Read Online Marrying a Delacourt by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
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she could ponder that for too long, the phone rang. Hoping that it was a reply to one of her earlier inquiries, she snatched it up on the first ring.
“Well, well, well,” a teasing masculine voice said. “Who is this?”
Grace stiffened. “Who is this? ” she shot right back, not prepared to give anything away.
“Tyler Delacourt,” he said at once.
Her shoulders relaxed. She had always liked the most charming of the Delacourt brothers. He had a twinkle in his eyes, a flirtatious nature and a heart as big as Texas. While others in the family had never warmed to her, Tyler had. He’d always treated her as if they were coconspirators in the battle to hold on to Michael’s heart.
“Tyler, I didn’t recognize your voice,” she said, aware of just how much she’d missed him, right along with his brother. Breaking up with Michael had meant losing his whole family, a family she had come to think of as her own, even if they hadn’t seen it quite that way. It would have been awkward, though, and far too painful, to stay in touch even with Tyler, so she hadn’t. “This is Grace.”
“Grace Foster?” Tyler asked.
He sounded a little shocked, but just as delighted as she was. She had to wonder, though, if it was for the same reason. Tyler had done his best to help Michael mend fences with her all those years ago. He’d considered it a personal failure that he hadn’t succeeded.
“Oh, my, how did my brother manage to lure you over to his vacation hideaway?” he said.
His amused tone confirmed her fear that he’d leaped to the wrong conclusion. “Don’t make too much of it,” she warned.
“How can I not? I thought you two weren’t on speaking terms.”
“We speak,” Grace said, then grinned as she thought of the last conversation she and Michael had had during the debacle between Delacourt Oil and Brianna O’Rourke, who was now Mrs. Jeb Delacourt. “To be more precise, we usually shout.”
“Is there a lot of shouting going on now?” Tyler inquired with unabashed curiosity. “Did I interrupt?”
“Nope. All’s quiet on the western front. Since you obviously called to speak to your brother, why don’t I get him for you?”
“Wait,” he commanded.
“Yes?”
“Whatever the reason for it, I’m glad you’re there,” he said quietly.
Grace was startled by his unexpectedly serious tone. “Why would my being here matter to you?”
He hesitated, then said, “It just does, okay? Give him a chance, Grace. Michael’s missed you, morethan he’ll probably ever admit, even to himself. He needs you in his life.”
It was a familiar refrain, but she didn’t believe it for a second, couldn’t allow herself to believe it. “Tyler, don’t get the wrong idea. My reason for being here isn’t personal. This isn’t about Michael and me. Let me get him. I’m sure he’ll explain.”
Taking the portable phone with her, she went in search of Michael and found him on the outside deck, legs stretched out in front of him, face turned up to the sun, eyes closed. For a man who professed not to know how to relax, he seemed to have found a way.
“Michael?” she said softly, not sure if he’d drifted off to sleep.
He snagged her hand, proving that he’d been aware of her presence all along. “Come sit with me,” he said without opening his eyes.
“Not just now,” she said, easing out of his grip. “Your brother’s on the phone.”
His eyes snapped open then. “Which one?” he mouthed silently.
“Tyler.”
“Oh, boy,” he muttered, taking the phone. “Hey, Ty, what’s up?”
Grace turned to leave, but paused when she heard his low chuckle.
“Stay out of it, bro. You dumped me over here without a second thought. Now it’s up to me how I occupy my time.”
Obviously she hadn’t been convincing enough during her own conversation with Tyler. He clearly wasn’t buying the fact that her presence here wasn’tpersonal. She had to wonder why. Was she a frequent topic of
“Well, well, well,” a teasing masculine voice said. “Who is this?”
Grace stiffened. “Who is this? ” she shot right back, not prepared to give anything away.
“Tyler Delacourt,” he said at once.
Her shoulders relaxed. She had always liked the most charming of the Delacourt brothers. He had a twinkle in his eyes, a flirtatious nature and a heart as big as Texas. While others in the family had never warmed to her, Tyler had. He’d always treated her as if they were coconspirators in the battle to hold on to Michael’s heart.
“Tyler, I didn’t recognize your voice,” she said, aware of just how much she’d missed him, right along with his brother. Breaking up with Michael had meant losing his whole family, a family she had come to think of as her own, even if they hadn’t seen it quite that way. It would have been awkward, though, and far too painful, to stay in touch even with Tyler, so she hadn’t. “This is Grace.”
“Grace Foster?” Tyler asked.
He sounded a little shocked, but just as delighted as she was. She had to wonder, though, if it was for the same reason. Tyler had done his best to help Michael mend fences with her all those years ago. He’d considered it a personal failure that he hadn’t succeeded.
“Oh, my, how did my brother manage to lure you over to his vacation hideaway?” he said.
His amused tone confirmed her fear that he’d leaped to the wrong conclusion. “Don’t make too much of it,” she warned.
“How can I not? I thought you two weren’t on speaking terms.”
“We speak,” Grace said, then grinned as she thought of the last conversation she and Michael had had during the debacle between Delacourt Oil and Brianna O’Rourke, who was now Mrs. Jeb Delacourt. “To be more precise, we usually shout.”
“Is there a lot of shouting going on now?” Tyler inquired with unabashed curiosity. “Did I interrupt?”
“Nope. All’s quiet on the western front. Since you obviously called to speak to your brother, why don’t I get him for you?”
“Wait,” he commanded.
“Yes?”
“Whatever the reason for it, I’m glad you’re there,” he said quietly.
Grace was startled by his unexpectedly serious tone. “Why would my being here matter to you?”
He hesitated, then said, “It just does, okay? Give him a chance, Grace. Michael’s missed you, morethan he’ll probably ever admit, even to himself. He needs you in his life.”
It was a familiar refrain, but she didn’t believe it for a second, couldn’t allow herself to believe it. “Tyler, don’t get the wrong idea. My reason for being here isn’t personal. This isn’t about Michael and me. Let me get him. I’m sure he’ll explain.”
Taking the portable phone with her, she went in search of Michael and found him on the outside deck, legs stretched out in front of him, face turned up to the sun, eyes closed. For a man who professed not to know how to relax, he seemed to have found a way.
“Michael?” she said softly, not sure if he’d drifted off to sleep.
He snagged her hand, proving that he’d been aware of her presence all along. “Come sit with me,” he said without opening his eyes.
“Not just now,” she said, easing out of his grip. “Your brother’s on the phone.”
His eyes snapped open then. “Which one?” he mouthed silently.
“Tyler.”
“Oh, boy,” he muttered, taking the phone. “Hey, Ty, what’s up?”
Grace turned to leave, but paused when she heard his low chuckle.
“Stay out of it, bro. You dumped me over here without a second thought. Now it’s up to me how I occupy my time.”
Obviously she hadn’t been convincing enough during her own conversation with Tyler. He clearly wasn’t buying the fact that her presence here wasn’tpersonal. She had to wonder why. Was she a frequent topic of
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