The Harvest Read online

  Though her aunt had phrased the request as a question, the tone was more along the lines of “Open the door—I’m coming in.”

  Grace stifled a groan and glanced around the room. Though hiding a man in the closet seemed a bit melodramatic, Grace didn’t have a choice.

  The situation reminded Grace of a soap opera. And some might even find it amusing. But Grace didn’t see anything even remotely funny about her current predicament.

  “Let me just grab my robe,” Grace said, stalling for time.

  She padded silently across the room to the louvered closet door and gestured to Nick.

  He stared, but didn’t move.

  “Get inside,” she mouthed, pointing first at him and then at the closet.

  For a moment, Grace thought he wasn’t going to comply. But the look in her eye must have convinced him of the seriousness of the situation because he entered the closet and let her shut the door.

  Grace cinched the robe tight about her and squared her shoulders. Then, feeling like Daniel about to face the lions, she opened the bedroom door.

  Nick sat on the cold hardwood floor and knew he had to be dreaming. What other reason would there be for a respected physician and surgeon to be hiding in a closet?

  It wasn’t as if he was fooling around with a married woman, something he’d never consider doing. Marriage vows were sacred.

  He glanced around the half-empty closet. Personally he thought Grace was being ridiculous. But he’d seen the determined look on her face and he knew she’d never forgive him if he didn’t go along.

  Nick had to smile. He was learning that with Grace, you never knew quite what to expect. He still couldn’t believe he’d worked with her for almost a year and had never really known her. He’d been intrigued from the start. And with that copper-colored hair and big green eyes, she’d been hard to miss. But she’d always been all business.

  When they’d said good night earlier this evening and gone to their separate bedrooms, he’d had the feeling that whatever had existed between them this weekend was over. Tomorrow he’d go back to his life and she’d go back to hers. It would be as if this time together had never happened.

  And that made him sad. This weekend had been a revelation. The more he’d gotten to know Grace, the more he’d realized how much they had in common.

  Unfortunately, Grace didn’t seem to feel the same way. Nick hated to say it, but Larry had been right. Grace didn’t like him. Not very much anyway.

  It was puzzling. To his knowledge, he’d never done anything to offend her. And this weekend, he’d played the part of adoring boyfriend with such passion he’d thought she’d have been pleased.

  But though she smiled up at him and let him hold her hand whenever he’d wanted, emotionally she’d kept her distance. And that drove him crazy.

  He’d come to her room, for what he wasn’t quite sure. Maybe to clear the air. Maybe to find some common ground. Maybe to sneak a few kisses. But when he’d seen the satin nightgown against all that creamy freckle-spattered skin, he’d wanted to do more than just kiss her. It had been a long time since he’d felt such an overwhelming need.

  Oh, he’d dated lots of women but he could count on one hand the ones he’d been intimate with. He was very particular about who he got involved with. He wanted a relationship, not a quick fling.

  “People thought you’d made up a boyfriend.” Though Nellie spoke in low tones, her voice carried clearly through the slats in the closet door.

  “Did they?” Grace’s laugh sounded forced. “I can’t imagine why.”

  “It can be quite a blow when the youngest sister marries first,” Nellie said. “And then when she has a child—”

  “It didn’t bother me,” Grace said quickly, too quickly.

  “Not at all?” Nellie’s tone was clearly skeptical.

  “Not at all,” Grace said firmly.

  Nick smiled. He didn’t know who was more stubborn—Grace or her aunt Nellie.

  “Of course, you’ve got Nick,” Nellie said in a conversational tone.

  “That’s right,” Grace said after what seemed like a long silence. “I’ve got Nick.”

  Nick released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. It was a forced admission and one that meant nothing.

  But it was a start. Something to build on. Because Nick was certain what he’d told Larry was the truth. Grace didn’t like him because she didn’t really know him.

  That’s why he had to figure out a way to keep seeing her when they returned to St. Louis.

  Time was what he needed.

  Unfortunately, right now it was the one thing he didn’t have.

  Chapter Four

  Nellie’s youngest niece popped her head into the kitchen where Nellie sat sipping a cup of Earl Grey. “Have you seen my mother?”

  Nellie glanced up from the Milestones section of the Des Moines Register.

  “She ran next door for a few minutes.” When Holly lingered in the doorway, Nellie laid the paper down and turned her attention from the wedding and anniversary announcements to her niece. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Not really.” Holly shook her head. “Anna has some red bumps on her bottom and I wanted Mom to see them before I got her dressed.”

  Nellie almost said that it sounded like diaper rash and that she’d be glad to take a look. But at the last minute, she bit back the words. Holly obviously wanted to tap into her mother’s experience—a woman who’d raised two children—rather than settle for the opinion of a childless aunt. The fact that Nellie had helped raise both Holly and her sister wouldn’t make a difference; she wasn’t a mother.

  “I’ll tell Margaret to come to your room the minute she gets back.” Nellie shot her clearly worried niece a reassuring smile. “I’m sure Anna will be fine until then.”

  The concern that had gripped Holly’s pretty face eased. Though Holly had just turned twenty-six, Nellie couldn’t help but think Holly looked much too young to have a husband and baby.

  “That’d be great,” Holly said. “I need to finish getting ready for church anyway. You can’t believe how much work it is to get a baby bathed and dressed.”

  Nellie just smiled. Any infant was a lot of work, but Holly and Tim had been blessed. Anna was a placid, good-natured baby who only cried when she needed to be changed or fed. Not all babies were so easy.

  Nellie’s thoughts drifted back to her first vision of Grace, screaming and waving her little hands in the hospital nursery. Her face had been almost as red as her hair. Up to that point Nellie had been the only redhead in the family. She’d fallen in love with her new niece instantly.

  In fact, Nellie had celebrated her thirtieth birthday walking the floor with the colicky infant. Margaret had been in bed with the flu and Hal, Margaret’s husband, had been out of town.

  Even though she didn’t get much sleep that night, Nellie had loved every minute of it. In the still, dark house—for that brief moment in time—Nellie had pretended God had answered her prayers and given her a child of her own.

  It was a brief respite from the fear that had dogged her thoughts every time she’d thought of her birthday. The realization that she was starting her fourth decade on earth had forced Nellie to take stock of her situation all those years ago.

  At thirty she had been definitely past her prime. She had known the odds were high that a Prince Charming would never come to her door, that there would not be any babies for her to love, that she would spend the rest of her life alone.

  It was different now; women married later and had children well into their thirties and forties.

  But back then the realization that life had passed her by had been hard to bear. She only had to look at her sister’s life to see what could have been.

  Because not only did God bless her sister with one baby, several years later He blessed her with another little girl. Holly was born shortly after Grace’s fourth birthday, with a head full of curly blond hair and a sweet, su
nny disposition. Everyone adored Holly, and Nellie was no exception. But it was the more serious, sensitive older child who held Nellie’s heart in the palm of her hand.

  Maybe it was because Nellie understood Grace’s awkward shyness. After all, she’d been burdened with the same malady. Maybe it was because Nellie had also been a studious “bookworm” as a child. Or maybe it was because she could identify with Grace’s pain. No one knew better than Nellie how hard it could be to grow up in the shadow of a beautiful and popular younger sister.

  At Holly’s wedding five years ago, Nellie’s tears of joy were mixed with sadness. Grace was the oldest. She should have married first.

  Just like I should have married before Margaret.

  In the last few years Nellie had started to worry Grace might be headed down the same lonely path she’d traveled. But when Grace had shown up this weekend with an eligible bachelor on her arm, Nellie had experienced a resurgence of hope.

  She’d tried not to get too excited because Grace had introduced him only as her “friend” and not as her “fiancé.” But even though he hadn’t yet put a ring on her finger, Nellie could see that Nicholas was a good, decent man who truly cared for her niece. Though she knew it might be a bit premature, Nellie couldn’t help mentally jotting down a few names for the wedding guest list.

  As far as Nellie was concerned, wedding bells couldn’t be far off. Her vision might not be twenty-twenty anymore but she could see the way Nicholas’s eyes glowed when he looked at Grace.

  He admired her.

  He adored her.

  He desired her.

  Nellie’s lips tightened as a surge of motherly protectiveness raced through her. Desire was all well and good…if a couple were married. But Nicholas and Grace weren’t—not yet anyway—and his sneaking into Grace’s room in the middle of the night had to stop. Nothing good came of intimacy before marriage.

  Nellie suspected that bridge hadn’t yet been crossed, but she wasn’t sure how long her niece could hold out. The air fairly sizzled when the two of them were together. Though Grace had been taught right from wrong, Nicholas was a handsome, charming man and Nellie feared the temptation might prove too great.

  If Grace were living in town, Nellie could act as a chaperone and keep things in check until vows were spoken. But with Grace living in St. Louis, Nellie was powerless to help.

  Unless…

  Nellie shifted in her chair. Hadn’t her doctor suggested she consult a specialist about her knee problems? And hadn’t Grace once told her the medical care in St. Louis was second to none?

  Though Nellie normally liked to stay put in the cold weather, she was suddenly in the mood to travel. And at this point she couldn’t think of a place she’d rather be than St. Louis.

  The minister’s message had centered around one of Grace’s favorite Bible passages, but now, standing outside the white clapboard structure, Grace couldn’t remember a single word of the sermon. And if she had to blame someone for her inattention, it would have to be Nick.

  First, she’d gotten almost no rest last night. Though Nick had left shortly after Aunt Nellie, Grace had found it difficult to sleep. The unfamiliar sensations that he’d awakened had been difficult to quiet.

  Then he’d come down the stairs this morning in a dark suit she swore was hand tailored. It had been the first time she’d seen him “dressed up.” Her breath had caught in her throat. Had there ever been a better-looking man? She realized to her horror that she’d been staring when he’d given her a wink and that cute little dimple in his left cheek had flashed.

  It had been downhill from there. Since the community church was only a few blocks away and the weather was a balmy fifty, they’d decided to walk. Nick had insisted on taking her arm. And he’d insisted on teasing her the entire way to the church. Even though she didn’t think she looked “especially beautiful” or “delightfully sexy,” his outrageous compliments had thrown her off balance.

  By the time they’d gotten to the church, the service was ready to start and they’d had to squeeze into one of the far back pews. Nick’s leg had been pressed so tightly against hers that they might have been fused together. Just the thought of being that close to Nick did funny things to her insides and made it difficult to give her full attention to the church’s mission challenges in Haiti.

  And now he stood in the shadow of the cross, with his hand proprietarily on her waist, conversing with people she’d known all her life, giving them the impression they were…a couple.

  But that’s why he’s here. That’s why you brought him with you.

  But I didn’t think it would be like this, Grace wanted to say. I didn’t think it would be this hard.

  Even to a cynic like her, Nick’s excellent acting abilities made it all too believable.

  “Where do you attend church, Mr. Tucci?” Pastor Steve’s question brought Grace back to the present with a jerk.

  Grace held her breath, wondering what he’d say. She and Nick had never discussed faith issues. After all, it wasn’t as if they were really dating. And there had been more pressing issues related to the weekend that took priority when they’d been getting acquainted. But now Grace wished she’d at least touched on the topic. At this point she could only pray he wasn’t an atheist, or if he was that he was smart enough not to mention the fact.

  “King of Kings in St. Louis,” Nick said. “I’m sure you haven’t heard of it but—”

  “Actually I know the church quite well,” Pastor Steve interrupted. “One of my friends from seminary, John Richards, is head of the music ministry there.”

  “Pastor Richards has done a fabulous job with that program,” Nick said with an easy smile. “My sister-in-law Sara is really into music and does a lot of work with John.”

  The two men continued talking. Grace could only stare. Nick had surprised her once again.

  “I wondered if he was a Christian,” Nellie said, nodding her approval, and Grace realized with a start that Nellie was standing right beside her. “I guess I have my answer.”

  “What does it matter?” Grace murmured to herself, knowing once this weekend was over, her encounters with “Dr. Nick” would be confined to the third Tuesday of every month when he did his specialty clinic.

  “What does it matter?” Nellie’s eyes widened and her voice rose. “If you and Nicholas are considering a future together, it means everything.”

  But we aren’t, Grace wanted to cry out. Aunt Nellie needed to wake up and smell the coffee. Men like Nick Tucci could have any woman they wanted.

  Suddenly Grace was tired of all the subterfuge. The weekend was over and she was ready for the lies to end. “It doesn’t matter because I don’t think Nick and I will be together much longer.”

  Though Grace had intended the whispered declaration to be matter-of-fact, the heavy sigh punctuating the words gave them a melancholy feel.

  Nellie’s brow furrowed. She reached over and patted Grace’s arm in an awkward gesture of comfort. “If God intends for you to be with Nicholas, you’ll be with him.”

  “That’s a good thought,” Grace said, her heart warmed by her aunt’s support, however misguided. “But Nick’s just not my type of guy.”

  Or more to the point, I’m not his type of woman.

  “Has he been pushing you to be intimate?” Though Nellie spoke in a normal conversational tone, her gaze was sharp and assessing.

  Grace’s mouth dropped open. Then, regaining her composure she snapped her mouth shut and glanced around, hoping no one had heard the ridiculous question.

  Unfortunately, like Grace’s, her aunt’s voice had always had a tendency to carry. And, coupled with the clear crisp autumn air and a lull in the surrounding conversations, the question rang out over the assembled throng.

  Her parents turned as one and her father’s eyes took on a protective gleam. Pastor Steve raised a brow. Holly gave a nervous giggle.

  Grace could feel her face heat up and the only thing she could think of was Nick
in her bedroom last night.

  “No, no, of course not.” Grace stumbled over the words, and even to her own ears she sounded unconvincing.

  Thankfully, Nick refused to let her flounder. Though his eyes showed no trace of amusement, he chuckled. “What a ridiculous question. I respect Grace too much to ever push her to do something both of us know is wrong.”

  His tone was strong and firm, and if Grace didn’t know better, even she would have believed him.

  She couldn’t help but be relieved when the tense look on her father’s face eased and her mother expelled the breath she must have been holding.

  “I hope that’s true,” Nellie said, a silken thread of suspicion running through her words, leaving Grace to wonder if her aunt’s “innocent” late-night visit might not have been quite so innocent after all.

  Still, Grace shot her aunt a quelling glare. If Nellie had concerns, this was neither the time nor the place to air them.

  Nick’s gaze hardened. His arm rose to loop protectively about Grace’s shoulders even as his gaze remained fixed on her aunt. “Eleanora.”

  The single word spoke volumes.

  Nellie stared at Nick for a long moment. “If I judged you wrongly, I’m sorry.”

  It was a small concession, but Grace breathed a sigh of relief. Nick’s arm relaxed against her shoulders and Grace realized that he’d been as unsure as she how Nellie would respond.

  Giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Nick turned his attention back to the minister as if their conversation had never been interrupted, leaving Grace alone with her aunt.

  “What were you thinking of?” Grace said in a low tone between gritted teeth, even as she waved goodbye to a couple of high school friends across the parking lot.

  Nellie’s face reddened. “I didn’t realize I’d spoken so loud.”

  But Grace refused to let her aunt off the hook so easily. “Why even bring it up? And in front of the whole town, no less.”

  Though Nellie had backed down from Nick, something in Grace’s voice reignited the fire in her eyes. “Don’t you talk to me in that tone, young lady. I am your aunt and deserving of your respect.”