“So I figured everything was alright.” Jackson watched her face for any expression. “You aren't getting mad.”
“No, Jackson, I'm not getting mad.” Gracie smiled as she pushed her hair out of her face. “Are you disappointed?”
“Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you.” Jackson turned around to walk to Kim’s house. “Come on, Cinderella, your family awaits your arrival back at the barbeque.”
Gracie was looking at him strangely. “I wonder. . .” She started walking without finishing her sentence.
“You wonder what?”
“I was just wondering. . . never mind,” Gracie walked into Kim’s backyard as Bea watched for her.
“I wonder what it would be like to kiss you when you aren't mad.” Jackson whispered when he saw the shock spread over Gracie’s face. “And that's what you were wondering, too. Right?” He whispered so no one besides her would hear him.
“That wasn’t it at all,” she shook her head before she walked away. “I was just wondering if my life would’ve been any different if I’d told anybody about what was really going on.”
Jackson watched her puzzled as she walked away. He frowned when he noticed that Paige and Kim were walking towards him. For some reason, he felt like he was about to be cornered.
“Jackson, we need your help in the kitchen.” Kim said as they walked past him.
“Sure you do.” Jackson frowned as Gracie sat down in front of Bea on the grass. He turned to walk into the house as Steven glared at him. “What exactly have I done to make Steven so mad at me?” Jackson asked Paige as he stood near her.
“You paid more attention to Gracie’s life than he did. However, that isn't the reason why we brought you in here.” Paige answered as Kim took some corn out of the sink that had been soaking in water.
“It’s not?” Jackson looked from Paige to Kim.
“It’s not.” Kim answered. “For some reason, my brother wants to keep you away from Gracie. He pretty much let us have it after I sent you to bring Gracie back.” She placed the corn neatly on a plate. “We just want to know if there's a good reason for it.”
“Can you be more specific?” Jackson sat down as Paige looked at him.
“I'm trying to sort out everything Steven has told me, and I'm going to be quick so keep up with me. Just shake or nod your head,” Paige frowned as she looked outside and watched Steven sit down beside Gracie. “Did you change her diaper?” Jackson shook his head no. “Do you date the same woman more than once?” Jackson nodded his head yes. “Do you sleep with every woman who comes your way?” Jackson glared at her as he shook his head no. “So you don’t do one-night stands?"
“No, I don’t!” Jackson was angry. “This is what my so called best friend has been telling you?” He looked at Paige trying hard not to digest the bitterness from the questioning. “Kim, please excuse me, but I think that it's best that I leave.” He started to stand up but decided against it. “No, I'm staying. If I leave now, I'll break Bea’s heart.”
“So what are you going to do?” Kim asked as she watched the anger on his face.
“I guess we'll all have to wait and see.” Jackson walked outside with the platter of corn and handed it over to Robert before he walked over to Gracie.
Gracie had just stood when he stepped in front of her, “Jackson?”
He pulled her to him and kissed her right in front of Steven as Paige and Kim smiled. Gracie responded to him before she pushed him away. Jackson whispered to her. “Fair play, Cinderella. I'm mad.” He turned around and caught Steven’s fist before it could land on his face. “Knock it off, Steven. Gracie isn't a little girl anymore!”
Gracie watched them before she ran into the house with tears running down her cheeks. Paige, Kim, Janet, Sammie, and Bea had followed her. Bea watched while her mother paced the floor while fighting back the anger that she felt.
Kim told Sammie to take Bea to her bedroom as her sister's agitation built.
“Would somebody care to tell me what just happened out there?!” Gracie looked at Kim after she heard Sammie’s bedroom shut.
“Jackson is just a little miffed at Steven.” Kim said before she looked over at Paige. “It seems that Steven has been saying a lot of things that weren’t true about Jackson.”
“So Jackson takes it upon himself to kiss me in front of Steven to make a point. That made a lot of sense. And what was the reason that Steven thought he should take a swing at Jackson?” Gracie glanced at her sister hard. “You can tell them both that they could go. . .” Gracie looked at her mother who had been silent throughout the whole scene. “I'm sorry. I’m going to leave for a couple of hours. I’ll come back for Bea; right now I just want to be alone.” She started to walk out the door before turning around. “Please inform Steven that he needs to make up with Jackson because Bea is really attached to Jackson.”
Janet glanced from Paige to Kim after Gracie had left. “Okay, ladies, it's time that you inform me exactly what is happening because I'm totally lost.” She sat down while she waited. “Gracie said there wasn’t anything going on between her and Jackson.”
“You want everything?” Kim asked as she sat down next to her.
“Every itsy, bitsy detail.” Janet motioned for Paige to sit down. “I have a feeling that this could take a while.”
Paige and Kim told her everything, including the web of lies that Steven had started to spread in hopes of keeping anything from happening between his sister and Jackson. “It all started when Jackson told Steven that Gracie had kissed him.”
“I see.” Janet stood and looked for something to clean. She turned to Paige. “I was so hoping that you could change my son.”
“I'm just starting to see this side of him, and I can’t say that I'm too pleased with it myself.” Paige frowned as she admitted that Janet. “He's just darn lucky that I love him, but I was Gracie’s friend first.” She paused glancing towards Kim. “I feel like I'm the middle, and I don’t know how to deal with that.”
“Don’t.” Kim looked at her seriously. “Gracie won’t ask you to choose sides. I'm not too sure about Steven though.” Kim stood then. “I can tell you one thing.”
“What’s that?” Paige asked as she stared down at the table.
“Gracie isn't looking for romance or a relationship.” Kim looked at her mother as she informed them of what she had already guessed. “She's only looking out for Bea’s happiness.”
Janet looked at Kim as if she had gone crazy. “She's still young and this is all foolishness.” Bea was looking for her mother when she heard them talking.
“Where did my mother go?” Bea asked as she walked to her grandmother.
“She had to do an errand. She’ll be back, Princess.” Janet hugged her as she thought about her own daughter. Sammie was watching them with a little more understanding than Bea had and Kim noticed it.
“She didn’t want to stay in my bedroom after Aunt Gracie left, and she heard almost everything you said.” Sammie whispered as she walked to Kim, who after hearing what Sammie had to say gasped.
“This is turning out to be some barbeque.” Kim started to laugh before she went outside to see Jackson and Steven still glaring at each other. She motioned for Robert and Chandler to walk over to her. “Gracie left. She said to tell those two that they had better find a way to get along for Bea.”
“How do we tell them that?” Robert looked at her as Chandler winked.
“Watch, Robert, you just have to know how to handle those two.” Chandler walked over to Steven as Kim and Robert watched. He made them both stand and talked to them as they faced each other.
Kim fixed Gracie a plate and wrapped it in foil to keep it warm as everybody else sat down at the table. Janet noticed that Bea had sat down next to Jackson and smiled when she remembered what Gracie had said right before she left.
Steven and Paige had already left by the time Gracie returned Kim’s house. Kim watched her as she looked around. “Did the two of them
make up?” Gracie asked before she sat down.
“Kind of, they' being civil to each other.” Robert answered while Kim frowned. “What were they fighting over? I missed that part.”
“That’s what I love about you, Robert.” Kim stood and smiled at her husband. “You never see the bad in people.” She glanced over at Gracie before she answered his question. “They had a disagreement about Gracie. I saved you a plate, baby girl.”
Gracie followed her sister into the kitchen where Bea was playing Chutes and Ladders with Sammie and Jackson. “Who is winning?”
Sammie looked up at Gracie. “Bea is.” Sammie laughed when Jackson took his turn and had to go backwards again.
Bea glanced at Jackson sadly before looking up at her mother. “Can we go home now?”
“Are you ready to go home?” Gracie asked noticing the look on Bea’s face as she had looked at Jackson.
“Yes, I am.” Bea patted her puppy who had been chewing on her shoelace. She stood and kissed Jackson on the cheek before she left with Gracie, who was carrying her plate.
“Okay, go on out to the car, and I’ll be right there.” Gracie looked over at Kim. “She doesn’t look too happy.”
Kim grimaced. “She overheard us when we were telling Mom what she wanted to hear.”
“She did and what did you tell Mom?” Gracie glanced over at Sammie, who was biting her lip as she looked at Kim.
“Just about everything that has happened since Jackson told Steven about you kissing him.” Sammie was smiling at Gracie and Jackson as the color drained off both of their faces.
Gracie closed her eyes. “Thanks for the heads up. I guess I had better talk to her.” She took her plate and headed out to the car where her daughter was waiting for her.
Gracie noticed that Bea was reserved while they drove quietly to their apartment. She didn't push her daughter to talk as they entered into their home. Gracie figured that Bea would talk when she was ready.
She sat down on the couch, feeling all the weight caused by that day’s actions at the barbeque. Gracie looked up when she heard Bea come back into the living room after putting on her nightgown.
Bea handed her the hairbrush acting like she wanted to ask a question before sitting down on the floor in front of her mother. Gracie stared at the little pink brush causing Bea to turn around and look at her. “You’ve been mighty quiet, Bea.” Gracie finally broke the silence.
“Where did you go, Momma?” Bea looked at her with those big brown that could melt Gracie’s heart.
“I looked at a house.” Gracie smiled. “This way we can keep your little fuzz ball with us.” Gracie said as she thought to herself. “And I won’t have to see Jackson.” She saw the excitement wash over Bea’s face before she turned serious again.
“What about ‘Uncle’ Jackson?” Bea finally asked. She watched Gracie turn the brush over in her hand.
“What about him?” Gracie asked as she looked down.
“Is he your ‘Prince Charming’?” Bea watched the amusement in her mother’s eyes.
“Absolutely not,” Gracie motioned for her to turn around so she could start brushing her hair.
“I saw you kiss him.” Bea started to relax as she felt the brush sliding easily through her hair.
“He kissed me to make your uncle mad.” Gracie informed her. “Now off to bed, Princess,” she watched as Bea frowned at her. “Is there something else?”
“I guess not.” Bea took the hairbrush from Gracie and walked to her bedroom.
Gracie sat there thinking about the kiss before going into Bea’s room to listen to her say her prayers.
“Momma?”
Gracie sat down on the bed next her. “Yes, Bea.”
“You don’t believe in fairy tales- do you?” Bea was watching her mother as she asked.
“For you, I believe in fairy tales.” Gracie answered while she pulled the comforter up to be Bea’s shoulders.
“What about for you?”
Gracie thought about that. “No, Bea, I don’t; that ended for me a long time ago.” She kissed her cheek. “Now go to sleep. I love you.” Gracie walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her.
~
Kim was relieved when she saw Gracie walk into the church with Bea following close at her heels. She walked over to Gracie and hugged her. “I need you to sing.”
“No, Kim,” Gracie sat down on the pew where her parents were already sitting. “I really am not in the singing mood.”
“I’m serious. I'm not asking you to do a solo. I am, however, begging you to fill in for one of the members who has laryngitis.” Kim smiled at Bea, who was listening to them talk. “Wouldn’t you like to hear your mother sing?”
Bea nodded as she caught Gracie’s attention. They didn't see Jackson come into the church and sit on the opposite side of Janet and Chandler.
“That isn't fair, Kim.” Gracie moaned at her sister. “You know I can't tell her no.”
“Figured that out a long time ago,” Kim smiled as she led Gracie back to the choir room.
Bea noticed Jackson when she glanced over at her grandparents and gave him a big smile before going over and sitting between him and her grandmother.
The pianist had seen Kim take Gracie to choir room and called her over; asking if they could change one of their selections. Kim just smiled. Gracie was going to sing solo, and she had nothing to do with it.
Gracie listened as Kim introduced her at the same time she heard what music was coming from the piano.
Jackson listened intently as Gracie sang. He never knew she had a voice like that. Janet looked over at him and saw his eyes starting to tear up as Bea took his hand.
Gracie looked for her daughter after she finished and was shocked to see her sitting with Jackson. She walked over to them and coolly greeted Jackson.
“How can somebody sing like that and then be so cold?” Jackson asked as he whispered into her ear.
“Sing like what, Jackson? Anybody can sing like that.” Gracie was ready to leave.
“If you say so.” Jackson looked down at Bea. “I was wondering if Bea would like to spend some time with her puppy.”
“Fine. I'll drop her off at Mom’s house.” Gracie started to walk away from him and was irritated that he was walking beside her. “Haven’t you caused enough damage, Jackson?”
“I have?” Jackson smiled. “Steven and I made up.”
“I don’t want to see you.” Gracie turned to him after they walked out of the church. “Bea can see all of you that she wants. I won't keep her away from you.” She started walking to her car. “But that doesn’t mean I have to.”
“So that’s it,” Jackson held the car door, so she couldn’t shut it. “I can be Bea’s friend but not yours.”
“I think that's what I said.” Gracie grabbed at the door handle. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me though.”
Jackson let go of the door, looking at it in disbelief. He watched as Bea came running to the car, and he smiled at her before they left.
He walked back into the church and was sitting in one of the pews as Kim looked over at him. “Jackson, I'm glad you came. I don’t think I've ever seen you in here before.”
“Your father invited me.” Jackson looked up at her as Robert came over to them. “Your sister doesn't want to friends anymore. That sounded kind of childish, didn’t it?”
Kim motioned for Robert to hang back for a minute. “When did you find this out?”
“When I walked with her out to the car.” Jackson stood up. “How confusing can one person be?”
“Gracie can be very confusing.” Kim smiled at him, “What about Bea?”
“I can be her friend.” Jackson smirked. “You have a nice church.”
“Thanks, Jackson. I hope we'll see you in here more.” Kim stood and kissed him on the cheek before Sammie came out of nursery carrying a bag of diapers while holding her nose. Jackson laughed at her as he walked out of the church.
“What’s wrong with Jackson?” Sammie asked through her pinched nose.
“Nothing that time won’t work out.” Kim was frowning as Robert came over to them, and she locked up the church. “It was nice to hear Gracie sing again.”
Robert smiled nodding his head in agreement.
Chapter 5
Gracie glared at Steven when he asked her to go out with them again on Friday. “Don’t you think last Friday was enough? If I wanted a date, I’m more than capable of finding one by myself.”
“You're doing a fine job of that.” Steven stood and paced the floor. “What if I promise it won’t be Richie again?”
“What difference would it make?” Gracie asked opening her office doors letting him know that it was time for him to leave. “I have plans for Friday.”
“Liar.” Steven walked to the doors. “I'll pick you up at seven and dress nice this time.”
“Ugh!” Gracie threw down a file folder on her desk after Addison walked into the office.
“That good?” Addison smiled at the anger on Gracie’s face. “Your next appointment is already here.”
“That’s great,” Gracie was agitated. “Give me a few minutes to calm down. Who is next?”
“Mr. Johnson again,” her secretary handed her the file they had been working on. “What did brother dearest want?”
“Another blind date with one of his friends,” Gracie was mentally counting as she answered. “God help me.”
“I'm sorry.” Addison was laughing at her inside. “Can’t you get out of it?”
“Believe me when I say I'm going to try really hard.” Gracie stood as she studied the folder in her hand. “What does Mr. Johnson want to change now?”
“I guess we'll find out. Are you ready for him now?” Addison started to walk out the doors as she spoke. “Oh, Gracie, a realtor called about a house, but you were busy with Steven. I just took a message.” Addison handed her the message before walking out to call in Mr. Johnson.
Gracie laid the note down and pulled herself together as Addison walked in with their client. “Mr. Johnson, it's always a pleasure to see you.” She led him over to the conference table as Addison grabbed her pad and pen.
Finding Gracie's Rainbow Page 6