He frowned at the strange female voice.It wasn’t Bonnie—he didn’t know who it was.He stood, stepped over to the porch railing, and looked down.The outside lights bathed the patio and porch in a soft, white glow.He was startled to see a beautiful blonde woman waving up at him.Her long hair was up in a ponytail, but he could tell just by looking that it was soft and silky.The striking, green eyes staring up at him were familiar, but he couldn’t recall why.
When he didn’t say anything immediately, the woman’s mouth widened into the sexiest smile he’d seen in a long time.“You don’t remember me, do you?”
“Um, I’m sorry, I don’t,” he responded in confusion as she climbed the stairs to where he stood.
“I’m Grace Whitman, Bonnie’s niece.”
Sean’s eyes grew wide in shock.“Grace?Holy cow!I’mx I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”Looking her up and down—and definitely liking what he saw—he continued.“Wow!The last time I saw you, I think you were thirteen and still dressing like a tomboy.”
“And you were eighteen and running off to join the Army.”She walked straight up to him and gave him a friendly hug.His breath caught at the sudden contact.“You look great.”
As she stepped back, he gave her another appraising look.“So do you.I mean, look at you!I can’t believe you’re the same person.I remember you had short hair, skinny knees, and braces.”
She grimaced, then smiled wryly.“Yeah, well, I grew up over the past fourteen years.”
Boy, has she ever.
He shook his head to clear any potential dirty thoughts about her very adult body.Bonnie was family, which made her niece family too… unfortunately.“Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what are you doing here?”
“Aunt Bonnie and Dan told me to meet them here for dinner.Didn’t they tell you I was coming?”
He shook his head again, this time in response to her question.“No, they didn’t.”
“Then that’s why you look so shocked.”She giggled.“I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve seen you.Between college and then work, I haven’t been down this way often over the past few years, and whenever I did manage to come down, you were never here.”She paused, then handed him the bottle of wine she was carrying.“I thought a nice merlot would go great with Aunt Bonnie’s stew.”
Taking the bottle, he indicated the table he had been sitting at earlier.“I’m sorry, where are my manners?Have a seat.I’ll go grab a few glasses and a corkscrew.”
He placed the wine on the table and hurried inside, his thoughts completely on the woman sitting on the porch.
Wow!Little Grace Whitman has grown into one hot, gorgeous lady.
He never would have expected that.The last time he saw her, she had been short, flat-chested, and all arms and legs with no hips.A little girl.But time had definitely changed her for the better.Now, fourteen years later, she was about five eight, trim, with curves in all the right places, and all woman.
Sean’s adulterated thoughts were interrupted by the sound of car doors slamming.Glancing out the kitchen window, he saw his uncle and Bonnie walking up the driveway.Dan was carrying a large stock pot, while Bonnie held a brown paper bag with a loaf of French bread sticking out the top of it.Leading the way was Dan’s rescue dog, a black Labrador mix named Jinx.Grabbing four wine glasses and a corkscrew, Sean headed back out toward the deck.
Dan, Bonnie, and the dog climbed the porch steps, and the younger Malone held the door open for them with his hip since his hands were full.The aroma from the stock pot almost brought him to his knees.It seemed like a lifetime had passed since he’d tasted Bonnie’s beef stew—at least three years, he figured.
Bonnie winked at him.“I see our surprise got here before we did.”
He winked back.“And a delightful surprise she was.I just wish I’d had a little warning.I’m dressed like a street bum.”And he was.He glanced down, suddenly dismayed that he was wearing an old pair of jeans with holes in both knees and a wrinkled, grey T-shirt.
She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.“Don’t worry.You look fine.”
Letting the door close behind the couple after they entered the cottage, he strode to where Grace was sitting.He placed the wine glasses on the table and set about opening the bottle.“So, how long are you visiting for?”
“Oh, I’m not visiting.”Grace began handing him the glasses one by one to be filled.“My move to Whisper is official as of last week.”
“Really?What happened to New York?Aren’t your parents still there?”
“My folks retired to Prescott, Arizona, six months ago, but I’m an east-coast girl at heart, so I decided to move down here to be closer to Aunt Bonnie.”Taking the last filled glass from Sean, she leaned back in her chair and relaxed.“I’m opening my own physical therapy practice in town, hopefully in two weeks.”
“That’s right!Bonnie told me a few years ago that you became a physical therapist.You were working for some hospital in New York City, right?”He took the chair next to her and settled in.
“Right.Columbia Presbyterian.I was there for the past four years and got some great experience.”She paused and shrugged.“But, I’ve always wanted to open my own place.When Mom and Dad told me they were moving to Prescott, I decided to open my PT business in Whisper.I looked into it, and there are no physical therapy clinics near here—the closest place is a twenty-minute ride.This way, people don’t have to drive that far two or three times a week.I applied for my state license and got it a few months ago.”
“Good for you.”He held his glass out to her.“Here’s to your success.”
She clinked her glass with his.“Why, thank you.And from your mouth to God’s ear.”
