Author's note: Thanks to Avis Minter for suggesting Grace talks to Lee and also for brainstorming about this phone call.
—--
By the late afternoon the Main Street was covered with flyers welcoming Governor Bouchard home. Robert and Timmy had gone to the Mercantile to tell the Yosts that their job was done.
Grace was back in the Queen of Hearts hotel for lunch. She felt calmer after talking to the Yosts and seeing the photo of her beloved.
It was four days since she last saw him and heard his voice…and kissed those loving lips.
She yearned to call him, but knew that it was impossible. Florence was a friend, yes, but if Grace placed a call everybody will know and her undercover will be discovered.
Three more days. And she will be back in his arms.
Lost in her thoughts Grace didn't notice that somebody stopped at her table. She just stared at her food, not even eating.
"Grace?"
She flinched, startled and looked up.
"Lee", she smiled.
Lee watched her carefully.
"Are you alright? I called you twice before you heard me", he asked her.
Grace let out a breath mixed with a chuckle.
"Oh, I was just woolgathering, sorry", she replied as she took a sip of her red wine "Do you wanna join me?"
Lee smiled back and nodded.
"I heard that you were here and wanted to welcome you back to Hope Valley", he said as he sat down "How are you? How is Lillian?"
Grace sighed.
"Lillian is good, thank you. She finished her studies for being a nurse so we always have First Aid Kit lady when the need arise", quipped Grace and both chuckled "As for me…well, nothing's changed. Still silly ol' tumbleweed Grace".
Lee smiled friendly at her humour.
"Well, you seem happy and for that I am really glad", said Lee.
Grace could feel her cheeks warming up.
Oh, if he only knew!
Grace creased her eyebrows and quickly changed the subject.
"Lee, I have to apologize. I lost my composure with Rosemary this morning. I woke up with a horrible headache and…she just didn't listen".
Lee sighed.
"Yes, I know, and I understand. You just arrived and have some job with Bill. Don't worry about Rosemary", he waved his hand off "She just needs to blow up some steam"
Blow up some steam?
Boy, how will she deal with a fire that was about to come the minute Lucas sets foot on the grounds of Hope Valley?
At that moment Ned showed up and greeted them both, then handed some flyers to Lee.
"Lee, here are the flyers for the press conference", he said.
"Great, thank you, Ned", said Lee "It's going to be the event of the month".
Grace smiled at Ned as he nodded at her and went away, then cautiously looked at Lee.
She liked Lee, he was a good man…but, she never understood how he let Rosemary tell him what to do or not, what to say or not. Sure, sometimes he would outtalk her, but most of the time he followed her lead. She was always louder than he was.
However…
Now he was at her table, without his nosy wife.
Perfect time to find out what does he think about Lucas.
Grace finished her lunch and thanked the waiter who came to pick up her plate.
She glanced back at Lee; he was holding one flyer looking intently at it.
Grace slightly creased her eyebrows.
"Lee? What's the matter?", she asked.
Lee looked at her and she saw sadness on his face.
"Oh, it's just…", he let out a breath and handed her a flyer.
Grace cautiously took it, her fingers instinctively and absently caressing Lucas' beloved face.
She froze as she realized what she was doing, but luckily Lee didn't seem to notice.
"Lee?", she silently called his name.
Lee took a deep breath in.
"That man, Lucas Bouchard, is our friend…well, my friend", he creased his eyebrows "Lucas will be back in three days after…", he pressed his lips tightly together.
Grace felt her heart clench.
"He is your friend?", she gently asked.
Lee nodded.
"Yes, he is. He saved Rosemary's life when she had high fever, he gave all the ice he had in the saloon. Drove us when Rosie got in labour, stayed with me until it was over…", Lee talked, but Grace quickly interrupted bim:
"Wait, what?!", her eyes sparkled and her lips curled up "You are a Dad?"
Lee's face brightened.
"Yeah. We have a little girl", he proudly replied.
Grace reached out to get a hold of his hand across the table.
"Lee, that's wonderful! Congratulations!", she smiled sincerely.
Lee smiled warmly.
"Thanks, Grace. Goldie is an apple of my eye", he added with a smile than looked at the flyer again "He asked me to be his best man…and I am not sure that I deserved that honour".
Grace gently squeezed his palm.
"Best man?"
Lee put a flyer down.
"At his wedding with Elizabeth. They were supposed to get married, but she broke it off. And I never reached out to see how is he doing…because of Rosie's and Elizabeth's friendship", he mumbled silently.
Grace smiled sadly.
"Because of the peace at home", she said gently.
Lee looked guilty.
"Does that make me a bad man?", he asked "I was really looking forward to see him and now I don't even know how to behave around him".
Grace swallowed hard, trying to think of the right answer.
What should I tell him?!
At that moment the doors of the saloon opened and Bill came rushing toward them.
"Grace, Lillian just called. She needs to speak with you, says it's quite important", the judge was slightly out of breath from rushing to get her "She will call again in about ten minutes or so. I told Florence to place the call in my office".
Grace shot up from her chair, grabbed her coat and looked at Lee.
"Lee, I'm sorry…", she started to talk, but Lee waved her off.
"Gooo!", he said in his playful grian "Say hi to Lillian from me".
Grace nodded and hurried out from the saloon, following Bill.
"Did Lillian say what was this all about?", she asked, concern coloring her voice.
If she wasn't so worried she would have noticed sparkles in Bill's eyes.
"No. She just said that it cannot wait and that I should get you immediately", said Bill.
At those words, Grace ran toward Bill's office so fast that he barely caught up with her.
Grace bursted through the doors to be greeted by silence.
No phone ringing.
She looked at Bill, trying to catch her breath.
Bill's facial expression softened and he looked at his watch.
"It won't be long now", he said.
Just as he said that, the phone rang as if Lillian heard him back at Capitol City.
Bill picked up the phone.
"Hello? Thank you, Florence", he waited as the line was connected and he smiled "Hello again, Lillian. Yes, she is here, just a minute", he handed the receiver to Grace and whispered "I'll wait outside".
Grace quickly took the reciever and said, out of breath:
"Lillian? What's wrong? Are you alright?"
She heard her beloved sister chuckle on the other side of the line.
"Everything is fine, Grace, don't worry", Lillian replied.
Grace creased her eyebrows glancing at the silhouette of Hope Valley's judge as he talked to some people on the stairs that led to his office.
"But…Bill said that you told him it couldn't wait", mumbled Grace.
Lillian let out a giggle.
"Oh, and it can't wait. Hold on", she said and Grace heard some shuffling on the other side of the line.
Grace rubbed her fingers against her forehead as she waited impatiently.
"I couldn't wait, I had to hear you", his quiet, deep voice was heard on the other side of the line.
Grace gasped, her heart thumping faster at hearing that beautiful, velvet voice she loved so much.
That voice she would recognize everywhere.
A smile blossomed on her face, a warm feeling of love pulling on her heartstrings.
"Lucas!", she breathed out happily, her eyes filling with tears at being able just to hear his voice.
"Bonjour, mon coeur"("Hello, my heart"), she heard him say tenderly and was certain that he had that small smile on his lips whenever he spoke French to her.
Her heart skipped a beat as more tears rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them angrily like it was their fault her love and her were so far away from each other right now.
"I miss you", she heard him say and a small sob escaped her.
"Oh, Lucas, I miss you too! So much", she said, taking a deep breath in to stop the tears.
"Grace? Are you alright? Sweetheart, if it's too much for you, please come home", Lucas said, concern colouring his voice.
Grace took another deep breath in and mumbled:
"And to let you face the wolves all by yourself?", Grace huffed "Forget it".
She heard his smile even if she didn't see him.
"I thought I would be a snack for lions", he quipped.
Grace slightly snorted.
"Try hyenas", she grumbled and heard his beloved laugh. It filled her with renowned energy to fight the vultures "I'll be fine, don't worry".
Lucas sighed, his instinct telling him that she really didn't have it easy over there.
"My angel, are you sure?", he whispered "I told you I can deal with them. I don't want you to get hurt".
Grace smiled at his love and care and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I just hate when someone says something against you. You, the best of men", she mumbled through tears.
Lucas' heart clenched painfully.
"Écoutez-moi, ma chèrie" ("Listen to me, my darling"), he spoke gently "I don't care about those people. I care about you. You are the light of my life and I love you. I am counting the days when you will be in my arms again", he took a deep breath in and whispered, his tone of voice going an octave lower "Quand je te verrai, je t'embrasserai passionnément" ("When I see you, I will kiss you most passionately").
Grace closed her eyes, bringing fingertips to her lips.
"You're lucky that you are so far right now, Lucas Bouchard", she whispered lovingly.
"Pourquoi, mon amour?" ("Why, my love?"), he whispered back and she shivered most deliciously.
Grace smiled.
"Because I would kiss you right now like there is no tomorrow. And I would never let you go", she whispered hotly.
She heard him inhale a sharp breath before he whispered in a tone of voice that made her blood reach a boiling point
"Touché, ma chérie".
Grace sighed, feeling like a weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders just from hearing his voice.
"Please, hurry, my Lucas", she mumbled silently in a small voice.
Lucas closed his eyes, picturing Grace's sweet face.
"Wild horses couldn't keep me away", he whispered "I love you, my angel".
Grace smiled happily.
"I love you too. And I am waiting for you, my Lucas", she said.
Lucas smiled, wishing he could kiss her rosy lips right now.
"I love you, my angel. I'll see you soon. Bye", he said.
"Bye", she replied.
As Grace hung up, she got up and turned toward the doors.
She was ready to face the lions.
And wolves.
And hyenas.
For him.
For her Lucas.
—--
I get wings to fly
Oh, oh, I'm alive.
When you call on me
When I hear you breathe
I get wings to fly,
I feel that I'm alive.
When you look at me
I can touch the sky
I know that I'm alive.
When you bless the day
I just drift away
All my worries die
I'm glad that I'm alive.
You've set my heart on fire
Filled me with love
Made me a woman on clouds above
I couldn't get much higher
My spirit takes flight
'Cause I am alive.
When you call on me
When you call on me
When I hear you breathe
When I hear you breathe
I get wings to fly
I feel that I'm alive
I am alive
When you reach for me
When you reach for me
Raising spirits high
God knows that
That I'll be the one
Standing by through good and through trying times
And it's only begun
I can't wait for the rest of my life.
When you call on me
When you call on me
When you reach for me
When you reach for me
I get wings to fly
I feel that
When you bless the day
When you bless, you bless the day
I just drift away
I just drift away
All my worries die
I know that I'm alive
I get wings to fly
God knows that I'm alive
("I'm alive" - Celine Dion)