Saving Grace

by J. M. Hill

  “So, how about a ride?” He motioned with his thumb to his motorcycle. “It’s like sixty degrees out there, and the roads are clear. I’ll take you for a bite to eat.”

  I swallowed hard, my emotions warring with each other. Evan was a friend, but Michael was still in my heart, unmoving. Evan was obviously interested in me, and Michael wasn’t.

  “Look, Grace,” he said, folding his hands on the table. “I know there’s something going on between you and Michael. I’m not blind.”

  He couldn’t have been more wrong. There was nothing between me and Michael. I wasn’t even sure there was a friendship anymore.

  “I just want to take you for a ride, and get a slice of pizza. That’s all.”

  “I don’t have a helmet.”

  “You can have mine.”

  I grimaced at him. “Then you won’t have one. I thought you were a doctor?”

  “Oh, come on,” he said with a laugh. “You ski some of the most difficult slopes in Colorado, but you’re afraid of a little motorcycle? I know you better than that. Let’s go.”

  He tugged on my arm, and followed me to the back where Kate was tapping away at her computer. She smiled when she saw us.

  “Hey, Evan!” she said cheerily. “What are you doing here?” “I’m taking your cousin for a ride on my bike,” he said, helping me with my jacket.

  “Oh?” Kate eyed me quizzically. “That sounds like fun.”

  I knew there’d be a line of questioning later.

  “You want a ride, too?” Evan asked.

  Kate shook her head. “Uh, no, but you two have a good time.”

  I pulled the strap of my purse over my head, and followed Evan outside. He put the helmet on my head, and took a step back to survey my appearance.

  “It suits you.” He patted the top of the helmet with a grin.

  I rolled my eyes and he laughed as he climbed onto the motorcycle and motioned for me to follow. I straddled the black leather seat and looked for a place to put my hands.

  “You’re going to have to hold onto me,” he said, grabbing my hands and pulling them around his waist. “Don’t let go.”

  I’m sure I was blushing as the engine snarled to life. When he pushed away from the curb Garrett’s Hummer pulled into the space next to us. Garrett’s forehead creased in concern, and Michael came around the front of the Hummer, jaw clenching and eyes flashing. My stomach sank, but I managed a small wave to Garrett as Evan took off down the main road.

  It was exhilarating. The cool wind whipped around us, trees blurred past, and I released a nervous squeal. Evan must have heard me, because with a flick of his wrist we were going even faster.

  When we got to Mario’s, I made a bee-line to the ladies room to brush through my helmet-hair. My phone buzzed, and I fished it from my purse. Garrett’s name flashed on the screen, and I smiled.

  “Hi.”

  “Hey.” He paused. “You okay?”

  “Sure. I’m scraping bugs off my teeth.”

  He chuckled half-heartedly. “I just wanted to check on you.”

  “Thanks. We’re getting a piece of pizza, and then I’ll be home.”

  “Okay. Gracie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Michael’s really upset. I thought he was going to put a hole through my windshield.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do you think?”

  I closed my eyes. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  He sighed. “I just thought you should know. Be careful, and I’ll see you later.”

  I stayed in the bathroom for what seemed like a long time. When I got to the table, Evan eyed me suspiciously.

  “You look a little pale,” he said. “Did I drive too fast?”

  “Yep. That’s it.” I tried to smile as I sat down.

  The waiter came to the table, and Evan ordered two root beers and a large sausage and mushroom pizza.

  “You still like root beer with pizza, right?” he asked.

  I nodded, impressed with his memory. Kate and I came into Mario’s almost every Sunday night during high school, and Evan was our waiter almost every time. We ordered the same thing: sausage pizza with mushrooms, and root beers.

  “So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on,” he said, breaking a bread stick in half and taking a bite. I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but when he saw my expression he grimaced. “With you and Michael.”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, and tried to look past him, but he leaned into my line of sight.

  “Hey,” he said. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  “Sure.”

  “Well, friends talk about these things.” He took another bite of breadstick. “You never know, I might be able to help. I am a doctor you know.”

  I had to smile at his expression. “Yes. I know.”

  “Okay then, talk.”

  “There’s not really much to talk about,” I said with a shrug, pulling my napkin between my fingers. “I told Michael how I felt about him, and he told me he didn’t feel the same. That’s it.”

  Evan raised an eyebrow. “And how do you feel about him?”

  The waiter delivered our drinks, and I took a long drink of my soda feeling embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry, Grace.”

  I shook my head. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”

  “Well,” he said leaning back in his chair. “I guess I was wrong. I can’t help you with that at all.”

  “Yeah. Some doctor you are,” I said with a smirk.

  He shook his head in disappointment, fighting a grin. “I know. I suck.”

  We both laughed and it felt good. The two of us sat for a long time, talking about med school, Erin’s job in California, his parents, Kate, the bookstore, everything. When I looked at my watch I was surprised we’d been talking for over three hours. Evan glanced at his watch and raised his eyebrows.

  “Wow,” he said. “I have to be at work in two hours.”

  He tossed a few bills on the table while I pulled on my jacket, and then we were back on the motorcycle heading home. The wind was much colder now, and I kept my head ducked behind Evan’s shoulder the entire way. He stopped in front of the house and helped me climb off the seat. I handed him the helmet and pulled my fingers through my tangled hair.

  “Thanks for the ride and the pizza,” I told him. “I had a good time.”

  “So did I.” He smiled warmly. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

  I hesitated, not wanting to commit to anything. He chuckled, and reached for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

  “Night, Grace. I’ll talk to you soon.” He started the motorcycle again, giving a quick wave before speeding away, gravel spitting behind the back tire. I looked across the drive at the Anderson’s house and noticed all three cars were in the garage. For a long while I stood in front of the house, gazing at the stars and listening to the wind move the pines.

  “You’re going to freeze to death out here.”

  Michael was suddenly beside me, zipping up his jacket. I silently wished my heart wouldn’t react the way it did whenever I saw him, but there was no halting the fluttering against my chest with his proximity.

  “How’s Evan?” he asked, looking up at the dark sky.

  “Good.”

  “Garrett says he’s a really nice guy.”

  “He is,” I agreed. “He’s a good person.”

  He nodded, and raked his hand through his hair. “Grace, I miss you,” he said. “I miss seeing you every day. Talking to you…I just…miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” I admitted, and at that moment I’d have given anything for things to go back to normal. “Will you run with me tomorrow?”

  He smiled his crooked smile, and it made my heart ache. I’d missed that smiled so much.

  “I would love to run with you tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” I said with a nod of affirmation. “I’ll see you here at seven a.m..”

  Over the n
ext two weeks, Michael and I ran together every day and each day things felt a little more comfortable. After the misery of that night, I tried very hard to pretend things were okay between the two of us, and I guess for the most part they were. Though I was heartbroken Michael didn’t feel the same way for me that I did for him, I still wanted to be with him every chance I had.

  Kate and I frantically prepared for Christmas, excited to spend the holiday with the Anderson’s. Before I knew it, we were piling into Garrett’s Hummer, making our way to Black Forest. The huge vehicle overflowed with luggage and presents, and Garrett blared Christmas music from the stereo.

  As we approached the tree line of Black Forest it began to snow. We pulled in front of Will and Ava’s house and I was awe-struck. White lights covered the trees closest to the house, while lit wreaths and garland graced each window and the railing of the front porch—lights reflecting off the sparkling snow that was already covering the ground.

  Will and Ava greeted us on the front porch with hugs, and we all filed into the house that was even more festive on the inside. Christmas music was playing, and the smell of cinnamon and cloves filled the air. Ava told us to get settled into our rooms quickly, because she had hot cider and a movie ready to go.

  It took several trips to get the suitcases and presents from the car, and then we were all in front of the television, sipping hot cider and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”. After the movie, we had a dinner of cold cut sandwiches and pasta salad. Garrett dragged me to the basement/game room, where he taught me how to kill zombies because I’d never learned during Thanksgiving. Michael joined us later and the three of us played until late.

  “Okay, you guys, I have to go to bed,” I said, rubbing my temples. “I think I may need a Dramamine before I play next time. I’m dizzy.”

  “Come on, Gracie, don’t wimp out on me now,” Garrett whined.

  “Hah! Wimp out! You know I was kicking your butt,” I told him. “I have to go to bed.”

  Garrett led the way through the dark house to my room.

  “Night, Gracie.” He kissed my head and went to his room.

  Michael stood next to me. “I think you may be right about the Dramamine,” he whispered as he rubbed his head. “I don’t know how he plays that thing for so long.”

  “I’m surprised he isn’t cross-eyed,” I whispered and he chuckled.

  “So shall we run in the morning?” He asked. “Or take the day off.” We looked at each other and then nodded in unison.

  “Take the day off,” we said together, and then laughed quietly.

  “Night, Michael.”

  “Night.” He watched me for a moment before walking across the hall to his room.

  I tiptoed into my room and then to the bathroom, closing the door quietly. Kate had my pajamas and toiletries lying on the vanity, and I got ready for bed quickly, slipping under the covers. The room was dimly lit by moonlight, casting a soft glow. It was beautiful, and I fell asleep quickly.

  I woke to Kate’s humming in the bathroom, and rolled out of the bed and trudged in to see her fixing her hair.

  “Hey,” I said groggily.

  “Morning, sleepy,” she sang. “Did you kill all the bad guys?”

  I laughed and rubbed my eyes. “Garrett’s insane.”

  By the time I got out of the shower, she was already downstairs. I dressed in jeans, black turtleneck sweater, and pulled my hair into a clip. When I came out of our room I was met by Michael who smiled widely as he looked me over.

  “You sure look pretty today, Grace.”

  Of course he always looked pretty, but I couldn’t say that.

  “Good morning. How’s the head?”

  He laughed. “I was just about to ask you the same thing. Don’t worry, Mom has plenty of aspirin downstairs.” He took me by the hand and we went to the kitchen where everyone was sitting at the table, already eating. Just like at home, there was an empty chair for me beside Garrett. Ava handed me a plate of scrambled eggs, and we ate with several conversations going on at once. After a while, Michael nudged me with his elbow.

  “Do you and Kate like snow-tubing?”

  “We love it,” I replied quickly, unable to hide my excitement.

  “Good. After breakfast we’re going. There’s a hill not far from the house that’s crazy.”

  “Excellent,” I said excitedly.

  He laughed and looked over at Garrett. “You in, big brother?”

  Garrett snorted a laugh—which in ‘Garrett language’ meant ‘yes’.

  We met everyone in front of the gigantic garage that was big enough for five cars, but had only two. It also had four snow mobiles, and an ATV. Everyone grabbed an inner-tube, and we followed Will and Garrett around the back of the house. We hiked for about ten minutes through drifts of fresh snow and came to a long, steep hill. Just like Michael said, it was crazy. I felt my eyes widen as Kate and I surveyed the hill they wanted us to fly down, Kate’s expression mirroring mine. We had been tubing many times, but never down a hill this steep. I could hear Garrett laughing at my expression.

  “You’re not afraid are you, Gracie?” he scoffed. I rolled my eyes at him, but yeah, I was a little afraid.

  “You want to go with me the first time?” Michael whispered in my ear.

  I nodded, trying to hide my fear.

  “Okay.” He laughed as he took my hand. “Come on, coward.”

  I looked at Kate with what I’m sure was panic. She just giggled and winked at me. Michael and I situated ourselves in our tubes and he locked his arm with mine.

  “Don’t worry,” he assured me with a smile. “I won’t let go.”

  My heart pounded in reaction to his promise, and his eyes held mine as I nodded. Garrett was behind us and had a hand on each of our backs, waiting for our consent.

  “Ready?” Garrett asked, and Michael and I both nodded.

  Garrett gave a push and we were flying down the hill. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered and jumped with the cool air whipping in my face and I screamed in exhilaration. Michael kept his promise and didn’t let go of me until we reached the bottom. We were both laughing so hard I could hardly get onto my feet. Michael held out his hand to help me up, and he put his arms around my shoulders, and hugged me as we both continued to laugh. His hair was windswept, his cheeks red from the cold and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “How was that?”

  “Excellent!” I exclaimed, unable to stop smiling not just from the thrilling ride, but from his arms which still held me tight. “Let’s go again!”

  We grabbed our tubes and started the hike back to the top, watching as Kate and Miles went down next, Kate’s high-pitched squeal making everyone laugh. Garrett went down on his stomach, spinning and bouncing all the way to the bottom, followed by Will. Ava managed to slide down the hill looking completely graceful and lovely. I don’t know how long we were out there, but my toes had started to lose their feeling when Ava announced that it was time for some lunch. After we changed clothes, everyone sat in front of the fire and ate leftover pasta salad and homemade pizza. Our cheeks were rosy from the cold, and I was just starting to get feeling back in my toes, when Garrett decided we needed to go again.

  It was Christmas Eve, and Kate and I were getting dressed for dinner. We’d been having a fabulous time, and neither of us could stop smiling. Though we had some wonderful memories of Christmas with our parents, after they died the holidays were never the same. Uncle David did his best, but the older we got, the more he worked at the hospital during the holidays. Kate believed it made him happier helping patients at Christmas and Thanksgiving, so we celebrated Christmas with each other, and that’s all we really knew. Being with the Anderson’s showed us what we never realized we were missing. I couldn’t imagine having a more fabulous holiday.

  Kate was wearing a black organdy and silk dress, with delicate ruffles around the bust-line and sleeves, and it silhouetted her figure so beautifully. Once again she had chosen my at
tire for the occasion—a red silk, sheath dress that draped slightly off one shoulder. She put my hair up, with loose curls around my face, and had a pair of suede high heeled pumps that were the exact shade of red as the dress. As we came down the stairs, Miles was waiting with his dimpled smile as he took in the vision that was Kate.

  “You’re stunning, as usual,” he said quietly, and then looked over at me, and gave me a wink. “Grace, you’re beautiful in red.” He smiled and offered me his other hand as he led us into the living room where everyone was already gathered.

  My eyes found Michael right away, wearing a charcoal gray suit coat with a crisp black shirt and pants. He was so gorgeous it made my heart ache just looking at him. Our eyes met, and he started towards me, running his hand through his hair.

  “You look…amazing,” he said.

  I tried to form a coherent sentence in my head before I spoke. “You look amazing, too.”

  “Gracie!” Garrett strode toward us smiling widely, and bent down pointing to his cheek for me to give him a kiss. “You’re beautiful,” he said taking my hand and pulling me with him into the living room, where we sat by the fire and talked with Miles. Kate was talking and laughing with Michael, while Ava and Will excused themselves to get dinner on the table.

  “So, Kate told me the two of you have a surprise for us tonight,” Miles said. “I can hardly wait.”

  Actually, I’d forgotten all about it. Kate and I had a piano duet we were going to play for everyone tonight. We hadn’t played in over a year, but it was one we’d performed so often Kate was confident we could pull it off. I wasn’t nearly as confident.

  “What surprise?” Garrett asked.

  “They’re going to play a Christmas duet on the piano,” Miles said.

  “Really?” Garrett was excited, and I smiled at him. “Excellent.”

  We were gathered around the beautifully decorated dining table eating a delicious dinner of prime rib, roasted red potatoes with parsley, glazed baby carrots, homemade yeast rolls and green salad. After dinner, Kate, Miles, Michael and I helped Ava with the dishes, and we had them done rather quickly. Ava had made several varieties of pies for dessert, and I started a pot of coffee, while Kate assembled the dessert plates and forks.