Page 30 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
“Looking for Reed?” A spark of curiosity rose in her mother’s eyes.
“Mm-hm. Sorry I got in so late last night.”
“I’m not,” her mother said with a mischievous smile. She sat down at the kitchen table. Reba padded over and sat by her feet. “Sit and chat with me for a minute. We haven’t had any time to visit.”
Grace’s nerves tingled, which was ridiculous considering she was an adult.
“I take it your date with Reed went well?” her mother said, clearly fishing for more information.
A thread of guilt wound through her. “Yes, very well, actually. The fair was fun, and we went to his place afterward.”
Her mother raised her brows. “Hownice. I hear he bought the Carmels’ house. Angel said he’s done quite a bit of work, at least from what she’d seen of the outside of the house.” Angel was Sophie’s mother.
“He has, and the work he’s done so far is really amazing.”
“Like him.” She sipped her coffee, watching Grace over the rim.
Grace crossed her arms, readying for an inquisition. “Go ahead, Mom. Ask whatever it is you’d like to know.”
“I don’t want to pry.” Her mother set her coffee cup on the table.
“Yes you do.”
She smiled and leaned closer. “You’re right, I do! Oh, Gracie, he’s such a nice man! And the way he looks at you…” She fanned her face dramatically. “That man couldn’t hide his feelings for you if someone gave him a mask. He’d burn right through it.”
“Mom!” Grace felt her cheeks flush.
“Oh, honey,please. If you think I was kidding about him keeping you overnight, you’re dead wrong. It’s about time you found a man who knew a good thing when she was standing right in front of him.”
Grace heard Reed’s truck door close in the driveway, and she jumped to her feet, one hand covering her racing heart. Reba lifted her head, panting happily.
“Well, it looks like you and Reedbothknow a good thing when you see it.”
“Why am I so nervous?” she said more to herself than to her mother.
“Because it’s been a long time since you’ve receivedorchids, and it scares you.”
Grace felt her eyes widen.
Her mother stood and put her hand on Grace’s shoulder. “Mothers always know, baby girl. You were happy then. You’re even happier now.”
“Did Dad know?”
“Some things aren’t meant for a father’s ears.”
All that time she thought she was being so careful. How could her mother have known if her siblings hadn’t? The realization that her mother had kept her secret made her heart feel impossibly fuller.
“It must have been difficult for both of you, keeping your relationship a secret,” her mother said. “Although I’d imagine at that age there was a certain thrill to it, too.”
Grace remembered both the thrill of sneaking around and the longing not to. “There were so many times I wanted to tell you and tell everyone else. Gosh, just about every day. I remember being so jealous at get-togethers when my friends brought their boyfriends. It was hard not telling anyone. Sable knew, and so did Sophie, but that was it. I’m really sorry, Mom.” She didn’t want to mention Reed’s aunt and uncle knowing, because it felt like a betrayal that she and Reed had trusted them and not all of her family, though she knew it would have been too big of a secret for most of her siblings to keep.
“To be honest,” her mother said, “I was glad you had each other, regardless of how it happened. I’d never seen you happier than when you were with him. I did worry that it might stop you from going to college, and when it didn’t, I worried you might be too distraught to do well. But you’ve always been strong. Reed, however, had a harder time of it. The emptiness in his eyes after you two ended things could have drowned an Olympic swimmer. I always wondered if that was why he left town.”
Grace’s heart hurt anew.
Reed tapped on the screen door. He flashed a smile that made her insides tumble and said, “Mornin’, Gracie.”
Her mother whispered, “Couldn’t hide it if he tried.” She raised her voice and said, “Reed, come in, sweetheart. Have some coffee.”
