Finding Gracie's Rainbow (29 page)

“
It was too quiet at my
house.” Kim sat down next to her. “I'm so glad that she's
home.”

“
So am I.” Gracie smiled
at her. “So much can happen in a week.”

“
Tell me about it.” Kim
watched as Sammie started to tease Garrison. “Jackson stopped by
the house last night after he left here.”

“
I didn’t torment him last
night.” Gracie said as she glanced over at her sister’s face. “I
heard everything that you guys had been talking about the night
that I finished my story.”

“
You did?” Kim was
startled to hear her say that. “But you were in your
bedroom.”

Gracie shook her head. “I
was in the hall.”

“
Can we say ‘oops’?” Kim
was smiling as her sister admitted to what she had
overheard.

“
No, we may not. I needed
to hear it.” Gracie looked over at her thoughtfully. “He never left
my side the whole time Bea was gone except for to go to
work.”

“
So. . .” Kim already knew
because Jackson had told her what had happened before he went back
to his apartment.

“
I would tell you but you
already know.” Gracie laughed at the expression that was on her
sister’s face. “I have a sister who loves to keep
secrets.”

“
No, I don’t. I was sworn
to confidentiality.” Kim stood as Gracie’s cell phone rang. “I
thought you were on vacation.”

“
I am; I haven't bought a
phone to plug up into the land line yet.” Gracie smiled as she saw
Jackson’s name appear on the screen of the phone. “I’m sure that
Jackson is happy that I have it on.” She answered the phone and
walked into the house as she talked to him.

Kim watched as she walked
back into the yard. “I'm glad to see you so happy.”

“
I guess I got tired of
fighting myself.” Gracie turned thoughtful as she glanced at Bea.
“It might not work out.”

“
Always the pessimist,”
Kim said angrily. “If you're going to give it a chance, then you
need to give yourself a chance. Stop being afraid.”

“
I just don’t want to see
Bea get hurt if it doesn’t.” Gracie stretched before she sat back
down.

“
And it doesn’t always
have to be about Bea.” Kim looked knowingly at her. “Bea is going
to grow up, maybe go to college, and hopefully get married. And if
you don’t give yourself a chance for happiness, you're to be
watching all of that by yourself.” Kim calmed herself down as she
stared off at the children. “He's been in love with you at least
eight years, if it doesn’t work out it is because you didn’t try.
How do you feel about him?”

Gracie thought about what
Kim had said. “Eight years?”

“
It started out with him
just being a friend.” Kim answered as she stood and glanced at her
watch. “We’d better feed them.”

Gracie followed Kim into
the house and watched as her sister went through her pantry to find
something to fix. Kim looked over at her sister strangely, “No
macaroni and cheese?”

“
Absolutely not,” Gracie
had refused to buy any more of pasta to keep as a staple in her
supplies. “You aren’t going to tell me anymore about Jackson, are
you?”

“
I'm afraid the rest
you're going to have to find out from Jackson. I've already said
too much.” Kim looked at her with amusement. “You still haven’t
answered my question.”

“
I think Annie has a crush
on one of his friends.” Gracie smiled as she changed the
subject.

“
Why do you do that?” Kim
reproached her, “Stop changing the subject.”

“
I don’t like to talk
about my feelings.” Gracie was getting ill with her. “My feelings
are my feelings.”

“
Wow.” Sammie had walked
into the room and caught the last bit of the conversation between
her mother and aunt. “How do you get away with that?”

“
With what?” Gracie asked
glancing over at her niece.

“
Mom isn’t going to rest
until she finds out what you’re thinking or feeling.” Sammie
grabbed a bag of chips. “I'm never allowed to keep my feelings to
myself.”

“
There's a reason, Sammie.
Kim is just my sister, not my mother.” Gracie smiled at Sammie as
she stuffed a handful of chips in her mouth.

“
And she always finds her
answer.” Kim retorted to Gracie after Bea walked in with Garrison.
“I’ll wait.”

“
Do that. You might have
gray hairs before I tell you.” Gracie was laughing at her as they
sat down at the table.

“
I already know. I just
want to hear it come out of your mouth.” Kim smiled innocently at
her.

“
You don’t know what I'm
feeling.” Gracie sat the bowls on the table. “And you can’t tell me
that you do.”

“
If that is what you
think, I’ll let it pass.” Kim glanced over towards Bea. “How do you
feel about Jackson?”

“
I love him.” Bea looked
at her aunt puzzled as she answered.

“
Do you see how easy that
was?” Kim turned to her sister before asking Bea another question.
“How does your mom feel about Jackson?”

Bea looked over at her
mother still puzzled as Kim asked her that question. “She hasn’t
said anything about that.”

“
But how do you think she
feels about Jackson?” Kim heard Sammie start to laugh. “Hush,
Sammie.”

Bea smiled. “I think that
she loves him, too.”

Gracie sat down at the
table and stared at her daughter without saying a word as she
picked up her spoon. She glanced over at Sammie, who was smiling at
her.

“
Want to know what I
think?” Sammie was dying to be included in the
conversation.

“
Not really,” Gracie
answered as Kim twitched her lips with laughter. “But I have a
feeling that I’m going to find out anyway.”

“
I think that you love him
as much as he loves you, but you're hiding behind Bea.” Sammie had
looked over at Gracie while she spoke.

“
What kind of books have
you been reading?” Gracie turned to her. “Or have you been
listening in to your mom’s conversations with Jackson?”

Kim was wondering the same
thing as she studied her daughter through narrowed eyes. “We're
waiting, Samantha Janet.” The tone she had used was reserved when
she wanted her daughter to give her an honest answer.

“
A little Danielle Steele,
some Nora Roberts, and no, I haven't been listening to their
conversations.” Sammie looked over at her mother trying to conceal
a smile, “At least not intentionally.”

“
You're letting her read
Nora Roberts? Isn’t that a little above her age?” Gracie looked
over at her sister.

“
There’s nothing wrong
with that and she’s almost seventeen.” Kim answered Gracie’s
questions. “I read her books, and so do you. Besides she could
learn a lot worse at school.”

“
If you say so,” Gracie
glanced back over at Samantha. “And I’m not hiding behind
Bea.”

“
If you say so,” Sammie
mimicked her aunt. “But I want to be one of your bridesmaids when
you get married.”

Gracie stood and grabbed
her bowl before she walked angrily outside.

Kim looked at her daughter
hard. “You have to learn when you’ve said enough, Sammie, and that
is what you just did. Clean up lunch while I go talk to
her.”

Bea and Garrison were
watching and listening as Kim walked outside to talk to Gracie.
“Grown ups!” Garrison laughed after they walked away from them.
Sammie glanced sideways at him as she picked up their
bowls.

Chapter 14

Jackson looked at Gracie
puzzled as she was humming while sprawled out on the couch staring
blankly at the ceiling. She glanced towards him when he cleared his
throat.

“
What’s the matter with
you?” He walked over to the couch and looked down at
her.

“
Boredom.” Gracie had
already cleaned the house, and Bea was outside playing with
Garrison. It had been quiet ever since her sister and Sammie had
left. “Too much time to think.”

“
That would be a problem
for you.” He laughed as she sat up. “Where is Bea?”

“
In the backyard,” Gracie
watched as he sat down next to her. “Kim came over
today.”

He looked at her as she
picked up a Pepsi that was on the table, “And?”

“
You stopped by her house
last night.” Gracie said as she started to smile. “You forgot to
tell her that you were talking to the Reverend and not my
sister.”

“
I wasn’t talking to the
Reverend. I was talking to your sister.” Jackson knew that Kim
wouldn't be able to resist visiting with Gracie today.

“
Oh, that so does not put
a different light on the subject.” Gracie narrowed her eyes as she
talked to him. “You opened up a can of worms because she started
asking questions and now Sammie is asking to be a
bridesmaid.”

“
Really?” Jackson tilted
his head and laughed as he imagined the way in which Gracie handled
the conversation. “I never even thought about marriage, but it
doesn't sound like a bad idea.”

“
Don’t rush me.” Gracie
told him seriously as she saw him starting to think about it. She
stood and walked into the kitchen.

“
And what do you have
against marriage?” Jackson asked as he had stood and walked towards
her.

“
Let me get used to ‘us’
before you start on holy matrimony.” Gracie looked at him wanting
to be angry but failing desperately. “I’ve been there and done
that. I can’t say that I honestly want to do it again.”

Jackson frowned at her as
she started to take pots out of the cabinet. “I ain't
Mark.”

“
Does that really matter?”
She turned towards him, cocking her head to the side while studying
his face. “I’m sorry. Like I said I've had too much time to
think.”

“
That’s a bad habit for
you.” He smiled as she tied an apron over her clothes. “Has Bea
talked about what she went through?”

“
At two thirty this
morning,” Gracie answered as she studied him. “I wish there was a
way to thank Susan for what she did for Bea while she was there.
I’ll tell you about it after she goes to bed tonight.” She turned
back around to start supper. “There is something else I want to
mention before your cousin comes home though.”

“
Annie? What about?”
Jackson took the lettuce that Gracie had handed over to
him.

“
I think she has a crush
on one of your friends.” Gracie smiled as she remembered the
expression that had been on Annie’s face when she mentioned
Christian’s name.

“
Which one?” Jackson was
curious as Gracie walked over to the refrigerator to pull out the
pork chops.

“
Christian.” Gracie
watched as Jackson smiled. “She wanted to know if I was interested
in him when I started to ask questions this morning.”

“
She did?” Jackson started
shredding the lettuce like Gracie liked it. “She never asked me
questions about him.”

“
That’s because she thinks
he's married to his work.” Gracie informed him while she sprinkled
some of the Emeril’s Essence on the chops. She washed her hands
before she turned to face Jackson with a smile on her face. “If you
could've seen the look on her face when I mentioned his name, you'd
be thinking the same thing I am.” Gracie looked down at his cutting
board. “You’re murdering that poor cucumber.”

“
Sorry,” Jackson stopped
chopping as Gracie walked towards him to take over. He took her in
his arms before she picked up the knife, and Gracie looked up at
him staring into his eyes noticing the green flakes were dancing
before he bent down to kiss her. He stopped and looked at her. “Are
you going to tell me to stop?” He watched when she shook her head
while he encircled her waist with his arms.

That was how Annie saw them
when she walked into the house. “Keep it rated G, you guys.” She
watched as the kids came running into the house, and Gracie quickly
stepped back from Jackson. Annie was smiling as Gracie turned to
her.

“
Annie. I didn’t hear you
come in.” Gracie bit her lip and picked up the knife to finish
chopping the cucumber.

Annie watched them in
amusement as Jackson started to laugh at Gracie for blushing. “I
didn’t want to disrupt that kiss.” She laid her briefcase down and
hugged Garrison before walking into her bedroom to change clothes.
She was happy for them.

She walked back into the
living room and watched as Jackson played with the children. He
looked over towards her when he heard her sigh. “What’s up,
Annie?”

“
I’m just tired. I didn’t
sleep much after Bea woke us this morning.” Annie looked over to
notice Bea glance at her. “I think that I'm going to bed early
tonight.”

“
That’s fine. I want to
take you out to dinner on Friday.” Jackson looked over at Gracie,
who was smiling at them. “Without Garrison.”

“
Don’t you think you
should be taking Gracie out?” Annie was skeptical as she talked to
him.