Chapter 5
Michael
F or a few seconds I thought Grace would refuse to tell me what had happened. Then she set down her water and launched in.
“I have a half-brother named Ellis who’s two years older. We have the same father, different mothers. My dad was never married to either my mom or Ellis’s mom, he’d just sort of be with one of them for a while, then get mad or ‘tired of her bullshit’ as he used to say, and go be with the other one. It wasn’t normal but it was our life.”
Grace shook her head like she was shaking away what she’d just said, then went on.
“Ellis and I didn’t really grow up as siblings, but my mom died when I was 14 and I went to live with him and his mom and our dad. Ellis had always resented me and my mom, so as you can imagine, me moving in didn’t go over well.”
“When I was 17, Ellis’s mom and our dad took off to go live somewhere in Mexico and left me with Ellis to finish my senior year of high school. He was furious but they said that if he wanted to keep living in the house, he had to be responsible for me. He couldn’t afford to move out, so he was stuck with me. They sent money for expenses every month, but it was never enough. Ellis would work sometimes, but he’d always quit or get fired over something stupid. I was already waiting tables on the weekends at a place near our house and I started picking up shifts as a cook during the week to make some extra money to cover the bills. Anyway...”
Grace shifted, pulling her feet up to sit cross-legged in the chair.
“Fast forward about a year or so. I found out the money Ellis should have been spending for the house and food, he was spending on some illegal street racing team. He’s always loved anything that goes fast, and the more dangerous, the better. I don’t know if he was betting on races or funding a car or what, all I know is that’s where the money went. A few months after I found that out, my great aunt – my mom’s aunt – passed away. I’d only met her a few times, but I was her only living relative and she left me some property in her will. I don’t know how much it’s worth, but apparently, it’s pretty much. It was put in a trust for me for when I turned 21.”
Grace stood up and took her glass of water to the sink in her little kitchen area to dump it out, more for something to do, I suspected, than because she was done with it. She set the glass down more carefully than required, then turned to lean back on the counter.
“The inheritance made Ellis hate me more than he already did. He was furious that she’d left it only to me, and not to him. It didn’t make sense since he wasn’t even related to her, but in his eyes, I’d gotten something that should have been his. He demanded I sell the property and give him “his part” of the money, but I was only 19 at that point and, like I said, I couldn’t even have it until I was 21.”
“Around that same time, one of Ellis’s friends, Seth, started coming around more. We’d talk sometimes and he was nice to me and eventually we started dating. Ellis was...less awful when Seth was around, and I’d thought that maybe things were finally getting better.”
Grace let out a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself as she shifted her gaze to a point across the room, avoiding my eyes. I tensed, sensing I was about to get the answers I’d been looking for.
“Then one day right before my 21 st birthday, I overheard Ellis and Seth talking. The relationship I’d thought I had with Seth was a complete lie. It was all part of a plan to get my inheritance. The plan was for Seth to marry me, which they assumed would give him joint ownership of the property as my husband. His job was going to be to convince me we should sell it, then take control of the money.”
The thought of Grace married to some asshole who didn’t even want her for herself made my gut twist.
Grace went on, seemingly oblivious to the effect her revelation had had on me. “If that had been the whole plan, I wouldn’t have been too worried about it. I was never going to marry Seth, so it wouldn’t have been a problem. I figured I’d kick him to the curb, find a way to move out of the house I still lived in with Ellis, never see or speak to either of them again, and that would be that. Then I heard the rest.”
I saw Grace’s hands clench and unclench and knew that whatever she was about to say next would likely make me want to put my fist through the wall.
“They decided that if for whatever reason Seth couldn’t get me to sell the land after he and I were married, they’d kill me and, as my spouse, the property would go to Seth. They even talked about forging a will with my name to make sure it happened. Seth asked what they’d do if I didn’t want to marry him, and Ellis said they’d drug me or find another way to make it happen. Then he laughed and said...” Grace paused and swallowed hard... “he said maybe they’d just off me anyway after Seth and I were married so they wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore. That was all I heard.”
Grace drew in a deep breath, then blew it out.
“I’d always known Ellis hated me, but to hear him say that, for him to talk about killing me like it wouldn’t even bother him, and for Seth to just go along with it...”
I’d been right, although it wasn’t a wall I wanted to punch. If either Grace’s piece of shit half-brother or her ex had been standing in front of me, I’d have beaten them to death with my bare hands.
I clamped down on my fury, knowing it was the very last thing Grace needed from me in that moment.
“What did you do?”
My question brought Grace’s eyes back to mine. “I made a plan of my own.”
Grace’s chin came up a little and I had to fight a smile. One of these days I’d have to clue her in to that small tell that communicated loud and clear when she was girding up for her own version of a battle.
Then again, maybe I’d keep it to myself. It would give me an advantage in every future disagreement we’d ever have. I’d see that chin go up and know that I needed to be on my toes.
Had I just made plans for a future with Grace? Hell yeah, I had. All couples – no matter how perfect the relationship – had disagreements, and I had to believe that, now that I’d found her again, someday, somehow, Grace and I would be together.
That was something else I’d be keeping to myself, at least for now.
“I didn’t say anything to Seth or Ellis. I just acted like everything was fine. For a few weeks right up until my birthday I worked as much as I could for extra money and just lied and said someone had quit so we were short-staffed. Ellis kept reminding me that after my birthday I needed to go see the estate attorney to sign paperwork to get the deed to the property. He and Seth even offered to take me to meet with the attorney, then take me out to celebrate.” Grace rolled her eyes. “Like I’d believe that Ellis would ever spend a dime on me that he wasn’t forced to.”
Grace unwrapped her arms, resting her hands on the counter at her sides, and I could feel some of her previous tension ebbing away as she continued to talk.
“I made an appointment with the attorney for the day after my birthday, but I told Ellis and Seth that it was for two days later to buy myself a little time. Ellis and Seth both got shit-faced celebrating my birthday, so while they were passed out, I packed everything I could and snuck it all out to the trunk of my car. The next day I acted like I was going to work, but instead I went to the attorney’s office, signed the paperwork, and got the deed. Then I did the only thing I could think to do. I ran.”
The touch of defiance in Grace’s eyes dared me to criticize her for taking off, for running away. If criticism was what she was expecting, she wasn’t going to get it from me.
“And you’ve been running ever since, haven’t you?”
My quiet question seemed to confuse Grace, and she frowned at me before nodding slowly.
“How long?”
How long had she lived this way, always worried that someone was coming for her?
“Two and a half years.”
I sat back in my chair, my stomach clenching at the thought of Grace on her own and afraid that whole time.
“How many times have you moved?”
Grace pushed away from the counter and crossed the room to sit in the chair beside me again.
“This is my sixth place. Or maybe my seventh.” She rubbed her forehead and looked off into space for a second before shaking her head. “I can’t remember.”
Grace quieted, then turned toward me and I knew an apology was coming before she opened her mouth. I hoped she never planned to make a living playing cards because her poker face was nonexistent.
“I’m sorry for what I did, for the way I left. You and Jamey were great to me, and you didn’t deserve to have me disappear like that. I’m sorry for the mess I left.”
I knew she was thinking of the words I’d flung at her at the diner earlier. Little did she know that the “mess” I’d referred to had nothing to do with the pub and everything to do with me, but we’d get to that in time. Right now, I still needed to know exactly what had made her take off.
“Apology accepted. Did Ellis or Seth show up at the pub? Is that why you left?”
Grace blinked like she’d expected the conversation to be over once she’d apologized, but she answered my question.
“No, I got a voicemail from Ellis. He said they knew where I was, and if I knew what was good for me, I’d come home. He reminded me that he knows people and said it would be a shame if he had to get someone to bring me home.”
Grace looked down at her hands as she twisted her fingers in her lap.
“It wasn’t until the next morning when I was hours away from Lark that I realized he’d fooled me.” She looked up at me again. “If Ellis had really known where I was, he would have said it. He’d have wanted me to know that he knew, to brag about it. Either that, or he or Seth, or both, would have shown up. He was bluffing to see if he could scare me enough to make me go home. I still don’t know how he got my phone number because I get a new phone and number every time I move but regardless, I realized that having my number didn’t mean he knew where I was.”
I gave her credit for realizing that as quickly as she had. In her place, scared and on the run, I’m not sure it would have occurred to me until much later, if at all.
“Have they ever tracked you down and shown up in any of the places you’ve stayed?”
Grace hesitated before she answered. “I’m not really sure. A couple times I moved on because the job ended for whatever reason. But in one place, a man was asking about me at work on one of my off days, so that made me nervous. It was more of a bar, though, and I was server, so it could have just been some guy who’d seen me there one night and wanted to hit on me. From the description, the guy could have been Ellis, or could have been a thousand other men. Ellis is pretty average looking.” Grace shrugged and went on. “I didn’t wait to find out for sure; I just packed up and left town.”
“In another place, I was at a little grocery store near my apartment building, and I saw a man who looked so much like Seth that I left my basket in the middle of the aisle and ran out. I only saw him from the side so I’m still not 100% sure, but...” Grace looked up at me, traces of remembered fear in her eyes... “It was like with you today. I only saw you from the back at first, but I was pretty sure it was you. It might not have been Seth, but I wasn’t taking any chances. As soon as I could get my things together, I took off.”
Did she realize what she’d just told me?
She’d thought she’d seen Seth and had run.
She’d thought, then known , she’d seen me, and hadn’t.
She hadn’t run, she’d still been there when I’d gone back to the diner for her later, she’d let me see where she lived, and she was sitting here with me now.
Did she understand how much trust she’d placed in me?
Granted, I’d never threatened to kill her, and she knew I hadn’t tracked her down intentionally, but still...
A dangerous hope stirred to life inside me, dangerous because it got me thinking.
If she trusted me, could I convince her to come back to Lark with me?
Grace rubbed her hands over her face, then stood and started pacing, crossing the small space, then turning back to retrace her steps.
“You probably think I’m crazy. It sounds crazy. Running like a scared little rabbit here and there, jumping at shadows, not even knowing what’s real and what’s in my head.”
She stopped in the middle of the floor and pushed her hands up into her hair, dislodging whatever magic she’d used to put it up, making it tumble down around her shoulders.
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think I’m crazy.”
Grace’s shoulders slumped. She looked so dejected and tired that I couldn’t take it.
I stood and crossed to her, stopping a few steps away so she didn’t have to crane her neck to look up at me. Grace was a little taller than average for a woman, but at 6’4” I still towered over her.
“Do you want to know what I think, what I see when I look at you and hear everything you’ve been through?”
Grace watched me wordlessly, so I took her silence as an okay to keep talking.
“I see a smart, brave woman who’s done the best she can – and pretty damn well, at that – in a situation that would have paralyzed most people. You stayed calm, you made a plan, and you’ve kept yourself safe all on your own for what has to feel like a lifetime. It’s a crazy situation, yes, but I don’t think you’re crazy. I only knew you for a few months” – plenty long enough that she’d lived rent-free in my brain ever since – “but I know that. You’re one of the most level-headed people I know. I can only hope that if I were ever in a similar situation, I’d do even half as well as you have.”
Grace ducked her head as I’d known she would, the same way she always did when someone gave her a compliment. If she gave me a chance, I’d get her so used to hearing how amazing she was that someday she’d be able to accept and believe it with a smile.
“Even if you weren’t sure those two times, it was smart to assume they’d found you and to move on. The phone call you got when you were in Lark tells you they’re still looking for you, or at least they want you to think so. Do you know where Ellis and Seth are now?”
Grace stepped around me to sit back down, so I did the same.
“Ellis is in prison somewhere in Tennessee. Soon after I left someone was killed at one of the races and he and few other people were arrested. I’m not sure what he was convicted of. He should be in prison for at least another few years, but I know people get out early all the time.” Grace pushed her hair behind her ear and seemed to settle a little. “Seth, I don’t know for sure, but I doubt he’s left home. In fact, he’s probably living in the house full-time since Ellis isn’t there. He was always at the house most of the time, anyway.”
“Where’s home, Grace?”
Grace drew in a breath, and I knew she was debating telling me. “A little bit east of Morehead.”
Where we sat now was about five hours from Morehead, Kentucky; Lark was closer to two. So, taking her back to Lark would mean taking her closer to home and possibly closer to danger. I wanted her back in Lark – no question – but was it the right thing to ask her to do? She’d gone there on her own the first time, but would I be putting her at risk by asking her to go back?
I needed time to think it through before I said anything to Grace. Something told me I’d only get one chance. I didn’t want to screw it up.
Feeling like I was putting her through an inquisition, I asked one last question...for now.
“So, is your plan to stay here?”
Grace nodded as she answered. “At least for now. When the busy season is over in about a month, Barney will probably let me go. It’ll be the same story in this whole area. I’ll need to move then to find a job.”
Unknowingly, Grace had just given me my opening. She had to move in a month, anyway; I just needed to convince her that that move should be to Lark.
Grace smothered a huge yawn, and I checked my watch, surprised to see that it was close to ten o’clock. As much as I didn’t want to, I needed to get out of here and let Grace get some rest.
Before I did, though, I needed to make sure I’d see her again.
“Okay, I can take a hint.” Grace’s cheeks tinged a faint pink in response to my gentle teasing, a sight I knew all too well from her time working at the pub. “I know I need to go. But first I need you to promise me two things.”
Grace didn’t respond, just watched me warily now, and my heart squeezed a little at what she’d been through to make her that way.
“One, I need you to promise me you won’t leave.”
Grace dropped her eyes, then gave a deep sigh and nodded. “I promise.”
I was still going to worry until I saw her again but having her promise to stick around helped.
“Thank you. And two, I need you to promise that I can talk with you again tomorrow.”
Now Grace frowned at me in confusion. “I...sure, I mean...will you still be here...?”
I’d forgotten that Grace had no idea how long I’d be in the area.
“I’ll be here a couple days fishing with my cousins and a friend. Our family owns a cabin near here. We usually make it out a few times each season, but everybody’s been busy so it’s the first time we’ve been here this year.”
The thought that I might have run into Grace months ago if we’d made it to the cabin earlier grated on me, but at least I’d found her now.
“Oh, well...sure,” Grace repeated hesitantly.
Ok, so she wasn’t exactly jumping up and down with excitement, but she’d agreed to talk to me again. I’d take what I could get.
I had one more request, one that I knew would push her boundaries.
“If you’ll let me have your phone number, I’ll call you in the morning and we can figure out when we can talk again.”
Grace paused and I knew she was weighing my request in her mind. It had been one thing for me to have her phone number when we’d worked together, and I might need to contact her about a change in a shift or something like that. But now...now my reasons for wanting it were completely personal.
I wanted that connection to her, but only if she was okay with it.
“You don’t have to, Grace,” I reassured her as gently as I could. “I won’t be offended. I understand you need to be careful.”
Grace hesitated another moment, then took a deep breath. “It’s okay. I don’t mind if you have it. I know you won’t...”
Grace didn’t finish that thought, just crossed to the bag she’d set on the counter and dug out her phone. A few seconds later, I heard my phone chime with an incoming text. I pulled it out of my pocket, opened the text that simply said “hi” and saved her contact as “G” just in case someone saw it who shouldn’t.
And now it really was time for me to go.
I crossed to the door, more reluctant with every step.
I paused with my hand on the doorknob and turned to look at Grace, giving myself a few more seconds to just take her in. She watched me quietly, showing no evidence of the nerves she so often displayed when we were together. Whether she was too exhausted to be nervous now or – I hoped – she’d started to believe she could trust me, either way, she looked calm.
Now I just hoped I could trust her in return.
“Don’t leave.”
I tried to make it sound like a request, but it came out like a demand that I had no business making.
Still, Grace seemed to understand. “No leaving. I promised, remember?”
Our eyes caught and held, the moment stretching between us as I fought the urge to cross the small distance between us and kiss Grace the way I’d imagined all these months, so long and deep and hard she’d never think of running away from me again.
I forced myself to turn the knob and step out into the stairway. I waited until I heard the snick of the deadbolt being locked behind me, then made my way down the stairs and out to the truck.
I climbed in and sat behind the wheel, thinking about everything that had happened that day. Little had I known when I’d woken up that morning that by tonight the woman I’d nearly lost hope of ever seeing again would be back in my life.