Chapter 2 Gracie #3
Still struggling to hold the dogs, Gracie glanced up just as the other woman walked into the kitchen.
In that instant, Gracie looked into the lion’s gold eyes of the single most beautiful creature she’d ever seen. Statuesque, with sleek black hair and creamed-coffee skin and dramatically made-up eyes, Bianca Hampton radiated confidence and attitude and very expensive perfume.
“Oh!” Bianca’s eyes flicked over Gracie. “Hello. I heard you got a dog, Marsh. Two? Then it was smart to get a dog walker. Where is Olivia? I can’t wait to tell her I’m staying until the New Year!”
The New Year? A dog walker?
For a split second, Gracie considered letting go of the collars, knowing that winter white wool coat would suffer the brunt of the decision.
Instead, she held tight, straightened, and looked directly at Bianca. “I’ll get her.”
Pulling the slightly unwilling dogs with her, she pushed open the door with her hip and stepped out onto the patio just as the biggest, fastest, coldest snowball in history hit her square in the face.
“Mom! Oh, no! I’m so sorry! Mom! I didn’t mean to…”
Benny’s wail faded away as Gracie blinked into the snowflakes.
Life, not Benny’s wayward snowball, had just smacked her hard in the face.
Gracie wiped snow from her lashes with the back of her hand, blinking while Benny gave her a crumpled tissue he dug out of his pocket.
“I’m fine,” she said, laughing like that might make it true.
Newt pressed his warm little body to her shin, contrite as if this was all his fault, while Kat hovered nearby, uncertain which human needed comforting more.
“Mom, I’m so sorry,” Benny whined again.
Olivia came tearing over. “Miss Gracie, are you—”
“Your mother’s here,” she said, trying to make her voice sound bright but the words still came out like a death sentence.
“Mom? Here? In this house?” Olivia stepped by her toward the door, snagging Kat on the way. “What the heck?”
She disappeared inside while Gracie stood frozen—almost literally, but definitely in her heart—with Benny.
“Why is she here?” Benny asked. “I thought Olivia was meeting her at the airport.”
Gracie closed her eyes and tried to hold it together. “I guess she changed plans. I don’t know. Come on, let’s get you and Newt inside. It’s cold.”
They stepped into the mudroom and voices carried from the kitchen—Bianca’s lilting and self-assured, followed by Marshall’s low and careful responses. Olivia was uncharacteristically quiet.
After they took off their boots and jackets and brushed off Newt, Gracie and Benny stepped around the corner into the kitchen.
“So this in Benny!” Bianca cooed, coming over to him with arms out.
“My Liv talks endlessly about you.” She hugged him tight and he stood, awkward, in a stranger’s arms. “And you’re Benny’s mom,” she added, pinning Gracie with a shockingly direct and impossibly perfect gaze.
“I’m sorry I mistook you for the dog walker. You’re her friend’s mother.”
That was one way of describing her.
“Gracie McBride.” Gracie took a few steps forward, hand extended. “Welcome to Park City. First time?”
“Not really.” She sent a coy look at one very uncomfortable Marshall, who braced himself on the countertop as though Hurricane Bianca could wipe them all out.
Well, she’d certainly done a number on his big Christmas plans.
“Remember, we were here with your coach and his wife,” she cooed at Marshall.
“We stayed in that astounding three-story Airbnb and skied for days. Oh, I loved it. In fact, it was that trip that made me call the airlines and get on an earlier flight so I could surprise you. I brought all my ski gear.”
She turned to Olivia and flashed a smile that was white and perfect and, yes, genuine as she gazed at her daughter.
Of course she loved Olivia. Marshall had said that Bianca was not “maternal” but who didn’t truly love their daughter? She wasn’t the enemy—just the ex.
“And look at you, Liv.” She opened her arms. Olivia hesitated—just a flicker—then hugged her mother. “It’s been too long, right?”
Marshall had shared that his ex had moved to L.A. in search of fame and fortune, always having excuses for why she didn’t see Olivia. But no excuse now, it seemed.
“Isn’t it good news?” Bianca asked. “You don’t have to get on a plane today.”
Olivia pulled back. “We’re not leaving at all?” She sounded hopeful and surprised and maybe a little worried.
“Why would we?” Bianca trilled a laugh and glanced at Marshall, her gaze just as warm. “Christmas is about family, so we’re going to spend the holiday here.” She hugged Olivia harder, eyes still on her ex-husband. “Because we Hamptons are a family.”
She stressed the word as though it needed extra emphasis.
Olivia frowned, clearly weighing the news in her sharp and analytical brain. “So… I don’t have to leave Park City?”
“No, you don’t,” Bianca said, smoothing her daughter’s sleeve. “Isn’t that wonderful? We’ll do Christmas in Park City! We can hit the slopes, shop in town, go out to dinner. It’ll be such fun, right, Marsh?”
He swallowed. “Where are you staying?”
“Oh, well…” She huffed a frustrated breath.
“My decision was so last-minute, I’m still scrambling for an Airbnb or something.
Goodness, though, this town is crowded with tourists over the holidays.
The decent places are booked through New Year’s.
Lifts are open, and there’s a waiting list everywhere.
I guess I could just drag her to some motel on the highway. ”
She waited a beat, looking at him with an expectant expression.
“Or…” She pressed her hands into a praying pose against her lips, all but batting her lash extensions at her ex-husband. “This place looks big. I’m sure you have a guest wing or—”
“That’s not going to work,” he replied, leaving no room for argument.
“Oh…” She pouted. “That’s a shame, Marsh. I won’t be any trouble, I swear. I don’t eat much, I sleep late, and Olivia and I are supposed to be together this holiday.”
“But you and I aren’t,” he said.
“Oh, Marsh. It’s Christmas!”
Gracie took a step back, everything introverted in her really wanting to hide while Marshall and Bianca hashed this out.
“And this is my house at Christmas,” he said. “Of course you should spend your Christmas with Olivia any way you like. But not…here. Not in this house.”
“Oh, dear. I guess this was a bad idea,” Bianca said.
Marshall gave a soft “ya think” snort, but Olivia stepped up, looking…yeah, hopeful. She wanted her mom to stay here.
“I could still be with both of you that way, Dad,” she said. “I mean, Mom and I would do things but we could…” Her voice faded as Marshall looked at her, the war of emotions evident on his face.
He wanted Bianca to leave. He wanted Olivia to be happy. And as of ten minutes ago, he wanted a future with Gracie.
A beat passed and everyone in the room looked at Marshall, who had just enough pain in his eyes for Gracie to feel it.
He shouldn’t have to justify not hosting his ex. He also shouldn’t be the villain in Olivia’s eyes. And Bianca had a point about the timing—Park City was packed.
Gracie cleared her throat, already knowing exactly what to say even before she opened her mouth. It was the right thing to do—not ideal, but right.
“Actually,” she said, and four faces turned. “There’s another option. My family happens to own a lodge with plenty of beautiful cabins available this month. We just finished renovations and haven’t officially opened, so…”
“Miss Gracie!” Olivia exclaimed. “That’s perfect! And Mom, I can stay with you!”
“We can have more epic snowball battles,” Benny chimed in after staying weirdly silent all this time.
“And take sleigh rides and go sledding and it’s really close to the ski resort and, Mom, you’ll love Snowberry Lodge!” Olivia was practically jumping with excitement, but Bianca did not look happy.
“Snowberry…” She cringed. “That sounds…quaint.”
“It is,” Gracie said. “My mother and aunt are having a soft opening of the newly renovated cabins this week. You could have the one that has two bedrooms and a fantastic mountain view.”
Bianca didn’t look convinced. “Is it…nice? I’m not a snob, but I like my Egyptian cotton sheets and room service.”
“It’s lovely,” Gracie replied, confident that was the truth. “Everything’s new and fresh, and I don’t know about room service, but my mom runs the kitchen and she’ll make you anything you’d like, any hour you’d like it.”
“Your…mom.” She practically groaned and glanced at Marshall as if he had to know that family-owned mountain lodges were not her thing.
But he visibly brightened. “It’s a solution,” he said. “You’ll be comfortable and you’d be…”
Not here, Gracie imagined him thinking.
“Close,” he finished.
“This is so cool,” Benny exclaimed, scooping up Newt for a furry kiss. “The dogs can run around Snowberry.”
“We can hang out all the time, Benny!”
“And maybe, if you ever open that present, do a science experiment.”
“Is that what you gave me?” she asked, her eyes shining. “I’m dead. My gift’s the same thing!”
“No way! I don’t believe you.”
“Come and see it!”
Giggling, they high-fived and took off toward the den together, their little problems solved.
Bianca moaned. “This is not what I had in mind,” she said under her breath to Marshall, almost as if she didn’t realize—or care—that Gracie was still standing there. “Really, I’d hoped I could stay here and we could…reconnect, Marsh.”
Oh, boy. Gracie braced for him to relent, to take one long look at that shockingly beautiful woman—her skin didn’t even look real, it was so luscious—and realize he shouldn’t have let her go.
But he just closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m pretty busy over the holidays.”
She inched back at the tone, then turned. “Then thank goodness you happen to be here, Gretchen.”
“Gracie,” she corrected.
“Of course. I’m sorry. This is very kind of you. Thank you.”
“I can drive you,” Gracie suggested, before Bianca the Beautiful did a full-court press and Marshall caved. “We can be there in ten minutes, fifteen if the plows are running behind.”
Bianca sighed in defeat. “Please tell me there’s a decent espresso between here and there.”
“Three,” Marshall said, fighting a smile that made Gracie wonder if he was amused by the woman—or totally over her. Gracie didn’t know but she decided right then and there that she would not be jealous.
Sure, Bianca was drop-dead gorgeous and had just kicked a Christmas dream to the curb, but Gracie was not going to step one toe into jealousy. Bianca was the past and Marshall had said himself that Gracie could be the future. She’d cling to that with all she had.
“Olivia’s bags are in the garage,” Marshall said. “Come with me, Gracie, and we’ll transfer them to your van.”
“And I’ll take the self-guided tour,” Bianca quipped, barely hiding the distaste in her voice as she walked off in the direction of the living room.
The minute they were through the mudroom and alone in the garage, Marshall turned to Gracie and took her hands. “Thank you and I’m sorry. I’d drive her there myself, but she makes my head explode.”
“It’s fine. She’s quite…something.”
He rolled his eyes, looking so much like Olivia that Gracie had to laugh. “The list is long of the somethings she is,” he cracked. “But you, sweet Gracie, saved this from getting messy and me from having to get a motel because she moved in here.”
“I could feel it all going sideways,” she admitted.
“Oh, it fell on its backside,” he grumbled.
Then he leaned closer. “This does not change a thing that we just talked about.” At her look, he chuckled.
“Okay, it’s a small change. But I meant what I said, Gracie.
I still want this time and this holiday with you.
Only you. Olivia has to be with her—by agreement and by law. ”
“I understand,” she assured him. “Just…tell me when.”
“Tonight?” He pulled her closer, stealing the briefest kiss—sweet and quick. “Don’t say no.”
“Gracie?” The mudroom door popped open. “Ready when you are?”
“Just meet us out front, Bianca,” Marshall said. Then, when she was gone, he gave Gracie an expectant look. “I have to go into Craving Clean later. You’re working?”
“I can be done around four,” she said. “My night manager can close.”
“Perfect. I’ll get you then. We can walk around town, have an early dinner, and come back here to decorate my tree. I’ll bring it down from the attic while you get Bianca and Olivia to the lodge. Sound like a plan?”
“It’s a…”
“A date,” he finished, stealing one more kiss. “First of many.”
She sure hoped so.