Page 156 of Eight Years Gone

She’d spent most of the afternoon on her cell phone, being bounced from one customer service representative to another, while she unpacked hers and Jagger’s suitcases, trying to clean up their travel mess.

After all was said and done, she and Jagger were out several hundred dollars, and rebooking fees would apply when they were eventually ready to head to Montana.

Jack, the editor at Travel, wasn’t entirely excited about her last-minute change of plans, either. But the situation was what it was. Family would always come first. A concept her father had never understood.

“Lasagna. And a salad. Garlic bread, too,” she muttered, heading for the refrigerator for the Italian sausage and ground beef, determined to have a delicious dinner ready when Jagger and Colton walked through the front door.

She moved to the cupboard for her biggest pan as someone knocked on the door.

Walking to the front window, she glanced out, not recognizing the blue Subaru in the driveway. “Who is it?”

“It’s Jessica Sawyer.”

Grace froze with her hand on the doorknob as her heart suddenly beat too quickly. She’d known this moment would come. It had been inevitable after she and Jagger had picked Colton up at the police station last night.

Taking a steadying breath, Grace opened the door, staring at the woman she hadn’t seen in eighteen years.

Jessica’s hair was a dark brown instead of the honey blond she’d colored it more often than not when she’d been twenty. She was still beautiful and petite and about the same height as Grace. Her son had inherited the color of her eyes.

“Grace.” Jessica cleared her throat as she fiddled with her purse strap, her discomfort unmistakable. “You’re all grown up.”

Grace nodded, not entirely sure what to say. “Yes. Uh, come in.”

Jessica shook her head. “I’m just looking for Colton.”

“He’s not here.” She opened the door wider. “Jagger, my boyfriend, took him out for the day. They’ll be gone for a couple of hours yet.”

Jessica hesitantly stepped inside. “I got your address from the police department.”

Grace shut them inside, not bothering to mention that she’d attempted to call her four times throughout the day, but she’d been immediately sent to voicemail, and Jessica’s mailbox had been full. “That makes sense.”

Jessica crossed her arms. “Thank you for picking Colton up. I saw their call come in last night—listened to their message—but I thought it would be better if he stayed put until I figured out what to do with him.”

Grace studied Jessica as the woman shrugged her rigid shoulders, recognizing the frazzled hopelessness she felt herself when Logan’s constant problems had become too much for her to handle. “How about a cup of tea?”

Jessica nodded. “Sure. Thank you.”

Grace moved to the kitchen, putting the meat back in the refrigerator. Dinner would have to wait. “Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you,” Jessica said again.

Grace quickly heated water in the kettle and put mugs on a tray, along with honey, milk, and sugar. The assorted box of teas came next.

Pouring the hot water into the cups, she moved back to the living room, where Jessica sat on the edge of the middle couch cushion. “Your home is lovely.”

“Thank you.” Grace set the tray on the coffee table and sat in one of the two cozy chairs. “Help yourself. I have cookies, too, if you want.”

Jessica shook her head as she randomly picked a tea bag, setting it in her steaming cup. “I’m at a loss for words. I have no idea what to say other than I’m sorry. About everything. This situation with Colton… I had no idea you knew until the police officer told me Colton was with his sister, Grace, in Preston Valley. Your mother. Logan. Steve. You’ve dealt with so much loss.”

Grace looked down at her cup, finding the current situation entirely strange. Everything had been so different when the woman sitting across from her had been a part of her life. Everyone had been healthy and alive. The Evans family had been happy and whole.

“I had no idea about Colton until I found my mother’s journals a couple of weeks ago—when I realized my father had kept our home in Wakeview. He and I had a difficult relationship after Logan’s death. We didn’t talk.”

Jessica closed her eyes. “That’s a shame. You were always such a lovely family.”

Grace nodded as she held her cup in her chilly hands. “I had thought we were.”

Jessica looked down, stirring her tea with her spoon. “I can only imagine what you must think of me. There’s no excuse for what I did, but what happened between Steve and me was one time. It was a terrible mistake on both of our parts.”

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