Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars #2)(101)

He stared at her, not saying a word.

“I’ve had an idea. I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but…Why don’t you think about setting up a charitable foundation? You could make money for the foundation instead of yourself?” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “I’m talking about running it as a full-time job, not a rich man’s toy, using your talent for something that will make a difference in people’s lives.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Just think about it.”

“I already have, and it’s crazy, the craziest thing you’ve ever come up with. I’m not some stuffed shirt do-gooder. If I tried to do something like that, people’d laugh so hard they’d be rolling on the floor.” He was so taken aback, he was practically sputtering, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t think people would be surprised at all. It’s completely in character for you.” She turned her attention back to unpacking the trophies. She’d planted the seeds, but the rest was up to him.

He sat down on the side of the bed and watched her work for several minutes. When he finally spoke, it was obvious by the glitter in his eyes that he had something other than talking about the future on his mind. “I swear, Gracie, you’ve aggravated me so much you almost took my mind off how cute your bottom looks in those jeans.” He removed his cowboy hat and patted the mattress. “Come here, sweetheart.”

“I don’t know if I like that look on your face.” In truth, she liked it very much. Being alone with him in the small room made her realize how long it had been since they’d made love.

“I promise you’ll like it a lot. If you knew how much time I used to spend in this very bedroom dreaming about gettin’ a girl naked in here, you wouldn’t even think of denying me.”

“Did you ever?” She moved over to stand in front of him.

He caught the backs of her thighs and drew her between his splayed knees. “Get one naked?” He opened the snap at the top of her jeans and leaned forward to nibble at her belly button. “’Fraid not. Mom kept a pretty strict eye out.” His lips moved lower, along with the slide on her zipper. “When I was in ninth grade, I almost got a mutual friend of ours up here, but I guess mothers have some kind of built-in radar about that sort of thing because next thing I knew, Suzy was popping up with a plate of Oreos.”

“So you were restricted to backseats and parking by the river.” She was beginning to sound breathless.

“That was pretty much it.” He reached up under the hem of her patchwork print blouse and cupped her breasts through her bra. Her breathing grew more labored as he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, playing with the silk and her flesh until she could feel herself melting.

“Uhmm,” he whispered. “You smell like peaches again.”

Before long they were both undressed and making such sweet love on that narrow bed that all thoughts of the future evaporated. When it was over and Gracie lay boneless and spent on top of him, with his hand curled around her bottom, she finally opened her eyes far enough to see the satisfied smile on his face.

“It took me a lot of years to get a female naked in here, but it was worth every minute of the wait.”

She nuzzled his neck and felt the soft abrasion of his beard against her temple. “Am I better than Terry Jo?”

His voice was husky as he rolled to the side and cupped her breast. “Terry Jo was just a child, sweetheart. You’re a woman full grown. There’s no comparison.”

She heard a sound from below, and her head shot up as she realized the bedroom door was open. A sense of foreboding shot through her. “You locked the front door when you came back in, didn’t you?”

“I don’t think so.”

No sooner had he spoken than the unmistakable voice of Mayor Luther Baines echoed from the bottom of the stairs. “Bobby Tom? You up there?”

With a gasp, Gracie leaped to her feet and grabbed for her clothes. Bobby Tom yawned, then swung his legs over the side of the bed in a leisurely fashion. “You’d better not come any farther, Luther. Gracie’s naked up here.”

“For real?”

“She looks naked to me.”

Gracie could feel herself turning four shades of crimson, and she shot him a malevolent glare. He grinned back at her.

“Why don’t you wait for us in the kitchen,” he called out. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Sure enough,” the mayor replied. “And, Gracie, Mrs. Baines heard about your plan for the senior citizens center from Terry Jo. She said she’d be happy to help set up a volunteer group.”

Gracie’s cheeks flamed as she riffled through her purse for tissues. “Be sure to thank her for me, Mayor Baines,” she said weakly.

“Oh, you can thank her yourself. She’s standing right here next to me.”

Gracie froze.

“Hello, Gracie,” Mrs. Baines called out gaily. “Hi, Bobby Tom.”

Bobby Tom’s grin grew wider. “Howdy, Mrs. Baines. Anybody else down there?”

“Just Pastor Frank from First Baptist,” the Mayor’s wife replied.

Gracie let out a small squeal of alarm.

Bobby Tom ruffled her hair and gave a low chuckle. “They’re teasin’, sweetheart.”