Grace rocked back and forth on the porch. I wished every day I came home I could see her. e big blue skies surrounded us like it was our own perfect mini-universe, just for her and me. She was a vision. Her blond hair was tied up in a messy bun. I imagined unraveling it and watching her locks fall around her face. I was happy she’d left her room. A car engine shut o behind me. I didn’t even notice anyone following. Wyatt climbed out of his cruiser.
“Hey, man,” I said.
His face was beet red, and his sts were clenched by his side. A thick, angry vein in the center of his forehead throbbed, and it looked as though it could burst at any moment. In three large steps, he was right in front of me. Rather than his usual friendly salutation, his st did the talking. e force pushed me backward, and for me, the sun wasn’t the only star in the sky now. My cheek throbbed, but I stood tall.
“What the hell, Wyatt!”
Before he came at me again to deliver another greeting, Grace was between us with her hands on both of our chests. She asked me if I was all right. I knew then she still cared for me. And if she didn’t, she would eventually.
He pu ed out his chest and raised his chin. “What’d you do to Charlotte?” Wyatt spat.
“What? What did she tell you?”
Grace’s hands were still up, separating us from one another. I kept a close
eye on the gun that sat on Wyatt’s hip. Would he shoot me dead right here? He
looked angry enough to do it.
“I saw what you did to her. I saw the gash on the back of her head!”
I blew out my cheeks. My eyes went to Grace then Wyatt. Char wasn’t lying. I had done that. I didn’t mean to. If I had really intended to hurt her, I would have. It was purely an accident. She told Wyatt because she was using him. at much was obvious.
“Is it true?” he yelled. “Did you do that? If you did, I’m going to make sure she presses charges.”
“No!” Grace yelled. She squared up with Wyatt, and he took a quick step
back like he was afraid of her.
“Charlotte came here looking for trouble. She was drunk and belligerent. She told me . . .” Grace paused. “She said she slept with Joe. So, if you want to arrest anyone, arrest her for drunk driving and being the town whore.”
Wyatt’s eyes grew wide in disbelief. ey snapped between Grace and me.
He let out a heavy sigh and stumbled backward.
Grace left out the part about Charlotte and I sleeping together clearly to protect me.
“She slept with Joe?” he stammered.
Wyatt was in love with Charlotte, but this revelation changed everything. I’m sure he hoped she’d come around—that maybe she was just scared about settling down. But he wasn’t the man she wanted to settle down with. I was, and Joe was just a pawn.
I tilted my head, delivering a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, man.” “Joe’s my best friend.” Wyatt’s lip quivered.
“I know.” I closed the distance between us and patted him on the shoulder.
In being all caught up with what Char had done, I forgot about what Joe had done. Wyatt and Joe had been best friends since they were boys. He stuck by Joe after the accident, after most others turned their back on him. He never once bought into the rumors that Joe could have possibly done it on purpose. He even took care of him until he was healed enough to take care of himself.
Wyatt raised his shoulders. “I’ve gotta go.” He hung his head for a moment.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “It’s ne,” I said.
Wyatt got into his cruiser without another word and backed out of the
driveway. I had no idea what he was going to do next, but I knew it wasn’t good. Once out on the road, his tires squealed, and he icked on his lights and siren, speeding o in the direction of downtown Dubois.
I shook my head and turned to Grace. “ ank you for standing up for me.” She pointed to my cheek. “You should get some ice on that.”
“Everything all right out here?” Albert stood on the porch, holding two
beers. “I heard yelling.”
Grace nodded and took one of the beers from him. “It’s all good.” ey clinked their bottles together and swigged.
I thought now would be the best time to tell her the truth about everything, but the thought passed quickly. ings were getting better, and I didn’t want something silly like the truth ruining it, so I just smiled and joined them.
 |
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e carbonation from the beer tingled against my tongue, or maybe it was Grace that made me tingle. She sat beside me, grazing on her ham-and-cheese sandwich. Somehow, after half a dozen beers with Albert on the porch, she had warmed up to me and even let me make her something to eat. e sky looked like a watercolor painting, a mix of blues and yellows and pinks, but the beauty of it paled in comparison to her. Grace rocked back and forth in the creaky, wooden chair. We were back to talking about dating things, learning about one another, likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, and all that. It was nice, real
nice.
“What’s your biggest regret?” she asked, pulling the bottle from her lips.
e liquid left behind a glimmery sheen that begged to be kissed. But I resisted.
“Leaving here,” I said. “But also coming back.” Grace tilted her head. “Why?”
“When I left, I felt like a wild animal being released from captivity. I went out and got a taste of freedom, and realized the world wasn’t like I thought it was. en I was put back in the cage, so to speak.” I glanced over at her. I was sure I wasn’t making much sense, but she nodded anyway.
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t do Airbnb for the money, do you?” Maybe she did have me all gured out.
I shook my head and drank. “No, I don’t.”
“Why’d you lie to me?” she asked, setting her empty plate down on the table between us.
“How’d you know I was lying?”
“It doesn’t matter how I knew. It matters why you lied.” Grace eyed me. She must have been watching me carefully this whole time.
I let out a deep breath and some of the truth came out with it. “I lied because I was embarrassed. My parent’s life insurance policies left me a lot of money, but I learned quickly that money ain’t everything. So, I started Airbnb simply because I was lonely.” My eyes icked to her.
Grace pulled in her lips and lowered her chin. I think she felt bad for me.
We sat there for a few moments, rocking back and forth, and staring out at the pond and the green pasture beyond it. I couldn’t let that be the end of the conversation.
“What about you? Biggest regret?” “I don’t have any,” she said. “Bullshit.”
“No, it’s true, I don’t have any. If it was good, I enjoyed it. If it was bad, I
learned from it. I can’t go around regretting the things I’ve done that made me
me.” She lifted her chin.
“You are something else,” I said, taking a swig. “Something good?”
“I guess it don’t matter whether you’re good or bad because I can’t regret you. Well, according to your logic.” I grinned, shooting her a quick glance before staring at the setting sun. It re ected o the pond making it look like glass.
“You teasing me, Calvin?”
“Of course not. I would never.”
She laughed. We were back to day six, like day seven hadn’t happened. We were irting again. We were actually talking. I think she could see it—a future with me. I’d shut out the rest of the world just to be with Grace Evans.
“What’s going on with my car?” she asked.
e question was like a punch to the gut. She was always asking about that damn car so she could get away from me.
“It’ll be xed tomorrow.” ere was no enthusiasm in my voice. I said it like I was reading an instruction manual.
e screen door opened and closed with a bang. Albert shu ed out with heavy lopsided steps. His skin was ushed, and his hair was matted in some areas and stuck out in others. I wasn’t sure if he had been napping or drinking more.
“Hey, Calvin. I’ve been drinking.” at solved that mystery. “I’m out of Jack.
Would you mind driving me into town?”
I slightly narrowed my eyes. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
Grace collected the beer bottles and empty plates. “Oh, just go take him into town. We’re out of wine anyway.”
Reluctantly, I stood from my chair. I should have never let him stay here. “Fine. I’ll be quick.” Before I could chicken out or stop myself from doing
it, I planted a quick kiss on her forehead. She didn’t pull away.
“ anks, Grace.” Albert threw a smile at her as he walked down the steps of
the porch toward the truck.
“Should we really be encouraging his habit?” I whispered to Grace in a last- ditch e ort to get out of leaving her.
“He’s old. Let him have the small joys he still has left,” she said. “Besides,
bad habits aren’t always all that bad.”
“You’re a softie, Grace.” When I leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, she turned her head and allowed her lips to meet mine. ey were warm and soft like my pillow in the summertime. When she pulled away, all I could do was smile. “Be back soon.”
“Better get going. Albert’s waiting.” She gestured toward the vehicle. He was
already sitting in the front seat, cranking down the passenger side window.
I nodded and started toward the truck, keeping my eyes on Grace. I never wanted to look away. Some things just have a pull on you, and she was one of them.
