Page 51 of Holding Grace

“You’re in love with her.”

I drew in a breath, then let it out slowly.

“I’m in love with her.” I’d felt it for a while. It felt good to say it.

“Do you think maybe you should tell her?”

I huffed out a short laugh. That was Mercy – right to the point. I glanced over at her. “We haven’t even dated. She’d think I’m crazy.”

Mercy turned to face me, resting her hip against the railing, arms crossed over her chest.

“You two text or talk every day. You spend time together when your schedule isn’t insane. What do you call that?”

I turned to mirror her position. “Friendship?”

“No doubt, you two are friends. But I guarantee she’d be open to more.”

There was something about the way Mercy said that...

“Has Grace said something?” Did she say she liked me?

And why did I suddenly feel like I was in sixth grade, asking about the cute girl I had a crush on?

“If she did, I wouldn’t tell you, because that would be between me and her, but she lights up when you’re around. I can tell you that. And not in an ‘oh, Michael’s such a good friend’ way.”

Was Mercy right?

Grace had let me kiss her. She’d kissed me back.

She texted or called me first sometimes, and always, without fail, answered when I texted or called her.

She’d bought pillows and sat next to me on the floor rather than sitting in her comfortable chair alone, away from me.

She’d held my hand.

Maybe she was ready for something more.

Ace stuck his head out the door and looked around Levi’s deck. “Are we moving the party out here?”

“No.” I straightened as Mercy did the same. “Just talking about the mysteries of the universe.”

“Right.” Ace clapped me on the shoulder as I strolled past, falling into step with me. “The mysteries of something anyway. Women are way more complicated than the universe.”

Mercy poked him in the stomach as we stepped back to let her go through the door first. “Just because you can’t figure out women doesn’t mean Michael can’t.”

Ace grinned and gave her hair a tug as she went past. “Oh, I figure them out, little sister. I figure them out just fine.”

“Gross.” Mercy screwed her face up as if she’d tasted something bad. “Please do not talk to me about you and women and sex.”

Rycker, Levi, and Grace turned to look at us as we joined them in the great room.

“Who’s talking about sex?” Ry asked, looking from one of us to the other.

Ace pointed at Mercy. “She is. Michael and I were talking about the universe and suddenly Mercy’s talking about sex.”

Mercy narrowed her eyes and shot Ace a look as the rest of us laughed.

“It feels like there’s more to this story,” Levi said.

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