“Sort of. I don’t want it to be very big, but our invite list keeps growing. I swear Olivia knows every person in Canada and wants them to come. At this rate, we’ll need to rent the convention center.”
“You need to put your foot down. I’m surprised she hasn’t invited the whole city.”
Grace raised one eyebrow. “I think she has.”
“Time for an intervention?”
“Maybe. As her best person, you could talk to her. Gently remind her we wanted a small, intimate gathering of our closest friends and family. Right now the list is over 100.”
“Shit. It was around fifty last weekend.”
“Right. What do you think? Come over Sunday? We’ll plan a two-pronged attack.”
“You’ve got this all worked out, haven’t you?”
“I have. Just need help from the best friend. You in?”
Sara raised her glass in a salute. “You betcha.”
“Excellent.” Grace returned the salute. She took a sip from her drink and ran a hand through hair so silky black Sara often envied her. “Now, tell me about the woman you had dinner with on Saturday.”
Sara nearly choked on her drink. “What?”
“Tell me who she is. You know I’m dying to find out, and I will resort to very low tactics if I need to. That might include asking Izzy.”
Sara glanced at the bar, happy no one was there at the moment. Was it possible Izzy knew who she’d been to dinner with? Hell, was it possible Izzy didn’t know?
“You don’t like her, so I don’t really want to tell you.”
“I don’t know many people,” Grace said. “And what does it matter if I like her? You’re the one going out with her.”
“Once.” Sara emphasized the word. “I don’t see more dates in the future.”
“What’s the harm in giving me a name?” Grace leaned forward, real concern etched across her face. Her dark eyes held Sara’s for the longest time. “Don’t make me worry about you.”
“There’s no need. Besides, I’d rather be excited about dancing with Bren. At least she’s fun, and I know I’ll enjoy myself. Might help me forget a certain someone.”
“That’s not likely.” Grace reached across the table and took Sara’s hand. “You can’t simply forget her.”
“I can try.” Sara smiled at her. “Bren can help me. I don’t know much about her, but I get the impression she’s good for me.”
“I hope so.” Grace kept an eye on Sara. She knew Grace wanted to say more and was glad she didn’t.
Sara decided to divert the conversation to the wedding. “So, a hundred people?”
Grace sighed, accepting the shift. “102 to be exact. There’s only ten people, other than our families, that I know. I think she might have invited people she went to university with, high school, ex-girlfriends…I have no idea who these people are.”
“You can forget the ex-girlfriends. I know all of them. I’m the only one she still speaks to. I’ll go over the list, okay? We’ll get it down to a reasonable number. I think Liv is just excited, and let me tell you, I never thought she’d be so excited about anything as she is about marrying you.”
Grace’s dark features lightened with a blush. “You’re probably right, and I’m likely overreacting. I’d really like to climb onto a cliff overlooking the mountains and have a Justice of the Peace marry us right there. Just the three of us.”
“If I knew of a JP that climbed rocks, I’d hook you up.”
“That’s why I like you.” Grace smiled sweetly and glanced at her watch. “Okay. Need to head to the office. Olivia is supposed to help me sort through some of the paperwork for my grandfather’s mine. I don’t have a handle on Canadian taxes yet.”
“You’re in good hands. She’s awesome with that stuff.” Sara got up and handed Grace’s coat to her. “I’ll see you on Sunday, and I promise to knock this time.”
“Good plan.”
****
The office for TNT was located in the former Templeton family home. The first floor consisted of an office for Liv, where she ran the business now that her dad was retired, a kitchen, and a reception room for business meetings. The three bedrooms and family bathroom were still upstairs, one of the bedrooms occupied by Liv’s oldest brother, Dave. It was nice to have him living in the house and always close by.
He was also a great asset as the manager for their largest mining operation.
Her youngest brother, Timothy, was still at university in Toronto and stayed here when he visited. He was due in next weekend, and Liv was excited to see him. She and her brothers were close, and any chance to get the family together was a welcome one.
She sighed, her head not really in the work she was supposed to do. Instead she was thinking about her wedding. The reality of it was getting closer. She looked at the silver band on her finger and grinned.
Married. She would be married in a few short months, April, on the cusp of spring. It was amazing and scary and exciting all at once, and she felt like jumping for joy. And maybe adding a few names to her ever-growing list of people to invite. If she could, Liv would have the entire population of the Yukon Territory there to witness her joining with Grace. Ever the romantic, she envisioned herself shouting from the rooftops how much she loved this woman.
Liv closed her eyes and laughed.
What she really needed to be doing was work. Their winter business of renting equipment, ranging from construction equipment to road works, wouldn’t run itself. Especially if she didn’t get the invoices sorted out. She hated all the paperwork. She’d much rather be at the shop working on whatever vehicle was there for repairs. She loved crawling around the big, heavy, construction equipment the best, getting her hands dirty, the odor of grease and diesel fuel in the air…even her dad thought she was their best mechanic, but she was also CEO of the business. It was, after all, what she’d gone to university for.
She sighed and returned to the damn paperwork as the door to the house opened. Seconds later, she smelled French fries and grinned. “If that food is for me, I’ll promise to love you forever.”
Grace entered the room, her movements slow and deliberate as if she was toying with Liv. She placed two bags on her desk, along with a to-go cup of what she assumed would be cola. “I thought you already promised me? Isn’t that why we’re getting married?”
“Hmm, I think you might be right.” Liv dug into her food, not at all embarrassed when her stomach announced its hunger. “Thanks,” she said around a big bite of hamburger. “I so needed this.”
“I figured.” Grace moved some of the paperwork out of the way of the food and settled in a chair across from Liv. She crossed one muscular leg over the other, and the action made Liv momentarily forget her hunger. Her hunger for food, anyway. “You really need to stop skipping meals.”
“I don’t skip them,” Liv said. “I just forget them. There’s a difference.”
“Uh-huh.” Grace stole a fry and gave her a look that Liv was all too familiar with. “I mean it. If you have to pack a sandwich with you in the morning, please do so. You’re too tired when you get home, and this will at least give you some energy to get through the day.”
Liv knew Grace was seriously worried about her, and it made her heart swell. She was so damn lucky to have the woman in her life. “I’ll do better. Promise. I’ll have to make a note to buy some food though.”
“I already did,” Grace said with a smirk. “Your fridge and cabinets are stocked up for at least a week. If I’m going to spend any amount of time there, I plan to be able to eat a semi-healthy meal.”
“How much time are you planning to spend?”
“As much as I can,” she said but wouldn’t look Liv in the eye. Something was up, and Liv put her food down. “I’m worried about Ojiichan.”
“Is he feeling bad or something?” Liv asked
“No. I think he’s gotten used to having me around all the time. I do a lot for h
im now because he’s too weak. This last heart attack took a lot out of him.”
Liv watched the torrent of emotions cross Grace’s face. She moved to the chair opposite her. Grace didn’t say anything more, so Liv took hold of her hands and went to her knees on the floor. She slid her fingers over Grace’s dark skin while she considered what to do next. An idea occurred to her, and she wanted to slap herself for not thinking of it sooner.
“You know our house is pretty big, right?”
“I’ve been there.” Grace’s brow furrowed. “Define big.”
“Big as in it has a guest room with a bathroom right next to it. If we knock a wall down, we can build an en suite.” Liv placed kisses on Grace’s hands. “What I’m getting at is that Harry should move in with us. We’d be a helluva lot closer to the hospital and his doctor in case he needs anything, and you wouldn’t have to spend so much time worrying about him. He’d be right there, with us.
“We can look at adding on to the house, too, if you’d like. I’m sure we’ve got enough space in the side yard we could put in a small living area with a fridge and microwave. I mean, it’s not like he can cook so he wouldn’t need an oven and—”
Grace cut her off with a soft kiss. “You’re serious?”
“Of course. Harry’s always been like family to me, and it wouldn’t be a big deal to have him live with us. It’s a win-win. I really hate him being so far away, and I’m hating it even more that you’re not with me. I want you there all the time, Grace. Will you please move in with me?”
“Liv, we discussed this already. Once we’re married, I’ll get settled in. I promise.”
“I don’t—I hate—dammit. You said you’d move in at the end of the mining season, and that was October. Now it’s January.” Liv got to her feet, let go of Grace’s hands, and sat down again. “If you and Harry move in now, it would save some time and effort. I’ll even shut up about putting your name on the deed. Grace, I can’t tell you how hard it is on the nights you’re not there.”
“You think I don’t feel the same?” Grace asked, an accusatory tone in her voice.
Liv sat up straighter, knowing the fight was coming but unable to make herself stop. “I don’t know. You don’t seem to be interested in moving to our house. You have half your stuff there now. Why is it such a big deal? Why are you stalling?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Of course I would, if you’d just tell me.”
“It’s not as easy as you think it is. You know it’s been hard for me. It took so much to trust again after Carly.” She rubbed the arm Carly nearly crippled. Grace still did the rock climbing she loved, but her arm would never be as strong as it once was.
That’s when Liv realized what Grace wasn’t saying. Carly was the issue. She feared moving in with Liv because that’s what she’d done with Carly. They moved in together a few months after they started dating. They got married when it was legal, even though Carly was beating on Grace by then. She often wondered if Carly forced Grace into the marriage.
“I’m not Carly,” Liv said, and instantly regretted it.
Grace’s expression dropped, and her face paled. “I never said you were.”
“But you’re comparing me to her, whether you realize it or not.”
“I’m not. Olivia, I’m honestly scared about all this. Yes, I want to marry you. Yes, I want to be with you the rest of our lives, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for me. I feel like I just got my freedom back, and in some respects, I’d be giving it up again.”
“No you wouldn’t. I’d never ask you to do that.”
“You don’t have to. Marriage means you have to compromise, and sometimes that means losing out on things. In a sense, I’d be giving up some of my freedom to be with you. And it’s damn hard for me.”
“I’m having a hard time understanding, Gracie. Tell me what I need to do.”
“Back off,” she said, her voice soft and low, as if she were afraid to say the words. “Let me have some space. I’ll know when I’m ready to move in. It might not be until we’re married, or it might be sooner, but the decision has to be mine. Okay?”
“I guess so,” Liv said. “What about Harry?”
“I’ll talk to him. It’ll take some finessing, but I think I can get him to agree to live with us. You’re right. It’d be a lot easier on him and me.” Grace rose and Liv did as well. Grace stepped closer and put her arms around Liv’s waist. “I love you. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“I won’t. I know you do. This other stuff—I didn’t expect it to be so hard.”
“This is why I have a counselor and go to support meetings. It’s damn hard, and when I get scared, I want to run away and hide. To be honest, that’s when I go back to Harry’s place and stay with him.”
“You need to run from me? Gracie, please, tell me what I’m doing wrong here.” Liv’s heart clenched. She’d been to the support meetings with Grace a few times, talked to her counselor, and thought she had things under control. She thought she was doing right by Grace and being careful with her feelings. The idea that Carly nearly beat Grace to death, all the while saying how much she loved her, still made Liv physically ill. She wanted to kill the bitch.
She rested her chin on Grace’s shoulder and pulled her close, holding back the sudden need to cry. “Tell me what to do.”
“You’re doing it,” Grace said softly in her ear. “You’re loving me, and that’s all I need. The rest will come. I promise.” She pulled back to kiss Liv again. The kissing continued for a few moments before Grace released her. “I need to check on Ojiichan. Are you going to be all right?”
Liv nodded because she didn’t trust her voice.
Grace gently touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers. “We’ll talk more later. Promise?”
Liv nodded again.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Liv whispered as Grace left the office. She dropped back into the chair and cried.
****
Liv came home to an empty house. Harry wasn’t feeling good, so Grace opted to stay with him. She promised to call after Harry went to bed.
Liv moved through the living room and right to the bedroom, not bothering to turn any lights on. She stripped down to a T-shirt and undies and slipped under the cool duvet. Her hand touched the empty side of her bed and she sighed.
She picked up her cell phone and called Sara.
“Hey, what’s up?” Sara sounded very awake and energized.
“Home alone. Depressed.”
“Dramatic,” Sara said. “So Gracie’s at Harry’s?”
“Of course.”
“You really need to back off on the house stuff, Livvy. You’re going to end up pushing her away.”
“How do you know about that?” She visualized Sara rolling her eyes.
“Duh. We have lunch once a week. Do you think we just sit and stare at each other? She tells me a lot of stuff. Like how you’re still harping on her to move in. How you want her name on the deed.”
“It’s not a big deal. We’re getting married. Her name should be on it.”
“And you’re a stubborn ass. Why are you depressed tonight? You’re usually okay when she’s at Harry’s.”
“We kind of had a fight about the moving-in thing. She said she has to do it on her own terms. I don’t know what those are and what I’m supposed to do in the meantime. Plus, I suggested she move Harry in so she can keep an eye on him.”
“Wait, what? You offered to move Harry into your house?”
“Sure. I mean, he’s family, right? I’ve got the room, and we can add on if necessary. It’s not like he’d be in the way or anything.”
“Liv, that’s huge.” Sara spoke as if admonishing a child. “You popped that on her while you were trying to convince her to move in? You don’t think that was a little much?”
“No. I thought it was a solution to a problem.”
; “You might have compounded that problem, my friend.”
“How so?”
“Look, Harry moved here twenty years ago when he bought that mine. He’s settled and happy. He might not even want to move in with you two, especially when you’re just starting out as a couple.”
“Sara, Gracie spends most of her free time with him. If she’s not at work at Rock World, or the mine, she’s taking him to doctor’s appointments or to the store or whatever. It’s like I hardly see her anymore. It makes sense if they both live here; she’s not having to go all the way to his place—especially in winter. His place is over an hour from here, and I guess I don’t want her spending all her time traveling to and from. Does that sound crazy?”
“No. I get where you’re coming from, and you’re just thinking with your heart. It’s a great idea to move Harry in—at some point. Maybe not right after or when Gracie moves in. Damn, woman. She needs to have some adjustment time. You do realize she’s never lived on her own, except for a few times she was posted overseas with the US Army? I know you don’t see this because I know you, but this is a big step for her. Did it ever occur to you that Gracie might feel like she’s missing out on the independence of living alone?”
“Um, no. Living alone sucks. Why would she want to do that on purpose?”
“Because it’s a chance to spread her wings and be free. No one to answer to, no one to fight over the sink with in the morning…that sort of thing. She was in a horrible marriage for almost a decade and had to live with her brother while she tried to recover her life. Later she moved here and into Harry’s house. When has she had time to herself?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“That’s my point. Livvy, call her. Talk to her. Let her tell you how she’s feeling. But don’t push her, okay? Just be there and listen. That’s what she needs right now.”
“When did you become a shrink?”
Sara laughed softly. “Talking to Gracie has been enlightening. And I can’t believe you’re not seeing the problem here. Just call her, okay? I have an important call in about ten minutes.”
Sara's Choice Page 6