Grace After the Storm

by Sandy Sinnett

  “I’m sorry, Ev. At least you figured things out now rather than later.”

  “I know. I will always care about her, but it’s better this way. I may be there before you get back home, so I’ll just bunk with Travis if that’s okay until I find something of my own.”

  “Heavens, no! We have plenty of room sweetie. I know Travis will want you to sleep in his room at least one night or two, but I’ll make up the guest room so you will have some privacy okay? Be careful coming home. We’ll see you so soon!”

  They hung up and Laci set the phone down on the bed. She wasn’t sure what to make of his decision to move home yet, but selfishly she was anxious to have him back home.

  “Okay… are you happy, sad, or surprised? Please just tell me so I know how to respond. I hate trying to figure it out on my own,” Mitch grinned, trying to lighten the moment.

  “I think I’m all those things,” she replied.

  “That figures. Don’t make it easy on me, heaven forbid!” He sat down beside her and turned her face toward his. “Look… whatever Evan has going on is his business. He has to figure things out on his own okay? If moving home helps him do that, then I’m all for it.” He leaned forward to give her a kiss, and Laci’s heart sped up, as it always did when he kissed her. Their kiss deepened, and she clung to him, as if he might vanish if she let go.

  She pulled away slowly. “I thought we had a flight to catch?”

  “We’ll make it. Besides, this is way more fun,” he smiled.

  *****

  Grand opening day had arrived, and by early afternoon, all but one guest had arrived for the B&B. The dinner event wasn’t set to start for several more hours, but Hannah was already overly anxious. She decided to bake some cookies to take her mind off of things.

  Clare stormed into the kitchen. “Hey Jules, where is Brad?” Clare asked.

  “He’s on the patio. Why?” Hannah’s eyes widened as she took a double-take at Clare, already in her fancy outfit for the evening’s festivities. “My my… look at you! Swanky!”

  Clare had fixed herself up nice for the party. Her dark hair was held up in a rhinestone clip, and she wore a sleeveless blue dress covered in sparkly material, bringing out the blue in her eyes. She was also wearing make-up, which was a first. If it weren’t for the high-top Converse shoes on her feet, she would have looked much older than she was.

  “Oh cut it out – it’s just a dress. It’s not my thing, but I wanted to look nice for your big night,” Clare replied.

  “Clare, you are beautiful in anything. If you don’t want to wear a dress, then don’t wear one. Be yourself, Sweetheart. That’s all I care about.”

  “I’m fine. It’s not that bad actually. Makes me feel kind of… nice,” she smiled, looking down at her attire.

  “What did you need with Brad?” Hannah asked.

  “Oh, I just need to borrow him for a minute. Some guests arrived that need help with their luggage. I’ll go get him.”

  “Okay. I can help too.”

  “No you can’t. No lifting for another month, remember? Be good, Jul… I mean… Mom.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Not you too! I’m fine. When are you two going to let up?”

  “When you’re back to one hundred percent, that’s when.” Clare kissed her on the cheek and ran to the patio.

  Hannah laughed, then went to her room to get ready.

  Brad had already hung the patio lights, and was starting to prep the fire pit when Clare came out through the door.

  “Hey Squirt! You’re just the person I needed to see. Did you find the item we discussed?” he asked.

  Clare pulled the little blue velvet bag out of her pocket and handed it to Brad. “I snuck it out of her room earlier today – she took it with her when she visited the graves yesterday. Lucky for you she told me where she kept it. Why do you need it anyway?”

  “I have something else to go with it, but I need the original to make it work,” Brad’s curiosity got the best of him. “So… where was she keeping it?”

  “It was under her bed in a little wooden box. It had the words ‘My Jules’ carved on top.” Clare looked in Brad’s eyes and smiled. “You made the box for her didn’t you?” she asked.

  His cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. “Yep. I wanted her to have something I made with my bare hands, besides a ring. I had big plans back then. I was going to write her a letter every year for our wedding anniversary, hoping she would keep them in the box… to remember. Would you believe I still wrote those letters? I have them all in a box at home. I wrote them as if we had gotten married, talking about our kids and all sorts of stuff. Crazy, huh?”

  “You two are SO made for each other… seriously, dude. Two peas in a pod,” Clare laughed.

  “Well, enough of that. I could use your help out here setting tables if you’re looking for something to do,” Brad asked.

  “I’ll set the tables, but first you might want to go out front and greet your guests that just arrived… one of them is with child…,” she said.

  “What? They’re here and you’re just now telling me? Why didn’t you say so when you got out here?”

  Clare rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I just did, dude. Chill!”

  “Okay, okay! Let’s go!” They walked around to the front entrance and saw Laci and Mitch – Laci’s tummy already showing a small bulge. Brad walked up to Mitch and was overtaken with emotions.

  “Hey little brother!” he said to Mitch, embracing him in one of his manly brother hugs, smacking each other on the back a couple of times. His brother was his rock, and now that he was there, the weight of the world seemed to lift off of Brad as he wept on Mitch’s shoulder.

  “It’s good to see you, man. I know it’s been a long, rough road. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help you through it, but really happy things turned around for both of you.”

  “It’s okay. Like you said… it all turned out pretty good. She’s handled everything with such grace, it’s unbelievable. Even losing Lois in the midst of everything. She’s amazing. It sure is nice to see you, though. I’ve missed you too.” Brad wiped his face with the sleeve of his t-shirt, then turned towards Clare. “Mitch, Laci…this is Clare, Hannah’s ‘little sister’ with Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Clare!” Laci reached out and hugged Clare’s neck without warning, as was her usual custom when meeting friends of the family. “Brad told us so much about you and how brave you were for Hannah.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too. I’ve heard you really like the rain. I’m not a big fan of it myself.” Clare replied with a little smile.

  Laci giggled. “Yeah, I do. Rain is my thing I guess. It’s not for everyone. Speaking of Hannah though, where is she?”

  Brad cleared his throat. “Um, she’s inside. She doesn’t exactly know that I invited you here. She may flip out.”

  “What? You mean our coming here is a complete surprise to her? That’s a lot of surprises in one weekend, Brad Young!” Laci stressed, now concerned about their arrival being kept secret.

  “I didn’t want to take any chance of her refusing your offer to come up and help, so I didn’t give her the option. Figured it was better that way,” Brad said.

  “Man, you have a lot to learn, dude,” Mitch added, shaking his head and smiling.

  “Trust me! She won’t be mad. I know her.”

  “Well, let’s go surprise her, then!” Laci said.

  Brad walked over to Laci and stopped in front of her. “Thanks for being here, Laci. I am so happy for you, and I’m sorry for being such a jerk in the beginning. You are the best thing that ever happened to Mitch, and in all my years, I’ve never seen him this happy. Until you came along, I would have never believed there was one person that was the perfect mate to another person’s soul, but you’re most definitely his. And now, I’ve found mine too.” Brad reached out and pulled Laci into a hug, squeezing her as tight as he could.

  Laci’s
eyes filled with tears, seeing the beauty in Brad’s big heart for the very first time. “I always knew you had it in you… a heart that is,” she laughed.

  “Touché,” he replied. “I guess it softened up with all this rain up here.”

  “Told ya,” she said, and they laughed together as they walked inside.

  Brad sat their bags down on the floor. “Hey, Jules – can you come in to the foyer?” he yelled out.

  Hannah walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. When she entered the foyer, Mitch and Laci were standing there to greet her. The look on Hannah’s face was priceless, resembling both shock and excitement. She even dropped her towel on the floor.

  “Holy, cow! What… what on earth is going on? What are you doing here?” she exclaimed, and rushed over to greet them with a hug.

  “We heard there was a big party here tonight. I never miss a good party!” Laci said.

  “Laci! Look at your cute little tummy! I’m so happy for you,” Hannah began to cry.

  “Oh, Sweetie… thank you.” Laci tightened her embrace around Hannah and hugged her tight. “We wouldn’t have missed celebrating this day with you, not for the world. You’re family, my dear!”

  Hannah wiped her tears, then looked at Brad. “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”

  “I didn’t want you to make a fuss, and I knew you would have if I had told you. I just wanted to surprise you, that’s all. Laci said she could pitch in and help us fluff things up for tonight too,” Brad added.

  “Well, I don’t like being kept in the dark, but in this case… I am grateful. Thank you for doing all of this for me,” she whispered in his ear, then reached up and pulled him into her embrace, kissing him softly.

  Laci coughed a few times, trying to interrupt their kiss. “Not to break up your little moment, you two… but we have a party to start as I recall.”

  Brad reluctantly pulled away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I had to suffer watching the two of you lovebirds for months… this is payback,” he replied.

  They all laughed, and walked inside. The preparations began.

  15 – One Soul

  A thick layer of smoke drifted from the fire, filling the air with a sweet, hickory scent as the wood crackled in the fire pit. Happy faces gathered all around, clinking wine glasses with each other, laughing, talking, and the extra happy guy was singing to his lady friend. The salmon was cooking on the grill, almost ready to serve, and the clear patio lights that hung all around began to glow softly, adding a touch of elegance to the evening ahead.

  Brad finished getting ready and joined Mitch in the dining room. Clare was there too, hopping around like a nervous kitten. Laci was in event planning mode, making tables look beautiful and already schmoozing with the guests. Hannah was MIA, still closed up in her room and taking an unusually long time to appear.

  “Hey, Clare? Would you mind going up to check on her… make sure she’s doing ok?” Brad asked, worried something wasn’t right.

  “Sure. Be right back.” Clare ran upstairs and knocked on Hannah’s door. “Hey Jules, you about ready? All the guests are here and I’m starving!” There was no reply. “Jules… can you hear me? Can I come in?” Still no reply. Clare became anxious, and opened the door anyway. Jules was laying on the bed sobbing, her headphones plugged in her ears to drown out any noise.

  Clare walked over to her side, careful not to scare her, and gently tapped her on the leg to announce her presence. Jules jerked her head up, and ripped the headphones out of her ears.

  “Clare, I’m so sorry! I was just trying to relax before dinner.” She sniffed, wiping the tears away.

  “Yeah… so how’s that working out for ya? Because from where I stand, you don’t look all that relaxed, Jules. Just being honest.” Clare’s understated humor always made Hannah laugh.

  “Ah, well that’s where you’re wrong. You see crying can actually release a lot of anxiety and stress, thus making a person more relaxed and stress free.”

  Clare laughed. “You don’t really believe that bologna do you?”

  “It sounded good though, right?” Hannah asked, a smile on her face.

  “Jules… what’s wrong? Are you worried about tonight? Everyone is already having a great time out there, except for us. You’re not even dressed – what’s up with you?”

  “I’m just missing my Grandma, I guess. Seems wrong to do this without her. And… I think this is all wrong. I got a sign and I’m not sure Brad and I are going to work out.”

  Clare’s jaw dropped. “Shut the front door! What do you mean ‘you-got-a-sign’? What kind of sign?”

  “I lost his ring. I can’t find it anywhere, Clare. I know I set it back in the box after I visited the graves the other day, and now I can’t find it anywhere. I’ve looked everywhere!” Hannah broke down again.

  Clare sat down on the bed. “Look here, Sister… ha! I guess its Mom now… but whatever. Listen to me. You get up and get dressed. It’s probably rolling around here somewhere. Trust me… I know it’s in this house, and it’s ridiculous to think that losing it is some sort of sign. How do you think Brad would feel if he knew your love for him hinged on some old ring? Doesn’t seem fair if you ask me.” Clare crossed her arms and stared at Hannah, like a mother scolding a child.

  “Look at you, Miss Sassy Pants, telling me what to do,” Hannah giggled. “You’re probably right. It will turn up. I’ll keep looking, and I won’t say anything. If he asks where it is, then I’ll tell him I took it to get it cleaned or something. Thanks, Clare. I had a moment of panic I guess. It’s been such a long road getting here, but at the same time, it feels like it happened in the blink of an eye. Part of me just wanted to have the ring for good luck, but you’re right. I have Brad back in my life, and he’s all that matters.”

  “Hey, what am I, chopped liver?”

  “Oh don’t be silly! You know what I mean. I’ve always had you… and you’ve always had me. That will never change. I love you girl.”

  “I love you too, Mom. Tonight is about putting the past behind you, and grabbing hold of everything in front of you, and never letting it go. Now, go get dressed already! Guests are waiting,” Clare added.

  Hannah reached over and hugged Clare tight, then hopped up to get ready.

  Clare came back and gave the others a fictional version of what was keeping Hannah, figuring it was none of their business. They all moved into the foyer to wait. After a few minutes passed, Brad looked up and saw Hannah walking downstairs to join them – his jaw dropped. She wore a slimming black and white dress that clung to every curve, sleek black heels, and her long, red hair was flowed freely all around her face, curls bouncing as she walked.

  Mitch bumped Brad’s side. “Dude… close your mouth.”

  Brad cleared his throat and walked over to help her down the last few steps. “May I?” he asked.

  “I thought you’d never ask,” she replied, and hooked her arm through his.

  “You look beautiful, Jules…. absolutely stunning.”

  “Thank you. Umm…,” she lowered her head and paused, then stopped walking as the others went on out. “Before we go outside, I need to say something,” She turned toward him. “Look, there’s really no excuse, but I can’t seem to find…”

  Clare popped her head back inside the door. “Jules! Let’s go! You can talk later, okay?” she yelled, knowing exactly what she was about to tell him.

  Hannah smiled and shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. I love you, Brad. Thank you for tonight… for all of this.” She kissed him on the cheek. How am I going to tell him I lost his ring? Please don’t let it be a sign… I can’t lose anything else. I need this, Lord. I need him, more than he’ll ever know. Hannah thought.

  “I love you too, Jules,” He pulled her into his arms and leaned in to kiss her gently, a soft sweet reminder of what was yet to come.

  Brad and Hannah walked outside behind the winery, and immediately began greeting guests, hugging necks and reconnecti
ng with friends. Her face lit up as she worked the room, like it was breathing new life into her.

  “She looks happy,” Laci said, leaning into Mitch’s shoulder.

  “That’s no small part thanks to you, Darlin’.”

  In the distance, a crack of thunder announced itself and Laci immediately turned around to see the dark clouds rolling toward the estate from over the mountain. “Yes!” she squealed quietly. “And only good things ahead!” she added.

  “You know I love you, right? You and your crazy love of rain… I’ll never grow tired of it” Mitch leaned down and kissed her softly.

  “Hey you two, get a room,” Brad joked as he walked up to them. “It’s almost time to start, but before we do I need you two on board with something.”

  “What’s up, brother?” Mitch asked.

  “I’m not going to wait around for months on end to marry that woman. Life is too short. So, I already called and booked a minister, and I want to take a drive out to Cannon Beach tomorrow and get married on the beach. I checked the weather, and it’s supposed to be a beautiful day. Are you up for that? She doesn’t know yet, of course… but I’ll tell her later tonight.”

  “You are full of surprises these days!” Laci jested. “You can count us in!”

  “I love how you answer for both of us… do I get a vote?” Mitch asked, smiling.

  “No. Your vote is now by proxy only after marrying me. My vote always wins.”

  “I hope you’re ready for this, big brother… your life will never be the same again,” Mitch laughed and Laci playfully jabbed him in the shoulder.

  “And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” she smiled.

  They laughed together, and went to their tables.

  Brad tapped the side of his wine glass to get everyone’s attention and asked them to find their seats. “Hello everyone! Can I get everyone’s attention for a few minutes?” The crowd quieted and he continued. “First off, thank you for coming tonight. My name is Brad Young. Not all of you know me yet, but I’m a friend of Hannah’s and I started helping run the B&B back in March. I want you to know how much we appreciate you all being here to help us celebrate the grand reopening of Hannah’s family estate, Foxhead Bed & Breakfast and Winery.” Everyone clapped, and Brad motioned for Hannah to stand. The thunder clattered again. “I’d also like to thank my sister-in-law for bringing us this rainstorm. I think she orders them in advance with the big man upstairs.” The guests laughed in reply.