“Don’t worry.” Quinn had said those same famous last words the day three feet of detergent and bubbles covered the laundry room floor when she’d been teaching Grace how to clean dishes quicker in the washing machine.
The elevator doors slid closed in Grace’s face.
Oh, the horror. A shiver skirted down Grace’s spine. With her luck, she’d end up married to the man, instead of out of the contract, when her sisters were done. Grace hurried back into her office and killed the lights. She grabbed a pair of the binoculars and glanced down at the street below where her sisters were crossing and headed straight toward the dating agency building.
“This isn’t happening.” She lifted the binoculars to Stone’s window, and her heartbeat sped. He was standing at his office window staring directly at hers. Could he feel the disturbance in the Force?
Grace didn’t lower the binoculars, and she didn’t hide behind the wall. He couldn’t have paid her to look away from the tornado that was about to blow into his office. No way would her sisters be corralled in the waiting room. If Grace could only read lips. James Bond would have hidden a bug to listen in. Damn her spy skills.
The office door burst open behind him. Ninja lady was walking backward with her hands held out.
“Poor, poor woman. I’m going to have to send her a crate of wine to help her forget meeting my sisters.”
Sam watchedin amusement as the rest of the Thatcher sisters waited for Grace to return. Their surprise attack when Grace flipped on the light made him chuckle. He’d stood at the window waiting to see if Grace would be like the rest and pick up a pair of binoculars. He hadn’t had to wait long, just long enough for the rest of them to leave for her to give in. Only her gaze wasn’t on him. He followed the direction of the binoculars to find the rest of the Thatcher women crossing the street. He should have known nothing would be easy with Grace. He met her gaze once more before his door opened and Iris was pleading with them to make an appointment. He spun around.
“It’s okay, Iris.”
Iris gave him a worried look, and he gave her a nod. He hadn’t even waited until the door was shut before he spoke. “All of the Thatcher Five in one day. I’m sure none of you married ladies are here for my services, so I assume this is either a social visit or you wanted to see if I’d give you a discount for signing Becca, your only other single sister.”
The redhead, Quinn, pushed through the crowd with her big belly leading the way. Two of the women looked ready to go into labor. “We’re here to tell you to back off of our sister.”
“Is that right?” Sam asked and retook his seat.
“Hi, I’m Cara, and what Quinn meant was that Grace will no longer be needing your services, so whatever dates you may have arranged, you’ll have to cancel,” the blonde announced.
“I know all of your names.”
“Well, that’s great. We’ll be glad to pay out the remainder of her contract and reimburse you for your time,” Harper said.
He watched them all work in tandem. When one quit talking, the next started. When one offended, the other corrected. They were an interesting bunch, and yet all of them were dead set against Grace working with him. The question was why?
“I understand your concerns, but I’m afraid Grace is the only one who can decide to cancel her contract.”
“Oh well, if that’s all it takes. Then come on, girls, our work here is done,” Becca said, trying to pull the others from his office.
Sam rose from his seat. “If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me why you don’t want your sister to find love?”
The others were already out the door. Only Quinn turned to hold his gaze. “Our sister will find love, without your contract and without you setting her up on dates. We can guarantee that.”
“How?”
“We’re psychic.” Quinn pressed her lips together in a pinched smile before she walked out.
Sam turned back to the window to find Grace still watching him with those ridiculous binoculars. A wall full of men stood behind her, also with binoculars. Two were big and beefy, and what the hell were they wearing? Were those kilts? The two other men were just as big. They must be the husbands of the four who had just left, and possibly a friend, considering Sam hadn’t heard that Becca was engaged, and Sam heard everything about his neighbors. Those guys sure did have their hands full. Laughter erupted from his lips.
Chapter Three
Sam pulledup outside the little beach house and grabbed the envelope from his passenger seat. He’d never be the type of man to strong-arm any woman into keeping a contract with him. No matter how beautiful she was. He jogged up to the door, rang the bell, and tapped the envelope against his palm. The sweet smell of roses from her garden drifted to his nose, making him look down. He spotted the zombie garden gnomes and grinned.
The front door swung open, and Grace stood there with wide eyes and with atoothbrush hanging out of her mouth. A tiny bit of toothpaste dripped from the crease of her lips onto her shirt.
“Cm in,” she mumbled and left the door open for him to follow.
He took his cue and stepped inside the cozy home, shutting the door behind him. The smell of fresh-baked cookies drifted to his nose as Grace disappeared down a hall. A laptop sat open on the couch. A book lay open across the armrest, holding her spot, and a blanket lay nearby. He spotted the plate of cookies next to her seat. If this was Grace’s life, no wonder she’d come to him. All she needed was a glass of wine and a cat.
Grace re-emerged minutes later. “I’m sorry, my sisters came back and told me that I was the one that had to cancel the contract and I forgot to call.”
“Not a problem.” He held out the envelope as his gaze took her in. Her black yoga pants had a small pair of red lips on the hip. Her matching tank top had a wet spot where the toothpaste had landed. She was a cute mess. “I voided your contract.”
