Here With You Page 24

  She closed her eyes, her chest heaving, and shook her head.

  His heart, his trust, his pride shattered into a million pieces in his chest. Without saying another word, he went to the door and let himself out.

  And mentally said goodbye to Grace for good.

  GOING TO THURSDAY NIGHT book group was the last thing on her mind, but Alexis gave her no choice, showing up at her doorstep and pounding on her door until Grace opened up.

  “Suck it up, buttercup. You’re going.”

  “I worked all day. I have stuff to do tonight.” Which was the truth. Arianna’s wealthy favorite uncle was all about supporting her and investing his money in what he said was amazing talent.

  He had his attorney draw up the paperwork, and Grace hired one online based out of Portland and had her read the fine print. Sean McGregor would earn thirty percent of the profits from the Boston location of The Closet, and Grace would have free rent, only having to pay utilities.

  The lease off Newbury Street had to be ridiculously high. The offer was too good to be true, but Arianna swore her uncle was legit, and her attorney said it was sound on her end.

  There was a lot to do before the July fifteenth grand opening. Now that she was single she had more time on her hands. She shopped around and found stores who were going out of business and selling their fixtures dirt cheap.

  Her shipment of sleek wooden hangers with The Closet burned into the side came the day before. The boxes took over her living room, but since she wasn’t entertaining any type of guests, it didn’t matter.

  Over the past few weeks, Lily had popped in the store when she had a lull in between clients to keep Grace company. Hope and Mia had invited her to dinner. Jenna asked if she wanted to see a movie.

  Grace had declined all invitations. Alexis, however, didn’t get the memo and barged into the apartment.

  “If you’re so confident you made the right move, dumping Brady and moving to Boston, then show your face with pride. Besides, Hope is making strawberry daiquiris, and Jenna has chips and salsa.”

  “My hips don’t need any more calories. I buy out aisle four at the grocery store every week.”

  “Who hasn’t bought out aisle four? It’s the mothership of aisles. Cookies, crackers, and all things carbs should not be nicely packaged in one convenient place.”

  “And did you want to drag your ass out after cleaning it out?”

  “Hell no. But I did. And I made friends for the first time in my life. Come on.” Alexis tugged at her hand. “We can talk about the book, or we can Google pictures of Chris Hemsworth.”

  “How about Henry Cavill.”

  “Done.”

  Somehow while Grace had been moving like a zombie from her apartment down the stairs to The Closet and back up to her apartment again, March turned to April and the weather from cold to somewhat cold and rainy.

  She covered her head with her hands as if saving her messy bun from getting messier, and ran down the stairs to Alexis’ SUV.

  “I didn’t even change,” she said, looking down at her wet leggings.

  “It’s just us. Your friends.”

  Her friends. And she had a sister now to kick her in the ass and even hug her now and then when Grace became a slobbering mess, which she’d been every day since the afternoon Brady walked out of her apartment.

  After hours and hours of crying, she’d called Alexis and told her everything. Including her plans to move away. Alexis was hurt Grace was leaving again, but this time she swore they’d keep in touch.

  “Wait.” Grace put her hand on the steering wheel. “Isn’t it my turn to be designated driver?” They rotated roles every month, including donning the DD. It wasn’t often needed, but Celeste insisted they assign one if they used her bookstore to meet. Mia’s mom was gracious that way and even stopped in from time to time to discuss their monthly read.

  When talk turned to men and sex, she couldn’t say goodbye fast enough.

  “I’ve got you covered. Besides. I shouldn’t be drinking in my condition.”

  “Okay. Thanks. Wait. What?” Grace spun in her seat and stared at Alexis’ belly.

  “Easy. I’m an exhausted mother of a toddler who hasn’t slept for more than five straight hours in nearly two years.”

  “Ohmygawd. Could you be pregnant? I hear pregnant women are tired all the time too.”

  “Heck no. Ben’s okay with me not wanting any more kids. I’d never really planned on having any, but I couldn’t imagine our lives without Sophie.”

  “She is the cutest little thing.”

  “Truth. And some days I worry that I’m not good enough for her. I mean, isn’t it wrong of me to not want more kids? Am I selfish for not giving her a brother or sister?”

  “You have to do what feels right for you and your family. There are plenty of one-child homes, and those kids turn out fine.”

  “I guess. But what if I’m screwing up her life?”

  “Are you kidding me? You and Ben are the best parents in the world. She’s blessed to have you guys.”

  “Don’t go all sappy on me or I’ll stop telling you shit.”

  Grace tskd. “Such potty talk for a mommy.”

  “Shut it, bitch.”

  Grace laughed for the first time in weeks and continued to do so as she walked through the door to Books by the Ocean.

  “That’s a nice sound.” Lily rushed up to her and hugged her tight. “We were worried you wouldn’t come, but Alexis said she’d make sure you did.”

  Her heart squished with kindness.

  “And if you didn’t show, we’d be marching our asses over and crashing your place.” Mia, always so direct, handed her a daiquiri.

  “We’ve been worried about you.” Jenna elbowed Lily aside and hugged Grace. She held out her drink so it wouldn’t spill, and Hope took it from her. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. We’ve got your back no matter what.”

  She always liked this one. Jenna didn’t say much, often declined invitations to go out. More of a hermit and quiet in her sweet and adorable way, Grace recognized a bit of hiding in her as well.

  Maybe she had skeletons. Doubtful they could one-up Grace’s though.

  “I don’t really feel like talking about it.”

  No one but Alexis knew the true story. Unless Brady said something. Or her friends read gossip magazines.

  “Give me a hug and then you can have your drink back.” Hope squeezed her and handed her the daiquiri. “Let’s go sit and pretend we’ve read.”

  Two daiquiris later, they all knew the entire story, including her plan to move by the end of May.

  “You said you’d be here throughout the summer,” Alexis said.

  “That was the original plan, but Arianna’s uncle signed the papers already. I can open for business on July 15th and start setting up in June.”

  “That’s only two months away.” Lily’s lower lip turned down at the corners, and she wiped her eyes. “I really like having you next door. And living upstairs. Even though I figured eventually you and Brady—shoot. I’m such an idiot.”

  “No. It’s okay. I knew the thing with Brady was only temporary.”

  “It was more than a thing. Ty spends a lot of time at the house working on the reno. He says Brady’s miserable. He misses you.”

  “He’ll move on.”

  “I don’t think he wants to.” Of course, Lily the romantic with the newest relationship still wore rose-colored glasses.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m moving to Boston, and we know Brady’s not going to give up his family farm to live in a city. He wouldn’t last a weekend.”

  She still had to find affordable housing. There were a few online roommate connection sites she’d been searching through and had some possible leads.

  In a few weeks, she’d drive down and meet with possible roommates and check out the apartments. Surely there were women in Boston as wonderful and supportive as those sitting here with her tonight. />
  “You guys,” Grace kicked back her third drink, her eyes suddenly growing fuzzy. “You’re the best. Will you let me crash your book nights when I come home to visit?”

  “I still can’t believe you’re leaving. We barely had time to get to know you.” Jenna leaned her head on Grace’s shoulder.

  That was nice. Jenna was a sweet girl.

  “Well,” Grace slurred. Did her friends always look like funhouse mirrors? “You can always read about me on the Internet. I found more pictures that were too risqué for even those trashy magazines.”

  “Oh, honey.” Jenna lifted her head and took Grace’s glass from her.

  “Hey. I was drinking that.”

  “It’s your fourth in less than two hours.”

  “It’s my third. Maybe second.”

  “Fourth.”

  Geesh. Was there a stereo on in the store?

  “Tomato tomah—” Tears welled up in her eyes. Everything reminded her of Brady. She couldn’t stay in Crystal Cove any longer. “I need to leave.”

  “I got her,” Grace barely heard Alexis say behind her as she stumbled out the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  THREE MONTHS. SOMEHOW Brady had survived without hearing Grace’s laugh. Without touching her soft skin. Without kissing her lips.

  Hell, when she confessed the details about her life before him, he saw red. Not so much at her for being foolish and naïve, but at the asshole who cheated on his pregnant wife and filled Grace with lies, then disgraced her by sharing private pictures of her.

  It would have been a hard pill to swallow, but he would have worked it out with her. Their love was strong.

  If she hadn’t planned on moving away. She didn’t ask him to come with her. Didn’t even hint they could make a long-distance relationship work. All along her plan had been to dump him and work somewhere more her style.

  He should have known from the beginning. Crystal Cove, and sure as hell Marshall Farm, was not for Grace Le Blanc. His mother had been right. Grace wasn’t the girl for him.

  If only he could make his heart believe it.

  “All that’s left is the backsplash,” Ty said, snapping Brady from his wallowing.

  “Hm? Yeah. Kitchen looks good.”

  “You’re a good sidekick.”

  Brady knew next to nothing about installing floors and refinishing cabinets, but Ty was a good teacher, and Brady had plenty of time on his hands.

  Now with spring underway and his seedlings sprouting, time was not on his side. Thankfully, Brady didn’t need his help anymore.

  “Listen, uh, Lily and I are having a barbecue for my dad for Father’s Day. The more the merrier. Do you, your mom, and Carter want to come on by?”

  Carter never turned down an invitation, and his mother needed to get out. With her cancer in remission, he would have thought her mood would be brighter. Only she’d seemed more aloof and depressed than when she first was diagnosed, even if she was gaining some of her strength back.

  Brady had no desire to step off the farm, ever, but he’d do it for his mom. If she wanted to go.

  “I’ll check with them and get back to you.”

  Ty unbelted his tool belt and set it on the kitchen counter. “Mind if I stick my nose in your business for a sec?”

  “Will it matter if I say yes?”

  “I’m not one to offer unsolicited advice.”

  Brady opened the fridge and took out two beers. “I have a feeling I’m going to need this.” He popped the tops off the bottles and handed one to Ty. “Let’s go outside.”

  It was a little past eight and the June sun still hung low in the sky, casting streaks of pink and purple across the horizon. He led them through the blueberry bushes, the berries starting to form in their hard green shell. In another month they’d be ready for the picking.

  Funny how last year at this time he’d been content with his life. His mom didn’t have cancer. He didn’t pay much attention to Alexis when she’d complain about her younger sister being home.

  Work had been his life. His fun. He recreation. His pastime. His chore.

  All he had to show for his life was his farm. Not much had changed in the year.

  Except now he had a broken heart and crushed soul to go along with it.

  He and Ty crossed through the Jersey berries and into the Blue crop. “When I first met Lily I knew she was way out my league,” Ty said, sipping his beer as he kept in step with Brady.

  “You two are perfect for each other.”

  “It took a while for me to figure that out. I don’t know how much you know about her past, but Lily comes from ... money.” Ty seemed to hesitate a little. “She’s pretty much disowned her family. You don’t know dysfunction until you hear her story. Which isn’t mine to tell.”

  “Good thing she has you and your family in her life then.”

  “It is. It took me a while to look at it that way. I live a simple life. My parents aren’t wealthy. I didn’t go off to college, and I slid into my father’s carpentry business.”

  “You served in the military. People respect that. It’s honorable.” Brady sipped from his beer, not sure where Ty was going. He was a quiet guy. Kept to himself, similar to Brady.

  At least, that was how it felt. It stung.

  “I pretty much pushed Lily away for keeping her heritage, her past, from me. I said some things I shouldn’t have said and pushed her away. It didn’t take long for me to realize my life was shit without her. She couldn’t help her past, and it had nothing to do with what we had together.”

  Ding ding. Brady realized what Ty and everyone else thought. That he was an asshole for breaking up with her because she’d made poor choices in her past. Ironically, that wasn't what tore him to pieces.

  The heart to heart wasn’t doing anything to change his feelings toward Grace though. She’d never intended to have a lasting relationship with him, yet told him she loved him. Strung him along for all those months and was now laughing behind his back in her fancy Boston store.

  “I’m a forgiving guy, Ty. Despite what you may believe, Grace’s past is not what destroyed us. It’s something ... something she did while we were together. Something that can’t be fixed.”

  “Hell. I’m sorry, man. I should’ve minded my own business. I figured—”

  “I know. I’m sure most people assume I’m the asshole here.” Shit. He didn’t mean to say that.

  “Grace broke it off?”

  Brady curled his lips in and cursed himself. Making Grace out to be the one at fault wasn’t his plan.

  They finished their beers and walked the perimeter of the field and made their way back to the driveway.

  “Let’s just say, we were never meant to be.”

  “That’s what I said about Lily and me.” Ty handed him the empty bottle. “Thanks for the beer. Sorry for being a dickhead and sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong. You’ll still come on Father’s Day?”

  “No apology needed. And yeah. I’ll come.”

  He waited until Ty’s truck turned at the end of the driveway, then he went inside.

  “You and Ty have a nice romantic stroll?” Carter asked, pouring himself a glass of water.

  “Yup.”

  Carter chugged the water and set the glass down. “You okay?” He wiped his mouth and filled it up again.

  “Yup.”

  “Shit.” Carter dumped the water and opened the fridge, pulling out two beers. “I thought by now you’d come out of your funk.”

  Brady didn’t respond, accepting the beer and taking a healthy swallow. Better to keep his mouth full of the cold ale than say words he didn’t mean. Or didn’t want people to hear.

  “You know what you need?” his brother annoyingly continued. “You need to get laid.”

  “Not everything’s about sex.”

  “Says the guy who’s not getting laid.”

  “Thanks for the brotherly chat. I’m going to bed.”

  “Alone,” Carter
called to his back. “You know. Boston isn’t that far. Quick road trip. Four hours maybe? If you miss her that much you should at least see what she left you for.”

  His words stung.

  Carter was a dumbass, but smart enough to figure out the truth. Still dumb to think Brady could pick up in the middle of blueberry season and traipse off to Boston. If he didn’t have a business to run. A family to care for.

  He trudged up the stairs to his room and closed the door behind him. Sinking into his bed, he sipped from his beer and sighed.

  Maybe Carter was right. Maybe he should at least make an attempt to see Grace in her new life.

  Maybe seeing her in Boston surrounded by traffic and tall buildings and a world of fashion, he’d realize they truly didn’t belong together.

  Because his heart was a traitorous thing making him think they still did.

  When morning rolled around he remembered his brother was a dumbass with dumb ideas. There was no way in hell Brady could drop everything and go to Boston. Not now. Not ever.

  He got up like he did every day for the past eighteen years and started his morning routine. His mother was back to hers as well, making big breakfasts, working in the gardens. Planting seedlings and often working alongside Brady pruning the bushes.

  June rolled into July, which rolled into picking season. Locals were eager to pick first. He kept them up-to-date by posting on the Farm’s website and Facebook pages, announcing which blueberries were ready when.

  The Northland and Patriot berries had come in full and large this season. There was still a lot of ripening that needed to happen, but he opened the farm for a few hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for picking.

  He and Carter took turns picking up customers and driving them out in either the golf cart or the tractor—hayride style—to the ripe berries. By the end of July, he’d extended the hours to six a.m. to four p.m., closing on Monday and Thursday for ripening. The weekends were their busiest days, and he wanted to be sure the berries were in their prime.

  The customers and the long days helped him not think about Grace.

  As much.

  She still monopolized his thoughts morning, noon, and night, but there were brief windows when a little girl asked him a question about the fake birds he’d staged throughout the farm or the slivers of soap hanging from the apple trees.