“Jeff is a dirty rotten, son-of-a-bitch, bastard assmole!”
Grace covered her mouth in a poor attempt at hiding her laughter.
Jeff finally stood and pulled Ari into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him. “You are so lucky I love you as much as I do,” she said before she kissed him hard.
Jeff walked over and set Ari on the counter and placed his hands on the sides of her face. “I am lucky. And I love you too, Ari.”
Ari leaned over and kissed Jeff. You couldn’t help but feel the love from both of them.
Finally breaking their kiss, Ari peeked over at me and winked as I gave her a smile. Jeff helped her off the counter and hit her ass as she walked back to the kitchen sink. Grace’s cheeks were red, but she didn’t say a word to her parents. How could you say anything negative when you just witnessed two people so madly in love? I never saw my parents act like that with each other. Not one single time. My father was never intimate toward my mother, at least not around Emily and me.
My eyes landed on Grace’s as they sparkled and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. What just happened in this kitchen between her parents is what I wanted our future to be like. To be able to show her how much I loved her at any given moment was something I longed for.
It was something I dreamed of.
My plan was to ask Grace to marry me after the grand opening of her and Alex’s nursery. But the moment was now. I wanted her parents to witness the love that Grace and I shared together. I reached into my pocket and pulled the blue velvet pouch out I’d been carrying with me since we got to Mason.
Grace’s mom said something to Grace that caused her to laugh. Her laughter rushed through my veins like fire rushing through an opened pasture. Walking up to Grace, I put my hand on her arm and turned her to me. Her smile was beyond anything I’d ever seen. Maybe it was the moment, or maybe it was just her smile. I didn’t know and I didn’t care. All I knew was that she was smiling at me exactly how Ari was smiling at Jeff less than two minutes ago.
“Grace,” I whispered as I dropped to one knee. Slamming her hands over her mouth, Ari quickly turned around and let out a gasp.
“Grace Hope Johnson, I love you so very much. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and letting me love you every day . . . for the rest of our days?”
Tears fell freely from Grace’s eyes as she dropped to the floor in front of me and pressed her lips together as she nodded and then finally whispered, “Yes. Yes, yes, yes!”
Throwing her body into mine, our lips crashed together. This was probably one of the most amazing moments of my life.
Finally pulling our lips apart, Grace looked into my eyes and said, “You totally just won so many points from my father. You do know that right?”
The room erupted in laughter as I pulled the emerald cut diamond that once belonged to my mother, from the pouch. I’d had the main diamond that was in my mother’s engagement ring, which was originally my great-grandmothers ring, pulled out of her setting and made a new setting for Grace. Two rose-colored diamonds sat on either side of the main diamond followed by smaller diamonds that ran down each side of the platinum band.
Grace sucked in a breath as I slipped the ring on her finger. “This engagement diamond was worn by my great-grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother.” Grace’s eyes fell to the diamond as she wiped a tear away.
“Oh, Noah. This makes it all the more special.”
Wrapping her arms around my neck, Grace held onto me so tightly I was afraid she was going to choke me.
“All right, all right. Get up off the floor and let me give my baby girl a hug,” Jeff said as Grace and I both stood up. Grace ran into her father’s arms as Ari hugged me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Well done, sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” I said with a wink.
Grace hugged her mother as I held my hand out to shake Jeff’s. Shaking my hand, he laughed and pulled me in for a bear hug. Stepping back some he said, “You do realize what you’re getting yourself into. She’s just like her mother.”
“Oh stop it,” Ari said as Matt came rushing back into the kitchen. With everything that had just happened, I wasn’t even sure when he left.
“Oh. Everyone is so happy! Noah, come tell me your secret. I have my room ready. I’ll start your painting today!”
Grace giggled and motioned for me to go. Following Matt, we went into the guest bedroom that was downstairs. Matt often stayed with Jeff and Ari so they converted the guest bedroom for Matt to stay there. Jeff had even built on an addition to give Matt a small studio to paint in.
There was a blank canvas already set up and Matt sat in front of it as he stared at it. We must have stood there a good three minutes before he turned and gave me a funny look.
“Well? Are you just going to stand there and be an assmole or are you going to tell me what you want me to paint.”
“Oh!” I said with a soft chuckle. Here I thought Matt was getting into the zone and all he was really doing is waiting on me to tell him what to paint.
“Matt, do you think you could paint me a picture of Grace?”
Matt grinned from ear to ear. “Oh I love painting, Grace. I’ll paint her like how I just saw her. She seemed to be very happy. I like a happy Grace. Not a sad Grace.”
Feeling my heart drop, I nodded. “I like a happy Grace too, Matt.”
Matt picked up his brush and said, “Okay bye, assmole.”
“Oh, um, okay. See ya later, Matt.”
Stepping out of the bedroom, I turned and headed back to the kitchen. Ari and Jeff were sitting at the table talking. When I walked in, they both stopped talking and stared at me. Giving them an awkward smile, I said, “Matt really is something.”
Ari’s smile grew bigger. “He really is. Thank you for asking him to do a painting for you. He loves to paint. It calms him.”
Rubbing my sweaty palms on my jeans, I said, “It’s my pleasure. He’s ah . . . he’s painting a picture of Grace for me.”
Jeff nodded his head and said, “Are you sure you haven’t talked to Gunner?”
Looking at Jeff with an inquisitive look, I shook my head. “No, sir, I haven’t. Why?”
Ari hit Jeff playfully on the chest as she looked back at me. “Pay no attention to him, Noah. Grace told us to tell you she’ll be in the barn.”
Slapping my hands together, I said, “Great. Okay, well I’ll just go track her down.”
Heading toward the back door, Jeff called out for me. Stopping, I turned back at them both. “Thank you, Noah. Thank you for sharing that moment with us.”
I gave a quick nod and barely said, “Thank you for inspiring it.”
Reaching back for the doorknob, I quickly pulled it open and rushed outside as I dragged in a few deep breaths.
Holy shit. My emotions were all over the fucking place tonight. Looking up, I smiled. “Mom, I hope I made you proud tonight.”
Before I looked back at the barn, a shooting star raced across the sky. Smiling, I knew my mother hadn’t missed this moment. She had been right there with me the entire time.
Grace
“Thank you so much for stopping by Wild Flower,” Alex said as she rested her hand over her belly.
The older lady smiled as she held up two birdfeeders she had bought. “Oh, I’ll be back. Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours!”
Alex and I both let out a giggle and walked the older woman to the door. Shutting the door, I quickly locked it as Alex leaned against it.
Following her lead, I leaned against the door as we both turned and looked at each other. I was almost positive my smile matched Alex’s. My heart was still racing with the idea that we owned our own nursery. “That was amazing.”
Alex nodded her head as tears built up in her eyes. “We did it, Grace. We followed our dreams.”
I pushed off the door and began jumping as Alex started laughing. Coming to a stop, my eyes landed on my best friend’s pr
egnant stomach.
Placing my hand on her belly, I bit on my lip to control my emotions. “Yes we did, Alex.”
“This day couldn’t get any better!” Alex said as we both hugged each other. Turning and looking at Will, Alex made her way over to him with a skip in her step. Wrapping her up in his arms, Will whispered something into her ear and then kissed her. My eyes moved across the room until they found those amazing caramel eyes that caused my heart to skip a beat every time I looked into them.
Noah gave me a quick wink before he focused back on what Colt and Luke were talking to him about. I couldn’t help but smile at the whole picture.
Walking over to the open sign, I turned it off and made my way over to Noah. I could hear Colt and Luke trying to talk Noah into stopping by Scott’s ranch and talking to him about a new software that tracked income and expenses.
Colt almost seemed to be pleading. “Noah, I’m telling you, Scott would really be interested in talking to you.”
Holding up his hands, Noah said, “Guys, I’m focusing on helping the girls run this business. Maybe once we get things up and running, we can talk about me . . . expanding.”
Luke pushed Colt out of the way and asked, “What about the stock market today? Thoughts?”
Noah and I both laughed. “It seems like you boys don’t know when to leave my man alone.”
Luke rolled his eyes at me. “Please, you get him all the time, Grace. I need investment advice. I have a child to put through college. Stow your horny self in a corner or something?”
Dropping my mouth open, I punched Luke in the chest as he screamed out, “Ouch!”
“Fuck you, Luke! I’ll show you where you can stow your—”
Will stepped in-between us as Colt and Noah busted out laughing. “Break it up. Come on y’all. We just had an amazing grand opening. Now let’s go meet everyone else for dinner.”
Pointing to Luke, I said, “This isn’t over, vagina face!”
Luke placed his hands over his chest and said, “Oh, Oh . . . that hurt! Not! Is that all you got, dick dancer?”
Frowning, I shook my head in disbelief. “Stupid ass, Meg’s the dick dancer.” Looking to the right like he was thinking, Luke nodded in agreement. “Shit, that’s right.”
“Oh my God, y’all, will you please stop it. I’m starving, so can we please head out? We still have to drive to Fredericksburg,” Alex said as she grabbed her purse and headed to the front door.
“My baby and I need food, and I’m not afraid to bust someone’s nuts if I have to wait much longer.”
Placing my hand over my heart, I smiled and said, “See. That’s the Alex I love and adore.”
Colt laughed and jogged over to the front door. “I’m here! I’m here. Gesh, I should have rode with Lauren and her parents.”
Will unlocked the door and held it open for Alex and Colt. “Lock it after we walk out. Don’t forget to set the alarm to away, Grace.”
Pushing him out the door, I said, “Yes, Mom.”
The door shut and I locked it.
A few minutes later, Noah, Luke, and I were following Will, Alex, and Colt to Cabernet Grill. As we drove, we talked about how amazing the first day of Wild Flower’s grand opening was.
“I’m thinking once the word really gets out, business will pick up even more. Everyone is going to want to start getting their spring gardens going.”
“I still can’t believe my little sister is a business owner,” Luke said as I glanced at him in the backseat.
Grinning like a fool, I said, “I know! Me either!”
Turning back, I looked over at Noah and noticed he was frowning. “What’s wrong?”
Noah slowly shook his head. “Will’s swerving all over the place.”
Looking out the front window, my mouth dropped open. “What’s he doing?” Pulling out my phone, I called Alex’s cell phone but she didn’t answer.
“She’s not answering,” I said as fear engulfed my whole body.
“I’m calling Colt right now to see what’s going on,” Luke said from the backseat. “Colt, what in the hell is Will doing? He’s going to wreck with the way he’s driving!”
My heart rate must have increased a hundred percent. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
“What? Are you sure?”
I turned to face Luke. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
Holding up his finger, Luke kept talking to Colt. “Have Will pull the fuck over so you can drive. Get Alex into the back seat.” Luke looked at me and said, “Grace, call Dr. Johnson’s office. Tell them we’re on our way to the hospital. Alex’s water just broke.”
Staring at Luke, I tried to let his words process as Noah pulled over on the side of the road behind Will’s truck.
“Grace!” Luke shouted. “Did you hear me?”
Nodding my head, I looked up the number and called the after hours emergency line.
My vision became blurry as I watched Will and Colt help Alex into the back of the truck. She looked over and gave me a weak smile as I tried to smile back. “It’s okay, Alex,” I whispered.
“Dr. Johnson’s after hours line. How may I help you?”
“Um . . . yes . . . my name is Grace Johnson, Alex Hayes is my cousin. She’s in the truck in front of us and her water just broke.” Wiping my tears away, I waited for them to tell us what to do.
“When is her due date?”
A small sob escaped from my mouth as I said, “She’s not due for another month. March seventeenth. ”
“I’ll page Dr. Johnson right now. Take her to the emergency room. They’ll know to expect her. Just keep her calm and let her know everything is going to be okay.”
“O-O-Okay . . . I’ll tell them,” I said as I watched Colt pull back out onto the highway and take off toward Fredericksburg.
Turning to Luke, I said, “Tell them the doctors been paged and to go straight to the emergency room. They also said to keep Alex calm and to tell her . . . to tell her . . .”
Luke’s eyes widened as he shouted, “Tell her what, Grace?”
Attempting to keep myself from crying out of sheer fear, I fought to talk, “That everything is going to be okay.”
Luke’s face pained as he repeated everything I told him to Colt.
Noah took my hand and kissed the back of it as he concentrated on driving. “How can they say that?”
Noah glanced quickly at me and asked, “Say what?”
Shaking my head, I stared back at Will’s truck. Trying to imagine how scared Alex was. If I knew her, she was blaming herself and saying it must have been something she did.
“How can they say it’s going to be okay? They don’t know if it’s going to be okay? They have no damn clue if Alex or the baby is going to be okay.”
Noah squeezed my hand gently as he spoke softly. “Grace, I know you’re scared right now baby, but trust me, babies are born prematurely all the time. Let’s just take a deep breath, say some prayers and be there for Will and Alex.”
Slowly nodding my head, I said, “Okay.”
A few seconds of silence passed by before Luke said, “Shit. I better call Gunner and Ellie.”
“I’ll call Mom and Dad, even though I’m sure they’re all together.”
My father’s phone went to voicemail which wasn’t surprising and my mother’s only rang twice when she answered in a panicked voice. “Grace! What’s happening? Gunner is talking to Luke and Ellie is freaking out.”
“Mom, calm down. Alex’s water broke.”
I could hear my mother put her hand over the phone and said, “Alex’s water broke.”
“Mom, Colt is driving her and Will to the emergency room, and Alex’s doctor is meeting them there.”
I could hear Gunner and my mother say at the same time, “The emergency room.”
Turning around, I looked at Luke. He was staring straight ahead as he talked to Gunner. “Okay, you’ll be there before us. The doctor’s office said we needed to keep Alex calm.”
> Luke nodded his head at something Gunner told him. “Yes, sir. We will. Bye.”
“Gunner told us to be careful and make sure Colt doesn’t speed. Josh and Heather weren’t at the restaurant yet, so Gunner asked if we would call them.”
After calling Josh and Heather and telling them everything I told my mother, we drove in silence. I knew each of us was saying our own silent prayers. Covering my mouth, I cried. Noah placed his hand on my shoulder and I knew he was feeling helpless. Just like I was.
“The other day Alex told me she had a weird feeling something was wrong. I brushed it off to nerves. What if something was wrong and I’m the reason she ignored it?”
“That’s crazy, Grace. Don’t sit here and blame yourself. Let’s get to the hospital and see what’s going on before we start thinking the worse.”
“Luke is right, Grace. Baby, just take in some deeps breaths. We’re almost there.
Leaning my head back against the headrest, I prayed harder than I ever have before for Alex and the baby.
Please let her and the baby be all right. Please.
Grace
My eyes roamed the waiting room as I took everyone in. Most of everyone was sitting in silence as we waited for news on Alex and the baby.
Noah walked up and handed me a cup of hot chocolate. I wasn’t in the mood for coffee so he went on a search to find me something hot to drink.
“Thank you, babe,” I said while my shaking hands took the hot chocolate as Noah kissed me gently on the forehead before sitting next to me. The nurse had already come out and talked to all of us. She said Alex’s water did indeed break, but she wasn’t going into labor, which was not good. They were going to have to do an emergency C-section. I could see the fear in everyone’s eyes as I looked around. Ellie, Gunner, Josh, and Heather were all in another waiting room right outside where they were performing the C-section. My heart broke as I watched Grams and Gramps across the waiting room as they held each other’s hands and waited.
Their main concern was the strength of the baby’s lungs. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head on Noah’s shoulder.
“How many kids do you want?” I asked.
Noah kissed my head and said, “How ever many you want.”
Finding You Page 15