Page 28 of Saving Grace

“You what?” I can hear the curiosity in his voice.

“Paint. I paint. It’s kind of messy, though.”

“That’s what drop cloths are for. You need a hand to set something like that up?” He pushes from the floor and moves to the next machine, setting the adjustments.

“I can do it.”

“I have no doubt. Yell out if you want a hand, okay?”

“Thanks, I will.”

There is a comfortable silence between us as we go about our tasks. I roll the remaining towels and head to the kitchen for a jug and glass to add to the table. Mackinlay is at his doctor’s appointment with Reed, so we have a few hours to get his new space done. When I walk back into the room, Lawson is standing in the center, studying the layout against my sketched one.

“Looks good, Grace. He’ll like it,eventually.”

I scoff. “I highly doubt that.”

His blue eyes find mine. “He’s not like this, Grace. Nothing like it. I don’t know how long it is going to take for our Mack to find his way back. But this angry version of him is the complete opposite of the man who left six months ago for tour.”

A stone lodges in my throat. I’ve seen a handful of glimpses of the man Lawson is talking about. Little moments. Some I caught when Mackinlay thought I wasn’t watching. “I hope you get your brother back, I do. But I’m not sure I will be here to see it.”

“This arrangement is—” He shakes his head.

“What? Am I not doing what you all wanted?”

He squares his shoulders and rests his hands on mine. “You need to be here just as much as my brother needs you here.”

“I don’t understand, did your mom?—”

“She told us nothing. When Ma decides something is important, we listen. Ruby already tried to get her to spill, and she won’t. Not her story to tell.”

His hands fall from my shoulders. Louisa must have figured it out. Why a twenty-something woman would travel halfway across the country for a low-paying job with nothing but an overnight bag and a shiner on one-half of her face. Guess I wasn’t exactly subtle in my actions. The tug to leave and head to Montana overwhelmed everything else.

Now that I’m here? There is no way in hell I would ever go back to Raymond.

Not ever.

It’s like night—a very dark and long one—and day.

“I have an idea. How about I clear out that spare room beside your bedroom, and you run into town to pick up some supplies to create your space.”

“Are you sure? I mean, is there more to do here?”

He studies the room, a smile blooming on his face. “Think we’re done. Take off and have some free time before Sergeant Grump comes home.”

“Okay,” I say with a chuckle. I head for the door but hesitate, one hand on the doorframe. “Lawson?”

“Yeah?” He spins back and looks up to face me from checking his phone.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, Gracie.”

I can’t help the warm feeling that washes over me. It feels like safety, and a semblance of belonging. Lawson is a blessing. He’s like the universal big brother. If I’m honest, having a buffer between me and Mackinlay for the past few days has been a relief. I don’t know what’s been happening, but every night is getting harder for me. I’m so tired. Every interaction Mackinlay and I have grates more than it used to. Joel’s texts have been messing with my head. The long stretches between them also make me anxious.

Surely, he wouldn’t bother to track me down this far from home. I am desperate to move on from that disaster of a relationship. But the last message sent me spiraling for hours. I am thankful for the workload of cooking and cleaning, medications and the physio routine. Busy hands, calm mind.

I’m clinging to that tactic for now.

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