Restoration (23 page)

Chapter 25

“Did you call him?” Valerie asked, coming out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her tiny frame.

“Yep.” Grace’s chest tightened and she began pacing the living room in effort to push back her anxiety.

“And?”

“He’s in Surrey. With Sarah. For the wedding,” she said pointedly.

“What?”

“That’s what the girl at Ten’s said. His cell went straight to voicemail and the mailbox is full, so I called the grocery. She said he’s in Surrey with Sarah for the wedding. She didn’t know when he’d be back.”

“Who is
Sarah
?” Valerie said the name with a sneer of dislike.

“His ex-wife.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “He was married?”

Grace nodded. “Yeah. Five years ago. He told me she was out of his life. He caught her cheating on him with his co-worker in London. I guess she really did a number on him, according to Annette.”

Her mind went back to her tea with the Braley librarian. The sweet old woman who’d lived in Braley longer than almost anyone else there. She knew every family and had watched most of the kids grow up over the years. Grace could recall the cozy sitting room of Annette’s house, warm and inviting. She’d enjoyed her tea and biscuits, while Annette told her stories about the town.

“What about you and young Mr. Tensley? He’s been taking you round quite a lot. You know …” her eyes twinkled with mischief. “He’s the marrying sort.”

Grace had snorted in her teacup.

“Be careful with that one. He’s had a hard road. First that awful Sarah breaks his heart and then his Mum gets sick.”

“He told me Sarah was out of the picture.”

Annette took a sip of her tea. “Oh, she is. Until she isn’t. That girl is like quicksand for him. As long as she stays away, he’ll be fine. She’s the kind that gets her hooks in and never really lets go.”

“What do you mean?” Her interest was piqued.

“She’s got some kind of hold on him. I don’t understand it myself, but she’s got a power over that boy. He’s better when he’s not with her, happier, but somehow she comes back round and he can’t stay away, no matter what. I don’t think I’ve seen him with a girl more than once since he came back. In fact, I think you’re the first one he’s been regular with. Drew’s not the sort to fanny about with a girl. He’s either with her or he isn’t.”

“Hmm.” Grace had sipped the rest of her tea in silence.

Valerie clicked her tongue, bringing Grace back to the moment. “You don’t think he . . . wedding?”

“Oh, God. No, I really don’t think so. At least I hope not. It would serve me right, I guess.” She dropped her head into her hands. “He sort of hates her. Annette told me she’s a problem, though.”

“What should we do?”

“What
can
we do? I can’t leave. The project’s in critical stages and I have to be here for them. If he’s back with her, there’s nothing
to do
anyway.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Grace shook her head. “It’s nothing I don’t deserve. I told him he was a replacement, that I was using him. I wanted him to move on, away from me because I was so messed up. I just didn’t think he’d do it so quickly.” She wiped a tear from her cheek and sniffed.

Valerie’s eyes were sad. “I’m so . . . It’s just not fair.”

“It’s fine. Now I know he’s not suffering without me. I need to move past this.” She took a deep breath and plastered an overly bright smile on her face. “Let’s get ready for work, huh?”

The week passed quickly and Grace felt better than she had in almost a month. Even though the thought of Drew still felt like a knife in her heart, she was able to move through the pain and be productive. She was eating again, making sure to drink lots of water, and running to be healthy, not to punish herself. Aside from a lingering ache in her hips when she ran, she was feeling back to her normal self. The project was being extended and she had her hands full. She liked being busy. It made her feel less inconsequential and kept her mind clear.

The firefighters from John’s station had begun reaching out to her, inviting her to functions, treating her like she’d never left, but she couldn’t face them. Donovan’s criticism and harsh words still made her cringe and flush in shame. She felt like her emotions were stuck in a blender going at high speed.

She couldn’t win. She thought of Drew and felt guilty for loving John’s brother; she tried not to think of Drew and felt guilty for hurting him. When she wasn’t filled with self-loathing, she was gripped with the fear that she’d sent him on a path of self-destructive behavior. All the while, she was still trying to staunch the aching deep hole in her chest where her heart should’ve been.

“God! Get a grip, Grace!” She launched her stapler at the closed door of her office, which nailed its target with a satisfying thump.

She blushed in embarrassment when Valerie opened the door and popped her head in. “What’s going on in here?”

She nodded and waved her in. “Sorry. I just . . . sometimes the frustration is too much.”

“Yeah, I get it. I really do. Maybe you should try calling him again? See if you can get the details?” The phone on her hip buzzed. “Hold on, email from Bidwell.” Grace waited while Valerie read the message. “He wants us in his office.”

George Bidwell had the appearance of a formidable man; dom
inating the room in every setting, with his large boisterous personality and assertive attitude. Grace knew the truth about him. He was a softy. She’d known him since childhood when her father and he worked for the same firm. They’d played golf together weekly and he and his late wife were regular dinner guests at the McConnell home. He and his wife hadn’t had children, but had always treated her like their own daughter. Working for him was a privilege and in this line of work she was lucky to get in at such a prestigious firm.

“Grace, Valerie. Please, have a seat.” His face was a stoic mask as he came around to the front of his desk and leaned against it.

The chairs were polished leather that smelled delicious and felt buttery smooth. She almost sighed as she sank back onto the cushion.

“We’re sending you two back to Braley.”

Her stomach jumped into her throat. “Wh . . . What? When?”

“Probably not for another month, the weather’s been unseasonably cold and snowy still. Things should clear up by the middle of April, then you can get back to work. We’ve been picked up to restore the church and the town square. I’ll need you to hire a new foreman, though. You can pass your Jamestown project on to Ingram. He’s already been briefed on the situation and will be working with you for the next two weeks.”

“But the investigation? The accident?”

Bidwell waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Ruled to be completely the fault of the foreman . . . Mickey or Rickey . . . something. He was negligent and kept the workers too long as well as ordered an unsafe amount of weight on an already unstable roof. The idiot.”

“So, what about our living arrangements?”

“I spoke with Mary Kinton personally. The cottage you were in is still available and will be waiting for you when you arrive. Apparently, your lease was paid even after you left. I’ll have to check with accounting and see what happened there.”

She was speechless. Ever since leaving Braley, she’d wanted to go back. But now that Drew was out of her life, she wasn’t sure how she felt.

“Any questions, ladies?” Bidwell leveled his gaze on them.

“No. Thank you, Mr. Bidwell.” Valerie spoke up for both of them.

“Grace? Are you all right? You look pale.”

She fought off the sudden wave of nausea. “Fine, fine. I just need to eat something.”

She ran for the bathroom with Valerie hot on her heels. She’d already eaten lunch and was grateful for Valerie’s silence on the subject. As soon as the door was closed, she fell to her knees and was violently ill.

“Grace? Oh, my God, are you all right?”

Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her stomach quivered, but was beginning to calm. She dabbed her mouth with a square of toilet paper.

“Fine. Better now.”

“Something you ate?” Valerie’s voice was suspicious.

“No. I’m sure it’s nerves. I probably have an ulcer or something. God, I’m a mess.”

“Maybe you should take the rest of the day off? Get yourself together?”

“No. Get me some antacids and let’s pull up our plans for the Braley church so Bidwell can see what we’ve already done.”

She needed to focus on her career right now. Drew was just one person in a sea of millions. Billions even. She wasn’t going to let one person keep her from the biggest project she’d ever worked on.

Preparing to move back to Braley this time around was different for Grace. She’d done the
excited
thing last time and now that she knew what she was going back to, or not going back to as the case may be, her mind was focused elsewhere. She spent considerable hours on the project, enjoyed spending time with her parents and John’s family, and tried to come to terms with the fact that Drew wouldn’t be waiting for her when she returned.

Spring was in full force in Virginia now that April was in its beginning days. She enjoyed the fresh smell of the beach after the rain and the feel of the salty sea air without the bitter cold that accompanied winter.

Her runs gave way to more leisurely strolls as the days went by and her move date approached. She wasn’t as able to focus on her stride due to the nagging pain in her hips, now regular and consistent. Her energy level dwindled as her stress increased and her stomach issues were becoming a daily problem. She’d cut caffeine and acidic foods and drinks out of her diet, but couldn’t seem to keep her stomach calm.

Valerie encouraged her to see a doctor before they left to rule out an ulcer and after two weeks of stomach-related problems getting in the way of work, she’d made an appointment.

Her visit was scheduled for a week before the move and she felt nervous and frightened that there might be something more sinister lurking. Her grandmother had died at the young age of forty, complications from cancer of the stomach. She’d never had the chance to know her mother’s mother, but heard the story every year on the anniversary of her death.

“She was fine, no problems at all. Then one day she started getting sick. Throwing up all the time, no energy, she couldn’t even drink water. By the time the doctors found the cancer, she had just a few weeks left. It was horrible.” Her mother relayed the story of her childhood trauma to anyone who would listen.

Cancer? Oh, Jesus, please don’t let it be cancer.
She crossed her fingers and munched on the Goldfish crackers she’d started stashing in her purse. They were the only thing she could eat without feeling sick.

Her phone buzzed as she made the turn back to the boardwalk and off the beach.

Phone me please - D

Her heart skipped a beat. She sent a quick response back.

Why? Seems like you’ve moved on.

She waited for a response with baited breath.

Needed to think things through. Please ring?

He needed time to think. She couldn’t help the jealousy that crept in at the thought of what he’d been doing while
thinking
.

I’m busy. Getting ready to move. Tell Sarah I say
Hi
.

She turned off her phone without waiting for a response, knowing fully that she was the one responsible for their damaged relationship. The fact that he was reaching out to her after over a month made her wonder just how involved he was with Sarah.
You’ll be there in a few weeks and then you can see for yourself.

She ached to see his face; those eyebrows that moved with a life of their own, showing every little thing he was feeling. She missed his smile. The one that was so infectious you couldn’t help but cheer up at the sight of it. She missed so many things about him; everything really. But the feeling of his lips on hers, his body connected to her—that was a deep and painful ache. Seeing him, being near him, was going to be a test of her resolve.

She fished the keys to her dad’s truck out of her purse as she rounded the corner to the boardwalk parking lot. She had a few things to take care of at the firm, then was off to a girl’s night with Valerie.

“Grace! Grace!” a masculine voice called from the other end of the boardwalk.

She turned to see Donovan, the man who’d berated her, humiliated and shamed her, walking toward the parking lot.

“Go away, Donovan. I don’t need any more abuse from you.”

He hung his head in shame at her words, but continued on his path.

“Listen, I’m so sorry. I fucked up. I’ve been thinking about it, going over it in my head. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. You should be happy, however you can.”

Her heart squeezed. “Too late for that.”

“Marianne came to the firehouse to see us a few days ago. She still makes us meals sometimes, ya know?” He scuffed the toe of his boot on the gravel and grabbed the back of his neck with one hand. “Anyway, she told us that guy was John’s brother. That you’d found him by sheer chance. Gracie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said. It’s not sick, it’s a miracle.”

Tears came to her eyes and she nodded at him. “Thanks,” she whispered as she turned to get in the truck.

“Grace? You’re gonna go back for him, right?”

“I have to,” she said.