It had been so long ago, yet it seemed as though it was happening again.
It didn’t matter that she now knew he had written her letters and tried to get in touch with her. Her heart remembered only the pain.
She changed into casual pants and T-shirt. She never should have asked him to meet her for drinks.
What was in the past was in the past.
She knew better than to walk backwards. Walking backwards always led to bumping into something. Someone always got hurt.
Focus on today.
Focus on what she could control. Not what she couldn’t. He was moving away.
Again.
He had shown up in her life again just long enough to give her some closure. At least now she knew. She knew he hadn’t just abandoned her.
If anything, she had abandoned him.
Maybe she should have tried harder.
She thought about Danielle.
Would she be willing to lie to her own child as her parents had lied to her?
If she believed it was for Danielle’s good, she might.
Danielle had had several boyfriends over the last couple of years, but no one serious enough to consider marrying.
Perhaps her mother had been right to keep her from marriage at such a young age. It was something she could have believed if her mother hadn’t turned right around and practically shoved her at Noah.
Claire had liked Noah. He was handsome and charming.
And if it hadn’t been for Grayson, she probably would have fallen in love with him.
Instead, she’d kept her emotional distance and poured herself into starting her business.
It was how she’d coped with Grayson’s leaving her behind and, as she believed, not even trying to contact her after she’d slept with him.
As she went downstairs, her doorbell rang.
She peeked through the one-way glass on the door and her pulse rate quickened.
Grayson stood there, his hands in his pockets, and concern on his face.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a sigh, she opened the door. And they stood looking at each other.
“I promised to hang that painting for you,” he said.
“Yes, you did,” She stepped back and a smile tugged at her lips.
He came inside and she closed the door. “Claire. I…”
He lifted a hand, but she turned away. “It’s back here,” she said.
Her blood pounded in her ears. She stopped in front of the painting and swiped at her hair. If she’d known Grayson Moore was going to be here, in her house, she wouldn’t have changed into her crop pants and or washed the make-up from her face.
After seeing the painting propped there against the wall, he turned and swept his gaze around her kitchen.
Though she was proud of her house and loved the choices she’d made in designing it, it mattered very much to her what Grayson thought.
“Nice,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Whoever did the design did an awesome job.”
“That would be me,” she said.
He turned his focus back to her. “You?”
“Yeah,” She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
“You’re full of surprises,” he said, his voice husky.
She bit her lip. “I have a hammer,” she said, opening a kitchen drawer with an impressive array of tools – hammer, screwdriver, level, nails, measuring tape, and even a laser level.
“Let me see what you have in there,” he said, quickly becoming intimate with the contents of what she thought of as her tool drawer.
He took the hammer and found a couple of sturdy nails. “Do you have a pencil?”
“Of course,” She grabbed a pencil from her kitchen desk and handed it to him.
“You want it about here?” He asked, after measuring the height of the painting.
“That looks good. Centered.”
“Hold these nails,” he said. She held out her palm as he placed the nails in her hand. His hand hovered there, his knuckles against her palm, sending little shock waves through her. It was the first physical contact they’d had in over twenty years.
His gaze glued to hers, he released the nails and pulled his hand away.
Her nerves tingled. And she couldn’t think. He measured and marked, then took the hammer and after a few quick strikes, had two nails in the wall. He picked up the heavy painting and easily slipped the wires over the nails.
He stepped back, straightened the painting. “How’s that?” He asked.
She blinked and forced herself to focus on the painting. “It’s perfect,” she said. Even if he’d hung it upside down, it would have been perfect in her eyes at that moment.
“Do you need me to do anything else?” He asked.
Kiss me.
The thought came out of nowhere and jarred her out of her trance. “No,” she said. “Thank you for doing that.”
“It was the least I could do after buying the thing.”
Claire chuckled. “As Danielle says, it adds a splash of color to the room.”
“Has he bothered you anymore?” he asked.
“Maine D’Court? No.”
“Good. I was afraid I was going to have to embarrass him.”
She laughed. “Would you like some hot tea?”
“Sure,” he said.
Grayson settled on Claire’s sofa with a cup of hot tea in his hands. He’d never had hot tea in his life. Claire’s place was spotless. There was no way he could let her go to his place now. He had papers and books strewn everywhere.
She looked relaxed. She was wearing casual gray pants that looked like a cross between sweat pants and tights with a light pink T-shirt. She’d scrubbed her face free of make-up before he got there leaving her smelling like soap.
He didn’t want to leave. He just wanted to be near her. He’d ask to dinner, but she looked like she’d already settled in for the evening. With two sisters, he knew better than to even bring it up.
“Do you want to order a pizza and watch a movie?”
She pulled her feet under her and smiled. “Sure.” Her kitten, Charlie, had exhausted himself running and playing and was curled up in her lap.
How many nights in high school had they had gotten pizza and watched a movie? It was the most normal thing he could think of.
She’d told him Danielle was out with friends and wouldn’t be home until much later.
She picked up her iPad and clicked on the screen. “Do you still like Hawaiian pizza?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Yeah. Good memory,” he said.
Smiling, she made a few more clicks. “The pizza should be here in about fifteen minutes.” She clicked some more and the TV came on displaying the image on her iPad. “What would you like to watch?” she asked.
Grayson was impressed. “You pick,” he said.
“All right.” She pulled up a series called The 100. “I’ve been thinking about starting this series. Danielle has been watching it and loves it. I’ve been needing to catch up so I can watch it with her or at least talk with her about it.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
She was curled up on her side of the sofa and he on the other side. She had her feet tucked under her and a pillow hugged under her chin.
It was comfortable. Almost familiar. Except she should have been sitting next to him with his arms around her.
But she was skittish. She’d run away from him twice already. Once in the museum and once at the lounge. Maybe three times if he counted the York and Orleans where they’d met. He was fairly certain she’d seen him and ducked into the restroom while Danielle walked over to introduce her.
He didn’t blame her. Couldn’t blame her. They’d been something like star-crossed lovers the last time around. He was glad they’d gotten to straighten out the misunderstanding. They’d been kids with her parents doing what she thought best for her daughter. Life had moved forward.
&n
bsp; This was either a second chance to begin again or a chance for closure. He wasn’t sure which one yet. He was leaning toward the second chance to start over.
When the doorbell rang, they both got up to go to the door to get the pizza.
“Hi Gregory,” Claire said.
“Hi Mrs. Worthington.” The delivery boy glanced at Grayson, then tried to look behind Claire. “Is Danielle home?”
“No, sorry. She’s out tonight.”
“Oh, well,” he glanced at Grayson again. “Tell her I said hi.”
“I will.”
Grayson pulled some tip money out of his pocket and handed it to Gregory. “Thank you, sir,” he said.
After Gregory left, Grayson carried the pizza into the living room while Claire went to the kitchen to get plates.
“You know you’re getting older when the pizza delivery guy calls you sir,” he said when she came back with plates and two bottles of water.
“Wait until you have a child,” she said. “Then you really get used to it.”
Grayson didn’t respond. He focused on sorting through the pizzas. “You’re still vegetarian,” he said, noting her cheese pizza.
“And sometimes vegan,” she said.
“Vegan is hard,” he commented.
“Yeah. It’s not so bad here, but in Ft. Worth it’s almost impossible to be vegetarian, much less vegan.”
“Beef country.”
“You have no idea.”
“How long have you had this place?” he asked.
“A couple of years. I started building it while Noah and I were still married. He didn’t even know it.”
Grayson filled his plate, sat back and took a bite. “This is good,” he said. “You must have felt like you were living a double life.”
“I did. Most people wondered why I would do that. Why I would have a life without Noah even knowing about it.”
“That is something to wonder about,” he said.
“It wasn’t that Noah was too busy. We’re all busy. I think it’s just because he wasn’t here. He was gone more than he was home.”
“Still,” Grayson said. “It seems like it would have been worth a conversation.”
“We had a strange relationship, Noah and me. It was more of an arranged marriage than a marriage made in love.”
“I kind of wondered about that. But you had a choice. Right?”
“Of course. But everyone wanted me to do it. And…” she took a bite and kept her eyes down.
He finished her sentence for her. “And I wasn’t here.”
“Pretty much,” she said.
“You kind of have a trend going.”
“Ha. Not a good thing.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Not your fault.”
“But it was about me,” he said. “So, I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“And I forgive you,” he said, a mischievous grin on his face.
She smiled. “So, what, we just play it all over again? Hang out until you leave?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess we just see what happens.”
She considered. Nodded. “Might be better if we not repeat that last night.”
She remembered. Of course she remembered. A woman always remembered her first time. As did a man.
“Deal,” he said. “Do you like the show?” He asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“I do. Boys aren’t very smart.”
“I’ve always said girls are smarter than boys.”
“As a rule, I agree.”
“I believe it,” he said.
They finished their pizza and Claire carried pizza boxes while Grayson carried plates to the kitchen and began putting them in the dishwasher.
Claire’s phone rang. She frowned and answered. Her face went pale. “Where did you say?” She asked.
“Is she okay?” Claire closed her eyes and swayed a little, steadying herself with a hand on the counter. “I’ll be right there.”
“What is it?” Grayson asked.
She shook her head. “Danielle was in an accident.”
Claire was trembling. She needed to find her handbag, but she couldn’t remember where she left it. She paced to the living room, then back to the kitchen before she remembered that she kept her purse upstairs in the closet. She raced upstairs, grabbed her purse, and raced back down.
Grayson stood there, keys in his hand. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ll drive.”
Claire started to protest. The words formed on her lips, but she couldn’t get them out loud. She let him lead her to his car and help her inside.
“Where?” he asked.
She told him the address and he took off driving. “Tell me what happened,” he said as he drove.
She sat tensed on the edge of the seat. “I don’t know. There was a car accident.” She bit her thumbnail. “They said she was okay.”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” he said.
Claire knew it would be more than a minute. It had been less than a year ago – last fall, that she’d ridden in the ambulance with Danielle after she drank too much vodka and took too many pills. Claire kept her Xanax locked in a safe now and rarely took it. She’d rarely taken it anyway. She’d only filled it because the doctor had insisted it would help with sleep. But Claire didn’t like being knocked out. She liked being in control. If Danielle needed her or even her mother, she wanted to be alert in an instant.
Had Danielle tried to hurt herself again? She seemed to be doing so well. Her doctors seemed pleased with her progress. They’d told her that some adolescents go through that sort of thing, then never have any other problems. It was all about being aware. Being aware of signs and triggers. And getting help right away.
Claire hadn’t seen any signs. And there hadn’t been any triggers. Except for Danielle starting college, but she was excited. Claire was pretty certain about that.
“Hey,” Grayson said. “I’m right here. You’re not alone.”
She brought her attention back to the moment. Focused her gaze on Grayson. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He reached over and took her hand in his. “They said she was okay.” He glanced at her reassuringly, then put his eyes back on the traffic.
They rode in silence the rest of the way to the hospital.
“I’ll let you out,” he said, dropping her off at the door to the ER. “I’ll find you,” he said as she jumped out and sprinted toward the doors.
Claire ran to the desk and asked for her daughter. The receptionist tapped on the computer, asked for Claire’s name and then promptly ushered into one of the exam rooms. When she stepped through the door, Danielle was sitting on the edge of an exam table. “Mom!” She said. Danielle was being examined by a young male doctor.
Claire ran to her and squeezed her hand. “What happened, Baby?”
“I was riding with some girls across campus and we were hit by another car.”
Claire felt a tear spill down her cheek. Her baby wasn’t safe anywhere. Not even at school.
“She has a clavicle contusion,” the doctor said.
“It means she has a bruised collarbone,” Grayson said. All eyes turned on him. “Right?”
“Yes,” the doctor said. “I’m going to wrap this bandage around you. You need to try and not move your arm more than necessary for about two weeks.”
“What does that mean?” Danielle asked. “Not more than necessary?”
“It means take it easy,” the doctor said, glancing at Grayson and fastening the ends of the bandage.
“I’ll wait outside,” Grayson said.
“No,” Claire said, reaching for his hand. She needed his strength.
“Mom,” Danielle said, “I’m okay. But I do need to get dressed now.”
“We’ll be right outside the door.”
She stepped outside with Grayson and he pulled her close. She fit just like she remembered. Just
under his chin. He held on tight.
“What does it mean? A bruised collarbone?” she asked against his chest.
“It means she didn’t break her collarbone which is certainly a good thing. It means she’s going to be in pain and have some swelling. She can use ice for the swelling, but she’ll need to keep it in a sling to keep from moving it around too much. She should be back to normal with a week or two.”
“It doesn’t sound too bad.”
“You might want to keep her home in the bed or on the sofa for a few days especially while she takes pain medication.”
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath.
“Is there something you haven’t told me?”
“I wouldn’t know where to start,” she said.
He pushed back and lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “Start with Danielle,” he suggested.
“Last Fall she attempted suicide.”
“Oh Claire,” he said, pulling her against him again and stroking the back of her head.
It felt good to have someone to lean on. “She needs to call her father,” she said, trying to push back.
He held tight. “She can call on the way home. Or in the morning. Claire. She’s okay.”
He felt her nodding against his chest. “On the way home. Noah will want to know.” Unless he’s flying and doesn’t have phone service.
The doctor left and Claire went back to help Danielle get dressed.
“Grayson came with you,” Danielle observed.
“He did.”
“How did that happen?” Danielle asked.
“He came over to help me hang the painting.”
Danielle grinned, then groaned when she moved her arm wrong. “The doctor wrote a script for pain pills, but I’m not going to take them.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t wanna be a pill head.”
Claire hid a smile. Perhaps all that therapy had done some good.
“Is Grayson coming back with us?” she asked.
“He drove me here, so yes.”
“Good.”
“You’re enjoying this,” Claire observed.
Danielle shrugged. Groaned. “It’s cute.”
Cute. Claire rolled her eyes, but as they got Danielle up and into the wheelchair, her eyes teared up. The memory of her daughter on life support was too fresh.
As soon as they hit the door, Grayson grabbed the handles on the wheelchair. “Some students will do ANYTHING to get out of going to class.”
Love Again: Love's Second Chance Series Page 5