36. Grace

THIRTY-SIX

GRACE

"Yeah, thanks for taking care of it, Grady," Tanner says into his phone before hanging up and setting it on the kitchen table.

"Is it bad?" I ask, turning away from the stove where I'm cooking breakfast to look at him.

"Yeah," he replies, dragging his hands down his face. "The floors have water trapped under them and it'll turn to mold if we don't have them pulled up and replaced."

I cringe. Since he's had practice every day this week, Tanner hasn't been able to get to the lighthouse to assess the damage. Every handyman in Hope Harbor has been booked solid with all the homes that were affected by the storm. Since it's right on the water, his little place got hit pretty hard. They were able to remove most of the water, but the damage is too bad to make it habitable right now.

"I can find somewhere else to go," I say, knowing it's going to put stress on him that I won't be able to stay there.

He looks up at me, raising a brow. Fuck, he's hot. "Did you really think I was letting you leave here anyway?" he asks, making me smile.

I've been driving back-and-forth to work on the days I have to be at the boutique, and working from here on the days that Claire doesn't need me. I even told my parents I was staying here. They actually bought my story about needing some time away from Cash so I could think long and hard before marrying him, and they honestly weren't too surprised when I told them I had been at the lighthouse. They were thankful that Tanner came to bring me to safety during the storm, and to them, it just looks like two friends reconnecting after years apart. They know all about his guest suite, so I don't think they've given a second thought to me being here.

I've always suspected that my mom knew a little more than she let on about my relationship with Tanner, but thankfully, my dad just wants me to be sure before I get married to Cash. My happiness has always been their number one priority, so they were completely on board with me taking some time to myself. Little do they know, that that cheating, lying sack of shit is about to be out of our lives for good. Now that the housing project is finished and the grand opening is just days away, I've already got a plan as to how he'll be taken care of.

"Are you finally going to give the place a new look?" I ask. He kept the lighthouse exactly the same as it was when we used to go there, but now that he has the chance, I figured he might want to update it to be more modern.

"Fuck no," he says, looking at me like I have an extra head growing out of my shoulder. "It's part of us."

"Is that why you got that?" I ask, pointing my spatula at the tattoo on his leg. I couldn't make out what it was the day he was chopping wood, but since I've spent the last week relearning every inch of his body, I've gotten to take in every detail of the intricate lighthouse portrait inked into his skin. Each line tells the story of love, heartbreak, and healing. It serves as a permanent reminder of where we came from, and the amazing road that still lies ahead .

He stands from the table, walking over to me and pulling me into him. "I got it," he says, pausing to drop a soft kiss to my lips, "because not a second went by while we were apart that I didn't wish I could relive that summer. On the days when I thought I couldn't breathe without you, I'd close my eyes and go back to that lighthouse, remembering what it felt like to hold my whole life in my arms."

"I love you so much," I say, pressing up onto my toes to kiss him again. I never thought we'd make it back to each other. I spent months trying to put myself back together after he left, and I thought I had. But now I know what it feels like to truly be complete. I was a shell of who I used to be without Tanner by my side, and being here with him now makes all the pain and suffering we endured worth it. I'd go through it all over again if it meant getting to love him for the rest of my life.

"You're my lighthouse," he whispers. "My way back home in the storm."

He tightens his arms around me, and we make out like teenagers, breathing each other in until the sizzling behind me forces me to pull away. He doesn't let me go as I flip the bacon, trailing wet kisses along my neck and shoulder. I try to focus on our breakfast as Tanner does everything he can to distract me. And just as I consider abandoning my mission to feed him before he heads to the stadium for tonight's primetime game, the doorbell rings.

I suck in an excited breath, releasing it on a high-pitched squeal. "She's here!" I yell, jumping on my toes as Tanner chuckles behind me. I shove the spatula into his chest, and he takes over the cooking while I run to the door, skidding to a stop to collect myself before pulling it open.

"Happy game day!" Bella says, doing a cute little shimmy with her shoulders.

"Fuck, babe," Maverick says, making his way up the steps. "Wait for a guy next time. "

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Get faster, Mav." He pinches her side, making her bark out a laugh as I step aside so they can come in.

"Tanner's in the kitchen," I tell him. He grabs Bella's face, dropping a chaste kiss to her lips before heading out of the room. I wait until he's gone before I give her the rundown.

"Okay," I say nervously. "I haven't designed anything in a really long time. So if you hate it, tell me. I promise you won't hurt my feelings."

At first, when she asked me to make some game day outfits for her, I wanted to say no. After struggling to create anything for so long, I had almost considered giving up on my dream to become a fashion designer altogether. But as soon as I sat down at my new sewing machine, everything just came together so perfectly. Tears of relief fell from my eyes as I fed the pieces of Maverick's cut up jersey through, making perfect stitches along the seams. When I was done, Tanner held me and told me how proud he was that I kept trying until I succeeded. I'm even considering reapplying to the Massachusetts College of the Arts fashion program. I still have a long way to go with my concepts, but now that I've made one piece, I want to make them all.

We enter the spare bedroom that Tanner allowed me to overtake the day after I met Bella, and I lead her to the dress form that's wearing her outfit for tonight. It's the first game of the regular season, so all eyes will be on her. Being a world-famous pop star means that every time there's a break on the field, the cameras are focused on you. I can't say I'm not nervous that she'll be wearing something I created. The Internet can be a mean place, and if people don't like her outfit, that'll take a little bit of the wind out of my sails.

"Oh my God, Grace," she says, a huge smile blooming across her face. "You seriously made this ?" She reaches out, running her hand down the jersey dress like she's touching something made of pure gold. It's reminiscent of the Harvard one I made to wear for Tanner the summer we spent together. I loved it so much, and never got a chance to wear it, so I wanted to reinvent it for Bella. I took the jersey she gave me, cutting it up the sides and adding eyelet holes all the way up. I tied it back together with ice blue ribbon, giving it a bunched look on each side. The numbers on the front and back are embellished with crystals, making it sparkle every time the light hits it. And to complete the look, I customized a pair of knee-high boots with a chunky heel to match. Replicas of Maverick's jersey nameplate run up the sides, with a number nine on the back of each heel, so that when she stands still, his full number ninety-nine will be visible. I even had time to add a vinyl Blizzard logo to a clear clutch, so she can carry her essentials without having her bag checked at security.

"Do you like it?" I ask, praying she says yes. It's not every day you get to dress the person you've idolized since you were a teenager.

"I don't like it," she says, and my stomach sinks into my butt. Damn it. I honestly thought I had nailed it with this one. She smiles mischievously. "I love it!"

My eyes go wide, and I exhale a breath of relief as she hops on the balls of her feet, letting out a little squeak of excitement.

"Do you want to put it on?" I ask. Families and friends don't usually arrive at the stadium at the same time as the players, but because of the security risk, Bella always gets there early so they can get her into a luxury suite before anyone sees her.

"Yes!" she says. "But you might need to make some repairs once Mav sees me in this. It's possible he'll want to claw it off of me before we even leave."

I laugh, but I have a feeling she's not kidding. I don't think I've ever seen a guy unable to keep his hands off his girl like Maverick. I don't blame him though. Bella is everything. Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, but she's also the most down to earth girl I've ever met. I'm so thankful she gave me a chance to do this for her. Even if I'm never able to make another piece, I'll always have this memory.

I help her into the dress, retying all of the ribbons to hug her toned frame. Once her shoes are zipped, and the clutch is in her hand, I take a step back, admiring my creation. This was always in me. I just needed a little inspiration.

She hugs me tightly before we leave the room, rejoining the guys in the kitchen. As soon as Maverick's eyes land on his girlfriend, I'm glad I brought a travel sewing kit with me downstairs. That dress is definitely not making it out of this house unscathed.

"Turn around, Songbird," he practically growls, obviously not caring who hears it. She turns slowly, putting on a show for him as she reveals his name and number stretched across her back.

"I'd like to order ten more of these," he says, making me laugh before he walks over to Bella and spins her, kissing her roughly on the lips.

I give them a little bit of privacy, sauntering over to Tanner, and sitting on his lap at the table. I wrap my arms around his neck, trying to ignore the kissing sounds coming from the other side of the room.

"I'd call that a success," he says, burying his face in my neck and sucking the sensitive skin between his teeth. I try not to moan at the contact, but when he bites down, I can't help myself. "Have I told you how proud I am?"

I giggle. "Only about eighty-five times this morning."

He looks up at me with all the love and affection in the world. "You are so fucking amazing, Bunny. I love you with my entire heart."