Good Gracie

by Ines Saint

  “You need to give yourself permission to live life fully again. You need to believe that you deserve it. You’ve been in therapy and I know it’s helped, but you need to act, too.”

  “And how’s any of this supposed to help me with work? Because that’s the end game. I need to hit this one out of the ballpark.” Focusing on work made her feel like she could be in control again. She loved work. Work and family were her life.

  Hope gave her an encouraging smile. “Try to remember back when you first discovered boys. Back when everything was pure and new. Remember those butterflies in your stomach? They felt good, didn’t they? They’d put a spring in your step and help you hop out of bed and look forward to your day.”

  Gracie smiled despite herself. “Butterflies? Spring? Hope? None of this sounds like you. Not even your name sounds like you.”

  Hope lifted a shoulder. “I said back when everything was pure and new. I’m messed up now, but I still remember how it felt.”

  “I’m sorry.” Gracie took Hope’s hand in hers.

  “Don’t be. Like I said, I still have fun—just in a different way. I protect myself. And you can do the same in your own way.”

  Paige snaked her hands around both their necks, knocked their heads together, and got a chorus of ouches and dirty looks. “It can still feel pure and new. With the right guy. Don’t discount that.”

  Gracie rubbed her head. “I still fail to see how this will help me with work.”

  “Right.” Hope rubbed her head and shot Paige a look that promised revenge before turning to Gracie again. “When you embraced those feelings and had fun with them, it added to your day by making you feel more alive. Sure, it was still distracting, but I don’t remember any of our grades suffering over crushing over a guy. Work only suffers when you’re miserable, and right now you’re making yourself miserable.”

  “I have reasons! Did they tell you he’s running for county prosecutor? The last thing he needs is me, of all people, flirting with him in the courts building.”

  “They told us.” Paige nodded. “But I only see a problem if you stay away from Josh.” She hesitated, much as Josh had done, and she knew they were making the same point.

  Hope leaned forward. “People won’t see a girl when they look at you. You’re a woman, Gracie. Remember that. And you need to lose your fear and learn to trust members of the opposite sex again; not in all ways, mind you, but in certain ways, so you don’t hide from half the world. If you truly want to make it to the top of your profession, that’s a must, too.”

  Paige leaned in, too. “And I hate to say this to you, but you know there’s a possibility you’ll have to face the past—a past Josh is mixed up in. Facing what you’re feeling for him and possibly the past . . . those are your two biggest fears. You have a chance here to conquer both.”

  Hope smoothed back Gracie’s hair. “You still hold on to fear—fear of drawing attention to yourself and fear of being judged. The only way you can overcome those fears is to face them. The great thing is you won’t be alone. We’re here.”

  Gracie looked down at her lap and took deep, calming breaths. Coming back had been her choice, and she had known the possible consequences. Maybe, deep inside, she’d been ready. But she wouldn’t think about it beforehand. She couldn’t. Something in her told her it would be best to tackle things as they came. “I’ll deal.” She chanced a glance at them. “You know that, right?”

  Paige’s mouth went up in the corner. It was her sad but hopeful smile. “We know. Just like you knew I’d deal, too. Because that’s what we do. But I want you to do more than that. I want you to be free. I want you both to be free.”

  Gracie and Paige shared a loaded look, then. Though Paige’s now ex-husband—and the father of her two children—was free thanks to an immunity deal, the entire fiasco had taken a toll on her sister and her kids. Gracie and Hope had temporarily moved to Spinning Hills to help out and support their older sister in any way they could. But to top it all off, Paige, and their entire family, had fallen for Alex Hooke . . . the FBI agent in charge of her ex-husband’s case. He was a good, solid, honorable man, and becoming close to him had been the best thing for everyone involved in the end, but that didn’t stop it from being an almost insurmountable challenge. One Paige and Alex were still working on.

  But the look she and Paige were sharing now spoke of the emotional toll of unforeseen obstacles. “I’ll let what’s best for the job I have before me be my guide.”

  Hope sighed. “Famous last words.”

  Gracie gave her a questioning look.

  “Ask Alex Hooke.”

  They all laughed, though the joke made Gracie wonder. Was what she’d felt last night when Josh smiled at her the same thing Paige had felt for Alex when they’d been trying to work together to keep Paige’s ex from going to jail? Because Alex had almost been killed over it. Maybe her sisters were right. Maybe she had to grab the attraction thing by the horns so it wouldn’t sneak up on her at work and interfere with her days. “How do I flirt with Josh when my heart is pounding so hard it makes me dizzy? I don’t want to look like I’m having a panic attack.” She offered them a lopsided smile.

  Paige stood up. “That’s the spirit! Sort of. We definitely don’t want you to look like you’re having a panic attack.” She bit the inside of her cheek again. “Let’s discuss it with Grandma, Ruby, and Rosa, too. I’m sure they’ll have ideas of ways for you to explore your feelings that are both safe and fun.”

  Gracie shot her a bemused glance. “Their ideas are never what I’d call safe.”

  Hope’s eyes brightened. “No, but admit it, they’re always fun. . . .”

  Chapter 5

  Helen and Jamar walked in wearing expressions so sour, Josh raised both eyebrows in alarm and asked, “What?” in greeting.

  “Have you read the articles on your announcement?” Jamar asked.

  Josh frowned, not understanding. “Yes. They were either neutral or favorable.”

  “Did you read the comments section?” Helen asked.

  “No. That’s where the angry trolls hang out.” Josh relaxed and went back to his notes. “You guys shouldn’t waste your time there.”

  “Well, I did, and I copied and pasted a few I thought you should read.” Jamar set a single piece of paper down on the desk and pushed it his way.

  Josh slanted him a quizzical look before picking it up. Jamar had pasted five comments along with their source. A quick scan told him three were from the area’s major newspaper and two were from local television stations. Josh read the comments themselves. Seconds later he felt the blood drain from his face.

  Instead of fawning all over Josh Goodwin, the Dayton Times should look into allegations of an affair with a vulnerable seventeen-year-old client.

  The same comment, over and over and over again. When he read the username, his head shot up to look at Helen. “Pastsmatter.”

  Helen nodded slowly. “Pasts matter. The same words that were written in pink frosting on the bathroom mirror the day before yesterday.” She sighed. “I should’ve listened to you.”

  Josh blinked. That had been the same day he’d run into Gracie downstairs . . . He shook his head, feeling instant guilt over the wayward thought. It couldn’t have been Gracie. He leaned back. “This is messed up. To sneak in here, leave a message, and then leave comments. . . Who would do something like that? Why?”

  Jamar sat down. “Someone who wants to call attention to the old rumor, but who knows it was unsubstantiated. The news isn’t going to pick it up because there was nothing there. But by leaving innuendos in the comments section, it reaches the public, and leaving messages in pink frosting in the bathroom presents a mystery that might just get picked up by local media, especially if it’s tied to the comments.”

  Anxiety curled in Josh’s belly. That made sense. “That probably answers why . . .”

  Jamar nodded. “For the who we need to look at those who have the most to gain by bringing up a nasty r
umor, and that would be Rachel Foster and Kurt Bosco.”

  Helen shook her head. “I know them both well, personally and professionally. They’re tough and ambitious, but I can’t see either of them stooping this low.”

  Josh had to agree. “Neither can I.”

  “And so we expand the circle. Who benefits next?”

  Josh shrugged. “People around them who might hope to influence the prosecutor’s office.”

  Jamar nodded. “Let’s each make a list, meet tomorrow morning, and compare notes. Plus, it should be easy enough for one of you to check the visitor’s log to see if anyone who was here the day of the bathroom mirror incident fits the bill. I think that’s the best we can do for now. If we come up with some credible suspects, Josh can talk to them to see what he can learn and if he can stop anything. Unfortunately, Helen and I can’t get involved. No laws have been broken.”

  Helen and Jamar left and shut the door behind them. Josh knew he had to warn Gracie. She was probably in the building, but it wouldn’t do to go looking for her. Hopefully, they’d run into each other.

  * * *

  As Gracie sketched, clouds moved across the sun and the room grew darker. She watched as employees squinted and drew up closer to their desks. She walked over to the windows, turned, looked out onto the office space, and made a few small adjustments to the layout she was considering. Her phone buzzed and she looked down to see her boss, Diane Vail, was requesting a video conference for twelve o’clock. Gracie glanced at the time and frowned. It was ten to twelve. Whatever Diane wanted, it had to be urgent.

  She stepped into the dreary, windowless office she’d been assigned to and shut the door.

  “Hi, Diane,” she greeted her boss ten minutes later, when the request to meet had gone through. But her smile faltered when she saw her usually upbeat boss was looking distressed.

  “Hello, Grace. I have to catch a flight in an hour, so I’ll get right to the point. I received a call this morning from a Josh Goodwin, first assistant prosecutor for Montgomery County. He was requesting information on our bid and wanted to know how we’d found out about the project, citing possible conflicts of interest. Do you know this man? Has anything happened down there that would give him cause to call with these questions?”

  Gracie’s heart felt like it had imploded in her chest. “What?” she let out, before quickly composing herself. “Yes. I mean no.” She took a breath and puffed it out. “I mean, yes, I know him, but no, absolutely nothing has happened.” She gathered her thoughts. “Was he issuing some sort of threat?”

  Diane shook her head. “No. That was the first thing I demanded to know. And as I got more specific with my own questions about the purpose of the phone call, Mr. Goodwin backed off, but he promised he’d be in touch again.” She cocked her head. “I’m not worried about losing the job, Gracie. The bidding process was detailed and rigorous. I am worried about you and the team. Are you sure nothing has happened to give anyone cause for complaint?”

  Gracie did her best to exude confidence, but half a dozen thoughts were clogging her brain. Diane had to leave soon and Gracie didn’t know where to start or how to reassure her boss that everything was fine. She was the lead on the project, and complaints and phone calls looking into the company reflected poorly on her, no matter what Diane said. She took a deep, steadying breath and gave Diane her most reassuring smile. “Everything is great. The team is on fire and we can’t wait to show you everything we’ve got. I’ll try to get to the bottom of this, though, and I’ll call you as soon as I know what’s going on. But there’s one question only you can answer.” And Gracie couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before.

  Diane looked confused, but she gestured for Gracie to continue.

  “How did you find out about this bid?”

  Diane’s openly concerned features instantly shut down. “It was a tip. We get lots of them.”

  “Who gave you the tip?” Gracie pressed.

  Diane closed her eyes and said, “It was your grandmother.”

  The words hit Gracie like a splash of cold water. Everything stilled. The thoughts, the fears, the confusion. “My grandmother?” she repeated. Whatever she’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that.

  Diane nodded.

  “Unreal,” Gracie whispered. “How do you know my grandmother?” she asked.

  Diane looked truly uncomfortable then, and Gracie tried not to grit her teeth. This was her boss, after all, but she felt like a line had been crossed. She just wasn’t sure who had crossed it. “Diane, please. Explain this to me, because I feel like an F3 tornado just blew me smack into the middle of Oz.”

  Finally, Diane gave her one of her famously direct, no-nonsense looks. “When you applied for this job, your portfolio and grades were excellent, and you came highly recommended by your professors, but your personal references and background were just as important to me. Grace, dear, you must know we wouldn’t have hired you without a complete and thorough background check. When we learned you’d changed your name before college, we dug further.” She watched Gracie through the screen, as if she was waiting for everything to click on its own.

  “So . . . you know.”

  A subtle nod. “I learned you’d been involved in litigation and why, and as a woman, I felt for you, but as a businesswoman, I had to make sure we’d be a good long-term fit. Although I understood why you changed your name, it also raised a red flag. I needed to make sure there was nothing else you were trying to hide. When I called one of the references you listed, Rosa Medina, she kept covering the phone and bickering with someone else, and I could hear someone coaching her in the background, which raised another red flag. I called her out on it, and it turned out she was with your grandmother. I asked to speak to her and the rest is history. You and Midwest Workplace Design were a perfect fit, and your grandmother and I were a great fit, too. We’ve kept in touch. She didn’t want me to say anything to you because she knew it was important for you to feel like you were getting a fresh start.” She glanced at her watch and shook her head. “And I’m sorry, Grace, but I have to go. Please figure out what’s going on down there and call me tonight. I’ll be at my hotel by nine.”

  Gracie agreed, and as soon as Diane signed off, she banged her head on the desk a few times. When she was done, her head was clear.

  First things first. She’d deal with her grandmother later.

  * * *

  Josh’s attention was absorbed in the rereading of Chapter 2923 of the Ohio Revised Code. They were getting ready to charge Max Parker, the businessman police had accused of putting his son up to murdering his stepmom, with conspiracy to commit murder. Last week a prosecutor in Texas had made a rookie mistake in a similar case and a woman had been released from prison and couldn’t be retried. Josh was anticipating every defense tactic in the book and making sure his case for murder conspiracy met the legal definition in every possible way by arguing both sides of the case in his head.

  The door to his office was closed and all was quiet, giving him the peace he needed to dig deep. He sat back from time to time, giving every component careful thought before making notes.

  The intercom buzzed, pulling him out of the zone he was in, and a prickle of annoyance ran up his spine. “Yes?” he asked his secretary, Mona, doing his best to suppress his irritation.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Goodwin,” Mona’s voice came across too sweet and too professional. It was a tone he knew well. Someone was aggravating her and she was doing her best not to send them to Hades. “Grace Dearborn is here to see you. She insists you have an appointment, though you specifically asked me to clear your calendar this afternoon.”

  Grace Dearborn . . . It took Josh a moment to clear his head of the case in front of him. Mona was talking about Gracie. His irritation was replaced with concern. The comments from pastsmatter.

  “Uh, yes, I forgot I had this meeting. Show her in.”

  “I will. And I’ll be sure to pencil your meeting with her in now.”<
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  Josh closed his eyes and blew out a breath. Mona would be upset for at least three days. Part of him wished she’d retire, as she kept threatening to. A bigger part of him hoped the no-nonsense, predictable, and fiercely loyal curmudgeon never left him.

  Moments later Gracie marched into his office, her mouth set in a hard line, her tightly wound body looking as if it was about to snap in two. Josh involuntarily winced, almost expecting her to slam the door shut. Instead, she waited until the door was about to click before giving it a subtler yet equally foreboding shove.

  When she turned and pinned him with a furious glare, he sat up straight. With her hair pulled back, her cheeks flushed, and her blue eyes blazing, she looked . . . different. Not someone he should be feeling concerned about. “Gracie. What can I do for you?” he asked.

  “You can stop trying to sabotage my career, that’s what! I understand it’s inconvenient for you to have me back in town, but that doesn’t give you the right to call my boss and give her reasons to suspect something is wrong with my handling of this project!”

  If there was one thing a prosecutor grew used to quickly, it was defending himself from attacks. He got up, his eyes locking with hers. “That’s quite an accusation there. Where’s your evidence?”

  She took a step closer. “Don’t you lawyer talk me. I demand both an explanation and an apology!”

  Now that he was fully in the moment and feeling fired up, Josh became aware of two things at once. Not only was he alone in his office with the subject of an old, malicious rumor but his response to said subject was new and unexpected. The moment her eyes locked with his, his pulse quickened. He took a breath. “Calm down, Gracie. I swear to you I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eager to leave the office, he stepped away from his desk and grabbed his sports jacket. “But you can explain it to me over lunch.”