Page 9 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
“Is that why you look like your insides are trying to climb out?” Roy asked. “You’ve dealt with these situations before.”
Reed ground his teeth together, annoyed with his own transparency. While he and Grace had kept their relationship a secret from Grace’s family for fear of one of her younger siblings accidentally exposing them, he’d never kept it from his aunt and uncle. He’d been so head over heels with her he’d wanted to share his happiness with the people he loved most, and he’d finally invited her for dinner. They were careful not to spend too much time at his house, as his classmates lived on the same street and he didn’t want to cause trouble for Grace. Unfortunately, his aunt and uncle had also borne witness to the longing that had eventually driven him away from the memories, and away from them.
There was no sense trying to hide his discomfort. “Grace is in town visiting her parents.”
Roy and Ella exchanged a curious, and concerned, glance.
“Don’t worry,” Reed reassured them. “It won’t interfere with my doing the job.”
Roy set his normally jovial, and now serious, gray-blue eyes on Reed and said, “The job’s the last of my concerns.”
“Your hearts were once one, honey,” Ella said with an empathetic gaze. Her dark hair was flecked with white around her temples, and crow’s-feet lined her warm brown eyes. Ella was a petite woman with narrow shoulders, pin-straight posture, and a kind word always at the ready. She’d been the best mother Reed could ever hope for, and although she’d always been as dainty as Roy was rugged, Reed had noticed an unfamiliar strength in Ella since Roy’s incident. Where Roy had always been an overprotective husband, now it seemed Ella had taken on the same role toward him.
“It’s been a long time. I’m fine.” Reed shoveled food in his mouth to try to bury the lie.
Ella and Roy had always sat beside each other at meals, and until now Reed hadn’t thought much about it. But now he understood that urge to be as close as possible to the person they loved. And he was feeling the same way about Grace.
Ella set her hand on Roy’s, and with a warm gaze locked on her husband, she said, “The heart never forgets a first love.”
Reed looked around the cozy dining room. The walls were littered with family photographs. There was one of him and Roy standing in front of a church that Roy had renovated and another of Reed standing by the river holding up a fishing pole with a perch proudly displayed. A photo hanging across the room showed his gap-toothed smile beaming out from behind one of Ella’s homemade birthday cakes, six candles brightly lit. There was a lifetime of memories within these walls.
“Anyway,” Reed said, needing to change the subject. “I was glad not to find too much decay in the foundation of the porch. Marilynn had been prepared to reduce the size of the porch rather than replace it because of cost.” Thinking of Grace and the flowers he used to sneak up to her porch, he said, “Who knows what memories we would have been casting aside.”
“You’re just as nostalgic as your uncle,” Ella said warmly. “But, honey, memories live in our hearts. Whether the physical place or person changes or remains the same makes no difference. Someday you’ll find a woman who will fall in love with that old-school charm of yours.”
If his track record was any measure of his relationship abilities, he wouldn’t bet on that.
Reed rose to clear the table, and Ella reached for his hand. “Honey, leave the dishes. It’s Saturday night. Why don’t you go out, relax, and have fun for a while? You could go to the county fair.”
He remembered wanting to take Grace to the fair when they were in high school, but the stupid rivalry crap had gotten in the way.
No, thank you. He’d stay as far away from that fair as he could.
“I have painting to do at my place. Besides, I saw the guys this morning.” His butt was still sore from taking the first ride on that wild horse. But man, had it been exhilarating. He’d become reacquainted with Shane Jericho when he’d first arrived back in town and was working on a barn renovation. They’d been the ultimate rivals in high school, but they’d instantly hit it off. Shane and a couple of his siblings ran their parents’ cattle business and horse ranch. Funny how a few years could change people.
He wondered just how much Grace had changed.
“Yes, but working with horses at dawn is not exactly relaxing,” Ella said.
“I’m not here to relax, Aunt Ella. I’m here to help.” Although he had to admit that after working in the hot sun all day and thinking about why Grace had practically run away from him, he could use a drink—or three.
“Reed, honey, we appreciate how attentive you’ve been, and heaven knows that it’s wonderful to have you back home for good,” Ella said. “But you’re a young, good-looking guy, and there are plenty of pretty women in our town. Go out. Have some fun.”
He was tempted to do just that, if only to take his mind off Grace. Some of the guys were going to a creek party tonight. A few laughs might do him some good.
“Go on, boy,” Roy urged. “Get out of here, and give me and my woman a little privacy.”
“Well, if you put it that way.” Reed laughed.
Forty minutes later, he parked his truck alongside a few dozen others at Jericho Ridge and followed the sounds of laughter and live music toward the creek. The air smelled of burning wood, pine, and sweet perfume. His boots sank into the dirt as he came to a clearing at the bottom of the hill. The night was alive with couples bumping and grinding to the music along the creek bank. Between ending his partnership, moving, and taking over his uncle’s business, he hadn’t really taken any time to relax. He made his way through the crowd, scanning the familiar faces he’d come to know over the past few months. It was still weird, seeing them as friends rather than rivals, but the air buzzed with positive energy, and he felt the stress of the day falling away.
“Hey, Reed!” Shayla, the redhead who worked at the Stardust Café where he often stopped for coffee before work, waved from down by the water.
He smiled, waved, and headed for his buddy Chet Hudson, a firefighter, who was standing near the band with Trace and JJ. He made his way toward them and spotted Sable playing the guitar. His mind immediately went to Grace, and he scanned the crowd again, looking for the tall brunette whom he seemed to irritate at every turn.
“Reed.” Chet slapped him on the back. “How’s it going, dude? I wondered if you’d make it tonight.”
“I wasn’t sure I would, but I’m glad I did.”Especially knowing Grace might be here.“How’s it going?”
