“Point,” Robert pulled his plate back to him and started to eat. “You do realize that you're going to have to call an emergency family meeting.”
Kim showed him the list that she had been writing as she talked. “That is listed as step number one on my agenda.” Kim walked around and frowned before she added. “Gracie had just started to relax again.”
“I know.” Robert stood then and took his plate to the sink. “Is there a way to have the family meeting without having to involve her?”
“We can have it at Steven’s house after Bea’s bedtime.” Kim knew that was when her sister called it a day herself. “Believe me when I say I don’t want her stressing out again.”
“Call it for tomorrow night. Are you going to remember everything I just told you?” Robert hugged her while he asked.
“I couldn’t forget it if I wanted to.” Kim looked serious as she talked. “Nobody messes with my baby sister.” She thought about Mark, “Not anymore, anyway.”
Kim talked to her family and Jackson the next night. She watched Jackson as he stood up. “This doesn’t give us a lot of time. Tomorrow is Friday.”
Paige and Janet just stared at each other as the men started to form their plan. Paige spoke up. “He's going to recognize Robert and Steven.”
“They can stay in the car. Gracie said there were Security officers there, so we'll have plenty of help.” Jackson started pacing the floor as he thought out loud.
“I don’t want to stay in the car!” Steven stood and glared at Jackson, who gave him the glare back.
“He would get suspicious if he saw you there, Steven.” Chandler interfered before they started arguing.
Steven sat back down beside Paige. “I guess you’re right. However, if anything happens, I'm coming out.”
“As we’d expect you to,” Jackson found it hard to settle down. “Does Gracie know any of this?”
“Robert and I tried to figure out a way that wouldn’t involve her. She's been through enough already.” Kim answered before grabbing her purse. “Everybody get some sleep. We need to be on our A game tomorrow.”
Jackson walked out with Kim and her parents. “My office closes early so I'll take care of the rental.” He got into his car and backed out as Kim looked over at her parents.
“He isn't going to sleep tonight.” Kim told them as they walked over to her car. “He does enough worrying for Gracie and himself.”
“But he'll always be there for her.” Janet spoke sadly wishing that Gracie would give Jackson a chance at something other than friendship. Chandler squeezed her hand.
“Give it time, Janet Girl.” Chandler opened Kim’s car door for her before they walked off to their own car.
~
The day went smoothly while Gracie started to read another manuscript. This one was refreshing as it talked about nothing but fairy tales and some of it made her laugh. Addison was watching her when she walked to the office as the same time Gracie’s cell phone started ringing. She had stored the number with ‘Don’t Answer’ so she knew who it was. “Aren’t you going to answer that?” Addison asked as she looked at the monitors puzzled.
“No, I’m not answering that. It’s Dallas.” Gracie decided to take the manuscript home with her and placed it in her briefcase. After another ring, Gracie punched in her password and put it on the speaker as she listened to the message he left. She looked up at Addison with anger in her eyes. “He's coming here.”
“And somehow your family got tipped off. Thank God.” Addison went back over to the monitors. Jackson and Chandler were standing with the security officers, and she had seen Steven and Robert get in a car that she didn't recognize. “That was a very detailed phone call.”
Gracie stood and stared at the monitor as she felt another headache starting to form. “How did I get so lucky to have this happening to me?” She paced the floor of her office while looking at the clock. “And I was having such a good day.”
“It'll be alright, Gracie. Jackson, Chandler, Robert, and Steven are out there, and it looks like they have all the security officers placed around them.” Addison picked up Gracie’s briefcase. “Let’s go.”
“No.” Gracie sat at her desk and laid her head down, not wanting to deal with what was going on outside the office building.
Addison walked over to her. “Nobody is going anywhere until you do. You're the one that installed that silly rule, so now you have to deal with it.”
“Fine.” Gracie grabbed the briefcase from her and walked out the office doors down to the main entrance. “I really should carry pepper spray or mace.”
“You should.” Addison had everybody walking around them as she explained what was going on. “I told you, we have your back.” She watched as Jackson came toward them, and she left watching as a guy who looked like the picture came out of his car after watching the parade. Jackson could feel that Gracie was tense, and he held her hand. “Relax.”
“Can’t. I was warned by another phone call.” Gracie looked at her father as she admitted to what had happened no more than ten minutes ago. She was whispering while Jackson walked her to a car that she didn’t recognize before Dallas approached them.
“I came to pick Gracie up for a date.” Dallas started towards Gracie as Jackson blocked him at the door as Gracie slid into the car.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a date with Gracie.” Jackson watched as Steven stepped out of the car. “And Steven over there is looking for a fight if you come any closer.”
“What’s the deal, Steven? You guys are the ones that sat us up the other night.” Dallas looked at him. “All I want to do is take her to bed.”
“Brutally honest, aren’t we?” Jackson balled up his fist. “What I don’t get is why the likes of you aren't in jail.”
“What are you talking about?” He reached for Gracie’s door handle as Jackson made contact with his fist on Dallas’s face. The security officers had come over towards them and had placed a set of handcuffs on Dallas before he could throw his first punch back.
Gracie got out of the car and stared at him hard as she wanted to slap him. “You really disgust me. Rape and Child Molestation are very serious crimes, and somehow you've managed to escape the system. Then you leave messages on my phone that I'd be embarrassed to have my mom listen to.” She looked at Jackson, who was trying to calm down while not trying to think about what could have happened if her family hadn't been tipped off. “Always my hero, aren’t you, Jackson.” Gracie sat back down in the car. “By the way, Dallas, you now have a trespassing charge on your rap sheet.” Gracie closed the door as the officers waited for the state police to come take him away. “Is it over now?”
Steven waited until Jackson got in beside Gracie before he answered. “It’s over.”
“Good, now it’s my time to ask just how did you know what was going on before I did?” Gracie looked around as Robert raised his hand.
“Dallas was spouting his mouth off at the mill, and I had managed to get all the details. I'm willing to bet that what is on your phone doesn’t come close to what he was telling his friend that he was going to do.” Robert looked at her seriously as she listened to him. “We didn’t let you know because none of us wanted you as stressed out as you were Monday.”
“I do appreciate that.” Gracie leaned her head tiredly against Jackson’s shoulder as Chandler smiled. Jackson smiled down at her after she closed her eyes.
Gracie opened them a little calmer than she was before. “Did it feel good to deck him?”
“I wanted to do more.” Jackson answered before Steven chimed in.
“You didn’t even give me a chance to deck him.” Steven turned around to look at them. “I’m not going to let you down again, Gracie."
Gracie just smiled at him. “You haven’t let me down, Steven. We were both busy at the same time. Besides, what would I do if your girlfriends hadn’t become my friends?”
“Don’t remind me that they liked you better.” Steven moa
ned before he faced the front again. “You could win anybody’s heart.”
Jackson smiled as he hugged Gracie. "Is anybody else hungry? I'm hoping that somebody is cooking something.”
“Janet is.” Chandler had forgotten to mention that and Robert turned at the last minute to drive to Chandler’s house.”
“Bea?” Gracie asked as she lifted her head up.
“Kim has her with them. She's waiting on you.” Chandler answered as they drove up in the driveway.
Janet, Paige, Kim, and Annie were waiting on the front porch and cheered silently after Gracie got out of the backseat with Jackson without a scratch on her. Sammie stepped out on the porch with Bea following behind her.
Gracie smiled as her daughter ran to her. “Princess Bea, how do you do?” Gracie curtsied as she laughed.
Steven looked over at Jackson and whispered softly. “Are you ready to compete for her affection?”
“I don’t have to compete.” Jackson said softly as they walked up to the porch. “I just have to find the magic that she buried a long time ago.”
Gracie heard what Jackson said and looked at him hard after everybody went into the house. Gracie stepped in front of the door blocking him. “There’s no magic for you to find, Jackson.”
“Yes, there is Gracie.” Jackson pulled her away from the door. “It’s still there.” He put a hand on her heart as she looked at him.
“If you say,” Gracie started as Jackson pulled her to him, “so. What are you doing?”
“I'm going to kiss you.” Jackson looked at her seriously before she pushed away from him.
“No, you’re not!” Gracie walked into the house as Jackson followed her. “I told you there’s no such thing, and I asked you not to kiss me.” Gracie looked around as everybody stared at them.
“No such thing as what, Momma?” Bea looked at the anger in her mother’s eyes.
“Nothing, Bea,” Gracie bit her lip as Jackson watched her. Garrison tagged Bea, and they started running through the house.
“Wow. You almost blew it there, Cinderella.” Jackson sat down. “Why are you letting her believe in something that you swear up and down doesn’t exist?”
“I'm really starting to dislike. . .” Gracie was silent as Jackson stood and kissed her in front of all of her family. “There’s nothing wrong with just being friends.” Gracie added walking back to the front door lost in her own thoughts.
Kim walked out and sat down on the front porch beside her. “You have had quite a day.” She watched as Gracie shut her eyes. “That doesn’t work with me.”
“No, but it works for me.” Gracie answered as she opened her eyes back. “It’s very calming. What do you want, Kim?”
“I want you to talk to me.” Kim rubbed Gracie’s back as she sat patiently beside her. “There’s something going on, and it’s bothering you.”
Gracie laughed at her when she stood. “I'm not letting anything bother me. Let’s go eat, I’m hungry.”
She sat down at the table opposite Jackson as Bea watched her. Her daughter looked at both her and Jackson.
Gracie looked up as Bea slammed her fork down. “What is the matter with you?” She asked after she saw the look her daughter shot her.
“Uncle Jackson is going to find the glass slipper one day, and it’s going to fit your foot.” Bea stood and walked to her. “And you'll live happily ever after.” She kissed her mother on the cheek. “If you can believe in fairy tales for me, then I can believe in them for you.”
“I think it's time we went home.” Gracie took the keys out of her purse before she thought about her car still being at work. “Too bad I don’t have my car.”
Bea walked outside to the back to swing, and Gracie followed her.
“Okay, Bea, when did you grow up?” Gracie sat down in one of the swings after she studied the expression on Bea’s face.
“That morning in the hospital,” Bea swung her legs back and forth to pick up momentum.
“There’s a difference between fairy tales and nightmares.” Gracie got out of the swing. “All I want is for you to be happy and carefree.”
Bea slowed down before she looked at her mother. “Like you were at my age?”
“I don’t remember what I was like at your age.” Gracie smiled at her. “You've always been a happy child, and I don’t want that to change.
Gracie hugged Bea as Janet watched them from the door. Paige noticed the tears in her eyes as she turned towards them. “One down,” Janet rolled her eyes towards Jackson. “One to go.”
Gracie and Bea walked into the house, and Bea started playing with Garrison again. Gracie sat down on the floor as Jackson stared at her. “Didn’t you get everything straightened out?”
“Yeah, sure,” Gracie looked over at her sister. “Kim, can you please take us home. It’s been a long day, and I'm tired.”
“Sure, let me get Robert and Sammie.” Kim hugged everybody bye, whispering something to Jackson before they headed out the door.
Jackson went out to the back after Kim had left with Gracie and started walking around the back yard.
Steven laughed at him after he went out and watched him. “She has you walking when you get upset.”
“I guess some things just work.” Jackson was frowning. “I keep hitting that brick wall, and I don’t know how to tear it down.”
“I think you're doing a good job.” Steven started walking with him. “You are getting to her.”
“That’s nice to know.” Jackson stopped as he looked at his friend. “Why do I feel like I'm losing?"
“Maybe you just need to try a little harder or a little less.” Steven started thinking. “What if she doesn’t see you for a while?”
Jackson looked at him puzzled as he started walking again. “And what about Bea and Garrison?”
“You can figure that out.” Steven shook his head as he noticed that Jackson looked absolutely lost.
“I have to help Annie and Garrison move tomorrow, so I'll be in and out of her house all day.”
“And you'll go to church with them on Sunday.” Steven knew Jackson’s routine. “So don’t go over during the week like you have been.”
“How did you know that I was doing that?” Jackson stopped at the swing set and propped up on the slide.
“Every time I call your apartment, Annie tells me you're over at Gracie’s.” Steven looked at him seriously. “Give her some space and let her figure out how she feels.”
“Do you think that might work?” Jackson looked over at the back door noticing that Paige was motioning for Steven so that they could go home.
“Try it.” Steven slapped him on the back before he left. “Something is there, Jackson, especially if an eight-year-old can see it.”
“Sometimes you make sense, Steven.” Jackson mumbled as his old friend left. Annie walked out with Garrison as Steven went back into the house, and Jackson watched as Garrison started swinging as Annie walked towards him.
“What did Steven talk to you about so seriously?” Annie asked as he stood and watched her son.
“Gracie.” Jackson answered her almost showing defeat in his eyes. “Are you ready to go back to the apartment and finish packing?”
“Sure, I guess you don’t want to talk about Gracie anymore.” Annie didn't like the look in his eyes before she called Garrison over to them.
“Not really,” Jackson answered stepping away from them while mulling over the advice that Steven had given to him.
~
Gracie was busy reading the manuscript that she had packed into her briefcase the next day as Jackson was helping Annie move into the house. He didn’t say a word to her when she looked up at him. Gracie was more than a little relieved not to have to talk to him as she continued to work.
The story she was reading was starting to sound familiar, and she was suspicious that it might be a stolen piece of work. She was still reading when Bea came up and stood beside her. Bea had noticed her mother frowning. “What
’s wrong, Momma?”
“I just have a feeling that I’ve seen this before.” Gracie stood and held one of the pages to a light looking for a watermark and gasped when she saw a very light McBride on the pages. She laid the paper down and started to look in her bedroom for her own manuscript. She didn’t find it and tried to remember if she had even packed it. She took a CD that she had copied it on from her last computer. After opening it, she called Carolyn Young at home. She closed her bedroom door and was talking to Carolyn about the manuscript while she paced.
She walked out of her bedroom after talking to Carolyn and ran into Jackson because she was preoccupied and wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking. “Sorry,” she mumbled walking past him.
“What’s going on?” Jackson saw the look on her face.
“Somebody stole my story and sent it into an agent.” Gracie boxed the manuscript and taped it shut as Jackson watched her.
“I didn’t know you were writing.” Jackson watched Annie step out of Garrison’s room with an empty box.
“I’m not.” She grabbed the box wanting to take it to her bedroom. “It’s just something I was doing for Bea.”
“But you were interested in it before you found out that it was yours.” Annie mentioned watching Gracie.
“It was kind of refreshing, but I was a lot younger when I wrote this.” Gracie stared at the box. “I can’t publish my own work.”
“Why not?” Jackson wanted to read what was in the box.
“Ethics.” Gracie walked into the kitchen. “Guess I’m done working for the weekend.”
“Then I want to talk to you.” Jackson told her before she sat down on the couch.
“I thought I said everything yesterday.” Gracie looked up at him as Annie took charge of Garrison and Bea. “I guess it’s your turn this time, huh?”
“Yes, it’s my turn.” Jackson sat down beside her. “Since you have a roommate now, I probably won’t be over as much as I have been.”
“Why?” Gracie looked at him puzzled. “You don’t want to be friends?”
“I want to be friends, Gracie.” Jackson saw confusion in her eyes as she tried to figure him out. “But you mean more to me than just a friend, and I'm tormenting myself every time I come over here to spend time with you.”
Finding Gracie's Rainbow Page 13