Foxfire
Page 18
The pounding of hammers grew louder as Grace approached Brad's. When she arrived, she couldn't hold back a smile. Adam and several other men were rebuilding the damaged part of the house.
Adam waved and climbed down the ladder. “What do you think?” he asked when he was within shouting distance.
“It's great.” She clapped like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.
Adam pulled his cap a little further down to hide his eyes. Grace knew the gesture hid his embarrassment, rather than having a sinister meaning.
“It's the least I can do,” he said. “Brad's my best friend.”
“Mine, too,” she said. “Can I help?”
Adam petted Tiffany, who lately had started accompanying him on his daily walks. They seemed to have become close pals.
“We gotta finish putting up the walls and shingling the roof. But you can help with painting if you like. We should be ready for that by tomorrow.”
Grace raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That soon?”
He nodded. “Not that much to do. Mostly the back porch. But the kitchen will need to be cleaned and painted.”
“I can handle that,” she answered. Her voice trailed off as her attention focused on a familiar figure on the roof.
Adam turned to follow her gaze. “Ain't it great? Tyler's back. Nice of him to help out,” he said.
Tyler had returned, but he hadn't called her? Her heart sank. But why should he? She wasn't the type of woman he'd want to spend the rest of his life with, and if he planned on her working at the clinic, he would have called when he returned.
As if sensing her presence, Tyler turned to face her. They were suspended in a moment of time, unanswered questions hanging in the distance separating them.
She tore her gaze away and lifted her lips in a forced smile. “Adam, I've got some things to take care of, but I'll call you later.”
“Okay. I better get back to work.” He gave her a shy smile.
“See you later.”
“See ya, Grace.”
He climbed the ladder and Grace turned to leave. She avoided looking at Tyler, though her heart fluttered frantically against her ribs. She had to get away before the tears unleashed. This time she would cry.
She hurried home with Tiffany running ahead as usual. Once there, she grabbed her purse and keys. She had to see Brad. Staying here and worrying about things she had no control over would only lead to misery. She'd had enough of that in the past few weeks to last the rest of her life. She couldn't bear having him so close and knowing he didn't want her, and she couldn't go back to being just friends. Tiffany butted against her leg and whimpered.
Grace ran from the house and started the car. Tears began to flow and she wiped her eyes repeatedly before she could drive. She'd always been a strong person. She could survive this. She always survived. Somehow she'd find a way to forget the feelings Tyler had unleashed in her traitorous body. It was lust, nothing more. Time would fade the memories.
She arrived at Harri's and sat in the car for a moment until she regained control of her raging emotions. Turning the rearview mirror down, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes where dampness still pooled. Could she hide her tears from her friends? She took a deep breath and held it to the count of five, then released. She repeated for several minutes until she lost the urge to cry. Lifting her chin, she walked toward the house.
Brad and Harri seemed glad to see her, and if they noticed she'd been crying, neither acknowledged it. Harri invited her to stay for lunch, then pulled her aside for a private chat, leaving Brad in the kitchen with his ice cream maker.
“What's wrong?” Harri asked. She pointed for Grace to sit in the chair, while Harri chose the bed.
Her bedroom looked just like Harri—a wild splash of colors. Grace glanced at the clothes on the floor. One of Brad's shirts lay there, along with one of Harri's. Muted blue next to vibrant yellow. Grace noticed a pair of men's shoes sticking out from under the bed. Looked like Harri had finally caught her man. That would account for Brad's loud off-key singing competing with the noise from the ice cream machine.
“Nothing's wrong,” Grace answered. She met Harri's gaze, her lips lifting in a teasing grin.
“It's not what it looks like,” Harri assured her. “Brad and I were married yesterday. He's an honorable man.”
Brad and Harri...married? Grace felt happiness seep into her heart.
Harri's eyes twinkled. “Brad wanted to tell you first before we announced it.”
“I won't give away the secret.” Grace hugged Harri tight. “Congratulations.”
Harri pushed her gently away. “Now tell me what's bothering you. You never cry.”
“Tyler's back.”
Harri clapped her hands together. “But that's great news, isn't it? Why are you upset?”
“I wouldn't even know he was back if I hadn't seen him working on Brad's roof this morning.” Grace bit her bottom lip. “Uh-oh. I guess I'm not so good at keeping a secret after all.”
Harri leaned over and patted Grace's knee. “Honey, that's not a secret. Adam told Brad about it a few days ago. Brad's just upset that he can't climb a ladder and help.”
“Things will change when I get this blasted cast off,” Brad said.
Grace turned to see him leaning on a crutch in the open doorway. How long had he been standing there?
“Adam's a good man,” he continued. “Did you know that he and Lainey are getting married next month?” Brad's glance shifted to Harri. His face took on a softer appearance as their eyes met.
“Yes. They invited me to the wedding,” Grace said. “Adam's a different man since his picture made the newspaper. He smiles a lot now, too.”
“So do I,” Brad said, “since Harri agreed to be my wife. We were married yesterday.”
Grace tried to put surprise in her voice. “I'm so happy for both of you.” She forced a smile. “What took you so long?”
“Maybe it took facing death to realize how short life really is. I didn't want to waste any of the rest of the days the good Lord gives me.”
Harri patted the mattress beside her. “Come over here and sit down. You shouldn't be standing so long.”
Brad grinned. “See what I've got to put up with?”
Grace laughed. “I love you both so much.” She hugged Brad, taking the crutch and helping him to the bed.
“There's someone waiting in the kitchen who wants to talk to you,” Brad said. He plopped beside Harri, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
“Me?” Who could be looking for her? Unless…
Her pulse quickened. A soft woof brought a smile to her face. She'd recognize Tiffany's bark anywhere.
“Go on,” Brad said. “Don't keep the young man waiting.”
Grace made her way to the kitchen on trembling legs. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Tyler. His eyes were that same shade of green, deep, dark and mysterious.
****
Tyler patted his pocket to make sure he hadn't forgotten the package. “Hi, Grace,” he said.
“You didn't call.”
Yep. Same Grace. “I'm sorry. I didn't get here until late last night. I wanted to surprise you, but your lights were off.” God she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her hair curled softly around her face and he wanted to crush her in his arms. “Adam left a message asking if I lend a hand repairing Brad's house. I stopped by your place on the way this morning, but you were still sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you.”
“Are...are you back to stay then?”
He took a step toward her. “Absolutely. I turned in my gun and gave Jake my notice. I would have been back sooner, but I spent a few days with my dad. He's going to move here and work in the clinic with us.”
“Us?”
He closed the gap between them and circled his arms around her waist. “Yes, us. Dad can't wait to meet you.”
“Me?” Her voice squeaked out.
Tyler nodded. “I told him all about you. Ho
w brave you are, how beautiful you are, and how stubborn you are.” He watched the emotions chasing across her face. She started to protest, but Tyler stopped her with a warm, consuming kiss. She clung to him and he knew then that he'd finally come home. Tyler broke the kiss and smiled down at her. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her again. Their eyes were now on an even level.
He touched his nose to hers. “I love you, Grace Wilkins.”
“I love you back.”
Tyler eased her feet to the floor and reached one arm out to open the screen door.
Tiffany raced into the room wriggling between them. Tyler rested a hand on the dog's nose. “I wanted the two of you to be together for this.” He looked deeply into Grace's eyes, now dark as the bluest seas. He took the ring from his pocket and knelt on the floor. He took her hand.
“I've already gotten permission from Brad.” He smiled. “Grace, will you and Tiffany marry me?”
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
Tiffany barked her acceptance.
And Tyler knew he'd found the peace he sought in the love shining from Grace's eyes.
-END-
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed your stay in Foxfire as much as I enjoyed writing about the fictional town. I’ve always loved the Smoky Mountains. My husband and I have spent many vacations there, enjoying the early morning sunrises and the gorgeous sight of the smoke caressing the mountain tops.
Thank you for purchasing this story, which was written by the characters. They led me through their journey to forgiveness and love.
I enjoy hearing from readers. You may contact me via my website at www.CarolAnnErhardt.com. You will be able to access other books I’ve written, as well as some free reads directly from my website.
If you’d like to follow my blog, Inside the Writer’s Mind, please go to My Blog
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Happy reading,
Carol Ann Erhardt
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