Saving Grace (Madison Falls) (36 page)

“I’m so glad you liked it.”

“And Sophia has never been better. Talk about perfect casting.”

Grace had to agree. Sophia had worked hard and made a formidable Kate.

In no time, the room filled up. Like a bride at a wedding reception, Grace acknowledged a blur of congratulations.

A firm hand touched her shoulder and she spun around to the plump but pretty face of the first person she had met in this town. “Spritz!” She gave her a long hug.

“I can’t keep my handsome hubby waiting.” Spritz turned a wave in the direction of the dashing red haired man. “I just had to tell you how happy I am for you. Buying real estate in Madison Falls is always a sound investment.”

Grace laughed. “Thanks for writing up the offer.”

“I wouldn’t have missed the look on Mr. Roberts’ face. One point five million. Priceless!”

Grace’s heart warmed. “He deserves every penny.” She recalled the day her attorney had given her the check—her profit after selling the painting to a legitimate buyer. The thrill of seeing all those zeros and realizing what she could finally do punctuated her whole ordeal with a lovely twist of fate.

She’d never be able to change the past, but thanks to Kirk’s art expertise, Mr. Roberts was successfully receiving his treatment in Germany, and Madison Falls was not playing host to a posse of Roulette wheel habitués. In fact, Main Street looked prettier than ever with a renovated playhouse and a bistro smart enough to put any sidewalk café in Paris to shame.

“How’s it working out having your mother as a housemate?” Spritz’s query drew Grace from her reverie.

“Couldn’t be better. I missed her so much.”

“Well, you just let me know the second you’re in the market for a bigger house.”

Grace smiled warmly. “Will do.” Suddenly, something in the center of the room begged her attention. “Excuse me, I see somebody I need to talk to.”

Bracing herself, she wound her way through the crowd, sidling up to the table where Sophia sat solo sipping a soda. Her eyes brushed over Grace, then quickly flicked away.

Grace pondered, choosing to stay in spite of Sophia’s obvious reluctance. Although she’d sensed a change in her over the past few months, the two had barely spoken.

“You know,” Grace’s attempt at breeziness felt forced, but she pulled back a chair and sat anyway. “I haven’t said a proper thank you.”

“You’re thanking
me?
” Sophia’s jaw flexed, although the tenseness in her slender shoulders seemed to ease.

“You tried to warn me about Devon.” The warmth in Grace’s solar plexus felt genuine. “I never told you how much that meant to me.”

Sophia lowered her eyes, giving her an uncharacteristically humble appearance. “That was the least I could do.” Her voice sounded strangled. “I wish I had figured out sooner what a fraud Devon was.”

“A fraud?” Grace’s throat pinched. While her emotions had moved on, the embarrassment over her miscalculation of his character still stung. “I know he let greed lead him to make some despicable choices, but why do you call him a fraud?”

Sophia’s eyes widened as she leaned her forearms on the table. “When he came to town last spring in his fancy clothes and all, I totally bought the act. I was so in awe, I didn’t even question it when he offered to rent out my second bedroom in exchange for acting lessons. I didn’t realize he was completely broke.”

“He was? I knew he had complicated finances, but…” Grace shook her head. “Boy, was he smooth.”

“As ice.” Sophia’s shoulders tensed again. “And, lacking the proper mental traction, I conveniently slipped and fell for it. He convinced me to put his car in my name and to make the payments for him until his big ‘deal’ came through. I was so naive.”

“Wow.” Grace leaned in. “So you didn’t know what the deal was either?”

“No.” Sophia rolled in her lips as if to quell a quiver. “I was sick when I thought the theatre was going to be torn down…” Her voice trailed off to a near-whisper. “I grew up doing shows here.”

Grace nodded her understanding.

Composing herself, Sophia drew in a deep breath. “Then you came along. I’m sorry I was so mean. I saw the way Sam looked at you, and I got a little carried away. I really had no right to pry into your private life.”

“I’ve forgiven you, Sophia.” Grace reveled in the truth of her words. Then a niggling thought rose to the surface. “How much did you know about what Devon was up to?”

“Not much.” The corners of Sophia’s mouth lifted as she lowered her chin. “When Devon told me about selling the painting, I thought that sounded pretty good if it meant he could pay me back. Believe me, I didn’t realize he was
stealing
it from you.”

“Go on.”

“I knew he had sold it to Kirk and that he told him where to find you, but I didn’t know Kirk was really dangerous.”

Grace pulled in her brow. “But, you’d seen the police report.”

Sophia let out a jagged breath. “See, Devon made it sound like you and Kirk were a couple and that you were making him prove his devotion. He said the police incident was just some lovers’ quarrel. From the way Devon talked, it was like he was playing cupid. Being all magnanimous and helping Kirk.”

Grace shuddered. “That wasn’t true at all. Kirk and I were never a couple.”

“I know that now.” Sophia let her eyes take a slow journey around the room before going on. “When Kirk showed up at my house the day
Pirates
opened, I got a bad feeling about him. Not from anything he said, just from the way he was. He and Devon made a plan for Kirk to hide in the rehearsal hall.” She looked around. “In this room. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Grace heaved in a breath.
These men and their surprises
.

“Then the fire happened and I wasn’t sure where you had gone. Devon and I were frantic until Nancy told us she’d seen you leave with some guy. I didn’t get why Devon was still so keyed up till he said something about Kirk taking off without paying him. I said you mean for the painting, and he said no, for
you
.” She pointed a slim finger at Grace.

A hard weight churned inside Grace’s gut. “So how did you wind up at my house later on?”

“Well, I was pretty upset about the fire, so I couldn’t sleep, and Devon was pacing the floor like a crazy man. I kept saying he should get some rest for his drive the next day, but he said he had more important things to deal with. Then his cell phone rang at one in the morning, and I knew it was Kirk.”

“Did you hear what they said?”

“I overheard enough to know that Kirk was in some kind of trouble and that Devon was going to help him.” She shook her head. “It was weird. At that point, I was just glad Devon was planning on leaving my house the next day.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I fell asleep. I woke up about two hours later because Devon and Kirk were making so much noise.”

“Noise?”

“Rifling through Devon’s things. I stayed in my room and eavesdropped and I heard them talking about finding Devon’s key to your house. Did you know he had one?”

Grace shook her head as an eerie tremble scuttled up her back. So that was how he’d gotten in.

“Kirk told Devon to do whatever he needed to do to get you into the car so that he could dispose of you out in the woods. That was the word he used.
Dispose
.”

Queasiness surged in Grace’s belly. What exactly had he intended to do?

“I was just sick about it, and I knew I was partly to blame.”

Grace cocked her head. Sophia had been nosy, but how could she be to blame?

Sophia’s cheeks darkened. “See, I was the one who found Kirk’s phone number so Devon could call him. Remember, I told you I’d endeared myself to that detective? He was happy to help when I mentioned your name.”

Grace’s heart surged. Sophia
had
sold her out. Why did she just feel sorry for her?

Sophia continued. “I realized I had to try to warn you. That’s why I went to your house. To try to stop you from going with him.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t just say it.” Tears buoyed her voice. “But I was scared. I didn’t know what he’d do.”

“It’s good that you didn’t. He and Kirk could have killed us both.”

Fear flashed across Sophia’s face. “At least now Devon’s only facing
one
murder charge”

“Right.” Grace shuddered. “Poor Carson.”

They shared a mournful look. Carson had been trouble, but he hadn’t deserved to come to that end. Nobody did.

A silence stretched as Sophia looked away. “There is one other thing.” Her rueful eyes returned reluctantly to Grace. “Not as bad as the rest, but…I knew it all along and I really should have told you.”

A cold weight rolled down Grace’s throat before settling in her belly. “What?”

Sophia drew in a long breath. “He was a real womanizer. Thank goodness I saw it from the start, or I might have…” She cut herself off as she met Grace’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Grace nodded, hurt by the confirmation of what she’d suspected after Sam had told her about Colleen. Devon had no real regard for women.

“Not only that,” Sophia’s tone consoled. “He’s
married
.”

Grace’s head snapped up, the word piercing like a spear. “M…married?”

Sophia gave a slow nod.

Disgust rolled through Grace’s belly. Thank goodness she hadn’t gotten any more involved than she had. “His poor wife.”

“Fttt…” Sophia scoffed.

Grace jarred at the reappearance of the old Sophia, in her apparent lack of sympathy for a woman scorned.

Sophia regarded Grace, seeming to read her thought. “She’s well rid of him.” She arched a narrow diva-like brow. “Don’t you think?”

The women shared a smile before Grace startled to attention, glancing at her watch. “Oh, I’d better go check on my ‘talent’.”

“Careful.” Sophia’s tone was wry. “I hear ‘talent’ can be pretty temperamental.”

With a parting grin, Grace rose and worked her way to the corner landing, giving the door to the former concession stand a light tap.

When she pulled it open, Sam was leaning back in a chair with his feet on the make-up counter, casually strumming his guitar. The brown dog, who lounged on the floor next to his chair, lifted his head lazily to look at Grace before going back to sleep.

Grace folded her arms and leaned on the doorjamb. “Well, aren’t you just a bundle of nerves.”

He stilled his hands, lowered his feet and stood. “Trust me, Gracie. I’m a wreck on the inside.”

Smiling at his pet name that combined her two identities, she stepped in and shut the door. “Yeah, right. I think
I’m
more nervous than you are, Mr. Competition Finalist.”

He set his guitar on the counter and took her hands. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.” He nodded toward the door. “It’s just friends out there. They want us to succeed.”

“Good, then they should buy lots of sandwiches.”

“If the food’s as good as it smells, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” He flashed her a dimpled grin.

She forced a businesslike focus. “Okay, I’m going to get back out there. Are you all ready?”

“Anything you say, Boss.”

“I love it when you call me that.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. As they drew closer, they were abruptly muscled apart by a force separating them at knee level.

“Angel!” Grace looked down at the no-longer-stray dog, who smiled up from between them, his lovingly-groomed tail wagging. “How do you like that? He’s my guardian angel
and
my chaperone.”

Sam let out a laugh. “And a public speaker. I didn’t tell you he’s got a gig.”

“What?”

“Mrs. Finch stopped by the hardware store the other day and asked me to speak to her sixth grade class. They’re doing a unit on heroes.”

“Wow. That’s quite an honor.”

“Sure, but I told her Angel here is the real hero. If he hadn’t darted in front of my truck the way he did, and forced me to run it into Bob’s tree, I never would have known you needed help.”

“Bruce Willis would have known.” She quirked an eyebrow.

“I guess Mrs. Finch doesn’t have his number.” His mocha eyes were rich with humor. “So anyway, can I borrow Angel a week from Tuesday?”

“Take him to the park afterwards and he’s all yours.”

“Deal.”

She pulled herself away. “Enough stalling. It’s showtime.” She turned, beckoning Angel to follow. Sam grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into an unhurried kiss.

Angel barked a protest, and Sam looked down in defense. “Give me a break. It’s for providence.”

A few minutes later, she watched Sam onstage, his cappuccino-smooth voice lulling her. She had to admit she’d fallen in love more than once in the last few months—with Sam of course, but also with Madison Falls and the people there. They in turn had accepted her for who she really was.

She’d always thought of her ability to plan as her saving grace, but it wasn’t until she stopped planning that her life finally made sense. She could do an opera or two a year for God’s glory, not her own, and have a real life to come back to. She smiled. It was a real plan—God’s plan.

Relaxing at last, her heart filled with joy. It felt good to be home.

The End

Coming Summer 2014…

Jill Came Tumbling After

Book 2

The
Madison Falls
Series