Chapter 6
Grace
I woke the next morning to the ringing of my phone. Since only one person had the number, I knew it had to be Michael.
“Good morning.” I didn’t even try to disguise the fact that he’d woken me up. I wasn’t at my best in the morning, especially before coffee. There was no way I’d be able to fake being human just yet.
“Morning, Grace. I’m sorry I woke you. We’ve been up and out for a while, so I didn’t think about it.”
I closed my eyes and let Michael’s voice rumble through me. I loved the sound of it when he was talking just to me, pitching it low enough for only me to hear. Now that I knew it sounded the same way on the phone, he’d be lucky if I ever let him end the call.
“It’s okay.” I needed to get up soon anyway. “I know you fishing people start crazy early. The diner opens at 5:30 for breakfast this time of year.” Which thank heavens was not my shift. I’d rather close than open any day.
“Yeah, we headed out right about dawn.”
“Better you than me.” There was nothing that could voluntarily get me out of bed before dawn. “What do you do? Sneak up on the fish while they’re sleeping and scoop them up?”
Michael laughed and I decided that was another favorite sound.
“Yep, you got it. That’s exactly what we do.”
I snuggled deeper into my covers, feeling happy in a way I hadn’t since...maybe ever? It was dangerous, I knew, and would be over far too quickly, but I couldn’t help it.
“That hardly seems fair to the fish. You should at least wake them up and give them a head start.”
Michael laughed again. “Believe me, they give us a run for our money.”
I heard voices in the background, which Michael muffled momentarily, then spoke again.
“Sorry about that. Hey, listen. I know we said we’d talk today, but is there any way I can see you again tonight? If you work, I’m fine with waiting until you get off if that’s not too late for you. I have something I want to talk to you about and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”
I thought for a few seconds about Michael’s request, not because I didn’t want to see or talk with him. I did want that – more than I should – I just wasn’t sure what else we had to talk about.
“Sure, that’s fine. I should be done by 9:30 or so if we close at our normal time.”
“Works for me. I’ll pick you up at the diner again.”
“I can just meet you at my apartment. You saw how short of a walk it is.”
“Let me pick you up, okay? You know how I feel about you walking by yourself after dark.”
My mind flashed back to a conversation we’d had when I’d worked at the pub. It had been late at night and raining, and Michael had wanted to drive me home rather than letting me take the bus. I’d wanted to take him up on it, but I’d been scared to let him see where I was staying.
How things had changed since then.
I gave in as graciously as I could. “I remember. You can pick me up.”
“Thanks for humoring me.” The smile I heard in Michael’s voice made me smile in response. What was it about this man that made me feel like I had a silly high school crush?
We talked for another minute about nothing, then ended the call to get on with our respective days. I straightened my apartment, did a few loads of laundry at the laundromat, and got ready for work, all while my mind spun around and around, wondering what Michael wanted to talk to me about.
My shift at the diner was spent checking the clock every three minutes and answering Vanessa’s many, many questions about what had happened with Michael the night before, all while trying not to get on Barney’s “last nerve”, a tough ask on any day.
I was so distracted thinking about what had happened and wondering what would happen later that night, that finally about an hour before close Barney told me to get the hell out of his kitchen and go help Vanessa and Millie, the other server working that night. I distracted myself doing what I could, busing tables and refilling drinks.
Finally, right before we flipped the ‘closed’ sign over at 9pm, Michael walked through the door.
I paused, a handful of straws ready to stuff into a dispenser, and just looked at him. The things the man did to a simple t-shirt, shorts, and baseball cap should be illegal.
Millie hustled toward him before I could make a move, then turned to look at me with wide eyes when Michael inclined his head in my direction. I nodded my thanks to her and moved to meet Michael about halfway across the floor.
“Would it be best if I wait in the truck?”
I glanced over my shoulder to where Barney glared at us through the pass-through. “Probably, yes, if you don’t mind.”
Michael headed back out to the truck while Vanessa, Millie and I rushed through closing. Finally, with a grunt, Barney waved us out.
The nerves that had danced in my stomach all day started up again as I drew closer to Michael’s truck, even more so when he stepped out to open the passenger side door for me.
He climbed back in and settled his big body behind the wheel as I finished fastening my seatbelt. I felt a little silly putting on a seatbelt to drive less than a block, but you never knew what could happen. Michael fastened his, as well, then started up the truck.
“I hope I didn’t get you in trouble by showing up when I did.”
It took me a second to figure out what Michael meant.
“Oh, you mean Barney?” I waved away his concern. “He’s always a grouch like that. It’s a good thing for him that his cooking is much better than his personality.”
“Well, thanks for letting me pick you up. I appreciate you letting me have my way on that.”
Surprised that he’d brought it up, I looked over at him as we pulled into the lot at Cameo, then shrugged as I released my seatbelt.
“It was no big deal.”
Michael looked at me as he opened his door. “It was to me.”
He nodded over at my door as he stepped out of the truck. “Hang on a second while I come around.”
I did as he asked, waiting while he opened my door then gave me his hand to help me down. As much as I’d have liked to keep holding his hand once both of my feet were on the ground, I made myself let go.
Hoping we’d get inside without an encounter with Travis, I hurried to the door, unlocked it, and breathed a sigh of relief when it closed behind us, no Travis in sight. Whether he’d given up his pursuit of me now that my tall, muscular “boyfriend” had shown up or he was too busy to take a break right at that moment, I didn’t know. I hoped it was the first and that, once Michael was gone, his memory would keep Travis far away, but for tonight I was just glad not to have to deal with him.
Once we stepped inside my apartment, Michael and I gravitated to the same chairs we’d occupied the night before. Michael leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, his eyes intent on me. I had only a moment to wonder what it was that he needed to talk to me about, then he said one of the very last things I expected to hear.
“I think you should move back to Lark.”
“I...” Had I heard him right? “You what?”
“I think you should move back to Lark,” he repeated. “Hear me out.”
He pushed out of his chair, pacing back and forth across my tiny space as he talked, nearly retracing my steps from the night before.
“You said yourself that you’ll need to move again in a few weeks. Why move someplace where you know no one and have no one around to help if you need it? Move back to Lark where you know people and have people to help you. You realized right away that you hadn’t really needed to leave, right?” He waited for my nod of confirmation. “Jamey would hire you back in a second at the pub, so you’d have a job waiting for you, and we’ll figure out an apartment. Now that we know what’s going on, we can help keep you safe. You won’t have to do everything alone.”
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes at Michael’s words. It had been so long since I’d had someone I could trust completely; someone I could lean on. Just the thought of it, the possibility, felt...impossible. But what I really didn’t understand was...
“Why?”
Michael stopped pacing and stood facing me, arms across his chest. “I just told you why.”
I shook my head wordlessly, fighting to get the words out past the lump in my throat. “Why do you care? Why would you want me back there?”
Michael stood where he was for a second, then crossed to sit in the chair again, mirroring his position from earlier.
“We like you, Grace. Jamey, me, everybody at the pub. You were a member of the team, the family. When you left like you did...” Michael broke off, looking down at his hands clasped between his knees for a second before going on. “We care about what happens to you. If you come back to Lark, we can help you. Let us help you, Grace.” Michael’s eyes burned into mine as he repeated his magic words from before, “You don’t have to do it alone anymore.”
What’s that saying? That if something seems too good to be true, it probably is? I knew Michael meant well. Both he and Jamey were protective by nature. But he couldn’t really want to take this on, take me on.
Sooner or later, he’d get tired of my nearly constant vigilance, of me being nervous and jumpy at the slightest thing. Once he did, then where would I be?
As much as I wanted to, counting on someone other than myself felt dangerous.
“That’s really nice of you, Michael and I appreciate it, I do. But this isn’t your trouble. I can’t let you, or Jamey, or anybody at the pub get pulled into this.”
“I’m already pulled in. Now that I know what’s going on, it’ll drive me crazy knowing you’re out here trying to do this on your own.” Michael pushed out of his chair to pace again, radiating frustration. Even though I knew it was due to me, it didn’t make me wary the way it would have if it had been Ellis or Seth.
Michael stopped a few feet away and stood looking at me, hands on hips. “Look, we knew when you applied at the pub that something was going on.”
My eyes snapped up to Michael’s in surprise. How had they known?
Michael answered my unspoken question. “Jamey noticed a few things and we put them together. Don’t worry, we didn’t mention it to anybody else.”
I relaxed slightly at those words, though I still didn’t love that I’d raised some red flags without realizing it. If they’d noticed, had other employers?
“The point I’m trying to make is that even then, right from the beginning, Jamey and I both were ready to stand by you. I think Jamey’s exact words were ‘We’ll make sure she’s as safe as we can, and deal with whatever comes.’ Once he knows the truth – if you’ll let me tell him – he’s going to want you to come back to the pub. Not to mention that you’re a great cook and pretty much the perfect employee.”
Now I knew he was exaggerating. I’d done okay at the pub but “great” and “perfect” I was not; far from it.
“Michael...” What could I say? My brain was spinning. The thought of being back at the pub, of seeing Michael nearly every day and knowing I had at least him and Jamey watching out for me – it sounded like something close to a fairy tale.
Did I dare? I didn’t believe that Seth and Ellis had really known I was in Lark. Theoretically, it would be as safe to go there as it would anywhere else.
Did I dare do what I wanted, just this once, and move back?
My indecision must have been clear on my face. Either that, or my lack of an intelligent response telegraphed my confusion. Either way, Michael came to sit beside me again and gave me an out, at least for the moment.
“Just think about it, okay? You don’t have to give me an answer right now. There’s no time limit on the offer.”
I nodded wordlessly, certain I’d think about nothing else.
“Unfortunately, the guys and I have to head home tomorrow morning. We’d planned to stay another day, but something came up with my cousins’ business and they need to get back. That’s why I wanted to be sure to talk to you tonight. I need to get going, but is it okay if I call you tomorrow, just to check in? I promise it won’t be as early as today.”
It would take a stronger woman than I to say no when faced with that gorgeous smile.
“Sure, I...sure. I go in at three, so any time before that.”
“Before three. Got it.” Michael got to his feet, and I followed him to the door, then we stood where we were as if we were both reluctant to go any farther. I didn’t want him to leave, but I knew he had to.
“I’ve gotta go,” he said, echoing my thoughts. “Think about what I said. It’s a good plan. In the meantime, if you even think that you spot your ex or you hear from him or your brother, let me know, okay?”
“What can you do from nearly four hours away?” Not that I didn’t appreciate the thought, but realistically....
“Hit the road and probably make it here in three.” I felt my face heat a little at the implication that Michael would drop everything and rush to my side. I was being ridiculous; I was sure he didn’t mean it literally. “At the very least, if you have to leave, you can tell me which way you’re headed, and I can catch up to you at some point. Just don’t bail out and not tell me.”
“Okay, I won’t.” Why I was agreeing to this, I wasn’t sure, but I also had no ability to say no. If Michael needed to flex his protective streak for me, it seemed that I was going to let him, at least for the moment.
And if he felt the need to flex anything else for me...
My face flushed brighter pink and Michael looked at me curiously, no doubt wondering what on earth was making me blush the way I was. It was time to step away from that line of thought and quick before I embarrassed myself more than I already had.
Michael tore his gaze away from my flushed cheeks and opened the door, then paused right on the threshold.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
I wasn’t certain if he was reassuring me or himself.
“Tomorrow,” I agreed as his dark eyes snared mine.
“And if you need anything, anything at all,” Michael paused as if weighing his words before he went on... “You kept my number before; don’t lose it now.”
I ducked my head as his meaning hit me.
So, he’d caught that. He’d realized from what I’d told him about switching phones that I’d saved his number when I’d left Lark and had put it in the new phone I’d gotten.
And the one I’d gotten after that.
At the time, I’d told myself it was foolish, that there was no point in saving a number I’d never call. And yet, I hadn’t been able to make myself let go of it, to sever my final, tiny tie to the man who stood in front of me.
I forced myself to look up at him. There was no point denying it; it would just make it seem even more significant. So, I said simply, “I won’t” and left it at that.
If the small gleam of satisfaction in his eyes was anything to go by, Michael had expected me to deny it or at least not acknowledge what he’d said. The fact that I hadn’t, well, let’s just say I was glad I’d surprised him a little.
“I’m not going to say good-bye. I’ll just say good night and hopefully I’ll see you soon.”
“Good night,” I echoed. “Be careful driving tomorrow.”
I watched as Michael jogged down the stairs, then with a final look and a wave, disappeared through the door to outside, and was gone. I listened for the rumble of the truck starting up, then closed and locked my apartment door.
Wrapping my arms across my stomach I slowly crossed back to the chair and sat down.
It was almost hard to take in everything that had happened. In less than 48 hours, I’d seen Michael again, told him my whole story – well, the parts he needed to know anyway – and he’d asked me to come back to Lark and Brothers Pub.
I knew that I should think through my options logically, make a list of pros and cons and weigh what mattered most. I should consider all the possibilities, all the ways things could go right and wrong.
I also knew I wasn’t going to do any of that. Michael had burst back into my life out of the blue and offered me what I wanted most, a safe – or safe-ish, anyway – place to live, a great job, and people who would help me watch my back.
And if it came with the huge potential for heartbreak if I couldn’t get my crush on Michael under control? If I was tempted to believe that his concern for my safety meant something more and let my mind go places it shouldn’t? Well, I’d just have to work harder at not letting that happen.
For better or worse, I was moving back to Lark.