Now, as she stepped into the stable, she realized her sister was MIA. In fact, she hadn’t seen Mercy since she had held her back from getting in the middle of the fight that had erupted last night. But there was Shadow Mist, standing in his stall right beside Astro Boy. “Where’s Outlaw?” Grace asked, referring to the horse her father was going to ride.
“Dallas took him out already.”
“Can you call her?” Lane asked as he made his way to Shadow Mist’s stall.
Grace snagged her phone from her pocket, contemplating whether or not she should call her sister. Was Mercy hiding? She did seem to have a difficult time dealing with the fact that their father was seeing someone. Which, by the way, Grace had found out she missed meeting the mystery woman last night. Faith had left her a text message informing her that their father had a girlfriend and that … get this … Faith actually really liked her.
Luckily, Grace had been informed that she would get to meet the woman who seemed to be making her father incredibly happy these days tonight at dinner. Something she found she was actually looking forward to.
But right now, she really needed to find Mercy.
Figuring she wouldn’t know if she didn’t call, Grace hit the send button after pulling up her sister’s number, waiting for her to answer. On the second ring, Mercy answered, a rough hello echoing in Grace’s ear.
Turning away from Lane, Grace said, “Are you comin’?”
“No.”
Well, that about covered it.
“What? Why? Dad’s gonna be here any minute,” Grace whispered, not wanting Lane to overhear.
“I’m not comin’, Gracie. Figure it out yourself.”
Yep, and now the line was dead.
Shit.
Lane was opening Shadow Mist’s stall door when Grace turned back around. “Hold on.”
She was met with a raised eyebrow as Lane started to close the door on the eager horse.
“What’s up?”
“Get Astro Boy ready,” she instructed, sucking in large amounts of oxygen as she realized just what she was proposing.
Thank heavens, Lane didn’t question her. He simply locked Shadow Mist’s stall door and stepped over to Astro Boy’s.
As she stared down at the end of the stable, she saw the hordes of people — guests and wranglers alike — all standing there waiting for the big race that Mercy and Jerry had been spouting off about all week. Grace didn’t want to let them down.
Even if it meant…
A rough snort sounded beside her head, and she glanced over to see Astro Boy’s big snout. “Hey, boy,” she crooned, leaning into him briefly. It was strange how he could make everything right in the world just by being near. “You ready to run?” she whispered to him, stroking his nose.
Astro Boy offered another snort in response, his nose nudging her shoulder.
“Well, let’s get this over with then.”
Fifteen minutes later, Grace was sitting astride Astro Boy as he made his way out of the stable. She peered down at the people who were waiting patiently as Jerry spoke to them individually.
When her father looked up, his eyes went wide once they landed on her. She knew just how he felt. She was as surprised as he was.
“Where’s Mercy?” Jerry asked, strolling toward her.
“She’s … uh … not coming,” Grace stated.
“We don’t have to do this,” he told her, glancing over his shoulder at all the people who had woken early just to be part of the race.
Grace sucked in more air, let it out slowly. She could do this. She could.
Maybe if she said it enough, she would believe it. At the moment, her tummy was doing somersaults, and she felt like the coffee she’d had for breakfast might just come back up.
Not the way she really wanted this day to go.
So, taking another deep breath, she forced a smile as she looked down at her father. “You scared?”
Jerry’s smile was radiant, easing some of her nerves. “Not hardly,” he replied. “You can do this, kiddo.”
Grace nodded her head and then looked behind her to see Lane and Grant watching her closely. The smile Lane gifted her with was enough to bolster her confidence some more. And what she saw in Grant’s eyes only strengthened her resolve.
She could do this.
“Who’s handlin’ the money?” Dallas called out, drawing Grace’s attention to the wrangler making his way through the crowd. He was chatting it up with all of the guests, taking money as people placed their bets.
Crap.
They were betting.
And not a one of them had ever seen her race.
Well, no one other than Ben, Grant, and Lane.
“Gracie!”
Grace snapped her head around behind her to see Maddie sitting on her father’s shoulders, her arms flailing with her excitement. Well, well, well… What do you know? There beside Ben was her sister, Hope, looking rather happy this morning.
She couldn’t help but wonder just what was going on there.
Turning Astro Boy, she made her way over, smiling at Maddie as she did.
“Are you here to wish me luck?” Grace asked.
“You don’t need luck. You’re awesome!” Maddie screamed merrily.
“Thanks, kiddo.” Grace wasn’t so sure how much truth there was in that statement, but she clung to it like a security blanket, her gaze traveling over the crowd, watching people hand their money over to Dallas while Trinity wrote down the amount and who placed the bet.
Shit. This was official.
And she couldn’t believe that Mercy had backed out on her. Damn it.
“You need a minute?”
Grace turned toward the sound of her father’s voice, noticing he was sitting astride Outlaw, right beside Grace and Astro Boy.
“I’m good,” she told him, forcing confidence into her tone.
“Of course you are.”
“Who’re you bettin’ on, Grant?” Dallas asked, loud enough for half the ranch to hear him.
“I’m bettin’ on Grace,” Grant replied smoothly, and his confidence in that one sentence made her chest swell.
“And you, Lane?” Dallas asked.
“My money’s always on Grace. Always.”
Grace was pretty sure she might just break down and cry right then and there. Thankfully, her father nudged Outlaw into a trot, directing him out into the field where the race would take place.
Grace shot a smile over to Maddie, followed by a thumbs-up before prodding Astro Boy. She could feel his self-assurance in the way he moved. Astro Boy wasn’t used to racing, at least not more than what Grace put him through in the arena and from time to time when she let him run full out on the range. But this… This was a competition, and he’d be up against another horse.
“You’ve got this, boy,” she told him, leaning forward and running her hand down his face. “We’ve got this.”
Sitting back up, Grace pulled his reins to get him to stop a few feet away from her father.
“Where’re we racin’ to?” she asked, noticing that Grant was heading their way.
“To the big oak out there,” Jerry said, nodding his head forward.
Grace looked out to the tree he was referring to. It was quite a ways off, but not too far for Astro Boy.
“And back.”
Nodding her head in understanding, Grace met Grant’s eyes as he came to stand in front of both horses.
“He might be my boss,” Grant said, nodding his head toward Jerry, “but my money’s on you, darlin’.”
Another emotional bubble filled her chest, threatening to make her lose her composure, but then Grant smiled.
“There’s time for that mushy stuff later, kids,” Jerry stated, chuckling. Grace laughed with him, but she never took her eyes off Grant.
“On one,” Grant stated firmly, his voice like thunder as it echoed in the open space. The conversations that had been rattling on behind her suddenly went silent, and Grace knew this
was it.
Grace nodded at Grant while her father did the same. Then she spared her dad one more look. “Good luck,” she said, her nerves twisting and turning again.
“You’re gonna do fine,” he said, his voice low. “Your momma would be so proud.”
Grace felt the tears climb up her sinuses, threatening to cloud her vision. Yes, her mother would’ve been proud to see her out here. Especially now, after so many years of hiding her passion from everyone.
“All right, y’all,” Grant hollered. “You ready?”
Another round of nods from her and her father, and Grace gripped the reins, drawing her knees in against Astro Boy as she leaned forward, tightening her core as Astro Boy began snorting, clearly feeling the excitement in the air. Outlaw was beginning to get antsy as well, so Grant started the count down.
“Three … two…”
Oh, God! Breathe, Grace!
“One!”
■□■□■□■□
Grant spun around on his heels when the two horses and riders flew past him, his eyes on Gracie and Astro Boy. The horse was pure power, his feet kicking up dirt and leaving a trail of dust behind him as he raced in the direction Gracie pointed him. Almost neck in neck, Jerry and Outlaw were speeding along, the pair looking as though they were born to run like this.
In all the years Grant had spent at the ranch, he’d seen Jerry race on several occasions. Not so much in recent years, but back in the day, the man had always been willing to put a wrangler in his place when he thought he could best him.
No one, to date, had ever beaten Jerry. No one except for Mercy.
But as he watched in absolute wonder, he prayed that Gracie would win. Not because he’d bet money on her, either. Because he believed in her.
He had no clue how difficult it had been on her to put aside her dream, scared to pursue it because she didn’t have her mother right there with her. It had to have been the hardest thing a little girl had to do, but Gracie had done it. And she’d hidden it well. Until the day that Mercy had set him up, sending him and Lane over to the arena so that they would stumble on Gracie’s show for the little girl, Grant had had no idea.
Then again, knowing the pure strength and conviction that made up the most incredible woman in the world, Grant wasn’t sure why it surprised him at all. Gracie was, as he’d said, the absolute strongest woman he’d ever met.
“Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!” someone yelled from behind him as Astro Boy made the turn around the tree, mere milliseconds before Outlaw, but in the lead nonetheless. Grant watched as Jerry kicked it up another notch, closing the gap between him and his daughter until Outlaw was pulling into the lead.
From where he stood, Grant couldn’t see Gracie’s face, but he could imagine the sheer determination.
“Come on, baby. You’ve got this,” he whispered to himself.
An arm brushed up against his, but Grant didn’t tear his gaze from the two horses coming his way. He knew without looking that Lane was standing there, the tension between them palpable, all because they were rooting her on.
God, Grant loved her. He loved her spirit, her determination, her spunk. She was everything to him. Everything. And with nothing standing in the way of their happiness, Grant had committed himself to making these two people happy. No matter the cost. He was at a point where he had no idea what he’d do without either of them — Lane or Gracie. They were his life. The reason he smiled, especially when so much seemed to be going wrong.
“Come on, gorgeous!” Lane yelled.
Grant was tempted to nudge him but thought better of it. If Lane didn’t have a problem showing the world just how he felt about this woman, why should he?
But he couldn’t find his voice because he was coiled tight, his heart pounding in tune to every hoofbeat.
“Oh, God! She’s gonna do it!”
Yes, she was. Although Jerry was a nose in front, Grant watched in utter disbelief as Gracie leaned forward just slightly, her long blond hair flying out behind her. He could see her mouth move, probably saying something to Astro Boy and then…
Hell yeah!
Astro Boy took off like a rocket, leaving Outlaw trailing behind him as though he were walking while the other horse ran.
“Holy fucking shit,” Lane muttered.
“Exactly.”
Astro Boy came flying past the finish line, and the group that was gathered behind him began cheering, the little girl, Maddie, squealing at the top of her lungs and making Grant laugh. Yep, his girl had a cheering section, and she had better believe that Grant and Lane would be at the front.
Several minutes later, both riders and horses made their way back to where Grant and Lane were standing. Grant watched as Lane walked right up to Gracie, reached up, and pulled her off her horse, his arms wrapping around her as he spun her in the air.
But Grant didn’t watch the two of them for long, foregoing their celebration to look at Jerry. The man was smiling. Freaking smiling. And he was staring down at Lane and Gracie, but soon after, he was meeting Grant’s gaze head on.
Grant held his breath, but the nod he received from his boss had him exhaling deeply.
Yes, sir, I fixed it. As best I could, Grant thought to himself. But he could assure Jerry that he would never let his stupidity come between him and the two people who meant everything to him again.
“Congrats, honey,” Jerry said to Gracie when Lane put her back on her feet. “That was impressive.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Gracie said, smiling up at her father.
Grant wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her look prettier than right then. Her hair was tangled from the ride, her eyes were wide and bright, and she was smiling. A grin wider than the great state of Texas.
And he knew right then and there that if she could face her fears, he certainly could, too.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Mercy stood behind everyone, trying to blend in, not wanting anyone to see that she was there. She doubted that was going to last long, especially now that the group was breaking up, everyone moving closer to Gracie and Jerry.
Her sister was incredible on that horse. Mercy had always thought so; even back when they were kids, she’d always been jealous of how amazing Gracie was.
She wasn’t jealous anymore. She’d grown out of that years ago. But she did enjoy watching Gracie ride that horse. There were days, even now, when she would sneak into the arena and hide beneath the bleachers just to watch her. It wasn’t her place to question Gracie as to why she didn’t want anyone to know she was racing. She knew it had to do with their mother’s death. That had been a difficult time for all of them.
Even though Mercy had been young, eleven, at the time of her mother’s death, she still remembered everything clearly. Her perfect memory was often a curse, but when it came to her mother, she considered it a blessing.
They had all changed when Charlotte died, but Hope and Grace had been altered the most by the tragedy. Hope had turned into someone no one recognized, no longer having fun, and Gracie had done a complete one-eighty, giving up on dreams they’d all thought she would chase forever.
But today, watching Gracie, Mercy was incredibly proud of her sister. And even though it had meant backing out of the race, which would probably earn her some ribbing from half the people at the ranch, it was totally worth it.
She could practically feel her mother smiling down on them right then. Even now, sixteen years later, Mercy still heard her mother’s words.
“Take care of your sisters, Mercy. Make sure they never take things too seriously, and most important, never let them give up. That’s your job. Can you do that for me?”
Clutching her mother’s hand tightly while they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Mercy nodded her head, her tears pouring from her eyes.
Mercy had made a promise to her mother that day, and she had vowed to keep it, no matter the costs. She wasn’t sure why she’d been the one her mother had chosen, but she’d been honored to have the re
sponsibility.
All along, Mercy had intended to set it up so that Gracie would be the one to race their father. But the excuse of how upset she’d been at learning her father was dating someone had come up at just the right time.
Not that she was faking her anxiety where that was concerned. The idea of Jerry dating someone, bringing some strange woman to the ranch to act as their mother, made Mercy sick to her stomach. She didn’t think she’d be able to handle it, and she didn’t even want to think about what that might mean for her. Would she have to leave the ranch? Or pretend not to care?
She was never good at pretending or hiding her feelings.
Taking a mental picture of the scene before her, how incredibly happy Gracie was right then, Mercy decided to sneak off before she was seen.
And maybe later … much, much later … she could process the other.
But right now, she needed to be alone.
■□■□■□■□
“You ready to go?” Grant asked his father when Darrell joined them on the front porch of his parents’ trailer.
After the race, he had informed Lane and Gracie that he had to go take his father to rehab. He shouldn’t have been surprised that they’d both insisted on going with him. Grant had relented, knowing better than to argue.
Truth was, he didn’t want to argue. He wanted them with him. They were his rock, the two people who could hold him together even when everything else was falling apart.
“I’m ready,” Darrell answered, pushing open the screen door, carrying a small suitcase in his hand.
Darrell’s gaze slid over to Lane and Gracie briefly, and the man surprised Grant when his father offered a sincere thank you to them both for being there.
On the drive from the ranch, Grant hadn’t known what to expect. He had called his father as soon as he’d woken up, before the race, just to make sure he was still willing to go. His father had sounded incredibly sure of himself when he’d answered with a decisive yes.
And now, looking at his father, Grant saw a different man than the one who’d crashed the dance the night before. Darrell’s face was once again clean-shaven, his hazel eyes bright and clear. He’d obviously taken a shower, and his clothes looked almost new.
Betting on Grace Page 29