by Loraine, Kim
Even after a year, she still felt a wave of guilt wash over her any time she had a negative thought about him. She pushed the feeling away and focused on Drew. He’d taken the time to befriend Valerie. He’d introduced her to his friends, but hadn’t pushed them on her. And he’d taken her to Scotland to see some of the most beautiful historic sites the country had to offer, simply because he thought she’d love it.
“It’s so odd. I remember feeling like I would never stop being sad. Like John was it for me.” She snuggled up under her duvet. “I was wrong.”
The storm rattled the windows as she slowly fell asleep on her end of the couch. The sound of the power cutting back on woke her during the early hours of the morning. The fire had burned itself out and the faint smell of wood smoke filled the room. It was ice cold when she lifted her blanket from her body.
“Did we make it?” Valerie’s sleepy voice croaked from under her blanket.
“Yep. Power’s back on, too.”
“Thank God! I hate a cold shower.”
Grace laughed as she got the fire going again and Valerie rose and stretched, stifling a yawn.
“Coffee?” she asked.
“Definitely. What time is it, anyway?” Her eyes were still heavy with sleep.
“Five-forty-five. Ugh!”
“Wimp,” Grace chided.
“Look, some of us like sleep. We covet it, actually. You are some kind of super human who can run on barely five hours of rest.”
“Like I said. Wimp.”
The town was blanketed in heavy snow as Grace walked her usual running route. Her feet, snug in high rain boots and thick wool socks, slipped occasionally as she made slow progress through the town. The cold bit at her skin and her cheeks were already burning.
A tree had fallen down in the town square during the night and had sadly landed on top of the wooden gazebo in its path. The roots of the tree were raised out of the ground, gnarled and twisted with clumps of dirt still holding on.
As she continued through town, she grew increasingly worried about the state of her project. There were many cold-sensitive points during the rebuilding process and the last thing they needed was another delay. She rounded the corner and caught sight of the manor house. The scaffolding was still standing and the structure looked sound.
They were just a few months away from their goal and most of the exterior work was finished. Optimism crept in that they were actually going to finish on time. The roof was going to be the most challenging aspect, and work had already begun on it.
Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her coat while she walked back to the cottage. She used her teeth to remove one glove while she pulled the phone free.
“Hello?”
“Grace, is everything all right there? I saw there was a terrible storm.” Drew’s voice was full of concern, causing a warm feeling to spread through her.
“We made it just fine. Cold, but safe. What about you?”
“Just some flurries here. I think they’ve closed the motorway, though. I don’t know when we’ll be able to get back.”
“Just be careful. Come back when it’s safe to travel.”
“Will do, Miss McConnell.”
The weather remained below freezing for most of the week, causing major transportation delays. Another heavy snow was in the forecast for Monday afternoon and Grace’s stress level increased with every day that passed.
Due to traffic problems and poor conditions, work on the project was going slowly. Many workers just couldn’t make it in or didn’t want to even try. She spoke to Mick multiple times throughout the weekend to nail down the timeline on the roof project. He assured her that they could get a large amount of work done before the next snowfall on Monday.
An unexpected accumulation of snow fell on Sunday night and when she woke Monday morning, she expected more bad news from Mick about the crew. Surprisingly, however, he had ten workers already at the site. He was confident they’d meet their goal before lunch when the next snowfall was expected to begin.
With Drew stuck in Surrey until the end of the week, she needed something to distract her. Hoping the Braley church project would be clinched soon, she began preliminary research. As she ate her lunch, the sound of sirens wailing in the distance registered dimly in her brain.
“Grace?” Valerie’s voice pulled her attention from the research she was trying to engross herself in.
She raised her eyes from her laptop screen to see Valerie’s ashen face.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s been an accident at the site. The roof collapsed.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“I think so. Mick said there were five guys on the roof and three inside when it happened. They’re looking for them now. So far, no one’s been recovered.”
An icy pit formed in Grace’s stomach. She needed to get to the site immediately. Her heart raced as she pulled on her boots and slipped on her coat. She rushed as fast as her feet could go on the slick pavement. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, causing her to shake involuntarily.
The site was a disaster. The flashing lights of emergency responders filled the street and reflected off the snow, red then white. As Grace got closer, she saw two men being carried out on stretchers, awake and talking, but bloodied and battered. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing they were alive, but her heart dropped as she caught sight of another stretcher with a full body bag being loaded into an ambulance.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. Her knees trembled and felt like they were about to give out.
“Grace!” Valerie called out as she made her way toward her.
Grace connected with Valerie and they walked closer to the destruction.
“Someone is dead.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Mark Ringstad. His name turned over and over in Grace’s head as she waited for Bidwell to call her back. He was in a meeting when she’d made the international call and his assistant refused to interrupt him.
Mark Ringstad. He had three children under the age of seven. His wife was named Angela.
Mark Ringstad. He was only thirty years old and now he was dead because of her.
Her phone rang, the shrill sound causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.
“Grace McConnell.”
“Grace, what is this emergency?” Bidwell sounded irritated.
“Mr. Bidwell, there’s been an accident on site. The roof collapsed after a heavy snow. One worker is dead and two are seriously injured.”
She waited on the line, listening to his heavy breathing.
“Shut down the project immediately. This is bad. Very bad.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Let’s wait to assign blame until we know why this happened. In the meantime, you should know that the town will want us gone until this is cleared up. You and Valerie had better plan on returning ASAP.”
“You sound like you’ve been through this before?”
“Accidents happen, Grace. I’ve been doing this a long time. People get hurt and the first ones to get blamed for something like this are the overseeing architect and the construction foreman. He’s a local guy and you’re the foreigner. Which one of you is easier to get rid of?”
A lump formed in her throat and she had to cough to get the words out. “When do we need to be back?”
“Next week at the latest. Grace, this will all turn out fine but it might be a rough few months.”
“Wh . . . What about criminal charges?”
“There’s no way for them to bring you up on charges right now. They’re just going to want our presence gone for a while and I can’t pay you if you’re not working.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get Valerie on it.”
<
br /> She sat in silence, staring out the window, shocked. Her life seemed to be constantly in flux. Just when she was really starting something good, moving past all the pain of the last year-and-a-half, her world quite literally came crashing down.
Tears swelled in her eyes, threatening to spill at the slightest movement. She took a deep breath and wiped the moisture away as she picked up her phone to deliver the news to Drew.
The line rang twice before he answered and the sound of his soft voice in her ear brought on a fresh wave of sadness.
“Hello, love. Miss me already?”
“Drew . . . there’s been an accident.”
“What? Are you hurt? Where are you?”
“I’m fine, it’s the site. Part of the roof collapsed. Mark Ringstad died.” She worked to control the emotion in her voice.
“Good lord. I went to primary school with him.”
“I’ve got to go back to Virginia. There’s going to be an investigation and my boss wants me home so he’s not paying for time I’m not working.”
Drew cleared his throat. “Right, when?”
“Val booked tickets for Friday morning.” Her lower lip trembled as she spoke and her voice began to shake.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, love.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Grace? It’ll be all right.”
She nodded her head and whispered, “I hope so.”
Chapter 17
Grace packed her last bag and set it by the front door with a heavy heart. Her flight was in nineteen hours and every time she thought about the situation, panic rose in her chest. Drew was on his way back through the slow moving, snarled commuter traffic. He’d kept in contact with her throughout the week and planned on returning as soon as possible, but storms kept rolling in all over the country.
The sun rose high in the sky, rapidly melting the snow, causing it to run in rivulets down the street. She was tired of waiting for what she knew would be one of the most difficult days of her life here in Braley.
The streets and sidewalks were too slushy with snow for a run, so she pulled on her boots and decided to go for one last walk around the town she’d grown to love. As she looked around the quaint village, guilt washed over her. This beautiful little place didn’t deserve to feel such loss. She’d wracked her brain for anything that could’ve been done differently and the only solution she’d come up with was that there shouldn’t have been anyone on that roof.
There were a few cars on the road while she walked her usual route and headed for the footpath. People still waved at her when they passed, smiled and said hello, but she felt their hesitance keenly.
An approaching car slowed and beeped its horn. Eyeing the car suspiciously, she looked around to see who the driver was honking at. She stifled a sob as Drew threw open the door and sprinted toward her, leaving the vehicle still running in the street. Her heart was in her throat as she saw his tortured face.
“Drew . . .” She started to speak, but his lips on hers quieted the rest of the words.
His hand wrapped around the back of her neck, deepening the kiss as his fingers tangled in her thick hair. The kiss was fueled by fear and she held on for dear life. She could feel his hands trembling as she clutched his shoulders and pushed her tongue past his lips. He groaned and opened for her, the passion boiling over right there in the middle of the street. Awareness built slowly. The sounds of the town invaded her mind and she pulled away from him gently.
“We should get inside.”
He nodded and wrapped his arm around her as they turned to walk back to her cottage.
“Where’s your car?” she asked, looking back to the street where it had been.
“Dad took the wheel when I got out.”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t see him.” She blushed at the thought of David witnessing their passionate exchange.
“You mean you’re embarrassed that we were snogging in the middle of town?”
“A little. Aren’t you?”
“Nope,” he said with a smile on his face. He squeezed her tighter as they walked up to her door.
They shared lunch together in her kitchen, while Valerie finished her last-minute packing. Grace was thankful Drew avoided the subject of the roof collapse. Her stomach was in knots as the day turned to night and her hours left with him spilled through her fingers like sand.
They lay together in her bed, her head resting on his chest, his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as possible. The sound of his rhythmic breathing, deep and soothing, calmed her and she edged toward sleep herself.
“I love you, Drew,” she whispered, her cheek against the dark hair on his chest.
He tensed and his breathing stuttered, but regulated back to the deep restful rhythm. Her heart beat against her ribcage as panic that she was caught took hold. She let out a sigh and snuggled closer to the warmth of his body and the steady thump of his heart. Somehow, saying the words out loud made her feel better, like she was finally being honest with him about something even if he didn’t hear her.
The alarm woke them both at four-thirty the next morning. Her nerves were rattled and caused her to be a shaky and cranky mess. Drew quietly dressed and helped her and Valerie make sure they had everything they needed, his face grim and lips tight. By the time the cab pulled up to their door, her heart felt like it was in a vise. Drew wrapped his arms around her and held on tightly, his chin on the top of her head.
“Don’t go,” he whispered. “Please.”
She took a shuddering breath, trying to contain her emotions. “I have to. I’ve got no choice.”
“I can’t bear it. Not knowing when I’ll see you again.”
She looked up at him, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “I’ve got to go. Please don’t make this harder.”
Drew sniffed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine, right. Go on, then. Let me know you’ve arrived safely.”
She kissed him, deeply, trying to tell him how she loved him without using the words. Her lips trembled on his as she fought back the urge to cry.
Before she let herself break down, she pulled away and dashed to the waiting cab. She cried silently as they pulled away and she watched Drew stand at her doorway until the road took them out of sight.
The family home was quiet when Grace let herself in. Thankfully, her parents were away for the weekend and she was alone. It was completely dark outside and bitterly cold, but still early evening. Her body ached with the heaviness of fatigue only associated with the stress of travel.
She switched on the light in the living room, or great room as her mother so grandly called it. She inhaled deeply and took in the familiar scents of her childhood home. Her mother was addicted to wax melts and the house always smelled delicious.
She walked slowly around the house she hadn’t seen for six months. Everything was exactly the same, down to the throw placed across one arm of the leather couch, just so. Her mother was a neat-freak and spent more time straightening things during parties than actually socializing. She reached for a picture frame on the mantle to move it slightly just to annoy her mom and paused as she caught sight of John’s face.
The photo was from her parents’ last anniversary celebration. They’d all gone out for dinner at a fancy steakhouse and taken a group photo before dinner. John’s face was beaming, smiling brightly with his arm around her.
Her stomach clenched as she looked around at all the pictures in the room. John was in almost all of them. He’d been such an integral part of their family, there was no way to erase him.
Looking at John’s face made her think of Drew and what she’d left behind. She sank into the chair next to the fireplace and put her head in her hands. Her phone buzzed against her hip and she reached to pull it out. Drew’s name flashed on her screen
, alerting her that she had a new message.
All right, love?
She took a breath and laughed a little hysterically.
Alive. Been better.
She pressed send and waited, half wanting him to stop texting.
Get some rest. Glad you arrived safely.
XO - Grace
She spent much of her evening looking through old photos from her childhood. John was even present in school pictures, and she eventually found a scrapbook her mom had made from all the years she and John dated. There were pictures from their weekend trips to the Carolinas, their trip to Washington D.C. during spring when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and a plethora of family dinner pictures. She realized, as she looked through her past, how much she’d been avoiding her memories of John.
She spent the next day unpacking and adjusting to the time change, throwing herself a pity party. She caught up on some of her favorite TV shows and binged on ice cream and cookie dough until she felt sick. She only had this one day to be alone in her misery. Her parents were due home the next morning and she knew her mom would read her like a book and the inquisition would start.
Sunday morning greeted her like a fist to the face. The sound of her parents pulling their car into the garage was the first thing she was conscious of. She groaned and rolled over in her bed, stuffing the pillow on her face and trying to go back to sleep.