Chapter Three
“There’s a theory that stressful situations can really bring the truth to the surface. This explains all those blurted feelings at the end of romantic comedies.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.
Gracie couldn’t stop tapping her feet in the waiting room of the hospital, the beat of “ Girls Just Want to Have Fun ” drumming through her head. It might have been a bit upbeat for the situation, but it was song she and Gemma had spent most of their childhood singing at the top of their lungs and it made her feel a little better.
They’d been waiting for over an hour for Travis or Gemma’s mother to come out and tell them anything, and Gracie was slowly losing patience.
Suddenly, Eric’s hand was on her knee. “You’re tapping your toes off over here.”
“I can’t help it. It’s either that or pacing the room.”
“I get it, believe me, but it’s not going to make the time go by faster. We need to stay calm, at least for Charlie’s sake.”
Gracie looked over at Charlie, who was sitting between Gemma’s sister, Dawn, and Mike. The poor kid was pale and his face drawn with worry.
She willed her legs to be still.
Seconds later, Travis came into the room, and they all leapt out of their chairs, circling him.
“Sorry, we’ve been waiting on tests,” Travis said, wrapping Charlie in a hug.
“And?” Gracie pressed.
Travis looked up from the top of Charlie’s head. “And her blood pressure is high, so they want to keep an eye on her. They’re worried about preeclampsia, but they don’t know for sure yet. Her mom and I are going to stay with her.”
“Charlie can hang with me tonight if he wants,” Mike said.
“No, I want to stay with Mom!” Charlie cried.
Gracie’s heart broke for the young boy, and for some reason, she found herself reaching back for Eric’s hand, as if she was the one who needed comforting.
Travis bent over until he was eye level with Charlie. “I know, son. But there isn’t enough room, and you need to get a good night’s sleep.”
“But—”
“Charlie, I need you to be a man about this, okay?”
Charlie deflated, and under any other circumstance, Gracie would have ripped into Travis about expecting too much from a twelve-year-old, but with Gemma so sick, emotions were running high.
Gracie went over and gave Charlie a hug. “You stay with Uncle Mike, and tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up with donuts, and we will come right back here to check on your mom.”
“Okay, but can I see her now?” Charlie asked.
“Sure, bud. Let’s go back.” Travis addressed the rest of them as a group. “They only allow three visitors to a room, so…”
“It’s okay,” Gracie said. “I can come back tomorrow and pester her. Will you just tell her I love her and if she ever scares me like that again, she’ll be sleeping with the fishes?”
“You got it.” Travis and Charlie disappeared behind the doors, and Gracie released a gigantic sigh of relief. She didn’t know what she’d do without her best friend.
Gracie pulled out her phone and snapped a selfie of her making a sad face. She texted it to her with the message: I love you. See you in the morning.
Her phone beeped seconds later with a picture of Gemma, who had dark circles around her eyes and a tired smile. I love you too.
Gracie hated to leave without seeing Gemma, but with Gemma’s sister waiting and all she’d been through, Gemma needed rest instead of reassuring the rest of them she was going to be okay.
“If you’re ready…” Eric seemed hesitant to press her, but she wasn’t mad. She was drained.
“Yeah, if you could give me a ride back to my car, that would be great.”
“Sure.”
Gracie hugged Mike and Dawn and then followed Eric out the double doors to the parking lot. The temperature had dropped and the sky was an ugly gray as the mass of clouds gathered above.
“Feels like snow,” Eric said.
“Yeah, my weather app showed it was coming.” Gracie pulled her jean jacket closed over her breasts, but the thin material was meant for style, not warmth.
Eric pressed a button on his keys, and his car roared to life.
Gracie smiled as she waited for him to unlock her door. “Automatic start, huh? That’s nice.”
“Especially on days when it’s too cold to function.”
“That’s why God invented coffee,” she said as she climbed inside.
“You’re an addict.”
“Flatterer.”
He closed the door with a grin, and she relaxed against the seat, enjoying the rush of hot air blasting her. Since she was the best friend not on kid patrol, she was going to have to bust out the phone tree to let everyone from the shower know that Gemma was okay, starting with Gemma’s close friends, Ryan Phillips and Callie Jacobsen. It was going to be a really long night.
Eric got in and blew on his hands. “Shit, I say I wouldn’t ever live anywhere else, and then the cold weather hits, and I think Hawaii sounds nice this time of year.”
“I like the cold, as long as I’m able to stay home in my fleece-lined leggings and comfy sweater.”
“I can’t wear leggings. My thighs are too big,” Eric joked.
The image of big, bearded Eric Henderson strolling around in tights sent Gracie into the giggles. Soon, she could hardly breathe, she was laughing so hysterically.
“Really? The image of me in skintight cotton is that funny?”
Suddenly, her whole body sagged and her mirth turned into gut-wrenching sobs. When Eric’s large arms wrapped around her and pulled her across the middle console, she buried her face in his chest and let it all go.
“Hey, don’t cry. You can laugh at me all you want.”
Gracie would have been suspicious of his sweetness if his embrace didn’t feel so damn good.
She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I keep crying all over your shirt.”
“I really don’t mind, Gracie Lou.” His gaze locked on hers, sending her heart pounding into overdrive at the warmth in his dark eyes. “You should know that I’d do just about anything for you.”
* * *
Shit! Fuck! Fuckity shit fuck!
Why in the hell had he said that to her? This wasn’t the time for confessions. Her best friend was sick. Hell, she had a boyfriend. And Eric was over her.
The air around them was so charged, he could practically see the sparks. The only thing that saved him from making a bigger ass of himself and kissing her was the blast of her cell phone.
She broke their eye contact to rummage around in her purse for her phone. When the phone was free from the confines of her purse, he realized what the song was and made a face.
“‘ I Melt’ ? Really?”
Gracie blushed. “It’s Darrin, and I happen to like this song.” Without giving him a chance to respond, she answered the call. “Hey sweetie.”
Eric turned in his seat and started the car. It took all he had not to gun the engine; good old Darrin probably drove a Prius.
“Yeah, Gemma had to go to the hospital. They think she might be developing preeclampsia, so they’re watching her overnight.” Gracie cleared her throat. “No, it’s fine. I understand it was a lot to ask. Yeah, I’ll see you later. Okay, bye.”
Eric kept his hands on the wheel, determined not to say anything else. He just lost his head whenever he was around her. Gracie didn’t speak either, and the only sound was the windshield wipers as it removed the snowflakes falling faster and faster.
When he pulled up behind her car thirty minutes later, she finally said, “Thank you for driving me to the hospital and everything. I forget sometimes that you can be nice.”
The teasing fell flat, though, and he just nodded.
“Bye, then.”
She seemed to be waiting for something, but hell if he knew what she wanted. “Later.”
When she huffed, he turned to look at her, only she was already slamming out of his car. “Whatever.”
Whatever?
He let her go, a dark cloud settling over him. He needed to get over this infatuation with Gracie McAllister. He just had no idea how to quit her.
He pulled out of the driveway and headed home. His younger brother, Grant, and the rest of the staff had everything under control at Buck’s Shot Bar tonight, and his dad had grabbed his mom from Gemma’s when he’d taken off with Gracie. He’d have to call them and let them know Gemma was going to be okay.
They had mentioned they’d be headed to Jackpot after the shower. His parents might be in their late sixties, early seventies, but they acted like a couple of kids together. Still in love after all this time. And best friends.
If he ever settled down, that was what he wanted. A friend he couldn’t wait to see every day, who, even if he was pissed at her, was still his favorite person.
He hadn’t found her yet, but he wasn’t in a hurry either. He was only thirty-six. His uncle didn’t get married and have kids until he was almost fifty.
Eric pulled into his driveway a few minutes later and parked his car in the garage. It was detached, since he’d bought his land first, then his twenty-year-old modular once the land and the utilities were installed. He’d paid cash for his home, and then updated it room by room. Hardwood floors. New sheet rock and insulation in the walls. His place had been his project, and he was proud of it.
The snow falling obscured the view of the Sawtooth Mountains and the Snake River Canyon. He’d financed the 5.7 acres when he was twenty-four, and he’d never regretted it. On top of having a fantastic view, it was secluded, away from the bustle of town. God knew he got enough of people at the bar; the last thing he wanted was close neighbors.
He stomped his boots on the welcome mat and walked inside. The first thing he did was start to call out to Bones, his Rottweiler-pit bull mix, but then he remembered that Bones was gone. He’d had to put him down the week before; he’d come home to find Bones on the floor, unable to move. He’d called Rock Canyon Veterinary Hospital, and they’d thought he’d probably had a stroke. Eric had petted his head and bawled like a baby as he’d said good-bye to his best friend.
Clearing his throat past the lump that had formed, Eric grabbed a beer from the fridge and settled in front of the TV, stopping on a Sons of Anarchy rerun. In a little while, he’d make dinner, maybe call some of his friends and see if they were up for a game of poker.
Not much of a rockin’ Saturday night.