Finding Gracie's Rainbow (41 page)

“
If I ate like Jackson, I
would never calm down.” Gracie admitted as they walked into the
office to go over that afternoon’s schedule. Gracie looked up to
see Christian looking nervously at the office. “Now what?” Gracie
waved for him to come into the office.

“
Detective?” Gracie sat
down as Addison walked out.

“
I need some advice.”
Christian looked at her strangely before he sat down.

“
You need advice from me?”
Gracie was puzzled. “May I ask why?”

“
Annie won’t take my phone
calls.” He looked serious when Gracie started laughing,
“What?”

“
I told her to behave
today.” Gracie stood and studied him. “I'm sorry, Christian. I told
her to accept your invitation if you extended it again.”

“
You know about that?”
Christian looked relieved because he didn't have to explain that to
her. “I think that she hates me.”

“
Tsk, Tsk.” Gracie grew
serious. “Do you like Annie?”

“
I didn’t want to.”
Christian was wiggling around in his chair.

“
That isn't what I asked.”
She was amused. “Answer the question, Detective.”

“
Yes, I like Annie.” He
stood. “Happy?”

“
Sit.” Gracie pointed to
the chair. “Having someone ask you personal questions is
uncomfortable- isn’t it?” She was having fun now. “You wanted my
advice, right?” He nodded his head as she back down. “You get on
her nerves, but I get the feeling that she likes you, too. And yes,
Red Lobster was a set up, but I'm not going into that.” She paused
as she watched him squirm. “My advice would be to wean her off the
case you're working on and then get to know her.”

“
I am weaning her off. She
reminded me yesterday that she was just a social worker.” Christian
was still uncomfortable, but he started to relax. “Does Jackson
know just how tough you can be?”

“
I doubt it.” Gracie stood
up. “That was fun. Did I help you out any?”

“
I think so. Thanks.” He
shook her hand and she walked out of the office with him, stopping
at Addison’s desk. “I believe I was right, and Jackson was
wrong.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Addison asked as Gracie started to walk away.

“
They both like each other
and don’t go home telling Dylan about it yet.” Gracie answered as
she paused before entering into her office.

Addison stood and followed
her, walking into Gracie’s office behind her shutting the doors. “I
have a question.” She waited until Gracie sat down.

“
Please, don't keep me in
suspense.” Gracie looked serious as she studied her
friend.

“
How in the world did you
see this coming but not know how Jackson felt about you?” Addison
sat down as she waited for Gracie to answer.

“
That is simple.” She
picked up the manuscript lying in front of her. “I didn't wish to
see how Jackson felt.”

“
Why not?” Addison watched
as Gracie looked up at her.

“
I think I told you before
that I had no wish to involve myself in a relationship.” She looked
back down at the papers. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“
Sure,” Addison stood.
“Mr. Foster called. He wants an answer to his letter.”

Gracie looked at her
sharply then. “A big fat no.” She mumbled softly.

“
I'm not even going to
ask, but if you don't return his phone call, he’s going to bug you
to death.” Addison left the office as Gracie stared after
her.

Gracie stood and started
pacing in her office. She had a lot to think about and was startled
out of her thoughts as Addison started buzzing her on the intercom.
She looked out the door, and Addison pointed to the receiver.
“Don’t worry about calling Mr. Foster.” Addison spoke quietly while
she watched the now-familiar figure walking down the row of
cubbies.

Gracie looked in the
direction where Addison was staring. “Great. Send him in, Addison.
I’m on a roll, so I can deal with him today, also.”

Gracie was sitting at her
desk watching as Salem Foster walked into her office.

“
Amanda McBride isn't
being very cooperative, is she, Gracie?” He sat down and looked
straight into her eyes.

“
And Mr. Foster is being a
little pushy, isn’t he?” Gracie took the check from the drawer and
pushed it over to him. “I can't think about this right now. There’s
too much going on.”

He looked amused as he
noticed what she had done. “What is so important that you can't
think about your future?”

“
A lot has happened, sir.”
Gracie was studying her hands, so she wouldn't have to look at her
boss. “At least wait until after the trail to start bugging me
about another book.”

“
I haven’t thought about
that. When is that supposed to happen?” Salem apologetically
answered as he started to think about what Gracie was going through
the last time he was in North Carolina.

“
Week after next,” Gracie
finally looked up. “That story is finished, but I have no idea
where it is or when I wrote it.” She stood and frowned as she
looked down. “By the way, I really miss the ducks.”

“
They’ll be back.” Salem
stood. “Hold on to the check, and I would love to see something
within the next couple of months.”

“
I'm not promising
anything.” Gracie shook his hand. “I'm sorry you wasted your time
flying down here.”

“
It wasn't wasted, Gracie.
By the way, I love the hair cut.” Salem smiled as he walked out the
door. He stopped at Addison’s desk, “The duck pond?”

“
They’re going to fill it
today, sir.” Addison looked up as he talked.

“
Good. I'll be back down
when Gracie has to go to court. I expect you to call when that
happens. Otherwise I'll see you both tomorrow.”

“
Yes, sir,” Addison looked
at Gracie’s office and saw her standing at the window
frowning.

Salem turned around and
watched her before turning back to Addison. “And if there’s
anything she needs, make sure she gets it.” He handed her a blank
check before he walked away.

Gracie looked up as Addison
walked back into her office. “So what was all that
about?”

She walked over to her desk
and sat down. “He decided that he wants another book. There was a
check and a letter in my desk when I came back in on Monday, and I
chose to ignore it.”

Addison glanced down at the
check and back at Gracie in surprise. “So what
happened?”

“
I tried to give him his
check back.” Gracie stared at the manuscript that was still in
front of her. “I'm trying to finish what I started on Monday. I
guess I'll just have to take it home and finish it this
weekend.”

“
This weekend? That will
be impossible.” Addison sat down and smiled.

“
And why is that?” Gracie
asked puzzled as she took the check from Addison’s hand.

“
I was invited to your
birthday celebration at your mother’s house. I was just assuming
that you would be there.” She was laughing at her friend’s
expression.

“
Since I wasn't invited, I
think I'll skip it.” Gracie stood and grabbed her briefcase. “I'm
betting you weren't supposed to tell me about it.”

“
Maybe not but I didn’t
want you making plans to work.” Addison looked up at the clock.
“Time does fly when you're having fun.”

“
Who is having fun?”
Gracie asked shoving the manuscript inside the briefcase before
turning off her equipment. “I think this has to be ‘pick on Gracie
year’.”

“
And like all years, it'll
work itself out.” Addison walked with her out of the office and
into the parking lot. “I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”

“
If you say so.” Gracie
took off to her house where she found Bea and Garrison fighting
each other. “What are you two arguing about?” She looked around for
Annie, who was walking out of her bedroom.

“
They're fighting over who
gets to clean up that mess they made outside.” Annie looked at both
children sternly. “I got off early because I finally caught up so I
decide to be nice and bring them home with me. They go outside with
the puppies and there is paper chewed up all over the
place.”

“
But we didn't do it.”
Garrison informed his mother as she looked at him disapprovingly.
“Beast and Bear did.”

“
And they’re your
responsibility.” Annie reminded him as Gracie watched.

Gracie looked down at Bea.
“Go clean it up and no more arguing.” Bea started to walk out the
back door as Annie looked back down at Garrison.

“
You, too,” Annie pointed
to the back door where Bea had gone and sat down tiredly on the
couch.

“
And what is your
problem?” Gracie looked down at her as she asked.

“
Some days it doesn't pay
to get out of the bed.” Annie said with frustration ebbed in her
voice. “Christian called my cell, I know a good ten times this
morning while I was visiting with mothers who are trying to get
their children back.”

Gracie smiled and walked to
the kitchen as she remembered Christian’s visit to her office. “How
do you know it wasn't important?” She asked loudly as she poured a
glass of water.

“
If it was important, he
would've left a message.” Annie laid down as she answered Gracie,
who had walked back into the room. “Not a single
message.”

She opened her brief case
and took out the work she had brought home. “Maybe he doesn’t like
talking to a recording.”

Annie stood and walked over
to the table to see what Gracie was working on. “You plan on
working this weekend.” She raised her eyes as she saw the name on
the cover page. “Goodie.”

“
Yeah, another book
written by Gaige Forrester.” Gracie saw that Annie sat down. “Go
away, Annie.”

“
But I want to read.”
Annie pretended to pout as she stood. “You have the good
job.”

Gracie raised her eyes
before responding to her. “If I ever get finished with this, you'll
be able to read it soon enough.” She noticed that Annie didn't
move. “Is there something else?”

“
You forgot?” Annie looked
serious as she asked.

“
Forgot what?” Gracie gave
Annie her full attention. “Am I supposed to be doing something
else?”

“
Sure you are. Jackson is
going to be here in a little under an hour, and we're having dinner
with your family for Sammie’s birthday.” Annie walked away from the
table. “I'm going to hurry the clean up so the kids can get
ready.”

Gracie quickly put the
papers away and carried them to her bedroom wondering how she could
forget about Sammie’s birthday. She hadn't even bought her a
present. She heard the doorbell persistently ringing and walked out
to answer the door. Paige was standing there looking at Gracie
puzzled.

“
Did you forget?” Paige
walked into the house, and Steven followed her carrying a
dress.

“
You could say that. I
haven’t even been shopping.” Gracie looked at the dress that Steven
handed her. “What is this?”

“
That is what you're
wearing.” Paige smiled as she looked around the house. “And I had
already guessed that you forgot to go shopping because we usually
go together, so I picked up a present for you.”

“
I'm not wearing this.”
Gracie had laid the dress down and looked at it.

“
Why in the world not?”
Steven asked as he studied the dress that Paige had chosen for
her.

“
It's just a little too
grown up for me.” Gracie looked at Steven and then
Paige.

“
Last time I looked at you
were a grown-up, and you're going to be whole twenty-eight
years-old tomorrow.” Steven picked up the dress and put it back
into her arms. “Do I need to treat you like you do Bea?”

“
I wish you would try.”
Gracie put the dress down.

“
I know you don't want me
to dress you, Gracie.” Steven was growing impatient with her.
“Paige went through a lot of trouble picking that out, and I know
because she drug me with her.”

“
You went dress shopping?”
Gracie was laughing at him as Annie walked into the house followed
by Bea and Garrison. “Annie can wear it.”

“
Annie is nowhere your
size.” Annie was laughing at her as Steven again picked up the
dress and handed it to his sister. “You now have ten minutes to get
ready.” She watched as Paige pushed Gracie down the
hall.

“
I really hate you,
Steven.” Gracie said as she shoved Paige’s hand off the small of
her back, “And you, Paige McBride.”

“
That is what you say now,
but you'll change your mind.” Paige was laughing as she shut the
bedroom door. “Just put on the dress.”

Gracie glared at her as she
walked into the bedroom to change. She came back out and looked at
her friend. “Just so you know this isn't my style.”

“
But it so used to be.”
Paige was smiling at her. “I think Jackson is here, and we're ready
to go.”