Page 50 of Eight Years Gone

“Aw,” Rachel said as she beamed, reaching for Grace’s hands. “Aren’t you sweet?”

Grace gave her fingers a squeeze. “How’s your sister holding up?”

Rachel puffed out a breath. “She’s hanging in there. I just wanted to take a peek and make sure everything’s all set.”

Grace nodded. “Jagger and I just finished with the flowers, and everyone else seems to be working hard.”

Rachel sighed her apparent relief. “Thank you for all that you’ve done. My family and I will definitely be recommending Simplicity to everyone.”

Grace chuckled. “We appreciate it.”

“So, you’re heading out?”

Grace nodded. “I’d say our work here is done.”

Jagger glanced toward the darkening sky, not hating that he and Grace would be heading to Rafferty’s soon. And they would have a full moon to enjoy while they ate their dinner by the lake.

Rachel gave Grace a hug. “Thank you again. You and Maggie are the best.”

Grace hugged her back. “It was our pleasure.”

Rachel sent Jagger a polite nod. “Thanks for your help.”

“No problem.”

“Bye,” Rachel said, smiling as she walked off.

Jagger gave his attention to Grace, eager to move their night along. He wanted her all to himself. “Should we grab our stuff and get the lattice from Blake? Then we can head out to dinner.”

Some of the easiness left her eyes. “Sure.” She sent him a weak smile before she turned.

He snagged her arm, turning her back. “I’m not going to force you to eat with me. If this makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to do it. You can drop me off at the shop, and I’ll get my car.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”

He clenched his jaw, struggling with frustration. Hadn’t they just had a good day? “I don’t want it to be fine—an obligation.”

She shook her head again. “It’s not. Rafferty’s sounds delicious. I’m starving.”

He exhaled a quiet breath, wondering if this was as good as it would get between them—a few easy moments scattered here and there. Maybe there really was no coming back from the mess he’d made. “Me, too.”

She touched his arm in what could only be an apology before she took his hand, pulling him along. “Let’s go eat. We can even use the app to order ahead. Everything will be ready when we get there.”

* * *

Pop music played through the speakers as Grace sat across from Jagger in one of Rafferty’s big booths. They’d shown up at just the right time, snagging the last table by the windows as families piled into the restaurant after games of miniature golf and laps around the track on go-karts at the fun park across the street.

“It’s exactly how I remember it,” Jagger said in the noisy family-friendly atmosphere before he pulled another drink of water from one of Rafferty’s signature blue plastic tumblers.

“So, you mean loud?”

He smiled. “Pretty much.”

She smiled back, forever reminding herself to relax as she stared at his gorgeous face. Although today had gone far better than she’d expected.

Jagger had made the afternoon easy, both of them falling into a rhythm they knew well as they ran a few deliveries and set up for the wedding. So far, dinner didn’t appear to be a big deal either.

“But the view’s gorgeous,” he added.

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