Page 83 of Forbidden Kisses
“Of course we care. You’re one of my best friends in Blushing Bay.”
“I just realized that I have a lot to be thankful for. I have friends and family. Maybe…”
“What?” Krista asked when Grace paused too long.
“Maybe it’s too much for me to expect that I can have it all. Friends, family, and a man who loves me, too.”
Krista patted Grace’s forearm. “He might not have said it yet, but Jack loves you. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
“He hates my mother, though. Hates her, Krista. They fought over my bed like a couple of kids.”
“I know. I witnessed it.”
“I just…I shouldn’t have to choose one over the other. Mom is the only family I have in this world. If he wants me, he gets my mom, too. Jack will never be okay with that. Or the rest of his family for that matter.” A single tear escaped and fell on Grace’s cheek. She quickly swiped it away with her good arm. “And I understand. I really do. What my mom did was horrible. Those things belonged to their mother. They were special and my mom just sold them.” Grace shook her head. “Buying back theBeatricewould’ve returned something that was theirs, but it wouldn’t have changed the past.”
Krista reached for Grace’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Grace rolled her lips together. She could forgive her mom’s mistakes because she loved her. Jack would never be able to forgive those mistakes, though. “I’m ending things with Jack.”
“What? You’re breaking up with him?” Krista asked. “Lots of guys don’t get along with their mother-in-law. It’s probably more common than not.”
“Yeah, but hating their mother-in-law is different. And part of Jack will probably always wonder if I’m just like her. I don’t want that over my head.” Grace blew out a ragged breath. “Remember in school when you could just have your friend break up with a guy for you?”
Krista’s mouth dropped open. “I love you, honey, but I can’t dump your boyfriend for you.”
Grace nodded. “It was worth a try…And I love you, too.”
—
Two days later, Grace ditched her hospital gown for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that Krista had swiped from her apartment. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, desperate to get home and wash it in her own hot shower. Just thinking about it made her all the more eager to get the discharge paperwork done and be on her way.
“You have a head injury, so you need to continue taking things easy,” Dr. Paschall warned. “No strenuous exercise.” He cleared his throat, “Ofanykind.”
Grace’s cheeks burned. “Got it.”
“And you need to keep the stress levels down. Job stress, personal stress, all of it.”
Grace nodded. Keeping her stress at bay meant keeping her mom and Jack apart. She’d been thinking about that over the last two days. She couldn’t be with a man who hated her mother the way Jack did. It would never work. As much as she disliked the thought of doing so, the only thing to do was break things off. “When can I return to work?” she asked, tears suddenly threatening behind her eyes.
“Give it a week.”
“Got it.” A week off from work would be best. She and Jack would both need a little space, because saying goodbye was going to hurt more than her broken collarbone—for her at least. She needed to go ahead and tell him, quick like pulling off a Band-Aid. Then they could start healing, and hopefully remain friends.
Dr. Paschall signed the chart in his hand. “All right then. You’re officially discharged, Ms. Donner. Do you have someone to drive you home?”
“That would be me.” Joey stepped through the door. “Krista told me I needed to give our captain a ride.”
Grace grinned. “You’ll never make any money as a cabbie if you keep giving free rides.”
Joey waved a hand. “You’d be surprised. Come on, Cap.”
Dr. Paschall exited as Grace grabbed her things.
“You have to sit in that wheelchair on the way out. It’s mandatory,” Joey told her.
“Like hell,” she said, walking past the chair.
“Well, at least let me hold your bags for you.”
