Chapter 1 Grace
GRACE
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Kerry Winsor: Guys, it’s getting a little quiet around here. Does anyone have any news for me?
Comments:
Kerry Winsor: Uh, hello? @everyone
Mollie Wilson: What do you want us to say? We JUST had a TV crew here and got our library renovated. It’s gonna be a little quiet . . .
Kerry Winsor: I’m just used to the constant news! It kept me alive!
Kerry Winsor: So, when are you having another baby?
Mollie Wilson: When I’m not covered in spit up . . .
Hu Gh: I have a few questions for Goggle. I can just put them in here.
Jade Clark: NO. Please. The last time was bad enough.
I was about to take a bite of the best burrito I’d ever made when my front door opened.
“Come in,” I said to the only other person who had the key. “I wasn’t in the middle of anything.”
My sister stormed into the living room. Her light, wavy hair was a mess, and she looked like she’d just woken up. I was used to random drop-ins from her ever since she’d moved to Nashville, but this was early for her.
“I hate them. I hate them so much!”
I set down my burrito with a sigh. Only my sister would drive three hours to complain about roommates, but I was the only one who would listen, and she liked to do things in person so no one could hang up on her.
When she moved to Nashville two months ago to pursue her dream of singing, I thought this would stop. But she’d been having issues with both her waitressing job and her two roommates. She’d switched jobs many times, but was stuck with the women.
Few people could tolerate Brooke like I could.
When she lived here, she was the bane of the town’s existence.
Not once in her life had she been able to take no for an answer.
She was rude, callous, and unkind to pretty much everyone she met.
Many people had told me that it felt like she thought she was above all of them simply because she had big dreams to move out of this small town.
People wondered how I was able to deal with her. Hell, even I wondered how I did it, but Brooke was my only family, and I loved her.
Even if she interrupted my delicious breakfast.
She would be here to bitch about her roommates, get some home-cooked food from me, and then return to Nashville.
“What happened?” I asked.
“They all think that I should do everything around the apartment to ‘pull my weight.’ As if they pull their own! No one does the dishes. Why do I have to do them for everyone?”
That was . . . actually a reasonable reason to be angry.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That’s a lot to put on someone. Why don’t I make you some tea to calm down?”
“I don’t need to calm down. I need them to respect me.” She stomped to the kitchen and I let out a long breath.
I checked the clock. I didn’t have the time to spare for a tirade from Brooke, but I heard from her so rarely that I knew I needed to be here for her.
“So, that’s a no on the tea?”
She scoffed and shoved a mug at me. That answered my question.
“I can’t wait until I’m famous and have my own place,” she said as I heated some water.
Despite her unannounced arrival, it was nice to have a second person in the kitchen.
When Mom left the house to me, I thought Brooke and I would be sharing it for a long time.
The two of us, even with how loud she was, still never felt like it truly filled the space.
We’d grown up in a split-level family home.
The kitchen flowed into a den that was made for hosting parties, and there were more than enough bedrooms.
It was too much for me.
In many ways.
As I grabbed the mug to add a tea bag, I ignored the stain that had been on the countertops for years. The house had a lot of cosmetic things wrong with it. It needed work that I didn’t have the time or money to do. Mom must have been a superwoman to find time to work and keep up on this place.
Still, I’d never get rid of it. The wood-toned cabinets were familiar in the most comforting way. I knew every creak of the floor, every noise that the home made.
Brooke sat at the dining room table, which was right off the kitchen. The table was uneven and nearly tipped over. “Jesus, are you ever gonna fix this thing?”
It was on my list, but I knew the truth. I was way too overwhelmed to ever get to it.
People in the town would probably help, but I made a name for myself helping them and not the other way around. I couldn’t imagine ever letting them return the favor. Mom had been the same way, always self-sustaining.
Brooke was not.
“Eventually,” I said slowly as I poured the hot water and then made my way to where she was sitting. “Here you go.”
She immediately took a sip. “It’s way too hot, but it’ll do.”
That was as close to a thank-you as I’d get.
“How’s fame coming along?”
That perked her up. I was wary of her chances becoming famous in a big town like Nashville.
I wouldn’t ever say it out loud, but she wasn’t the kind of person to put in the work for anything.
She wanted it to just happen. And judging by the talent that I had heard in the shower, she would need to work in order to become a singer like she wanted to be.
But I still supported her. I was her sister, after all.
“I have a few auditions for some bands. One of them could really be it for me.”
“Good. I hope it goes well.”
“You’re using that voice again,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “The fake Grace voice.”
“I’m not being fake. I do hope it goes well.”
“You think I can’t sing.”
“I just said that lessons might be good for you,” I hedged gently. I had said that after a night of talking to my friends. They’d all told me to try to reason with Brooke and warn her about how hard getting a singing career would be. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. “But all singers need them.”
Brooke crossed her arms. “You’re terrible at making me feel better.”
“I recorded the Kardashians just in case this happened,” I said, instead of taking her bait. She always felt better when she got to see her favorite reality TV family. “Watch that and feel better, then go back to Nashville.”
“Fine.”
I patted her shoulder before going to my room. My brain was still foggy from dealing with her, as it always was when Brooke was angling for a fight, but I pushed it away and focused on my outfit for the day.
I opened my closet and ran my hands over all of the clothes. I had a collection way too big for just one person, but I always put effort into my outfit. It was the one thing that always made me feel better.
I had all kinds of different patterns: floral, stripes, and even leopard print.
It took me a while to picture what I wanted to look like that day, but eventually, I landed on a skirt that I had just gotten the week before.
It had cherries all over it and went with a graphic tee with a lime that I’d had forever and never wore.
I loved finding the perfect match, for both me and others, and my mood was instantly lifted. Once I was dressed, I put on a little bit of makeup before taking in my entire self.
A long time ago, I would’ve refused to look at myself in the mirror before leaving for the day.
I had always been curvier than Brooke, but my weight fluctuated over the years and I hated the way my reflection would change.
Now that I was an adult, I was determined to grow to love my body exactly as it was.
A small smile made it to my face. My curly hair was laying perfectly and the two pieces went together just as I expected them to.
Brooke might have arrived and messed with my routine, but after getting it right today, I felt exactly as I should.
When I got to the square, the spots in front of my clothing shop, Treasure Trove, were taken. With the town’s recent popularity, parking was sometimes hard to come by.
I didn’t mind the walk, especially when the weather was nice.
The Tennessee October air was always a gamble. Sometimes, it felt like fall. Other times, the heat held on with an iron grip. This morning was cool, and just the feeling I needed.
“A little late today?” Marjorie asked as she walked by. She used to be retired with her wife, Henrietta, but recently, she went back to work at the town library and I got used to seeing more of her. “Bad girl, Grace.”
I laughed. “When have you ever known me to be bad, Marjorie?”
“Good point. This is about as wild as you get.”
“Shouldn’t you also be at work?”
“Henrietta wanted a warm drink on a cold day. Sue me.”
“Tell Tammy hi for me!”
“I hear they’re building a coffee shop.” She leaned in like it was massive news, and to be fair, it was. “I’ll be the first in line. Tammy’s coffee kinda sucks.”
“Shh,” I said. “Don’t let her hear you say that. It’s the one thing she can’t find a good supplier for.”
“I tell the truth,” Marjorie said. “Don’t lie to me, Grace. You’re as excited as the rest of us.”
“I might wind up being second in line,” I said with a laugh.
“I knew it.” She smiled. “I better see you there.”
She waved before continuing on with her walk. As I did the same, Hugh was walking by slowly. He looked like he always did, angry at the world and everyone in it. I smiled and waved anyway.
“Good morning, Hugh.”
He paused and gave me a ghost of a smile. “Morning. It’s getting cold, ain’t it? This weather change is killing me.” He rubbed his hands together, then blew a puff of warm breath onto them.
Most people saw him as a hindrance, but I knew he was a lonely old man who didn’t have many people to talk to. I tried my best to be friendly.
“I’m excited for the cold,” I replied. “You should go to Jade’s shop and get some of the CBD cream she sells.”
“I haven’t seen that.”
“It’s a bit under the table since her dad thinks it’s illegal.”
Hugh frowned. “Are you trying to sell me drugs?”
I laughed. “You know me better than that.”
“I do. I was just messin’ with ya.” He motioned in the direction of Jade’s store. “I just might have to stop in.”
“Need me to get some for you?”