Big thanks to my fellow Lucas' heartie Avis Minter for suggesting that Grace goes to Fiona's barber shop.
—--
Grace closed the doors and turning around, she silently gasped as she saw the saloon.
So much different then when she was here for the last time, while old Tom was still the owner.
Every wall, every corner was so tastefully decorated that it took her breath away.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
Just like her Lucas.
Smiling, she approached the reception to check in. Mike Hickham greeted her politely and handed her the keys to her room. Grace thanked him and went upstairs.
She watched the paintings on the walls as she walked toward her room. So elegant, so colorful, so … so…
So much like him.
She felt his presence and his influence in every little corner of this place.
And it was so comforting.
Reaching room number five Grace unlocked it and stepped inside. She closed the doors and put her suitcase down, leaning her back on the doors and letting out a breath.
She needed to change and go out to get something sweet.
Opening her suitcase, Grace chose her dark blue dress and once she got dressed, she took a brush to do something with her hair.
Only to smile slowly at her reflection in the mirror.
No. I have a better idea.
—--
Fiona was sweeping the broom, cleaning her barber shop from hair that she just cut when there was a knock at the door.
She turned around and smiled.
"Grace! What a surprise!", she put a broom aside and went to greet young woman who just came inside.
Grace put on her trademark big smile and accepted a hug from Fiona.
Oh, my jaw will hurt like hell by the end of the day from all this fake grinning!
"Hello, Fiona, how are you?"
Fiona grinned.
"I'm good. Busy, but that's just how I like it. So, what are you doing here?", asked Fiona.
Grace pushed her long hair back and replied.
"Oh, I just took two kids to their new family in Union City and decided to stop here to see you all and to do some work with Mr. Avery", she sighed "Do you have time to do something with my hair? I am so tired from my trip that I didn't have the strength to do something myself".
Fiona nodded.
"Of course, sit down. It will be a chance for us to catch up", as Grace sat down, Fiona took an expert look at her long brown tresses "Wow, Grace, your hair is beautiful!"
Grace smiled at her.
"Thank you. I don't like these new hairstyles. If I want my hair to be short I will just pick it up in a chignon", she grinned innocently "What do you think?"
Fiona started to brush Grace's long hair and nodded.
"I'm with you on that", she said as she worked "So, you said that you have some work with Judge Avery?", she asked nonchalantly like putting her nose in other people's business was completely normal.
Nosy as always.
Grace nodded, putting on a thoughtful facial expression.
"Yes, just some legal work about certain adoption. I can't go in details, you know", she raised her eyebrows meaningfully.
Fiona nodded, already losing interest as it didn't sound at all like a juicy story.
Grace watched her for a while as she started to braid half of her hair.
"So, tell me. What are the news in Hope Valley?", Grace smiled sweetly.
Fiona smiled at her.
"Oh, the town is growing! We got telephone, radio, motion pictures days, newspapers…We got ourselves a job in the oil industry which I am proud to be a part of", she rambled on "Oh, and we have hot springs!"
"Really?", Grace's lips curled up.
Oh, this is going to be easier then I thought!
Fiona nodded.
"It's a shame that it is winter so you can't go for a dip. It's pure Heaven after a long day at work", commented Fiona.
Grace carefully watched Fiona's reflection in the mirror.
"That's a real nature resource you got here. You must have tourists coming from all over the world!", she offered.
And just like she thought, Fiona latched on to a bait.
"Well, we did, but then we almost lost everything when Balfour arrived and tried to drain it away to bigger towns", huffed Fiona.
Grace acted dumb.
"I'm sorry, who's Balfour?", she asked.
Fiona grinned.
"Well, he's nobody important now!", at seeing Grace's blank look she explained "Balfour was the Governor who tried to drain the hot springs", putting a pin in Grace's hair, she declared "But, we
got a man from Hope Valley himself to stand up to him", she glanced at Grace and whispered playfully in confidence "Well, with a little nudge from a few of us".
Grace creased her eyebrows slightly in fake confusion.
"You lost me, Fiona", she said.
Fiona put another pin in her hair and hurried to explain.
"One of our citizens, not sure you met him, Lucas Bouchard?", she said, admiring her work on Grace's hair.
Grace held tighter for her chair and replied:
"No, can't say that I have", she mumbled with a smile.
Only kissed him like a zillion times.
"Figures. Anyway, he exposed Balfour's intentions at an event that broadcasted on radio. After that, Balfour's opponent decided to pull back and there was a danger that he would win again. We couldn't let that happen so…we all kinda talked him into running for the position", grinning, she victoriously exclaimed "And now we have a man in Government from our town!"
Grace kept on smiling, feeling like she would be sick.
We all kinda talked him into running for the position.
"What, he didn't want to run?", Grace asked, pretending to admire Fiona's work on her hair.
Fiona shrugged.
"No, I don't think so. But, it doesn't matter did he want it or not", she shrugged with a smile "What matters is that Lucas is a new Governor and that Hope Valley is saved!"
A bile rose dangerously in Grace's throat.
So you used him. All of you. He was just a pawn for all of you to get what you wanted. It doesn't matter that he got hurt in the process, lost everything he held dear and that it nearly cost him his life! Twice!
Grace swallowed hard.
Yeah, she will definitely be sick.
Oblivious to Grace's inner turmoil, Fiona prattled on.
"He will actually have a press conference here in four days", she said.
You don't say?
"If you stick around for that long, you can hear him live. He's quite good at what he does, which I know because we used to work together but we never quite got along well'", said Fiona.
Grace joined her fingers in her lap to prevent them from shaking.
"How come?", she asked.
Fiona huffed.
"Well I made some mistakes, he made some mistakes and the trust was never quite the same. He and Henry always stuck together, it was annoying. Ah, doesn't matter", Fiona stammered a bit then quickly changed the subject "So, tell me how is your sister doing?"
Breathe, Grace. Don't loose it.
"Lillian is fine, thank you. She sends her greetings to all of you", Grace lied without blinking an eye "She wished that she could come too, but there is just so much to do".
Fiona nodded then stepped away from Grace's chair to look at her reflection in the mirror.
"Well, what do you think"
Grace looked at herself and smiled a bit.
"It's beautiful, Fiona, thank you", she got up and took her purse. She paid and looked at the hairdresser, knowing that her work here is done.
If I ask anymore questions about Lucas, she may suspect something.
Therefore, Grace forced a smile back on her face once again.
"It was nice catching up with you, Fiona", she said.
Fiona nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, you too. Greet Lillian from me", she replied.
"Thank you, I will", and with those words, she headed out from the barber shop.
Only to bump into someone on her way out.
"Oh, I am sorry!", Grace quickly said and looked up to see a red serge.
Well, well, well.
She put on her sweetest smile.
"Constable Grant", she chirped sweetly "It's been a while".
Nathan looked at her slightly confused.
"Yeah…I know you from somewhere", he stammered.
Grace fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Yeah, I was here some time ago when you had that fair going on. With a little boy Spencer", seeing Nathan's blank look Grace inwardly shook her head "I run the orphanage".
Nathan opened his mouth slightly as he remembered.
"Ah, yes…Miss…", he creased his eyebrows.
Grace's smile widened.
"Grace Bennett", she replied.
Nathan nodded.
"So, what brings you to Hope Valley, Miss Bennett?", he asked.
In her peripheral vision Grace could see Elizabeth coming out from the mercantile and a thought popped in her head.
Her lips curled up in the cutest smile possible as she looked up at Nathan.
"Do you think you could show me the way to a pharmacy, Constable? That is, if you have one. Hope Valley sure grew since I was here the last time", she latched her glowed hand in the crook of his arm and sweetly added "And I feel the safest to ask a Public Official for help".
Nathan looked at her then in the direction of the Pharmacy.
"Um…yeah, sure", he replied, awkwardly offering her the arm she already held onto.
And Elizabeth left Lucas for this clueless, rigid and boring creature?
The woman must have lost her mind.
Grace stepped down on the street, chatting about the weather as Nathan walked beside her like was going to a guillotine.
But, from the corner of her eye Grace could see Elizabeth standing frozen in her place and watching them like a hawk.
Grace smirked to herself.
2:0.
And the day is not finished yet.
—--
The noise of saloon was welcoming to Grace's ears as she finished her dinner.
Bill sat across from her, his lips twitching as she silently relayed her day to him, careful not to raise her voice so nobody would hear them.
She leaned in her chair, rubbing her temples.
"How do you stand to be among some of these people is beyond me", she huffed.
Bill smirked.
"Military training", he winked at her making her smile.
"Good evening, judge. Miss Grace", Henry strolled in looking sharp in his dark grey suit.
"Good evening, Mr. Gowen", smiled Grace.
"Henry", nodded Bill "Care to join us?"
Henry smirked, plopping into a chair.
"Only if you are up for a game", he grinned as Bill nodded, getting up to get the cards.
Henry looked at Grace's face and his eyes softened.
"Rough day?", he asked silently.
Grace let out a breath and raised her eyebrows.
"Nothing that a good game of poker won't fix", at Bill's amused glance, she popped a cracker in her mouth and smirked "Deal me in, judge".
—--
The noise was deafening as Nathan entered the saloon. He scanned the tables for any sign of trouble and satisfied that everything seemed to be in order, he went to the bar and ordered a beer.
Leaning his elbow on the bar he turned to look at the tables once again when he heard Judge Avery's annoyed groan.
"Oh, come on!"
Following the sound, he saw Henry Gowen tossing the cards on the table and dragging a hand over his face.
To his surprise he saw a young lady from earlier today sitting with them. She pushed quite a large amount of the chips to her side of the table, grinning like a cat that caught a canary.
Nathan walked over and stood by their table, watching as Grace took a Queen of Hearts stack of cards and shuffled them like a pro.
"It's strange to see a woman playing poker", he commented, trying not to show how impressed he was by her shuffling.
Bill took a sip of his drink.
"She isn't playing, she is cleaning us out", Bill grumbled.
Grace smirked widely as she dealt them the cards.
Picking her own cards, she carefully looked at them, her face unreadable.
Nathan nursed his beer as he watched the first round go around the table ending in Bill tossing his cards on the table and snapping up from his chair to get another drink.
Nathan nodded, impressed.
She was good, he'd have to give her that.
Henry popped a cracker in his mouth and shook his head.
"You would think she got lessons from Lucas seeing how she cleans us out", Henry said, unable to resist.
Grace bit inside of her cheek, trying her best not to burst to laughter.
"Care to join us, Nathan?", Bill asked as he came back to the table. Sitting down, he added "Maybe you can break this vicious circle of Grace's winning".
Nathan shook his head.
"Nah, I don't think so", he replied
But before he could even finish his sentence properly Grace looked up at him, smiling sweetly.
"What's wrong, Constable Grant? You're scared I will beat you?", she grinned.
Henry quickly took a glass to his mouth to hide his own grin.
Nathan looked at this strange woman, not even trying to hide that he was intrigued by her anymore.
Placing his beer on the table he took a seat between Henry and Bill.
"Deal me in", he said.
—--
About an hour and half later the stack of chips at Grace's side of the table grew quite impressive.
She glanced around the table and smirked.
"Watch and weep", she laid her cards on the table and grinned "Full house, gentlemen".
Henry tossed his cards.
"I'm out", he grumbled.
"Me too", Bill growled.
Nathan was shocked, with less money in his pocket and impressed beyond words.
He looked up at Grace.
"Where did you learn to play like that?!", he asked.
Grace smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"Oh, I had an excellent teacher", she replied, causing Bill to almost choke on his beer.
Grace stood from her chair and asked the waiter to help her with chips.
Looking back at the table, she smiled.
"Well, gentlemen, I think I will go to get some sleep", she said as all three of them stood in greeting her, noticing that Nathan was the last one to get up "Thank you very much. Good night".
She went to cash in her chips and smirked to herself.
3:0.
—--
Playin' with the Queen of Hearts
Knowin' it ain't really smart
The Joker ain't the only fool
Who'll do anythin' for you.
Layin' out another lie
Thinkin' 'bout a life of crime
'Cause that's what I'll have to do
To keep me away from you.
("Queen of Hearts" - Juice Newton)