Page 60 of Halstead House

Eventually I found my feet and walked all the way around the house to the basement side entrance, hoping to avoid the main parts of the house. I slipped through to the elevator unnoticed and pushed the button. Luckily it had been on the basement floor already, so it opened quickly. I climbed in and counted my breathing on the way up. Five in, three out.

I once again found myself face to face with Lucas when the doors opened at the top. I couldn’t figure out how that was possible. Two times in one day seemed highly unlikely. My mind was too muddled from my worries to process if he was real or not. This time he was dressed in a suit. I had thought I liked him best in casual fishing clothes, but maybe I’d been wrong. He looked like perfection, all groomed and pressed. Untouchable. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“How was your therapy adventure?” he asked.

I blinked a few times and met his eyes. “Ana thinks she fractured her butt cheeks,” I replied in a detached, monotone voice. “I think bike seats should be classified as torture devices.”

“Grace?” his voice sounded closer and I blinked again. His eyes held mine as his eyebrows dropped lower. “What’s happened?”

“My mother is coming. She just called. She’s bought a plane ticket and she’ll be here Thursday.” My mind suddenly cleared, allowing ice-cold dread to settle in as I said the words out loud. “Oh, my gosh, Lucas... my mother is coming.” I could hear the fright in my own voice as I said it.

“It’s okay. We can handle her.” I was grateful that Lucas already knew something about my mother so that I didn’t have to explain my horror. Yet, because of that he should be as scared as I was. Why was he not appalled right now?

I shook my head frantically. “That is definitely not true. What am I going to do?” I paced away from where I’d been standing by the elevator door and back again. “I have to think of something. She absolutely cannot come here. It’ll ruin everything.”

As I came back to where Lucas was standing, he reached out for my hand and tugged me to a gentle stop. I looked down at his hand and back up to his eyes. Something in them was fierce, but not in the cold way he’d looked before. The contact made warmth wash from my hand up to my face, which was luckily already flushed so he wouldn’t know it was caused by his touch.

“It’s going to be okay.”

“I have to leave,” I breathed, staring with agonized eyes into his light ones. “It’s the only way. She’s only coming to seeme. If I go back to Providence tomorrow, she won’t come here.”

“You do not have to leave here if you don’t want to.” His hand enveloping mine seemed to add weight to his words, and I wanted to believe him.

“I don’t want to go, but she can’t come here.” My voice shook and I felt tears well up. I pushed them back, years of practice helping me keep them at bay. I knew he noticed, and appreciated that he didn’t say anything.

“Let Lillian come. You won’t have to face it alone. We’re friends now, remember?” He gave my hand a last squeeze to emphasize before finally releasing me. “You have Ana and Marshall, Chef Lou and Steven, and Eliza will be home in a week.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I repeated his words to myself, barely above a whisper. “I’m not alone.” And then, “She’ll cause a storm that will rival a hurricane,” I said louder.

“Then we’ll be your anchor.” His voice had taken on a low, earnest quality that was hypnotizing. I nodded shakily. “You’re not alone,” he murmured once more.

“I’m not alone,” I repeated.

I lost track of time as I stood near Lucas, drawing off his calm and letting my eyes glaze over. Soon my breathing slowed to match his. I felt stronger, more capable, and supported in a way I had never known. It was bliss. Dangerous bliss, because I was beginning to feel something a little more than simply comforted.

I stiffened as a new line of thinking emerged. “Oh, Lucas, you’re in a suit.” I pulled my unfocused vision back and focused on him again.

“I am.”

“I’ve made you late, again, for something important. Do you have a business meeting?” My face reddened at the thought of throwing his schedule off track. Then it reddened further at the thought that he’d made time for me when he had other places to be.

“I do have somewhere to be, but no one will be upset if I’m a few minutes late. I’ll blame it on traffic.”

I gave him a look. “Lavender Island has no traffic.”

“True. But plenty of bad drivers who get in the way.” His eyes smiled down at me. “You okay?” I nodded. “Good.”

“Thanks. For, you know, everything.”

“Oh, you mean for being an actual friend?” His expression was amused and relaxed.

“Yep.”

“No problem.”

“Have a good night, then.” I gave a strange little wave and watched as he pushed the elevator door open.

“You too,” he said as he stepped in. Then, just as the doors began to close a bewildered look crossed his face. “Wait, did you say Ana thinks she fractured her bu-...”

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