"I can't tell you." The muscle in Gabe's jaw jumped as he slowly shook his head. "If she's not ready to share that part of her life with you, then it's not my place to do so."
"How do I earn her trust?" Damon's question was quiet. Partly because he wasn't sure Gabe would give him an answer, and partly because Uncle James and Zane had hit a lull in their discussion about the problems with genetically modified wheat and corn.
"You can't, unless she knows she’s absolutely safe with you.”
“She is. But I don’t know how to convince her of that.”
Gabe let out a sigh as he poked at his potato salad with his fork. "Grace has been hurt and...let down too many times by people she cared about. Consequently, she doesn't open her heart to just anyone."
Damon sank back in his seat, disappointment settling over him like a weighted blanket, hot and suffocating. He wanted to believe that after all the time they'd spent together, he wasn'tjust anyoneto Grace. But until she gave him a sign that she wanted more, he didn't dare bring it up again.
He was running out of time though. The wedding was in two days, and he left in a little over seventy-two hours.
"She's testing you."
"What?" Damon's head snapped back up at Gabe's words.
"She's playing it safe. She knows you're leaving soon. When you're gone, and she doesn't hear from you, she'll know she did the right thing."
"But I plan to stay in touch with her." Damon's voice rose. He didn't care if Uncle James and Zane overheard their conversation. This was too important. "I'll email and text as often as I'm able. I'll call her every chance I get."
"Don't tell me." Gabe grinned as he picked up his hamburger. "Tell her."
Damon nodded, the motion growing bigger by the second. Grace may have friend-zoned him, but she'd continued to spend time with him almost every day. That had to count for something. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, so if she really didn't want anything to do with him, she'd have told him to take a hike a long time ago.
So how did he get her to trust him?
CHAPTER 11
Damon sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of Grace across from him at the back of the church. She looked stunning in her lavender dress. It fit her like a glove, emphasizing her attractive curves. Part of her hair was piled on her head, the rest hung in shiny curls.
She wore more makeup than usual, effectively accenting her big brown eyes and rosy lips. Lips he was anxious to explore again.
They waited for Gabe’s assistant, Luke, and Paige’s cousin on her dad’s side of the family to make their way up the aisle. Then Grace walked toward him.
His heart skipped a few beats when she smiled. He met her in the middle and offered his arm.
He leaned close to her ear. "I'd tell you not to outshine the bride, but I think it's too late." Even the extravagant flower arrangements with purple and blue ribbons at the front and back of the chapel paled in comparison to Grace.
A little laugh bubbled out of her as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.
They started their walk up the rose petal strewn aisle. Kallie and Cassey, Paige's nieces, had taken their jobs as flower girls seriously. The ring bearer, their little brother James, who was not quite two, had raced up the aisle as fast as he could to get to his Daddy. It was a good thing the rings were tied to the small pillow he carried.
Warmth seeped through Damon's sleeve where Grace's hand rested and wormed its way straight to his heart. He was so gone over this woman. Without knowing it, Grace had carved out a special place in his heart, and he desperately needed to know if he had a place in hers.
Tonight. I'm going to tell her tonight.
He needed her to know how he felt before he left in a little over thirty-six hours. It didn't matter whether she returned the sentiment or not.
Yes, it does.
He hoped she would say those three little words too, but even if she didn't, he'd ask her to write to him. He'd ask if he could call her. He wouldn't give up on building a relationship with her even if he was on the other side of the world.
A sliver of disappointment arced through him when she let go of his arm at the front of the church. He took his place beside Gabe and turned to watch Daniel and Riley make their way up the aisle. Riley had a special glow about her.
Damon only briefly noticed how pretty Paige was in her elegant satin and lace wedding dress before his gaze drifted back to Grace. He had a hard time focusing on the ceremony, as his mind replayed the last two weeks.
When he boarded the plane in North Carolina, he had no idea his life was about to change forever. He'd looked forward to relaxing and hanging out with his family—immediate and extended. He'd anticipated riding horses and ATVs and eating his mom's home-cooked food. He hadn't expected to fall for theprettiest, quick-witted, and most headstrong woman in Eastern Washington.
