Chapter 39

Ed stood in his new room looking in awe at where he'd be living.

"If you don't like anything, the paint color, the window coverings, the bedspread, even the furniture, we can change it," Rachel said nervously, standing with Grace behind him.

He turned to look at her in shock. "Are you kidding? This is amazing! So much better than my old room in the basement of Shirley's home." At the mention of her name he frowned sadly.

Grace stepped forward and gave him a hug. "I know it hurts but she made her choice and she has to live with it. Speaking of decisions I have to go to work and see if I still have a job. Wish me luck!"

She leaned up and kissed Ed on the lips and he sighed with happiness. She giggled and left with a smile on her face.

Rachel looked up at Ed's happy expression. She felt a little nervous and almost chickened out. Then she steeled herself and cleared her throat to bring him back to the present.

"Ed, did Grace speak with you about us? Specifically Angie, Zoe, Stephanie, Carolyn and myself?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, we talked on the way back from the hospital. Grace is the most amazing woman," Ed said with a smile.

"She certainly is." Rachel agreed. "Have you made any decisions?"

"She wants me to speak with each of you. To tell you how I feel when I am with you. So you know if I'm feeling forced into something I'm not comfortable with," he explained.

"And…" Rachel breathed, her chest tightening.

"I'm in awe that you'd want to spend time with me. You're so beautiful and elegant. You take my breath away and I can't think straight when I'm with you. It may be selfish but I don't want that to end," he said and watched her face burst into a dazzling smile. Once more he was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of her beauty.

Rachel wanted desperately to pull Ed down onto the bed and make love to him all day long but she knew he needed to heal. Tears of joy welled in her eyes and she wiped them away. "Thank you Edward. I'd also like that very much."

"I also can't thank you enough for taking us in. I don't understand how Shirley can do this to Grace who was there for her mother for so many years. I… don't understand," Ed said softly with a troubled expression.

Rachel knew Ed had trouble comprehending some behavior and it had to be painful to receive it from someone he admired. She wanted to ease his pain. She knew a way to distract him.

"Ed, do you know how to use a barbeque?" she asked and he looked at her in surprise.

"Yes."

"Could you come with me to the grocers to pick up the steaks we are going to have tonight? We should also pick up extra groceries as we have two more mouths to feed," she asked.

"Sure!" he smiled.

They went to the garage. "When you are feeling up to it I was going to ask you to move that stuff in the third space back against the walls so Grace can park her car in the garage as well," Rachel said.

"That would be great! Thanks!" Ed grinned.

They got into her sporty little coupe and Rachel drove them to a grocery store Ed had never been to before.

"Wow! This place is fancy!" Ed exclaimed as he pushed the cart down the aisle. "I don't recognize most of these brands." Then he caught sight of the prices. He leaned closer to Rachel and she smiled up at him. "Uh, this place is kind of expensive. I'm sure we could get our groceries at a much better price over at Duncan's Superfoods," he whispered.

She grinned and whispered back. "You can do that next week."

When he stood back upright he wobbled a little and she braced his arm. "Sorry, Mishka warned me the drugs would make me a little light headed. I guess she wasn't wrong," he said with a strained smile.

"We'll just get the groceries and go home so you can relax," Rachel said patting his arm.

"Is he alright?"

Rachel turned around and saw Victoria. Damn!

"Hello Victoria. Yes, he's just a little light headed from his medication," she answered.

"Hi Mrs. Rutledge!" Ed smiled.

"Victoria! Please, 'Mrs. Rutledge' makes me feel old!" she pouted her perfect lower lip out and Ed's eyes locked on to the red kissable flesh.

"Sorry," he mumbled and her pout quickly became a smile.

"When I was called yesterday and told you wouldn't be able to do the service call they offered to send someone else. I told them I'd wait until you were back. They told me you were out on medical leave for the week. Imagine my surprise to bump into you here," the blonde said looking between them. There was a strange edge to her tone.

"Ed was just released from the hospital this morning. I need to keep an eye on him but we needed groceries," Rachel said.

"Oh! Are you his nurse now?" Victoria said sweetly but the edge was still there.

"Rachel is amazing!" Ed gushed and the redhead looked at him in surprise then struggled to contain her grin.

"Thank you Ed. We should get moving. I don't want to keep you out for too long," she said seriously.

"It was really nice seeing you again Victoria. I look forward to getting back to work and doing that service call," he said to the blond taking her hand.

Rachel saw the woman's cheeks pink up with a flush as he engulfed her hand in his. Victoria could only nod and smile distractedly. Ed really undid the woman's poise. Rachel quite enjoyed seeing that.

She led Ed away and they began to pick up the items they needed. Ed continued to quietly cluck his tongue at the prices and Rachel kept the grin off her lips but couldn't suppress the twinkle in her eyes.

They reached the butcher's counter and Rachel greeted the man standing behind it. She let him know how many guests she was going to have for a barbeque dinner. The man smiled, nodded, and raised a finger to indicate she should wait then walked into the back. He came back with a tray of freshly cut steaks. Ed's mouth began to water. Rachel nodded and the man packaged them all up.

Ed's eyes bugged out when he saw the price sticker.

Rachel patted his hand and led him to the next aisle. When they were done she led him to the cash and their cart was full. Victoria was two carts behind in the next aisle but her cart was only half full. She looked a little out of sorts about how Ed was paying so much attention to Rachel.

Truthfully Victoria was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Jealousy. She was far more familiar with being the center of attention and getting what she wanted. For her it was more than a simple annoyance. She needed the attention. She glanced over at the big man once more. She thought he was handsome enough and his body was incredible but there was something else about him she was drawn to… She couldn't put her finger on it but she wanted it. She felt slightly ill knowing that Rachel was getting the attention she craved and deserved.

Rachel led Ed out of the grocery store but she didn't let him carry any of the bags. Instead they were followed by a young man pushing their cart. The grocery clerk proceeded to load the bags into the trunk. With a nod he rushed back to the store with the cart.

Ed got into the car with Rachel and she patted his leg as he looked so confused.

"I don't think I could get used to being treated like that. I'm capable of carrying my own groceries," he said.

"Like I said, next week when you are better you can get groceries where you like to shop. I like being treated so well and Ed, you make me VERY happy!" she smiled over at him.

He smiled shyly at her and she felt a warmth flow over her. She left the parking lot with a wide smile on her face and missed catching Victoria's look of envy and frustration.

They unloaded the groceries back at the house and Rachel shooed Ed out onto the patio to rest on a lounge chair in the shade. Within minutes he was asleep.

He awoke with the feeling of lips on his forehead again. Grace. He smiled without opening his eyes. "Hi Grace."

"Hi Ed."

There was something in her voice that wasn't right. He opened his eyes and blinked at her. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I lost my job," she said quietly, her lips trembling.

"WHAT?" Ed gasped. This made NO sense! She was an excellent worker and always took on extra shifts when they needed her. How could they treat her this way?

Rachel rushed out onto the deck. "I heard Ed yell. Is everything ok?"

Ed was shaking his head and she saw him slump back to the lounge chair and put his hand to his temple. Dizzy again.

He looked over at Grace. "How could they do this to you?"

"It wasn't Mr. Chambers or anyone in HR. They fought for me but head office wouldn't accept it. There was just too much of a risk for a lawsuit if they didn't distance me from the company," she said sadly. "I had to go."

"I'm so sorry." Rachel said.

"I didn't like the job but it was the only one I could find," Grace said. "Worse news is, Shirley cleaned us out. I connected to the bank and our account is empty. There was only five grand in there but it was partly ours. Getting it back will be a nightmare. She's a vicious bitch."

"Actually there was seven grand in there. I added two last Friday," Ed said.

Grace's face began to show her rage surfacing. Ed struggled to sit up and that defused her as she helped him. He wobbled for a second then looked into her eyes. "Woo, this stuff is strong!"

She chuckled and smiled at his sweet grin.

"I don't want you to worry about your job. I don't want you to worry about the money Shirley took. She didn't have access to all of our accounts," Ed said.

"Yes she did! It's all gone!" Grace asserted.

"No, she didn't," Ed said looking her right in the eye. "I've been saving money in a separate account. For years. Whatever little money I had extra. The bonus I got last week, I only added two thousand of it to the house account. The rest went into my account. I don't want you to look for a full time job. You're so special! You're so smart! You were supposed to go to college before Shirley's accident. I want you to apply to college again. I have about twenty four thousand in the account. I should be able to pay for your tuition. For the first couple of years at least. I'll keep adding to the account. I get a good paycheque now and if I keep working as hard I may get more bonuses."

Grace sat back stunned. She had no idea Ed had been doing this. Depriving himself to save up to get her dream of college back. The scope of his generosity was staggering.

Rachel's eyes were glowing. This is what made Ed so special. "What field are you going to go into?" she asked the young woman.

She looked at Rachel and her mouth worked but she wasn't able to say anything.

"Finance," Ed replied for her. "She was going into accounting."

"Forensic Accounting." Grace mumbled, still overwhelmed.

"They offer a course in that at the local college?" Rachel asked.

"Yes. Grace had been accepted as well but when Shirley hurt her back Grace had to give up on her future to take care of her mother and I. This is why I don't understand how Shirley can treat you like this!" Ed insisted.

Grace shared a look with Rachel.

Ed's stomach rumbled and the ladies chuckled. "Did I miss lunch?" he asked.

Once they'd eaten Rachel and Grace went online and got on the phone to sign Grace up for her courses. There was still availability for the fall semester and they still had her old transcript on file so she was in. Grace was ecstatic! She squealed and hugged Rachel and Ed especially.

They spent the rest of the day relaxing and planning for the barbeque. When the ladies went into the kitchen to prepare some salads they sent Ed upstairs to unpack and put on something nice.

It didn't take him long to unpack. He came back downstairs in the black singlet and the grey checked shorts. The ladies smiled at him.

"These aren't the only nice clothes Edward has are they?" Rachel asked Grace.

"I'm afraid so. Ed only dressed himself in cheap baggy pants and discount sleeveless t-shirts. He won't spend money on himse-" she stopped as she realized why. All those years. She looked at Ed again as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey! No crying at the party!" Ed said as he walked over and pulled her against his chest.

"I think it may be time for a fashion make-over." Rachel said with a grin. Grace turned her head to look at her and nodded with a grin of her own. "I just so happen to have a few friends that would like to get in on that!" Rachel continued and Grace's grin got wider as Ed began to look a little worried. "Something to discuss at the party tonight!"

Grace released Ed and rushed over to give Rachel a hug.

Ed's smile and look of admiration warmed Rachel to her toes.

Their guests began arriving a little after seven. Ed was on the patio preparing the barbeque. Angie walked out to speak with Ed as he preheated the grill.

"Hi Edward. How are you feeling?" she said.

"I feel good as long as I don't try to move quickly or tilt my head too much. Then the world starts spinning," he said with a grin. She returned his smile then her expression became a little nervous.

"I understand Grace spoke to you about our interest in continuing to see you. She's asked us to speak with you individually."

"I would love to continue visiting you. I'm not extending that to Isabelle. I hope you don't mind. She's not ready." Ed said seriously. "Grace told me that she helped save me and I'm grateful for that. I hope she didn't get in trouble with the police."

Angie smiled and gave Ed a hug. "You're a good man Edward. Isabelle isn't in trouble with the police. She's in trouble with me. She's on probation, doing babysitting duty until I'm assured she's reformed. She has the time now that the college expelled her. However, she showed good judgement when she called out for help. So that's a start."

She went back into the house and passed Stephanie who was almost shaking with nerves. She was carrying a large platter of steaks.

"Hi Ed!" she squeaked.

Ed glanced at her and smiled. "Hi Stephanie! Those for me?" he grinned.

She giggled and he took the platter. He had a selection of spiced sauces he'd prepared earlier. He understood some liked their steaks a little spicy while others did not so he made two different mixtures.

Stephanie stood at his elbow chewing at her bottom lip.

"How goes your divorce proceedings?" he asked.

"GOOD! Sorry, it's going well. My lawyer tells me I should have it finalized by the end of next week. The documentation I have of his infidelity is damning and the judge should find in my favor very quickly. I even have two of the women he was sleeping with willing to testify against him. He knows he can't win."

Ed smiled. "End of next week. We should celebrate when the paperwork is finalized," he said with a wink. Stephanie's smile was huge and she was back to trembling but now it was excitement.

"Could I ask you for a glass of water? Working next to the barbeque is hot work!" he said.

"YES! I mean, coming right up," she bounced on her toes and skipped back to the house.

Ed smiled. He liked seeing her happy.

Carolyn was up next and she brought him a tall glass of chilled water. She watched Ed brush the mixtures onto the steaks and place them on the hot grills. The steaks sizzled and Ed brushed their tops once more being careful to use the proper mix on each steak. He had an intense look of concentration on his face as he did this.

Once he closed the lid he took the glass and drank half in one shot. "Oh, that hit the spot! Thanks!"

"You're most welcome," she smiled.

Ed was still a little unsettled by how he'd been… involved in Carolyn's marriage ending. "So… have you uh… heard from Rick?" he tried to say nonchalantly but Carolyn smiled at his awkward delivery.

"Rick's in the hospital in Phuket, Thailand. He's in pretty bad shape," she said sadly.

"What happened?" Ed gasped. He opened the lid of the barbeque and flipped the steaks, meticulously brushing more mix onto the cooking meat. He closed the lid again and gave her his full attention.

"Do you recall the two ladyboys Rick was partying with that night?" she asked and Ed nodded. "It seems their friends weren't too happy about the injuries Rick inflicted on them. A large group of them returned and beat Rick to within an inch of his life. I'm his emergency contact but the doctors told me he's not going to make it."

"I'm so sorry! That's terrible!" Ed exclaimed.

"I've been preparing myself for this kind of news for years. Rick really wasn't very smart about his immersion methods. He always went in too deep without understanding all of the social rules. It was just a matter of time. That said, I'm still sad that this part of my life is ending so badly. I had hoped he would realize how much he had thrown away."

Ed reached out and hugged Carolyn. No words were necessary. She sighed with contentment. "Thank you Ed. That's exactly what I needed. I'm going to spend a little time getting perspective on how my life has changed. Would it be alright if sometime in the future I called on you?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

She gave him an extra squeeze then released him to walk back into the house.

Ed checked the steaks and they were done. He transferred them back to the platter and kept their order so he knew which ones were which.

He shut off the barbeque and carried the platter back into the house. The table was set and the women were sitting around it talking. Zoe glanced up at him then looked away quickly and licked her lips nervously.

Ed served the steaks to the ladies ensuring each got the correct one. The need for his meticulous order keeping was done so he allowed himself to relax.

When he sat the salads were passed around and Ed discovered someone had brought a Jello salad. Orange with little mandarin orange wedges and marshmallows. His eyes lit up and he put a large scoop on his plate. He heard giggling and looked up to see Stephanie's huge smile and Carolyn rolling her eyes.

"I told you!" Stephanie said to her friend.

Ed grinned and grabbed a roll and some butter.

"Oh my god Edward! This is delicious!" Rachel gasped.

Grace was grinning ear to ear until she took a bite of her steak as well. She was expecting the delicious flavors of his homemade basting mix, spicy hot for her, but the meat was so tender and juicy it seemed to melt in her mouth. "This is so good!" she moaned.

The others were soon chewing the delicious meat and smiling. Zoe also had the spicy seasoning and her eyes locked on Ed when she tasted the steak. When she finally swallowed the piece of meat she wiped her mouth and turned to Ed.

"Where did you get the recipe for your basting mix, Ed?" she asked quietly.

"The cuts of meat we could afford weren't so good so I experimented with different spices and oils I thought would go together well. Eventually I found this mix and a mild version. I have a nice marinade as well but the steaks would have had to soak in it for eight hours and these were already tender enough."

"May I try some of your spicy steak?" Stephanie asked Grace.

Grace cut a piece off her steak and Stephanie traded pieces. Grace popped the meat in her mouth and smiled. "That's really good too! Similar flavor but without the heat!"

Stephanie nodded vigorously but her eyes were watering. She waved at her tongue and giggles erupted around the table. Ed tore off a piece of bread and placed it directly on her outstretched tongue.

"Bread absorbs the oils and spices," he said with a smile.

She smiled gratefully at him as she took the other half of the dinner roll from his fingers.

Zoe cleared her throat again. Her nervousness was back. "Ed, I own a steakhouse downtown. I get a lot of executive business from the offices in the neighborhood as well as wealthier tourists but the competition is fierce. If I could serve steaks with this seasoning it would be an incredible differentiator for my restaurant. If your marinade can tenderize less expensive cuts and add such rich flavor I could introduce a whole new value price line to my menu and bring in a higher volume of customers."

"You should taste his hand-cut French fries. He has a seasoning for them as well! Really complements a steak. So yummy!" Grace sighed.

Zoe's eyes lit up. She looked back at Ed.

"What's in it for Ed?" Rachel said with a grin.

"Oh oh, here comes his agent." Angie teased.

"I'm ok with that. Rachel can be my agent." Ed smiled.

Rachel and Zoe looked at each other with grins.

They all turned their attention back to enjoying their meals though the small talk continued.

After Ed had indulged in a third large scoop of Stephanie's Jello salad he pushed back from the table and patted his stomach. The woman was looking at Carolyn with a very self-satisfied smile because Ed had eaten half of the salad by himself.

He yawned mightily as the food and his medication was making him groggy.

"I think it's time to send Ed to bed," Grace smiled.

Zoe approached him. "Could I speak with you before you go?" she asked timidly. Ed nodded and she led him out onto the patio for privacy.

"First I want to apologize for what my daughter did to you. I am horrified by her actions," she began and Ed nodded. "I also want to apologize for how I behaved the first time we met. I was overly aggressive because I did not understand your true nature. If I made you uncomfortable I am truly sorry. For me, it was incredible, perhaps the best ever. I know you probably don't feel the same way. You are a much gentler person than I expected you to be which makes the intensity of the experience so much more special for me."

Ed frowned as he recalled how he'd felt when she'd pushed him beyond his comfort zone. "I'd never behaved that way before. I mean, I'd been with a woman who wanted me to use her for my own pleasure but that was my first time ever and I was nervous about everything. You pushed me pretty hard and I found myself reacting in ways I never thought I would, or could. It was a little frightening to be truthful. Like discovering someone else living in your head."

Zoe looked sad and dropped her eyes. She nodded, knowing that she would never again experience the big man's rough touch but understanding his fear.

Ed's fingers slid into the thick silky hair on the back of her head and took a grip. He tilted her head up so she could look into his fierce eyes. Her eyes widened with shock.

"You bring something out in me Zoe. Some primitive… need and I'm not sure if I'll ever be comfortable with this side of me. But I can't deny it. I need to know more about it. Do you understand?" he rumbled softly.

"YES!" she gasped breathily as lightning shot through her nerves setting her body aflame.

He kissed her hard and she whimpered into the kiss, overwhelmed with the sensations crashing through her. He pulled back suddenly, his desire raging as he struggled to control himself.

"The doctor said not to do this so you'd better go inside while I try to settle down." Ed choked out, his deep voice trembling with repressed lust.

She nodded quickly and rushed back to the house, wobbling slightly. Grace and the others saw her come in and conversation died immediately. Her lipstick was smeared, her lips slightly puffy, cheeks flushed and she had a wild look in her eye. Grace picked up two napkins and handed one to her as she went towards the patio doors. She heard the others begin to interrogate Zoe as she stepped outside. Ed was standing there, staring up at the stars.

"You ok Ed?" she asked carefully.

"yes," he sighed.

"Did Zoe force herself on you again?" she growled.

"NO! No. It- the opposite happened," he mumbled.

"What?" Grace jolted.

"Have you ever surprised yourself?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Found something in yourself that you weren't expecting and weren't sure you were happy with?" he continued as he looked skywards.

Grace remembered the first time her rage overwhelmed her. She'd had an argument with her mother about something stupid as she left for school one morning. On her way there a boy from her class and a friend of his began to taunt her about her boobs which had begun to grow quickly that year. Grace broke his nose and dislocated his friend's elbow before they managed to get away. Until that day she'd never been in a fight. Ever.

She looked at Ed. "Yes."

He relaxed and turned to her. He held open his arms and she pressed herself against his broad chest as she was wrapped in his big arms. She sighed happily.

"That's one of the reasons I love you Grace. You're the one who understands. Everything I've been through, everything I'm feeling, you get it. When I'm confused you're there to explain things to me without making me feel stupid. I know I'm not very smart. I'm OK with that as long as I have you with me. I need you. I love you."

She felt her heart bursting and she hugged him tightly. "I love you Ed!" she whispered against his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

When they pulled back Grace wiped Zoe's lipstick from his lips. "No kissy stuff for a week!" she scolded him gently and he smiled. They walked inside and once more conversation died. Five pairs of wide eyes looked back at him.

"How are you feeling Ed?" Rachel asked gently.

"Tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep now. Thank you very much for the lovely barbeque! Good night!"

A chorus of good nights sounded and he made his way upstairs.

Grace turned to Zoe who looked at the young woman and bit her lip. "I didn't come on to Ed-"

"I know Zoe, it's OK. He told me what happened. Ed is full of surprises tonight," she smiled. That comment got some smiles out of the ladies.

Rachel smiled at her friends. "Another reason I wanted to get together tonight is to ask if any of you would like to be involved in shopping for a new wardrobe for Ed. Aside from the outfit he had on tonight everything he owns is…" She glanced at Grace who answered for her. "Cheap shit and ugly as hell!"

The redhead smiled and nodded. "I want to take him to the boutique district tomorrow, make a day of it," she said.

"Ooo! Count me in!" Angie said.

"Me too!" Zoe gasped.

"I'll have to sit this one out." Stephanie frowned. "I have to see my lawyer and accountant tomorrow."

"I'm out too. I have to make arrangements for Rick." Carolyn said.

The ladies once more gave her their condolences and a hug. Then each made their way home except for Zoe.

"Do you think Ed could come by the restaurant one night this week to show Marcus the recipe for that seasoning mix and the marinade? We could have dinner afterwards," she asked.

"Are you thinking of a one-time payment or a percentage of sales?" Rachel asked.

"This is going to be fun!" Zoe said with a grin.

Grace snorted and moved to the kitchen to tidy up while the women negotiated.

Ed sat in the passenger seat of Angie's Land Rover as he took in the area they'd be spending their day in. He'd never been in this part of the city before and was surprised by how many pretty women were walking in small groups. Not too many men though. He saw some older men browsing or following the women carrying their shopping bags.

Grace bowed out of the trip at the last minute when the college called her to adjust the schedule for some classes she had registered for. She decided to go to the college to take care of that instead.

So the trip was just Ed, Rachel, Angie, and Zoe. The way the three women interacted Ed got the impression they hung out together frequently.

They parked in a lot at the far end of a block of small three story brick buildings. There was a small four story shopping complex in the middle of the block which was under construction. Ed's eyes were immediately drawn to the construction site but Rachel tugged him into one of the shops.

They made their way from boutique to boutique, each of the women taking turns selecting an article of clothing or an outfit for Ed to try on. The trio would critique the clothes and make adjustments (there was a lot of touching) once he exited the change room.

Each woman had a distinct idea of how they wanted to dress him. Rachel loved a more sleek classic style while Angie leaned towards a more relaxed casual look which Rachel called Bohemian. The outfits Zoe chose had a tendency to emphasize strength and aggression and all three ladies got a little fidgety when he'd exit the change room in these 'bad boy' clothes, Angie's term. Even with the different styles they would listen to the other's assessment and they most often came to an agreement. Only when there was a consensus were the items taken to the cash desk. It was a little tiring for Ed but the ladies seemed to be having a really good time. He recalled the days of playing dress up with Grace and supposed this was a lot like back then. Except now he wasn't putting on dresses.

Each of the ladies only wanted hugs as thanks for buying him the clothes and he ended up giving them a lot of hugs which made him happy too. By the tenth shop Ed was wobbling a little so they stopped for refreshments at a little café across the street from the construction site. Ed drank his expensive imported lemonade and ate his muffin while he watched the trucks delivering components for the site. He saw men in suits and hardhats standing in a group looking at construction plans while the site foreman gave them an update.

When Ed saw a flatbed truck come in with the air conditioning equipment he stood up in surprise.

"What's wrong Edward?" Rachel asked.

"I'll be right back," he muttered and exited the café to walk across the street.

"Excuse me!" he called out.

The group of men turned to look at him.

"You weren't going to install these air conditioning units were you?" he yelled over the noise of the site. He didn't enter the property as he didn't have the appropriate safety gear.

"Hey! Mind your own fucking business! We're working here!" the foreman yelled back.

"These are faulty units! They are supposed to be properly disposed of, not installed," he continued to press.

"What does he mean by that?" the man in the dark grey suit asked the foreman.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about! The units are brand new! They're fine!" the man replied and turned to one of his workers. "Joe, get rid of this guy."

"All Shenzchun HC-4300 units are considered to be environmentally hazardous due to their inferior quality seals which degrade within the first year of operation." Ed explained as the big construction worker approached him.

"Don't make me knock your teeth out. Get lost!" Joe growled at him.

"I'm not on property you have control over-" Ed began then yanked his head back to avoid the man's fist as it swung past. His head swam from the sudden movement, the world tilted and Ed went down on his ass.

Joe was laughing at the fallen man when he suddenly had three well-to-do but angry women screaming in his face. He backpedalled until his back hit the chain link fence. The worker didn't know how to deal with this and glanced over at the foreman who was looking seriously pissed. Grey suit was arguing with him then turned with the two other men in suits and walked up to Ed who was carefully picking himself up off the sidewalk.

"Who are you and how do you know about these air conditioners?" he asked tersely.

"My name is Ed Walters. I have Universal Certification for HVAC systems. It's my job to keep track of this kind of information. Shenzchun Industries made thousands of these, sold them at discount pricing then dissolved the company and disappeared. Our shop had six of the units and when we heard about their failure rate we safely disposed of them. I'm sure it cost the company quite a bit but it would have been far worse had we installed them. They leak. The coolant is an environmental hazard. If you're caught you get heavily fined. You'd have to replace them within the year anyway as they can't be fixed." Ed looked at the truck. There was easily a dozen units on the flatbed. "Why are you installing so many individual units instead of one high efficiency unit rated for the square footage?"

The man's face was red from suppressed anger. "We were told our operational costs would be lower and we'd get a deal this way. What's the name of your shop?"

"Drakos Heating and Cooling."

"And you'd never try selling one of these units to a customer?" the man asked.

"No sir. That's unethical and just plain bad business." Ed insisted and his head swam a little more. Angie and Zoe were there instantly and took his arms to steady him. Rachel kept her eye on Joe until the goon turned and went back into the site.

"What's wrong with him?" asked the man wearing the dark blue suit and a silver and black tie.

"He's recuperating from an injury. It's just a little low blood pressure. He shouldn't get so excited," Angie responded to the gentleman and smiled. He smiled back.

"Thank you very much Mr. Walters. I'll be contacting your office today," grey suit said and walked away. The foreman looked like he wanted to kick Ed's ass then he turned and quickly walked back to his trailer when he saw grey suit talking to someone angrily on his cell.

The third man who was also wearing a dark blue suit but a deep red tie stepped forward while his partner made the call. "Did you know they were installing these units today?" he asked Ed.

"No, I just saw them on the truck as I was having a snack in the café across the street. I'm on medical leave this week. My friends brought me down here to do some shopping," Ed answered the man.

"It was a damn lucky thing for us then. This job has been one surprise expense after another. This sounds like it would have been very costly."

"Yes, it would. I don't understand why they told you it would be more cost effective. Just the maintenance fees for all these separate units would have been very high. They'd need separate ductwork which is an extra cost and considering the length of the runs needed some of these wouldn't be delivering sufficient cooling. Then there's the operational energy costs which would have been much higher. Nothing about this is right." Ed frowned in confusion.

"Has your company done any larger projects?" Mr. black and grey tie asked.

"Yes and we just completed our work on the North Ridge Mall expansion." Ed said and felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. He looked over at Rachel and she instantly read his expression.

"OK, that's enough excitement for today. It's time to head home." Rachel said with a no nonsense voice and the men stood back while the ladies guided Ed back across the street to collect the parcels from their waitress. Rachel settled up the bill as Ed watched the man in the grey suit take pictures of the truck with the bad air conditioner units in front of the construction site.

The group made their way back to the SUV. Angie drove them back to Rachel's place and they walked Ed out to the patio to rest on the lounge chair under the umbrella. He was out in seconds.

The ladies sat in the family room where they could keep an eye on Ed.

"It was kind of exciting watching Ed at work!" Angie smiled. "He certainly seems to know his business!"

Grace walked into the room as she'd just returned from the college. "Ed went to work?"

Rachel smiled. "No, he just schooled some developers on how to properly install a cooling system on their new construction site downtown while we were shopping."

Grace grinned as she looked out the patio door at the sleeping man. "Ed knows his shit!"

A cell phone started chirping from the kitchen counter and Grace walked over to pick it up. It was Ed's and the call was from his work.

"Hello?"

"Hello… is this Grace?" a gruff voice asked.

"Yes, hi Mr. Drakos," she replied recognizing the voice of Ed's boss. "Ed's taking a rest after his busy morning."

"Did he tell you about meeting with the Klein Group?" the man asked.

"No, but I just heard he 'schooled' someone about their cooling system."

Drakos chuckled. "He's such a good boy! They are coming in to speak to me about taking over the project. They fired their foreman and some of the contractors and are looking for us to quote on the work. I just called to thank him and to tell him to get better soon as we are going to be very busy."

"I'll make sure he gets the message when he wakes up."

"Thanks. Goodbye!" he said and hung up.

Grace turned to the curious ladies. "Ed's boss called to thank him and to tell him to get better soon as it's likely they are going to be working on that construction project downtown."

Angie looked at Grace in surprise. "His company is getting the project just because Ed informed the developers they were being given defective air conditioning units?"

"More likely it's because Ed was honest with them." Grace shrugged.

"How did it go at the college?" Rachel asked.

"Really good! I'm all signed up," she replied. "I'm so excited about going. I never thought this would happen!" She looked out the patio door at the man she loved.

"I have to head home. It was a lot of fun today!" Angie said.

"I'm off too." Zoe added.

Hugs were exchanged and the two women went home leaving Rachel and Grace sitting in the family room. After a short time Rachel leaned forward.

"May I ask a personal question?" she asked cautiously. Grace nodded.

"You… you haven't been with Ed yet have you."

Grace looked surprised but shook her head.

"Have you been with a man?"

Grace looked even more surprised but shook her head.

"Ed is… big. The first time can be a little painful even with a man of regular proportions. Take it slow. I know he will be as gentle as possible. He loves you. I can see it in his eyes."

Grace blushed and beamed a smile at the other woman.