Falling for Grace

by Maddie James

  He kissed her then with unbridled passion and within seconds, Gracie felt him nudge her thighs further apart and slip himself inside her body.

  The length of him filled her and Gracie exhaled deeply at the fulfillment she felt and at the sudden serenity that overtook her soul. But she didn’t have long to revel in that completeness for passion overtook both of them in a frenzied whirl as the night consumed them and surrounded them with pleasures they’d both long forgotten and possibly had never experienced before.

  Some time later, Gracie lay peacefully content by Carson’s side, her heart and body and soul full of him, feeling totally and completely, in love.

  And she wasn’t frightened. Not at all.

  They slept, and when they woke early the next morning, they loved each other all over again.

  * * * *

  The next two days were total, unadulterated bliss.

  Carson and Gracie took turns working and cleaning up each other’s shops and sleeping in each other’s beds. They rested often, taking frequent naps throughout the day, justifying to each other that the after-storm cleanup was zapping a lot of their energy and that they needed frequent naps to keep up their strength.

  The thing was, their naptimes nearly always turned into love-making time, with both being left more exhausted after their naps than before.

  But they didn’t care. They were in love. And everything else paled in comparison.

  By Saturday afternoon they were ready to fetch Izzie from Louisville and Gracie went with Carson to get her. Izzie didn’t say anything for a long time, but just kept looking strangely at the two of them while they had dinner in Louisville, when they stopped for ice cream in the way home, and then later as they watched a movie in Carson’s apartment.

  “So, are you guys in love or something?” she finally blurted out, turning to her father.

  Carson was surprised at the child’s question. He and Gracie had decided that they weren’t going to say anything to Izzie yet, just sort of let things naturally progress. They’d avoided too much contact, not holding hands and the like, thinking that she wouldn’t notice anything.

  Obviously, Izzie was more in tune with the both of them than either expected.

  Carson glanced to Gracie, who had blushed at Izzie’s question.

  “You know Gracie and I are friends, Izzie.”

  The child passed her gaze back and forth between the two. “Hm.” she said. “Friends.”

  She didn’t say anything else the remainder of the evening until Carson tucked her into bed a couple of hours later. “You can’t trick me, Dad,” she told her father. “I know there is something going on with you two.”

  Carson just smiled and pinched her cheek and bid her goodnight without another word. A part of him wanted to share how he felt about Gracie with his daughter. Another part of him, the protecting part, wanted to wait. That was the nagging part that told him to be cautious, to make sure, before involving Izzie too deeply.

  But all in all, life was good, and after Izzie was fast asleep, he made love to Gracie in her bed before slipping back into his own in the wee hours.

  Then on Sunday morning, he woke to a phone call that abruptly sent his world into an out-of-control downward spiral.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Guess who’s here!”

  Izzie raced in the back door of Romantically Yours Sunday afternoon, Bandit nipping at her heels. Claire, sleeping at Gracie’s feet, barely raised an eyelid at the pup. Gracie glanced up from her computer where she was attempting determine the costs of the Oriental rugs and the awning that were damaged in the storm for the insurance company. She was so used to Izzie breezing in and out that she barely glanced up as she searched her inventory list.

  “Who?”

  “My mother!”

  “That’s nice.” Gracie’s gaze trailed the list. Perhaps it’s in another file, she thought.

  “And she is so cool! She’s got long black hair and a small tattoo on her shoulder and she brought some movie pictures for me to look at and a new baseball bat—I’m so glad she’s finally realized that I don’t like dolls—and her lips are really red and her teeth are really white and she is so beautiful and she’s staying for three whole days, maybe longer!”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And she and my dad look so perfect together.”

  At that statement Gracie finally looked up. A twinge of something she couldn’t readily describe settled deep in her belly. Something that made her a bit queasy. Something telling her that things weren’t quite...right.

  Who looked perfect together?

  She looked Izzie square in the eyes. “Who did you say is here?”

  “My mother!”

  “Your mother.” The words barely escaped her lips. Gracie sank back in her chair and stared at the girl. Marci was here?

  “I bet you’re excited, huh?” The words fumbled off her tongue. Try as she might, she couldn’t let Izzie know that she was a teensy bit upset at this news.

  “She is so beautiful, Gracie. And I love her so much. I hope she stays longer than three days.”

  Gracie swallowed. “And where...where is she staying?”

  “With us!” The child jumped up in excitement. “Well, I just had to tell you the news. I have to get back to my dad and mom! I’m so excited! We’re a family again!”

  Her dad and mom. Family.

  Izzie, as was her style, was gone in a flash. Gracie sank lower into her chair feeling like a deflated balloon.

  She didn’t know what to do so she did nothing.

  For the remainder of the afternoon, she stayed in the shop. Later, she holed herself up in her apartment. This was none of her business; she’d just have to wait for Carson to make an explanation. For him to tell her that Izzie had blown things all out of proportion, that she’d misunderstood. That Marci was just passing through town and would be gone within the hour. She was sure he would do that, soon.

  Any minute, probably.

  Thing was, he didn’t.

  It was Monday afternoon before she saw him and that was only briefly as he and Izzie and Marci got into his ex-wife’s car and drove away. It was late Monday evening when she finally talked to him, although he only spoke a brief hello as he ushered his “family” up the back stairs and into his apartment. His gaze had lingered on her but Gracie had glanced away too quickly to try and read his eyes. She was so confused, didn’t know what to think. She longed for an explanation from him, but she obviously wasn’t going to get one. She couldn’t help, though, but take in the radiant gleam of happiness on Izzie’s face and the attractiveness of her mother. Izzie was definitely right when she’d said her mother was beautiful.

  But the thing that bothered her most was the fact that Marci’s little black rental sedan had sat parked all Sunday night out back beside Carson’s Corvette. It hadn’t budged until the entire family took it out Monday afternoon.

  And apparently, neither had Marci. Both were still there late Monday evening.

  Gracie thought about the entire situation for hours that night. By Tuesday morning, she’d made her decision.

  By noon, she’d left Franklinville.

  * * * *

  Izzie was ecstatic.

  Carson was miserable.

  And if she’d be honest with herself and admit it, Carson knew Marci was miserable as well.

  As he stared across his living room at mother and daughter curled up on the couch together watching television, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d not seen through Marci years earlier. Izzie was chattering away, informing her mother of the antics of her favorite cartoon characters. Marci listened intently, asking this question and that, laughing and smiling.

  Acting all the while.

  Marci was definitely in her element. She’d been an actress since birth. She was no more comfortable with the “mom” scenario than he’d be on a stage.

  He just hoped sooner or later his daughter would see though Marci’s performance.

  Sud
denly, he missed Gracie like crazy. He so much enjoyed the genuine laughter she and his daughter shared. He loved the way Gracie ruffled Izzie’a bangs and crouched down to get on her level when she talked to her. He adored the fact that Gracie adored his daughter.

  He missed her. And it was high time he told her what was going on. He should have before this.

  Rising, he told the pair on the couch that he needed to go downstairs for a few minutes. Instead, he slipped out in the hallway and gently rapped on Gracie’s door. After a while and no answer, he realized it was Tuesday and that she’d be at the shop.

  But the back shop door was locked. The front door as well. The thing that sent shivers of dread deep into his gut was the sign on the front door that read, “Closed Indefinitely.”

  It was then he feared he’d screwed up. Royally.

  * * * *

  On Thursday morning Carson walked into Amie’s Place loaded for bear. He’d had just about enough of Amie and Constance and all the others directly avoiding his queries about where Gracie had gone, and he was out for some answers.

  Now.

  How his life had suddenly gone haywire, he had no clue. Of course, it all had to do with Marci. Just one more thing for which he could never forgive her.

  But he wasn’t going to think of that now. No time. His prime concern at the moment was Gracie, where in the hell she was, the reason she’d left, and to what conclusions she must have jumped before she did.

  If he could only talk to her. If she’d only waited until he could explain the situation and discuss what was happening.

  She’d misunderstood, he was sure. Dammit! He should have spoken to her Monday afternoon when they’d passed on the stairs. It was just so damned awkward, he couldn’t.

  He’d known he’d avoided Gracie the past couple of days but thought she would have realized that Izzie needed to spend time with her mother. He didn’t intend for that time to always include the three of them, but that was the way Izzie wanted it. He guessed the child needed that sense of family. Even if it was only brief. That was the one thing he wanted to tell Gracie. That was the reason he’d come to her shop Tuesday afternoon only to find her gone. He just wanted to tell her he was doing it for Izzie’s sake. That nothing had changed between the two of them.

  “Honeybun?”

  Carson whipped his attention to the young girl behind the counter. He hadn’t realized she was standing there looking at him until this moment.

  “Uh, no,” he answered. “Is Amie around? I need to talk to her.”

  “I’m right here.”

  The voice came from his left. Turning, he looked at Gracie’s friend. Her face was stern, her mouth in a frown. I’m not in the mood for a run-around, he thought to himself. Please just answer my questions.

  “Let’s sit over hear.” She motioned to table next to the window. He followed and the girl behind the counter brought them both coffee.

  Carson didn’t think he’d be there long enough for it to cool off, but he took it anyway.

  He sat across from Amie and looked directly into her eyes. “Please tell me where Gracie has gone.” He pleaded softly with her.

  Amie closed her eyes and took in a breath. When she opened them, Carson knew he wasn’t going to get the answers he sought. “I don’t know where she is, Carson. She only left a message on my answering machine at home saying she would be back later in the week.”

  Later in the week. Maybe that would be today, he thought.

  “Did she say why she left?”

  Amie shook her head.

  He glanced away.

  “I have to talk to her Amie. If I could just call her, explain something—”

  “I think explaining would probably be in order. In fact, perhaps you should have done that a little sooner.”

  Ah. So Amie did know more than she was letting on.

  He looked at her again. “It was a difficult situation.”

  “Gracie is an understanding woman.”

  “I know that.”

  “You should have trusted her to understand.”

  “I know that, too.”

  “You shouldn’t have avoided her.”

  “It wasn’t that, Amie. There was more to it than that. It was Izzie, she was just so...” He didn’t go on. There was no need for him to hash this out with Amie. Standing, he tossed a dollar bill onto the table for his coffee. “If you see her, just tell her I need to talk to her. If she calls, tell her, too. Will you please do that for me?”

  Amie’s face softened then and she nodded. “Yes. I’ll do that, Carson. I’ll tell her.”

  With a jerk of his head, he told her, “Thanks,” then left the restaurant. A fear like he’d never known gripped him like a knife to the gut. He’d lost her. And then he reminded himself that he’d consciously decided to take the risk to love her, and that Gracie was worth the pain.

  Every minute he’d loved her was worth it.

  He just didn’t know it would hurt this bad.

  * * * *

  It was late Saturday evening when Gracie came home. With her heart guarded and her mind made up, she quietly made her way up the back stairway to her apartment, careful not to wake her next door neighbors. There was one thing she noted as she’d pulled into her parking space behind the shops—Marci’s car was gone. She didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t alter her plans. Not one bit.

  It didn’t matter to her anymore whether Marci meant anything at all to Carson, or even whether she slept in his bed. All that mattered was that Gracie knew that she was the only person she could ever depend on. All Gracie Hart would ever have is herself, and it was high time she accepted that fact.

  She would remain firm in her convictions and she would not be swayed. She’d found the solitude she longed for in her stay in the mountains the past few days. The pain was still there, would always be there. She’d learned to live with it before, she’d learn to live with it again.

  The thing she knew more than anything else, however, was that she would never risk the pain again.

  There would be no children, no husbands, no lovers in her life. That just appeared to be her destiny. There would be no more Romantically Yours, either.

  She’d found a new place to start over, and that’s what she intended to do.

  New shop. New friends. New life.

  She’d done it before, she’d do it again.

  There was only one task remaining. One more thing she had to take care of. And she would do that first thing in the morning. There was no use dragging this thing out.

  It was time to get on with her life. Without Carson and Izzie.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carson woke with thoughts of Gracie running through his head. Every morning this week, he’d done that. He couldn’t rid his mind or his heart of her. He wanted her to come back so badly he ached inside.

  And poor Izzie. She’d been through it, too. What a topsy-turvy emotional week for the two of them. He hoped he’d never have to go through anything like that ever again.

  He needed Gracie and so did Izzie. They both loved her.

  There was nothing he could do, however, until she returned, so he set about to making things as normal as possible for his daughter.

  He rose from his bed and went straight to the coffee-maker. It was still early and Izzie probably wouldn’t be up for a while yet, so he decided to walk to the newsstand on the corner to pick up a Sunday paper before he fixed pancakes for their breakfast. A leisurely few minutes drinking coffee and reading the paper would be just the right start for his day, he decided.

  As soon as he stepped through the back door, however, he realized that a leisurely cup of coffee and the morning paper would be out of the question.

  Gracie was back. Her Miata was parked behind the shop. He wasted no time in turning back into the building and heading up the stairway to her apartment.

  * * * *

  Gracie was about to open her door when she heard the knock. She didn’t give herself time to
prepare for who might be on the other side, she simply opened the door and waited.

  It was Carson.

  Somehow she knew it would be.

  “I was just getting ready to come see you,” she said, her voice controlled and her demeanor businesslike. It was the only way she could get through this, she’d decided, to act like nothing had ever happened between them and end this thing before it got out of hand.

  “I was just coming to see you.” Carson smiled, and it was extremely difficult for Gracie not to smile back and jump into his arms. But she would stand firm. She had to.

  “Come in, then.” She opened the door and stepped aside as Carson brushed by her. He made his way to the sofa and sat. Gracie chose to sit in an armchair to his left.

  A moment of awkwardness swept by them, then Gracie said, “I’ve made a decision while I was away the past few days. I’m selling the building. I’m giving you first shot at buying me out.”

  She could tell from the look on Carson’s face that her statement had come from way out in left field. There was nothing more she wanted to say, so she waited for him to respond. Unfortunately, his response was not what she expected.

  “We need to talk, Gracie. And not about you selling this building. We need to talk about us.”

  “There is no us.”

  The pain that raced across his face was almost more than she could bear. Gracie glanced away.

  “A week ago, there was an “us.” We need to talk about that. About what happened.”

  Gracie shook her head, still not looking at him.

  “Talk to me Gracie. Let me know what you’re thinking.”

  She turned to him them. “You’re a fine one to tell me to talk. You avoided me for two entire days. I think you should have taken that initiative a few days earlier.”

  She could tell she’d hit a nerve and she was almost sorry she’d said what she’d said, but it needed to be done.

  He slowly nodded. “You’re right. So, I’ll talk to you now.”

  “It’s too late. I don’t want to hear it.”