Page 81 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
“You don’t mean that,” Sophie said. “You were having so much fun with the community play, and you’ll fix this thing up like you always do. Your investors will be happy, Keagen will obey your commands but always be a jerk, and then you’ll come back to Reed.”
“And then what? Then I go back to the city again, and he’s here? And what if we want babies? What if we miss each other too much and…” She struggled to keep herself from crying again.
“Grace, you’ll figure it out.”
“What is it about everyone thinking we’ll figure things out? That doesn’t just happen. It takes planning, and you know plans never go well. What if I miss the birth of your baby? Brindle’s going to Paris in a few weeks, and I won’t be there to say goodbye.” Tears sprang from her eyes again. How had she left all those years ago? It felt like leaving the most important pieces of herself behind. She yanked the gas pump from the tank and spilled gasoline all over her clothes. “Darn it! I gotta go. I just…Ugh!Love you, Soph. I’m a mess. I’ll call you later.”
She ended the call and ran into the gas station to try to wash the stench from her clothes. In the bathroom, she scrubbed at the stains. “I should show up in cutoffs and boots.” She scrubbed harder, but the paper towels left residue on her shirt. She lifted the wet fabric to her nose and sniffed. She smelled awful.
“Forget it.”
She stormed out to her car and threw it into drive. As she waited for cars to pass so she could pull out onto the road, she thought of Reed and her family.You’ve been in control of your life way too long. Tonight you’re one of us again, like it or not. We miss you, Gracie. Give us tonight. Please?Her sisters’ voices drew more tears. She gripped the steering wheel tighter, thinking about Nana and the girls and their excitement about the play. Her mind traveled to Reed and the night they’d watched the movie at the Majestic.This would never happen in the city.
She looked at her gorgeous ring, the exact design she’d fallen in love with years ago, and her heart felt full to near bursting. She thought of the prom and Reed’s perfectly romantic proposal, how the community welcomed her, and she knew what she wanted—what shehad—to do.
“Thatwould never happen in the city,” she said as she distractedly pulled out of the parking lot. She heard the sound of screeching brakes and screamed as a truck barreled toward the side of her car. She went for the gas, but hit the brake, and her body jerked forward against the steering wheel. She slammed her foot on the gas as the truck fishtailed, the back end nearly smacking into the rear of her car just as she sped across the road. She swerved onto the curb and slammed on the brakes, gripping the steering wheel so tight she wasn’t sure she could let go. Then her door opened and Reed was there, pulling her into his arms, fear blazing in his eyes as he ran his hands all over her, checking to make sure she was whole.
“Baby. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, nearly frozen in shock. “No.I’m not okay. I can’t do this,” flew from her lungs. “Ten years was a long time. I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want to be apart. I’ll move back. I need to be with you.”
He clutched her to him as if he would never let her go. “No, Gracie. I’ll back out of the Majestic deal and go to New York. I can work anywhere, but you have a life there.”
“No! Keep the Majestic! I’ll invest in it. We can both put our talents to work and bring it back to life together. My life ishere, Reed, with you and my family and Sophie and the girls and…” She gasped a breath. “Cowboy boots and ‘y’alls’—” Sobs burst from her lungs as she crumpled against him, and Reed was right there holding her up, her strength, her love, herforever.
She gazed into his midnight-blue eyes as tears slid down her cheeks, and she said, “So much for easy and doable.”
A crooked smile lifted his lips. “We’ve never been easy, but we’ve always been doable.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
GRACE AWOKE WITH a start and bolted upright. She clung to the blanket, listening intently for whatever had woken her. She thought she knew every sound her and Reed’s house made. She’d moved back for good two weeks ago, after handling the issues with herlastoff-Broadway production, which thankfully went smoother than she’d thought. She heard the creak of the stairs, and her heart seized.
“Reed!” she whispered urgently, shaking him by the shoulder. “Reed! Get up! Someone’s in the house!”
He rolled over, and his arm circled her waist. “It’s the wind, baby. Go back to sleep.”
The stairs creaked again, and she grabbed his arm so hard her nails dug into his skin. “Reed! That’snotthe wind!”
Whispers came from the hall, and Grace’s pulse raced. She snagged her phone from beside the bed. “I’m calling nine-one-one!” The bedroom door flew open and she shrieked, dropping the phone to the mattress.
All her siblings barreled into the room, laughing hysterically. Reno hugged Amber’s side. “Woof!”
Grace’s hand flew over her racing heart. “Oh my gosh! What are you doing here? How did you get in?” She looked at Reed, who was lying beside her grinning like a fool. “Ugh!Youletthem do this?”
“Who am I to stand in the way of tradition?” He blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes.
“Hoodie?” Sable said in Reed’s direction.
Reed pointed to the closet. Grace glowered at him, and he chuckled.
“Nat’s play is tomorrow,” Morgyn said, pulling Grace’s arm and dragging her from the bed. “And then there’s the community play.”
Nat had done a fabulous job on the rewrites, and Nana and the girls had done a spectacular job of casting—and expediting—I Ain’t No Cinderellain Grace’s absence. She was excited to see the results of everyone’s hard work.
“And your wedding is right after that,” Amber reminded her.
As if she could ever forget the most anticipated day ofherlife? Neither she nor Reed wanted to wait to get married, especially since Frank wasn’t doing so well and they wanted him to be at the wedding. They still had a ways to go before all the awkward moments were gone, but Grace was beyond thankful that Frank and Reed would have at least some time to get to know each other.
