Chapter 3
GRACE
CRYSTALLINE
I still can’t believe this is finally happening. I’m back in Jackson, watching my oldest brother get married to the woman of his dreams. The one he’s been in love with basically my whole life. Everything about it feels surreal, yet perfect at the same time.
Well, nearly perfect.
I look to our family’s side of the aisle, seeing the empty seat next to Dad, the one left in memory of our mom.
It’s been a decade since the car accident that took her from us and nearly took my life too.
A shiver racks through me, pricking my skin along the scars I still carry from that day.
I remember the times during my recovery that I would have never imagined being here with them.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and the hole left in my life.
I would give anything for her to be here today. To see the man my brother became. She always knew Tanner loved V growing up, even if he was too afraid to ever do anything about it.
I wipe a stray tear away at the thought of how happy she would be to finally witness this.
But selfishly, I wish I could talk to her.
Everyone thinks I’m just here for the wedding this weekend and then it’ll be back to my life in Salt Lake City.
Except that’s not the case. I’m planning to stay here for a while until I figure out what's next on my journey in life.
Mom was my guiding influence, subtly giving me the strength to find my own path in life.
Sure, Kayleigh is right and Mom would have said the same thing.
Make the best out of it. It’ll all work out in the end.
Looking at Tanner and V, I smile at that little bit of wisdom Mom always liked to drop on us because that’s exactly what happened with these two, finally ending up together.
It still doesn’t change how I feel though.
Wasatch Wishes was my dream job and now I need to find something else to do. I don't even know where to start.
The rustling of paper gets my attention back on the ceremony as Tanner unfolds his handwritten vows. It’s times like these when I’m glad I'm five-ten and even in heels, I can easily peer over Lizzy to watch.
In typical Tanner fashion, he works in a couple of sappy jokes that has everyone laughing. I scan the crowd, seeing all of our friends and family. I look through the rows, noting that everyone they wanted here made it.
My gaze finally lands on the back row. My skin heats and my brows knit together. Everyone in the room right now is focused on my brother and V, except for TJ, whose eyes are locked on me.
What is his deal? He always seems to be glaring at me. Ever since the first morning of our spring trip to Bend, when my brothers, their partners, and me as the fifth wheel stayed at his house, it's been this way.
Yeah, I know I interrupted his quiet mornings of fly fishing with my cold plunges in the river. But I wanted to try it, the cold river was right there, and my apartment in Utah definitely doesn't have space for a cold tub.
Did I get a little carried away after that first morning where I accidentally scared him? Maybe, but how was I supposed to know he was on the other side of that boulder at the crack of dawn? I figured no one else would be up as early as I was.
I did enjoy trying to sneak up and scare him over the next couple days. And OK, I definitely dragged him up on stage at a shitty dive bar for karaoke and made him sing ridiculous pop songs.
He can’t really still be annoyed with me, can he? And it's his friend’s wedding day. He should be focused on the ceremony, like everyone else.
Except I don’t really have room to talk because I'm still staring right back at him. I meet his gaze, smirk, and flare my eyebrows in question. But his crystalline blue eyes never leave mine, only making the temperature of my skin creep even higher.
I overexaggerate rolling my eyes before matching his glare and tilting my head toward the altar. He finally snaps out of whatever that was, nods, and looks toward the altar.
It’s been years since I’ve been in The Chairlift, the old bar down the street from Tanner’s cabin.
It’s got that perfect homey mix of old school locals like our family, recent transplants, and out-of-towners coming in after skiing.
Nothing about it screams wedding reception venue, but it’s perfect for the newlyweds.
It’s been here since the days our grandparents owned the land surrounding it along Moose Wilson Road, back when they still had a small ranch.
These days, my brother’s cabin and the bar are all that’s left from that time so it's fitting that my brother and V would want to have their reception here.
Everyone is ecstatic and rightfully so. I have never seen either of my brothers this happy.
Veronica has been grinning ear to ear all night and Lizzy is in full Maid of Honor mode, working with Collin to keep the party rolling according to V's strict itinerary.
Even my grandparents are here and enjoying the lively scene in the dingy old bar.
I’m genuinely thrilled for my brother, but seeing all of my family like this, like everything is all coming together for everyone else, just reminds me that I don’t know what’s next for me.
I’m going to take some time for me, but I still want to find a way to make an impact with others.
And I feel like shit for even thinking about myself on a day like this.
I had my dream job. I was having fun, I was helping people, I was making a difference. It never even felt like work.
And now? Now, I don’t know what’s next .
Which, of course, is exactly what my grandparents want to ask me about.
I did my best to hide away in the back of the bar at a high-top by myself, but they’re like bloodhounds.
Somehow they’re always honed in on ‘Where is Grace?’ They’re always well-meaning and normally I would love to talk to them about my work.
But today? I just want to enjoy my drink and wind down the night on my own.
Trying to convince everyone you’re perfectly fine is exhausting and I’m reaching my limit for socializing tonight.
That’s why I changed as soon as the ceremony was over into my comfortable overalls and flannel and found a high-top table away from the crowd.
“Oh sweetie, what are you doing hiding over here?” Grandma asks, clutching her champagne flute to her chest. “I’m glad you could get some time away from working with those kids to come see us.
” I’m positive this grungy bar has never seen a champagne flute come through its doors until today.
And judging by her smile and giddiness, Lizzy, must have clearly gotten to her with more than one glass of celebratory bubbles tonight.
My grandpa rolls his eyes. “Nancy, you know that hasn't been her job for years. She’s in charge of getting the money to pay for those classes and lessons now.”
My heart sinks and warms simultaneously, seeing just how invested and proud they are with my life.
I huff a laugh, trying to mask my emotions, but I can feel my shoulders sag. I don’t want to lie to them, but I’m not ready to tell the full story to anyone else yet. I don’t want to take away from their day and bring down the vibe with my own pity party.
My grandma doesn’t catch the subtle hint that for once, this is a subject I’d prefer to move on from.
Literally, we could talk about anything else right now and I’d be thrilled.
We could even talk about my continual lack of a boyfriend, her normal favorite topic to gossip about with me.
I’d be fine with that for a change, considering it's something I assume will only continue now that Tanner is married and Clay has a girlfriend.
“So, when are you driving back to Utah? I imagine they can’t let you out of their hands very long knowing how much you do for them.” She smiles at me so warmly, but that doesn’t dull the still fresh wound. I know she’s trying to compliment me, but that one hurts.
I take a sip of my own Champagne, which hardly feels appropriate for my current feelings, and plaster on a smile as I try to come up with some kind of noncommittal answer.
I start to open my mouth, but I realize neither of them are looking at me now.
Their collective gaze is locked on something behind me.
I start to shift in my seat to see what has my grandparents’ attention, but before I can even move, a hand gently grazes the back of my shoulder. The warmth, the pressure, it instantly electrifies my skin, waking up every nerve in my body.
OK, maybe it was more of a who has their attention, not a what.
Before I can turn around, a voice I could never forget stops me midturn. “Hey there, Rainbow,” that deep, well-worn voice rasps. I would know it anywhere.
So would a lot of people actually, considering it’s a famous one, played on radio stations across the planet for more than two decades.
But that nickname. That isn’t so well known. That was just for me.
Freaking TJ.
“I was wondering where you were hiding,” he says, his thumb rubbing a circle on the back of my shoulder. I know it’s just a casual, friendly touch, but something about it and his presence sends a shiver down my spine.
I remember him being that way in Bend, always greeting you with a hug, resting a hand on someone's shoulders, the way he’d look you in the eye to talk to you, or clasping both of your hands to shake. Maybe it’s a musician thing, needing physical contact to connect.
Either way, I don't know if he senses my reaction, but he quickly removes his hand and extends it across the table, reaching to greet my grandparents.
I palm my face, groaning in frustration before looking up to catch the look of pure excitement on my grandma’s shocked face.
“Oh my goodness, Mr. Jacob.” Her voice is flustered as he clasps both of her hands. “It was so sweet of you to let them use your house for their wedding.”
I let out an exasperated sigh.
He chuckles to himself and to my chagrin, he pulls up a stool and sits down right between the three of us. I guess he didn't get my memo about wanting to enjoy my drink alone tonight either.
“There’s no way you can be the infamous Grandma Chapman they all talk about.” He flashes a wide smile at my grandma and she flushes like a swooning fangirl. “You hardly look old enough.”
Really, Grandma? Falling for his charisma that easy?
If you haven’t spent time with him, it’d be easy to call this an act.
But I’ve spent almost a week with him, with my brothers and their girlfriends, seeing how he is in private.
So I know this isn’t an act, this is him — genuinely kind and polite to total strangers or friends of friends.
There’s something heartwarming about it, someone in his position that can talk with a couple of old ranchers like they’re lifelong friends.
“How do you know our little Gracie?” Grandma asks, still blushing.
I drop my head and groan. Really Grandma, you’re really so easily charmed?
I mean, I guess I get it. He’s famous, he’s got the whole musician vibe going on, and he is definitely easy on the eyes.
As tall as I am, I'm used to being eye to eye with most men, but even I have to look up to meet his eyes.
He must be at least six-two or something.
And he clearly takes care of himself. I’ll begrudgingly admit, I watched his old music videos when I was younger.
In those days, he always looked lean and slender.
After getting to meet him in person when we were in Bend, it's impossible to not see that he’s built, with subtly toned muscles hiding under his well-tanned skin.
But I’m not falling for that today. I lower my eyes at him, showing that I’m not in the mood for his charm and games.
He just tosses me a playful wink and carries on. “We’re old friends. She stayed with me and your grandsons in Bend back in May for some spring skiing with their girlfriends. It was a wonderful time.”
I turn in my seat to face him, tip my chin, and shoot him a conspiratorial grin. “Oh. It was a wonderful time, if by wonderful you mean hearing you complain about me swimming and scaring away your precious fish on the river every morning.”
His blue eyes sparkle with mischief when he grins back at me.
“I think swimming would be generous. It was more like…” He brings a knuckle to his lips as he looks up in thought.
For some reason, my eyes are drawn to the ticking of the muscles in his defined forearms revealed by the rolled up sleeves of his plaid flannel.
OK. I guess I’m not immune to his looks either.
He brings his eyes back to mine and I note the small scar splitting his eyebrow next to a piercing. I wonder how many times that’s been ripped out to scar like that. He was known for being a bad boy rocker after all.
“… Floundering? Yeah, I think I’d call it floundering. I was more scared that I might have to dive in and rescue you than I was from you sneaking up on me.”
Alright. This was not the exchange I was expecting tonight. I roll my eyes at him. “Whatever, Mr. Jacob.”
A low laugh rumbles from his chest and he leans against the table, swirling his beer bottle. I watch the motion, seeing that little tattoo around his ring finger that none of us had the nerve to ask him about.
I turn to look at my grandma and her eyes show nothing but fascination with this exchange. Great. I can add this to the list of things she’ll want to discuss later. Thankfully, my misery is interrupted by my grandpa clearing his throat.
“Come on, Nancy. I want to go see Clay and Lizzy. You know she was asking about your meatloaf earlier.” He wraps his arm around her waist and gives us a little wave goodbye. Clearly he gets social cues more than Grandma.
After they leave, I turn in my seat to face TJ. “What the hell was that about?”
He shrugs, the gesture making a lock of his shaggy, dark blond hair drift across his forehead. He tucks it out of the way, takes a sip of his beer, and smirks. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Rainbow.”