Page 18 of His Saving Grace

He felt like a broken record, but it was the truth. Right now, everything was overwhelming. He was still trying to wrap his head around all of it.

His ride with Jake this morning had been a good start. The ranch was more than two hundred acres, and a lot had happened in the years he’d been gone. His brothers, with the exception of Declan, had all made a place for themselves on the ranch.

What he needed to decide was whether or not he wanted one, and what exactly it would look like when everything was all said and done.

He hadn’t lied to his dad all those years ago. He’d never wanted the ranch, at least not in the way his dad had wanted. His dad had envisioned Mason as a mini him, someone whose life revolved around the land and the cattle. Who valued the ranch over family.

Mason was not that guy. Not then, and definitely not now. The problem was, he wasn’t exactly sure who he was anymore. Or what he wanted.

You mean, besides Grace?Yeah, he was so not thinking about that right now.

“So, what brings you into town?” Izzy indicated the front of the diner, and the city beyond, with a tilt of her chin.

“I needed to make sure you were okay.” He eased his bad leg off her seat. The rest had helped with the discomfort, and he was relatively certain he could make it back to the truck without too much issue. He slid out of the booth.

Izzy stood. He wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders and squeezed, a little tighter than he needed to. It was almost as if he was trying to press her broken pieces together, trying to prevent them from flying apart, trying to make her whole again.

But she would never be whole again. And she was stronger than he was giving her credit for. She was one of the strongest people he’d ever known.

She squeezed back, and it felt like she was doing the same for him. That damn band around his chest squeezed so tight, it left him breathless.

They stood like that for a few minutes, just holding each other. Finally, Mason pulled away and then bent and placed another soft kiss on her forehead.

“And now,” he said. “I’m doing something I haven’t done in forever. I’m going to get rip-roaring drunk.”

Grace sat at the kitchen table in the main house, playing a game of solitaire. With actual cards and everything. She didn’t know where everyone else was, aside from Eloise, who was at her weekly book club meeting, but she was alone.

While doing some laundry, she’d been searching through the kitchen drawers, looking for something to do while she waited. She’d found a package of playing cards and may or may not have jumped up and down like a little girl.

Her mom used to play cards with her when she was a kid, so the idea of playing a game gave her comfort tonight. It didn’t stop the little piercing ache at the base of her throat, though.

“I miss you, mom.” She tipped her head back and whispered the words at the ceiling. It was silly, but she believed that her mom was up there somewhere, watching over her. With a bittersweet ache in her chest, she flipped over the card in her hand.

Something wet and cold brushed against her knee, just below where her skirt hit, and she shrieked, her entire body jerking in the chair. The cards in her hand went flying, scattering across the table in front of her. Her heart catapulted into her throat, making it hard to breathe.

She whipped her head around. Tank’s big brown eyes stared up at her. Almost as if she was there to console Grace, maybe cheer her up.

Grace let out a jittery laugh and tried to wrestle her thundering heart back under control. She stroked the soft fur on Tank’s head. “You scared the crap out of me, girly.”

Tank’s tail thumped against the floor, and she placed her chin on Grace’s knee with a huff of breath. Grace ran her fingers through the soft fur on Tank’s head. Now that her heart was no longer careening around the galaxy, a thread of contentment wound through her. She was safe here. She could stop and think and breathe.

At least for now.

“So—” Grace stopped. She scratched the spot just behind Tank’s ear and the dog inched closer. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t call you Tank. Tank is not a proper name for such a beautiful girl.”

The dog tilted her head slightly, as if she was trying to decipher Grace’s words. Grace’s lips tilted up in a smile. “I think you’re more like a Bella. What do you say?”

The dog’s tail increased its pace, the thumping sound echoing around the empty kitchen.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” Grace scratched behind the dog’s other ear. Bella rolled her head, giving Grace easier access. “How did you end up with Major Callahan, huh? I get the feeling you’re a new addition to his family.”

Bella licked the underside of Grace’s forearm. Grace laughed, the sound bouncing around the room.

The phone sitting on the kitchen counter rang and Grace jumped, her heart banging against her ribs hard enough to leave a bruise. She leaped to her feet and lifted a trembling hand to her chest. The phone rang again. She strained to hear the sounds of anyone else in the house. A family member. Someone who was going to answer it.

Nothing but silence.

The phone rang a third time, and she stepped up to the counter. She reached for the receiver but stopped just before her fingers touched the plastic. Maybe she should let the machine get it. This wasn’t her house and she shouldn’t be answering the phone. That was far too familiar.