Page 8 of Perfect Harmony

Lucas looked her up and down in a way thatwas charming rather than lecherous. “You do look like the woolgathering type.”

“I didn’t realize that woolgatherers lookeda certain way,” she said.

“Is woolgatherers even a word?” Lucassaid.

“Of course it is. It means one who gatherswool,” Grace said.

Lucas laughed. “Touché. It’s nice to seeyou again, Grace.”

“You as well, Lucas.”

He followed her up the porch stairs andinto the house. She pointed down the hallway. “Take a right at the end of thehallway. There’s a door leading into the sunroom and the patio doors are justoff of that. Everyone will be in the back yard.”

“You’re not coming with?” Lucas asked.

“Be there in a minute,” she said.

He headed down the hallway and she duckedinto the kitchen. As she suspected, Kira was in the kitchen. She was standingat the counter and stirring a giant jug of lemonade.

“Hey, honey.”

“Gracie, hi!” Her best friend didn’t lookup. “We’re almost ready to eat so you can go ahead and put the potato salad outsidewith the rest of the food, rather than in the fridge.”

“Shit,” Grace said.

Kira glanced at her, her vigorous stirringslowing to a stop. “Did you forget the potato salad in the car?”

“I forgot tomakethe potato salad,”Grace said. “Dammit, Kira, I’m sorry.”

Kira shook her head. Her blonde hair waspulled into a ponytail and her face was free of makeup. Her skin glowed, andGrace didn’t think she’d ever seen her best friend so happy. She supposedthat’s what love did to a person.

You’ll never find out.

She shut out her inner voice as Kira said,“It’s no big deal.”

“It is. I promised to bring the potatosalad and I fucked up.” She could hear the break in her voice.

Another side effect of insomnia, her usual bulletproofability to not cry went out the window.

Kira hurried over to her and took herhands, studying Grace’s face until Grace looked away.

“Honey,” Kira squeezed her hands, “when wasthe last time you slept?”

“I look that bad, huh?” Grace said.

“No,” Kira said. “But you do look tired andI know you, Gracie. I can tell when you aren’t sleeping. Have you talked toyour doctor? This bout of insomnia has lasted a long time.”

“I’m okay.” Grace pulled her hands free.“It’s been a rough few days, but I’ll sleep tonight.”

“Will you?” Kira said. “When was the lasttime you slept? I want an exact date, Gracie.”

Grace swallowed her irritation. Kira meantwell but Grace didn’t want to talk about her inability to sleep. When it wasthis bad, even talking about her lack of sleep made her want to weep like anovertired toddler.

“Honey?” Connor, Kira’s boyfriend andGrace’s boss, walked into the kitchen. His right arm was in a cast and a slingheld the cast against his chest. “Any word from your brother? Everything isready to go.”

“He’ll be here any minute. He had to worka bit late and then stop and pick up Tank from doggy daycare.”

The front door opened and there was theclatter of nails on the hardwood floor.

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