"Hmm... Maybe youshouldintroduce us. I want to hear all your embarrassing stories."
"Nope. Only one per week." Damon's grin made her heart skip a beat. "But that means you have to share your secrets with me."
Grace thought about that for a moment and decided that there were things she wasn’t ready to share with him yet. He must have seen the resignation on her face because he changed the subject.
"How's your mom?"
"Not great. She still sleeps most of the day, but she's started spending a little less time in bed and a little more time in her chair."
"Has this become her new norm?" His face mirrored the sadness she felt.
"I don't know. I'd like to think she'll continue to improve, but I'm not sure she will." Grace blinked back tears. "It's almost like she was hanging on just to see Gabe married. Now that he is, she seems to be letting go."
"I'm so sorry." The tenderness in Damon's eyes tightened Grace's chest. "I'll be praying for her and for you."
Tears sprang to Grace's eyes again. "Thank you."
"I wish I was there with you, so you don't have to go through this alone."
She forced a smile. "I'm not really alone. I have Gabe and a new sister in Paige. And someone in your family is always checking in on me and my mom." It wasn't the same as having Damon wrap his arms around her though.
"I still wish I was there." He wiggled his eyebrows, making her giggle.
Warmth filled her as she recalled the kisses they'd shared.
"Me too."
CHAPTER 16
From: Grace Rivera
To: Damon Knight
Date: October 14
Subject: Loving Fall
Dear Damon,
You probably won't get this until you get back to base, but I miss our daily talks, so I decided to email you.
It's so quiet here. When we decided to move to Providence, I knew small town life would be a big adjustment, but there was so much going on in those two weeks leading up to the wedding that I didn't have time to get bored, thanks to you.
It's also very pretty. The Fall leaves are much more vibrant in the country than in the city. The weather gets colder every day. I just found out that I have to dress up on Halloween. I have no idea what I'm going to be.
I thought my mom had finally perked up—even though she wasn't anywhere close to what she was before the wedding—butit only lasted a week. She's right back to sleeping most of the day. I try to encourage her to sit up in her chair for a couple hours every day.
In case you didn't know, your family is amazing! Somebody is always checking in on us and dropping off food. Your Aunt Faith showed up yesterday (on my day off) and kicked me out of my own house! Can you believe it?
I'm sure you can.
I asked her what I was supposed to do while she sat with my mother who spends most of her day sleeping? She told me to run errands or something, but I didn't have any errands. So she suggested I go to the ranch and go for a ride. So that's what I did. No one was available to ride with me, and I didn't trust myself to take Honey out alone, so I just rode her around the corral.
New bucket list item: Get good at riding horses.
I miss you!
Yours,
