“Poor Grace, she’s not cut out for this,” Chris says as we both stare at the screen.
“Yeah.” He’s right. Grace is not cut out for such an invasion of privacy, but I can’t let her go. I want her in my life, and I’ll protect her with everything I’ve got, but she has to let me.
“We’ll finish this later or tomorrow. I’ll go wait for her outside.”
I can imagine how she’s feeling now. Exposed and hunted like prey. I’ve felt that and so much more. The difference is that I chose this life, and she didn’t. I hang around outside until the gates slide open and the SUV drives through.
I meet it as it comes to a stop in front of the house. I open the door, and Grace steps out. She looks pale and harassed. I take her hand and lead her to the house. Only when the door is shut do I take her in my arms.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “I wish there was something I could do to take it away.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not your fault. You did warn me that they would find out at some point.”
“I’m sorry it had to be so soon.”
“I got a leave of absence from work to give this time to die off,” Grace says. “I guess I’ll take you up on your offer. I can’t imagine going back home now. I feel so insecure.”
“It’s a horrible experience when they swarm over you like that.”
She shudders. “I feel dirty. I need a bath.”
“You’re home now and safe. I’ll get someone to get your clothes and paintings. If there’s anything else you need, you can ask for it. Let’s go upstairs.”
As we head for the stairs, Chris appears. He smiles at Grace. “I’m sorry about what happened. You’ll be safe here.”
“Thanks,” Grace says and smiles bravely.
We go upstairs, and I draw her a bath. The pale, frightened look leaves her face as she sinks into the warm water.
“Heaven, this almost makes it worth it,” she jokes. “Do you want to join me?”
“No, I’ll just sit here and look at you.”
She laughs. “You’re very charming, Mr. Bryce, and just what the doctor ordered.”
Later, much later, after we’ve made love and relaxed, we go back downstairs.
“It’s so quiet,” Grace says.
I turn on the light for the kitchen. “That’s because there’s no one. Chris left, and Ethan is in his cottage, as is Maria.”
“This is nice,” she says as she slides onto a barstool.
I open the fridge and remove two foil-covered plates. I peel off the foil to reveal a nice dinner of steak, broccoli, and baked potatoes. I pop the plates into the microwave, and when they are hot, I carry them to the island.
“Yum,” Grace says, peering at her food.
I grab the cutlery from the drawer and then join her at the island. “There you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Feeling better?” I ask her as we eat.
She nods. “A lot better. Not as disjointed as I felt earlier.”
“That’s great. I gave Ethan your house keys. A female security agent will escort him to your apartment tomorrow, and they’ll pack up everything you need.”
“Thank you.”
“They don’t know your identity. That’s a good thing,” I remind her.
She shrugs. “Let’s not worry about that tonight.”
“Good idea.”
I pour us some wine, and we chat about her plans for the coming weeks.
“I’m glad I have something to do, and I have you to thank for that,” Grace says. “Thanks for introducing me to Greg.”
“I might have introduced you, but it’s your talent that sold him.”
It’s nice to share the evening with someone I care about deeply. Usually, at this time, I’m alone until the following morning when Maria comes in and later Ethan and Chris.
“I hope this whole business won’t freak out your parents,” I tell her.
“Yeah, me too, but I know it will. It will remind them of my parents.” Grace takes a sip of her wine. “You know that’s the one thing that used to piss me off, especially when I was younger.”
“What’s that?”
She takes on a faraway look. “I remember this one time when my friends and I went to the airport to catch a glimpse of some visiting musician. I can’t remember who. Anyway, we went to the airport, which turned out to be a waste of time. Their flight was coming in much later. No way could we wait.”
I laugh. “I can’t imagine you doing something like that.”
“I was a teenager. All teenagers do crazy stuff. I bet that’s pale by comparison to the things you did.”
I laugh. “Go on. What happened?”
“Can you believe we bumped into the mom of one of my friends? When I got home, I found Mom and Dad waiting for me in the living room, worried expressions on their faces.”
I can visualize Grace’s parents in the situation she describes. They are the kind of people who take life very seriously, and I imagine teenage misdemeanors would have been taken with the same seriousness.