Page 69 of Trusting Fate (Hope Falls: Brewed Awakenings 2)

Putting her own issues aside, Grace sat down and spent the next half hour talking to Maggie about her situation. The girls’ father was abusive, and she’d had to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night while he was passed out drunk on the couch with only the clothes on their backs.

Grace advised Maggie to go to the police and get a protective order against him so she would have something on record. She gave her the name of an incredible family law attorney that she knew had relocated to the Bay Area and told her that she would take care of the fee. She also transferred some money to the woman’s cash app so that she’d be able to get her girls what they needed.

When she was walking back down the hallway to the community room the cynical side of her brain was saying that there was a really good chance that the woman would go back to her children’s father, statistically speaking. And that the money she gave her might not be spent on the girls and he would take it. But Grace told the cynical side of her brain to, shut the fuck up.

Of course, she knew that might be the case. But she was sick and tired of living her life thinking the worst of people and situations. She’d seen an interview with Dax Shepard where he was talking about the differences between him and his wife Kristen Bell. Grace didn’t remember the interview verbatim, but Dax used an example that if someone comes up to him on the street and says their car is broken down and they need twenty dollars, his first thought is that they are going to use it for drugs or booze or they’re just trying to game him or the system. Whereas the same walks up to Kristen and her first thought is that the man’s car’s broken down because that’s the only information that she has and that she should help him because that person might also go on to cure cancer.

Grace was tired of looking at life thinking people were just trying to take advantage of her. She wanted to start looking at people through the lens that they might go on to cure cancer.

* * *

Easton rodein the back of his parents’ SUV and didn’t miss his mom trying to sneak peeks in the mirror as she pretended to do her makeup. He could see that his mom was thrilled with his new relationship. Which would have been fine if it was actually a relationship.

He couldn’t help feeling guilty at the fact that his mom was probably picturing his wedding, and grandkids in his future. In fairness, he was picturing those things too, but he had no clue where Grace’s head was at.

Figuratively at least. Literally, Grace’s head was resting on his chest. She was snuggled up under his arm, sound asleep. Well, not sound asleep, she was snoring lightly, which, of course, he thought was the most adorable thing he’d ever heard.

He wasn’t sure where she’d disappeared to when Janice had asked to borrow her, but when she came back, she was quiet. Very quiet. He’d wanted to pull her to the side to ask what was wrong, but the line was too busy for him to leave his post. And once their serving shift was over, his mom had quickly corralled them to the car so they could get over to his brother’s house.

His mom had called to invite both his brothers to volunteer this morning, but Eli was still on shift and Evan and Shayne were already cooking so she told them they would come over when they were done.

As much as he was loving spending the day with his parents and them getting to meet and get to know Grace, part of Easton just wanted to skip his family’s get together, and take Grace back to the B&B and take her to bed. And he wasn’t using that as a euphemism, he literally wanted to put her to bed. She was exhausted and she needed to rest.

“You two are very cute together,” his mom stage-whispered as she turned in her seat and patted his knee. “I’m so happy to see you so happy.”

He just grinned and didn’t respond. Partly because he didn’t know what to say, and partly because if he did, he would wake Grace up. The past two weeks she’d been working night and day. The crew was taking off until Monday, but Grace had told him she only planned on taking today off, which meant she’d be back at it tomorrow.

When they pulled up to his brother’s house and the car came to a stop, he expected Grace’s eyes to flutter open. They didn’t. When both his parents got out of the car and shut their doors, he figured she would lift her head and wake up. She didn’t.

He wasn’t sure how long she would sleep, but he wasn’t going to move until she woke up.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Grace snorted, and the sound woke her up. She lifted her head and blinked at him, her eyes still glazed over with sleepiness.

“Did I fall asleep?” she asked as she wiped the drool from her mouth.

“I think you dozed off a little.”

She looked out the window and then back at Easton. “Where are we?”

“My brother Evan’s house.”

“Oh, I thought I we were going home, er I mean back to the B&B… I wanted to freshen up and change.”

“I can run you home.”

“Um…” She looked back at the house and then back to him. “No, you don’t have to do that. Do I look okay?” she asked as she ran her hand down her shirt.

He lifted his hand and brushed the hair that had gotten stuck to her cheek back behind her ear. “You look…perfect.”

“Okay, don’t get crazy.” She rolled her eyes with a grin. “I’m just going for presentable.”

She was a hell a of a lot more than presentable. Not being able to help himself, he leaned forward. Her eyes widened slightly before her lids closed. Their lips had barely brushed when he heard someone hit the window.

He looked over and saw Eli standing at the side of the car and Kenzie walking up the driveaway behind him. “Hey, what are you two doing in there?!”

“Leave them alone.” Kenzie grabbed the back of his brother’s shirt, pulling him up toward the house.

Grace chuckled. “We should go in.”

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