Restoration (5 page)

Chapter 6

Grace spent the rest of the morning sitting at the kitchen table going over blueprints, legal documents, and historic maps of the area. She hoped if she kept herself busy, she’d be able to take her mind off that amazing kiss.

It was just about noon when she finally took a break from her work. Standing and stretching, she went to the kitchen to make herself some lunch and caught sight of the
Likes Time Lords
mug setting on her drying rack. Her fingers came up to her lips as she remembered the feel of his hands around her face and in her hair.

She jumped as her phone vibrated loudly on the counter.

“H . . . Hello?”

“Grace? What’s wrong?” Valerie’s voice was filled with concern.

“Nothing,” she said hastily. “I’m fine. I was just in the middle of a blueprint comparison. Your call surprised me.”

Valerie sighed on the other end of the line. “It’s Saturday. You’re allowed to take the weekend off, you know. Go soak up some sun before the cold weather takes over.”

Grace smiled and nodded as Valerie continued chattering.

“Anyway, the reason I’m calling is to make sure the groceries arrived. I went in this morning to get some stuff and Drew said he’d deliver them.”

Grace’s eyebrows rose.
That’s a slightly different story from Drew’s
.

“Yep, he delivered them all right. I was in the bath!” She couldn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Valerie tried to stifle a laugh, but managed a snort instead. “That must have been interesting. Sorry.”

“Did you need anything else?”

“Now that you mention it, I’m going to be home late tonight. We’re having a great time. London is so amazing! Would you mind stopping at Ten’s and getting me a few things I forgot? I can text you the list.”

Grace’s heart flipped at the thought of seeing Drew. “I guess I could, sure. Send me the list. It’s that or keep working on blueprints.”

“Thanks, Grace. You’re a star.” Valerie hung up before she could answer.

How had Valerie suddenly become the boss?

Grace grabbed her purse and slipped on a pair of shoes. A quick glance in the hall mirror to see if she was presentable showed bright eyes, slightly flushed cheeks, and tousled but stylish hair.

“Not bad, Miss McConnell. You’ve looked worse,” she said to her reflection as she grabbed a raincoat and headed out into the crisp afternoon.

Walking slowly down the street, she took in the picturesque town she now called home. It was nearing the end of September, the leaves on the trees lining the streets were just beginning to change color at their tips. The air had a slight bite to it; not cold, just a hint of fall chill. The sun shone through sparse clouds, casting a lovely glow on the trees. In the distance, the clouds of an oncoming storm loomed.

She’d decided to head to the local library to take a look at their selection of light reading before braving Ten’s grocery. For all her professionalism and no-nonsense attitude, she was a romantic at heart. She loved to escape into a fluffy romance or a bit of chic-lit now and then.

The library was situated at the opposite end of the town square from her house, which resulted in a leisurely walk through rows of shops, cafés, and of course, Ten’s grocery. As she walked past Ten’s, her heart sped up and she glanced quickly around for any sign of Drew. Not seeing him, she quickened her pace and made her way into the library.

When she entered the small brick building, she immediately took in the familiar smell of paper, and turned the corner to see it was crammed full of books. Every possible inch of space, save the aisles, was loaded with tall shelves overflowing with literature.

“Can I help you find something, miss?” a woman’s voice called from behind a towering stack of books at the librarian’s desk.

“Um, no. No, thanks. I’m just looking around.”

“All right, let me know if you need help. The sections are all labeled according to genre.”

Grace slowly wandered the aisles, taking her time to investigate anything that looked interesting. After she’d selected a few romance novels and a book about the history of Braley from the reference section, she decided it was time to head over to Ten’s and pick up the items on Valerie’s list.

Rounding the corner, she made her way to the librarian’s desk.

“You following me, Miss McConnell?”

She stopped in her tracks when she heard Drew’s soft voice behind her. She turned, her face heating in a telltale blush. “No. Just getting some books from my local library. Maybe
you’re
the one following
me
.”

He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was leaning against a reading table, one eyebrow raised. “Look, I don’t know what happened this morning . . . I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what to say. I think I misunderstood.”

Her fingers jumped to her collar and she immediately started to fidget with her sweater, suddenly feeling too warm and uncomfortable. On reflex she reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone pretending to check her messages. “Let’s just forget about it. No harm done.”

His face fell slightly, but he took a deep breath and reached out, taking her phone from her hand. “I, well . . . should you be needing any more grocery deliveries, or, erm, anything else, here’s my mobile number. Phone me anytime.”

Drew handed her phone back without making eye contact and walked away quickly, hands in his pockets. She watched him leave, completely baffled.

Momentarily forgetting where she was, the voice of the librarian brought her attention back to her surroundings. “Are you going to check out those books or not, miss?” The librarian, a pretty woman in her early twenties, peered around the stack of returns she’d been checking in.

A little young to be a librarian.

Grace caught sight of the nametag dangling in the woman’s cleavage.
Billie Tyler, Assistant Librarian
. She looked down at the books in her hand. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. I need to sign up for a library card, I suppose.”

“You’re one of those Americans working on fixing up our town, then?” Billie asked while she issued the library card. “I’ve heard all about you. Coming in here and giving poor Drew a hard time. He’s been through enough with his mum being so sick. You leave off him.”

Grace was taken aback at the harshness of her words. “Excuse me? I haven’t done anything to him. I hardly know him.”

“Yeah, well, see that it stays that way. I’ve been working on him for months now and no bleedin’ American is gonna get in the way.” Billie narrowed her eyes as she handed her books over the counter.

Grace was confused by the hostile tone coming from a woman she’d just met. Everyone in Braley had been so kind and welcoming.

“Thanks for the advice,
Billie
. I’ll take it under consideration.” As Grace turned to leave, she saw an older woman come around from the back of the library.

“Billie! That’s quite enough.” The woman was plump, her long dark hair streaked with white. She had the face of a kindergarten teacher; kind yet firm. “Maybe you should head on home. Storm’s coming anyway. We all need to get safely inside.”

Color crept up Billie’s face as she gathered her things and left without another word. Grace looked from the fleeing Billie to her defender.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Don’t pay her any mind. She’s had a bee in her bonnet about every girl Drew’s ever shown an interest in,” the woman said. “I’m the librarian, Annette Tilly. You can call me Anne.”

“Thank you, Anne. I’m Grace McConnell.”

Anne smiled. “I know who you are, love. Everyone does. This is a small town. Hardly anything happens here that goes unnoticed.”

Grace flushed and clutched her books closer to her chest. She smiled and nodded as she turned to leave.

“Grace, love? Pop round for tea soon? Mine is the cottage two down from yours.” Anne was smiling, but Grace could tell refusal was not an option. “You can bring the biscuits.”

When Grace left the library, the rain had picked up from
a slight drizzle to fat and frequent drops. Not having the sense to bring an umbrella, she zipped her books into her coat and pulled her hood over her head.

Dark purple clouds hung low in the sky, threatening a heavy rain. They’d rolled in during her library visit and the birds had stopped their chittering. She stepped off the stoop of the library’s entrance and briskly began her walk toward Ten’s.

The intensity of the raindrops increased and the added combination of strong side winds blew the rain up rather than down, completely rendering her raincoat useless. By the time she made it to Ten’s, her hood had been blown off her head and her hair and face were soaked. She shrugged out of her wet coat and laid it over the grocery cart, carefully placing her library books inside.

She roamed the aisles, picking and choosing the few essentials Valerie had neglected to order. Shaking her head as she added each item; milk, eggs, bread, and so on, her suspicions were quickly reinforced. Valerie was so transparent, it was almost laughable.
Drew said he’d deliver them. Sure, Val.
As she was mentally preparing her dinner and ensuring she had all the necessary components, her phone buzzed.

Staying in London tonight. See you sometime tomorrow. -V

With this new development in her rapidly diminishing social calendar, Grace ratcheted a bottle of good red wine to the top of her grocery list for the night. Wine and ice cream.

As she directed her cart to the register, her heart constricted with a now all-too-familiar pang of anxiety when she spied a tall, dark-haired figure attending the register. Nervous energy bloomed until the man in question turned around and she realized he was not Drew. In fact, he looked nothing like him. His hair was too closely cropped, ears too large, and eyes too close together. She breathed a sigh of relief, while a feeling of emptiness and disappointment caught her off guard.

As the man—whose nametag said
Henry
—rang up her purchases, she felt increasingly silly for being so concerned about seeing Drew. Her mind wandered, justifying the kiss they’d shared.
After all, he’s just some guy who happens to look a lot like John. He actually doesn’t look that much like him anyway.
She told herself she must be feeling homesick and needed something to cling to from her old life.

“ . . . prepared for tonight?” Henry’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Grace blushed, embarrassed at being caught with her mind wandering. “I’m sorry?”

“Storm’s supposed to be pretty bad tonight. It’ll probably cut the power for a bit. Best make sure you’ve got loads of candles and firewood. Have you got matches?”

The door opened with a merry jingle, announcing the arrival of another rain-soaked customer. Grace looked up to see Drew walk in, his hair wet from the heavy rain and dripping in his eyes. He pulled off his coat and hung it on the hook while she watched, unnoticed. His raincoat looked to have done about as much good to protect him from the weather as her own had.

As he was hanging it, she watched the muscles of his back move under his wet shirt. He was strong and lean. Her gaze lingered on him until again she was interrupted by Henry’s voice.

“Miss?”

Drew noticed her then. He smiled slightly and she felt color rush up her cheeks for what must have been the hundredth time since this morning.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks,” she said as she shoved some money at Henry and snatched up her purchases. Flustered, she rushed out of the grocery store.

By the time she realized she’d forgotten her coat and books in the cart, she was halfway home and soaked to the bone. Her teeth were chattering as she got out her keys and opened the door to her cottage.

She checked the time and cursed inwardly. She was supposed to meet up with her mom on Skype in five minutes. She logged on and waited for her mom to connect. Nothing happened. She checked her network status and felt her frustration threaten to boil over when she saw
No Internet Connection
on her screen.

Stupid storm.
Her heart sank and tears pooled in her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her crazy mother.

She remembered so many conversations beginning with
When you get married . . .
but the last one they’d had before she left had been important. She’d been staying at her parents’ house as her departure date crept up on her. In the late hours of the evening before she left,
she’d found her mother waiting at the kitchen table with a mug of tea and a wistful smile on her lips.

“How was your day, honey?”

Grace shrugged and sat down with her mother.

“Do you have anything left to take care of? Tomorrow’s the big day.”

“I’m pretty well set,” Grace said. “I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up in the morning, then I’ll get a cab to the airport with Valerie and we’ll be on our way.”

Her mother smiled at her. “I’m so proud of you, Grace. I know I seem silly about getting married and having a man in your life, but I just want you to have what I have with your dad.”

“Mom, I had that. John was my person. He’s gone. I don’t think I could ever look into another man’s eyes like I did his.” She put her head in her hands and sighed. “I see him every night in my dreams. I can still smell his aftershave, feel his lips. How can I even think about being with anyone else?”

Sadness crept back into her mother’s eyes as she rested her hand on Grace’s. It was warm from the heat of her cup and it radiated through hers.

“Don’t write off falling in love again, honey. John would want to see you happy.
”

Grace groaned in frustration as she reset her wireless router for the fifth time and still got the same result,
No Internet Connection
. A pang of homesickness hit her hard. She wanted to talk to her mom, tell her about Drew and everything she’d been feeling.

“Damn it all to hell!” She slammed her laptop shut and stalked over to the kitchen.

It was chilly in the little cottage; her skin was covered in goosebumps. Luckily, she did have a small supply of kindling and wood and was able to get a nice fire started quickly after she got her dinner warming in the microwave. She hung her wet clothes to dry by the hearth and settled in on the cozy chair in her unglamorous fleece pajama pants and soft jersey-knit shirt. Next to her was a large glass of rich red wine and
Pride and Prejudice
was playing on TV.