by Nora Roberts
Though Ed tried to draw her aside, Grace stood where she was and stared down at Jerald. She’d wanted a picture, and now she would carry it with her the rest of her life. She’d wanted justice, but at this moment she couldn’t be sure just what that meant.
“I’ll be back,” he told her. “I’ll be waiting. Remember.” His lips curved before he died.
“Come downstairs, Grace.” Ed pulled her from the room.
“Do you think we’ll ever know why? Really why?”
“You learn to be satisfied with whatever answers you find. Sit down, I’ll get you a brandy.”
“I won’t argue with that.” She sat, elbows on knees and her face in her hands. “I told him I didn’t want to hurt him. And thank God, I meant it. Once I saw him, saw how it was, I didn’t hate him quite so much.”
“Here, drink.”
“Thanks.” She managed one shaky sip, then a second stronger one. “So …” After a sniffle, she rubbed the back of her hand under her nose. “How was your day?”
He studied her a moment. Her color was coming back and her hands were steady. Tough lady, he thought. She was one tough lady. Crouching in front of her, he took the snifter from her hands. She opened her arms, and he gathered her to him.
“Oh Ed, I never want to be that scared again, ever.”
“Me either.”
She turned her head so that she could press her lips to his throat. “You’re shaking.”
“That’s you.”
On a half laugh, she held tighter. “Whatever.”
Ben hesitated in the doorway, then cleared his throat.
“Kiss off, Paris.”
“In a minute,” he promised his partner. “Look, we’ve got Renockie’s statement, so there’s no hurry for yours, Grace. We’ll have our people in and out of here as soon as we can and leave you the hell alone.”
“Thanks.” Grace drew away from Ed far enough to hold out a hand. “You’re a pal, Ben.”
“I wish we’d been quicker.” He took the offered hand and squeezed. “You’ve had a rough time, Gracie. Tess would want me to tell you that if you need to talk it through, she’ll be there.”
“I know. Tell her I’m glad to give her back her husband in the evenings.”
Ben laid a hand on Ed’s shoulder. “In the morning.”
“Yeah.” When Ben slipped out, Ed handed Grace the snifter again. “Try a little more.”
“I could use the bottle.” She heard the steps and voices on the stairs and knew what they meant. This time she didn’t rise to watch. “Ed, would you mind? I don’t want to stay here, I want to go home.”
He touched her cheek before he rose. It wasn’t possible to stay close to her when he was losing. “I’m sorry, Grace, it wouldn’t be possible for you to go back to New York tonight. In a couple of days, after we’ve got the paperwork wrapped up.”
“New York?” Grace set the brandy aside. She didn’t need it after all. “I said I wanted to go home, Ed. That’s next door.” When he turned to stare down at her, she tried a half smile. “That is, if the offer still holds.”
“It holds.” He slipped his arms around her. “It’s not much of a home yet, Grace. It needs a lot of work.”
“My evenings are free.” Content, she snuggled against him. “I never told you that when I first came I picked your house out as the one I’d most like to live in. Let’s go home, Ed.”
“Sure.” He helped her to her feet.
“One thing.” She dragged the heels of her hands over her face until she was sure it was dry. “I’m not going to iron your shirts.”