Grace (The Family Simon 5)

“If that’s what you want to do.”

“If that’s what I…” Her voice trailed off and she looked shocked.

Dammit, he was screwing this up big time, and he had no idea how to fix it. He stared at her for a long time and wished that he had something to say to make her feel better, but he had nothing. All he could think of was Delilah and what it meant that she was back. He scowled at the thought.

She exhaled and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Delilah said she was staying at the hotel in town and that she wasn’t leaving until you go to her.”

His already black mood darkened even more. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this.

“I guess you should go to her.” Grace left him there, and the squeaks on the stairs told him she’d retreated to his bedroom. For a long time, he stood alone in his kitchen, listening to the wind outside and the yelps of Rosie’s pups.

And then when the silence stretched thin, like an elastic about to break, he turned and headed for the door. He scooped up his jacket and dug through the pockets for his truck keys.

No point in putting this off. It was time to pay his stepmother a visit.

21

Grace was angry. No. She was beyond angry. She was in another universe entirely—one that made angry look tame. How dare Matt treat her as if she didn’t matter? As if everything they’d shared over the past few weeks meant nothing?

What did Let’s get to know each other

mean if he shut her out the first time a bump in the road appeared? Nothing. That’s what it meant. Sweet Fuck all.

“I’m such an idiot.” She tossed her crappy slippers into the bag she’d pulled from Matt’s closet. “Idiot.”

She scooped up the rest of her clothes—not that there was much—and shoved them inside the bag and then tugged on the zipper to close it. That’s it. She was done.

Muttering the entire way, she lugged the bag downstairs and then ran back up to grab her toiletries. She’d just cleared the top step when she paused, her anger so great that she shook. She did not want to go back into that room. Did not want to see the unmade bed. Or think about all the things they’d done in there just the night before.

Screw the toiletries. She didn’t need them. Let Matt deal with her toothpaste and deodorant and hair products. Let him deal with her face cream and body spray. As for the box of tampons she’d left underneath the sink? He could shove them where the sun didn’t shine.

She checked her watch. It was nearly six o’clock in the evening and he’d been gone for hours. He hadn’t called or sent a text message. He’d gone silent so what the hell was she waiting for?

Grace ran back down the stairs and headed to the great room. She filled Rosie’s water dish and made sure the dog had enough food to last at least a full day. Better yet, she added a couple more scoops. Who knew when Matt would come back?

Once she was done, she picked up her favorite little runt and snuggled him against her chest, inhaling that wonderful and unique scent that only a cute, chubby puppy had.

It did nothing to ease the ache in her chest.

“Sorry, sweetie. I have to leave you behind with the biggest A-hole in Michigan.” She gave the pup one more kiss and then gently placed him inside the pen. She stood back and nodded to Rosie, who stared up at her with dark eyes and ears pointed forward. “Maybe the world.”

Rosie tilted her head as if to agree and with a sigh Grace glanced around the empty room. Was she really going to just leave?

For a moment she was filled with doubt and her gaze drifted to the window. But there was only darkness out there. Darkness and no light, and well, there definitely was no Matt.

There was no reason to stay.

She rummaged through her purse and grabbed up her cellphone. But nothing had changed since she’d checked. No missed call. No text message. Just nothing.

“Okay, then.”

What was her plan exactly? She searched on her phone and found Bud’s Taxi Service. Bud himself answered. He informed her that he was all the town had tonight, as his only other employee, his son, Bud Jr. was down with the flu. So no, he couldn’t drive her to the city where the airport was located, but he could certainly come get her from Matt’s and get her back to town. Oh and she’d have at least an hour wait for that.

Apparently nothing was going her way.

With no choice, Grace arranged for a car service to drive out from Detroit. That was the good news. The bad news was that she had a few hours to kill before the limo got to New Waterford.

Bud made it out about forty-five minutes later and Grace had him drop her at the Roadside Grill. She had no other place to go really, and after eating nothing but the few slices of apple at breakfast, she was not exactly hungry, but knew that she should eat.