The Way of Grace (Miller's Creek Novels) (66 page)

“I ca
n’t believe you actually
wanna
go through with this.”
Matt pulled the borrowed
van into the
apartment
parking lot and threw the gearshift into park. “Haven’t you suffered enough without asking for more?” He didn’t e
ven bother to make eye contact
, but instead slammed the door behind him and moved to the sliding door on the passenger side.
Without a word, he stooped to undo the safety straps
that held her wheelchair in place
, his anger evident in his
fast,
forceful movements.

“
I’m sorry this
upsets you, Matt, but
I have to do
it
.”

H
is shoulders sagged as he released a heavy breath. He
righted himself
from the stooped position
and looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry, Gracie. I don’t mean to be a jerk about this, but I don’t see what can possibly be gained from this meeting with Elena. Once I touch a hot stove, I know not to touch it again.”

“You’ve used that analogy already. In case you don’t remember, it didn’t work then either.”
She tried to soften the
blow of her words with a
smile.

He planted both hands on his hips, raised his gaze to the sky and rotated in a circle
, his exasperation unmistakable
.

A sudden thought dissolved Grac
i
e into a fit of the giggles.

Matt stopped and gl
ared at her. “You think this is funny?”

No matter how
hard
she tried, she couldn’t stop laughing, and had to speak around the uncontrollable chortles.
“Y
ou look like you’re doing the Hokey Pokey.”

At first he simply
shook his head in
frust
ration,
but
then a
mischievous glint hovered in his sandy eyes. Wit
hout warning, he began to sing at the top of his lungs.
“You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.”
Matt included the accompanying motions, drawing horrified stares from bystanders.

Now Grac
i
e was mortified, but
still
couldn’t
quit
laughing.
“Stop it
.
You’re killing me.
”
She held her hands over her aching
ab
muscles and leaned her head against the back of the wheelchair.

Matt
stepp
ed closer
,
his expression and voice taunting
.
“Only if you give me a kiss.”

She tilted her head and gave him a sideways glance. “Do you promise to behave?”

He released a mock sigh. “I guess.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss that stole her breath.

A minute later,
she pulled away and smoothed imaginary wrinkles on her skir
t.
“I’m not sur
e that’s behaving
.
”

Matt winked and stooped to f
inish untying the straps. Then he lowered
the chair to the sidewalk an
d pushed
her
toward
the
downstairs apartment
where Elena now lived with Consuela and Jessie.

The woman
met them at the door
and moved
a
side
as Matt pushed Gracie inside
.
Decorated simply, the room held an unstated elegance, and a soft floral scent hung in the air.
She turned to face them, her hands twisting. “I was surprised to get your call.
” Her gaze flitted in various directions, but never to either of them. “Mama has taken Jessie to the park, but wanted me to tell you hello.
”

“Please tell her hi back.” Gracie smiled and studied Elena, amazed at the drastic difference in the woman she’d once idolized
. Gone was the confidence
she’d
worn as
easily as her designer suits
.
Now her features held a
n unexpected
humility
.

Elena
motione
d toward the
living room.
“
Why don’t we move in here? May
I get either of you something to drink?”

“No thanks. We won’t s
tay long
.
I just wanted to clear the air.” Ag
ain she smiled, but Elena wouldn’t look her wa
y.

Matt rolled the wheelchair next to a smal
l
sofa
and took a seat
beside her
.

Elena
lowered herself to a Queen Anne chair across the room
, w
iping her palms against her jean
s. “Please let me begin by saying how terribly sorr
y I am for what happened.” H
er eyes locked with Grac
i
e’s, sorrow in their depths.

“
It’s
okay, Elena.
I don’t bear you any ill wi
ll at all, and I want
you to know that.
”

A
frown ling
ered o
ver the woman’s tormented
eyes. “
If I were
you, I would hate me.”
S
he
lowered her head to her hands and
began
to weep.
“I’m so sorry, Grace. So terribly, terribly sorry for the way I treated you. For the way I used you.
For the way things turned out.
”

Grac
i
e
quickly
wheeled her chair acros
s the span that separated them and placed
a hand on Elena’s
shoulder. “
Please don’t cry.
Though I don’t completely understand
why, I know
God has His reasons for what happened
. He
can bring good out of even tragedy.
I’ve come to a place where I’ve accepted things as they are.”

Elena
lifted her head
, tears still coursing down her cheeks.
She searched
Grac
i
e’s fa
ce
. “Then you are truly blessed. I
f only I’
d accepted things as they were instead of trying to make things happen the way I thought they should be.” She suddenly appeared very weary and ancient. “I
knew Alex had issues, but when he promised
to leave me alone and give
me enough money to take care of Mama and Jessie in style, I chose to get
involved
.”

Sorrow for Elena nipped at Gracie’s heart.
“I know you can’t give any details of the case, but what happens
after the
trial’s
over?
”

“We become fugitives again. We’ll be given new identities in the witness protection program.”

“Will you be able to practice law?”

She gave her head a sad shake. “No.”

What a shame. She was so good at it. “What will you do?”

“Probably te
ach, but please don’t share the information with anyone.
”

Elena w
ould make a
great
college professor
. “
I won’t, and
I wish you and your family all the best.”

A
puzzled expression
crossed Elena’s features
. “I
’
d give anything to have your peace and joy
.
”

Gratitude
erupted inside
and she gazed toward the ceiling with a smile
.
The opportunity she’d prayed for.
She faced Elena.
“
It’
s available to you
.
Want
me to tell you how?”

“Please.”

A
short while
later, the three of them bowed their heads
together
as Elena accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

The
next afternoon
Matt stood behind Gracie as they
both stared up at the razor wire
spiraling
atop the fence encircling
the maximum security prison in Huntsville
.
Heavy clouds tufted the April sky, menacingly low and anvil gray. The light mist
conferred
a dusty smell to the earth
.

Why had he agreed to this?
“I don’t know if I can let you go through with this, Gracie. I admit I was wrong about Elen
a, but this i
s different.
”
He moved from behind her,
his
hands
laced
atop his hea
d. “Please don’t do this
.
Some people will never
change.”
H
e didn’t care that h
is voice held a whining plea.
He’d get down on both knees if it would change her mind.

“I don’t have a choice, Matt, I
feel like God
—”

He
put b
oth palms chest high
and closed his eyes.
“I know y
ou think God wants you to do this. And if that’s the way you feel, I won’t stand in your way. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

“Point taken.
Now are you going to push me in ther
e, or do I have to go by myself?
”

He lowered his head with a shake and
trudged to
his position behind her.
He’d done all he could to prepare her, now he’d have to settle for protecting her.
“If I didn’t love you so much, I sure wouldn’t be here.”

S
he leaned her head back and grinn
ed up at him
coyly
. “Thanks for loving me.”

“I guess y
ou’re welcome.”
He finished the
com
ment with a teasing wink
.

A half hour
later they
peered
at Dent
and his uniformed escort
through a
bullet-proof
win
dow,
Jason’s
face
completely void of emotion
. “Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see
the two of you.” He leveled an
icy glare
at Gracie.
“
You especially
.”

Matt’s anger boiled, but he shoved it down with a breath.
He had to maintain control for Gracie’s sake.

Her
face
fell
. “I never meant to hurt you, Jason.
Please forgive me if I did.”
She hesitated
a second
. “
I want
you to know that I don’t hold anything against you.”

“Nor should you.
I wouldn’t have shot you if you hadn’t jumped in front of the gun.”
His voice held contempt.

Gracie shivered
, but quickly brought it under control. “
Are you being treated well?”

His arrogant shrug revealed his cold heart
. “Well enough
I suppose
,
though it’s
certainly
not as nice as the life
I could have given you.”