Page 64 of Gracie Harris Is Under Construction

“I appreciate the sentiment, Josh, but Gracie is about to make me and others a lot of money. This is the least that I can do to show my appreciation.”

After she pays, she asks if there are any bars that stay open past 7 p.m. that we can get one more drink at before heading home.

“Just a few blocks away,” Josh responds. “It’s notthatsmall of a town.”

On the walk over, Felicity tells us how much she likes Canopy. She’s amazed by how much I can walk to from the house. “Everything you need is here, Gracie!” she tells me excitedly. Felicity is already three drinks in, so I make a mental note to only let her have one more.

Despite my love of margaritas I’m not a big drinker, so this is the first time I’ve made it to the bar—High Tide. It’s got a strong hipster vibe, with dark wood walls, a mirrored bar shelf, and bartenders in black button-up shirts. No doubt transplants from some bigger city opened this place.

We grab three stools at the bar. Before I pop into mine, I ask Josh to order me a drink and excuse myself to use the restroom.

A few minutes later, I’m tucked around the corner from the bar on the way back when I hear Josh and Felicity midconversation. I can’t see them, but their voices rise above the chatter.

“I’m serious. I’m just so happy she found you, Josh. It really feels like this is all meant to be. This is a new version of Gracie for me. You have to remember that I met her at one of the saddest times of her life. She’s just so full of joy and so vibrant now—it’s so beautiful.”

“You’re being too nice. I don’t think I had all that much to do with it.”

“I’m certain that you did.”

There’s a brief silence before Felicity says something else in a serious but also decidedly alcohol-infused tone. “Josh, I think she really likes you. Like, a lot. I hope you’re as serious about her as Ithinkyou are.”

What Josh says back makes me warm and happy and also inexplicably sad somewhere deep inside.

“Felicity, I was a goner from the first moment I saw her. It took a lot of self-control not to tell her I loved her by the second week at the house. I think she’s perfect.”

“I’m glad to hear that. She’s been through a lot, and she deserves that sort of affection. Judging by the way she looks at you, I suspect that love is flowing in both directions.”

I pop back around the corner before Felicity can divulge anything deeper than that. Or maybe I’m more nervous about what else Josh might say.

“I was just telling Josh how much I like this new Gracie. In a crazy way, I feel like I’m meeting you for the first time on this trip,” she says.

Last week when I video chatted with my closest friend from Chapel Hill, she said almost the exact same thing.This is like an entirely new Gracie I’m seeing!

What is going on in my head right now? This summer. Josh. My writing routine. It’s all made things better. I’m happier, healthier, and feeling a lightness that hasn’t been present in a long time. Why then do I have the twinge of sadness pinching my insides?

—

After I saygood night to Felicity and make sure her tipsy legs make it safely up the stairs, I flow back through the house, turning off lights and locking the front door.

When I open the guest room door, Josh is pulling his fancy shirt over his head instead of unbuttoning it. He walks over to give me a perfectly delicate kiss and a hug.

“You okay?” he asks while we’re still wrapped together. “Something seemed a little off at the bar.”

“I think I just got a little overwhelmed all of a sudden,” I say, telling the truth before adding a slight lie. “The impact of what Felicity said about the book just hit me.”

“Let yourself be overwhelmed but also enjoy it. You should be really proud of yourself. I’m proud of you. I also know it’s a lot to take in.”

Despite twinges in my belly and how fuzzy my brain feels, I can’t help but melt into Josh. My hands run up and down his chest and around to his back. I gently move my nails down his spine, which makes him arch his back and pelvis toward me. His hands move from my lower back to the front of me, cupping my breasts softly. There is a tenderness to us tonight—as if we’re both wrestling with so much inside that our bodies need something gentle.

In quick succession, my sundress is unzipped and his pants are off. He lifts me onto the bed and lays me down carefully. I love the feel of his arms as he does this. Tonight there is no foreplay, just our bodies connected and moving in motion.

Do I love this man? Is this real? Am I ready for this? All these thoughts are running through my mind, when suddenly, I can’t think at all.

—

“I didn’t hearany noise last night, so if you did have sex with that very cute boyfriend of yours, I’m happy to report that the sound doesn’t travel up the stairs.”

Felicity and I are both adjusting our hiking sandals before setting off on a mile-long trail to a waterfall. Her flight leaves this afternoon, and she refuses to depart without spending time in nature.

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