Gracie sticks her nose in the air. “At least.”
Nolan chuckles, shaking his head. “Happy birthday, Gracie.” He gives her a quick hug, and my fists clench before I forcibly relax them. He moves away, and everyone moves into something of a greeting line, everyone wanting to take their turn with Gracie—Mom, Dad, and Annie right at the front.
Afterward, Benson turns the music on, he and Randi working in tandem behind the bar to get everyone drinks. Sheryl is moving through the tables with platters of fingerfoods, setting them down at random for people to help themselves.
Gracie is the most social I’ve ever seen her, flitting from group to group, her smile face-splitting. I park myself at one end of the bar with Nick, eyeing him.
“Where’s Halsey tonight?”
His brown eyes darken at the question, narrowing on me. “Don’t push me,” he warns. “This isn’t—” He shakes his head. “I told you, it’s fine.”
“Fine, man. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I press my lips together because his jaw is already jutted out stubbornly, so I know there’s going to be no swaying him from whatever path he’s set himself on. I turn to look around the bar, searching for Gracie and frowning when I come up empty. “You seen the birthday girl?”
Nick lifts his beer to his mouth. “She ducked outside about ten minutes ago. Figured she was getting some air. This must be overwhelming for her.”
“Yeah,” I agree, sitting back down. A second later, I change my mind, getting to my feet and heading for the door. “Be right back.”
I hear Gracie before I see her, her voice ringing out against the quiet of the night outside. I turn left and headtoward the corner of the building, finding her leaning against the wall in a muted circle of light cast by the streetlight above us. She’s got her phone pressed to her ear and a resigned expression on her face.
“I’m sure you’ll have a good time,” she murmurs. “Is that the only reason you called?” I step closer, watching as pain washes over Gracie’s stormy eyes before she lowers her lashes, hiding it. “That’s nice for Martine and Faith, but—” Her voice breaks off as whoever she’s talking to—and I’ve got a real good guess who—interrupts her. She listens, chewing on her bottom lip before saying, “No, I told you. Okay. Maybe you and Dad could come visit me here in Sterling Creek. You could see my home and the life I’ve made here…” She trails off, her lashes fluttering as she listens, her shoulders slumping. “No, of course not.”
Done with listening to this, I step right into Gracie’s space, my shoes on either side of her. She doesn’t startle, obviously having heard me come out, but she frowns in bemusement when I wrestle the phone from her and put it to my ear.
“Not sure how you’ve forgotten, but it’s your daughter’s birthday today,” I snap into the phone. “But she’s done with this now.”
“W-what?” her mother splutters. “Who is this? Give me back to Grace right now!”
“Gracie,” I stress firmly, “is busy with her true family, celebrating her birthday. She’s with the people who want the best for her, and who support her no matter what.Gracieis home, living her best life, and if you don’t want to be part of that, it’s your loss.”
There’s a loud screech through the phone, but I am already hanging up, my chest heaving with each breath as I stare down at the love of my life. She’s blinking, mouth parted in shock as I tell her, “No more. You don’t deserve any of the shit those people dish out, and you don’t need it.Let them be miserable in their materialistic, empty lives becauseyou.don’t. need. them.”
“I don’t?” Gracie asks quietly, her expression hard to read.
“No,” I practically shout. “You don’t! You have a family, Gracie. I don’t care if we ever get back together. I’ll be the one who steps away, because if anyone deserves those people in there”—I jab a finger back toward the bar—“it’syou!” I reach up, cupping her face in my hands, peering intently into her eyes. “You are loved, Gracie. Not just by me, but by a whole town, and I won’t ever let you forget it. Not again.”
The corner of her mouth twitches. “Are you done?”
I seriously consider it before grumbling, “I guess.”
“Good,” she says firmly, and then she goes up on her toes, her arms looping around my neck as she presses her mouth to mine.
CHAPTER 40
Braxton
Gracie pulls away too quickly, leaving me standing there gaping at her, my heart trying to beat out of my chest. She takes in my expression, her mouth curving, and then presses her hands to my chest, pushing me back.
“Come on,” she says brightly. “We’re missingmyparty.”
“Fuck the party,” I mutter as she saunters away from me, hips swaying in that goddamn dress. Her laugh floats back to me, making me smile reluctantly.
We step into the bar, and Gracie heads straight for Elyse and Reed, her mouth moving rapidly, filling her friend in on everything that just happened with her parents, I’m guessing. The thought is confirmed when Elyse shoots me an approving look, her eyes meeting mine.
The rest of the evening is uneventful, but it’s around one in the morning before we all decide to call it quits. I check in with Benson as Gracie says goodbye to everyone, lingering the longest with Elyse, their arms tight around each other.
When they finally pull away from each other, I usherGracie back out to my truck, wrapping a tight arm around her shoulders when she shivers. I don’t bother turning the radio on when I point us in the direction of her place, the two of us sitting in a contemplative silence. Gracie’s expression is almost pensive, her eyes firmly fixed through the windshield.
I reach over, resting my hand on her leg. She doesn’t look at me, but her fingers brush against my knuckles, and I dig my fingers into the soft flesh of her inner thigh.
