Chapter 17
Kay slipped her hand in her mother's.
Grace glanced around at her surroundings. "The Lobster Shack?"
"Mom," Jessica smiled. "Don't you remember?"
"Give her time," Sam said softly. Leading the way to a quiet table at the back.
Grace smiled at him when he pulled a chair out for her. "Thank you."
Times past, Noah would have rolled his eyes at the gesture. His parents had always been way too publicly demonstrative for his taste. But now.they were his parents. And it looked like things were back on the right track. "Ding, dong. The witch is dead," he whispered.
"Think again," Kay hissed. Her dark eyes glittering in the dim light. "Who does she think she is?"
Ivy's diamond engagement ring sparkled on her finger.
"Dad."
"Yes, Jessica?"
"Hello, Sam. Grace," Ivy said brightly.
Kay glared at her.
A lesser woman would have wilted under her icy look, but Ivy grinned that infuriating Cheshire grin of hers.
Noah lifted his ice tea to his lips.
"Ivy," Sam blustered. "I.."
"I know," Ivy cut him off.
"What are YOU doing here?" Kay spat.
"I invited her."
All eyes were glued on Grace as the words left her lips.
Jessica's fork fell from her numb fingers and bounced on the floor.
"She what?" Kay muttered in disbelief.
What the hell is going on here, Noah wondered as Ivy settled in the seat next to him.
Sam cleared his throat. "Well.is everyone ready to order?"
Ivy's blue green eyes locked with Grace's across the table. Golden brow arched as Grace smiled at her.
Sam's heart jumped when he felt Grace's fingers traveling up his neck, and he closed his eyes when she whispered in his ear. "You're never going to be hers. Never."
Kay shivered. Something wasn't right here. She could feel it.
Ivy's gaze faltered when Grace pinned her with her blue eyes again. Why did she have the distinct feeling she was staring EVIL in the face?
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"Yes, Grandfather. No, Grandfather. I don't think she's left her room in days. She's really went off the deep end this time. It's worse than it was after.No. We hadn't planned a party. Why should we? He's getting paroled for Christ's sake. Hardly reason for celebration. Think of the scandal. I see. I'll call Amanda right away. She's better at planning these sorts of things."
Adam punched the button on the phone forcefully. Always.always at his grandfather's beck and call.
"Blair! Blair, will you come here one moment?"
Blair's honey blond head peeked around the corner of the door.
"Stop fidgeting," Adam demanded.
Blair's hands immediately stilled. But the look of dread was still on her face.
Adam's blood boiled. Not the reaction he craved from one of his many paramours. "Call Amanda at the Mansion. And give her these instructions," he said. Rising from the plush leather seat and crossing the room to stand in front of her.
Blair took the yellow note with trembling hands. "Yes, Mr. Crane. Anything else?"
Adam licked his lips. Then shook his head. "No. That'll be all."
Blair drew in a shaky, relieved breath.
"Blair?"
"Yes?"
"Cancel all my appointments for this afternoon. I have something very important to attend to."
The door clicked shut behind her, and Adam fell back in his chair with a sigh. "Very important."
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Luis rifled through the drawers of his desk impatiently. Where was that report? He could have sworn he put it in here somewhere before he left for lunch.
Sheridan's neat handwriting on the back of a picture caught his eye.
"Danielle-6 years old."
He flipped the picture over. And his face blossomed into a smile.
Danielle's gap-toothed face grinned up at him. Ice cream dribbling down her chin.
One of his favorite pictures. Sheridan's, too.
An identical copy hung in their bedroom.
Marty nodded his head at him across the station house. "Go on home, Luis. I'll cover for you."
Luis grabbed his keys from his desk. "Thanks, Marty."
"No problem. Tell that wife of yours she's in everybody's prayers."
Luis hurried out the door. Anxious to hold her in his arms.
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Dust flew up from the picture album's covers as Danielle set it down on her lap.
The first picture. Her mom and dad. Their wedding day. The only one they celebrated. She smiled as she ecognized the faint bump on her mommy's belly. That was her.
She'd seen pictures of her aunt Theresa and her mommy at Aunt Theresa's wedding. It was supposed to be her mommy's wedding day, too.
But it just wasn't to be.
Mom made her dad put away all the pictures from that day.
Dad said it was a painful reminder.
Of what Uncle Julian did?
She didn't know.
Uncle Julian was discussed with tears and whispers.
She flipped the page over. Her first picture. She closed her blue eyes. She could almost imagine the warmth and love she felt being cradled in her mother's arms. Just like she did now.
Her mommy was so beautiful when she smiled.
Another page turned. Her dad used to give her piggy back rides all the time.
She recognized that picture. Her first day of kindergarten.
There were tears in her mom's eyes when she left her in Miss Noble's excellent care.
A day at the beach. And the tiny swell was back.
Danielle's heartbeat thudded against her ribs, and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was alone.
Tears seeped from her lashes. Wetting the pages before her. She missed him so much, she realized. Wiping the tears with the back of her hand.
"Shhh. No cry. No cry."
Danielle's dark head whipped around at the sound. She could still hear him. See him sometimes.
Her fingers traced the charm on her bracelet. "#1 Sister."
The album slipped from her lap.
"Okay.it okay."
She curled up on the couch. And allowed herself to be comforted. By ghosts of the past.
Kay slipped her hand in her mother's.
Grace glanced around at her surroundings. "The Lobster Shack?"
"Mom," Jessica smiled. "Don't you remember?"
"Give her time," Sam said softly. Leading the way to a quiet table at the back.
Grace smiled at him when he pulled a chair out for her. "Thank you."
Times past, Noah would have rolled his eyes at the gesture. His parents had always been way too publicly demonstrative for his taste. But now.they were his parents. And it looked like things were back on the right track. "Ding, dong. The witch is dead," he whispered.
"Think again," Kay hissed. Her dark eyes glittering in the dim light. "Who does she think she is?"
Ivy's diamond engagement ring sparkled on her finger.
"Dad."
"Yes, Jessica?"
"Hello, Sam. Grace," Ivy said brightly.
Kay glared at her.
A lesser woman would have wilted under her icy look, but Ivy grinned that infuriating Cheshire grin of hers.
Noah lifted his ice tea to his lips.
"Ivy," Sam blustered. "I.."
"I know," Ivy cut him off.
"What are YOU doing here?" Kay spat.
"I invited her."
All eyes were glued on Grace as the words left her lips.
Jessica's fork fell from her numb fingers and bounced on the floor.
"She what?" Kay muttered in disbelief.
What the hell is going on here, Noah wondered as Ivy settled in the seat next to him.
Sam cleared his throat. "Well.is everyone ready to order?"
Ivy's blue green eyes locked with Grace's across the table. Golden brow arched as Grace smiled at her.
Sam's heart jumped when he felt Grace's fingers traveling up his neck, and he closed his eyes when she whispered in his ear. "You're never going to be hers. Never."
Kay shivered. Something wasn't right here. She could feel it.
Ivy's gaze faltered when Grace pinned her with her blue eyes again. Why did she have the distinct feeling she was staring EVIL in the face?
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"Yes, Grandfather. No, Grandfather. I don't think she's left her room in days. She's really went off the deep end this time. It's worse than it was after.No. We hadn't planned a party. Why should we? He's getting paroled for Christ's sake. Hardly reason for celebration. Think of the scandal. I see. I'll call Amanda right away. She's better at planning these sorts of things."
Adam punched the button on the phone forcefully. Always.always at his grandfather's beck and call.
"Blair! Blair, will you come here one moment?"
Blair's honey blond head peeked around the corner of the door.
"Stop fidgeting," Adam demanded.
Blair's hands immediately stilled. But the look of dread was still on her face.
Adam's blood boiled. Not the reaction he craved from one of his many paramours. "Call Amanda at the Mansion. And give her these instructions," he said. Rising from the plush leather seat and crossing the room to stand in front of her.
Blair took the yellow note with trembling hands. "Yes, Mr. Crane. Anything else?"
Adam licked his lips. Then shook his head. "No. That'll be all."
Blair drew in a shaky, relieved breath.
"Blair?"
"Yes?"
"Cancel all my appointments for this afternoon. I have something very important to attend to."
The door clicked shut behind her, and Adam fell back in his chair with a sigh. "Very important."
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Luis rifled through the drawers of his desk impatiently. Where was that report? He could have sworn he put it in here somewhere before he left for lunch.
Sheridan's neat handwriting on the back of a picture caught his eye.
"Danielle-6 years old."
He flipped the picture over. And his face blossomed into a smile.
Danielle's gap-toothed face grinned up at him. Ice cream dribbling down her chin.
One of his favorite pictures. Sheridan's, too.
An identical copy hung in their bedroom.
Marty nodded his head at him across the station house. "Go on home, Luis. I'll cover for you."
Luis grabbed his keys from his desk. "Thanks, Marty."
"No problem. Tell that wife of yours she's in everybody's prayers."
Luis hurried out the door. Anxious to hold her in his arms.
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Dust flew up from the picture album's covers as Danielle set it down on her lap.
The first picture. Her mom and dad. Their wedding day. The only one they celebrated. She smiled as she ecognized the faint bump on her mommy's belly. That was her.
She'd seen pictures of her aunt Theresa and her mommy at Aunt Theresa's wedding. It was supposed to be her mommy's wedding day, too.
But it just wasn't to be.
Mom made her dad put away all the pictures from that day.
Dad said it was a painful reminder.
Of what Uncle Julian did?
She didn't know.
Uncle Julian was discussed with tears and whispers.
She flipped the page over. Her first picture. She closed her blue eyes. She could almost imagine the warmth and love she felt being cradled in her mother's arms. Just like she did now.
Her mommy was so beautiful when she smiled.
Another page turned. Her dad used to give her piggy back rides all the time.
She recognized that picture. Her first day of kindergarten.
There were tears in her mom's eyes when she left her in Miss Noble's excellent care.
A day at the beach. And the tiny swell was back.
Danielle's heartbeat thudded against her ribs, and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was alone.
Tears seeped from her lashes. Wetting the pages before her. She missed him so much, she realized. Wiping the tears with the back of her hand.
"Shhh. No cry. No cry."
Danielle's dark head whipped around at the sound. She could still hear him. See him sometimes.
Her fingers traced the charm on her bracelet. "#1 Sister."
The album slipped from her lap.
"Okay.it okay."
She curled up on the couch. And allowed herself to be comforted. By ghosts of the past.