Page 75 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
Sophie laughed. “That’s my man, always wanting to delve into darker territory.”
“Hey, babe,” Brett said with a raise of his brows. “I’ll be happy to act out a few sins of the flesh with you if you’d like.”
Sophie batted her handsome husband away. “I love you, but take Reed and go do guy things. I want to chat with Grace for a minute.”
Reed pulled Grace into a quick kiss. “Have fun. Tonight’s your night, baby. Enjoy.”
“Holy cow, Grace. I never thought I’d see you with a dreamy look in your eyes,” Sophie teased.
Grace sighed. “Look around us, Soph. He went to so much trouble. Who would know how much this would mean to me besides Reed? All the people we grew up with are here. And you came homeearly.” Her eyes welled with tears again. Her breathing hitched, and she gulped for air.
“Oh boy, come here.” Sophie pulled her into another hug.
“My baby girl is completely overwhelmed tonight,” her mother said as she joined them, and put her arms around both of them.
“It’s not just tonight. It’severything. It’s Reed and how much I love him, and Pepper and Axsel being included, and…I practically ran from this town as fast as I could after high school, and nobody hates me for it.” Grace wiped her tears, but when she looked at Reed, then at Sophie, the faucet began again. “And now I’m engaged to the man I have always loved, and Sophie’s having a baby and staying here for the next few months. I’ll be in New York all alone. How can I leave Reed? And you guys? Mom…?”
Her mother hugged her again,tight. She brushed Grace’s hair away from her face as she used to when Grace was just a girl. “Reed made sure our entire family could be here tonight, honey. He was very specific in not wanting Axsel or Pepper to miss out. We’ll have a chance to Skype with them tomorrow morning at breakfast, which, by the way, Reed arranged so you would have a chance to celebrate with just the family. You won’t ever be alone, Gracie,” her mother said. “No matter where you are, a piece of us is always with you.”
Grace looked across the dance floor at Reed, bursting with love for him. She was pretty sure she leftloveprintseverywhere she went, like footprints in the sand. Reed was talking with her father, Brett, and Sophie’s parents, and she knew her mother was right. Even when she and Reed had been apart, he’d remained in her heart. That’s what had kept her from feeling anything for another man.
“We need to change the subject or I’ll cry all night,” Grace pleaded.
They talked about Sophie’s baby shower, which was taking place Sunday at her parents’ house, and were interrupted umpteen times as friends congratulated Grace. Nana and Hellie came over, and Nana went on about how hard it had been to keep the secret of tonight’s event.
“I’m shocked you were able to,” Grace said honestly.
Nana’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “We’re mighty good at keeping secrets when it’s in the best interest of those we care about.”
“Yearsof secrets,” Hellie said with a wink, before they disappeared into the crowd, giggling among themselves.
“Why do I have a feeling Reed and I weren’t quite the secret we thought we were?” Grace said to her mother and Sophie.
“Oh, honey,” her mother said casually. “I told you mothers know things. Nana is a mother, too.”
A little while later, as Phoenix and Lauryn played their instruments with Sable’s band and Grace chatted with Sophie and her mother, Grace’s mother motioned toward Brett, who was dancing with Nana, and Grace’s father, dancing with Amber, while Reno stood watch.
“Your man did good, baby, and so did you,” her mother said. “Amber is beside herself over how much you’re doing for the community.”
“This all started as a way to help Amber with the bookstore. It just grew to something bigger.”
“Yes, and you did help her,” her mother said. “But you know Amber. She loves this town and the people in it as if they were family, and you’ve never shown much interest in them. It means the world to her that now you are, and how much you’ve helped everyone here. Thank you.”
Grace noticed Reed walking toward them, his eyes trained on her. “I think I should be the one thanking Amber.”
“If we’re being blatantly honest,” Sophie said, “it means the world to me that you’re doing more with the community, too.”
Sophie had always loved their small town, even though she’d gone to New York in a blaze of glory alongside Grace. She was happiest here, among the people who had known her all her life. The people whom Grace was finally starting to appreciate as they deserved to be appreciated.
“Oh, girls.” Her mother draped an arm around each of them. “It’s like I told Gracie the other day. Just because you have what you thought you always wanted doesn’t mean you always have to want those same things. I’m elated that you and Reed have finally given in to what your hearts have wanted all along.” She lowered her voice as Reed joined them. “Your beau can’t stay away for very long. I like that in a man.”
“Sorry, ladies, but if you don’t mind,” Reed said, “I’d like to dance with my fiancée.” He swept Grace into his arms and swayed to the music. “How’s my girl?”
“Still in shock, and so very happy I can barely see straight. How are you holding up? Did my dad give you a hard time about our secret?”
“No, baby. But he did say that he knew about us. I think his exact words were, ‘Do you really think a father of seven would let something like monthly orchids go without knowing exactly who was wooing his daughter or son? One call to the Meadowside florist and I learned everything I needed to know. But I wasn’t going to worry Grace’s mother over it, because any boy that would work at a florist before school every Monday just so he could earn enough money to buy my daughter flowers was a boy I knew I could trust.’”
Grace didn’t think it was possible for her heart to get fuller than it was, but between the news of Reed working in exchange for those monthly flowers and knowing her father had approved of them back then, she was teary-eyed again. “You did that for me?”
