“Oh, I couldn’t let you spend your money on me,” Autumn said.
She looked uncomfortable at the thought and Grady understood. People really weren’t in the habit of accepting gifts like that from people they barely knew. He’d have felt the same way in her position and didn’t want to embarrass her.
“I’d really be honored,” he said, but when she shook her head he decided to let the matter rest.
“What about you?” she said, changing the subject. “What are you looking for?”
“To be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed. I can’t make sense of all this. What’s the difference between all these pacifiers?”
Autumn laughed, and he wanted to lift her into his arms when he heard her. She was so full of joy and life. She was everything he needed, and seeing her right there made him crave it deep in his soul.
“I can help if you like.”
“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. It would be my pleasure.”
“Well, Destiny would thank you, I’m sure.”
They shopped together for half an hour, picking out all sorts of baby items including clothing. When Grady put food and kitchen supplies in the cart, Autumn looked at him.
“What is the adult food for? You don’t like what you’re getting at the hotel?”
Grady laughed. “Oh no, it’s great. Apart from you, the food is the best thing about that place.”
Autumn blushed. “It just looks like you’re stocking up,” she said.
“Well, I bought a little cabin overlooking the town. This is to stock the place up.”
“You bought a cabin?”
“Yeah. I brought Destiny out here to start a completely new life.”
“Things weren’t working out for you before?”
Grady smiled. “You could say that. It’s a long story, but let’s just say there comes a time in your life when you realize that what you’re doing isn’t working.”
“And you need a completely fresh start?”
“Exactly,” he said.
“I get that.”
Grady looked at her. She was a little young to be thinking of a fresh start to life but looking in her eyes, he could tell she’d seen more of the world than a lot of girls her age. There was a depth to her that usually took many more years to develop. He knew from experience it came from hardship.
She looked into his eyes then, and for the first time used his first name.
“I’ll be really sad to see you leave the hotel, Grady.”
He looked back at her. Hearing her say his name had an unsettling effect on him. He felt like he’d just ridden a rollercoaster.
“Well, it’s still a small town. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
She nodded, but there was a real sadness in her.
“It’s just, you arrived at Raven’s Nest the same night I did. I’ve never been there alone. I’ve always had the comforting thought that if I really needed you, you were there. Even though we didn’t really know each other.”
Grady nodded. He had to admit, the thought that he’d be seeing less of Autumn had been one of his biggest concerns since buying the cabin, but he hadn’t stopped to think she might feel the same way. It made perfect sense. Raven’s Nest was the creepiest hotel he’d ever been in. Mr. and Mrs. Hildegard were like characters out of a Charles Dickens novel. No girl in the world would be happy to be left alone with the two of them, least of all a girl as sweet and innocent as Autumn. She just wasn’t equipped for the kind of treatment she was likely to get at their hands.
“If it makes you feel any better, I can come by and check in on you from time to time,” Grady said.
Autumn smiled, partially consoled by the thought.
“I’d like that,” she said.
They finished their shopping and Autumn waited with Destiny while Grady ran everything through the checkout. Her jaw dropped when the cashier announced the total. It was over six hundred dollars.
Grady swiped his credit card without a second thought and carried the bags out to the car.
“Now, how about we go to the diner for you to make that phone call.”
“Sounds good,” Autumn said.
“And this time you’ve got to allow me to thank you for all your help.”
She nodded. “Well, it looked like they have pretty good ice cream sundaes there.”
“It’s a date,” Grady said.
CHAPTER 14
AUTUMN
Autumn felt safe and secure as she sat next to Grady in his car. It was a strong, masculine vehicle, a vintage charger with luxurious leather upholstery and a redesigned dashboard that included all the modern technological advances.
“Nice ride,” she said.
“Thanks. I built it myself when I lived in Florida.”
“Does it go fast?”
Grady laughed.
She liked the way he drove, with confidence, self-assured. He threw the car into gear like he was getting ready for a race. She imagined that he did everything in his life like that. Like he meant it. Like the whole world was riding on his next move.
She hated the thought of him checking out of the hotel, of leaving her behind, but there was nothing she could do about that so there was no point dwelling on it. Life had taught her that lesson a long time ago.
She would make the most of what she had, and what she had was the next hour alone with Grady and his baby, no Mrs. Hildegard, no Mr. Hildegard, to get in the way.
They pulled up outside the diner and instinctively, Autumn took the baby before Grady could.
“Oh, thanks,” he said.
“I love holding her,” Autumn said.
They grabbed a booth and looked over the menus. When the waitress arrived, Grady ordered the two biggest sundaes they had and coffee to wash it down.
Autumn went over to the payphone to call home. She felt nervous as she dialed the familiar number. The week since leaving home had been the longest time she’d ever gone without speaking to her mother.
“Hello?” her mother’s voice said.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Oh sweetheart. It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“You too, Mom.”
“How’s Montana? How’s the food? Are they feeding you well?”
“The food’s great, Mom.”
“And the weather? Your Aunt Shirley said it’s cold up there in the mountains.”
“It’s not that cold, Mom. You’d love it here though. It’s so beautiful.”
“And the hotel?”
“The hotel is perfect,” she lied. “My room is the cutest place ever. I’ve got my own fireplace, my own reading nook, my own bathtub.”
“Oh, that sounds adorable.”
“It is, Mom.”
“And what about the men out there?”
“Mom!”
“I’m just asking, sweetie. An old lady can dream, can’t she?”
“I’m not here to go to parties.”
“But you’ve got to set aside a little time for yourself, sweetie. You know I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but I worry sometimes that you’re doing too much.”
“I’m not doing too much, Mom.”
“Just promise me you’ll take the opportunity to get some things going for yourself too sweetie. I don’t want you worrying about me the whole time. Make friends. Kiss a boy. Live your life.”
“I’ll try, Mom,” Autumn said.
“And get yourself some new clothes. I’m sure the girls up there are more fashionable than the farmers’ daughters around here.”
Autumn hadn’t told her mother that she was sending her entire paycheck home every week. Her mother would have died if she’d known how much was being sacrificed for her.
“How are the new meds?” Autumn said.
“They seem to be working better, sweetie. I need to refill the prescription soon. The damn things cost more than my mortgage payment.”
“They’re pretty crazy, I know,” Autumn
said, “but that’s because they’re the best.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
“My boss said she’d be mailing you some money today. It’s not a lot but it should cover the prescription refill. I guess you’ll have it tomorrow or the next day.”
“Oh, you’re too good to me, sweetheart.”
“You gave me life, Mom! I’d do a whole lot more than buy you medicine, you know that.”
“I do, honey, and that’s just the problem. You do far too much. You really have to promise me you won’t spend your whole time out there worrying about me.”
“I won’t, Mom.”
“I want you to meet a nice young man and bring him home to meet me.”
Autumn laughed. Her mother’s priorities were totally out of whack with reality. She was always thinking about boys and dates and new clothes, even while their world collapsed around them. It was good in a way, Autumn supposed. She often wished she could have her mother’s carefree attitude. Her mother had the most difficult life of anyone Autumn had ever met, and still found time to laugh and have fun every day.
“Well, just keep an eye out for that check. I’m not sure how long it will take to arrive.”
“Thank you so much, sweetie. You’re the best daughter a mother could ever hope for.”
Autumn felt emotional as she hung up. Despite all the talk of new medications and new treatments, deep down she was terrified her mother wouldn’t be around for very much longer.
She went back to the booth and took the baby from Grady.
“Let me hold her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. If you two are moving out soon, I have to make the most of the time I have left with this little angel.”
Grady smiled. He was so handsome when he smiled. Autumn still couldn’t believe she’d actually watched this man orgasm, and felt a little guilty, but the truth was, there was more of her mother in her than she liked to admit. And as responsible and careful as she was about things, she also knew that life was short and that she had to take every opportunity she could, while she could.
“This is delicious,” she said as she dug into the sundae.
It was enormous, a tall, glass bowl full to the brim of every flavor of ice cream the diner had, interspersed with big dollops of whipped cream and topped with a bright red cherry.
The baby tried to reach for the ice cream and Autumn scooped some whipped cream onto her finger.
“Here, baby. Try this.”
The baby sucked the cream and a huge, bright smile crossed her face. Autumn looked up at Grady and he laughed.
“She likes that,” he said.
“Of course she does. What lady doesn’t like a little whipped cream?”
Grady was looking so intently into Autumn’s eyes she had to look away.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For giving her a little feminine care.”
“Oh, you’re doing a great job with her, Grady. It’s amazing you’re doing so well. I mean, she literally just fell into your lap.”
“I’m doing my best but there’s something different about the way you are with her. I can see it.”
“Well, I’ll admit us girls do have a way with the little ones. If you ever need help with her, you know where to find me. I’d love to watch her for you from time to time.”
“From time to time. How about every day?”
Autumn laughed.
“You hear that, Destiny?” she cooed, “Daddy’s trying to find you a mommy.”
As soon as she said the words, she regretted it. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the idea, but it was far too soon to be making jokes like that in front of Grady. She looked up at him and saw something she never imagined she’d see in a million years.
Grady was blushing!
Hah, she thought. It was his turn to be embarrassed.
She played with the baby in order not to rub it in, but secretly she was thrilled something she’d said had embarrassed Grady. If she could embarrass him, it meant he cared about what she said, and more importantly, what she thought of him.
They finished their ice cream and even on the drive home, with the baby cooing and playing happily on Autumn’s lap, Grady remained shy and sheepish.
There was something so natural about the three of them being together, something that just felt right, and when they arrived back at the hotel, Autumn felt a pang of sadness that their time alone together was coming to an end. She felt so comfortable and free when she was with Grady. She felt she could be herself and he liked her for who she was. At the hotel she had to deal with Mrs. Hildegard.
Mrs. Hildegard didn’t like her for who she was at all, and would take every opportunity she could to make sure Autumn knew it.
She took a deep breath as she entered the hotel.
She knew things would be very different without Grady around. She had to be strong. She had to find a way to stand up to Mr. and Mrs. Hildegard. She couldn’t let them bully her.
She said bye to Grady as she handed him Destiny. She thanked him for the ice cream and he thanked her for helping him buy baby supplies.
When she got to her room she was overcome with emotion. She’d been able to keep it together downstairs, but now that she was alone in her room, she realized that she’d come to rely on Grady and his presence in the hotel far more than she’d been willing to admit earlier.
She had more than just a crush on him, and the fact that he was moving out was devastating. She’d miss him terribly, even though she’d hardly spent more than a few hours with him. She realized she’d grown accustomed to him, to knowing he was close by. She’d gone about her chores at the hotel with the thought in the back of her mind that maybe he’d notice what she’d done. Maybe he’d come across her and appreciate her hard work, admire her skill, maybe even admire her. She looked forward to the chores she had to do for him and constantly told herself, maybe her next chore would be to cook for him, or take care of Destiny for him.
Without even getting to spend time with him, she’d been developing feelings for him. Strong feelings.
And now he was leaving.
She lay down on her bed and to her surprise, started to cry. She let the tears flow, and when they came to an end, she had a long, hot bath.
She didn’t sneak into Betsy’s room that night. She realized she’d been holding out hope that something would develop between her and Grady. Something real. She’d been flirting with the idea of the two of them getting together. That was why she’d watched him, not because she was horny like Mrs. Hildegard, but because it felt like the beginning of a real relationship. Now she knew it wasn’t, and that knowledge made watching him too painful.
CHAPTER 15
GRADY
Grady felt sad as he packed his bag and gathered his things to leave the hotel. He couldn’t say he’d liked staying there, but knowing he was leaving Autumn alone with the Hildegards didn’t sit right with him. He knew it wasn’t his business though, and he’d learned the hard way that he couldn’t just barge around doing whatever he thought needed to be done to save a woman.
He’d tried that before. He’d tried it with Destiny’s mother. He’d taken her in. He’d helped her get clean and overcome her drug addiction. He looked after her throughout her pregnancy, even though the last thing he’d ever wanted was a child with her.
He swore to stand by her and he did everything in his power to save her from herself.
But it wasn’t enough. He woke up one morning to find out she’d been chatting with her drug dealer the entire time. She’d totally played him. She’d thought him weak and spineless for trying to help her.
It still pained him to remember the words she said.
He knew the situation wasn’t at all similar with Autumn, but the fact remained, she had her life to lead and she didn’t need his help living it. She was on a path of her own and the last thing she needed was some busybody stepping in and messing things up for her.
Maybe if he’d learned that lesson sooner, Ravenna would still be alive. Sure, she’d have been a drug addict, but who was he to decide what was right for her?
His only consolation, the only thing that reminded him that everything he’d tried to do for Ravenna hadn’t been in vain, was the fact that Destiny had been born healthy. Deep down, he knew that by interfering in Ravenna’s life, he’d saved the life of his daughter. He’d thought he failed, he’d thought Destiny had died in the car crash, but by some miracle she was alive.
He held her close to his chest as he settled his bill and checked out of the hotel.
“It was a real pleasure having you here, Mr. Cole.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Hildegard, you were very hospitable.”
“I’d like to be a whole lot more hospitable to you,” she said with a sly wink.
Grady gave her a smile.
“You know what, Mrs. Hildegard? I know you’re saying that like it’s a joke, but don’t ever sell yourself short. You’re a beautiful woman and if I was closer to your age, and if you didn’t also happen to be married, I’d be more than happy to show you a thing or two.”
Mrs. Hildegard’s jaw dropped and Grady smiled to himself as he turned and left. At first he’d been alarmed by Mrs. Hildegard’s behavior, and he still wasn’t happy about the way she seemed to want to boss Autumn around, but he knew in his heart that her only real crime was that she was lonely. What little he’d seen of Mr. Hildegard didn’t suggest he was a good husband to her. He mostly ignored her, and as far as Grady was concerned, if a man was going to take a woman and make her his wife, the very least he owed her was the attention she deserved. Mr. Hildegard didn’t give his wife that attention and she suffered for it.
He didn’t blame her for coming on to him. He just thought it was sad that she had to do it that way. She deserved for a man to come on to her, for a man to woo her and sweep her off her feet. That wasn’t likely to happen as long as she was in her current marriage, but maybe one day she’d figure things out, either with her husband or with someone else.
“Mr. Cole, you forgot your card,” she said, hurrying out the door behind him with his credit card.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, and let his fingers graze her hand softly as he took it from her.
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