Chapter 1
The smell of whiskey, loud, angry words, and desperate screams ran through Grace Henderson’s dream as she slept. Her hands flapped in the air as she bravely fought off her attacker, kicking and hitting him as hard as she could. She heard loud, terrified screams and realized as she woke up that they were her own. She immediately put her hands to her chest in a panic, expecting to find blood. She looked down and breathed a big sigh of relief when she saw there was nothing but sweat dripping down her chest. She took a deep calming breath then exhaled slowly, trying to hold in the sobs that were clawing out of her throat. It’s just a dream, she told herself over and over, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart down. You’re okay now, she chanted repeatedly to herself. She had been reliving the night her ex-boyfriend James had attacked her six months ago.
Sometimes it still felt like it happened yesterday. She glanced at her clock on the nightstand beside her bed, her bedside lamp still on. She never slept in the dark anymore. It read five a.m. Thank God she had no neighbors to disturb. She had to be at work at seven, so she might as well stay awake. Besides, she didn’t want to dream again. Reliving the dreams over and over made it hard for her to forget her ordeal but she didn’t know how not to dream. She longed to feel “normal” again. If only there was an instruction book—“How to Get on with Your Life After Being Viciously Attacked.”
Grace got out of bed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She always felt so worn out and weak after her nightmares were over. She jumped into the shower to try and refresh herself. A year ago life had seemed like it was going her way. She had a good-paying job as an assistant in a lawyer’s office plus she was dating one of the lawyers, James Rivers. He was a handsome, sophisticated man a few years older than her and he had pursued her until she agreed to a date. She dated him for months and thought he was perfect. He was smart and charming and said all the right things and took her to exciting places. It had all changed in an instant. Grace and her girlfriends had gone to have drinks at a popular club to celebrate a friend’s engagement when she saw James and another woman kissing on the dance floor. He had told her he was working late and to go and have fun with her friends. While she had been bragging about how wonderful her boyfriend was the jerk had been cheating on her. She had marched right up to him and after a loud argument in the club she ended the relationship.
James had bothered her every day at work, saying it had all been a mistake, but Grace had been hurt and didn’t trust him any longer and refused to go back to him. He sent her flowers, which she threw out, and changed her cell phone number. She figured he would get the message that it was over and move on. His refusal to leave her alone was making things awkward at work.
One night she had been woken from a sound sleep with a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. She struggled and opened her eyes to see James straddling her with a knife to her throat. He smelled of whiskey and he was yelling that if he couldn’t have her no one could. He had stabbed her in the chest twice, but she had fought him like a wildcat, grabbing his wrists to ward off the knife from going into her again. In the process the knife had sliced her palms to shreds. She wasn’t as strong as him, but she didn’t want to die. She was only twenty-four. She screamed and fought as hard as she could.
Her loud screams had woken the neighbors in her apartment complex and the sound of
sirens had scared James away before he could kill her. She remembered hearing the police sirens in the distance and the rumbling of thunder as James ran out of the apartment and she lay bleeding in her bed thinking she would never see her parents again.
Grace had woken up in the hospital with her crying parents next to her. She had been in there a week recovering from a punctured lung and left with a long, jagged scar on her chest and her hands wrapped like a mummy. James had been caught and put in jail. Witnesses had identified him as he ran out of her apartment. Between the recovery and the long, publicized trial, Grace had been stressed out. She couldn’t face going back to her apartment so she had stayed with her parents. Her work had given her a medical leave of absence, but she didn’t want to go back. Her nights were filled with nightmares and it hindered her physical recovery.
Her parents had convinced her to visit with their long-time friends Bill and Flo Walters in Bear Creek, Texas, halfway across the country. They were sure a change of scenery would aid in helping her move on and forget. So, reluctantly, she had packed some clothes and left her old life behind. She needed to get away from the painful memories and regain her strength then decide what to do with the rest of her life.
After she dressed she went into the small kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and watched the sunrise out the kitchen window. How often she found herself doing this since arriving here. Bill and Flo were wonderful people and happy to help. They were her parents’ best friends and had been visiting her family in Michigan since Grace was a baby. They let her stay in the small one-bedroom apartment above their restaurant—Flo’s Café. It had a kitchen area, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. She hadn’t wanted to disturb them with her nightmares by staying in their home and she needed to be alone. Grace was used to being independent. As an only child of two working parents she had grown up standing on her own two feet and didn’t like depending on others.
She took a glance in the mirror and critically looked herself over. Her long, curly auburn hair was braided and out of the way. She had dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She hated the nightmares and wished she was strong enough to just make them go away but she didn’t know how. At seven a.m. she went down the stairs from her apartment and walked around the corner to the restaurant, entering the front door. It was nice and cool now but in a few hours it would be hot. In the two months of living here she learned Texas was just hot, unlike her home state of Michigan where there were seasons and changing weather.
When she entered the café she saw her co-worker, Kelly Baker was already there making coffee. Grace groaned to herself. Kelly was difficult to get along with and that was putting it mildly. Kelly liked being the center of attention especially with the male population. Kelly didn’t like the way Flo treated Grace like family, or that some of the men flirted with Grace. Grace had no interest in the men of Bear Creek but Kelly still treated Grace rudely when Flo was in the kitchen cooking along with her husband, Bill.
“Well, look who’s on time for once,” Kelly remarked rudely, her blue eyes were filled with hatred.
Grace flushed. Because of her nightmares she had been late a few times. What Kelly didn’t know was that technically Grace wasn’t on the time clock. Since Bill and Flo took her in and let her stay rent free she refused to be paid. The waitresses ate here free and she had her tips which were good enough for her. It was not like she had anywhere to go. Bill and Flo hadn’t wanted her to work but she knew if she didn’t keep busy she would just sit all day and brood over what had happened. Besides, keeping busy and the noise of the customers talking made her feel less lonely.
Grace decided ignoring Kelly worked best. Kelly was just a spoiled, selfish person who thought because she was blonde and pretty all the world should fall at her feet.
Even though Grace had never waitressed before she was learning to like it. She liked keeping busy and getting to know her regular customers and being able to chitchat with them. Bear Creek was a very small, quiet town just outside of Austin. It consisted of lots of open land that held ranches. Since the population numbered only a few hundred everyone seemed to know each other. People treated Grace like she was one of them since most of them remembered her mom had grown up here and Grace had visited often as a child. Grace put her apron on and got to work ignoring Kelly’s glares as she did every day.
“Good morning, Mr. Jenkins. Grace smiled at one of her regulars who had just walked in. She went and grabbed a hot pot of coffee off the burner and walked over to Mr. Jenkins. “Coffee?”
Mr. Jenkins, an elderly gentleman who came in often, nodded as he sat in his usual booth and smiled at Grace. “Mornin’, Grace. It’s gonna be another hot day.”
Grace smiled and chuckled good-naturedly. “So it’s going to be just like yesterday?”
Mr. Jenkins smiled back and nodded picking up a menu to look at even though he was in the café often.
Midmorning she took a coffee break and Flo came out of the kitchen and sat next to Grace at the counter. Flo handed Grace a homemade banana nut muffin, knowing Grace probably hadn’t eaten all day and wouldn’t unless forced. Flo was tall and slim and had short brown hair and eyes and looked younger than her fifty-five years.
“You look tired, sweetheart. Bad night?” Flo had a kind, motherly nature and Grace appreciated it. She missed her parents deeply.
Grace nodded and bit into the muffin. When she finished it she turned to Flo’s worried face. “I think I will see that doctor you recommended, Flo.”
Flo nodded happily. “I’ll call him today and set up an appointment. Do you want to clock out early? Jane will be here at noon.” Jane was one of the afternoon waitresses and a lot nicer to work with than Kelly.
“No thanks. I need to keep busy,” Grace replied, getting up and ready to go back to work. “Oh, my friend Hannah invited me to have dinner at her house tonight. I’ve never been on a ranch before so I am excited to see it. She’s told me so much about it already.”
Flo smiled, obviously glad to see Grace excited about something. “Hannah’s aunt Ida is a friend of mine. We play bingo on Sunday nights. Her chili is to die for.”
Grace giggled and lowered her voice, looking around and making sure Bill was still in the kitchen cooking. “Don’t let Bill hear you say that. I heard him say he was beating Ida at the annual town chili cook-off this year no matter what.”
“I know he’s determined to win this year. Ida has won the last two years. He’s been trying to improve his recipe. Our poor customers are probably tired of seeing chili as the day’s special. I know I am.” Flo laughed along with Grace as they got back to work.
Chapter 2
After her shift was over, Grace went to her apartment and showered quickly. She dressed in tan shorts and a white T-shirt before Hannah arrived. Because of the scar on her chest she no longer felt comfortable wearing tank tops or low-cut blouses. She knew it would fade with time but right now she was self-conscious about it and didn’t want anyone asking lots of questions. The scar was still red and tender but it served to remind her of what a trusting fool she had once been. Since her hair was damp she left it down instead of her usual ponytail and hoped it wouldn’t get frizzy in the heat.
Grace had met Hannah Hawthorne while walking through the Bear Creek animal shelter one day about two weeks ago. Grace had been tired of her own company and she had always loved animals, so she stopped by just to pet the cats and dogs. Hannah ran the shelter and was also a licensed veterinarian. The two girls were close in age and hit it off right away. Grace volunteered at the shelter whenever she could. She would help Hannah walk the dogs and feed them. Hannah lived on the family ranch called the Lazy J on the outskirts of town. She had told Grace how her parents had died in a plane accident when she was just out of high school and her aunt Ida took care of the house while her older brother Jackson ran the cattle ranch. It was a pretty successful operation but also a lot of hard work. Hannah also worked with the horses on her
ranch so she stayed busy and never had time to make many friends.
Grace had always been a city girl so it was kind of exciting to see a real cattle ranch. When she saw Hannah’s red pickup truck, she ran down the stairs feeling happier than she had in months. Maybe getting away from everything had been a good idea after all.
“Hi.” Grace smiled when she got in Hannah’s truck. “Please tell me your aunt is not making chili,” she joked, telling Hannah about Bill making chili as a special every day.
Hannah laughed. “Jackson, my brother, threatened to not show up for dinner until the cook-off was over so Ida gave in. We’re having pot roast tonight.”
“She doesn’t mind an extra person for dinner?” Grace asked worriedly.
“Not at all. She says she can’t wait to meet you,” Hannah said as she drove outside of the city limits where her family ranch was located. The paved road soon turned to gravel and dust flew through the air as Hannah drove with country music playing loud. For just one moment with the breeze on her face and the sun shining down on them Grace felt carefree. She had forgotten what it had felt like and she treasured even these small moments. One moment of light compared to the many of darkness she had been living in.
They entered through an open white gate that led to the house, which was an old ranch-style house painted white and shaded by a lot of trees with a big porch. There were a few buildings scattered around behind the house including a traditional red barn. Behind the buildings lay open fields of grass that stretched out for miles where the cows roamed and grazed.
“Oh, Hannah, it’s beautiful,” Grace said joyfully, getting out of the truck and looking around the beautiful land. “How lucky you are to live here.”
“Thanks, it’s been in our family for a long time,” Hannah said fondly. “Uh-oh, be prepared to get licked to death. Here come my two babies, Roxy and Molly.”
Roxy was a black-and-white, shaggy Border collie and Molly was a chocolate-brown pit bull mix. They both came running and barking excitedly toward Hannah as if they hadn’t seen her in a long time.
They jumped all over Hannah as she petted them, laughing. “Settle down, girls. Meet my new friend, Grace.”
They trotted up to Grace and sniffed her as she smiled and leaned down to pet them. They both sat and reached out a paw to Grace. Grace laughed and shook their paws, enchanted with them. “You two are just beautiful.”