Page 4 of First Love, Second Draft

“Listen. You guys are so sweet. I mean it. You’re the best. ButI’m good. Really. In fact, why don’t you take a few of those casserole dishes with you? Maybe drop one off at the cottage for my new renter while you’re at it? That would be the biggest help to me, because I’m telling you, I’m fine. See?” Gracie gripped the handle on the open car door and rose to a standing position.

Or at least tried to. Her rear end barely cleared the seat before a scream erupted from her lips.

All four men jumped a foot back. Leo swung the axe in front of himself like a weapon.

Okay,finemight’ve been a slight exaggeration.

Footsteps rushed to the car, kicking up pebbles and dirt before skidding to a stop in front of Gracie. “Wombat, hey. What’s going on here?”

Oh thank goodness.Matt. Her kindhearted nephew. The one person on the planet who could hopefully bring a little sanity to this situation.

“Mom,” he said to Mona. “You were supposed to call me once you left the hospital.”

Mona lowered the phone and whisper-shouted to Matt. “I called Aimee.”

“Why would you call Aimee?”

“She’s your fiancée.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, she’s not my—” He clamped his jaw shut with a growl.

Gracie kind of wanted to do the same. “Matt, will you please help me stand? I promise I’ll be fine if someone will just help me stand.”

Matt gripped her elbows and lifted her to a standing position.

Holy hyssop!Gracie clamped her mouth shut, afraid of what words might escape past her lips, none of them holy. Felt like a fifteen-pound bowling ball was sitting inside her pelvis.

After several awful seconds, the pressure began to disappear. The sweat drizzling down her forehead and into her eyes, however...

“See?” she gritted out between her teeth. “Perfectly fine.”

“Oh boy. You look...” Matt scratched behind his ear, smartenough not to finish that sentence. “I don’t know, Aunt Gracie, maybe we do need the extra hands to get you inside.”

“That’s why Mona is here,” Gracie said in between pants that even she had to admit sounded an awful lot like a cocker spaniel in heat.

“Not anymore.” Mona rushed to the driver’s side door. “Sorry, Sis. That lunatic is demanding to see the house in Litchfield today. I need to drive over there before he climbs in through a window or something.”

“Mona, no.” Her sister wasn’t leaving. Not with Gracie standing here. Outside. With half the Alda volunteer fire department.

No no no. This was not the plan. The plan was to get Gracie inside. Alone. With food. Water. A computer. And zero distractions until she had a manuscript bursting with zing. A manuscript with a much better ending than the one she emailed to her agent a few days ago, promising that everything was under control.

That promise would’ve carried a lot more weight if Gracie hadn’t fallen off a coin-operated horse and landed in the ER later that same afternoon. “Mona, you can’t leave me.”

“I’ll be back before you know it,” she shouted through an open window as her car peeled away.

Matt tugged Gracie away from the spraying gravel. He wasn’t holding her tight, but even the little bit of pressure hurt her ribs. Her back. Her pelvis. Her pride. Everything. A whimper slipped past her lips.

“Sorry,” Matt said.

“No, it’s not you. It’s...” She buried her face against Matt’s shoulder, unable to hold back the tears. Why couldn’t anything in her life be easy? Ever? Sakes alive, she couldn’t even climb on a toy horse without getting hurt.

Matt’s shoulders shifted uncomfortably, probably because he could feel her tears and snot seeping through the cotton fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. “Hey guys, appreciate the help, but I think we’re good here.”

Still crying, Gracie flapped her fingers toward the porch. “Don’t forget the casseroles,” she whimpered.

She didn’t have to tell the poor boys twice. They’d probably rather deal with a blazing fire than a crying woman any day. The fire truck’s heavy rumble soon disappeared.

At last, peace.

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