Finding Gracie's Rainbow (10 page)

“
The backyard is fenced
in, and my old swing set is still there.” Jackson added while
Gracie looked over the contract.

“
I have to put in thirty
days notice at the apartment. Can we move in after
that?”

“
No problem,” Jackson
watched as she signed it.

“
It's a pretty house,
Jackson.” Gracie handed him the contract. “I’ll let you know when
we can move in.”

“
That’s fine,” Jackson
looked at her forcing himself not to touch her. “Can I ask you
something?”

Gracie stood still and
looked at him. “I can’t be your friend, Jackson.”

“
And just why not? Is it
because I kissed you for the same reason that you kissed me not
once but twice?” Jackson was glaring at her. “Because that was a
fair trade to my way of thinking.”

“
I didn't kiss you in
front of my family trying to start a fight.” Gracie snapped angrily
hoping he would calm down.

“
I guess that was wrong.
But Steven. . .” Jackson started to explain.

“
Is still my brother.”
Gracie walked out the back door to look at the yard. “And I would
rather not start a family feud.”

Jackson looked around
before he turned to face Gracie. “I’ll make you a deal.”

“
What kind of deal?” She
asked while walking to the swing set.

Jackson smiled as he
studied her. “We pretend to be friends for Bea.”

“
As long as you don’t kiss
her.” Gracie would do anything for her daughter. She watched as he
focused on her mouth, “Or me.”

“
You're just a spoil
sport.” Jackson walked behind her as they walked back into the
house.

“
Sorry, I just don’t know
where your mouth has been.” Gracie laughed at the look on his
face.

“
That’s not fair,” Jackson
blocked her from going out the front door. “Steven has told a few
lies and. . .”

“
I really don’t want to
hear anymore. I don’t know how two men of the same age that grew up
together can be so different.”

“
I'm Kim’s age.” Jackson
saw the puzzled look on her face. “I skipped a couple of grades,
and I don’t do one-night stands.”

“
There’s the shocker.”
Gracie walked around him. “I promised to pretend to be friends, and
now I need to go pick up Bea.”

“
What are you and Bea
doing tomorrow?” Jackson asked as he locked the door.

“
I have a date, and Bea
will be at Kim’s.” Gracie answered him as she opened her car
door.

“
A date?” Jackson was
shocked, “A ‘Cinderella’ date or a blind date?”

“
Blind.” Gracie frowned at
him.

“
You don’t have to go.”
Jackson looked over at his own car.

“
To keep the peace in the
family. How many friends does Steven have anyway?” Gracie waved
before she backed out of the driveway.

~

Steven picked her up at
Kim’s promptly at seven, and Gracie walked out the door wearing a
smart pale pink jumper. “Does this meet with your approval, brother
of mine?” Gracie asked him as she sat in the back seat watching as
Steven nodded his head.

They drove up to the
restaurant in silence and didn’t start talking again until they
were seated in a booth at the steak house. “So who is the unlucky
friend tonight?” Gracie asked as she looked over the
menu.

“
Terry Rogers,” Steven
answered her.

“
You set me up with Bea’s
principal?” She looked up from the menu as Paige moaned.

“
Seriously, Steven?” Paige
looked over at her husband with a smile on her face trying not to
laugh at Gracie’s expression. “He's pretty old.”

“
And gay,” Gracie added.
“How did you talk him into being my date?”

“
He’s what?” Steven was
stunned as Gracie said it again.

“
Everybody knows.” She
laughed at him. “I think that I can pretty much relax on this date.
You couldn’t get any safer.” Gracie was still laughing at him when
Terry walked into the dining area. “Lighten up, Steven. He’s
here.”

“
Oh, my goodness,” Gracie
laughed on their way back to Kim’s house. “Do you actually know any
of your friends?” Gracie asked after she finally stopped laughing
at him.

Steven glared as he dropped
Gracie off. They all saw Jackson’s car parked out front. Gracie
noticed that Steven was about to get out with her. “Don’t worry,
Steven. Jackson and I are just acting friendly for Bea. I can
handle myself. Bye.”

She was trying not to laugh
when she walked into her sister’s house. “Have a good time?”
Jackson asked as he looked up.

“
The blind date was
Terry.” Gracie saw the look on Jackson’s face. “We had some girly
conversation at Steven’s expense.”

Kim looked at Gracie
puzzled. “What’s wrong with Terry?”

Gracie whispered in Kim’s
ear just in case Bea walked into the room.

“
Are you
serious?”

“
Very serious. You didn’t
know?” Gracie picked up Bea’s puppy to stop him from chewing on her
shoe.

“
Evidently, I didn't.” Kim
stood, frowning while Jackson looked amused.

“
Steven really knows how
to pick them.” Jackson took the puppy from Gracie, accidentally
glazing her hands.

She frowned as she felt a
tingling when she looked at him. Biting her lip, she went off in
search of Bea, so they could go home. “Jackson, would you mind if I
showed Bea the house tomorrow?” She asked not looking directly at
him.

“
No problem; just call and
I'll meet you over there.” Jackson looked at her strangely as Bea’s
puppy wiggled in his arms.

Kim looked at Jackson after
Gracie had left, and Sammie plopped down on the couch. “Spill
it.”

“
Spill what?” Jackson
frowned as he asked.

Sammie laughed at him. “You
have a crush on Aunt Gracie.” She smiled when Kim glared at
her.

“
Your aunt isn't my type.”
Jackson walked out of the front door and to his car. He hadn't
realized that Kim had walked out with him.

“
What is your type,
Jackson? You've been friends to Gracie and Bea since forever.” Kim
made him look at her. “It’s a Friday night, and you’re spent it
watching movies with an eight-year-old.”

“
Look, Kim, it ain't going
to happen.” Jackson placed the puppy inside the car.

“
Lost again. What’s not
going to happen?” Kim watched Jackson shrug his shoulders before he
got in on the driver’s side and backed down her
driveway.

Kim was still standing
there when Robert pulled up. He got out of his car and walked over
to her. “You look lost.” He put his arm around her waist as they
walked up to the house.

“
You just don’t know how
lost. Those two confuse me.” Kim laughed as she remembered what
Sammie had said.

“
And now you're losing me.
Who confuses you and what are you laughing about?” Robert opened
the door and followed her in.

“
Gracie and Jackson,” Kim
looked at her daughter. “Sammie says that Jackson has a crush on
Gracie.”

“
He always has as long as
I’ve known him.” Robert said as he sat down in his recliner. “You
haven’t noticed?”

Kim shook her head in
disbelief. “Evidently I haven’t noticed a lot of things. Her blind
date was Terry Roberts.”

Sammie let out a whoop,
surprising both of her parents, “Poor Aunt Gracie!”

“
I take it that you know.”
Kim looked at her in shock.

Sammie laughed at her
mother. “I’m not blind.” She walked to her bedroom but turned
around to add. “Aunt Gracie would be better off if she just went
ahead and dated Jackson.”

“
Out of the mouth of my
baby,” Kim went into the kitchen to fix Robert some
supper.

~

Jackson was waiting at his
parents’ house when Gracie pulled into the driveway. Bea jumped out
of the car almost as soon as Gracie had shifted into park and ran
to Jackson, who lifted her up into the air while she
laughed.

Gracie walked up to them
never focusing on Jackson as they entered into the house. She
propped on the kitchen counter and looked around as Bea ran from
one room to another as the puppy followed at her heels.

Bea stopped as Jackson
opened up his sister’s room and squealed in delight. He smiled
sadly as she started dancing around. Gracie walked down the hall to
watch her.

Jackson glanced at Gracie
quickly. “You promised to act like we were friends.” He whispered
to her as they watched Bea. “I haven’t heard one word come out of
that mouth of yours.”

“
I’m sorry. I guess I'm
just a little tired.” Gracie still didn't look at him.

“
That’s some excuse and
you're not the only one. I didn't sleep a wink last night.” He
walked away from them.

“
That isn't my fault.”
Gracie followed him. “And why are you being so short with me all of
a sudden?” She asked narrowing her eyes

Bea heard Gracie raise her
voice and came out of the bedroom to look at them. Gracie saw her
and tried to smile. “There’s a swing set out back, Bea, and I'm
sure that fuzz ball of yours needs some fresh air.” She looked back
at Jackson after she watched Bea leave. “Well?”

“
I don’t want to talk
about it.” Jackson looked at the wall.

“
Fine,” Gracie started to
walk towards the back door when Jackson stopped her. He looked down
into her blue eyes that were shooting daggers at him. He fixed his
eyes on her lips and kissed her as she tried to back away. He felt
it as she relaxed, kissing him back trying to muffle a moan.
Jackson pulled away from her and noticed that her eyes were
smoldering.

Gracie was speechless as
Jackson stared at her. He saw the tears come into her eyes and
wiped them away.

“
I can’t, Jackson.” Gracie
walked outside watching as Bea was swinging. She heard him walk up
beside her.

“
I'm not going to push
you, Cinderella.” Jackson knew what he was feeling. He smiled at
her. “But you can’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy that.”

Gracie spun around to him.
“I don’t want. . .”

“
Want what? To be happy,
to fall in love with somebody, to live happily ever after?” Jackson
was glaring at her. “That’s what you deserve.”

Gracie was frowning as she
answered him. “I don’t believe in ‘happily ever after', and I am
happy.” She could feel the tears stinging her eyes.

Jackson hugged her. “Are
you happy, Gracie?” He looked down at her. “That’s all I'm going to
say. I promise.” He watched Gracie walk back into the
house.

~

Addison watched Gracie
through the glass windows of the office before getting up and
walking to the doors. She knocked before entering. “Want to talk
about it?” Addison handed a file folder as she asked.

“
There’s nothing to talk
about.” Gracie never looked up from the document she was
reading.

“
That’s such a load of
bull, and you know it.” Addison sat down in front of her, “As a
friend, Gracie.”

Gracie looked up. “And that
being the case, there's still nothing to talk about.”

“
Seriously?” Addison
studied her eyes. “I've never seen that look in your eyes before.
Did you fall madly in love on your blind date?”

“
Excuse me while I die
laughing.” Gracie opened the file that Addison had handed her.
“That would be impossible.” She told Addison all about her last
date and they were laughing when she finished.

“
Then who do you look like
a lovesick puppy over?” Addison was curious.

“
What makes you think that
I'm in love with anybody?” Gracie frowned as she looked at the
file. “Mr. Johnson wants to make more changes?”

“
Just one,” Addison knew
then that Gracie was going to be all business from that
minute.

“
Let me guess; the old man
had a date this past weekend.” Gracie skimmed over the notes. “Why
don’t we just change the wording to ‘current girlfriend’ and be
done with it?”

Addison laughed at her.
“That would solve that problem. So what are you up to this
Friday?”

“
Guess.” Gracie looked at
her. “Can’t wait to see who Steven brings out of the wood work this
week.”

“
I don’t guess your doctor
friend is anywhere on that list that Steven made up.” Addison
watched Gracie frown.

“
I hope not.” Gracie
looked back down at the folder that was still laying open on her
desk and pulled up the necessary documentation on her
computer.

Addison narrowed her eyes.
“He called here this morning.”

“
Good for him,” Gracie had
started typing on her keyboard. “Give him a medal and keep taking
messages.”

“
Sure,” Addison walked out
of the office as Kim came in. “Watch out, she's in some kind of a
mood.”