Page 16 of Eight Years Gone

The quick blast of music and laughter caught his attention as he picked up his pace. Looking to his left, he stopped midstep, doing a double take, when he spotted the pretty blonde in the sexy little dress.

“What the hell,” he muttered, staring at the moonlight playing over Grace’s glossy tresses and smooth skin as she walked farther away from the restaurant.

He felt himself frowning as he moved into the shadows, watching as she leaned against the metal railing in the parking lot to stare up at the stars.

He knew that look—the sorrow clouding her big blue eyes. Nothing brought him to his knees the way Grace did when she was sad.

He clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to go to her—to do whatever he could to make her smile.

Then the door opened again, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped outside, walking over to Grace’s side.

Jagger fisted his hands, listening to their exchange, trying his best to pretend that he didn’t hate the shit out of Grace making a date with the guy who made her grin.

Eventually, the man got into his BMW and drove off.

Jagger scrutinized Grace’s face while a tear trailed down her cheek as she stared at the moon again.

He shook his head because this wasn’t how things were supposed to be. Grace wasn’t supposed to be here in Pennsylvania. She wasn’t supposed to be crying alone in the dark.

He waited for her to walk back inside before he headed the last two blocks to his room, tossing his dinner on the small table as he quickly grabbed his laptop off the king-size bed.

It was possible Grace was simply in town for the wedding she’d been attending, but her conversation with the man in the parking lot and the sinking feeling in his gut told him that wasn’t the case.

Within seconds he called up the website he was looking for, staring at the pretty landing page—the interior of Aunt Maggie’s shop that had seen numerous upgrades.

Simplicity Florist and Gifts. Where Simple Is Stunning.

Wasting no time, he clicked on the Meet Our Staff page, swearing as he studied Grace grinning as she stood arm in arm with Aunt Maggie and Asa, Maggie’s longtime partner—a six-foot-four tank of a black man who had always been incredibly kind.

Asa had been a jack-of-all-trades for as long as Jagger had been in the picture, helping with the morning and afternoon deliveries on top of running his own successful accounting firm a couple of blocks from the store.

“Family owned and operated,” Jagger absently muttered as he read about the shop that had been open for over forty years. He stopped when he got to the next picture of Grace as a child while she stood outside the store with her mother, aunt, and Asa.

He scrolled some more, noting headshots for two more employees Jagger had never met before: Jen and Brandon.

He stopped again on Grace’s stunning face, reading Master Designer and Business Manager below her name.

Muttering another curse, Jagger clicked the button that encouraged him to follow Simplicity on Instagram.

Immediately he recognized Grace’s work as he studied gorgeous shots of artfully displayed bouquets, beautifully decorated wedding venues, and fun candids from the store.

Rubbing at the back of his neck, he shook his head. Nothing about this was right. This was never, ever something Grace had talked about wanting.

Tomorrow they were going to have a conversation. The plan had been to check on Grace, then get on with his life. But now, they would have to see.

Five

Grace typed the final details into her client notes, then smiled at Christy as they sat at one of Brew’s window tables, Preston Valley’s super charming and always bustling coffee shop.

Ancient brick walls accented scarred wooden tables that were constantly occupied by patrons eager for a cup of excellent coffee and one of the shop’s delicious baked goods.

“I have some great ideas for Saturday.”

Christy nibbled her nail. “The pink roses shouldn’t be a problem, right? You know, too cliché with the whole ‘it’s a girl’ thing?”

Grace shook her head. “Roses are classic. And I was planning to make the white hydrangeas the focal flower. The roses will add a touch of elegance. Plus, we’ll have several other filler flowers that will round out the look—yellows and pale purples.”

Christy nodded as she sipped her espresso. “I know you and Maggie know what you’re doing. I just want everything to be perfect. They’ve been trying for this baby for so long.”

---