by LuAnn McLane
Grace shrugged. “The brewery is doing fine. The soft openings have been a total success and we’re sold out for the grand opening. I won’t be needed here much longer either.”
Sophia slanted Grace a level look that pinned her to the spot. “Oh, you’re needed here, and I’m not just talking about the brewery.”
Grace sighed. “But you know me, Sophia. Like you said, would there be enough to keep me busy?”
“What about expansion? Distribution in other counties or even states?”
“Mason has the capacity to double his production, but he’s hesitant to move too quickly. He seems content to keep things local, and he could make a living doing so, but his beer is so amazing that it would be a shame not to go bigger.”
“And keep you occupied?”
“Yeah,” Grace said with an edge of sadness. “Mum wants me to help with the marketing of the fishing camp, and of course I will, but that wouldn’t keep me busy enough.”
“You’re leaving something out.”
Grace slowed her pace. “Marco Cosmetics has been coming at me hard to develop a line of nail polish for Girl Code.”
“And that would mean going back to London.”
Grace nodded. “I’m afraid so,” she said, and started walking.
“But what about Mason? Grace, you’re totally in love with him. And I know he adores you.”
Grace stopped in her tracks and took in a deep breath. “But it’s not enough. Look at Mum and Rick Ruleman. And she was so miserable with Dad. I don’t want to live like that.”
“You wouldn’t have to.”
“Lifestyles have to blend together, Sophia. If not, no matter how much you love someone, it will eventually tear you apart.”
“Um, there’s a thing called compromise,” Sophia said, and then put her hand on Grace’s arm. “Oh, would you look at that?” She pointed to a bridal shop called From This Moment. “That wedding gown is stunning.”
Grace looked at the dress and felt an odd longing wash over her. “Yes...” Her breath caught and she couldn’t look away.
“Do you dream of your wedding day? Fantasize? Wonder what it will feel like to see your groom standing at the altar?” Sophia asked in a dreamy voice.
“No,” Grace insisted, but a vision of Mason dressed in a tuxedo waiting for her with a smile on his face slid into her brain. “You’re such a romantic. I’m a realist. Marriage and settling down just aren’t for me.” And yet she still couldn’t take her eyes from the dress.
“Would you look at this? We’re on a street called Wedding Row.”
“Maybe there’s more for you to do in this town than what you know,” Grace said. “Look at the lovely florist called Flower Power.” She walked over and peeked in the window, eager to get away from the dress. “Charming!”
“Oh right, Gabby Marino owns it. She’s married to Reese Marino from the pizza parlor. They come into the bistro for breakfast from time to time. Really cute couple. Evidently, Reese was a bit of a bad boy who came back to Cricket Creek to open the restaurant with his uncle Tony.”
“Oh right, Trish is Tony’s wife. She did a couple of articles in the newspaper about the brewery. I liked her a lot.”
Sophia chuckled.
“What?”
“Reese and Gabby told a funny story about how Trish gave River Row Pizza and Pasta a rather bad review in the paper when they first opened. Apparently Trish was Tony’s landlord at the time and she didn’t realize that the restaurant belonged to him. Talk about a rocky start to a relationship. Wow...”
“And now they’re married?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant.”
“Seems to be the way of things here in this little town.”
“How do you know all of this?” Grace asked.
Sophia waved a hand through the air. “From the bistro. Working there provides a wealth of information. I love listening to all of the stories. Everyone here is just so...real, you know?”
“You just sounded rather forlorn.”
“Well, Mattie is back on a limited basis. Meaning my time here is limited as well, in spite of Mom’s efforts.” Sophia stopped and looked out over the river. “I’ll be sad when I have to leave. It’s been so fun having all of us together in one place rather than scattered all over. Grace, I’m going to miss you so much.”
Grace felt a lump form in her throat. She reached over and hugged her sister. “Me too.”
“Oh, Grace, I can tell by the tone of your voice that you’re leaving soon. When?”
“After the grand opening. Like I said, after that I won’t be needed much. I’ll become the silent partner that Mason wanted from the beginning.”
“I somehow think he’s changed his mind on that one.”
“I’m best at launching a business, Sophia. If he doesn’t want to expand, my work here is just about done.”
“And if Mason asks you to stay?”
“He won’t. He made me promise that I would leave when I felt the need to move on.”
“And are you feeling the need?”
“Yes,” Grace said, but what she was really feeling was the odd need to cry. “The longer I stay, the harder it will be to go.”
“Perhaps that’s the point.”
“You’re being awfully cheeky tonight,” Grace said, trying to change the subject, but her voice wobbled.
Sophia stopped and grabbed Grace’s arm. “You just decided to leave, didn’t you? Like, right now. I know that faraway tone.”
Grace nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“And miss the grand opening? How could you?”
“Everything is in place. It would just be too hard for me.”
“So what brought about this sudden decision?”
“It’s not sudden, Sophia. I only meant to come here for a couple weeks at the most, and I’ve gone way beyond that. We’re halfway though October.”
“Well, that was before you invested in the brewery and fell in love with Mason Mayfield. Both unexpected, but game changers, Grace. So what the hell just happened in the span of seconds? Oh my God...this!”
“What?” Grace asked innocently, but her sister knew her all too well.
“Wedding Row. The bridal shop. You had an attack of...something. Anxiety?” She looked at Grace. “No.” She shook her head hard. “Hope. Longing.” She pointed her finger at Grace and then back at From This Moment, before turning to face Grace again. “You were feeling it while you looked at the dress. The possibility of getting married to Mason slipped into your mind.”
“I don’t want to get married or settle down!”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
“Oh, Sophia, you were sort of right. The idea did slip into my brain. Quickly followed by anxiety. The whole ball-and-chain thing scared the daylights out of me. Looking at that wedding gown made me want to run for the hills.”
“You are horrible at lying.”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“No, you’re lying to yourself. Let me ask you something. What would you do if Mason proposed?”
Grace’s heart thudded at the thought. “First of all, he isn’t going to. It would be too soon for something that big.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“It’s a moot point! This whole conversation is a moot point. You know me, Sophia.” She sliced her hand through the air. “I have to move on.”
“The only thing you have to do is be happy.” Sophia hugged Grace again, and then said, “I’m dropping the subject.”
“Thank you!”
“After one more question.”
Grace blew out a long sigh. “I don’t suppose I can bloody well stop you.”
“When are you going to tell Mason you’re leaving? You’re not just going to up and
go, are you?”
“Of course not!” Although that idea held some appeal. Grace’s heart thudded with dread. “I’ll tell him tonight.”
Sophia groaned and raised her hands skyward. “Well, here we went out for a simple dinner, and this had to go and happen. I feel responsible for suggesting eating up here.”
“I was going to bolt sooner or later.”
“Oh, Grace.” Sophia swiped at a tear. “No! At least wait for the grand opening that you’ve worked so hard on.”
“I think being here for that will make it even more difficult.”
“But Mason is going to be so disappointed. How can you do that to him? And won’t you miss him terribly?”
“Of course! I will miss everyone. But my life will get back to normal as soon as I’m in London working on the nail polish line. And then I think I’ll take a holiday to Paris or something.”
“There’s nothing normal about you or your life.”
“Part of my charm, right?”
“No, it’s not. I hope you go back there and then come to your senses. If I had a guy like Mason in love with me, I’d be over the moon. You should be thanking your lucky stars instead of running away.”
“Sophia, I would make us both unhappy if I tried to be someone I’m not. I’m doing us both a favor. Think about it.”
“You wouldn’t be this damned afraid if you didn’t really love him. Think about that.”
Grace looked out over the water, knowing that Sophia was right. “Why is love so frightening?”
“Because it’s the most powerful emotion we possess. And in the end it’s what we care about the most. Love is what we live for, Grace. Think about that when you’re deciding upon nail colors.”
“Since when does sweet Sophia not pull any punches?” Grace tried to joke.
“Having us all together has tugged at my heartstrings. And holding Lily has me thinking about my future too, I guess.” Sophia glanced back at the display window and sighed.
“That tiny little girl has had quite an impact on us all. She’s the reason we’re all in Cricket Creek, if you stop and think about it.” Grace cleared her throat. “Well, I’d better get going.”
“Okay...” Sophia nodded slowly. “I love you, sis. If you need to talk, be sure to call me, okay?”
“I will. And I love you too.” She squared her shoulders. “All right, then, here goes nothing,” she said, but she thought...here goes everything.
23
Whatever Gets You Through the Night
AS SOON AS GRACE WALKED INTO THE TAPROOM, MASON took one look at her face and knew that something was terribly wrong. He tossed the dish towel down onto the bar and walked her way. “How did dinner with Sophia go?”
“Good. I’m proud of myself for refraining from ordering the turtle cheesecake,” she said lightly, but her smile seemed to be forced.
Mason had a flashback of feeding cheesecake to her, and he smiled back. “Good for you.”
“Why, thank you. We’ll forget all about the three slices of pepperoni pizza.”
“I won’t mention it. Hey, listen, I’m all done here. Want to head over to my place and share a nightcap? Listen to some music or watch a movie?”
“Actually, I need to have a chat with you about something.”
When she swallowed hard, Mason’s heart thudded. “Okay. Should I sit down for this?” he asked, but he was pretty sure what was coming.
“Maybe.” She suddenly seemed even more distraught, and on the verge of tears. When there wasn’t even a funny comeback, he knew for sure he was in trouble.
“All right.” Mason nodded and then took a seat on one of the barstools and waited for her to join him. “So what’s on your mind?”
“Marco Cosmetics has been after me for weeks to develop a line of nail polish for Girl Code.”
Mason nodded. “You mentioned it,” he said, trying to remain calm.
She sucked in her bottom lip. “They sweetened the pot, and so I’ve decided to accept their offer.”
“You can do it from here, though, right?” Mason asked, but he suspected the answer.
“No.” She frowned and looked down at her hands rather than at him. “Not really. I have to meet with the design team, and it wouldn’t be feasible, especially with the time difference.”
“So you’re moving back to London?” Mason tried his best to sound casual, but his heart felt as if it was splitting in two.
“Yes, I have to, Mason.”
“You don’t have to.”
She finally looked at him. “Okay, I need to.”
“No, you don’t need to.”
“I...I want to, then.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mason...”
“And you can’t even wait until after the grand opening?” Hurt slammed him hard in the gut. “Wow...”
“You don’t need me here. Everything is all set up and ready to roll. I’ll revert to the silent partner that you wanted in the first place.”
“Nothing I have now is what I wanted in the first place.” He paused for her to respond, but she gave him a slight shake of her head. “Everything might be all set up, Gracie. But you’re dead wrong. I need you here.” He reached over and put his hand on top of hers. “And it has nothing to do with the brewery. But I won’t ask you to stay.” He looked down at their hands and then into her eyes. “And I expect you to keep your promise.”
“That’s what I’m doing. Keeping my promise.”
Mason dug deep for a smile, but he failed. “That doesn’t mean that I like it.”
“I’ll keep in contact, Mason. If there are any loose ends that need to be tied up or—”
“No, I’ve got this.” He glanced away and then slid his hand from hers.
“I’m sorry, Mason.”
“It’s okay,” he said, but it wasn’t even one bit okay. “I’ve been preparing myself for this day. I’ve seen that look in your eye recently, and I knew you’d eventually feel the need to move on. I just hoped...” He trailed off and shrugged. He wanted to say that he hoped that she loved him enough to stay, but that wouldn’t be fair. “So when are you leaving?” He didn’t even try to keep his voice light.
“Tomorrow.”
Mason couldn’t speak, and so he nodded.
“I’m going to head over to Mattie and Garret’s after I leave here.”
He nodded again. Every fiber in his being wanted to beg her to stay. “I love you, Gracie. And I’ll miss you something fierce.” He stood up and slapped the dish towel over his shoulder. The urge to hug her had him fisting his hands at his sides. If he hugged her, he wouldn’t be able to let go.
“I love you too, Mason.” Her eyes swam with tears. “I always will,” she said, but when she stepped closer, he backed away.
“Don’t,” he pleaded softly, and when he saw regret flash in her eyes, he had a moment of hope, but then she nodded and turned around.
“I understand.”
Mason stood in the middle of the taproom and watched her walk out the door. He remained motionless for a long time, thinking that the aching emotion he was feeling could only be described as...despair.
A few minutes later, Danny walked in the front door. “Hey, was that Grace I saw driving down the road?”
“Yeah,” Mason said in a voice that sounded like a croak. “She’s leaving, Danny.”
“Wait.” Danny shook his head. “You mean leaving, as in leaving Cricket Creek?”
“’Fraid so.”
“Why the hell aren’t you stopping her?”
“Because I promised I wouldn’t.”
“Well that was a dumb-ass promise. Who cares? Do it anyway.”
“No.” Mason shook his head firmly. “I can’t keep her here if she doesn’t want to be. What good would that do in the long run?”
“Change her mind. I can’t believe it. I have to admit that I’m kinda surprised.”
“Hey, she was up front from the beginning, and I did what you suggested and gave her a reason to stay. Apparently, loving her just isn’t enough.”
“There has to be a way to work things out. Give her space and freedom but still have her in your life.”
“Danny, we’re small-town people. I want a wife, children, the whole nine yards at some point, and I’m not getting younger. I adore Gracie, but we want way different things out of life. I knew that all along, and now I have to let her go.” He shoved his fingers in his hair and sighed. “So I’m trying to decide whether to get shit-faced or throw things...punch a hole in a wall?”
“Hey, I’m the wild brother who does shit like that. I’ve got a better idea.”
“Shoot.”
“How about doing some night fishing?”
Mason managed a small smile. “Now you’re talkin’.”
“And if you want to get shit-faced, we can do that later while we fry the mess of crappie we catch.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He wasn’t able to smile again, but he was so glad to have his brother with him right now.
Danny reached over and squeezed Mason’s shoulder. “I’ve got my money on Grace coming to her senses and ending up back here.”
“I can’t even put that hope in my head.”
“Well, I just put it there for you. Now, let’s get out on the river and head up to the lake. We’ve had enough rain to make it through the creek to some of the sweet spots.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll button things up here and meet you at the marina.”
“Bring some beer.”
“I’ve got that covered. Having a brother who owns a brewery has its perks.”
“You can say that again.” Danny gave Mason a playful shove, but then pulled him in for a quick hug. “Hey, I’m here for ya—you know that, right?”
“Absolutely. And you know I’ll always have your back.”
“Good.” Danny gave him a nod. “See you in a few.”