by Lee Rose
Grace walked up to the front desk to sign in and smiled at the receptionist, a friendly brunette. “Hi, I am Grace Henderson.”
Linda introduced herself to Grace and showed her to a small exam room where she took her blood pressure and asked a few questions about her medical history. Dr. Wilson, a kind man in his fifties, looked at her file and frowned deeply, shaking his head at what he read. “Flo filled me in on why you are not sleeping. I am sorry for what you went through, young lady. Have you thought of counseling? That might help you, too. It’s better to let it all out instead of holding all those feelings inside.”
Grace nodded as she sat on the doctor bed. Her parents had wanted her to see a counselor back home but everything had been too fresh, too painful. “I will keep it mind, Doc, I promise. I wasn’t ready to deal with all of the memories at first.”
He recommended a counselor in Austin, which was only fifteen miles away, and she promised to think about it. He gave her a prescription for sleeping pills and told her to call him if they didn’t help.
Grace decided to spend the rest of the day helping Hannah at the animal shelter. One of her favorite dogs, Buddy, was going to be adopted by a family. Grace bathed him and brushed his soft brown fur, making sure he looked extra special today.
“I’m going to miss you, Buddy, but I am glad you’ll have a family now.” She hugged the dog then looked at Hannah sadly. “How do you not get attached and cry when they leave?”
“I used to in the beginning,” Hannah explained giving Grace a sympathetic look. She gave Buddy a treat. “But then I thought of how happy they will be being played with and loved by a family and not stuck here all the time. My goal is to find a home for each animal and a family for them to love.”
Grace sighed sadly. “Yeah, you’re right. I wish I could adopt a dog but my life is too unsettled right now.”
Grace hugged Buddy one last time. After the excited family left with Buddy, Grace felt a little better. They had a small boy who couldn’t wait to play outside with his new friend.
Hannah and Grace sat down at the little table in the break room while Amy watched the front desk. Hannah opened the small refrigerator and offered Grace a bottle of water. “I am so glad you came by, Grace. Remember that benefit dinner I told you about to raise money for the shelter?”
Grace smiled at Hannah’s enthusiasm. Hannah loved running the shelter and really believed in taking care of the animals and making sure they were going to good homes. She organized the benefit along with her two co-workers, Richard and Amy. “Of course, I bought tickets with Bill and Flo. It’s this Saturday, right?
Hannah smiled and nodded. “I finally got the courage to ask Todd Dawson to go with me. He is so hot! He works over at Mill’s Lumber. He said yes, but his cousin is down from Dallas that weekend and needs a date, so I thought of you. Nathan comes down here often and is a nice guy,” Hannah explained.
“Me? Oh, Hannah, I don’t date,” Grace said, standing up. Maybe she should confide in Hannah what had happened to her. But she didn’t know how to tell her without giving away all the details. She was enjoying having a friend that treated her normally. Back at home most of her friends had walked on eggshells, afraid to say anything that would upset her or depress her further.
“Why not? You are single and beautiful. You are single, right?” Hannah asked, frowning.
Grace smiled and nodded. “No husband or boyfriend, but I had a bad experience recently with an ex-boyfriend and now I don’t like to date. I’m not ready for that.”
“I’m not asking you to start a serious relationship, just one simple date to a dance with me and Todd as chaperones,” Hannah pleaded. “Please, Grace. I’ll stick by you all night if you want, but Nathan is really nice. He has been visiting Todd since we were kids so I know him. He is harmless. If you don’t go, then neither will Todd and I really like him.”
“Well that doesn’t sound so bad, but I don’t own any dresses and I really can’t afford to buy one,” Grace said, reluctantly giving in. She had planned on going anyway to support Hannah and the shelter. It sounded like a harmless date.
“No problem. I’ve got plenty of dresses. I will lend you one. As a matter of fact, let’s go to my house right now and pick one up. It’s almost closing time and Richard and Amy will be here to close up.” Hannah smiled excitedly.
Hannah and Grace rode out to the ranch. “Don’t worry about running into Jackson. He’s at a cattleman’s meeting in Austin all day and won’t be back until late tonight.”
Grace inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t mentioned that kiss Jackson had forced on her to anyone and she didn’t want to see him again.
It turned out Hannah had lots of dresses in her closet, most of them low cut, which would show her scar. After looking through them all she decided on a long silky green one with a high neckline. She tried it on in Hannah’s bathroom and liked it. It reached her ankles and it fit well. Hannah agreed and lent her some heels to go with it. She showed Grace the dress she was wearing, a pretty pale pink silk dress with a flare at the bottom.
When Hannah was taking her home they were outside and it was getting late. Grace bumped into a rock-hard body and screamed with fright, almost dropping the dress and shoes she had in her hands.
“It’s me, Jackson,” a harsh voice said in the darkness as he steadied her by grabbing her shoulders so she wouldn’t fall. His hands were warm upon her skin and for some crazy reason she wanted to lean into him. “Jeez, are you always this jumpy, girl?” he grumbled, breaking the spell.
“Sorry,” Grace said, feeling silly. Why did she always act this way around Jackson? “I didn’t know anyone was out here.”
“I’m taking Grace home.” Hannah spoke up, opening the driver side door of her truck so the light could shine into the darkness. “I lent her a dress for this weekend’s dance. You’d better show up, too, Jack, and sober.”
“I will,” her brother promised, letting go of Grace so quickly she almost fell again. He looked at her irritably but Grace hurriedly got into the truck and closed the door before he could yell at her again. She was not in the mood for another confrontation with this man. He scared her but at the same time she was attracted to him. How crazy was that? Maybe she should see a counselor because she couldn’t even understand herself.
Chapter 4
Grace felt uneasy about the date even though she was going along with Hannah and her date, Todd. She looked in the mirror one more time. Hannah’s long emerald-green silk gown looked good on her. Her hair was behaving for once so she left it down and had applied light makeup. Flo and Bill thought it was a good idea for her to get out and meet more of Bear Creek’s residents. Grace knew they were looking at this as a sign that she was getting better. Grace wasn’t so sure about that. Why did she feel so apprehensive? They would be there, too, they assured her, along with Ida and other friends from their bingo club.
Todd and Hannah picked her up in Todd’s car and introduced Grace to his cousin, Nathan. Nathan was a handsome man in his late twenties with a friendly smile and brown hair and eyes. He opened the door for Grace to climb in the back with him and they talked casually as Todd drove to the country club.
The country club where the dance was being held stood elegantly against a backdrop of trees and green grass fields where the patrons played golf. It had a beautiful brick archway at the entrance with white lights outlining it. Hannah told them excitedly that a live band was playing after dinner. She had worked hard putting this fundraiser together and worried that it wouldn’t be successful.
They were seated at a table which had two empty seats. “My brother is supposed to be here but who knows if he’ll keep his word or not,” Hannah explained to them, sitting down next to Todd and taking a look around at all the people arriving. “I am so glad so many people are showing up. This will really help the shelter out.”
Suddenly Hannah got an angry look on her face and Grace turned to see who she was looking at. “I can’t belie
ve Kelly had the nerve to show up with Eddie. Now I hope Jackson skips out on tonight. He doesn’t need to see that scheming witch and her boyfriend.”
Kelly was walking in on the arm of Eddie Lewis. She was dressed in a short, tight black dress that looked like it had been painted on her. She scowled at Grace and Hannah as she walked by. Hannah gave Kelly a dirty look back and Grace just ignored her.
Grace felt her stomach tighten up at the thought of Jackson showing up. He made her feel so jumpy. A few minutes later he showed up with his date. He looked very handsome in his dark black suit and black cowboy hat. Grace tried not to look into his eyes. It hurt to see his disapproval of her in his eyes. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t like her or why she even cared.
“Hello, everyone, sorry I am late.” Jackson’s deep voice startled her out of her thoughts of him. He was standing by the table with a tall, thin blonde woman dressed in a red evening gown clinging to his arm. “This is my date, Nancy Peters. Nancy this is my sister, Hannah, and her friends, Todd, Grace, and Nathan.”
They sat down and dinner started. It was a buffet-style dinner from a popular restaurant, but Grace only picked at her dinner. Her stomach was tied in knots from tension. Grace felt awkward and tongue tied but she did her best not to pay attention to Jackson. Hannah and Todd sat close together, talking softly with each other. Grace was glad Hannah seemed to be hitting it off with Todd but she wished she hadn’t come tonight. Grace turned toward Nathan and asked him about his job, trying her best to ignore Jackson’s glares. Why wasn’t he paying attention to his date instead of glaring at her?
After dinner was over, the band began to play and drinks were served. The lights were dimmed low and the dancing started. Grace didn’t drink but Nathan was, which made her feel nervous. The smell of liquor reminded her of James breathing in her face as he attacked her. Grace excused herself for a moment and sat with Flo and Bill at their table. She said hello to Ida and met some of their other friends from bingo, chatting with them. When everyone started for the dance floor, she got up reluctantly to go back to her table.
Hannah and Todd were on the dance floor dancing and having a good time. Jackson was standing at the bar arguing loudly with Kelly. She wondered where Kelly’s boyfriend Eddie was. She wanted to be nowhere near those two so she went back to the table where Nathan and Jackson’s date were sitting quietly and looking bored.
“Let’s dance,” Nathan said, pulling her by the hand before she could sit down and leading her out to the dance floor. She had no choice but to go with him or look rude.
She danced with Nathan but she wasn’t enjoying herself. Every time he leaned toward her she could smell the liquor on his breath. As soon as the song ended she excused herself. She went outside to get some fresh air. The hot stuffy air of the ballroom was giving her a headache and she wished she hadn’t come tonight. Dating again was obviously going to be harder than she thought.
Grace hadn’t realized that Nathan had followed her. She was startled when Nathan put his hand on her shoulder and she turned toward him with a surprised look on her face.
“Did I tell you how good you look?” he asked, slurring his words and smiling at her.
Grace nodded. He had already told her that on the dance floor. “I need a moment alone, Nathan.” Why hadn’t she gone to the ladies’ room instead?
He ignored her and leaned in and tried to kiss her. Grace panicked and pushed him away.
“Stop it, Nathan,” she pleaded with him. “I barely know you and I am not interested in kissing you.”
“Well, let’s fix that,” he said, grabbing her by the arms and leaning toward her, despite her trying to pull away from him.
* * * *
Jackson was outside alone, leaning on the wall and trying to calm down after his bitter argument with Kelly. She had the nerve to tell him she would dump Eddie if he took her back. Apparently, Eddie boy wasn’t as free with his money as Jackson had been. How could he have been so blinded by a pretty face?
He heard Grace’s voice around the corner, she sounded upset, and he followed it. During dinner he couldn’t help noticing how snugly the emerald silk dress fit her body, wrapping around her like a glove. He sat there, ignoring his own date and wishing he was the one wrapped around Grace’s body.
He saw Grace pushing Nathan away from her as he turned the corner and he saw red, feeling possessive even though he knew he had no right to. He angrily pulled Nathan away from her, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. “She said no, Nathan. Now go inside and sober up or I’ll do it for you.”
Nathan looked up into Jackson’s angry face and sobered up a bit. “Umm okay, sorry,” he said, quickly going inside to escape Jackson’s wrath.
Jackson looked at Grace who was trembling and wiping the tears from her eyes with her hand. She wouldn’t look him in the eye and kept her gaze downward.
“Thanks for helping me,” Grace said, moving away from an angry-looking Jackson and wanting to go find Bill and Flo. Coming tonight had been a huge mistake.
Jackson was angry at Nathan for touching Grace and all he wanted to do was comfort Grace and protect her, which made him angrier at himself for being taken in by Grace’s little-miss-innocent act. He still wasn’t sure if she really was as reserved as she acted or if it was all some kind of game. She looked pale and distraught, but women could act. He had found that out the hard way. He had been so sure Kelly loved him, but look how that had turned out.
“What’s your game anyway?” he asked furiously, looking at her through narrow, cold eyes. “Were you teasing the poor guy and then decided to say no? Do you make it a habit?”
Grace gasped and shook her head, her dismay clearly visible on her face. “No, I wouldn’t do something so horrible! I came out here for a moment alone. I didn’t think Nathan would follow me and I told him I didn’t want to kiss him, but he was drinking and wouldn’t listen.”
Jackson didn’t want to believe she was innocent. “You’re new in town and no one knows anything about you. Why so secretive, Grace? Are you hiding something? It’s no use. I’ll find out what you are hiding sooner or later.”
“Did you find out we have money?” Jackson scoffed cynically. “Is that why you made friends with Hannah? First she’s giving you rides everywhere, now she is lending you her clothes. What’s next, Grace? If you’re using Hannah to get to me it’s a lost cause. I’ve sworn off women for a while.”
“No, how can you ask me that? You’re wrong. I really like Hannah. She’s been a good friend to me and I haven’t asked her for any money,” Grace denied, her voice breaking with pent-up emotion and her eyes wide and full of shock. “And I am not interested in an angry, bitter drunk like you, Mr. Hawthorne,” she said with honestly and bravery she wasn’t really feeling. Sure he was handsome, but as soon as he opened his mouth she was reminded why she didn’t want to get involved with a man again. “I wish you would just leave me alone!”
“I’ll find out what you’re hiding, little girl. And you’ll find out I don’t make a good enemy.” He took a threatening step toward her. His eyes were glittering with anger, which scared her and she took a step back and screamed out in fright.
Bill and Flo were coming out at that moment looking for Grace and saw how frightened Grace was standing against the wall. Her face was white and she was trembling with fear with Jackson hovering over her.
“What is going on here?” Bill asked angrily as he saw Grace crying. “Are you threatening my goddaughter, Mr. Hawthorne?”
Grace ran into Flo’s arms, trembling and shaking. “Take me home, Flo. It was mistake to come out tonight, I should have known better. Tonight was a mistake.”
Flo hugged her. “You’re safe, Gracie, sweetie, but come on. We’ll take you home.” Flo gave Jackson a dirty look as she led Grace away from him. “You should be ashamed of yourself, young man. Out here harassing innocent young ladies. Your aunt Ida would be ashamed of you at this moment.”
Jackson felt pretty low and didn
’t need the Walters yelling at him. He couldn’t understand his own actions where Grace was concerned. He was physically attracted to her despite her shy, reserved act but he no longer trusted in his own emotions. Not after the fool he had made of himself over Kelly. “I was just asking her some questions. It’s not my fault she’s scared of her own shadow,” he stated crossly, feeling defensive.
Bill looked at him with an angry face. He was as tall as Jackson and looked him straight in the eyes. “Stay away from Grace. That girl has been to hell and back and came here to rest, not be harassed by the likes of you.” They put Grace in the car and left.
Jackson went back inside feeling guilty and he didn’t like dealing with his emotions. What was he becoming? He didn’t even like himself right now. He went back into the dance and took Hannah aside and explained what had happened. She yelled at him and Nathan both. Jackson took his date home barely speaking to her, which made Nancy mad and she slammed the door as she got out of his truck, not bothering to wait for him to walk her to her door. He winced and went home instead of Randy’s. He took a bottle of whiskey to his room and poured himself a glass as he looked out his bedroom window. He couldn’t get Grace’s frightened expression out of his mind. But women are treacherous creatures, he told himself, remembering Kelly’s betrayal. Regrets piled up into the loneliness of the night. But it wasn’t Kelly’s face in his dreams tonight. It was a redheaded woman with big, sad brown eyes, pleading with him not to hurt her.
Chapter 5
Hannah called Grace the next day to apologize. She was feeling very bad about what happened at the dance, especially since she had given Grace her word that Nathan was harmless. She had been so caught up in flirting with Todd that she had forgotten Grace’s fears. Jackson and Nathan had told her what had happened outside although she was sure Jackson’s version was edited. Her brother was even grouchier around Grace, and Hannah couldn’t understand why. Grace was shy but very sweet. She scolded both Nathan and her brother but Grace had already left with Bill and Flo.