by Tanya Vought
“Gracelynn, oh my God. Are you hurt? Is everything okay?” Gio asks with alarm.
She can tell he’s worried. It warms her heart realizing he truly does care. “Gio, don’t worry. I’m fine. I just wanted to hear your voice. I have about fifteen minutes until I get home.”
“Please be safe and pay attention to the road, Gracie. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m almost home now, Gio. I can see my house up ahead.”
“Okay. Thanks for calling me as promised. I’ll talk to you soon, doll,” he whispers.
She however, quietly hears him say, “I miss you already,” as he hangs up the phone.
* * *
Those four hours without hearing from Gracelynn were torture. He’s paced the house an endless amount of time and still doesn’t like the sadness he’s feeling. Even a brisk walk didn’t take away the feeling he’s had since she left him and Holly.
He hears his phone ring in the office and he fears the worst. His heart just about leaps from his chest. He runs into the office, notices her name and picks up right away.
“Are you hurt?” He can’t help but that be the first thing that comes to mind. He fears something would happen to her. He’s relieved when she says she’s fine.
“Talk to you soon, doll.”
He hangs up the phone and has to figure out his life. If he wants to continue on with the hotel life that was handed to him by his so-called grandfather or pursue another career.
As he tries to figure out all the figures, numbers and such at his desk, with Holly under his feet, he notices it’s eight pm and he hasn’t heard from Gracelynn since she arrived home.
He gets up from the desk in the library and heads to the kitchen to grab a snack. He lets Holly out, heats up some leftovers and goes to sit on the sofa to eat while watching Guy’s Big Bite— when his phone goes off. He smiles, realizing it’s a text from Gracelynn.
Gracelynn: I had a relaxing bath & took a little nap. I’m not ready to go back to work.
Gio: I’m glad you enjoyed your nap & bath. Next time, leave out the bath comment. It makes me think very naughty thoughts.
Gracelynn: You sir, are a dirty rotten pig. lol
Gio: I’m a dirty rotten, pig, eh? You like it and you know it!
Gracelynn: Yes, I guess I do.
Gio: Let me call you.
He doesn’t let her respond. He picks up the phone and calls her.
“Hello, handsome she utters breathlessly.
“Why hello. Do you greet all your phone calls in that manner?”
“Oh shut up. You should know I don’t.”
“Did you see anything unusual in your bag, Gracelynn?” he asks nervously, wondering what she may think of the gift he snuck in her bag.
“No, I haven’t looked yet. Why, what did you do, Gio?”
“Oh nothing. I didn’t do anything at all, doll,” he says chuckling and a little worried what she may think but is partially confident she may enjoy it.
“Oh God. What did you do?” She gasps into the phone.
He hears her rustle around. He’s assuming she’s looking in her bags for the gift.
“This is amazing,” she gushes into the phone at him. He smiles.
She holds up an engraved bracelet, just like Gio’s, but hers is white gold with gold words in laid in it reading “Faith, Hope & Love.” He bought her the most beautiful gift, and it makes her heart melt.
“There’s more,” he says, hoping she’ll like the other small token. He hears her looking through the package again and knows when she’s found the shirt. He can hear her sniff it and it makes him feel possessive at the thought she’s going to be wearing something of his.
“Thank you. I’m going to put it on. I would love to see you.”
He hangs up on her and decides to Facetime with her.
“Hello, gorgeous. Sorry I hung up abruptly. I wanted to Facetime with you.”
“Hello, you,” she states with a bit of sex appeal to her voice.
“That shirt looks amazing on you. I like my stuff on you.”
She laughs and he watches her cheeks redden. “I agree. Now, go to your bedroom and see if maybe a few presents were left for you.”
He’s anxious. His heart thumps in his chest. He carries the phone with him so she can watch his reaction.
“You didn’t have to get me another present, Gracelynn.”
“I wanted to. Besides, you gave me two more fabulous presents,” she replies and he notices her sniffing his shirt again, which only makes him wish she was with him in the flesh and not talking on the phone.
He notices a wrapped package neatly placed on his pillow. He unwraps the gift and gasps. It’s a collage of all of them together at Christmas. The cabin, the lake, him rowing in the canoe, him and Holly and last a picture Anne or Kat took of them looking at each other with sincere and true affection.
“Thank you so much for the gift,” he says, feeling sad.
“I didn’t realize how badly I would miss you.” She smells his flannel shirt for him to see.
“We should get to bed now. It’s midnight.”
“We’ve been on the phone that long already?” she asks, looking at him sadly.
His heart breaks but he’s tired. “Yes, doll. We have. I love talking to you, but I have to get to work early in the morning. I don’t get weekends off. However, I’m the boss and I should work on that schedule.” He smirks at her.
“Oh, I’m sorry and yes, you’re the boss. You should do whatever you like.” She grins at him as she shows him she is now in bed. That only has him wishing she was lying in his bed with him.
“It’s okay, Gracelynn. I was working on it most of the night anyways, trying to figure out if I want to keep the company or get rid of it. I have a lot to think about right now.”
“Good night, Gio. Thank you for my presents. I’ll cherish them.”
“You’re welcome. Talk to you soon, okay? Sweet dreams.”
Chapter 40
ON MONDAY, GRACELYNN IS HAPPY she’s back at work. Everyone has been commenting on her appearance, her work ethic and so is her one co-worker. He’s been around her often and trying to flirt with her. However she’s not having it. She doesn’t want him, she only wants Gio. After all the gaping, she’s unsure what to do and is miraculously called into Cassie’s office.
“Wow. You looks stunning, Gracelynn.” Cassie whistles at her as she sits behind her sleek desk. “What happened to the old Gracelynn?”
Gracelynn shakes her head.” I got a makeover. I take it you approve.”
“Approve. Damn. You look hot and every man on this floor agrees with me,” Cassie tells her as she continues to check her out.
“Oh please, not every man on our floor thinks I’m hot. Get it together.” Gracelynn pushes her bangs away from her face.
Cassie ignores her. “Trust me when I say I know everyone on this floor thinks you’re hot. I hear and see everything. Don’t you remember? I’m HR and have access to everyone’s email and chat logs.”
Gracelynn smiles.
“How was your trip?”
“I had a great time. I tried calling you and Ben several times but neither of you answered your phone. ”
“We didn’t receive any messages from you, Gracelynn. We were starting to worry ourselves since we didn’t hear from you.”
“What do you mean? I sent you countless texts and tried calling you both,” she explains, getting frustrated. “I wasn’t sure what was going on. I was in an accident. I never made it to your so-called retreat destination, but did meet Angelo’s twin.”
Cassie is white as a ghost and Gracelynn thinks her best friend might faint.
“What do you mean you never made it to your destination? It was a remote, quiet cottage.”
“No, it was a cabi
n and inside was a sexy man who lived there by the name of Giovanni Antonetti,” Gracelynn explains quite happily.
“You can look at my phone, Gracelynn. I would never lie about not getting your messages or ignoring you. You should know this.” Cassie runs her hands through her blonde hair.
“I believe you. I just thought it all was quite odd. How’s Big Ben?” She figures if she gets the tension out of the room it’ll be better again.
“Well, smart ass Ben and I are doing great. We’re engaged.” Cassie lifts her hand to show Gracelynn a very generous one carat, round diamond solitaire.
“Wow! Congrats, Cassie. I’m so excited for you,” Gracelynn shouts.
“Wait there’s more,” Cassie explains. “We’re also expecting a baby,” she whispers.
“Oh my gosh! Cass, that’s so amazing! I’m going to be an aunt?” She hugs Cassie and touches Cassie’s little belly. “How far along are you?” Gracelynn is thrilled to be home, but wishes she could have Gio with her too.
“We are three months along. We’ll have a July baby.”
Gracelynn is so happy for her and Ben. Both are in their thirties, financially stable and perfect for one another. She wishes she could have that again.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Cassie asks, holding her little belly now.
“Nothing. I’m just so happy for you guys. So very happy.”
“I just remembered you said you met Angelo’s twin?! I never knew he had a twin!” Cassie declares while glancing over some forms on top of her desk.
“I didn’t either. However the present that Ben told me about in my car, well, Gio and I opened and we found out together. Which I will need to talk to you and Ben about later. However, Gio was taken from his family the day he was born by the family friend who was going to be their nanny.”
Gracelynn watches Cassie’s expression. It was the same as hers when she found out weeks prior.
“No freaking way! I don’t believe it. That’s so wrong.” She harshly sets her papers down and looks at Gracelynn.
“So, is he the ugly, fat twin?” Cassie asks with curiosity.
“Now, why do you care, Cass? You’re pregnant and engaged to Ben.” Gracelynn playfully harasses her friend, enjoying their banter. She truly missed her best friend.
“Oh come on. Tell me. He’s fat, isn’t he?! Oh wait. He must be handsome and that’s why you’re not telling me about him. Afraid I’ll take him away, huh?” Cass jokes. “Oh, is he the reason behind this fabulous haircut and cheerful you?”
Gracelynn laughs, holding her stomach. Her friend can be quite persistent when she wants to be. “Okay, he’s handsome, alright. He’s everything you would wish for in a man. Sexy as sin, respectful, kind and more.” She smiles as she recalls what he looks like and how he kisses.
“Excuse me, what are chatting about in here?” Ben says upon entering the room; but when he notices Gracelynn, his mouth gapes open, almost dropping to the floor. “Whoa, look at you, Gracie! You look phenomenal. Guess the trip did the trick, huh?” he asks, pulling her up into a big hug.
“Yes, the trip was rather surprising and amazing actually. Can we talk about it tonight or tomorrow? I don’t have any plans tonight or tomorrow for New Year’s.”
“I think you should come over for dinner, tonight. We don’t have anything planned and it would be wonderful to spend time with you,” Cassie gushes to her.
“Why don’t you come by around nine-ish this evening and we can munch on some snacks and hang out? Sound good?”
Gracelynn agrees and leaves their office, excited to spend some time with her best friends this evening.
As she heads back to her office, she enters to find a card and a single rose atop her desk. The card reads:
“Thinking of you. Have a fabulous day! Xxx’s Mr. Irresistible :) “
She immediately sniffs the rose and calls Gio to thank him for his thoughtful gesture.
“Hello there, Mr. Irresistible.” She smiles, glancing at her card and flower as she speaks with him.
He purrs back at her. “Hello, Doll. How are you?”
She smiles because he worries about her. “My morning has been interesting, that’s for sure. I wanted to call and say thank you for the flower. I love it. Thank you so much for thinking of me.”
“I wanted to make you smile,” he tells her honestly, leaving her so happy to have a man like this in her life.
“I did. I love it! I have to get back to work though. I get out at three o’clock since it’s New Year’s Eve.”
“Okay, I’ll call you when I get out. I should be here in the office till five. I’ll call you then, doll.”
She’ll never get over hearing his sexy voice. “Talk to you soon, Gio, and thanks again for my card and rose,” she says, still smiling for his incredibly nice gesture.
The rest of the day flies by as she completes her work with dedication and enthusiasm like she used to, before Angelo passed away. She smiles, loving the feeling that she’s happy again.
On her way out of the office at the end of the day, she notices some of her colleagues. They all comment on her new haircut, saying they love it. She thanks them and leaves the office in a happy mood.
She drives home and changes and waits for Gio’s call. She’s anxious and excited to go to Ben’s house. She hopes they know that despite her nice mood earlier, she wants to know their reasons for sending her to New Hope and if Ben knew what was in that box he sent along with her.
As she waits to leave for Ben and Cassie’s and for Gio’s call, she decides to clean her house. After she’s satisfied with her cleaning job, she sits on her plush, gray recliner and decides to read some of her smut books. She misses her fictional men, but life in the present has its advantages.
The phone rings. She smiles and reaches for it. She’s been waiting for Gio’s call but doesn’t want to sound needy. She’s never been needy, but he makes her so giddy.
“Hi, doll. How was your first day back?”
Her heart melts listening to Gio’s voice. He’s a kind-hearted man. “Well, it’s not the same as being in New Hope. I loved your small, amazing town, but everyone was glad I was back and loved my hair too,” she tells him as she runs her finger through her hair.
He sighs. “Mara did do a remarkable job on your hair.”
She blushes at his compliments. “Thank you. How was your day?”
“It was boring. Nothing is the same since you came into my life. My life is now mediocre when you aren’t around.” Her heart races when she sees the sensitive man show his affection for her.
“I feel the same way. You’ve made me whole again.”
She glances at her unique mechanical clock hanging above her plasma T.V. noticing the time. “Gio, I would love to talk with you all night but I promised Ben and Cassie I’d go to their house. I shouldn’t be over there too late. You doing anything exciting for the New Year’s Eve?”
She secretly hopes he isn’t going out to a bar or something like that alone. He’s sexy as hell and she doesn’t want him to get snatched up or run into Mallory again. She’s turning into a jealous woman over this man. Just thinking about Mallory makes her see red.
“I’m planning on going over to Grandma and Kat’s place; we usually play board games until the ball drops. It’s a lot of fun,” he tells her in an unusual quiet tone.
“It’s okay. I’ll talk to you soon. Hugs and kisses to Anne and Kat.”
They end the conversation and she tries not to ponder on the weird conversation she just experienced.
A quarter of an hour later, she pulls up in her Hyundai in front of Ben’s home. The house is elaborate, magazine-worthy. Tall windows make the house stand out as well as the maroon shutters that accent the deep dark grey siding. It’s homey and perfect for a family.
Ben greets her at the door, pulls her in a fri
endly embrace and leads her into the living room, where Cassie is sitting on the sofa. She enters the room with Ben and sits opposite them and watches as Ben holds Cassie’s hand on his lap. She admires the love she can see exchanged between the two of them.
“So, are you living here now, Cassie?” she blurts out since she didn’t see Cassie’s car out front.
Both look at one another with puppy dog eyes. “Yes, she is living here. When I asked her to marry me, we decided to live together here… since I did buy this house with her in mind.”
Ben leans forward and places a gentle kiss on her best friend’s temple. Grace is happy his feelings for Cassie seem sincere.
“I’m so happy for you both. Thrilled, even.” She gushes, but she’s hurt too. She’s hurt that they sent her away and wonders if they could have known what was in that present.
“Ben, I’m struggling here. On the one hand, I’m so happy for you. I wish you and Cassie a long life of happiness… But on the other hand I’m upset and hurt with you.” Her heart beats rapidly in her chest as she decides to go for it. “Did you know what would be in that package, Ben? Did you know what would be waiting for me in New Hope?”
Ben clears his throat and Gracelynn notices he grips Cassie’s hand. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He looks her square in the eyes.
“I want to know, Ben. The entire thing was too coincidental.” She crosses her legs, sitting like a pretzel on their brown, leather sofa.
“I was told to send you there, Gracie. It was the oddest thing. It was a dream or so I thought, until I woke up and saw the address and package next to my bed.”
Cassie nods in agreement with him and shivers go down Gracie’s spine.
“I know it’s odd, Gracie, but I’m telling you the truth. The voice told me you needed to go and that you needed to live your life. That it was time for you to move on.” Ben searches her eyes and continues. “And I agreed with the voice. Seeing the package and note on it in the morning only clarified I wasn’t crazy.”
Gracelynn stands up from the sofa, walks across the plush light brown carpet to Ben and Cassie. They hug her as tears pour down her face like a waterfall. They let her cry until she can’t cry anymore.
