I gently squeezed her shoulder. “Really?” I asked, searching her face to ensure she was comfortable. “You’ll be amazing. And if you get nervous, just find me in the audience. I’ll be cheering the loudest.”
Her shy smile steadied slightly. “Thank you, Grace. I appreciate your support.” She quickly hugged me, leaving me blown away.
“Don’t mention it.”
I glanced toward Ms. Kenzie, who was now standing in our huddle. She was watching Lucy closely, a hint of pride in her eyes.
Ms. Kenzie nodded my way and took the clipboard from my hands. “Lucy, you’re next up. Make your way over to the stage.”
Lucy gave me one last anxious glance before moving to line up. Ms. Kenzie watched her go, her arms crossed tightly.
“I can’t believe you got her to go up there,” she murmured, her tone surprisingly gentle. “That girl has been through horrors that shouldn’t see the light of day.”
“It wasn’t me,” I told her quietly, watching Lucy step onto the stage. She timidly greeted the audience. Caleb wolf-whistled in response. “She just needed a friend.”
Ms. Kenzie nodded, her eyes glassy as they darted from me to Lucy. Her hardened edges were softening tonight. “People often underestimate the power of simple kindness. I’m glad you’re learning that, Grace.”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. She wasn’t one for compliments or sugarcoating things, but here she was giving me the ultimate praise. It was something money couldn’t buy. It was earned by hard work and actions.
As Lucy began singing a hopeful tune about redemption, I was blown away by her talent. Her voice captivated the entire audience. In a town of chatterboxes, the whole recreation center was stunned to silence. Caleb’s eyes caught mine as he stood by Noelle. His expression was tender and proud.
I realized how right things felt at that moment. How giving back could do more for me than what I was doing for others.
CHAPTER 24
Grace
“Are you sure?”I asked warily. “What about Noelle?” I twirled my damp hair nervously. I had just gotten out of the shower when the phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with Caleb’s picture.
Noelle was Caleb’s world, so I always tried to be mindful of her. Thursdays were usually their daddy-daughter night after school. He only popped into the bar if it was absolutely necessary.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Caleb laughed over his end of the phone. “Noelle’s staying with my mom to help her prep for the show,” he added.
Saturday night Anne was showcasing her newest art collection. There was a lot of buzz around it, and she was very busy getting it prepared for its introduction to the public.
This was a big step. Sure, I’d spent the night the first time we fooled around and he’d stayed with me at the B&B, but this was different. We were getting more serious. I could feel it by the way he looked at me.
Grace, he isn’t going anywhere, I tried to convince myself.
I desperately wanted to say yes, but still I hesitated. We hadn’t seen each other since the fundraiser because I came down with a cold. I jokingly blamed it on me walking around the town half naked.
Caleb disagreed, stating that it was likely because I was perpetually weather-challenged and hadn’t adapted yet. He probably only said that so I would wear another inappropriate outfit to visit him. Nevertheless, I stayed away from Caleb. Even when he insisted on bringing me essentials, I declined. I didn’t want him passing my germs off to his kid.
Of course, Caleb, being the amazing man he was, hadn’t listened to my refusals and made his way to the bed-and-breakfast to deliver some of his homemade food anyway. He set down the bag filled with my care package, knocked on the door, and then ran back to the stairs before I could infect him. Attached to the bag was the sweetest handwritten love note.
“Grace, are you there?” he asked. Thankfully, Caleb wasn’t fazed by me checking out every so often.
“Yeah, I’m here. Just thinking of what to pack.” I smirked even though he couldn’t see me.Please say nothing, please say nothing, I chanted mentally.
Caleb chuckled. “Baby, you won’t need anything,” he said in a hushed tone. “Especially not clothes.”
“Promises, promises,” I taunted, wanting to rile him up for tomorrow.
“You’re gonna get it.”
God, I hoped so.
The fall air had that sharp, clean bite that signaled summer had given up its fight. The sun hung low, painting the town ingolden light as I pulled on Caleb’s oversized hoodie and stepped outside. We were barely able to break away from each other, but my stomach grumbled, reminding us we needed to satisfy a different kind of hunger.
