Page 82 of Saving Grace

He shrugged. It was a life from a long time ago and many things had happened since then. “Makes you not sweat the small stuff.”

“I’m seeing that!” Grace exclaimed. “I would think that a crazy stalker after me would make me a pariah. You know, someone you shouldn’t be hanging around with.”

“It takes a lot to faze us, babe.”

She gazed up at him, and Matt’s breath caught at the tenderness, and what he dared hope was love shining through her eyes. He dipped his head and kissed her hard. He was a man of action after all.

“All right, Foster, you have to save that for later,” Millie hollered across the room. “Dinner is served, people!”

*****

Matt jolted awake when the flight’s captain announced their approach to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. He glanced at the sleeping woman beside him and couldn’t believe for the millionth time that she was his wife. Despite his adamance that she didn’t have a choice, there was always that nagging fear she would change her mind, and he would have to resort to another blackmail scheme for her to sign the marriage contract.

Following the party to celebrate their marriage, he’d immediately packed Grace into his SUV and drove to Atlanta. They hung around Colt’s condo where he let his wife rest until the terminal opened. They took the first flight out to Houston where they’d spend a few days in a bed and breakfast Millie had found in Houston Heights.

The diner owner was one of only a few people who knew their destination and that Grace had regained her memory. The others who knew were his siblings Kate, Cassie, Lucas, and, of course, Trent and Colt. He didn’t even confide in Roger and Axe and he rarely kept anything from them. However, knowing Roger had a past association with Troy, he wasn’t taking any chances.

Grace stirred beside him, opening her thick-lashed eyes sleepily, before smiling and snuggling closer.

His heart lurched at her simple actions. Fuck, he was definitely pussy-whipped. “Wake up, sleepy head. We’re about to land.”

“Already? I’m so comfortable right now,” she complained.

“Short flight. There’ll be plenty of time to sleep once we get to the bed and breakfast.” Matt was lying. He’d been keeping his libido in check for a while and couldn’t wait to make love to her for the next three days. He leaned over and set her seat back to upright in preparation for landing with Grace still protesting sleepily. Matt doubted he’d be letting her sleep much and wondered how much sleep a pregnant woman needed.

Their flight landed on time and taxied smoothly on the runway. So far, Grace didn’t experience morning sickness, but she’d been lethargic. Matt had read up on pregnancies so he’d know what to expect. He was thankful that Millie dropped off some reading material making sure he wouldn’t be a slacker in the fatherhood department.

He guided a zombie Grace off the plane. They had one overnight suitcase and a bigger one they’d have to pick up at the baggage carousel.

“I don’t know why you had to pick this early flight,” Grace grumbled. “Couldn’t we have left Misty Grove this morning and taken a later flight out of Atlanta?”

“You forget what traffic is like on I-75 during rush hour.”

“Who gets married on a week day anyway?”

Matt smiled and kissed the top of her head, keeping his hand on the small of her back and dragging their carry-on with his other hand. “Hmm … pregnancy making you this disagreeable?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “This has nothing to do with pregnancy.”

He moved her to the side so other people who were rushing wouldn’t mow them down. After all, they were on their pseudo-honeymoon. He was going to take her away on a two week vacation on a white sandy beach somewhere after their actual wedding. He didn’t mind having to do this all over again just so he could make her his all over again.

“If you must know, I didn’t want Troy showing up at the garage with twenty million questions.”

“So, sneaking away was your answer?”

“I wouldn’t say we snuck away, more like we left covertly.”

Grace laughed. “We’re arguing semantics, but I see your point. I’m sure he’s heard that we got married by now, and he wasn’t invited.”

“Roger will tell him now that we’ve left Atlanta.”

“Who else knows we’re going to Houston?”

“Millie, obviously, Cassie and Kate. Colt, Trent and Lucas also know because they’re on standby.”

“Standby for what?”

“Wife,” Matt said in proprietary tone. “That memory stick is vulnerable. You need a backup of it somewhere. Somewhere that’s secure where no one could break into it. Yet it has to be accessible from anywhere.”