Finding Gracie's Rainbow (21 page)

~

Gracie went into her house,
walking to the kitchen as she tried to shake the quiet. She walked
out the back door and checked on the puppies, smiling when she saw
them sleeping near the swing. After walking back into the house,
she grabbed a soda and looked around when she started thinking
about the box that was residing in her trunk.

She put the unopened soda
down at the table and sighed. Gracie knew she was going to look at
the story. Maybe she would even decode it for the challenge. She
went out to her car and had the trunk opened when Sammie rode her
bike down to where Gracie was taking out the box. “What’s going on,
Sammie?”

“
I have lots of homework.
Thank goodness there are only three more weeks of school.” Sammie
propped her bike while she talked. “Mom wanted me to ask if you
would like to join us for supper.”

“
She could’ve called.”
Gracie slammed the trunk shut as Sammie grinned.

“
She could have but where
exactly is your phone?” Sammie asked as she looked at the business
dress Gracie was wearing.

“
Shut up in my briefcase,
of course.” Gracie answered. “Tell your mom that I'll be up in
fifteen. I want to change clothes first.” She took the box and
walked into the house and down the hall placing it on the bed
before going into her closet to grab a shirt and shorts.

She walked up to Kim’s
house feeling grateful that she didn’t have to spend the evening at
her house by herself. “It’s too quiet.” She complained when she sat
down at the table with her sister. “You get used to the yelling,
screaming, and barking and all of a sudden a quiet evening at home
turns into a bore.”

“
And all of that noise
will be back. Enjoy the quiet while you have it.” Kim was listening
as Gracie chatted with Sammie, but she could tell that Gracie had
something else on her mind as they were completing their meal. “Do
you have something on your mind?”

“
Just thinking about some
work that I brought home.” Gracie stood and watched as Kim fixed
Annie a plate. “That would be a way to enjoy the peace.” She took
the plate and carried it with her after she thanked Kim for the
meal.

She walked down to her
house thinking about deciphering her own code. She couldn't
remember what she had written. She also knew that when she didn’t
want anybody reading what she wrote that she would use that code.
The book she had written for Bea just needed an ending and the two
chapters that were in the box were not a part of that story. It had
actually been part of something else; Gracie just had to remember
what.

She took the two chapters
out of the box and settled down at the kitchen table to start
working on them. She never noticed that Annie had walked into the
house and was watching her as she quickly decoded one page. She
paused to study the words that appeared on the paper as she started
chewing on the pen. Gracie frowned as she took another sheet out
quickly jotting those words with a different pen.

Annie didn't move a muscle
as she could see the concentration on her roommate’s face. It was
very entertaining as she watched Gracie take the pen out of her
mouth, looking at it strangely before walking over to the
trashcan.

“
Is it safe to talk now?”
Annie smiled as Gracie literally jumped out of her skin.

“
I guess it is.” Gracie
started putting the papers together still thinking about the pages
that were decoded. “Kim sent you a plate of food if you're
hungry.”

“
What is all that?’ Annie
looked at the papers that Gracie had stacked neatly
together.

“
Just some work that I
brought home.” Gracie picked up the stack. “I figured that since it
was going to be quiet here, I'd try to get some work
done.”

“
That sounds like fun,”
Annie heated the plate up in the microwave. “Jackson hasn’t brought
our kids back yet?”

“
He knows that Bea has to
be home by eight.” Gracie looked over at Annie before walking to
her bedroom to hide the papers. “I trust Jackson with
her.”

“
I know.” Annie took the
plate over to the table and watched as Gracie walked back into the
kitchen.

Gracie looked curiously
over at Annie after she sat down at the table with her. “Can I ask
you a question?”

“
Shoot.” Annie placed her
fork down as she answered.

“
Why did you stay with
your husband if he was beating you?” Gracie watched how Annie’s
eyes clouded over. “You don’t have to answer if you don't. .
.”

“
No, it’s fine.” Annie
stood. “I stayed because I thought it was what was best for
Garrison. Jason wasn't always nasty and hateful. He used to do
everything he could for us. He turned into a different person after
he got laid off from his job.” She glanced over at Gracie before
continuing. “Frustration from being unemployed, living on a single
paycheck from week to week, the banks calling the house; it was
just too much for him. At first, it was just me that he took it out
on.” Sitting back down at the table, she played with the salt and
pepper shakers while she remembered. “Garrison started asking for
more attention from him and one day I walked into the house in time
to see Jason taking his anger out on him.” She paused as she
started to feel her eyes stinging. “The next thing I know, we were
living with Jackson.”

“
Who is everybody’s hero.”
Gracie stood as the puppies started scratching at the back door.
“You were brave, Annie.”

“
You left your husband.”
Annie thought she knew Gracie's story.

“
No, I didn't.” Gracie
didn’t go into any further detail as the door opened. Garrison and
Bea both ran into the house as Jackson followed them.

“
Ladies.” Jackson looked
from Annie to Gracie. “What’s going on?”

“
We're just getting to
know each other.” Annie spoke up as Gracie was listening to a very
animated Bea. Annie noticed that Jackson was watching
them.

Gracie looked up, and
Jackson tried to smile at her. “I guess I'll see you at church
tomorrow.” He waved as he walked back to the door.

“
When did he start going
to church so regular?” Annie had started to go with Gracie on
Sundays, and she noticed that Bea always sat next to
Jackson.

“
The Sunday my father
invited him.” Gracie smiled after Bea came back into the room
wearing her gown. She took the hairbrush from her as Bea sat down
on the floor. “He’s been to every service since.”

“
I miss talking to him.”
Annie admitted to Gracie as she watched her brush out Bea’s hair.
She was trying to bait Gracie into talking about him to
her.

Gracie scrutinized her
instead of saying one word. She stood as she handed Bea her brush.
“Good night, Annie.” She followed Bea into her bedroom and tucked
her into the bed before walking down the hall to her own room.
Gracie was beginning to realize that Annie wasn't the only who
missed talking to Jackson.

Annie waited until after
she heard Gracie shut her door, and Garrison was in his bed before
she dialed Jackson’s cell phone.

“
Something wrong, Annie?”
Jackson asked as he was sitting down at Kim’s house.

“
Are you at home?” Annie
found that after talking to Gracie that she really wanted to talk
to him.

“
I’m at Kim’s.” Jackson
had been feeling a little depressed after he left her
house.

“
Meet me in the court.”
Annie hung up the phone and left a note, in case Gracie came out of
her room and noticed that the front door was open. She peeked in to
make sure Garrison was asleep and walked out into the court to meet
up with Jackson.

Jackson walked down to her.
“This isn't like you, Annie.”

“
I know, but Gracie got me
thinking about Jason again.” She leaned against her car as she
talked. “She told me I was brave.”

“
You are, so what are you
so upset for?” He was trying not to sound confused.

“
I gave her the compliment
back.” Annie informed him. “All she told me was that she didn’t
leave him.”

“
On the night that Bea was
born, he called her mother and didn’t come back.” Jackson didn’t
know where she was going with her conversation. “I thought we were
talking about you.”

“
We were, but I want to
know more about her. I thought I knew her story; seen it a thousand
times at work, but I'm wrong.” She looked at Jackson before she
asked him if he would tell her Gracie' story.

“
No, Annie,” Jackson was
serious when he answered her. “If she wants you to know what
happened, she's going to have to be one that tells you. It's not a
pretty story, but she’s not complaining about the outcome. She’s
very grateful that she has Bea.”

Annie sighed as she looked
down at the ground. “But it's probably one I have
heard.”

“
Probably,” Jackson agreed
with her. “How is she doing anyway?”

“
She's staying busy.”
Annie glanced over at him. “How long do you plan on staying
away?”

“
I don’t know.” He looked
up at Kim’s house. “I'm going to go now. I have a full schedule
tomorrow.”

“
You aren’t going to
convince yourself that you're just a friend to her.” Annie told him
before he walked off. “I hope you aren't waiting on
that.”

“
Maybe it is.” Jackson
started to walk away from her again. “Or maybe I'm waiting on her
to figure something out for herself.”

“
You're being a jackal,
Jackson.” Annie walked back into the house and walked to her room
after locking the door.

~

Gracie was surprised to see
Addison walk into her office with Carolyn following behind her. She
looked at them with a startled expression before standing up to
greet Carolyn. “I’m sorry. Did we have an appointment?” Gracie
shook her hand before Addison walked out of the room.

“
It’s spur of the moment.”
Carolyn made herself comfortable as she looked at the young woman
in front of her. “You might want to sit down, Ms.
Cameron.”

Gracie raised her eyes as
she caught the use of her professional name. “My turf, Mrs. Young,”
she smiled as she continued to stand where she was. “I take it that
this is strictly a professional business call. Is Gaige not happy
with his contract?”

“
He’s very happy. I’m here
to talk about you.” Carolyn paused as Gracie stared straight at
her.

“
Me?” Gracie walked over
to the little refrigerator and offered Carolyn a drink. “If this is
about the story, I told you yesterday. . . “

“
And before you say it
again, I feel a need to mention that it was sent off to another
publisher.” She watched Gracie frown at her. “Will you sit down
now?”

Gracie sat down behind her
desk. “Why did you do that? I thought it was against your policy to
send off unfinished manuscripts.”

“
It is.” Carolyn smiled at
her. “A lot of authors do their stories in a series. Horseshoe
Publishing has offered a pretty penny for it.” She took some paper
out of her attaché case and pushed it towards Gracie. “Before you
disagree to let them buy it, I'd look at the dollar amount they’re
offering.”

Gracie looked at the paper.
“You never answered my question about why you sent it off to
another publisher.”

“
I always send a
manuscript to at least two publishers at a time; especially if I
like it.” Carolyn noticed that Gracie was playing with the piece of
paper she had handed her.

Gracie stood and walked
towards the windows before she spoke again. “I'm sorry, Carolyn. I
need some time to think it over.”

“
Not too much time,”
Carolyn stood and walked to the office doors. “You know publishers
don’t like to play the waiting game.”

“
Well aware of it,” Gracie
never looked away from the pond. “Thanks for stopping
by.”

Carolyn opened the doors,
shaking her head as she passed Addison’s desk. Addison turned her
attention towards Gracie’s office watching as her boss walked in
and out of her view.

Gracie stopped long enough
to buzz Addison on the intercom and Addison answered before she
picked up the final copy of the magazine they had completed the day
before. She walked into Gracie’s office and handed it to her;
asking if there was anything else she could do for her. She watched
as Gracie shook her head before walking back to her
desk.

Gracie looked at the
magazine absently before standing and walking out of her own office
with the magazine to hand it back to Addison. She laid it on her
friend’s desk before turning around. Addison looked at her
strangely as she dialed the shipping office downstairs and told
them to go ahead and ship it out. Gracie was definitely preoccupied
with something else.

Addison walked into
Gracie’s office shutting the doors behind her. Gracie glanced up
from her computer after Addison sat down across from
her.

“
Gracie, what did Carolyn
say or do?” Addison finally asked as her boss had gone back to her
typing.