Chapter 12
Grace wasn't interested in catching the bouquet or anything else that required her to leave Damon's arms, but Riley and Daniel had different plans.
"Paige will never forgive me if you aren't in the lineup to catch the bouquet," Riley said with a firm hand on Grace's back as she guided her inside. "Make sure you're front and center."
"What? Why?"
Riley was already walking away.
Before Grace had a chance to walk off the dance floor, Paige threw the bouquet right at her. She had to catch it to avoid being hit in the face.
Cheers filled the gym, and Grace turned to see Damon grinning and applauding. Daniel elbowed him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. She garnered so much attention from Damon's family that she returned to her mother's side. No need to make a spectacle by rushing back to Damon's arms.
"Well, if that isn't an omen, I don't know what is." Mom's grin was almost as big as Damon's.
Grace rolled her eyes.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to have some more dancing while the happy couple change their clothes and get ready for the big send off."
"I'd better go help Paige with her dress." Grace started to stand, but her mom grabbed her arm.
"She has a husband who can help her with that now." Mom gave her a wink and a sly grin. "Which means you can dance with Damon some more."
"I guess you're right." Grace's gaze sought out Damon in the crowd.
He was already on his way toward her. When he reached them, he crouched in front of her mom. "Can I get you anything before I steal Grace away again?"
"Aren't you sweet, Mijo?" Mom patted his cheek. "I'm fine, thank you."
The air rushed from Grace's lungs. Her mother called him my son. She'd given Damon more than her stamp of approval. She'd accepted him as her own. Knowing her mom wouldn't likely live long enough to see her married, the expression brought tears to Grace's eyes. It also scared her a little.
She loved the idea of marrying Damon, but until she found the courage to tell him about her past—and he was able to accept what she'd done—she couldn't dream about that kind of future with him.
When Damon held his hand out to her, she took it again and let him pull her into his arms, her heart still racing.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She blinked away her tears and gave him her biggest smile.
"I've heard your mom call Gabe Mijo." Damon bought his mouth close to her ear again. "What does it mean?"
Grace lifted her eyes to meet his. "My son."
Damon gave a soft smile as he tucked his chin and repeatedly blinked his eyes.
"I appreciate you visiting her so often while I work." Emotion deepened her voice. "She really likes you. She's going to miss you when you leave."
"I'm going to miss her." Damon's Adam's apple bobbed as he repeatedly blinked. "I enjoyed my visits with her."
"I'm going to miss you." Her throat was so tight she could hardly get the words out, but he must have heard them because he pulled her closer.
"Shhh...Let's not think about that yet."
Nodding, she tucked her head against his shoulder.
All too soon, they were ushered to the entrance of the rec center where everyone was lined up with sparklers that Grace was supposed to help distribute. Daniel and Riley must have recruited help while she danced with Damon.
She and Damon had just stepped outside with her mother when Robert thrust giant, burning sparklers into their hands. Then he winked at Damon and slapped his shoulder.
"They're coming." Ben, Paige's older brother, shouted. "Make an arch."
The photographer walked backward through the arch followed by Gabe and Paige. When they reached the end, Gabe dipped Paige and gave her a passionate kiss while the crowd cheered.
Mom again wiped tears from her eyes as Gabe helped Paige into the back of a limousine, courtesy of Jake and Emily. Grace had to blink away a few of her own. Paige was good for her brother.
The moment the car drove away, Mom gripped Grace's arm and sank against her. She let out a cry of alarm as she fell off balance and stumbled into Damon.
"What's wrong?" His gaze darted to her then to her mother. "Oh." With lightning-fast reflexes, he swept her mom up in his arms.
"Oh dear." Charity stepped in front of them followed by Hope. "Best get her home to rest."
"But..." Grace didn't know what she'd planned to say because concern for her mom erased all thoughts from her mind.
Was this just exhaustion? Or was there something else wrong with her?
Hope put an arm around her. "Don't worry about a thing. We've got plenty of family here to help clean up. You just take care of your mom."
"Should I take her to the h-hospital?" Grace's voice trembled with fear and concern as she scanned the crowd. "Where's—”. Her words died when she spotted Dr. Young behind her.
He motioned to Damon. "Take Marisol inside and set her down."
Damon did as he was told, and Dr. Young dropped to one knee in front of her. "Can I check your pulse, Marisol?" He took her mom's hand as Grace sat beside her mother.
Riley, Dr. Young’s nurse practitioner, hovered close as well as Faith, who was a retired nurse.
"I'm okay. I'm just tired." Mom protested while he studied his watch.
Grace almost missed her mom's quiet words. Unfortunately, they didn't fill her with relief like she'd hoped.
"Her pulse is a little slow, but it's steady." Dr. Young looked up. "I'm sure your mom's right; she's just worn out. It has been a long day." He patted her mother's hand. "It was a beautiful day, wasn't it?"
"Yes, I couldn't ask for a better family for Gabe to marry into."
"He's a wonderful addition to our family. We're glad to have him and you and Grace." His gentle smile encompassed her.
"Thank you." Mom pointed a finger as she looked at the crowd surrounding them. "Not a word of this to Gabe or Paige. I don't want to spoil their honeymoon, short as it is."
Gabe and Paige were spending the long Labor Day weekend at her family's cabin near the lake. Then next month, during Paige's week-long Fall Break, Gabe planned to take Paige on a Caribbean cruise.
When Paige's family all nodded, Mom turned to Grace. "Take me home."
"Okay, let me pull my car up to the door."
Charity tapped Damon's shoulder. "Go with them and help get Marisol into the house."
"I plan on it."
By the time Grace pulled her car as close as she could to the entrance of the rec center, Damon stood there waiting with her mom in his arms. He gently set her into the car and buckled her seat belt.
He looked at Grace. "I'll follow you home."
Grace felt like she should protest and tell him they'd manage on their own, but she wasn't ready to say goodbye yet, and she needed his comforting presence.
She nodded. "Okay, thanks."
It was strange how the sight of Damon's headlights in her rear-view mirror brought relief and comfort, unlike two weeks ago when he scared her to death by following her home. Now the depth of her feelings and the thought of him leaving scared her.
When they arrived at her house, Damon beat her to the passenger door.
"Such a sweet boy." Her mom let Damon pick her up again without protesting.
Grace hurried to unlock the front door. "Take her right to her room."
Damon did as she said, setting her mother gently on the bed. Then he hovered in the doorway while Grace got her mom's pain medicine and a glass of water.
"I'm going to help her change." Grace grabbed his hand as he stepped out into the hall. "Please don't leave. After I get my mom settled, I'm going to change, then I want to spend more time with you."
"I am going to leave for a bit." He tapped his chest where the ribbons rested. "To get out of this monkey suit, but don't worry, I'll be back. I want to spend more time with you too." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll let myself back in, if that's okay."
She nodded then turned to find her mom grinning at her.
"I wondered if I'd ever see that look on your face again."
"What look?" Grace tempered her smile as she pulled one of her mom's nightgowns from the drawer.
"The look that says, 'You're in love.'"
Grace stopped short. "No, I'm not in love. I really, really like Damon, but I'm not in love. Not yet."
"If you say so." Mom's expression was doubtful.
The thump of chopper blades fill the air, making Damon's chest seize. An enemy chopper. Funny how their helicopters sound different from ours.
"Take cover!" Soldiers rush past him, heading for the makeshift bunker. Damon follows. The weight of his pack makes him feel like he's running in slow motion.
The air is hot. Too hot to breathe.
Sand everywhere, irritating his eyes, filling his lungs.
Machine gun fire splits the air as he dives into the bunker. His body jolts at the hardness of the impact. More sand billows in his face.
Men scream. Some shouting orders, others shrieking in pain. The whistle of bullets buzzes past his ears.
He struggles to maneuver his rifle into position to return fire, but his fingers won’t cooperate.
Above the chaos the hollow whomp of a mortar exiting its tube makes Damon's gut clench.
Theirs or ours? He couldn't tell.
"No." He jerks again, desperate for better shelter.
Everyone freezes, waiting for the impact.
The blast is both deafening and blinding.
"Damon." McDonald reaches for him, his face bloody and twisted in pain.
He tries to crawl to him, but he can't make his body work.
"Damon." A hand shakes his shoulder.
He shoves it off. McDonald needs his help.
"Damon, wake up please. You're scaring me." The voice of an angel chased away the panic engulfing him.
Grace's voice.
He jerked awake, bolting upright, taking Grace whom he still held in his arms with him. Perspiration pricked his forehead and the back of his neck as his heart continued to race.
Everything came rushing back to him. The wedding. Dancing with Grace. Kissing her. Marisol's collapse. Coming back after changing to spend more time with Grace, who broke down after helping get her mother to bed.
According to her, they were mostly happy tears for Gabe and Paige.
But Damon knew she was worried about her mother.
By the light of the lamp on the end table, he'd encouraged her to talk about her fears of losing her mother, and they'd cried together.
Then he'd held her in his arms to comfort her, and at some point, they'd fallen asleep.
"Are you okay?" Worry lines creased her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He scrubbed a hand over his face.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice was gentle and encouraging.
"No." He extricated himself from her and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water.
She followed him. Arms wrapped around herself, she leaned against the counter and watched him.
"It was just a nightmare. I have them sometimes." He drained his glass of water.
"Is it PTSD?"
Damon shrugged. "Yeah. Mine's not as bad as some of the guys though."
Grace closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks." He embraced her. Soaking in her comfort, he rested his chin on her head.
They stood there in the dark kitchen for a long time, both aware that he'd be leaving in twenty-four hours. He glanced at the clock on the stove.
More like twenty-two hours.
"I'd better go home and let you get some rest." He finally released her. "Will you spend the day with me tomorrow? I mean today."
"Yes."
"Good. I want to take you out to the lake."
Grace's brow creased. "Aren't Gabe and Paige honeymooning at the lake?"
"It's a big lake." Damon chuckled. "Don't worry, we won't disturb them."
"In that case, I'd love to go to the lake with you, but it depends on how my mother is doing in the morning."
He kept an arm around her as he walked to the front door. "Go to bed. Sleep in, then call me when you wake up. We'll go from there."
"Okay."
He cupped her face in both hands and pressed his lips to hers. He intended to keep it brief, but she clung to him as he was about to pull away. Her lips parted, and he drank from the well like a man who was dying of thirst.
Breathless, yet longing for more, he finally pushed her away. "You drive me crazy."
She grinned, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to open the door and walk out.
"Goodnight, beautiful."