The Presence of Grace (Love and Loss #2) (19 page)

Chapter
Twenty

Grace

Devon left Evie and me on the deck and I tried not to worry that it would become awkward. I’d known she was coming to stay for a night before taking the kids back to California, but I hadn’t been sure how I would feel seeing her. The last time we’d been together, I’d had no idea about her previous relationship with Devon. The good news was I sensed absolutely no weirdness between us. In fact, I still really liked Evie. She was funny, smart, and it was obvious she really cared about the kids. There was no way to dislike her.

“Shelby mentioned she told you about my past with Devon.”

Well, that was one way to start a conversation.

“She did. She did not, however, mention she’d spoken to you about it.”

“I asked her not to. I didn’t want you to be on the offensive when I saw you.” Evie smiled at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. “I love Shelby, she’s great. I know you two are close, which, by the way, makes this the smallest universe ever.” She laughed. “But there’s no way Shelby can give you an accurate insight into the relationship I have with Devon.”

“No, you’re right. Shelby was concerned about me, knowing my history, but had nothing but great things to say about you. Devon filled in all the holes though, I think. I hope you aren’t upset with Shelby. She didn’t mean any harm.”

“Oh, Grace,” Evie said, waving her hand. “There isn’t a vindictive bone in Shelby’s little body. I knew she was just trying to look out for her friend. It says a lot that she would speak to both of us, ya know? She really just wants all of us to be happy, which leads me to my next point.” She paused for a moment, but then took a deep breath and continued.

“Have you ever wanted something so bad, it was all you could see? You were so focused and so intent on that one thing that you were blind to everything else? And then one day, something different popped into your vision, and suddenly, that very thing you wanted so badly wasn’t what you thought it was? Well, that was Devon. I loved him, in a way. But then Nate came along and changed all that. I’m not saying that what I felt for Devon wasn’t real, it just wasn’t what I thought it was. It was something, but it wasn’t my everything. Nate is my everything.”

All I could think about was Jeff. I’d like to think if I were still married and another man came along, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash, but comparing Jeff and Devon was unfair to both of them. Jeff paled in that comparison, and I could only thank my lucky stars that Devon had come along, even if I had to endure a painful divorce to get to him. I hoped in the end it would all be worth it.

“I’ll be really honest with you, Evie. I was really upset when I found out about your relationship with Devon. I knew there’d be complications getting involved with a widower with young children, but I love those kids and I was really up for the challenge. I hadn’t anticipated competing with another woman.” Evie tried to interrupt me, but I powered through, holding up a hand. “But I spoke about it with him and talked it through. And while I understand your relationship is complicated, I also understand it isn’t romantic, even though at one time you both thought it might have been.” She seemed to relax at my words. “If I really thought Devon was romantically invested in another woman, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You’re a wonderful woman and you deserve a great guy. And Devon is one of the best.”

“I agree,” I said with a smile. “The best thing for Ruby and Jax is if we’re all friends, so that’s what I’d like, but I’d like to be friends even if it weren’t for the kids.”

“To friendship,” she said, raising her wine glass.

“To friendship.” We clinked our glasses and took a sip.

“Olivia would have really liked you,” Evie said after a few quiet moments.

Her words were unexpected, but the really unexpected part was my reaction to them. I hadn’t ever considered what Devon’s late wife would think of me, but the idea of her approval was overwhelming and I found tears welling in my eyes. I dabbed at my eyes, trying to maintain my composure, but felt compelled to speak.

“Even if it doesn’t work out with Devon, and it’s not meant to be with us, him and those kids deserve the best, Evie. They’ve been through too much to tolerate anything less. And frankly, I’ve had a pretty bad run myself. So, if they get even one tiny fraction of the happiness from me that I get from them, well, that’s all I can ask for.”

I watched as Evie dabbed away her own tears and then the sliding door opened and Devon walked out.

“Oh, no. Too much wine,” he joked as he took his seat, making both Evie and me laugh through our tears.

“No such thing,” Evie quipped.

I reached forward and clinked my glass against hers again, making Devon smile. I loved his smile. Especially when it reached his deep blue eyes and the little crinkles at the corners came out.

“I was just telling Grace that Olivia would have really liked her.”

Devon went quiet for a moment, but his smile never faltered. Then he reached over and took my hand, threaded our fingers, and brought the back of my hand to his lips, leaving a kiss there.

“Yes, I do believe she would have.”

“Really?” I asked, new tears stinging in my eyes. I didn’t have a clue as to why the idea made me so emotional, but it did.

“Aw, come here, babe.”

I rose up and took two steps to him, then sat on his lap, my arms winding around his neck, pressing my face to his chest, trying to keep the tears to a minimum.

“You don’t have to cry,” he said as he ran his hand up and down my back. “She would have loved you. And trust me, if she could pick anyone for me, it would be you.”

“Stop,” I said, sniffing against his chest.

“Okay,” he said, laughing a little. “But you ladies have to lay off the wine. You can’t drive home like this. I’ll have to take you.”

“Oh, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that.” I pulled back and wiped my tears, but Devon wouldn’t let me get far and kept his arm wrapped firmly around my waist.

“It’s not a problem. Evie’s more than capable of being alone with my sleeping children for a half hour so I can drive you home.”

“I don’t mind one bit,” she said with a firm nod of her head. “But before you go, I wanted to tell you both something. Well, Nate wanted to be here too, but that didn’t work out.” She took a breath and smiled widely. “We’ve picked a wedding date.”

“Really?” I exclaimed. “When?”

“We want to have a Christmas wedding, in Hawaii.”

“Oh my goodness! That’s going to be beautiful!”

“That sounds amazing, Evie. I’m so happy for you,” Devon said, gently putting me down and standing to hug her.

“Thank you,” she said, hugging him back. “We want the kids to be in the wedding. Ring bearer and flower girl. Or maybe Ruby can be in the bridal party? I don’t want to make her feel like a child.”

“I think Ruby would love to be a part of your wedding in any way,” Devon said.

“So, you’ll come? Both of you?” Evie asked, her eyes darting between us.

“We wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Devon replied, hugging her again. When he pulled back, I moved to hug her too. There was so much happiness between all three of us, it almost felt like electricity in the air.

“Congratulations,” I said as we hugged, meaning it with everything in me. Evie wasn’t a threat to my relationship with Devon; I’d learned that. And if we’d met outside of those circumstances, I would have become fast friends with her.

“Thank you,” she said as she pulled away.

“What kind of dress are you going to wear?”

“That’s my cue to go get another beer,” Devon said, laughing as he went into the house. Evie and I sat on the porch for another hour, looking at dresses and talking about venues, and there wasn’t an ounce of awkwardness. Just the excitement of a new friendship.

Chapter
Twenty-One

Devon

If I’d had any questions about Evie and Grace, they’d been put to rest. Nothing bonded women like wedding talk. The two women hugged at the door and said their good-byes before I walked Grace to my car and reluctantly drove her home for the evening.

Halfway to her house, her hand holding mine and resting in my lap, I turned to look at her.

“You know, you don’t have to stay at your house just because Evie’s in town for the night.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I didn’t want to be in the way or anything. Plus, one houseguest is enough.”

“You’re not a houseguest, Grace. You’re my girlfriend.” Even in the darkness of the car, I could tell she was blushing.

“It’s better this way,” she said, giving my hand a squeeze. “The kids will get some great time with Evie.”

“It’s not you or her, Grace. They can get great time with Evie when you’re there too. I know you’re doing this because it feels right to you, but I just want you to understand that I don’t want you to go anywhere. For any reason. I don’t want you to feel like you’re not welcome. I want you there. I want you with me.”

“I love that you feel that way. And maybe next time I’ll feel comfortable, but tonight it feels right to go to my own home. Evie’s on your couch and it would feel awkward to sleep in your bed with someone down the hall.”

I could understand her point, but it didn’t make me feel any better about the situation. I’d gotten used to her in my bed and I wasn’t looking forward to a night without her.

“The entire time the kids are gone, you’re at my house. When you pack your bags in the morning, pack so you don’t have to come back for anything. All right?”

“Bossy,” she said with a smirk on her face.

“Damn straight,” I said, bringing the back of her hand up for a kiss. “I’ll come pick you up right after I drop Evie and the kids off at the airport tomorrow afternoon, and I’m not taking you home. I want you in my bed every night.”

“Okay,” she whispered, but I could tell she was smiling.

I pulled into her apartment complex, walked her to the door, and kissed her silly before she slipped into her home. I wanted nothing more than to follow her in and take her to bed, but I knew I had to bide my time. I stayed outside her door until I heard the dead bolt click, then made my way back to my car.

The kids were excited to fly to California, but I was still glad Evie was there to accompany them. Instead of a nervous good-bye, the kids were happy and practically vibrating with anticipation. The flight would be long, but they were armed with snacks, tablets, and books. I hugged and kissed both of them, told them to have the best time but to also be on their best behavior, and then I pulled Evie into a hug.

“Don’t take any crap from them,” I said with a laugh. “And make sure you tell Nate I said hello.”

“I will,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry about a thing. They’re in good hands and we’re going to have the best time.”

“Disney World for spring break
and
Disneyland on summer vacation? I bet no one at school had a summer that cool,” Jaxy said, smiling from ear to ear.

“I bet you’re right.”

Evie put her hand on my arm and angled me away from the kids.

“You have a good time too, okay?” she said, and then winked. “Enjoy the time without the kids. I know you’ll miss them, but make sure you live it up without them. Go to a late movie, one that’s R-rated, and eat all the junk food.”

“Trust me, I’ve got plenty of adult activities planned.”

“Good,” she said with a laugh.

I watched them go through security and disappear around a corner, then let out a large sigh. I would miss them, but it was still a tiny relief to know they’d be gone a few days. Evie was more than capable of taking care of them. For three years I’d been doing it practically on my own, so I wasn’t going to take this time for granted.

I had to stop a couple places to grab some supplies, but then I was going to pick up Grace and spend a few days enjoying her.

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Grace

Devon meant business when he said I wasn’t allowed to leave his house while the kids were away. When he picked me up, he took me straight there. He opened the door and motioned for me to walk in first, and I was greeted by four bouquets of one dozen roses each, one red, one pink, one purple, and one white. He said there was a dozen roses for each month since we’d met for the second time.

There was champagne, strawberries, and then there was Devon. He’d gone out of his way to give me a romantic evening, but all I’d needed was him.

For two days he held me captive.

Two gloriously wonderful and sexy days.

But eventually I convinced him we needed to leave the house and get some fresh air.

We went to a movie.

We went out to dinner.

We went on a champagne cruise around the marinas and coastline, all the while Devon’s hands never left my skin. He was either holding my hand, grabbing my waist, or pulling me into his side with a strong arm around my shoulders. He wanted me near and I wanted the same thing.

At night he made love to me, telling me over and over how much he loved me, how glad he was we’d found each other again, and how he couldn’t see his life without me in it. He held me close, spooning me as we slept, and made love again to me in the morning.

We video chatted with the kids every day, and I loved hearing about how much fun they were having with Evie and Nate, how exciting it was to be at Disney again, and all the rides they enjoyed. What made me smile the most though was how they seemed just as excited to talk to me as they did to Devon. They told me they missed me, and I with tears threatening told them how much I missed them too.

Talking to them made me emotional and on the second day I broke down.

“What wrong, babe?” Devon asked as soon as we hung up.

“I’m not sure. I just miss seeing their faces and talking to them, I guess. I miss the way Jaxy irritates Ruby and how Ruby rolls her eyes at you,” I said through a mixture of laughter and cries.

“Ah, baby, I miss them too. They’ll be home soon.”

He said the word home like it included me, and deep down I hoped it would.

The day the kids were supposed to fly home was lazy. Devon went in to work, kissing me soundly before he left, grumbling about how the last night of an empty house had passed, but I remained in his bed, soaking up one of my last free days before I would have to go back to work at the school. I picked up a book I’d been trying to read all week, but hadn’t because Devon wouldn’t let me get a minute to myself. I smiled at the memory of him ripping the book from my hands and throwing it across the room before rolling me onto my back and keeping me otherwise occupied.

Without shame or regret, I stayed in his bed reading for hours.

I knew I’d have to get up eventually, but those hours were precious. The plan was for Devon to pick the kids up at the airport when he got off work. After their first flight, both the kids felt comfortable flying home on their own, so all the adults figured it would be okay to save Evie the time and the money, and let them fly as unaccompanied minors.

My phone rang an hour before their flight was to come in. I smiled when I saw it was Devon.

“Hey, you on your way to the airport?”

“Not quite,” he said, sounding frustrated.

“What’s wrong?”

“My mom was sick yesterday, and now my dad is sick, so there’s no one here to watch the store. Usually, I’d just close up early and call it a day, but the computer system crashed and the software company’s customer service line is only open for a few more hours.”

I sat up from the bed and started looking for my shoes.

“I’ll go get the kids, it’s no problem.”

“I appreciate that, but when Evie took them to the airport she gave them my name so no one else can get them now. I called the airline and checked. Only the person who was listed can pick them up, and I have to show ID.”

“Oh, well, that sucks for us at the moment, but I understand. It’s a good call on their part.”

“Yeah.”

“How can I help?”

“Do you think you could meet me at the airport? I’ll get the kids off the plane, then you can take them home while I go back to the store to try and get the computer system put back together.”

“Of course. I’ll leave in just a minute.”

Devon let out a sigh of relief.

“You know, I’ve done this for three years by myself, and I love you for a lot of reasons, but right now I love you for just being there. You’ll never know how much your help and support means to me.”

“Hopefully you’ll never have to do it by yourself again,” I said softly, letting all my insecurities take a back seat. It made me indescribably happy that Devon called me when he had a problem and wanted me to help him fix it. It had been a long time since I’d felt like someone’s partner, or like someone needed me.

“Not if I have anything to do about it,” he replied. “I love you, baby. I’ll meet you at the baggage claim at the airport.”

“Okay, I love you too.”

When I saw Devon round the corner by the baggage claim, my face lit up. Then, from behind him, Jaxy came running toward me, arms outstretched and smile wide.

“Grace!” he exclaimed as he lunged for me. “I got to sit in the cockpit!” His arms wrapped around my waist and his face burrowed into my belly. I leaned down and squeezed him hard, thankful to be able to hug him again. He leaned back, but just his head, and looked up at me. “They said maybe next time I could help fly the plane!”

I laughed, but chose to go along with it. “Sounds amazing!”

“He kept asking them a million questions about flying so I think they just told him that to make him stop,” Ruby said, trying to sound annoyed, but I could tell otherwise when she reached out and ruffled his hair.

Ruby stepped up next to me and wrapped one arm around my back, giving me a side hug. I wrapped my one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, pressing my cheek against the top of her head.

“Hey,” I said to her softly. “How’d it go?” I asked the question quietly, not wanting to embarrass her in front of the boys by talking about her period. “Any issues?”

She looked up at me and smiled. “Nope. It was gone by the time we went to Disney.” A smile broke out across her face and then she leaned into me again.

My eyes met Devon’s as I had both his children wrapped in my arms and he mouthed, “I love you.”

All I could do in response was pull his children closer and mouth back, “Thank you.”

With their bags loaded into my car and the kids buckled into my backseat, Devon kissed me soundly on the lips and said he’d be home as soon as he could.

The drive home was filled with story after story of their time in California, all the fun things they’d done with Evie and Nate, and how they couldn’t wait to visit again next summer. I sat quietly and listened, loving the way they were sharing everything with me, uncensored, without thinking. They trusted me and wanted to share things with me, and that made me unreasonably happy. Happier than I’d been in a very long time.

Along the way, I happened to notice a small white car make a really quick lane change behind me, squeezing in where there was hardly any room. The white car’s driving made me nervous, so I sped up to put some distance between us. For the rest of the way to Devon’s house I noticed the white car made all the same turns I did. By the time we were on the outskirts of their neighborhood, I was starting to worry.

When I pulled into Devon’s driveway, I watched as the white car drove past. I let out a breath of relief when it turned at the end of the block, but my pulse was still racing.

Jaxy and Ruby climbed out of the car, arguing about who got control over the television remote first, as I went to the trunk to unload their bags.

“Ruby, will you please go unlock the door and leave it open so we can get everything inside?” I said, handing my keys to her.

“Sure,” she said with a smile.

I opened the trunk and grabbed Jaxy’s tiny suitcase that had Ninja Turtles on it and handed it to him.

“Here, Jaxy, take this inside. And if you could, before you fight over the TV with your sister, take all your dirty clothes to the laundry room so I can start a load.”

“Okay,” he said, happily taking his Ninja Turtle suitcase from me.

Just then I saw the same white car coming back toward the house. Panicking, all I could think of was getting the kids inside.

“Jaxy,” I said, trying to keep the sudden terror from my voice but doing a horrible job. “Go inside and lock the door. Do not let your sister come out. Call your father and tell him to come home immediately.”

“What?” His eyes were round with worry and confusion.

“Jaxy, baby, you have to do as I say.” I looked over and saw the white car coming closer still. “Go inside. Now!” He ran from me, terrified, and my heart hurt for scaring him, but I had to keep him safe. The white car pulled to a stop across the street and I watched as the door opened and a man got out. Distantly, I heard the door lock behind me and Ruby yelling at Jaxy, trying to figure out what was going on, and the only thing I could think was that I was the last thing standing between whoever it was in the white car and those kids.

As the man stepped closer, I finally recognized him and my heart stopped cold.

“I only want to talk,” he said, now in the middle of the street, walking straight toward me.

“I have a restraining order against you. You’re not supposed to be within fifty feet of me. You need to leave.”

“Not until you listen to me.” His hand was in the pocket of his hoodie and the thought of what he could have in it made a huge lump form in my throat. My eyes were glued to his arm where his hand disappeared into the black fabric, but he kept talking. “Listen, this is all just one big misunderstanding. I’m not a criminal. I don’t deserve to go to jail.”

“You should have thought about that before you assaulted me behind the bar.”

“I don’t even remember that!” he screamed at me, moving even closer, his body jolting and jumping erratically. I heard more yelling from inside the house and all I could hope was that the kids would stay inside. “I was drunk! I’m not some scumbag who’d rape someone behind a bar.” One of his hands came up to run through his hair, but halfway through his fingers gripped it and he tugged. “There’s just so much pressure,” he said, coming closer still. I took a step back but he just continued forward. “I’m supposed to graduate this year, get a job, be the successful businessman my father is, but I can’t do what my father does. I can’t
be
my father. I hate him.”

My eyes kept glancing at his hoodie, hoping and praying he kept his hand in there, for fear of what he was holding.

“If I get charged with assault, my father will disown me,” he said as if it were explanation enough. As though at his words I should just shrug and say, “Oh, well why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

But I didn’t say anything. I just took another step back, silently cursing when the back of my legs hit the bumper of my car. I was effectively trapped.

He came closer and my breathing quickened. I had nowhere to go and I had no idea what was in his pocket. I feared the worst, scenarios running through my mind. Would he shoot me? Stab me? Would Devon get here in time? Would the kids find me dead? All thoughts caused a whirlwind in my brain. My lungs worked overtime. Suddenly, there were spots, and my vision was spinning.

The last thing I saw was the man coming closer and standing over me, pulling his hand from his pocket.

Then everything went black.