Grace's Gold by Mary Manners

Author:Mary Manners
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures, LLC

Grace's Gold

5

“This is nice.” Grace smoothed a hand across the polished wood counter and surveyed creamy beige walls decorated with cheerful paintings and a slew of magazines across glass-capped tables. The odor of fresh paint mingled with polished wood. She hadn’t stepped inside the crisis center until today, but she sensed the inviting feel, a haven of safety and shelter offered to those who needed calm amidst the stormy seas of life. “It feels homey…relaxed.”

“That’s exactly what we were hoping for.” Brent stepped around the counter and snatched a peppermint candy from a dish beside the computer. He tossed it to Grace, and then took another for himself. “I’m glad you see it, too.”

Grace nodded. “I’ll bet you’ve touched the lives of countless people.” She eased beside a coffee table and her gaze fixed on a photo that had been enlarged, matted, and framed. “Isn’t that…”

“The creek, down near the stable. Yes.” Brent crossed the room to stand beside her. “Somehow I felt…it just belonged here.”

Grace nodded. She could almost smell the scent of hay and sweet feed mixed with freshly-mucked stalls. Dust motes danced before her eyes as the horses flicked flies from their backs with the swish of a long, sleek mane. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

“I’d like to take you there again later, Grace.” He reached for her hand, twined her fingers with his and calluses brushed her skin—evidence of hard work. “Remember how much you used to like riding?”

She sighed and squeezed his fingers. “Oh, yes. Especially when your parents were away at a show, and the farm was quiet, calm. Because when they were there…”

“I know. I was…restless.”

Grace nodded. “I know it hurt…being left alone so much. I didn’t really understand it, Brent—the loneliness you must have felt. With three sisters to nag me, and parents who were always there for me, I just wanted to break away—to find myself. Some days I felt I might suffocate. I never realized what a treasure they were until everything changed…until my folks—and you—were gone.”

He pressed a knuckle to her cheek and stroked gently. “It’s been too long, Grace.”

“I-I know.” She brushed a finger across the photo with a sigh. There was an afternoon—much like this—with the sun battling a cool breeze and the sky so blue it seemed like a vast ocean. Brent had called her. His parents were arguing again, rocking the walls of their massive farmhouse with threats and accusations. Nowhere seemed safe…or happy.

She’d borrowed Mattie’s beat-up Honda and rushed right over. She found him sitting on their special boulder by the creek, his dark eyes huge and wounded. Without a word, they’d run to the barn and saddled the largest horse—the prize runner of the stable. Brent had climbed into the saddle and hoisted her up behind him, and with a click of his tongue and a nudge of his boot, the powerful stallion flew over the pasture. The air had chilled her to the core, and Grace clung to Brent, feeling for the

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