43
Grace crept out of Noah’s bed far too early, but she needed to get back to her place. She took one last glance at his sleeping body and finally understood what people meant when they said someone was their other half. She’d have stopped the fall if she’d been able, but now that she was here, she wasn’t sorry.
Her mom was already up when she let herself into her house.
“Ahh. More like me than you’d like to admit if you’re doing the walk of shame,” Tammy said, her hands around a mug of coffee.
Hurt and anger collided like bumper cars. Hard and jarring. “There’s no shame in what Noah and I share.”
Tammy’s expression was dismissive. “He seems like quite the catch from what I’ve read.”
The article. Grace’s mind flashed back to the design magazines she’d found lying around now and again in the different trailers. Was it possible her mom had started that journey for her with her own interests?
“You saw the Home and Heart article?”
She nodded. “Imagine my surprise. I was in a waiting room, flipping through, and there you were. With Noah. The son of one of Forbes’s most wealthy men.” She looked around the little kitchen with disdain, then focused on Grace again. “This place is even worse than I remembered.”
Another flash of anger ignited. Grace was proud of the kitchen. Proud of the house. Of herself. “Good thing it’s not yours then.”
Tammy’s lips turned up in an unpleasant smile. “I’ve spoken to a lawyer who says I have a solid case against you. This house is rightfully mine. Of course, we have plenty of time for that.”
Unease prickled below Grace’s skin. “We need to talk.” To steady her nerves, and her voice, she took her time pouring herself a cup of coffee.
“First, I want to meet the man who is going to stomp on my daughter’s heart,” Tammy said as Grace sat down across from her.
“You know nothing about Noah.”
Her mother’s laugh was hoarse, and Grace catalogued how much she’d aged. She’d had Grace so young, but she hadn’t carried the years well.
“I know men, sweetheart. Better than you do. They’ll give you all sorts of promises but they won’t follow through. He won’t stay. None of them do.”
Grace leaned forward, hating the coldness in her mom’s voice. “People stay if you give them reason to.”
Tammy’s brows arched, her hands clenching around her cup.
What’s wrong, Mom? Did that strike a nerve?
“You’ll see.” Tammy shrugged, looking away.
“Why did you keep me from my grandparents?”
Tammy stiffened in her chair. “They didn’t deserve you. They wanted to control me, tell me what to do. They were sanctimonious and judgmental.”
Grace told herself that as a teenager her mother probably felt those things. That didn’t mean her assessment was true.
“What about over the years? They never tried to reach out?”
Tammy set her coffee down. “They said if I left, I couldn’t come crawling back. So, I never did. Then when you turned five or six, they started calling me, wanting to see you. I said no.”
Grace’s heart spasmed. “Why?”
Tammy’s glare was icy. “They cut me out of their lives. They only reached out because of you. Why would I give them anything when they turned their backs on me? You know, I said if they gave me some money, you could stay with them for a while.”
Grace’s brain went foggy. “Wait, you told them you’d give me to them for money?”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Oh God. Don’t make it sound so sinister. I needed cash. If they weren’t willing to help me, why would I help them? They acted all high-and-mighty. I wasn’t good enough but my daughter was? No way. I was calling the shots. They didn’t like that.”
Grace realized as she listened to her mother that she really believed what she said. She wasn’t a teenager, but her vision of her parents had never matured. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to come back? Stay with them? No cash but they’d have let you stay, right?” She just wanted to understand.
Tammy stood up, paced the small room, then sat down again. “When I walked out, I said I’d live life on my terms. No one was going to tell me how to do that. Not them, not you, not any of those losers who said they loved me.”
Grace saw it clearly then. She didn’t believe in love because she didn’t love herself.
“What did that get you, Mom? A life of loneliness and heartache?”
Tammy lifted her chin. “The upper hand.”
Grace laughed bitterly. “Yes. You and your kid in some dingy trailer. You really had the upper hand.”
Fury crossed her mother’s features. “You’ve always been naïve. You have no idea what I went through. You’ve never had everyone turn their backs on you. Maybe I wasn’t the best mother but you never went hungry. I let you stay even when you were old enough to leave. Do you have any idea what it’s like, thinking the love of your life would come back one day and realize he’d made a mistake? He never did and I was stuck with you, all by myself.”
The words felt like embers straight from a fire, but a strange, centered calmness overtook her body.
“You need to leave. I’m sorry for what you went through as a teen but the choices after that were yours. I didn’t exactly have it easy as a teenager either but I made something of my life. By myself. Without anyone to lean on. You gave birth to me but you’ve never been a mother. I don’t want you here.”
Tammy stood, took her time pouring out the rest of her coffee before she leaned against the sink, eyeing Grace.
“Life has a way of making a person hard. You can only fall down so many times before you develop a thick skin. Before you realize how necessary it is.”
Unless you accept help from people who love you.
“That’s your view of things but I don’t agree. Instead of letting yourself not feel anything, you could reach out and let someone help. You could have put me before your pride.”
“They could have done the same. That’s on them. Even when they died, they made sure to hurt me. That’s why they left you the house.”
Grace could only stare, because she could see from the look on her mother’s face that she really saw it that way. Her perception was her reality.
“You can’t have the house.”
“Fine. I’ll take the money.”
“What money?” Grace stood up.
Tammy lifted her hands, looking around. “The house is worth something. I’m sure it was paid off when you got it. Give me what’s mine, I’ll go.”
A knock sounded on the door.
“I’m not giving you anything,” Grace said.
“You’re just like them. You said ask for help, I did. Now you’re slapping me in the face, showing me you think you have the upper hand.”
“Grace, babe? You up?” Noah’s voice carried from the entryway.
Tammy’s smile turned mean. “Looks like I get to meet your boyfriend.”
“No. You don’t.”
Only he came around the corner, spotted the two of them standing by the sink, and froze.
“Hey, babe. Everything okay?”
“Just a little family reunion. You must be Noah. I’m Tammy Travis, Grace’s mother.” She walked toward him like she wore a designer outfit and not a pair of Grace’s pajamas. She believed her own hype, thought she was entitled to whatever she wanted in life with no effort whatsoever.
His gaze locked on Grace’s as he shook her mom’s hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Tammy’s laugh was shrill. “Please. Call me Tammy. Grace and I were just chatting about the house. Sure would be nice if you’d make some breakfast, Grace. It’s the least you could do.”
Grace was torn. She did not want to have a scene with her mother in front of Noah.
“We could go out for breakfast,” Noah suggested, his attention focused on Grace. She knew he was trying to read her, figure out what she wanted, but she could
n’t deal with both of them. She wanted to protect Noah from the ugliness of her mother’s words.
Tammy perked up. “That sounds great. I’ll get changed. I’ll need to borrow some of your clothes and makeup, Grace.”
No. She wasn’t a helpless kid. She was an adult woman who made her own way. Noah pulled Grace into his side but she barely felt the embrace. She was tired of lying down, avoiding conflict to look like the bigger person. She was tired of holding back and holding in. Telling Noah she’d loved him last night had set her free, and right now she needed to free this part of herself. The angry, hurt girl who had always made do because she’d never had any other choice.
“No.” The word came out harsh.
“You okay?” Noah said, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek.
“No. You should go.” She needed to do this on her own.
“Grace.” The one word was strained.
“That’s rude, Grace,” Tammy said.
She looked at Noah, cupped his cheek, drawing strength from the look in his gaze, the one that said he had her back. “I’m okay. But I need to do this alone. Please.”
He frowned, clearly struggling with what he wanted to do versus what she was asking. “I’m right next door.”
Tammy glared at her as Noah left. But his faith in her made her stronger.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Grace said.
“You should take your own advice,” Tammy said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t exactly give him a reason to stay, now, did you?”
“I’m not talking about my relationship with you. We’re ending this now. You’re leaving.”
“Like I said, I’ll take whatever market value is for this place and be on my way.”
A wave of nausea rolled through Grace. She leaned on the counter. “That’s not happening.”
“Fine. My lawyer only gets paid if I do, so even if I get nothing, I win. Your name won’t be in any more fancy magazines after this.”
Her stomach dropped. “Why are you like this?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It didn’t have to be like this,” Grace said.
“You’re right. It doesn’t have to be like this. You’re always talking about choices. Now you have to make one. Give me my house or give me my money. Borrow it from your boyfriend if you have to. It’s pocket change to him.”
“You’re not getting anything from me or from Noah. You don’t deserve anything. From anyone.”
Tammy stepped closer until she was in Grace’s personal space. The hard look in her eyes was all too familiar.
“Life doesn’t always give you what you deserve. You need to learn that lesson. As your mother, I ought to be the one to teach you. What do you want more: me out of your life or a life with that man? Because I’m pretty sure my presence alone could mess that up. Even if it doesn’t—and make no mistake, there are plenty of ways it could—your career will take a hit when I contact the media, when you’re dragged through the mud. Social media is a beautiful thing, my girl. I can reach out to any news outlet with a simple post. Tag Noah’s name to it? That’s got gold mine written all over it.”
Grace pushed off the counter. “I wanted to understand why you were this way but it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. I can’t go back. I won’t. You aren’t worth the fight and you sure as hell aren’t worth the attention. You’re nothing to me. You have no idea what family, loyalty, or love mean. But I’ll get you your money. It’ll come with an NDA and an agreement that you never darken my doorstep again.”
It hurt, saying the words, but it also healed. She didn’t want to give her the money and had no idea where she’d get it, but she wanted to protect Noah more.
“Whatever it takes.” Tammy gave a self-satisfied smile.
“Get out. You can come back tomorrow morning and that’ll be the last time I see you.”
She shrugged it off like she was devoid of human emotions. “Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Grace laughed bitterly as Tammy turned to leave the kitchen.
“That’s the first time you’ve ever said those words and meant them.”
Her mother didn’t even reply. Which was fine. Grace was done listening.
44
Grace felt like she’d put caffeine right into her veins. She couldn’t control her jerky movements as she paced her house. Noah had phoned a record number of times but she needed to close this chapter of her life before she could go to him. She’d texted and told him to just give her until this afternoon.
After Tammy left yesterday, she’d showered off the visit, gone to the bank, and taken a loan against her home. With a check in hand, she’d drafted up the papers for her mother to sign and had them checked by the same lawyer who helped her with Noah’s contract.
Now she just needed her mother to show the hell up so she could send her packing. Her stomach rolled like a ship in a stormy sea. When her phone buzzed again, she checked it, frowning. Noah. She missed him, wanted her arms around him, but not yet. Soon.
“Where the hell are you?” She went to the window to stare outside. Tammy wasn’t known for punctuality, but with money on the line, Grace would have bet on her being on time. Her brain spun with possibilities: She was in an accident, she had a change of heart, she found a guy and forgot time completely.
When she saw Noah crossing his yard, heading for her place, her stomach cramped. Her body tensed. She needed to do this alone. It would be so easy to fall into his arms, curl into him, but she needed to draw on her own strength to prove to herself she could.
“He didn’t take you to New York to face his father.” He had his own demons. She could deal with hers.
She met him at the door, opening it before he could knock or come in. The relief that crossed his features when he saw her was echoed in her heart.
“Gracie. I’m going crazy.”
She walked into his open arms, returned his embrace, and breathed him in. “I told you, I just needed some time. This is almost over.”
Noah pulled back, and they went into her house. He shut the door, looked at her with furrowed brows. “What’s almost over, baby?”
She shook her head, the tenderness in his tone nearly destroying the dam holding back her tears. “This thing with my mother. It’s not ideal but I’m getting her out of my life. Out of our lives. For good. She should be here soon.”
A strange look came over Noah’s face and Grace’s pulse sped up. “What?”
His silence made her skin itch. “Noah?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, leaned against her door. “She’s not coming.”
Grace’s words got trapped in her throat. In the end, she could utter only a garbled “What?”
“Grace, you’re everything to me.”
“What did you do?” The whispered words hovered between them.
“I saw her leaving.”
Grace backed away, shaking her head. “What did you do?”
He stepped forward, placing his hands on her shoulders. “We’re in this together.”
“No!” she shouted. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes to breathe it out, then met his gaze again. “We’re not in this together. This is my problem. Tell me you didn’t do anything.”
“I gave her a check. Told her not to come back and threatened a bunch of stuff I’m not entirely sure I can follow through on but I think it scared her enough to work.”
Grace pulled out of his hold. “You didn’t.”
“Come on, Grace. I couldn’t stand by and watch her rip you apart. I’ve dealt with people like her my whole life.”
“So have I, Noah. She’s my mother.”
“She’s a vulture.”
She nodded, her gaze widening. “Yeah. One I was prepared to deal with. You had no right.”
He stalked forward. “No right? Correct me if I’m wrong but we’re a team. We’re building something together. Something we both want to
last. You think I’m going to let her treat you like that? Scam you out of money? Walk all over you and hurt you?”
She leaned into his frustration. “We are a team but that means you have to trust me like I trusted you to deal with your father. You’re supposed to support me not do it for me. I’m not helpless.” The last few words vibrated with anger.
“This is what you do when you love someone, Grace.” He folded his arms across his chest, and it made her madder.
“No. When you love someone, you listen to them. You hear them when they say they’ll take care of it and trust them to do that. You’re there to comfort them if it all goes to hell. What you did is control the situation without my input. I’ve had too much of that in my life already.”
His lips parted, and even though it hurt every molecule in her body, she walked to the door and opened it. “I need time.”
Noah walked to her, ran his hand down her hair, nearly breaking her resolve. “Gracie.” His whisper was tortured. “Don’t do this to us. I only wanted to help. I wanted to protect you. What can I do?”
She met his gaze evenly despite the tremor rippling through her body. “Cancel your check.”
He left, and Grace felt like she’d shut the door on more than him. She rested her forehead against the cool wood, wishing it could absorb the hurt and anger coursing through her blood. It felt like part of her, and she wanted it gone. She had no idea how to achieve that. After a few deep breaths, she lifted her head, but only to turn and sink down to the floor, the door at her back.
She stared into the foyer, her heart feeling empty. The first tear fell as she realized she’d been on her own most of her life but until this moment, she’d never felt so alone.
45
Noah paced Chris and Everly’s small living room like a trapped animal. He’d been there for over an hour after driving around aimlessly, ignoring all of his calls and texts because none of them were from Grace.
“You’re making me dizzy,” Chris said, flicking through channels on the TV. Everly had very reluctantly gone shopping with Stacey. She’d been on her way out when Noah showed up unannounced.
How to Love Your Neighbor Page 28
