Chapter 22 Cole
Chapter twenty-two
Cole
Holy fuck! Half the town was here!
Grace reached behind her and took my hand. “Did you know?” she hissed as her sisters wove through the crowd toward her, both smiling happily.
“Not a clue,” I assured her.
Gabriella and Georgia got within reach before squeezing Grace in the center of a hug. I dropped my hold on her and let her enjoy the moment.
When they broke apart, everyone cheered before breaking out into an awful rendition of Happy Birthday. I was beginning to see Grace’s point of view of the outside world staying outside when someone appeared carrying what looked to be a giant stack of brownies with sparklers sparkling in the top.
The singing ended. The brownies were placed on a table in front of Grace, and everyone was staring.
“You need to say something,” Gabriella whispered.
“Um …” Grace had been caught off-guard, and I wasn’t entirely convinced she liked being the center of attention. “Well, let’s just say this is a surprise,” Grace started, her cheeks bright red.
“And the first Wattle Creek managed to keep in a long time,” someone heckled.
“I guess thanks for coming. Gabriella. Georgia. No doubt this is all your doing. So thank you for organizing. Please eat the food I can see spread everywhere, enjoy. So yeah, thanks.”
People applauded, cheered, and raised their glasses.
I leaned forward and whispered, “Want a drink?”
Grace looked back at me with pleading eyes. “Need. Need a drink,” she confirmed, sounding desperate.
“I’m on it,” I promised before watching her drag her sisters into the kitchen, no doubt to ask what the hell they were thinking.
I wove my way through the people over to the cooler on the grass only to find Jake already rummaging through.
“Oh hey, Cole. How’s it going?”
“It’s been an interesting day,” I offered vaguely. “Actually, while I’ve got you, I probably need another day or two before I can pick up those chickens. I was supposed to be finishing the coop now but …”
“But you got railroaded?”
“Something like that. How’d you get dragged here?” I asked.
“Same way I always do. Kellie’s right over there.”
“Is Kellie friends with the girls?”
“Went to school with the twins.”
“Oh okay.”
“Yeah. They called her the other day and got this whole thing in motion. Grace had no idea, did she?” Jake chuckled, popping the top on his beer.
“Not a clue. She wasn’t even going to answer their call.”
“Wow. She doesn’t really seem like the surprise party kind of girl,” Jake pointed out, and I couldn’t tell him he was wrong.
“I think she was just caught off-guard. There’s a lot of people here,” I commented as I glanced around. I only recognized about half of them and I’d lived in Wattle Creek for a couple of years. Grace had only been back a few weeks, she was probably just as overwhelmed and confused as I was.
“Yeah. But her family has been around forever. Everyone knew her mom and dad. Her mom used to bake for everyone. Anytime there was a fundraiser, she was always first to put her hand up.”
“Sounds like a remarkable woman,” I commented. I didn’t know a lot about Grace’s mom but knew Grace idealized her and was terrified she’d never measure up. I just hadn’t known the whole town thought of her the same way.
“She really was. And Georgia and Gabriella have tried to keep it going. Only last month Gabriella volunteered to help the local football team raise money for new uniforms. Everyone loves them here.”
“They’re great girls.”
I was watching my words.
“And now Grace is back, they're so excited to have her home.”
Kellie wandered over, staring at her husband with hearts in her eyes. You’d never know they’d been together for years. The way they looked at each other made them look like they were still stuck in the honeymoon phase.
“Hey, Cole,” Kellie greeted, wrapping her arm around Jake’s waist and resting her other on his stomach.
“Having a good afternoon?” I asked politely.
“I am. It’s such a beautiful afternoon and I love the B&B. It’s so pretty.”
She wasn’t wrong. Even though I’d been inside and out the front, it’d been a while since I’d ventured out the back.
Huge oak trees provided shade, and one even had a tire swing dangling from the branches.
The lawns were perfectly mown, and the garden beds overflowed with flowers of all different colors.
“You’re not wrong,” I confirmed as a bird squawked.
“It would be the perfect place for a wedding,” Kellie commented, and Jake snickered.
“I thought you two were already married?” I asked, looking down at Kellie’s hand for a ring.
“Oh, we are. But Grace isn’t,” Kellie pointed out with a giggle.
“Marshmallow,” Jake said, his voice thick with warning.
“What? Are you telling me you can’t see how he looks at her? Or the way she searches for him when he’s not plastered to her side? Look! Look at her on the porch searching for him right now,” Kellie pointed out.
“She’s probably just looking for her drink that I was supposed to be getting,” I brushed off her words and dug my hand in the cooler, flicking away the ice and grabbing Grace a drink and myself a beer. I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“Sure. That’s it,” Kellie snarked.
“Come on, Kel, give Cole a break. Grace has only just got back to town and her sisters want to keep her here. Don’t push him into doing something that will drive her away,” Jake warned, and I felt like a spectator in a conversation about my life.
“I’m just gonna go give Grace this,” I told them as I ducked away from the gossip and suggestions.
But I couldn’t outrun the thoughts it had put in my head. They wanted Grace to stay. I wanted Grace to stay. The only thing I didn’t know was the one thing I was too afraid to ask. Did Grace want to stay?
I reached her side, and she clung to me like a barnacle on a ship’s hull.
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking a long pull.
For a while, I stood with Grace as people stopped by to wish her a happy birthday and welcome her back to town.
She had offers for a makeover from Tiegan who ran Belles & Beaus.
A job offer from Dotti to work behind the bar at Dusty Boots.
She even had the overdressed, suit-wearing Scott James ask her to stop by his realtor business and do a few hours getting his admin back under control.
Grace was polite to all of them, never giving them an outright no but not agreeing to anything either.
When Georgia appeared with a tray of wings, everyone cheered. And the food kept coming. It was like a Fourth of July picnic on steroids. There were wings, hot dogs, burgers, bowls of mac and cheese, rolls, salads, and every type of side dish you could think of.
Grace excused herself to use the bathroom and I moved over out of the way, letting the line of people holding their paper plates ready to get to the food.
I’d just drained the last of my beer and was leaning against the tree when a woman headed my way.
I gulped down the lump in my throat. The last thing I needed to deal with tonight was a woman.
Grace was already riding a rollercoaster of emotions right now, I didn’t want to add to her whiplash by being seen talking to someone and making her question what she meant to me.
Especially when I hadn’t had the chance to tell her.
“You’re Cole, right? Grace’s boyfriend?” she started, and my worries deflated.
“I’m pretty sure I’m too old to be a boyfriend, but yeah. I’m Cole. Nice to meet you …”
“Morgan. Morgan Riveria. I own the Clever Cookie in town.”
“Oh hi. I’ve heard amazing things about your brownies,” I complimented.
“Only heard?”
“I may have had one or two before,” I admitted, patting my non-existent stomach.
“You’re military, right? Marines?”
You could’ve knocked me down with a feather. I was standing here in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with flip flops on, and I was still being picked up for my military background.
“Army actually,” I clarified.
“Well, Cole, thank you for your service.”
I stiffened. I knew it was common for people to say it, but every time I heard it, I felt awkward. I’d just done my job. A job very few people even knew about, yet they say thank you out of obligation. They didn’t say thank you to the waste disposal guy or the IRS.
“Can I ask you something?” I turned toward her, and she nodded. “How’d you know I was military?”
Morgan smiled at me but it was a sad smile. “My brother. He’s currently serving.”
“Marine?”
“Yeah.”
“How long?”
“Been gone just on six years.”
“When was he last home?”
“We got three days two years ago,” she admitted as the heaviness threatened to weigh her down. Her shoulders sagged and my heart went out to her.
I’d never considered what it was like for the loved ones we left behind.
When you’re in, you’re in. You’re so focused on keeping yourself and your unit alive that the outside, home seemed to fade away.
It has to. If you keep looking back, you’re not going to be looking where you’re going and that’s dangerous to everyone.
“How often do you hear from him?” I asked, trying to find a way to lift her spirits.
“Every couple of months. Says he’ll be home for Christmas but …”
“Let me guess. You don’t want to get your hopes up,” I finished for her.
“Something like that. Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this with you. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself. Grace is, well she’s a chocoholic who inhales my brownies, so if you’re ever in the doghouse …”
“I know just where to go.”
“Something like that.”
“Thanks, Morgan. And if there’s anything I can do, please just reach out. I’m sure your brother …”
“Cohen”
“Cohen will be home safe and sound before you know it. Probably driving you crazy and bossing you around.”
She cracked a smile. “Are you sure you haven’t met him?”
“If he’s what I imagine, he’s a good guy and he misses you more than you know.”
“Thanks, Cole.”
“Any time, Morgan.”
Morgan grabbed my arm and then pointed to the steps of the porch where Grace was bouncing down quickly.
“I’ll leave you to it. Looks like someone needs rescuing.”
“Nah. Grace isn’t some damsel in distress who needs a knight in shining armor to rescue her,” I declared loud enough so Grace heard as she closed the distance between us.
“Of course I don’t. But I do need a cowboy in Wranglers and boots to …” I clamped my hand over her mouth, cutting off her words. I wasn’t sure what she was about to say, but from the mischievous look in her eye, I knew no one here needed to know what it was either.
“I’m gonna leave you two to it,” Morgan offered as she edged away. “But, Grace?”
“Yeah?” Grace spun to face her.
“Make sure you get a brownie or two. Gabriella ordered them instead of a cake,” Morgan explained, and Grace’s eyes glazed over. Even if she didn’t think her sisters needed her, there was no doubt about it. They loved her.
“Will do. Thanks. And thanks for coming,” Grace smiled before turning back to me.
When she leaned against my chest and sighed heavily, I knew this wasn’t her scene.
I rubbed my hand up and down her back. “You hanging in there?” I asked, slightly worried.
I might not know everything about this woman, yet, but one thing I had learned was she was a master at bottling things up.
She’d paste a smile on her face and stumble through this afternoon, only to crash in a crying heap the moment she was alone.
“It’s a lot,” she confessed, and I chuckled. She wasn’t wrong. Even for me this was a lot. And I wasn’t the one everyone wanted a piece of.
“I think the worst of it is over. Now everyone’s just eating then they’ll be heading out,” I suggested.
“Have you eaten yet?” Grace asked, concerned.
“Not yet.”
“Come on. We’re here. We might as well eat and enjoy the party.”
Even though she almost sounded resigned to the fact that she was at a party, Grace took my hand, stopped by the cooler, and grabbed a couple more beers before leading me onto the porch to the line of tables buried under the mountains of food.
While we waited our turn, we chatted with people and laughed. Everyone was relaxed and in a good mood. Sawyer was, in true Sawyer style, keeping everyone entertained with his overly exaggerated stories of his brilliance only for his partner, Ruth, to be rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
I filled my plate before following Grace to an empty table at the end of the porch.
“Oh my god. I can’t believe how many people are here!” Grace whispered to me.
“I don’t even know most of them,” I confessed.
“Thank fuck. I thought I was the only one. I keep saying thank you for coming but I don’t know anyone’s name!”
Grace shoved a forkful of macaroni in her mouth, and I grinned at her. My girl was handling it like a trooper. Under the table, I set my hand on her thigh, and we took a moment to eat.
It really was beautiful here. Kellie hadn’t been wrong when she’d said it would make a beautiful place for a wedding, but thinking about Grace in a white dress walking down the aisle was certainly putting the horse before the cart.
My first step was to convince her to stay before I could think about sliding a ring on her finger.
“Are you two hiding?” Georgia asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
She looked flustered and exhausted. No doubt she’d been pulling double duty running the B&B and working to pull this off.
“Just eating,” I told her as I picked up a wing and bit into it, groaning as the smoky barbecue flavor hit my tongue.
“Eating and hiding,” Gabriella added as she took another seat. “But I’ll allow it.”
“Gee, thanks,” Grace garbled as she reached for her drink.
For a few minutes, everyone focused on their food and not all the things that needed to be said. There’d be time for that. But for now, we eat.
“Grace?” A voice called her name from behind me, and I turned to find a serious-looking man in an ugly three-piece suit holding a limp bunch of flowers.
Grace’s mouth fell open. “Ben? What the fuck are you doing here?”