But there was no one there.
She looked up and down the street just as a dark blue minivan—that looked like the one Isabella drove—pulled away from the curb three houses down.
Three o'clock in the afternoon was an odd time for kids to doorbell ditch.
She glanced down as she stepped back to close the door. Two familiar red packages tied with a ribbon caught her attention.
Licorice and chocolates.
She picked them up and opened the note that was tucked between the two packages of candy.Who knew getting stuck in an elevator with a stranger would be the best day of my life.
She grinned as fresh tears pricked her eyes. She didn't know how Damon did it, but he often knew exactly what she needed. And right now, she needed to focus on happier times. The man was seriously amazing. And so was his family.
She took a picture of the treats and sent it to him.
Grace:Thank you!
Damon:Enjoy and know that I’m thinking of you.
CHAPTER 20
Grace flopped onto her bed, too tired to change her clothes. It was her first day back at work since her mom passed away, and it was the longest day of her life. Not because it was busy, but because it was so slow. And not talking to Damon during her lunch break, made the day drag on forever.
It gave her plenty of time to squeeze in a little studying though.
She toyed with the idea of taking a bath using one of the bath bombs Damon's brother Matt delivered yesterday along with a scented candle and an assortment of gourmet hot chocolates and herbal teas. At least she thought it was Matt's car that she saw driving away.
Getting up would mean she'd have to walk past her mother's room again.
How long will it take me to get used to being alone?
She'd often felt alone even when her mom was still here, but now the quiet—the stillness—was suffocating.
She would walk over and see what Paige was up to, but her car wasn't home yet when Grace came home. Charity had told Grace her door was always open, but she didn't want to wear outher welcome there. She toyed with the idea of going out to the Double Diamond to ride but couldn't find the energy.
Twenty minutes later, she'd finally convinced herself to get off her bed and clean out the leftovers from the refrigerator when the doorbell rang.
Not wanting to talk to anyone, and certainly not needing any more casseroles, she was tempted to ignore it. When a knock followed the ring of the doorbell, she plodded to the front door.
She opened it to find her porch empty. Again. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze darted downward, anticipating another surprise from Damon. What she found there made her heart momentarily stop then suddenly kick into overdrive.
She let out a little squeal then crouched down and picked up the most adorable fluffy fur ball she had ever seen. The puppy was mostly white with tan and brown patches around the eyes, ears and stomach.
"Oh, my goodness, aren't you the cutest thing ever!" She held the puppy close to her face.
It licked her cheek, giving her kisses.
She searched the street, wondering who Damon roped into being her messenger this time. Then she heard Paige's giggle coming from next door.
She turned to find their door open a crack, Gabe and Paige both peeking out.
"Did you guys do this?"
The door swung open and Paige stepped out, followed by Gabe. "We're only the deliverers." Paige held up her hands in a "not me" gesture.
Grace's gaze shifted to the corner of the porch where a kennel, dog bed, a big bag of puppy kibble, and a box of other necessities sat.
"I'd say you did a lot more than deliver. Somebody had to go buy all of this. No way was Damon able to arrange for all of this." She motioned with her hand toward the pile.
