like that? I’ve been meaning to ask you about me. People aren’t going to notice you’re being so nice to me all the time?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her as he unlocked and opened the shop door.

“You’d prefer I publicly berated you?”

“No, I just don’t want you to get into trouble.”

He grabbed her face in his hands. Smiled that smile that told her he was grateful and amused by her and kissed her.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle anything they throw at me. Besides,” he released her and walked to look out the shop window to the street, “I’ve about had it with this town.”

* * *

“What do we do when they don’t come pick up the documents when they were supposed to?” Elena asked as she eyed a small pile of documents that were past due.

“Well, it wasn’t really important to them or they would have come and picked them up. They pay me either way, so.” He walked over and looked at the stack, taking the first few off the top. “This is Roger’s. Hmm. It’s not like him to not pick up his stuff. Maybe I’ll drop this off to him.” He looked at his watch. “Ready to go, now? We’re done anyway.”

“Sure,” Elena said and cleared her desk quickly.

They drove the short distance to Roger and Amy’s house. It was a cute bungalow really, much like the house Alex and Elena lived in. Alex’s office was pretty much in the center of town. Main Street was where everything was and everything just kinda gravitated around it.

“I’m anxious to know how Amy is doing.”

“I know you are,” he said softly, “but I think it’s best if you stay in the truck. I’ll only be a minute.”