The Light of Day

by Lynne Norris

  “I have some sweats you can borrow. I’ll be right back.” Grace disappeared before either of the women could protest her leaving.

  “HERE COME TAKE the chill off.” Lucy pushed a chair out and patted the seat. “I’ll boil some water for tea. That’ll help you warm up while Grace gets you some dry clothes. Do you want something to eat?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Emma sat huddled close to the fire, grateful for the heat that chased away the damp chill on her skin. In the hearth, the wood coals glowed orange and tantalized her nose with hints of rosemary and garlic.

  Sadie and Max parked themselves on either side of Emma and lay at her feet. “I can barely tell that Max was hurt.”

  “He was a lucky pup it was only a .22 round that grazed him.”

  “How did you find that out?” Emma asked.

  “Peter went out after Grace followed you home that night and searched the yard for hours. He found blood by the front porch and kept looking until he found the casing. Then he called the police.”

  “I’m surprised he did.”

  “Once he realized someone meant to do harm to his family that changed his mind in a heartbeat. The police traced the shell and found it came from a stolen gun. Turns out it was stolen from a house by the lake. The prints on it were in a database. They were Paula’s.”

  Emma met Lucy’s steady gaze from across the room and tilted her head. “Paula? Was she the one who was here that night?”

  “It seems so.” Lucy nodded and tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Why?”

  “Grace rejected her.”

  The conversation she had with Paula in the soup kitchen came flooding back.

  “It’s been a difficult month for all of us. Grace will fill you in on the details I’m sure, but Tony’s involved in this too. It’s all over the papers.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Emma reached out and embraced Lucy.

  Lucy wiped her eyes as she pulled away. “Grace tells me you have a new job in the city.”

  “I do. A colleague of mine is starting a new brokerage.”

  “That’s quite a challenge even in good times.”

  “It is.” Emma said her eyes drawn to the fire. The warmth and hypnotic sound of the wood crackling dulled her senses.

  “You must be tired from the drive.”

  “I am. I feel like I could sleep for a week,” Emma admitted.

  “Do you like your job?” Lucy asked.

  “It’s not that I don’t like it.” Emma tore her eyes away from the fire. “My heart isn’t in it the way I thought it would be.”

  “Our hearts are fickle. We think we know what we want and then we prove ourselves wrong.” Lucy stood when Grace appeared in the doorway. “There’s hot water on the stove for tea. I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  GRACE WATCHED HER mother leave the kitchen. Relief and nervousness crept through her all at once. Afraid she would say something clumsy and foolish, Grace used the excuse to get clothes for Emma to give herself time to think and compose herself. She reminded herself how it felt when Emma told her she was returning to New York. She’d broken everyone of the rules she’d told Michael she wouldn’t. She was a fool to fall in love and yet here she was again.

  Emma looked tired and pale like the very first time Grace brought coffee to the cottage and found her sitting by the lake. Her eyes were weary and Emma was thinner than Grace remembered.

  Grace held the bundle of clothes out to Emma. “They might be a bit loose but they’ll keep you warm. The bathroom is off to the right.”

  “Thanks.” Emma smiled, taking the bundle of clothes Grace offered.

  Grace busied herself pouring hot water into mugs and setting tea bags into them to steep. When Emma returned she draped her wet clothes over the back of a chair and turned it so they would dry by the fireplace.

  “Are you okay?” Grace set the tea mugs on the table. She kept her distance, standing on the other side.

  “Not really,” Emma said. “I was going to call, but I was afraid you might not want to talk to me.”

  “Why?” Grace tucked her hands into her pockets and leaned back against the counter trying for an air of nonchalance.

  “I thought I could throw myself into work and...” Emma looked up from toying with her tea bag. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  Grace tore her eyes away from Emma’s. They looked precariously close to tears and that would surely undo Grace’s demeanor. “That’s the good thing about the farm. I can work until I exhaust myself and sleep just comes at the end of the day.” What Grace left unsaid was that even sleep couldn’t drive Emma from her mind.

  “Is that what you’ve been doing?” Emma asked.

  “It’s an easy thing to get in the habit of doing.”

  “I got the picture you sent. How’s Brax?”

  This brought an instant smile to Grace’s face. “He broke out of the paddock earlier today. It took us a couple of hours to bring him in, but he’s comfortably settled in the barn now.”

  “He’s a trouble maker then.”

  “No. Brax has a calm disposition. He’s going to be a fine addition to our breeding program,” Grace said.

  Silence hung between them until the front door hinges creaked and Michael stomped into the kitchen shaking rain from his coat. “We lost part of the oak tree.”

  “I know. I was in the barn when it came down,” Grace said.

  “Emma, I didn’t know you were here.” Michael shrugged out of his coat.

  “I drove up after work today.”

  “You’re lucky you got here before the worst of the storm hit,” Michael said glancing between the two women.

  “It took you longer than I expected to get back,” Grace said, wishing Michael would make himself scarce.

  “I drove Arturo home. I had to turn around three times on the way back because of downed trees or wires.”

  Grace pushed off the counter. “By the way, those branches are sitting on top of Emma’s car.”

  “You’re kidding.” Michael looked horrified.

  “Nope,” Grace said and it dawned on her for the first time since Emma arrived she would have to drive her home—if that was even going to be possible. “We’ll have to break out the chain-saws tomorrow.”

  “That sure was a nice car,” Michael said. “Sorry about that.”

  “Was being the operative word. I was thinking of selling it. I guess I won’t be doing that now,” Emma said.

  “If we’re lucky and this storm clears out earlier we’ll be able to clear the tree away tomorrow. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.” Michael retrieved a bowl of left overs from the refrigerator. “I’ll go check on the boys. You don’t mind if I finish the stew?” he asked holding the bowl out as he walked past Grace.

  “No, but you better ask Mom. I think she made that...for dinner tomorrow.” Grace shook her head as Michael ignored her and disappeared from view, already shoveling the stew into his mouth. “Or not.”

  Emma wrung her hands. “I hope this wasn’t a bad idea. I’m afraid I’ve just complicated things for you.”

  Grace glanced back at Emma. “Too late for that now. But really, I’m glad you’re here.”

  “You are?” Emma asked with a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

  Grace blew out a breath. “I’ve missed you.”

  Emma’s lower lip quivered and she looked away. “I’m sorry I left the way I did.”

  “We all have to make choices.” Grace kept her distance refusing to believe that this was anything but Emma coming back for a weekend. “You needed to get back to work and I need to focus on the farm. It’s that simple.”

  “But it’s not,” Emma said as she stood and took a step toward Grace. “Grace, I was wrong. I’ve been miserable without you.”

  “You knew it was going to be difficult going back to the city. Maybe you just need more time to adjust to life there.”

  “No,
I don’t.” Emma clasped Grace’s hands in hers. “More time isn’t going to change how I feel...unless you’re telling me there’s no chance for us.”

  “I can’t do this part-time. If we’re going to be together it can’t just be on the weekend when you’re home from work. I won’t settle for a part-time relationship.” Grace pulled away to put distance between her and Emma.

  Emma pulled out her phone and started tapping out a message. “I don’t know when Tom’s going to get this message. The cellular network has been screwed up since this afternoon.”

  “What are you talking about?” Grace asked.

  “I’m asking Tom if there’s a way I can work from home. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’m asking anyway.”

  Exhausted and not at all sure she had the emotional fortitude to go through this again Grace pulled out a chair and slumped into it. “And if he says no, what then? That brings us right back to where we were before you left.”

  Emma set her phone down on the table and knelt down on one knee in front of Grace. “I’ll quit.”

  “You’ll quit?” Grace looked at Emma’s hands resting on her knees. “I thought having the chance to start a brokerage from the ground up was what you wanted.”

  “Not if it means we can’t be together,” Emma said.

  “What will you do?” Grace reached down and intertwined their fingers.

  “I don’t know. I’ll find something else.”

  “But you said yourself that you wanted to go back.”

  “I know I did.” Emma’s voice broke.

  “I don’t understand what’s changed for you.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that for the past month. I sit in an office with a window that looks out across an alley at a brick wall. Don’t get me wrong this isn’t about the view. I spend countless hours filling out papers and staring at a computer screen. I feel like I’m in jail. It’s suffocating and yes, I admit, I willingly went back to it.” Emma shook her head and looked at Grace. “I asked myself yesterday, ‘What kind of a person would do this to themselves?’ I didn’t like the answer that I came up with. There’s more to life than chasing after a definition of success that leaves me feeling alone and empty at the end of the day. I don’t want to be that person. I can’t be that person anymore—not after what you and I shared here these past several months.”

  Grace dipped her head before she met Emma’s eyes. “I guess we need to talk about what this means.” She pulled a chair around and motioned Emma to sit.

  “All I have to think about is the night you took me out to the woods to watch the lightning bugs. Who else in my life would share that with me?” Emma sat close to Grace their knees touching when she continued. “I miss you. I miss the rhythm of the farm. When I got here tonight I felt...peace.” Emma squeezed Grace’s hands. “I’m sorry I left you. Please forgive me?”

  “Emma,” Grace whispered with tears in her eyes. “I do.”

  “I’m back now and I intend to stay—if you’ll still have me.”

  “Yes. I’ll have you even if tonight there’s no choice in the matter.”

  “My car,” Emma groaned. “How ironic I decided on the way up here I was going to sell it.”

  “Why sell it?”

  “It’s an expensive car which means expensive repairs. It’s just a chassis with a fancy dress. Right?”

  “True.”

  “How stupid to park under the tree.”

  “The canopy from the oak is large. There’s nowhere to park in the yard where you aren’t covered by it.”

  “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.” Emma tangled her fingers in Grace’s, lifting her hand to her mouth and kissing it.

  “You weren’t in the car. That’s the only thing that matters.” Grace reached out and brushed an errant lock of hair behind Emma’s ear.

  “I missed you.” Emma held Grace’s hand against her face.

  Grace stood up from the chair pulling Emma with her into a fierce embrace. When she pulled back Grace placed her hands on either side of Emma’s face and kissed her. Grace took her time enjoying the sweet softness of Emma’s mouth on hers. She broke away, breathless, and said, “I missed you too.”

  Emma grinned and linked her hands low on Grace’s back. “I wasn’t sure what you would say when I got here.”

  “It hurt when you left but...I knew I had to let you go. You needed to figure this out for yourself.”

  “I barely lasted a month,” Emma said, resting her head on Grace’s shoulder.

  “I didn’t want to pressure you. Brax’s picture was a gentle nudge.” Emma squeezed Grace.

  “I’m glad you sent Brax’s picture. It gave me hope there was still a chance for us.”

  “I never stopped hoping there would be a chance for us,” Grace admitted holding Emma’s gaze.

  “I want to be with you. Whatever it takes.”

  Someone coughed and they both looked up. “Sorry to interrupt.” Michael stood in the doorway with Jonah and Tyler at his side. “I think the boys will feel safer if they sleep downstairs tonight.”

  “We can hear stuff hitting the windows.” Jonah rubbed his eyes and yawned.

  “They can camp out on the couches.” Grace offered Emma a wry grin. “Looks like we’re going to have a sleepover tonight.”

  “I don’t mind,” Emma said taking Grace’s hand.

  “Maybe I do,” Grace growled so only Emma could hear.

  “Yeah!” The boys danced around cheering.

  “All right. That’s enough. Both of you bring your pillows and get settled on the couch. I’ll be there in a minute.” Michael waited until the boys disappeared then caught Grace’s eyes and asked, “Are we good?”

  “Yeah. We’re good,” Grace answered.

  Michael held her gaze for a moment longer. “Okay. I’ll uh get the boys settled,” he said and stepped out of the kitchen.

  “Things are better between you and Michael?” Emma asked.

  “There was a lot going on I didn’t know about until today. Most of it had nothing to do with me or the farm.”

  “That must make you feel better,” Emma said.

  “Not really. Tony got himself into big trouble. Michael’s been trying to help him sort his affairs out.”

  “Legal trouble.”

  “Unfortunately, it is. Mom and Dad are devastated.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Grace took Emma’s hand and led her to the entry of the living room. “There’s not much else to do but hunker down and wait this storm out.” The boys were sprawled out on the couch and Michael was stretched out in a chair with his feet propped up on the ottoman snoring softly. Grace paused in the doorway. “Feel like braving the weather?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “You and me alone.”

  GRACE STUMBLED UP the steps in the dark and fumbled with the doorknob to her apartment.

  “That last bolt of lightning made the hair on my arms stand up,” Emma exclaimed still shaking from the adrenalin.

  “I wasn’t expecting it to be that close.” Grace felt along the wall and flicked the switch for the light. “Damn. Electricity’s out.”

  “Do you have candles?”

  “Something better.” Grace opened the door and led Emma inside. “Stay here.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I have a couple of lamps. Hold on.” A lighter clicked and a flame flickered in the darkness and grew brighter. Grace adjusted the height of the flame and set the glass cover back on.

  Shadows flickered on the wall and Emma studied her surroundings.

  “So, this is your apartment.” A galley kitchen off to the right held an apartment size refrigerator, stove, and sink.

  “It’s small but functional.” Grace lit a second lamp and carried it into the bathroom. She set it on the back corner of the sink.

  Emma squeezed past Grace into the bathroom. “Why didn’t you tell me I look like a drowned rat?”

  Grace moved
behind Emma and smiled at her in the mirror. Their reflections looked ghostly in the flickering lamplight. “I think you look sexy.”

  “Do you now?” Emma said smiling back at Grace.

  “Mmhmm.” Grace slipped her arms around Emma’s waist and snuggled close against her length. She pressed her lips to the base of Emma’s neck and sucked on the soft skin. She tasted rain and a hint of Emma’s perfume. “I love the way you smell.”

  Emma tilted her neck back pressing her cheek against Grace’s and moaned. “You make me crazy.” Emma reached behind her and pulled Grace closer to her.

  It took all Grace’s will power not to grind her hips against Emma’s buttocks as her stomach tightened and she felt a pulsing between her thighs. She tugged Emma’s shirt free from her jeans and slipped her hands beneath the soft fabric. “You feel so good. I want to feel you all over.”

  “It seems to me the last time we were together our plans got interrupted.” Emma turned in Grace’s arms. She splayed her fingers across the flat of Grace’s chest and traced the curve of her collarbone.

  “There are no pregnant cows tonight.”

  “Good thing.” Emma grazed her teeth along Grace’s jawline to the soft flesh at the base of her neck.

  “You’ll make me come if you keep doing that.”

  “Mmm, I’d like to try that.”

  “I bet you would.” Grace pressed her lips to Emma’s mouth and kissed her.

  Emma cupped her hand behind Grace’s neck and deepened the kiss until they were both dizzy and desperate with need. She pulled away panting. “Bed. Now.”

  They fumbled with buttons and zippers, frantic to shed their clothes. Emma kicked off her sneakers and struggled to pull off her wet sweatpants. Grace caught her when she stumbled. “Have I told you I hate peeling wet clothes of my body?”

  “No, but it’s pretty sexy to watch,” Grace said.

  “Now it’s your turn.” Impatient, Emma tugged Grace’s jeans over her hips and urged her to step out of them.

  Grace wrapped her arms around Emma and spun her around to the bed, tumbling on top of her. She supported herself on one arm and pinned Emma to the bed.