Grace was picking up the toys from the floor, while Lillian tucked the children in. It was way past their time for sleep, but the little ones were pleading with Lillian to sing for them.
Grace smiled as she heard Lillian's voice singing gentle lullabies. She knew that her sister could easily choose to sing some cheerful kids' song, but then the little ones would never go to sleep.
This way, with Lillian's hushed voice singing lullabies, little darlings didn't have a chance.
Grace was just about to finish her task of collecting toys scattered all over the living room when she heard phone ringing.
And with no Lillian around to stop her, she jumped up and rushed toward the phone, dreading that it was Carson with some bad news.
Slightly out of breath from running to get to the phone before the line disconnected, Grace picked up the phone receiver.
"Hello, New Hope orphanage, Grace speaking", she said, trying to catch a breath.
Only to hear gasp and chuckling from the other side of the line.
And then she heard a woman's voice whispering.
"She's out of breath. Ask her why is she out of breath. No, no, better ask her who made her breathless!"
Grace frowned slightly.
I know that voice.
Where did I hear that voice?
"Hello?", Grace said, a bit louder "Who is that?"
And in that moment whispering and squealing turned into a shriek:
"OhGraceyoulittledevilhowdidheproposewherewhatdidyouwear?!", the voice on the other side of the line talked miles per minute.
But Grace laughed as she recognized that friendly voice.
"Florence, slow down, I can't understand the word you are saying!"
But, to no avail.
Florence kept on babbling excitedly, her words gaining on an impossible speed.
"Ohyouwillbethemostbeautifulbrideandwiththathandsomemanofyoursyouwillhavethemostcutestki dsever!"
Grace laughed as she still struggled to understand what was Florence saying.
"Florence! Please, slow down!", she pleaded.
At that moment, the whispering voice from the beginning of the phone call was heard loud and clear.
"Oh, just tell us!"
Molly?
"Tell you what?", Grace asked, totally confused.
Molly smirked coyly.
"Did you buy that nightgown, future Mrs. Bouchard?"
Grace gasped, her eyes opening wide.
"MOLLY!", she yelled, only to grimace as she looked up toward the upper floor.
"Well, did you?", Molly grinned like a cat that just ate the canary.
Grace stifled a laugh, her cheeks burning and then she squeezed her eyes.
"Is there a reason for this call, my dear friends?", she grinned, almost losing a battle with laughter as she heard Florence and Molly gasp in unison.
"GRACE BENNETT!", Molly all but shrieked and Grace doubled over, laughing silently.
Florence speedy squealing came through the line again:
"Ooooohnotforlongnow!"
Grace bursted to laugh, her cheeks burning up to a feverish point because she actually understood what Florence said right now.
Probably because it was a short sentence.
Grace closed her eyes, leaning on the wall behind her and she bit her lower lip.
Grace Bouchard.
She trembled with delight, her lips curling up in a happiest smile ever.
Oh, it had such a lovely sound to it!
Her daydreaming was interrupted by Molly's voice.
"You should practice your new signature, Grace! Of course, it's nice that your initials will stay the same, but you can't sign as GB! That sounds like you are a federal agent with secret code name or most wanted outlaw who faces the noose!"
Grace giggled, deciding to add just a tiny bit of oil on fire.
"Well, luckily, MY MAN is able to pull me out of any trouble I end up doing as an outlaw!", she grinned and in the next moment laughed at the excited shrieking that came from the other side of phone line.
"CONGRAAAATUUUUULAAAATIIIIONSSS!!!"
Grace laughed happily.
"Thank you so much!", she replied with a big smile on her face.
Molly grinned as she mumbled conspiratolly:
'You bought it, didn't you?"
Grace giggled sweetly.
"Good night, ladies!", and while she was putting the phone receiver down, she heard Florence's and Molly's excited shrieking:
"SHE BOUGHT IT!!! SHE BOUGHT IT!!! OH, GRACE, YOU LITTLE DEVIL!!! YOU ARE GONNA DRIVE THAT MAN MAD!!!", and then they sang out through laughter "Good niiiiiiight!"
—--
Lucas was signing some paperwork that was laying on his table for a few days, trying to at least decrease the stack by half by the time that Christmas comes.
He was about to take a sip of his tea when his phone rang and he heard his butler's voice.
"Governor, I have Mr. Henry Gowen on line for you", said Simon.
Lucas smiled, putting his pen away and leaning into his chair.
"Thank you, Simon. Put him through", he heard the line being connected and said warmly "Henry! How are you?"
Henry smiled as he leaned in his chair, one hand on the phone receiver, the other one holding the newspapers.
"Well, I am good, but not as good as you are, my friend", he glanced at the photo on the front of the newspapers one more time "Congratulations, Lucas. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you", his eyes carefully went from Lucas' to Grace's smiling face on the photo "And you will definitely be happy with Grace by your side."
Lucas smiled warmly.
"Thank you so much, Henry. I know I will", he replied, feeling happiness washing all over him at the mere thought of his beautiful fiancée.
Henry grinned as he looked outside.
"We are going to throw a party to celebrate your engagement this evening. Free drinks at the 'Queen of Hearts' saloon for everybody", his grin turned into a chuckle "I can tell you that people here are excited for you and wish you all the best. I heard Minnie is having some snacks prepared for celebration tonight."
Lucas felt his heart clench in gratitude. He was moved beyond words.
"Thank you, Henry", he said silently "That means a lot. And keep the drinks coming all evening. You can take it off my paycheck", his lips curled up happily.
Henry nodded, getting up.
"Very well, I'll pass on your thanks to those who come. Oh, and Lucas?", he said with a wide smile "Make sure to check on Grace. I think that she had an interesting call from Florence and Molly. The shrieking could be heard on the Moon", he grimaced "I hope that Grace's ears survived the FloMo invasion."
Lucas put his head on his palm and shook his head, chuckling.
"Thanks for the heads up, Henry. I can't even imagine what those two told her!", he said as he pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.
Perhaps it's not too late for a short visit.
"Well, I'll let you to it. Congratulations, Lucas. And, please, give my congratulations to Grace", Henry said warmly.
Lucas' smile grew wide.
"I will, Henry. Thank you so much", and with those words, he got up, deciding to finish with paperwork for now.
And go wish his gorgeous fiancée a good night.
—--
Grace was in the kitchen, trying to make Lucas' famous hot chocolate. She craved it today, what with winter turning quite chilly and she shivered slightly in her long nightgown and bathrobe she put on after taking a bath before turning in.
She was pouring hot chocolate in a cup, looking forward to snuggle in her warm bed and drink the delicious beverage, when there was a knock at the doors.
Frowning slightly, she glanced at the clock on the wall and rushed to open the doors.
She hoped against hope that it was not another child being brought in. It just broke her heart whenever a kid would be abandoned at Christmas time.
She unlocked the doors and opened them.
And a happy smile shone on her face the minute she saw who was at the doors.
"Lucas!", she breathed out and her heart instinctively searched his as she met him halfway in a warm hug.
Oh, he was so warm!
Grace hugged him tightly, lovingly, her eyes closing as she just held him for a few moments, feeling his face buried in her hair as he inhaled her sweet scent.
She pulled away a bit.
"What are you doing here?", she asked as she pulled him inside, closing the doors, her feet slightly chilled from the wind outside. She searched Lucas' eyes "Is something wrong?"
Lucas gave her a small smile accompanied with a smouldering look as he took his coat off and put it on a peg near the doors.
"I missed you", he whispered warmly "Is that good enough reason for a visit?", he stepped closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers.
Grace smiled, her whole countenance glowing from happiness.
"That's the best reason", she whispered and let out a silent sigh as his hands pulled her in his warm embrace "You are so wonderfully warm."
Lucas noticed how chilled her body was and grew concerned.
"And you are freezing", he looked at her "Is everything alright?"
Grace nodded.
"It is. I just worked too much for the last few days and the tiredness caught up with me", she replied.
Lucas' eyebrows creased in concern and he quickly put his hand on Grace's forehead.
"Well, you are not feverish. Is there anything I can do to help?", he asked, concern getting the better of him.
Grace's heart warmed up from his love and started to beat louder, pumping the blood faster through her chilled body.
She looked up at her handsome fiance, her heart soaring at his tenderness and concern.
"Well, you can try to warm me up", she whispered, her lips hovering over his.
She barely finished her sentence when Lucas's warm lips kissed her passionately, warming her entire body in a matter of seconds.
Grace sighed in delight, her hands hugging him around his waist and pulling his warm body closer to hers, reveling in the heat that poured out from this amazing man.
"Is that warm enough?", he whispered between two heated kisses.
Grace playfully shivered in his embrace, her smile melting into his lips.
"No. Not yet", she mumbled silently "I am still freezing. You have to try harder."
And as soon as the last word left her, Grace gasped in pleasure as Lucas pressed his body into hers, his lips kissing her longingly, his tongue caressing her mouth lovingly, his fingers reaching her braided hair and slowly unbraiding it.
His fingers worked slowly, every bit of her hair being unbraided accompanied by his lips sucking on her lower lip, his tongue caressing her mouth, his kisses turning into a pure heat.
As both of them gasped for a breath, Lucas silently teased her:
"I heard you had an interesting phone call from FloMo power", he watched in awe as his lovely fiancée's cheeks and neck flushed bright red "What did they say?"
Grace's eyes widened.
I can't tell him that!
"Oh, you know them…always teasing", as she saw Lucas was about to ask her about what, she quickly added "But they mainly wanted to give their congratulations", she looked curiously at him "How do you know they called me?"
Lucas chuckled warmly.
"Henry told me. He called me to congratulate both you and I on our engagement and told me that their shrieking could be heard on the Moon!", he grinned "What did those two tell you?"
Did you buy that nightgown, future Mrs. Bouchard?
Molly's words made Grace's skin flame up again and she glanced at Lucas, biting her lower lip, her traitourous mind slamming a vision right into her consciousness.
His back were bare, he was clothed only in his black dressing pants as he got ready for the bed, tiredly putting his crisp white dress shirt on the chair…totally unaware of her hiding in the bathroom.
She quietly slipped out from the bathroom, tiptoeing to her handsome husband, and as she finally reached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
He slightly flinched in surprise, but relaxed as soon as her lips kissed a rippling muscle on his naked back.
Her hands sneaked up across his hard stomach and chest, and as she did that, her body slid up on his skin, making him feel the cold silk.
Her lips reached his neck and she reveled in the goosebumps that burst on his skin due to her touch.
She could feel his curiosity peaking up at the feeling of the cold material against his back and he slightly turned around to look at her.
And Grace felt warmth pooling in her lower body at the heated, hungry and passionate look she got from Lucas as he saw her in her little black nightgown for the very first time.
Grace gasped in shock as the vision disappeared, her breathing going shallow.
Blasted nightgown!
She wracked her brain, trying to come up with some intelligent words to say.
But, just at that moment, her hair was freed of her braid and Lucas' fingers gently massaged her scalp, making her eyes flutter closed.
She smiled through a sigh as she reveled at his touch.
Only to open her eyes and whisper:
"It's your fault I'm freezing. I just had a bath and made myself your famous hot chocolate to warm up, but now it is completely cold because you distracted me", she gently teased him and then, glancing at him under her eyelashes, she did something she knew he couldn't resist.
She pouted.
Lucas' eyes turned as black as a midnight and he leaned in, but surprised her by not kissing her lips…
Instead, he pulled her body closer to his, causing the belt of her bathrobe almost dropping, making her gasp.
In the next moment she heard him whisper directly to her ear:
"I'll make you a new one", and with those words, his lips closed gently around her sensitive earlobe, making her shudder in pleasure, a silent whimper escaping her mouth.
"Lucas", she breathed out and gasped as he let go of her earlobe and leaned down, his lips slowly dragging across her neck, his kisses making her fight for air.
Her fingers roamed through his glorious dark hair, trying to pull him up, desperate to kiss him.
And as he finally did, Grace swore she saw the stars.
She grabbed his strong shoulders as his body pressed into hers, her bathrobe and long nightgown a weak shield from his heat. And as he squeezed her sides gently, Grace gasped and quickly buried her face in his neck, stifling a moan as her entire body shook with a huge tremor.
She fought for breath, her short gasps getting lost in his neck.
Lucas slowly moved away from her, swallowing hard as her body instinctively arched back into his as he tried to hang on the last strings of control. He was painfully aware of her bathrobe belt loosening up and he could see a bit of her white nightgown and milky skin behind it.
It took all of his strength and willpower not to push the bathrobe off her shoulders and kiss his way down her skin… Not to sneak his hands behind that bathrobe to feel her soft curves, to hold her close to him, closer than ever…to adore her, body and soul. His entire being yearned for her, wanting to love her in any way possible.
But, as he felt her pushing her face deeper in his neck, her body a trembling figure in his arms, he pulled back, his love for her growing even more if that was even possible.
He moved his body slightly away from hers, but still held her in his arms as another tremor shook her body, making her nearly fall apart in his arms.
Lucas gently caressed Grace's back and hair as his heart nearly bursted out from his chest at the love that washed over him for this amazing woman.
"I love you, Grace", he whispered into her hair "I love you so much."