Finding Gracie's Rainbow (40 page)

Jackson was laughing as
Gracie walked into the room. He stopped and raised his eyes as he
noticed her hair. Annie was smiling as he walked around the new
Gracie.

“
Somebody has been busy.”
Jackson smiled. “I like it.”

“
I'm glad. I donated the
rest of it.” Gracie put down her keys and phone. “I wasn’t
expecting you until tomorrow.”

“
I just dropped by to see
Bea.” Jackson was teasing her. “You played ‘The Entertainer’ in the
church.”

“
Guilty,” Gracie smiled as
Annie walked away from them. She watched her and then turned back
towards Jackson. “Your friend has been giving her grief. I
seriously think they like each other.”

“
I didn't come here to
hear about Annie. I’ll talk to her later.” He pulled her towards
him, and she looked up at him. “I came here. . .”

“
Shut up.” Gracie smiled
at him before he kissed her. She opened her eyes. “Did you miss
me?”

“
What do you think?”
Jackson smiled at her as they sat down. “So tell me what I’ve
missed.”

“
Everything?” Gracie
looked around and noticed that they were alone.

“
The important stuff,”
Jackson was studying her. “How much trouble did you get into while
I was gone?”

“
Ha, ha.” Gracie told him
about the dancing at her mother’s house on Sunday. “By the way,
Steven hopes that you're in better shape than he is, because Pop
wants us to sign up for a charity dance in a couple of
months.”

“
I haven't danced since
right after you got married.” Jackson told her as he watched
Gracie’s face cloud up.

“
Why did you stop?” Gracie
stood and stared at him. “You were great.”

“
It wasn't fun anymore.”
Jackson answered when Annie walked into the room. “I tried a
different partner.”

“
But?” Gracie was looking
at him seriously.

“
I wasn't you.” Annie
looked at both them. “I hope you can keep up with her now, Jackson.
She had Steven begging for mercy.”

“
Seriously?” Jackson
looked at the both of them. “Maybe I should call the instructor and
have her whip me back into shape.” He looked over at Annie. “So
what is going on with you?”

“
I almost got myself fired
and Christian is a jerk.” Annie walked off to the kitchen as
Jackson looked at Gracie, who was smiling.

“
She has wanted to talk to
you all week.” She told him quietly. “Maybe you should offer to
take her on a walk.”

“
Have you ruined my
cousin?” Jackson stood and started to walk towards the
kitchen.

“
No, but she likes her
privacy and that is impossible around here when the kids are
running around.” Gracie was smiling as she watched Bea and Garrison
chasing the puppies throughout the house. She pushed Jackson the
rest of the way to the kitchen.

Annie looked over at her
cousin as he walked towards the table. “What are you
doing?”

“
Gracie seems to think
that we need to go on a walk.” Jackson smiled as he sat down across
from her.

“
I already vented. I got
tired of waiting for you to come off of call duty.” Annie was
serious as she looked at him. “Gracie is a great
person.”

“
So who did you vent to?”
Jackson looked puzzled.

“
I went and had lunch with
Gracie and Addison today.” Annie stood and crushed her
can.

“
Addison?” Jackson asked
as he watched her. “Dylan’s Addison?”

“
I guess so. Why?” Annie
turned towards him.

“
Oh, only if she talks to
Dylan, Christian might hear a thing or two.” Jackson started
laughing. “I want to be a fly on that wall.”

“
Funny. I don’t remember
saying anything bad about your friend.” Annie marched into the
living room and stopped short as she spotted Gracie sleeping on the
couch with the television set blaring in front of her. Annie put a
finger to her lips as Jackson followed her out.

“
It’s not that late, is
it?” Jackson whispered as he watched her.

“
I don’t think she's been
getting a lot of sleep lately.” Annie continued to whisper. “Bea
has slept in her bed ever since she brought her home.”

“
Nightmares?” He asked as
he tried to quiet the children down when they ran past
him.

“
Gracie hasn't said
anything.” Annie took Bea and Garrison into the kitchen and Jackson
followed them in.

“
Should I go or should I
stay?” He was staring at Bea wanting to ask if she was having bad
dreams.

“
I can't answer that
question. It would be a shame to wake her though.” Annie looked
over at Bea. “Can you sleep in your own bed tonight?”

Jackson watched as Bea
started to tear up. “I guess not. We're going to have to wake
Gracie.”

“
Or you could just carry
her to her bed.” Annie looked over at him. “It's past their bed
time anyway.” She watched as Jackson went into the living room and
easily lifted Gracie. Annie walked in front of them, so she could
pull the covers down.

“
She is really out of it.”
Jackson was frowning. “Ask her tomorrow if Bea is still having
nightmares.” He hugged his cousin and left.

Gracie woke and looked over
at her daughter who was sleeping peacefully beside her. She went
into her bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She couldn’t
figure why she was having dreams. Stripping out of the clothes she
had worn to church, she threw on her gown and tried to go back to
sleep. Turning over she looked at the clock and moaned. It was only
three thirty in the morning.

She got out of the bed and
walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water, she turned
around and saw Annie staring at her.

“
It isn't Bea having the
nightmares, is it?” She watched as Gracie shook her head. “Do you
want to talk about them?”

“
There's nothing to talk
about. I wake up, and I can't remember anything. I'm always
drenched with sweat, and I shake.” She sat down at the table. “Bea
is fine. The only nightmare she has had was on the night she came
home.”

“
Maybe you're trying to
remember something.” Annie was still watching her. “Are you able to
go back to sleep afterwards.”

“
I wish.” Gracie put the
bottle in the plastic bin. “I usually just lie down and stare into
the darkness.” She stood and walked into the living room. “We both
have to work tomorrow so we should go back to our beds.”

“
Try to go back to sleep,
Gracie.” Annie walked back to her room and shut the door as Gracie
watched.

Chapter 19

Gracie was up when Annie
walked in rubbing her eyes. Annie sat down at the table after she
poured her a cup of coffee. “So how long have been having
dreams?”

“
How long?” Gracie looked
over the cup that she had just lifted to her mouth. “I guess since
Mark visited the office.”

“
You should talk to
somebody.” Annie looked at her seriously.

Gracie stood and looked out
the window as the sun started to rise. “Maybe the problem is that
I've been talking too much.” She turned around. “Maybe these dreams
will go away after the trial.” She looked at her roommate with a
smile. “Are you going to be a good girl at work today?”

“
Why wouldn’t I?” Annie
laughed as Gracie had walked around the table.

“
Gee, I don’t know.” She
teased her. “Maybe Christian will call and offer to buy you lunch
again, or you’ll tell your boss what you aren't going to
do.”

“
And I guess your
employees don’t do that.” Annie looked at her as Gracie was still
smiling at her.

“
I have a very relaxed
crew, and we don’t deal with the same things that you do.” Gracie
threw an apple core away and washed her hands. “I honestly don't
know how you do that and remain so relaxed with
Garrison.”

“
It’s not easy.” She stood
and walked towards Garrison’s room to wake him up. “But what about
what you've been through?”

“
So not going there today,
Annie.” Gracie answered before she walked down the hall to wake
Bea.

“
I hope you don't have to.
Have you told Bea about the Camerons?” Annie went to the freezer
and grabbed a piece of ice as Gracie had come back into the room
and watched her.

“
I have and what are you
fixing to do?” Gracie was still watching as Annie walked back to
Garrison’s room.

“
This is a wakeup call.
That young boy is a little hard to get out of the bed in the
mornings.” Annie walked into the room and dropped the ice into his
t-shirt. Gracie heard him screaming as Bea had walked out of her
own bedroom from changing.

“
You are so mean.” Gracie
was smiling as Bea walked over to her.

“
But it works.” Annie
looked down at Bea. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“
Yes,” Bea went over to
grab the juice that Gracie had poured her.

“
I really should tell
Jackson.” Annie looked over at Gracie and talked to her in a hushed
voice.

“
Did I not swear you to
secrecy?’ Gracie asked as she bit her lips.

“
He asked me to see if Bea
was still having nightmares after he carried you to your bed.”
Annie told her after Gracie had locked the door.

“
She is not.” Gracie
answered her. “I think that you can answer his
question.”

Annie smiled as she shook
her head. “Later,” she kissed Garrison on the cheek before he got
in the back of Gracie’s car.

~

Gracie was still reading
when Addison knocked on the door with Jackson standing behind her.
“Gracie, Dr. Carter is here.”

“
Funny. I don't remember
ordering a doctor.” Gracie looked up and smiled. “But since you're
here, I have a couple of complaints.”

Addison left the office
smiling and shut the doors behind her.

“
And what would those
complaints be?” Jackson grinned as he sat down across from
her.

“
You didn't wake me to
tell me you were leaving.” Gracie stood and walked over to him.
“And you still have my check.”

“
Which is why I came over.
That and to try out your cafeteria.” He stood to take the check
from of his wallet. “I did carry you to the bed, and I told you
good night.”

“
Sure,” Gracie walked back
to her chair and sat down. She took out two different deposit slips
and filled them in as Jackson watched her.

“
So what are you going to
do with all of that money?” Jackson was curious.

“
My account, Bea’s college
account, and then I'm replacing my mother’s piano.” Gracie smiled.
“It seems that Bea wants to take lessons.”

“
Good for her,” Jackson
grinned as he knew how much Gracie had hated taking the lessons
when she was younger. “May I take you to lunch?”

“
You may. I need another
favor, also.” Gracie stood handing him the check and deposit slips.
“I can never make it to the bank on time.”

“
Sure thing.” Jackson held
out the crook of his arm for her take.

“
You have to take Addison,
too.” Gracie stopped him at Addison’s desk, and he held out his
other arm for her.

“
No wonder you ladies are
so little.” Jackson looked down at his tray. “Where are the
carbs?"

“
We sit at a desk all day.
We don’t need carbs." Addison laughed at him.

Jackson smiled as he took a
chocolate bar from his pocket. “I need carbs."

“
Hey, you, share.” Addison
looked at him as Gracie was smiling.

“
Better share with the
chocoholic so I can send her to the gym.” Gracie looked over at
Addison seriously.

“
Do you really do that?”
Jackson looked over at Gracie while Addison was nodding her
head.

“
Yes, she does.” Addison
appreciated Gracie for stopping her. “Poor Simone is still getting
used to it.”

Gracie looked over to where
her newest employee was sitting. “She's looking a lot healthier.”
She glanced over at Jackson. “Put the chocolate away,
please.”

“
No problem. I knew about
your rules at the house, but I had no idea about here.” He smiled
as he put the chocolate bar back in his pocket. “Are you this
strict about everything?”

“
I have no clue. Am I,
Addison?” Gracie picked the carrots out of her salad as Jackson
laughed at her.

“
You won’t find a better
boss.” Addison was serious as she talked to Jackson. “Now lunch is
over.” Gracie stood and took their trays as Addison grabbed the
water bottles.

Jackson stood. “I'll swing
by your house and drop off your receipts.”

“
Like Tarzan?” Gracie was
laughing at him. “You could just drive by the house.”

“
Corny,” Jackson smiled
down at her before he left.

“
I bet he doesn’t come for
lunch anymore.” Addison was smiling as they walked back towards
Gracie’s office.