Chapter 7
Grace took John's hand and walked over to the piano again. "OK we're alone now. What's up?"
John sat down on the bench, "Are you sure you're OK?"
"Of course I'm OK." She said. She put her hands on the keyboard and started playing.
"Hey this is me. Tell me the truth." He said.
Grace smiled, "OK. The truth is I am absolutely fabulous and absolutely scared to death."
John laughed, "That's my girl." He started playing the other end of the piano. Grace picked up the tune and played along with him. "What is making you absolutely fabulous" He looked at her and noticed she was blushing, "OK so we know what's making you fabulous, what's making you scared to death?"
Grace laughed, "You won't believe this but it's the same thing?"
John looked at her, "Are you sure is not Andrew that's making you scared?"
Grace took a deep breath, "Well, I guess he is making me a little scared too." She admitted.
"OK so Nicks making you scared because..."
"Because he is the first man who's ever cared for me."
John put his hand on his chest, "I'm crushed!" John said.
She laughed and bumped him; "You know what I mean."
John laughed and starting playing again, "OK I know what you mean. So Andrew's making you scared because...."
"Because I don't know what he's going to do to me or to Nick. I just don't understand how he can change like this. All these years and no one ever said anything to me about being adopted." She said.
"Why don't I make some phone calls. We only have Andrew's word and I don't know about you but his word doesn't mean much."
"What kind of phone calls?" She asked.
"Phone calls to see if he was telling the truth or not. I find it hard to believe that your parents would keep something like that from you. Don't you?"
"Yeah your right." She thought for a minute, "Ok make some calls." They played for a while longer and she whispered, "I just don't know what to do John."
John hesitated, "Honey, why don't we just cancel this concert and go home."
She just looked at him, "John I have never canceled a concert and I don't plan to start now." She said.
"So what do we do now then?" John asked.
Grace sighed and put her head on his shoulder, "I have no idea." They sat there at the piano and continued to play.
Nick walked back into the room thirty minutes later and saw Grace and John sitting at the piano playing. He stopped at the door and watched them. They weren't talking just sitting and playing. Then John smiled and started playing fast. Grace laughed and sat up and started playing along with him. Before long they were both laughing. John looked up and saw him.
"Hey Nick."
Grace looked over and smiled at him as he walked to them, "Everything OK?"
"Everything's fine," He said. "You two need to do a duet. That was real good."
John laughed and stood up, "I don't think so. Too much pressure up here on stage. I'll leave that to the professional." He leaned over and kissed Grace's cheek, "There's still time to cancel and go home," He whispered in her ear.
"No." was all she said.
He sighed, "OK, another fifteen minutes and then you should go get ready." He turned to Nick, "Call me if she needs anything."
Nick nodded, "Sure thing." He watched John walk over and talk to Marshall and then open his phone and make a call. He looked back at Grace, "Do you want to go back up now and get ready?"
Grace stood up, "Yeah, I better."
Nick took her arm and they walked back to her room followed by both officers. Each one took a door when they went in.
"Do you want some privacy to get ready?" Nick asked.
"Don't you have to get to work?" She asked. Nick shook his head no and she asked, "Why not?"
"I'm taking the day off." Nick said.
"Nick I don't want you to get in trouble for being here with me."
"Don't worry about anything ok. Why don't you go get ready and I'll wait out here for you." He walked over and kissed her.
Grace went into his arms willingly. As much as she hated to admit it, she was scared of being alone right now. She knew she would be going home in a couple of days and she wanted as much time with Nick that she could get. "OK. Why don't you order some breakfast while you're waiting."
Nick let her go, "Sure, what do you want?"
"Just coffee and toast for me." Grace went to the bedroom and started getting ready. When she came back out she was dressed in a light summer dress and had her hair up again.
Nick watched her walk over and smiled at her. She looked so beautiful. She was so sophisticated last night and looked so young and fresh right now. "You look wonderful." He said.
Grace blushed at the comment, "Thank you." She sat down and they ate. There was a knock at the door and Nick went to get it. He let John in and walked back over.
"I see I had nothing to worry about." John said.
"As usual, you're going to give yourself an ulcer with all the worrying you do John." Grace teased.
"Ha Ha." He looked at his watch, "Ready?"
Grace stood up, "Ready." She turned to Nick; "Do you want to watch again?"
"Absolutely."
They all walked out and rode down to the performance hall together. John had hired two bodyguards and each of the guards would be on either end of the stage, Nick would be up front with the two police officers and John would be backstage. The crowd was nothing like last night but everyone was anxious for the concert to start. Grace played for over two hours again and there was no trouble the entire time. Everyone came and shook Grace's hand and she stood there for another hour talking to everyone and signing autographs. John touched her arm and led her away when he saw she was getting tired. Nick met them at the corner of the stage and watched everyone leave the auditorium.
"That was a great concert Grace." John said.
"You say that after every concert, did you know that?" She asked.
"Of course I do, that's my job." The last of the people were out the door and John was turning to say something to Grace when something caught his eye. He turned in time to see someone standing behind a curtain at the back of the room. He saw Andrew's face and his hand came up holding a gun. He yelled for everyone to get down and stepped in front of Grace to pull her out of the way.
Grace felt John's body hit hers and they fell to the floor. It was just like a bad movie. It was deafly quiet and then all of a sudden there was yelling and gunfire. John was heavy on top of her and it was a minute before she realized he wasn't moving.
Nick lowered his gun and watched the officers standing over Andrew. He hadn't stood a chance. Nick didn't know what he was thinking taking on five armed men. It was over in less than a minute. He turned back to Grace and John and saw Grace struggling to get up. Nick went over to help John up off of her and that's when he saw all the blood. "I need paramedics now!" He yelled.
Grace felt something sticky on her chest and when she heard Nick yell she knew what had happened. She watched Nick gently lay John down and she sat up on her knees and saw she was covered with blood, John's blood. She took his hand and leaned down to him, "John!"
He hurt so bad but when he heard Grace's voice he relaxed, "You OK?" He asked.
Grace started to cry. "I'm fine John, you saved me." She saw him nod his head and then close his eyes, "Stay with me John." She watched Nick pressing on John's chest to try and stop the bleeding.
John looked up at Nick, "Take care of her." He managed to get out.
"No!" Grace yelled, "John don't talk like that. You're going to be fine."
John reached up and touched her cheek, "No, but you're going to be just fine honey. You're a strong woman Grace and you'll be ok. Remember I love you Grace."
"I love you too John, please stay with me." John had closed his eyes again and she strained to see his chest move but it wasn't. "John!" She felt Nick take her arm to help her up but she pulled away from him, "NO!"
Nick pulled her up and she fought him. She pushed at his chest but he pulled her away from John. She just kept yelling his name trying to get back to him. Nick knew he had to get her away.
Grace felt Nick pulling her away from John and tried to get back to him. She couldn't leave him alone. He never left her alone and she wasn't going to leave him alone.
Nick pulled her too him and made her look at him, "Grace, he's gone." She was shaking her head but he just kept repeating himself until she understood. She stopped fighting and stepped back from Nick and look back at John. Nick caught her before she hit the floor.
Grace took John's hand and walked over to the piano again. "OK we're alone now. What's up?"
John sat down on the bench, "Are you sure you're OK?"
"Of course I'm OK." She said. She put her hands on the keyboard and started playing.
"Hey this is me. Tell me the truth." He said.
Grace smiled, "OK. The truth is I am absolutely fabulous and absolutely scared to death."
John laughed, "That's my girl." He started playing the other end of the piano. Grace picked up the tune and played along with him. "What is making you absolutely fabulous" He looked at her and noticed she was blushing, "OK so we know what's making you fabulous, what's making you scared to death?"
Grace laughed, "You won't believe this but it's the same thing?"
John looked at her, "Are you sure is not Andrew that's making you scared?"
Grace took a deep breath, "Well, I guess he is making me a little scared too." She admitted.
"OK so Nicks making you scared because..."
"Because he is the first man who's ever cared for me."
John put his hand on his chest, "I'm crushed!" John said.
She laughed and bumped him; "You know what I mean."
John laughed and starting playing again, "OK I know what you mean. So Andrew's making you scared because...."
"Because I don't know what he's going to do to me or to Nick. I just don't understand how he can change like this. All these years and no one ever said anything to me about being adopted." She said.
"Why don't I make some phone calls. We only have Andrew's word and I don't know about you but his word doesn't mean much."
"What kind of phone calls?" She asked.
"Phone calls to see if he was telling the truth or not. I find it hard to believe that your parents would keep something like that from you. Don't you?"
"Yeah your right." She thought for a minute, "Ok make some calls." They played for a while longer and she whispered, "I just don't know what to do John."
John hesitated, "Honey, why don't we just cancel this concert and go home."
She just looked at him, "John I have never canceled a concert and I don't plan to start now." She said.
"So what do we do now then?" John asked.
Grace sighed and put her head on his shoulder, "I have no idea." They sat there at the piano and continued to play.
Nick walked back into the room thirty minutes later and saw Grace and John sitting at the piano playing. He stopped at the door and watched them. They weren't talking just sitting and playing. Then John smiled and started playing fast. Grace laughed and sat up and started playing along with him. Before long they were both laughing. John looked up and saw him.
"Hey Nick."
Grace looked over and smiled at him as he walked to them, "Everything OK?"
"Everything's fine," He said. "You two need to do a duet. That was real good."
John laughed and stood up, "I don't think so. Too much pressure up here on stage. I'll leave that to the professional." He leaned over and kissed Grace's cheek, "There's still time to cancel and go home," He whispered in her ear.
"No." was all she said.
He sighed, "OK, another fifteen minutes and then you should go get ready." He turned to Nick, "Call me if she needs anything."
Nick nodded, "Sure thing." He watched John walk over and talk to Marshall and then open his phone and make a call. He looked back at Grace, "Do you want to go back up now and get ready?"
Grace stood up, "Yeah, I better."
Nick took her arm and they walked back to her room followed by both officers. Each one took a door when they went in.
"Do you want some privacy to get ready?" Nick asked.
"Don't you have to get to work?" She asked. Nick shook his head no and she asked, "Why not?"
"I'm taking the day off." Nick said.
"Nick I don't want you to get in trouble for being here with me."
"Don't worry about anything ok. Why don't you go get ready and I'll wait out here for you." He walked over and kissed her.
Grace went into his arms willingly. As much as she hated to admit it, she was scared of being alone right now. She knew she would be going home in a couple of days and she wanted as much time with Nick that she could get. "OK. Why don't you order some breakfast while you're waiting."
Nick let her go, "Sure, what do you want?"
"Just coffee and toast for me." Grace went to the bedroom and started getting ready. When she came back out she was dressed in a light summer dress and had her hair up again.
Nick watched her walk over and smiled at her. She looked so beautiful. She was so sophisticated last night and looked so young and fresh right now. "You look wonderful." He said.
Grace blushed at the comment, "Thank you." She sat down and they ate. There was a knock at the door and Nick went to get it. He let John in and walked back over.
"I see I had nothing to worry about." John said.
"As usual, you're going to give yourself an ulcer with all the worrying you do John." Grace teased.
"Ha Ha." He looked at his watch, "Ready?"
Grace stood up, "Ready." She turned to Nick; "Do you want to watch again?"
"Absolutely."
They all walked out and rode down to the performance hall together. John had hired two bodyguards and each of the guards would be on either end of the stage, Nick would be up front with the two police officers and John would be backstage. The crowd was nothing like last night but everyone was anxious for the concert to start. Grace played for over two hours again and there was no trouble the entire time. Everyone came and shook Grace's hand and she stood there for another hour talking to everyone and signing autographs. John touched her arm and led her away when he saw she was getting tired. Nick met them at the corner of the stage and watched everyone leave the auditorium.
"That was a great concert Grace." John said.
"You say that after every concert, did you know that?" She asked.
"Of course I do, that's my job." The last of the people were out the door and John was turning to say something to Grace when something caught his eye. He turned in time to see someone standing behind a curtain at the back of the room. He saw Andrew's face and his hand came up holding a gun. He yelled for everyone to get down and stepped in front of Grace to pull her out of the way.
Grace felt John's body hit hers and they fell to the floor. It was just like a bad movie. It was deafly quiet and then all of a sudden there was yelling and gunfire. John was heavy on top of her and it was a minute before she realized he wasn't moving.
Nick lowered his gun and watched the officers standing over Andrew. He hadn't stood a chance. Nick didn't know what he was thinking taking on five armed men. It was over in less than a minute. He turned back to Grace and John and saw Grace struggling to get up. Nick went over to help John up off of her and that's when he saw all the blood. "I need paramedics now!" He yelled.
Grace felt something sticky on her chest and when she heard Nick yell she knew what had happened. She watched Nick gently lay John down and she sat up on her knees and saw she was covered with blood, John's blood. She took his hand and leaned down to him, "John!"
He hurt so bad but when he heard Grace's voice he relaxed, "You OK?" He asked.
Grace started to cry. "I'm fine John, you saved me." She saw him nod his head and then close his eyes, "Stay with me John." She watched Nick pressing on John's chest to try and stop the bleeding.
John looked up at Nick, "Take care of her." He managed to get out.
"No!" Grace yelled, "John don't talk like that. You're going to be fine."
John reached up and touched her cheek, "No, but you're going to be just fine honey. You're a strong woman Grace and you'll be ok. Remember I love you Grace."
"I love you too John, please stay with me." John had closed his eyes again and she strained to see his chest move but it wasn't. "John!" She felt Nick take her arm to help her up but she pulled away from him, "NO!"
Nick pulled her up and she fought him. She pushed at his chest but he pulled her away from John. She just kept yelling his name trying to get back to him. Nick knew he had to get her away.
Grace felt Nick pulling her away from John and tried to get back to him. She couldn't leave him alone. He never left her alone and she wasn't going to leave him alone.
Nick pulled her too him and made her look at him, "Grace, he's gone." She was shaking her head but he just kept repeating himself until she understood. She stopped fighting and stepped back from Nick and look back at John. Nick caught her before she hit the floor.