Saving Grace [Bear Creek, Texas] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lee Rose

  She had the day off since tonight was the cook-off. Flo and Bill had closed the café so they could get everything ready for tonight. She couldn’t help but feel excited. She thought about running into Jackson. Every time he stood close to her, feelings she had been sure were dead came alive again—excitement, anticipation, attraction.

  She regretted the fact that all she had were baggy clothes she had brought with her when she was deciding on what to wear. She had saved her tips since she never went anywhere. Maybe she would take a walk to the boutique in town and see what they had. It was silly but she wanted to look nice. She had always paid attention to fashion and loved dressing up before. Until James’s attack and the lawyers trying to blame her for it made her scared to dress up. Well, no more.

  Grace found a pretty white-and-pink gingham patterned skirt that she fell in love with right away. It was the perfect fit. She had beige cowboy boots already. After trying several shirts on she settled on a short-sleeved button light gray blouse. She hadn’t felt this excited in a long time. Was she being ridiculous? After all, Jackson said he wanted to be friends and that was all. And she wasn’t interested in ever entering another relationship, so why did she feel the need to dress up tonight? Bill and Flo were picking her up so she went outside to anxiously wait for them, not wanting them to know she was excited at seeing Jackson. They had taken a dislike to him.

  Grace helped Bill and Flo set up their stand for the chili. The big event was being held at the town community hall on Main Street. The large brick building was crowded with food vendors and town people ready to sample all the good homemade food. The smells of all the different dishes being offered made her feel hungry. She was excited about seeing Hannah and Jackson tonight. It was ridiculous how she felt attracted to Jackson. He said he wanted friendship and she should be glad that was all he wanted, but her body reacted instantly when he came close to her. Her heart would start beating wildly despite the protests her mind repeated about not trusting men.

  “Grace.” Grace was helping Bill set up and turned when she heard her name being called. She saw Ida, Hannah, and Jackson at their chili stand across from Bill and Flo, and she waved to them in a greeting.

  “Tonight they are the enemy, child,” Bill grumbled playfully, putting his colorful sign up announcing his famous chili.

  Flo laughed as she set out her special homemade cornbread muffins. “Pay no attention to him, Grace. Go on over there with Hannah. Have fun tonight. You look really pretty. Wait until the dancing starts.”

  Grace walked over to Ida’s table and Ida gave Grace a big hug and admired her pretty outfit.

  “Ready for the big night, Ida?” Grace asked, looking at Ida’s table and smelling the wonderful aroma coming out of the large crock-pot Ida had sitting on the table. “I know it’s all Bill has talked about until Flo tells him to stop.”

  Ida nodded with a grin, rubbing her hands together with glee. “I’m ready to win.”

  Hannah laughed and teased her aunt playfully. “I don’t know, Ida. Bill might just win this year. I hear he has been practicing a lot.” Hannah was dressed in a pretty blue sundress that made her blue eyes shine brightly and white sandals.

  “Nonsense,” Ida replied huffily, shooing them away with her hands. “Off you go, children. I have a judge to charm,” she said, fixing her apron and patting her hair.

  Jackson pretended to be shocked. “You vixen, so that’s how you win every year.”

  “I want to try the apple pies first,” Hannah said, rubbing her stomach with her hands. “I missed lunch and the smells here are amazing.”

  Jackson looked at Grace. She could feel herself blush as he checked out her appearance and gave a wolf whistle. “What do you want to try, sexy lady?”

  “Anything but chili, no offense, Ida.” She laughed, feeling light hearted and linking her arm with Hannah’s arm, feeling happy. It was an amazing feeling that she had forgotten but now she appreciated every little moment it came her way.

  The three of them wondered off, listening to the country band playing and walking around all the food and arts and crafts tables, stopping by each one to get samples and chatting with the people they knew. People looked at her curiously since they probably expected to see Kelly with Jackson. Jackson ignored the looks and paid attention to Grace only. Jackson insisted on buying her a cowboy hat at one stand.

  “You can’t dance at the square dance later without the hat, Gracie. It’s against the rules,” he insisted with a serious face, ignoring her protests about spending his money.

  “He’s always right, Grace. At least, that’s what he’s been telling me all my life. Might as well give in and take the hat, and since you are being so generous, brother dear, I want one, too.” Hannah laughed with joy at seeing her big brother happy again and obviously over Kelly.

  Jackson groaned playfully at his sister, taking out his wallet from his back pocket. “I guess I walked into that one.”

  Grace gave in graciously and picked out a pale beige cowboy hat with a pink band on it. She modeled, flipping her hair out jokingly.

  “Well, darling, how do I look?”

  Jackson pretended to think about it rubbing his chin as if searching for an answer until Grace hit him in the chest.

  “Okay, okay you look beautiful and glowing with happiness.” He answered truthfully grabbing Grace by the hand and not letting it go.

  Hannah picked out a white one with a navy-blue band and put it on her head with a big smile. “I want this one, Jack. My brother is right, Grace. You look hot tonight.”

  “Let’s go get some apple cider, shopping makes me thirsty.” he suggested, putting one arm casually around Grace and the other around Hannah. “And maybe a corndog or two. I’m getting hungry, too.”

  Ben was standing in line at the apple cider table when he spotted them and smiled, winking at Hannah. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white button-down shirt. “Hey, Jackson, it is not fair for you to get two beautiful women. Let me take one off your hands.”

  Grace blushed but Hannah rolled her eyes at Ben and snorted at his comment. “Here by yourself, sheriff? I thought you were dating Dorothy what’s her name.”

  Ben chuckled at Hannah’s show of jealousy and he kissed her hand softly, looking her up and down in her pretty dress until her cheeks turned pink. “Pure gossip, but I am expecting a dance from you, sweetheart. That’s my only reason for coming tonight.”

  Hannah pulled her hand away from him and folded her arms across her chest and said haughtily, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder, “Sure it was, and we’ll see if I have time. My dance card might be full, sheriff.”

  Ben was very tall and handsome, with wavy brown hair and green eyes. Being the town sheriff and single, the women all chased him, but Hannah refused to be one in a crowd of many. Ben chuckled at her sassiness and winked. “You know you are number one in my heart, baby. I will see you in a bit and I will get that dance Hannah.” He walked off to talk to one of the venders who was waving him over.

  Grace looked at Hannah’s pink cheeks and laughed. “Wow, Hannah. He is definitely interested in you. I could feel the heat wave between you two. He is all man, girlfriend.”

  Hannah laughed as Jackson scowled at Grace’s description of Ben. “I’m much better looking, Grace.”

  “He is hot, but he is also a playboy, and I refuse to compete with a bunch of silly women who are all always following him around,” Hannah explained, observing the way Grace unknowingly patted Jackson’s hand in a comforting gesture. She had a good feeling about these two.

  The beat of the music started to pick up so the three of them went to join the dancing that was taking place by the stage in the next room.

  Grace had so much fun learning how to do all the line dances. Jackson was patient and courteous with her, making sure he wasn’t aggressive toward her. He scowled at any other male wanting to dance with her, making Hannah and Grace laugh hysterically at his face. Ben did get his dance with Hannah and Jackson s
tayed by Grace’s side all night, dancing with her and patiently teaching her all the right steps, laughing with her when she got it wrong and wanted to do it again.

  “Let’s go get some air for a minute,” Jackson suggested to Grace while Hannah was busy dancing with Ben. He took off his hat. It was hot and stuffy in the hall with all the dancing and crowds of people.

  They went outside to get some fresh air and sat on a bench outside in front of the building. There was a nice breeze going in the night air. The stars were shining brightly and Grace took a deep breath. The streets were quiet but peaceful since everyone was inside.

  “I am having so much fun, Jackson. Thanks for teaching me to dance,” Grace told him, looking into his handsome face and beautiful eyes and wishing she had met him before James and Kelly had come into their lives. “I hate to think I am cramping your style. You don’t have to hang around me all night. I saw a lot of the pretty ladies eyeing you and making mean faces at me.”

  Jackson chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder giving her a gentle friendly squeeze. “I’ve seen plenty of men giving you the eye, too, Grace but I’m not nice enough to share you.”

  “Me? No way.” She laughed, not believing him for a moment, leaning back against his arm and relaxing. Dancing had made her tired and she had a feeling tonight she would sleep well.

  “Don’t you know how beautiful you are, Grace?” he whispered, pushing a curly strand of red hair out of her face. “I’ve always showed up to these events to help Ida set up her stand and left right away. Tonight though I had so much fun and it’s because of you Grace. I really like you and I’m sorry I was so rude to you before.

  “Would it freak you out if I said I want to kiss you so badly right now that I ache inside?” Jackson asked softly, holding her hand and trying to gauge her reaction. “But I’m afraid if I do, I will ravish you uncontrollably.”

  Grace didn’t know what to say, so she tilted her head up to look at him with a curious smile. She had felt those words as if he caressed her with his hands sending a shudder through her body. “Ravish, huh? Sounds interesting. I don’t think I have ever been ravished before.”

  He smelled like aftershave as he scooted close to her and leaned toward her, speaking softly in her ear. “Too bad. I think you’d like it. For tonight I think you should kiss me.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “What? Me? But…” Well, why not, she told herself. I’m a modern woman, aren’t I? I can do this. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and leaned into his warm body. She reached up to caress his face, loving the stubble of hair she felt growing. It was so masculine and sexy. Jackson closed his eyes and waited for her to make a move. She ran her tongue softly and shyly over his lips, feeling encouraged when he moaned softly. He opened his lips, letting her tongue in and she explored him slowly at first then gaining confidence. She caressed his neck and shoulders with her hands almost hesitantly. She kissed him with all the desire she felt and smiled inwardly when he tightened his arms and pulled her as close as possible to his body, taking over the kiss. They explored each other intimately and she didn’t want it to end, she could feel herself getting wetter by the minute and was surprised since they were only kissing.

  Jackson put his hand under Grace’s shirt and caressed her back softly. Her skin was silky smooth and he could feel his cock hardening in excitement at the feel of her skin underneath his hands.

  “Wow, that was just amazing,” Grace said breathlessly when he pulled away, looking up at him with soft sensual eyes. She forgot what she was saying and got lost in his eyes instead putting her hand over her rapidly beating heart.

  Jackson smiled smugly and hugged her tightly glad he was sitting down because he wasn’t sure he could stand. “Yeah, we definitely are attracted to each other so what if we went out on a date? Can you trust me to take you somewhere? I really enjoy your company and I want to know you better. I want you to see I may have acted like an idiot but I’m not such a bad guy.”

  It was unexpected but she was attracted to him. She couldn’t deny that especially after that mind blowing kiss. She had to be honest. “I am attracted to you, Jackson, but I’m not sure. I’m afraid. There is so much I have to tell you first and you might change your mind about dating me.”

  “We’re alone out here so just tell me, Grace. What happened to you?” he asked and put his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to his body. “You inspire a lot of loyalty from the people in this town. No one would gossip about you, so I don’t know what happened, only that something terrible did. After I was so mean to you at the fundraiser all the bingo ladies in my aunt’s club have been looking at me with evil eyes and wagging their fingers at me, telling me to be nice or else.”

  Grace took a deep long breath hating to rehash the memories but knowing it was important for Jackson to know the truth before they went any further. She had to be honest with him. She started slowly telling him about James, his cheating on her and then attacking her. She tried to keep her tears at bay but she couldn’t when she remembered the awful trial and James’s lawyer trying to make it sound like it had been all her fault. It was still too fresh and painful and she hated the memories that came with telling the story. She started sobbing when she told him about her ugly scars on her chest and hands, her body shaking from the force of her sobbing. Grace felt Jackson tightened his arms around her and rocked her back and forth in a comforting motion until her tears subsided and she hiccupped softly, leaning her head tiredly on his shoulder and loving the shelter his arms made around her. That was the first time she had talked so openly about her ordeal but it felt good to finally let some of it out.

  “Oh, Grace, you make me feel so ashamed of myself,” he whispered into her throat inhaling her sweet scent.

  “Why?” she asked in a confused voice and looked up at him with teary eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong Jackson.”

  “For lots of things. I was so awful to you for no reason other than the fact that I wanted you badly but I was still bitter over what Kelly did to me. You should have slapped me, cussed me out,” he told her seriously, kissing her forehead in a silent apology.

  Grace giggled softly, playing with a button on his shirt, not noticing that it was affecting him physically. “I did inside my head but I was too afraid to do it out loud. You’re intimidating when you’re angry, Jackson.”

  “Here I was feeling so sorry for myself over what Kelly did to me. I let the whole experience change who I was, becoming a monster I didn’t even like. I hurt my family and you. You went through so much worse than I did and you are still kind and sweet. I wish I could go back and start over with you,” he whispered still holding her in his arms.

  Grace sat quietly thinking about his words. She leaned her forehead against his chest, listening to his heart beating and finding comfort in the rhythm. “I get so tired of fighting my fears. I want to move on with my life and put it all behind me but it’s not that easy. So many thoughts run through my head. Why was I so gullible? Could I have prevented it, and how do I stop being so scared, Jackson? It’s like standing at the edge of an unopened doorway. I want to go in and see what’s on the other side but I can’t make myself turn the doorknob because I’m afraid I’ll get hurt.”

  He tightened his arms around her and rubbed her arms up and down softly, as if reassuring himself she was safe now. “You can’t take the blame for the actions of someone else, Grace. You did nothing wrong and no one deserves what happened to you. Maybe together we can open the door and be strong for one another. You make me want to stop thinking of the mistakes I made and move on to something new. Take my hand, Grace, and take a chance. Let’s take this journey together, Grace.”

  Be brave, Grace, she told herself over and over as she looked at Jackson reaching out his hand toward her, waiting for her to reach out and grab it. She looked into his beautiful eyes that were glittering with determination. She took a deep breath, reached out for his hand and opened her mouth and said the words she ne
ver thought she would say again. “I want to go out on a date with you, Jackson.”

  Chapter 8

  Grace knew Bill and Flo were worried about her date with Jackson because of the way Jackson had treated her in the past. Bill wasn’t as gruff because he had won first place in the chili cook-off and couldn’t stop smiling, but Flo didn’t trust Jackson to be nice. She made Grace promise to call them if she got scared. Grace knew as soon as she walked out the door Flo would be on the phone with her mom. Grace knew this was a big step she was taking, but she trusted Jackson, and that was a scary feeling in itself because she had promised herself she would never do that again. She felt an internal pull toward Jackson that couldn’t be analyzed or explained, and she could only hope it didn’t lead to more pain, but she was exploring this new sensation.

  Jackson took her to Mount Bonnell Park in Austin. It had one of the highest points in the city where you could see the whole view of Austin. She told him on the drive to Austin that Bill and Flo had taken her to some art museums and gift shops already.

  There were ninety-nine steps that led to the high point of a hill. “What do you think, baby? Want to climb the steps?” he asked, as if challenging her.

  It wasn’t as hot as other days and Grace was glad she had dressed casually in blue jean shorts and a pink T-shirt and tennis shoes. “You only live once, right?” she answered, looking up at all the steps and smirking at him. “But can you handle it?”

  Jackson laughed. “Last one up buys lunch.” He started running up the stairs before she could move.