Free Sweet Home Colorado (The O'Malley Men) by C.C. Coburn Page B

already demolished the
kitchen, leaving a bare shell. Jack was impressed by the speed with which he
worked. Ace and Tyrone were sweeping up the last of the dust.
    “Good job, Ace,” he said, going over to the young man and
clapping him on the shoulder. Jack took the broom from him and said, “Take the
rest of the afternoon off. You and the guys go to Rusty’s and have a meal on me.
I’ll see you all at seven tomorrow and we can start fresh.”
    “So you and Ms. Grace are friends again?” Ace said.
    News traveled fast around Spruce Lake. Al wouldn’t have said
anything to the guys, so he wondered how they knew. His question was answered as
his brother Will meandered down the stairs and said, “Heard you were having
woman trouble, so I stopped by to help.”
    Jack glared at him. “You can help by getting off this job site.
And don’t play with any of the power tools on your way out!” he said to Will’s
retreating back. Will had a reputation for being clumsy with tools, but strap on
a pair of skis and the guy couldn’t make a wrong move.
    “Catch you Friday, buddy,” Will said as he sauntered out the
front door. “Oh, and Mom said to bring Grace.”
    Will was referring to the regular Friday-night gathering at Two
Elk. He was certainly not taking Grace. With all his
brothers, their spouses and his mom campaigning for him and Grace to pick up
where they’d left off fourteen years ago, Jack was sure he didn’t stand a
chance. He wanted to win Grace back by fair means, not through his family’s
interference.
    * * *
    “I’ M DYIN ’ HERE ,” Matt puffed as they hiked up Mount Sourdough,
one of the four ski mountains surrounding Spruce Lake.
    “No, you’re just out of shape,” Jack told him, not even
breathing heavily. “After this, I’m going to work on Grace’s house, while you’ll
be going to a breakfast meeting. If you want to have a doughnut that Beth won’t
hear about, then you’ll shut up and walk.”
    “When...did you...get so...bossy?” Matt panted.
    “Since my brothers decided to stick their noses into my love
life.”
    “So you admit...you’re still in love with Grace?”
    “Just keep walking.”
    “I don’t understand why you’re so reluctant to make the most of
the time she’s here. What’s the problem?”
    Jack stopped and looked at him. “Because I don’t work that way.
I never have and never will!” Deciding they’d gone high enough for one day, he
turned to start walking downhill, then halted and pivoted back to Matt.
    “My relationship with Grace is none of your business, Matt, and
that’s how I want it to stay.”
    “Hey! You’re the one who said you needed to talk yesterday and
we ended up at Rusty’s.”
    “Where you proceeded to humiliate me by demanding I apologize
to Grace.”
    Matt shook his head. “Oh, little brother, you have a long way
to go if you haven’t learned the two most important words for trying to placate
a woman.”
    “And what are they?”
    “Yes, dear.”
    “Very funny,” Jack said, increasing the pace and forcing Matt
to keep up.
    “You should bring Grace up here for a picnic,” Matt said. “Bet
all these wildflowers spread out like a carpet would have her eating out of your
hand.”
    “I don’t want her eating out of my hand.”
    “What do you want from her, then? If it isn’t sex, then
what?”
    Jack stopped so suddenly, Matt almost barreled into him. “I
want what you and Beth have, Mom and Pop, Luke and Megan, Adam and Carly. Even
Will and Becky, although what she ever saw in him is beyond me.”
    “Such harsh criticism from you? Our most compassionate
brother?”
    Jack ignored the remark. “I...want a love that will last a
lifetime. I don’t think Grace believes there’s such a thing.”
    “Then you need to convince her there is.”
    They’d reached the lower slopes where the topography leveled
out. In winter, these were the nursery slopes where beginners learned to ski.
Jack started to jog. He was keen to get to