The anxiousness I was feeling seconds before melts away, and I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tight against my body.
“Hey.” I lean back slightly, my gaze roaming her face, noticing the dark circles around her eyes. “You doing okay?”
She starts to nod but seems to change her mind and shakes it. Her honesty jostles something inside me. Warmth fills my chest, and I hug her to me again. It’s such a great thing to know she doesn’t have to hide whatever she’s feeling from me.
Even with the dark circles around her eyes and the haunted look in their depths, she’s beautiful. Not just on the outside. Grace is beautiful in every way.
From the corner of my eye, I see Beverly standing next to a booth with a notepad in hand, ready to take the order from a family of three. I notice Debra walking toward me, and I quickly drop my arms from around her daughter. After she told me that her mom warned her about me, I’ve been more careful with the way I handle myself, especially in front of Debra.
A smile splits Debra’s face when she sees me. And even though she looks as tired as her daughter, she somehow looks much more at peace.
“Hey, Ms. Miller,” I greet her, returning her smile.
“Sol.” She stops, facing us from the other side of the counter. Her gaze moves back and forth between Grace and me. “Why don’t you two take a seat in the booth over there? I’ll get you both something to eat.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you if I could borrow Grace for a few hours.”
She hesitates for several seconds, then turns her attention to her daughter. “Could you take the order at table five before you leave?”
Grace nods and does what her mother asks. As soon as she’s out of earshot, Debra turns to me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sol.” Her voice is low, but I hear the worry mingled with a warning. “She cares for you, much more than as a simple friend. I see the way she looks at you, and the way you look at her . . . things won’t end well when you leave.”
I shift on my feet, suddenly very nervous “We both know our boundaries.” I pause, wondering how far I should go with this conversation, and I decide to be honest with her. “She means a lot to me, too, Ms. Miller. The last thing I want is to hurt her in any way.” I hold her gaze, hoping she can see the sincerity in my eyes. “I completely understand your concern. If you tell me to stop hanging out with her, I will.”
Those words hang between us as she studies me with narrowed eyes. Then she takes a deep breath and steps away from the counter.
“You’re a good man, Sol. And I trust you. I couldn’t ask for a better friend for her. She’s changed so much the past few weeks. She smiles and laughs more, and I know it’s because of you. Thank you, Sol.”
My throat closes up. Guilt assaults me as the past few weeks flash inside my head. I don’t deserve her praise and trust.
Unable to form words around the lump in my throat, I force my lips to smile, then exhale the pent-up breath when she turns and grabs the white and pink apron hanging from a nail on the wall just as Grace returns. She rips the paper with the order from her notebook and hands it to her mother, then unties her apron and hangs it up.
“Ready?” She swings around to face me, her eyes brighter than when I walked in.
I nod and stand from the stool. After saying goodbye to Debra, I lead Grace out the door and toward my truck, the scorching sun causing sweat to break out on my forehead.
“Where are we going?” she asks as soon as we’re buckled in.
“Uh . . .” I rub my stubbled jaw, realizing I don’t really have a destination in mind. When I decided to drive by the diner, my only intention was to check on how she was doing. Then I saw her—her tired eyes and slumped shoulders—and suddenly, I wanted to see her eyes light up like that time we drove to Ranger’s Cove. I clear my throat. “How about we just drive until we see something interesting?”
“So no plan in mind?” She smirks, squinting to keep the sun from her eyes. “You’re such a rebel.”
“Oh, shut up.” I laugh, the knot that has been tightening in my stomach since the conversation with Debra finally loosening. Being around Grace, being able to laugh like this, melts something inside me every single time.
With my fingers curled around the wheel, I glance at the rearview mirror to make sure it’s safe to pull out of the parking spot before driving away.
We’ve been driving in silence for a few minutes when I flick my gaze in her direction, taking in how peaceful she looks. “Everything okay between you and your mom?”
She sighs. “Yeah”—she rubs her forehead—“I think. We haven’t argued or anything. Something has changed. It’s been a little awkward being around each other.” She sighs again.
“It’s understandable, considering what she told you. But I’m sure everything will go back to normal eventually.”
“I keep wanting to apologize to her for . . . everything. Honestly, it’s exhausting. I miss that easiness she and I had, you know. I need things to go back to the way they were.”
Seeing her so torn sends pain scorching through my chest. I take the next exit and pull over on the first street I see. Once parked, I reach over and take her hand in mine.
“You two will get through this. You just need time, okay?”
Tears shimmer in her eyes as her gaze bounces all over my face as if trying to decipher the truth in those words. Finally, she nods. “We’ve been talking about going to therapy together.”
“You have? Whose idea was that?”
“Mine,” she whispers as if she’s not sure if it will work. “I just hope it will help.”
I lean across the console and pull her in my arms without a second thought. She comes willingly, tucking her face into my chest. “Everything will be okay, Grace. You’ll see.” I kiss her hair before pulling back.
She wipes her face with her palm and gives me a tentative smile.
“Don’t underestimate your strength, Grace. I know you. You’d move Heaven and Earth to make it work.”
She starts to shake her head, but I give her hand a gentle squeeze to stop her.
“Your mom is the only parent you’ve ever known. You two share a bond stronger than the pain he made her—made you both—go through.”
She nods, lifting her chin in determination as if ready for a battle.
“Good.” I restart the truck and then toss her a smile, the one I know she loves, before pulling out of the spot and driving away.
We’ve been driving for a while when I see the arcade up ahead. Excitement courses through me. I haven’t been there in a long time. It’s time to rekindle some good memories. My mom and dad used to take me to the arcade back in Boston every Saturday afternoon.
“Ready to have some fun?” I point at the green building with different colored lights flashing.
“I’ve never been to an arcade before,” she says, sounding unsure.
“There’s a first time for everything, Grace Miller.” I grin at her.
After finding a parking spot, I jump out of the truck and jog to the passenger door to open it for Grace. She hops down and swivels around to face me, moving closer.
“Have I thanked you for being my friend yet?”