“Mine? It’s ours, Xander.” Grace took a deep breath. “No, it doesn’t really matter, but I can’t help but be hurt by how manipulative Mom was being right up to her death.”
Bob rose. “I’ll leave you two to talk things out. There are a couple of papers you will need to sign and I will have those ready for you by tomorrow. Feel free to just stop in the office to sign.” Bob hugged Grace. “If you have further questions, call me. Just think about it and let things sink in.”
Grace nodded. She continued to sit there after Xander and Bob left the room. She could hear Xander talking softly to him before he left.
“Want to get out of here for a while?” Xander stood in the doorway.
Grace nodded. “Where to?”
“Lighthouse. Bring a sweatshirt. It will be cold this morning on the bike.”
Xander turned and walked away. Grace sat there and reread her letter from her mom. She had been ready to give everything up for Xander and her mom had turned around and given her everything anyway…and then some.
Maybe it was time to just put the past behind them and move forward from here.
Chapter 38
Grace and Xander rode off with light hearts. Grace found herself relaxed, arms loosely around Xander’s waist leaning against his back. She loved the feel of his muscles as he rode with the bike, his body moving as one with the motorcycle. She smiled in her helmet. This was the happiness that Mom had given her, in her own way. Abigail had given Grace not only permission, but a nudge in the right direction, to completely find both herself and love along the way.
There was nothing better than the feeling of freedom. They had no ties if they didn’t want them. They could go off and do what they wanted. Grace had already taken a leave of absence from teaching. What was stopping them from just riding off and having an adventure?
When the motorcycle came to a stop at the lighthouse, Grace sat back. Xander waited while she got off the bike. She took off the helmet and placed in on the seat. She turned and walked to the rocky edge. She closed her eyes as the water sprayed off the rocks and the light spray hit her face. She kept her eyes closed as Xander came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She laid her head back against his chest and smiled. This was a life she could definitely get used to.
“What are you thinking?” He kissed her temple.
“That I want to ride off into the sunset with you and just explore new places.” Grace opened her eyes, turning to look up at Xander.
“What about the house?”
“What about it? It isn’t going anywhere and I already have a leave of absence from the school. Why not use it? Take me places, show me what you have already seen.” She pleaded with him.
“We can go anywhere you want to, but there are still things we need to discuss about the house. The business.” Xander entwined his fingers with her and pulled her to a large rock to sit down.
“We don’t have to make any decisions right now. I’m not saying disappear forever.” Grace stared at the waves hitting the rocks.
“Grace, I want to go with you. To show you things that you have been dying to see, I do, but suddenly I feel this huge responsibility that I can’t just walk away from either.”
Grace laughed sardonically. “Leave it to my mom.”
“What?”
“She gives me freedom and you responsibility.” Grace turned to Xander. “We’ll figure it out, but I don’t want to be stuck here forever.”
“I don’t want you stuck anywhere. I want you happy, always.”
They sat in silence, both lost in their own thoughts of what their new lives would mean for them. Hours passed with hardly a word spoken between them before Grace stood up.
“Come on. Time to face reality.”
They turned towards home, knowing the conversation was inevitable…a conversation that could leave one of them unhappy and the other miserable.
They arrived home to find John just getting out of his car. “Well, good timing I guess.”
“What’s up, Dad?” Xander took in the look of surprise at the term of Dad being used and realized it probably was the first time since he was kid that he had called his father that. Forgiveness apparently was in the works.
“Hi, John. Come on in.” Grace looped her arm through John’s and started up the stairs. “What brings you by?”
John waited until Xander had joined them before answering. “I, well…I meant what I said about wanting to mend fences. Xander, I’m so sorry for all those years of not being there for you.”
Xander nodded. “It’s okay. Let’s just start fresh and move forward.”
John smiled. “I would want nothing more.”
“Good. How about staying for dinner?” Xander started towards the kitchen. “I’m going to marinate some steaks.”
“Sounds good.” John turned towards Grace. “There’s something different about you two today.”
Grace filled him in on the visit from Bob and how things now stood with the inheritance.
“Leave it to Abby to throw in a loophole.”
“I can’t help but feel that she was just playing games with our lives, but on the other hand, if she hadn’t I probably never would have fallen in love with Xander, and that truly is a gift from her.”
John nodded. “She always seemed to know what was best for everyone else. She had an intuitive nature that could sense things.”
Grace and John joined Xander in the kitchen. “What does that mean for you and Grace now, with the business?”
“Not sure. Grace wants to do some traveling. Honestly, we haven’t talked about it, but I was getting excited about marketing this new business and running it.” Xander shrugged. “I guess I was looking forward to having a full time job right here.”
“We can still do it, if you want.”
“You want to go back to teaching. That is your true love, I know that.” Xander shook his head.
“Well, now that Elizabeth is gone, I could use something that will keep me busy. Why don’t I help out while Grace teaches?”
Xander looked at Grace. She nodded her agreement. “Fine. I guess we can discuss this over dinner, but for now, you might want to see what we have to do before committing.”
Grace sat on the barstool watching father and son walk to the spot where the barn needed to be rebuilt. How appropriate, she thought. A rebuilding of Xander’s relationship with his dad along with everything else. It was a time to move forward and she was so thrilled to have Xander beside her as they traversed this new adventure.
Together.
Acknowledgments
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge a few people who helped immensely with finalizing this book. Thank you to Dorothy Callahan, my beta reader/editor who gives amazing feedback. Thank you to Todd Aubertin for his never ending support in my writing career and his poetry that gave life to Xander’s Poem. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to Sara Carbonneau, my editor, who believes in my writing and gently prods me to stick to my deadlines and helps me polish the final version.
Also Available:
Mirrored Deception
Trusting Love
Second Chances
A Time To Heal
About the Author
Emma Leigh Reed lived in New Hampshire most of her life before moving to Tennessee. She has fond memories of the Maine coastline and incorporates the ocean into all her books. Her life has been touched and changed by her son's autism - she views life through a very different lens than before he was born. Growing up as an avid reader, it was only natural for Emma Leigh to turn to creating the stories for others to enjoy and has found herself an author of contemporary and romantic suspense. With a BA in Creative Writing/English, Emma Leigh enjoys sharing her knowledge with others and helping aspiring authors.
For More About Emma Leigh Reed
@emmaleighreed
Emmaleighreedauthor
www.emmaleighreed.com
[email protected]
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