Crash and Burn (24 page)
Authors: Michelle Libby
“Who do you think you are–lying to all of these people?”
Stone took three steps back out of the line of fire. Grace looked–well, she looked different than he’d ever seen her.
* * * *
Grace refused to sit still one more second. She debated rushing the stage and falling into Stone’s arms, but once Divina took the stage in typical dramatic fashion, Grace snapped.
“Gracie, what are you talking about? You know I’m married to Stone. You can’t tell me you’re seriously in love with him.”
“Sorry, sister dear. I
am
in love with Stone Adams. Thanks to you forcing me to play his wife, I fell in love.”
Stone took a step forward, but she shook her head
no
so subtly that only the three of them noticed. He stopped.
“For years I have cleaned up your messes. I’m done. I swore I wouldn’t fix this mess you’ve got yourself into, but there I was pretending to be you. Are you surprised that finally deceit came back to bite you in the ass?”
Divina opened her mouth to speak. “I–”
“You. It’s always about you, but this time it’s about me. Me and Stone. You will not stay married to a man you don’t love for the fame and notoriety. You will give him the annulment and leave us alone. You don’t win this time, sister dear. I win. I get my man.”
Divina’s mouth turned down, her lower lip quivering, and a corner of Grace’s heart tugged at hurting her sister, but she refused to be played again.
Divina glanced into the audience, then stomped her foot and fled behind the curtain.
Grace paused on the stage for a second, shocked at herself for the way she’d acted. The reporters were smiling up at her, excited. She’d handed them the story of the month. Sisters fight over slick racecar driver. She looked back at Stone, who stood rooted to the spot.
Remorse washed over her in waves. Maybe she hadn’t done the right thing. She should have stayed in the chair–better yet, she should have stayed in Connecticut.
“Grace, are you okay?” Stone asked quietly.
She took a deep breath, one that reached all the way to her toes. The lead balloon that had been in residence on her chest for weeks was gone. She took another breath. The huge weight was lifted.
“I’m better than okay,” she said, taking a step toward him. Stone met her half-way, sweeping her into his arms. Her feet left the stage and she clutched him, wrapping her arms around him.
“You’re amazing, love. I’m so proud of you.” He set her down. “You ready to face them?” he asked, pointing into the crowd.
Grace nodded. She was.
“Ladies and gentlemen. This is Grace Cromwell. She is willing to take your questions.”
Every hand in the crowd shot up. “Grace, when did you know you loved Stone?”
Grace smiled benevolently. “I’ve loved Stone Adams the racecar driver for years, since he first came on the local circuit. Stone Adams the man, well, I fell in love with him at an out of the way restaurant called Giovanni’s.” She smiled up at him. “Yep. He’s a keeper.”
“Will you be getting married?”
Grace looked at Stone and he raised his eyebrows, questioning her.
“Definitely,” she answered.
“What about your relationship with your sister? Won’t this decision hurt her?”
Grace sighed. “I love my sister and for years her happiness meant everything to me, but this time I deserve a happy ending. I think in time she’ll get over this and not see it as a betrayal, which it isn’t.”
Bill stood up. “When are you going to kiss him?” he asked with a smile.
“Now seems good,” she said, grinning back.
Stone spun her around, knocking her off-balance, and lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t fall, but the touch of his soft lips on hers wreaked havoc on her equilibrium as she clung to him. The kiss was tentative at first, lip to lip, moving, testing, caressing. Then his tongue traced the seam of her lips and she opened to him, passion exploding between them.
“As you can see, folks, Stone and Grace have some catching up to do,” George Halkins said. Grace looked up at him, grateful. “I’ll answer any further questions you may have. I’m Stone’s sponsor.”
Stone rushed her off the stage and behind the curtain. “Do you mean it? Will you marry me for real?”
She nodded. “What do I have to lose?” She smiled.
“Me. You traitorous bitch,” Divina said, launching at them. “We’re sisters. We’re supposed to look out for one another.”
“Do you hear yourself, Divina? We are sisters. I love you. For years I’ve made everything about you. Mom and Dad have made everything about you. For once, this is about me and my happiness.” Grace hugged closer to Stone. “You don’t love Stone. You love the fame, his money, but not him.”
“I could.”
“And hurt me? You’d stay married to a man you don’t love, a man who loves me, so I can’t have him? Doesn’t sound sisterly to me.”
Divina started to pout, but pulled out of it. “I guess not,” she said in a little girl voice. “When did you grow up? When did you become the older sister?”
Grace laughed. “I’ve always been your older sister, not necessarily in years, but–”
“I know. I do want you to be happy, Grace. I do.”
“Thanks, sis.” Grace took two steps toward Divina and reached out for a hug. Divina stepped into the embrace.
An hour later, Grace was tucked into front seat of Stone’s car, humming along with the radio. “So where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Grace rolled her eyes at him. He eased the car into a parking space in front of Giovanni’s.
“I knew it,” Grace said.
They were met at the door by Giovanni. “Hello, my favorite people. We’ve been swamped with phone calls for reservations since you–” He smiled up at Grace. “Mentioned our name at the press conference. Everyone wants to fall in love at Giovanni’s. I’m thinking of making that our new ad line. I saved the best table in the house for you, Stone.” Giovanni ushered them to the back table where they sat every other time they’d been to the restaurant. “Enjoy.”
“I have something for you,” Stone said as soon as they were seated.
“You don’t need to give me anything.”
“Oh, but I do. I have something that belongs to you.”
Grace was puzzled until he pulled the dainty box out of his jacket pocket.
“I need you to wear this ring, but only if you’ll promise never to take it off again and never to give it back.”
Grace jumped out of the booth and slid in next to him. She held out her left hand. “I’ll make that promise, Stone Adams.”
He slipped the ring on and kissed her hand, then her.
Epilogue
“I have good news for you, Stone,” George Halkins told him. The man looked perfect in his tux. “We’ve signed you for another four years. I’ve given the details to Walt, but I wanted to congratulate you first. It was a tad rocky there, but I’m glad it worked out.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your faith in me.” Stone turned and looked for his wife. Grace stood next to her sister, talking to some of the other racing wives. Her white dress gleamed in the sunlight, the taffeta blowing in the breeze. It was the perfect day for a wedding at the track. Grace said something to Divina and they both laughed.
Their relationship had blossomed stronger and Divina hardly ever stomped her feet now. When Grace picked out a maid-of-honor dress to match the bridesmaids dresses, Divina had held herself in check even though it wasn’t quite what she’d had in mind. Stone was proud of his strong-willed wife and his less-whiny sister-in-law.
Hank hadn’t been around much, but he’d been invited to the wedding and had arrived without a date. Stone never saw him talking to Divina, but neither of the ex-lovers seemed bothered with their lack of contact. Divina genuinely seemed happy for Grace and Stone, now that she’d gotten over losing his money and fame. Hanging out with Walt seemed to buoy her spirits as well.
Not able to stay away from Grace for another second, he charged over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss in the soft hollow behind her ear. “Hello, Mrs. Adams.”
“Hello, Mr. Adams.”
Divina shooed the few people in the group away and walked off herself.
“My sister’s smart.” Grace turned in his arms and kissed him.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish. We still have guests.”
“So?” Grace said.
“Are you telling me we can leave now?”
“Well, I’m saying Walt parked the RV out behind the bleachers and maybe no one will miss us for a few minutes.”
He hugged her tighter. “What I have planned is going to take more than a few minutes. You’ve been holding out on me.”
“Don’t worry, husband. We’ve got plenty of time to make up for that.”
About Michelle Libby
Michelle Libby has bounced from job to job over the last decade, but one thing has remained constant–her need to write fiction.
As a journalist, she quotes words others tell her–as a novelist she does her best to make her characters say what she imagines they’d say.
Her life is never dull or boring with her police sergeant husband, teenage daughter and middle school son. She also shares her Maine home with her yellow lab, Chloe, and her two old cats, Honey and Apollo.
You can find out more about Michelle at her website: www.michellelibby.com.
Crash and Burn
9781616504335
Copyright © 2013, Michelle Libby
Edited by Dianne B.
Book design by Lyrical Press, Inc.
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs
First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: January 2013
Lyrical Press, Incorporated
eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated
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