Leo stood up with her. ‘Never hold back, Grace. Tears are words that have been trapped in your heart. I’m glad I could kiss at least a couple away.’ And with that, he engulfed her in his muscly brown arms, pulled her tightly to his broad chest and gave her the biggest, longest, warmest embrace she had received in a long time. As Gracie melted into him, a feeling of complete peace enveloped her.
Then, suddenly feeling really awkward, she pulled away with a jolt. ‘I really must shower,’ she said, at a million miles an hour.
Leo nodded. ‘Youreally are a natural woman, Grace. And I’m so damn sorry for your loss. But I’m not sorry that Jack has you in his life. To be honest, I had my doubts that that free-spirited sister of yours would be a good mom, but she has surprised me. Now I’ve met you I feel even more secure about the whole situation. You’d have made a really good mom, Grace.’
‘Thank you,’ she replied softly, liking the way he called her Grace too.
‘OK, get yourself ready. I’ll get Kingston to drop you at the beach.’ Gracie pushed open the door of the villa. Leo faltered slightly. ‘Will I see you all later?’
Gracie smiled apologetically. ‘Probably not… if you don’t mind.’
He looked really disappointed. ‘I get ya, Grace. And, I respect that.’
Gracie smirked. ‘Oh and the “you’re so sweet, you make my teeth hurt” line. I’m sure I’ve heard that said in a film before.’
Leo laughed. ‘How about me having you at hello, then?’
‘Oi,’ Gracie laughed. ‘How about you thinking of some original lines and I will go and shower.’
With a wry smile, Leo Grant drained his champagne glass.
Gracie smothered herself in fragrant shower gel. She had just been kissed by a Hollywood film star in a luxurious Caribbean setting, drinking champagne and dancing to her favourite song. He had even called her a natural woman!
She would tell Noms, of course. But she was sensible enough to realise that it was no more than a drunken peck on his part. From what she had heard from Noms, he wasn’t a bad man. And the hug had been completely dreamy and was just what she needed.
It was uncanny how much Jack did look like him and it was a shame that Noms didn’t want Leo to see him in the flesh. But she understood why. Leo would fall in love with the little chap, like most people did, and then it would get far too complicated.
As the soothing hot water soaked her body, she began to think about home. And despite what had just happened with Leo Grant, if her big sis were to ask her now which man in her life she would like to walk around the corner, she would have to give a very convoluted answer. Ed, before his rape revelation. Lewis, before he was unfaithful.
The break had done her good, there was no doubt about that, but tomorrow they would be home. Back to normality. Back to reality.
It wasn’t all bad though. Because she felt really excited about the SW19 Club coming to life. It offered a focus. A passion. Something that had been lacking in her life for far too long.
It was late when Noms, Gracie and a sleeping Jack returned to the villa. Somehow darkness seemed so much blacker and the stars so much brighter in the Caribbean. The sound of crickets was noisier than ever in the still of night, too. They had justified staying at Mangos far longer than they should have done by it being their last night. Noms, who was not a big drinker anymore, had driven them back.
‘Ssh.’ Noms put her finger to her lips as Gracie tripped drunkenly off the jeep step. ‘We don’t want to wake Mr Hollywood or his number one son now, do we?’ With a muted groan of effort, she leant in and lifted her sleeping child from the back seat.
‘He’ll keep out of our way,’ Gracie replied knowingly.
‘You know too much, little sister.’
Noms had laughed when Gracie had told her that Leo had kissed her. ‘Unbelievable,’ was all that she could say, but she was clearly relieved that Gracie had stopped him in his tracks. It would be a bit too complicated, having Jack’s dad sleeping with his auntie.
Gracie woke in the middle of the night with a raging thirst. She staggered to the kitchen in her little shorts and vest to find a bleary-eyed Leo doing exactly the same thing. She had been so overcome by his kindness earlier that, seeing him standing there – a man wanting just one thing – she felt that she owed him it.
‘Noms and Jack need never know,’ she whispered. Leo nodded.
She put her finger to her lips to shush him and pushed the bedroom door open very, very quietly.
Her precious nephew was sprawled tummy down in his Bermuda shorts, sound asleep, with his cute little face to the side so that his daddy could see him perfectly.
Leo put his hand to his heart and bit his lip. Gracie left him alone for a second, before taking his hand and leading him back to the kitchen. This time, she wipedhistears withherfingers.
‘I know it’s so hard but in a few years you will be able to say all you want to him.’
Leo kissed her on the forehead. ‘Thank you, amazing Grace. That one minute was the best gift anybody has ever given me.’
She lifted his hand to her lips, kissed it, poured herself a pint of water, and sleepily headed back to bed.
