Finding Gracie's Rainbow (37 page)

“
I can agree with Jackson
on that. We all know Gracie and would do anything we can for her.”
Dylan added.

“
Then give her all the
support you can. I want to, but I have to be a hard ass.” Christian
told them good night and headed out to his car as Jackson and Dylan
stared at each other.

“
I don’t like what he
isn't saying.” Jackson mumbled as he thought about
Gracie.

“
If you two ever need
anything, I expect you to call. If you don't, I won't be only one
that gets upset.” Dylan looked after the car that just left the
parking lot. “Addison is really close to her.”

~

“
Gracie, Gracie, Gracie.”
Kim walked up to her the minute she walked into the Church with
Bea.

“
What do you want?” Gracie
looked at her sister after she hugged her mother who was studying
her hair.

“
I need a pianist.” Kim
smiled as their mother nodded her agreement over Gracie’s new
haircut.

“
I hope you find one.”
Gracie hugged her father before sitting down beside Bea as Kim
shook her head.

“
I need one now. Today.”
Kim was begging her with her eyes. “Peggy isn't going to be here
today.”

“
Be serious, Kim. It’s
been a very long time since I tickled the ivories of a piano.”
Gracie was looking hard at her. “The only things I remember how to
play are Christmas carols.”

“
You know how to read
music. I heard it’s like riding a bike.” Kim sat down next to Bea
as she continued to beg. “I really need you.”

“
Do they know how to sing
Jingle Bells?” Gracie was smiling as Bea looked up at her and then
at her aunt.

Kim looked over at her
parents in frustration. “I could use a little help
here.”

“
You want us to sing
Jingle Bells, too?” Chandler winked at Gracie as he had asked
Kim.

Janet looked over at both
of her daughters and then directly at Gracie. “Let’s see what all
those piano lessons did. Go play for your sister.”

Gracie stood as Kim looked
gratefully at Janet and mouthed thank you before they left. “You so
owe me for this, Kim. I hope your chorus can cover up any mistakes
I make.”

“
You’ll do fine.” Kim
squeezed her hand, “How about a solo?”

“
How about you be happy
with what I give you.” Gracie looked at her hard as she glanced at
the music that was on the piano. “I vote for Jingle
Bells.”

“
Fine. You can play Jingle
Bells in December.” Kim looked at Robert, who had been watching
them. “Where’s Jackson?”

“
He is on call today.”
Gracie answered her as she sat down on the piano stool. “You
probably won’t see him until Wednesday.”

“
So he won’t be over at
Mom’s house today?” After Gracie nodded her head, Kim had the
chorus come over to them and had them tell Gracie what they were
planning on singing. “By the way, Mom really loves your
hair.”

“
Did you see who just sat
down with Mom and Dad?” Gracie asked as she looked over to their
family.

“
Well, I’ll be.” Kim
smiled as she saw Steven and Paige sitting down on the pew next to
Annie and Garrison. “What brought this on?”

“
Don’t analyze it, be
happy about it.” Gracie ran her fingers over the piano keys to get
a feel for it. “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. . .
“

“
Funny.” Kim stood up as
Gracie started playing before the sermon began. Gracie was relieved
when she could step away from the piano. “That wasn’t too bad, was
it Gracie?”

“
You just don’t know the
horrors of playing the piano.” Gracie grimaced as she remembered
the countless hours that Janet had her practice. “I never
understood why you didn’t have to take lessons.”

“
I wasn't musically
inclined.” Kim smiled as they stepped down and Steven swung Gracie
around looking at her.

“
For some reason, I feel
like dancing.” Steven smiled as Gracie walked over towards her
daughter.

“
Did you come to confess
your sins, dear brother?” Gracie smirked at him as Paige smiled
trying not to laugh in the church.

“
I did.” Steven looked
over at Kim. “I think that I have a clean slate now,
right?”

“
Don’t mess it up.” Kim
looked at him proudly when she hugged him and then Paige. “I'm glad
that you both came.”

“
So am I. It’s been a long
time since I’ve heard Gracie play.” Paige walked away from them
when she spotted Sammie. “Did you bring the music?” She whispered
in her niece’s ear so nobody else would hear.

Sammie nodded. “You know
next week is both mine and Gracie’s birthdays. Could we make it a
dance party?”

“
Wouldn’t that be
something you ask your mother?” Paige looked at her
sideways.

“
I did, and she said to
ask other people’s opinions before we set it in stone.” Sammie was
smiling as she looked over at Gracie. “She has been teaching us how
to dance.”

“
Gracie has?” Paige had
not known this. “How long has she been doing that?”

“
Since I was little. She
was the one that taught me how to do the Macarena for the
Mother-Daughter dance before she got married.” Sammie informed her
aunt. “Sometimes I keep forgetting that she’s only eleven years
older than I am. I can talk to her about stuff I wouldn't dare to
talk to my mother about.”

“
I wouldn't brag about
that too loud.” Paige looked serious as they continued to walk out
of the church.

“
Mom knows. She encourages
it.” Sammie looked over at her family and smiled. “We’re blessed to
have a family like ours.”

“
That we are, Sammie.”
Paige smiled. “I'll see you over at your grandmother’s house in
about an hour.”

~

Steven looked over at
Gracie after they had finished eating. “Where is your dance partner
today?”

Gracie raised her eyes from
where she was sitting next to Sammie. “My dance partner?” Gracie
looked over at Kim puzzled.

“
You know- Jackson?”
Steven watched as Paige handed the music CD over to Janet as he
talked.

“
He’s on call this
weekend, but you already know that.” Gracie stood and stretched.
“What are you up to, Steven?”

“
I guess I'll have to
dance with you then.” Steven was smiling as he grabbed his sister’s
hands.

“
And why would I want to
dance with you?” Gracie was smiling at her brother.

Steven bowed to her
graciously. “Because, my dear sister, you love to dance, and your
assigned partner is away.” The music started to play as he looked
at her. “You’ve been practicing.” Steven was trying hard to keep up
with her and was happy when the music finally ended.

Gracie was trying not to
laugh at him. “Like you said, I love to dance. I hope Jackson isn’t
as out of practice as you are.”

Steven had stepped over to
the table to grab them some water as they talked. “Have you ever
wondered why our instructor assigned you to Jackson?” He handed her
a bottle of water before grabbing a napkin to wipe the sweat from
his forehead.

“
Not until now,” Gracie
started to open her bottle as Kim walked up to them. “Why was I
assigned to Jackson?”

“
Because none of the boys
in your age group could keep up with you.” Kim smiled as the rest
of the family had assembled around them. “It looks like Steven was
having a hard time keeping up.”

“
Could that be because
somebody started teaching her almost as soon as she could walk?”
Steven pointed a finger at Kim. “I don’t think Jackson has a chance
of keeping up.”

Gracie smiled mischievously
as she studied her brother. “How about another dance, Steven? I
really don't think that you're tired enough.”

“
Depends on the dance.”
Steven looked over at his sister. “Did you not even break a
sweat?”

Gracie just shook her head.
“Let’s do the Macarena. The girls look a little
restless.”

“
I think that I'll pass.”
He smiled as Gracie walked out to the cement pad with Paige, Kim,
Sammie, Bea, Annie, and Janet.

Chandler sat down next to
Steven after he started the music for the girls. “Gracie is a good
teacher.” Her father spoke proudly. “Look at Bea go.”

Steven was smiling. “I wish
that Jackson was here. Gracie could probably dance us both into the
ground.”

“
You guys should get back
into shape. They’re still having those charity dances.” Chandler
pulled a flyer off the top of the trashcan and handed it to his
son. “There's one two months from now.”

Steven looked at the paper
and then watched the dancing. “I have a feeling that I'm the only
one out of shape.”

“
Don’t forget who you just
danced with.” Chandler smiled as Gracie had talked Garrison into
dancing with them. “Your baby sister never slowed down, even in her
sleep.”

“
Maybe it seemed like that
because you were an old man when she was born.” Steven teased his
father.

“
Just wait, smarty pants.
When are you going to be able to get that child you were approved
for?” Chandler looked at his only son.

“
Six months from now.”
Steven looked over at Paige as he talked to his father. “We’re both
excited.”

“
I'm happy for you.”
Chandler stared at Gracie and Steven was watching him.

“
What’s going on, Pop?”
Steven noticed the look on his father’s face.

“
I found out that your
mother and sister were keeping secrets from me.” Chandler stood up.
“I'm not really supposed to talk about it.”

“
Then don’t.” Steven
studied him worriedly. “After the trial we're all going to know
more than Gracie ever wanted us to, but for one day it would be
nice if we didn’t bring it up around her.”

Chandler smiled as he
turned back to Steven. “I think I can do that. I'll be glad when
all of this is over.”

Steven chuckled as he saw
the dance start to come to an end. “I'm sure that you aren't the
only one.”

Gracie walked over to the
table smiling. “Are you ready, Steven?”

“
For what?” Steven asked
as looked over at Paige walking towards them.

“
Another dance,” Gracie
was teasing him as she picked up her water bottle and winked at her
father.

“
Not with you,” Steven
grimaced. “You're going to give me a heart attack.”

“
Poor, poor Steven,”
Gracie kissed him on the cheek and sat down beside her
mother.

Steven looked over at his
father again. “How did you ever slow her down?”

“
Your mother and those
piano lessons,” Chandler smiled as he remembered all the arguments
because Gracie hated playing the piano. “She learned because she
wanted to make your mother happy.”

“
Gracie wants to make
everybody happy.” Steven sighed, “Except herself.”

“
She’s getting there.”
Chandler stood and looked over his family as he smiled. “Maybe we
are all fixing to move forward.”

“
Too bad she has to
revisit her past first.” Steven watched as his mother came up
behind him and gave him a disapproving look.

“
We aren't going there
today, Steven.” Janet swatted him with her empty water bottle.
“Your sister is more relaxed today than she's been in a couple of
years.” She smiled at him. “And it’s entirely your
fault.”

“
Huh?” Steven looked down
into his mother’s eyes.

“
Thank you for asking her
to dance. We should have thought about that a lot sooner.” Janet
looked over at Chandler. “This is the way it used to
be.”

Chapter 18

Gracie sat down in her
office chair and smiled as she started her computer. She had
decided to go in early just in case Mr. Foster had left a mess on
her desk. She opened her desk drawer to grab a pen and took out
another check addressed to her instead. She opened the envelope
that was paper- clipped to it and pulled out the letter. She was
reading it as Addison walked into the office and stood there
looking at her.

“
Looking good, Gracie,
vacation suited you.” Addison said after Gracie had finished
reading the letter and laid it down on her desk. “I love the hair
cut.”

Gracie smiled as she put a
hand to the back of her neck. “I'm still getting used to
it.”

“
What does Jackson think?”
Addison sat down in the chair across from her.

“
He hasn’t exactly seen it
yet.” Gracie folded the letter and placed it in her desk. “So fill
me in on what I need to know.”

Addison told her about the
last week and filled her in on that day’s schedule. “Still wish you
were on vacation?”

“
Honestly, no, I ran out
of things to do.” Gracie smiled as she stood and walked to her
favorite window. “Uum, Addison, what happened to the duck
pond?”