by Groovy Lee
“Is Mrs. Pritchard on her way?” Gracie glanced up for a moment to ask.
“Yes, on to her next assignment. I pity her next patient.”
“She wasn’t that bad. I think you miss her already.”
“Maybe. So, how did you like your walk in the woods?”
The question made her remember the lake incident in the cave which caused a smile to crease her lips. “It was wonderful. Indigo showed me a lot of beautiful things.”
“You like our little oasis, huh?”
“A lot.”
“And, I’m sure Indigo enjoys taking his new bride to private places where you can be—alone.” Ella couldn’t help teasing her with that dramatic way she said “alone” again.
Gracie shied away from the gleam in her eyes and concentrated on finishing the salad. It was such a relief that Ella liked and accepted her as something she’s not—her son’s wife. It would make the passing of time more enjoyable. She could only hope that her part in this would continue to be as convincing in front of her inquisitive presence.
The day seemed to sail by like a fast-forward button. Lunch had long been consumed and now they were seated around the dining table eating a hearty dinner of Cornish hens with wild rice stuffing, and garlic flavored green beans. Indigo and Ella talked mostly of mutual acquaintances and what they were up to. He persuaded Gracie to tell his mother about her off-the-wall family, a pet name he used whenever he spoke of them. After Ella exhausted the subject of her fund raising activities, it was time to clear the table. While Gracie began gathering up the leftovers, Indigo insisted his mother turn in early. As she said good-night and headed for her room, he began stacking the plates and utensils to take them to the dishwasher. This time Gracie made sure she kept as much space between them as possible during her many trips in and out of the kitchen; To ensure there would be no more accidental brushings against one another.
Indigo came out of the kitchen and watched as she wiped the table clean. “I’m going to give the dogs some water.”
“I guess I’ll finish unpacking before I turn in. Good-night,” she said and wondered if he noticed her edging herself to the far side of the table; A shield she needed in case he planned on throwing one of those charming smiles on her, and continuing what happened by the cave earlier. But, he just said good-night and left. And as much as she willed it not to, that kiss caused a few restless toss-and-turns as it haunted her in her thoughts, her twilight dream, and deep sleep.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hard rain pattering against her window the next morning woke her from deep slumber. As tempting as it was, she fought the urge to crawl back under the covers and allow the rhythm of it to lull her back to sleep; It’s a work day, and there’s lots to be done. After breakfast, she and Indigo turned the dining room table into an office desk and began working on his draft. While she typed on the laptop computer, he busied himself revising some papers. Ella sat in the front room watching her favorite morning show and knitting. They took a break when lunch rolled around, then resumed afterwards. When dinnertime rolled around, they would call it a day. The rain continued over the next two days without letup, keeping them confined inside.
It was Thursday when the sun finally broke through and chased the menacing clouds away. Indigo mentioned they would work half a day since his sister would be arriving soon and he had to pick her up from the airport. Ella wanted to make the trip with him, but he reminded her that she needed to take her medicine followed by a nap as her doctor ordered. She did, but not without voicing her disagreeable opinion. When he left, Gracie decided to take advantage of the spare time with a stroll outside.
She stepped onto the deck and took a deep inhale of the fresh, clean air where the smell of rain still lingered. Everything was plush and green, revived by the last two day’s soaking. She watched for an amazed minute as Patches and Starbucks stood posed in their usual stand-off before venturing out on the beach. After an hour of soul searching and watching some shows with Ella, she excused herself to go and prepare lunch for the arrival of Shara. She had just finished making the pitcher of iced tea when Ella came rushing into the kitchen.
“Gracie, they’re here,” she announced before rushing away for the front door.
Gracie wiped her hands on a towel before heading for the front door to peek out. (Ella liked her, but what about Shara?) She watched as Ella greeted her daughter and grandchild; Everyone bustled with the excitement of being together. Shara was the spitting image of her mother, right down to the laugh. She had the same rich, black hair as her brother which she kept long with thick bangs; Dimples would etch into each cheek with every smile. (She seemed friendly enough) The curly haired child in Indigo’s arms giggled and squirmed as he tickled her.
“Gracie, come here,” Ella motioned for her.
Gracie stepped out from behind the door, her steps slow and timid as she walked toward them. A positive chant echoed through her mind as she did her best to appear calm.
“Shara, this is my new daughter-in-law, Gracie,” Ella boasted with an intimate rub on Gracie’s back.
Curious, but stern, light-brown eyes swept over Gracie’s face for a good long minute before a smile like warm sunshine appeared. “So, I finally get to meet you.” Shara stepped forward and awarded her with a friendly hug. “How do you do, Gracie?”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, too,” Gracie accepted her hug with great relief.
“Quite an improvement from the last one, Indigo,” she shot him a wicked wink.
“Shara,” Ella clicked her tongue.
Gracie suppressed the need to laugh at Indigo as he admonished his sister with a lift of one eyebrow.
“This is Nikki,” he turned the small child in his arms around to face her. “Watch out, mother and daughter are two of a kind.”
Nikki buried her tiny face into Indigo’s shoulder and held on for life as Gracie tried to put her at ease with a gentle rub on her leg.
“Say hi,” Indigo urged her.
Finally dimples like her mother appeared and she whispered a “Hi.”
“Let’s all go inside,” Ella said.
The women left Indigo to retrieve the luggage from the vehicle while they went into the house. Gracie went to set the table, leaving Indigo and Ella to help settle Shara and Nikki in their rooms. Afterwards, they sat around the table and ate lunch.
“That was delicious, Gracie, thanks,” Shara stretched back against her chair when she had finished. “I didn’t know I was so hungry. Felicia wasn’t into preparing meals, was she, Indigo?”
He looked up from helping Nikki with her food, his eyes held a clear warning. “Cut it out, Shara.”
She just laughed. It was evident she wasn’t easily intimidated by her brother. No doubt, there’s been a no-holds-barred teasing going on between them since childhood. “Sorry, little brother. You know, my doctor advised me against making this long trip. He didn’t want me to risk going into premature labor or anything. But I said, no way am I going to miss coming here and meeting Indigo’s new wife. And might I say, the trip was worth it.”
Gracie returned her genuine smile, happy she had made another friend she was sure would last a lifetime.
It was well into the night when Indigo left to complete some paperwork. Ella stuck to her schedule and retired to bed, leaving Gracie and Shara alone. Shara was easy to talk to, much to Gracie’s relief. She reminded her of Ella at times. They were so busy talking and getting to know one another that neither of them noticed how late it was getting until the late-night news hour appeared on the television.
Shara stretched languidly on the sofa and covered her mouth to hide a yawn. “Girl, it’s time for Nikki and me to call it a night.”
“You must be so tired after that long trip,” Gracie said.
“When you’re in the state I’m in, sleep is about all you do,” she rubbed her round stomach and laughed.
“You want me to put Nikki in the crib for you?” Gracie uncrossed her legs to stand.
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“No,” Shara waved her to remain seated. “She’s mastered the art of getting in and out of it all by herself, the little monkey.”
Nikki looked up from her stack of blocks cluttered by the fireplace, her curious eyes switching from one to the other.
Shara moaned herself to a standing position. “Come on, honey. It’s time for bed.”
“Nooo,” she protested with a vigorous shake of her head. “I not sleepy.”
“Well, Mommie is. And when Mommie’s sleepy, you’re sleepy. I’ll read your favorite book,” she coaxed.
“Good-night, Moon?” Nikki jumped up off the floor with excitement.
“Yeah. Come on so we can say good-night to the stars, and the air, and noises everywhere.”
Nikki hopped over and grabbed her mother’s hand.
“Good-night, Gracie.” Suddenly she giggled. “That’s so cute. It’s like when George Burns used to say that all the time to his wife—good-night Gracie.”
“My grandmother was a big fan of theirs, so that’s why she named me Gracie Allen. It was either that or Georgie.”
“I like that. Anyway, good-night, Gracie,” she said, her dimples deep with amusement.
“Good-night, Shara.”
Gracie didn’t feel tired enough to go to bed. She opted to curl up and watch the History channel on t.v. The need for a glass of diet soda hit her, so she stood to head for the kitchen. Indigo met her halfway in the dining area.
“Where’s Shara and Nikki?” he asked.
“They went to bed.”
“Are you going to bed now?” his eyes did an intimate study of her in her usual leggings and top.
“No. I was going to look at the History channel.”
“I see,” he said then held out some papers to her. “I’ve finished the rest of chapter three—finally.”
Gracie was glad. He had been struggling with it for the last two days. “Great,” she took the papers from him. “I’ll get right on them first thing in the morning.”
“That’s if you have time. I know Shara, and she’ll probably have you out on the beach sunning, or in Montreal buying up the stores.” Just then his eyes latched onto something behind her. In an instant, he stepped forward and encircled his arms around her, pinning her arms against his chest with papers crumbling in between as he pressed his hard cheek against hers. “Play along with me, Gracie,” he whispered in her ear. “And, don’t look so startled. Shara is coming.”
Gracie held her breath and waited. When his sister’s footsteps grew closer, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Oh,” a surprised Shara walked upon them, her eyes widened at the seemingly loving embrace. “Pardon me.”
Indigo and Gracie turned their heads in her direction and smiled.
“Don’t mind me. I just have to give Nikki a glass of water before she says good-night to everyone and everything. Carry on. Carry on,” she hurried away for the kitchen.
Gracie moved to pull away from his embrace.
“No—don’t,” his hold tightened. “She’ll be back. Stay until she leaves.”
But her will-power was fleeting tonight. It fled the moment his lean, hard body pressed against hers. She closed her eyes in an effort to contain the urges that were beginning to stir, but it was impossible not to be effected by him. “Indigo—,” she tried to put at least some space between them. “Please.”
“Shhh,” was his gentle reply. “It’s part of the deal, remember? Pretending to be the loving couple for their sakes, right? Don’t fail me, Gracie. Here—put your arms around my waist.”
Her heart jumped violently as he moved her arms from his chest and guided them down and around his slim waist. The crisp papers in her hands were now crushed in one corner. Her insides cried for Shara to hurry back before she broke and fled like a coward to her room. Finally, there was the sound of a cabinet door closing and the clicking of a light switch.
“Now, for the big finale,” he said as he lowered his mouth to hers and touched them in a tender caress.
Shara scurried out of the kitchen for her room, sneaking a peek at them as she made her way past them. When the sound of the bedroom door shut tight, his mouth lingered a few seconds longer before releasing her.
“I think we pulled that off quite successfully, don’t you think?” He gave her a friendly rub on the back.
She held her chin up and matched his calm composure as best she could. “It was perfect. Well—good-night.” She was halfway out of the room before he could wish her one in return.
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The bright sun beamed from a piercing, blue sky overhead. Gracie and Shara sat under their umbrellas on the beach and watched as Nikki played in the sand. Patches and Starbucks laid quietly in the shade of some trees, getting up on occasion to see who could run the fastest at a rabbit in the nearby forest.
“When is your husband coming?” Gracie asked, as she played with the warm sand between her toes.
“In a couple of weeks. He can only stay for the day, though. He’s working overtime so that when the baby comes, he can take a long, long vacation to be with us.”
“That’s sweet. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“I can’t wait, either. You’ll like him. And, I know he’s going to like you.” Shara leaned forward from off her hands close to Gracie. “You know, when my mother called and said that Indigo had gotten married, I almost went into labor. If it had been to Felicia, I think I would have.”
“I take it you don’t like her very much, huh?” Gracie knew the answer already.
“That ice queen? She would have made Indigo’s life a living hell. I was visiting Mom when he first brought her over to meet us. We took one look at her and knew she wasn’t right for him. But Indigo, being the typical male, couldn’t see past the glitter and glamour. They were inseparable, and it worried Mom a lot, especially when they became engaged. But, she wouldn’t dare interfere in his life. You just wait, she kept saying, he’ll come to his senses, I know my son.” Shara moved her head and imitated her mother’s voice to a T, amazing Gracie at how they can be so much alike at times. “Anyway, she was right. Indigo did come to his senses. I was so happy when they broke up. And what’s so weird is he didn’t seem too crushed by it, either. I thought their breakup would have him all depressed and curled up in a corner somewhere, and I would have to hold his hand on a daily basis. But, not so,” she shook her head. “We wondered if maybe he’d met someone else. But when he hides behind that tough exterior of his, you can’t tell what he’s thinking. So, it was wait and see. And, then you came along,” Shara’s voice heightened to a much happier tone. “You must have been the one who cause him to see the light. The executive assistant that was suddenly a woman, and with one smile, stole his heart from the ice queen. A story right out of a romance novel; I love it. I’m so happy,” she reached out and laid a friendly hand atop Gracie’s tanned legs. “Indigo made a smart choice. One day, you’ll have to tell me how you managed to get Mr. Stiff-shirt to notice you.”
Shara’s speculative teasing made Gracie a little edgy. She couldn’t have been the reason Indigo and Felicia ended their relationship. But if that question ever came up in the future, she would have to find some way to dodge it, or make up a pretty convincing story.
Nikki yelled for her mother to help her build a castle. Shara sighed at having to maneuver herself up.
“Let me,” Gracie put a restraining hand on her arm. “She’s warming up to me some.”
“Hey, you’re more than welcomed. Be my guest.”
Gracie uncurled her legs and went to the young child, glad for the diversion of helping Nikki build her miniature castle. The aching in her heart had her eyes filling with tears and she didn’t want Shara to see her in such an emotional state. She took Nikki’s pale-green bucket and headed for the edge of the ocean to put some water in it. Poor Shara, she thinks their romance is one right out of a fairy tale; Out of a whodunit is more like it. Shara approves o
f her, and that’s a good thing. But the game of charades she has to play is not. She really likes Shara, but wonders what she would think of her when everything was over and dissolved? She looked up from the small castle she and Nikki were creating to her resting form, her face tilted toward the sun. It’s going to be a harsh blow to her when she eventually learns the truth. And Gracie could only hope she would find it in her heart to understand and forgive her when that time comes.
Over the next few days, a pattern had developed between Gracie, Ella, and Shara. While Indigo worked on his drafts, they would relax in the front room after dinner, watch t.v. and talk until it was time to put Nikki to bed, then talk some more. That night, Ella and Shara were mildly debating suitable names for the baby when Indigo, tired of looking at nothing but words, came in to join them.
“What’s this?” he stood in the middle of the floor, barring their view of the television with a pitiful gaze at the three slouching in their seats. “Three beautiful women sitting all alone with nothing but cable for your dates. This is unacceptable. And, since I’m the only available male, I guess it’s up to me to put some spark into your otherwise spiritless evening.” He bowed low, then went over to the entertainment center.
“Indigo, what are you up to?” Ella asked.
There were only three CD’s in the cabinet underneath. He switched off the television, picked up the one he preferred and popped it into the player. The soothing voice of Nat King Cole singing Sentimental Reasons filled the room.
He turned and smiled brightly at them. “Who will be my first partner? Shara?” He went over to where she sat and held his hand out to her.
“Hey, I’m all for it.” She held out her hands for him to pull her up.
He took extra care of his pregnant sister as he twirled her about a few times much to her delight, before they began swaying slowly to the melodic tune. After a few moments, he escorted her back to her seat and motioned for Ella.
“Indigo, you know I’m too old for this,” she protested, yet was very eager to do a few turns, her laughter filling the room.