Chapter 26

Grace

For the past few days I'd felt an ongoing sense of unease. It's been persistent and invasive, making me second guess each and every move I'd made from a trip to the grocery store to the short drive to Mabel's house. There'd been no sign of Trent so there really was no good reason for me to be so nervous, but I couldn't help it. That image of him had shaken me more than I wanted anyone to know.

That one glimpse of Trent was enough to turn my whole world upside down. He looked different than I remembered him, or maybe I'd conjured up some bigger and tougher version of him in my mind, but the man in the Mustang was paler and slimmer than he'd been before I left Ohio. But it wasn't just the looks, it was the sunken eyes that made him seem more wicked or more evil—more desperate. He was my own personal boogeyman, and he was back in my life, exactly where I didn't want him.

He was the reason I stood inside Mabel's front door inhaling and exhaling, working up the courage to say to Mabel words I only planned to say before I left town. A shaky breath escaped, and I felt Maverick's supportive hand on the small of my back.

"You can do this," he whispered in my ear, and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

It shouldn't have felt like an intimate act, not when he meant it to be comforting, but my knees shook and my heart donkey kicked against my chest. "Thank you," I whispered, unsure if his gentle presence, his steady support made me more uneasy than Trent's reappearance. I inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, letting my limbs relax as I prepared to break my word to a woman who has been nothing but kind and generous to Sophie and me. "I got this."

"Are you two back there making kissy faces?" Mabel called out.

The sound of Sophie giggling at her side only made this even more difficult.

"You wish," I called out, and shook my head as I put one foot in front of the other until I was in the living room, my gaze on Mabel snuggling my little girl. "You'll have to get your kicks somewhere else, woman."

Mable threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, I get my kicks," she said with a devious smile.

"From where?" Maverick asked at my side. "I want names. And addresses."

Mabel laughed and so did I. Eventually, Sophie joined in even though she had no idea what was so funny. "I'll give you no such thing," Mabel said with a dismissive hand wave. "Now take Sophie outside so Grace can tell me what's put that look on her pretty face."

Leave it to Mabel to see all and know all.

Maverick looked to me and then to Mabel with a shrug. "Hey, Sophie, want to show me your new dance moves?"

She nodded excitedly and darted to the back door. "Yeah, let's go!"

My heart was in my throat watching how easy Sophie was with Maverick. She'd never been that way with Trent because he was cold and aloof, unforgiving of the impulsive ways of children.

"She'll be all right," Mabel said. "Come sit and tell me what's on your mind."

I nodded quickly, crossing the living room to take the seat beside Mabel. She took my hands in hers and gripped them tight, her silent encouragement meant the world to me. "I hate to do this to you, Mabel, but some things have happened and changed my current situation."

"You can't work here anymore," she said with a soft smile. At my shocked look, she shook her head. "I figured it was coming when Rebel showed up to tell me what was going on."

My shoulders fell. "So you know?"

"Well, honey, I've been around the block a few times, and your particular block once. He was a mean son of a gun, and if it wasn't for Maverick's grandfather, I might not have made it to my advanced age."

"You?" I couldn't stop the disbelief in my voice. "But you're so strong."

She laughed. "I wasn't always this way, it was the me that I pushed down deep when I was with him. Any sass or talking back was punished swiftly and harshly. Once he was no longer in my life, I vowed to live my life out loud and in living color."

"I still feel bad," I admitted.

"Honey, this isn't the end of our acquaintance, so it's all right. You have to do what needs to be done to keep that little girl, and yourself, safe from your ex."

"Soon-to-be ex," I added with a snort-laugh.

"Either way, you do what you have to do. I'll be fine."

"But what about—"

"My meds and groceries? Asher showed me this grocery app where nice young men deliver it straight to my door, same thing with my prescriptions. And best of all? Brenda is going to put her duplex on the market and move into my guestroom. We're gonna be roommates and take care of each other, she hated rattling around that big old house on her own."

"Really?" I gripped her hands tighter.

"That's the thing about rekindled friendships, it's like picking up right where you left off. And when or if the time comes when we need professional help, we'll get it. So when you and Sophie come visit, it'll be just that. A visit."

"Wow, you have it all figured out."

"That's what family does, Grace. We do what's needed to make life easier when it's especially hard."

"I'm sorry I brought this trouble to your doorstep."

"None of this is your fault. If that man was capable of acting like a regular human being instead of an ape, none of this would be happening. But don't worry, as much as I hate to admit it, Dylan and his friends will take care of him real good."

"I have no doubt," I admitted. "But I don't want anyone to get in any trouble because of me." The last thing I needed was one of Maverick's buddies going to jail for hurting Trent. "I just want him to go away."

"Well, that would be ideal," she said, and patted my hand. "But you and I both know that's not likely to happen."

"Thanks for being so understanding, Mabel." The last thing I wanted was to leave her or to stop working, but Trent had—once again—screwed up my plans.

"I expect to see you once a week for lunch, though. I'm excited to see how things play out with you and Dylan."

I frowned and shook my head. "I think you have the wrong idea about us, Mabel."

"Nope." She flashed a wide grin. "I pegged you two almost instantly. But I'll keep my mouth shut and let you figure it out for yourselves."

I ignored the gleam in her eyes. Nothing was happening between us.

Nothing.