Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“You’ve reached Grace. Leave a message.”
“Grace, baby,” I say, my voice broken. “Please call me back. I’m sorry.” I close my eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.” I hang up the phone and knock one more time, hoping she answers, hoping she puts me out of my misery even though I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve her. “Please,” I beg to the brown door. I put my hand on the door, feeling the coolness on it. “Grace.” I knock again softly. I take one deep breath before I walk away. She said she wouldn’t be here, and I know in my gut she was not bluffing. Not this time. This was my third strike.
I leave her building, and the dread settles in. I pull up my phone and call the one person who might actually be able to help. He answers after two rings. “Yo,” he says, and I close my eyes, putting my head back on the headrest.
“Nash.” My voice comes out raw, and I look out the window.
“What happened?” The worry is in his voice now.
“It’s Grace,” I say. “I fucked up.”
“What else is new?” His tone changes as he laughs. “What did you do now?”
“It’s bad.” I look at the door to her building, hoping to catch her walking in, but the door doesn’t open. “So fucking bad.”
“How bad?” he asks.
“She’s gone.” My voice breaks. “Man, I have no idea what the fuck to do.”
“What did you say to her?” I put my head back when I think of how to explain.
“I’m with her.” I’m expecting him to gasp, but instead, he laughs.
“Shocking,” he states, and now I’m the one who’s shocked. “Dude, you were jonesing for her from day one.”
I refute, “I was not.”
“Dude, I thought you would have throat punched me at the bar when you found out I was texting her.” He can’t help but laugh at me.
“I was not. I thought she had a boyfriend,” I remind him. “Anyway, things progressed.”
“You fucked her, didn’t you?” The words bring a rage to me like I can’t explain.
“Talk about her like that again, and I’ll break your fucking jaw myself,” I hiss. “I’m not fucking playing with you.”
“Jesus, Caine,” he says softly.
“I’m in love with her.” The words come out for the first time.
“Then what the fuck happened?” I spot someone walking to the door, and my head whips around, wondering if it’s her, but it’s not.
“She came over on Friday to have dinner with Meadow and me,” I start, “and then Marylin showed up.”
“Fuck,” Nash swears. “Clusterfuck.”
“You have no idea. Anyway, Grace left and didn’t look back.”
“Shit,” Nash says again. “What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t tell her anything because she never called me. She spent the weekend with her family.”
“Okay, so how did she quit?” he asks me.
“I was so pissed when I saw her. I mean, not really at her. More with the whole situation, and I said things I shouldn’t.”
“Shocking,” he says to me again.
“I thought she went to the bathroom. Next thing I know, Loren is packing up her desk and telling me she quit.”
“Did you go see her?” he snaps. “I can just imagine what you said to her.”
“She told Loren to tell me she’d be gone.” The words taste like acid in my mouth. “I have no idea where she is.”
“She probably went home to the farm,” he says the words I was so afraid of.
“I need help finding her.”
“I’ll call you back.” He disconnects on me. I start the car, but instead of going back to the office, I head straight home.
I’m opening the front door when the phone rings in my hand, and I see it’s Nash. “Hello,” I answer after half a ring.
“Yo,” he says.
“Did you find her?” I ask, ready to go to wherever she’s at.
“Oh, yeah.” He whistles. “I don’t think you’ll like what I have to say.”
My stomach sinks, wondering what the fuck he’s going to tell me. “She’s going home.” I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ve been told you aren’t welcome.”
“Yeah, well, unless they shoot me,” I say, running up the steps two at a time, “that is the only way I’m not going there.”
“Thought you would say that,” he says. “I’m getting on a plane and coming to you.”
“Really?” I reply, shocked and surprised but also happy I will have at least one person at my back.
“Well, someone has to be there in case you get shot or you open your mouth,” he states. “Just sit tight. We’re going to get you your woman back.” He laughs. “Or die trying.”
thirty-one
Grace
“Good morning, pretty girl.” I smile at the horse as I walk into the stall. “Did you have a good night?” I hold out my hand to her as she cowers in the corner. She’s a little white horse my father rescued last week. She takes a step back as I walk to her, not sure if she can trust me or not. “I’m coming to give you some water.” She watches my every move. “I know how you feel.” I put my hand up, waiting for her to come to me. “Not sure who to trust.” She comes to me cautiously. “You’re so pretty,” I tell her as she puts her head down but keeps her eyes on me. “I’m not going to hurt you.” She huffs a little as she takes one more step to me. “Do you want to go for a walk?” I rub her neck. “Yeah, let’s go get some fresh air.” I grab the halter from her neck and walk out of the stall with her. Grabbing a saddle, I throw it over her, and she moves back a bit. “It’s okay.” I rub her side. “This isn’t going to hurt.” I finish and then hold her reins in my hand, looking into her eyes. “Now I’m going to get up on you, and you will not buck me off.” I put my foot in the stirrup, throwing my leg over the horse. She moves right and left to try to get me off, but she doesn’t buck, which is better than yesterday when she really made sure I knew she was not happy with me. It lasted a whole five minutes before she calmed down.