Page 49 of Holding Grace

Chapter 17

Michael

I pushed out the back door of the pub and jogged to my SUV. I texted Grace to let her know I was on my way, then drove carefully out of the lot, mindful of the contents of the box that I’d set in the back a few minutes earlier.

I’d texted with Mercy earlier in the day and everything was ready. Now I just needed to get Grace and myself to Levi’s.

The surprise party for Grace’s birthday, which was the following day, had been my idea, but Mercy was the one who had pulled nearly everything together, from the food, to the cake from Celebration Cakes that I’d just picked up at the pub, to the gift. Although, like the party, Grace’s gift from all of us had been my suggestion, Mercy had made it happen.

I parked in front of Grace’s building, keyed in the code for the front door, then took the steps two at a time up to her apartment. I took a deep breath to settle myself then knocked on her door.

Grace opened it with a beautiful smile on her face, her eyes lit up, and my heart rate bumped right back up again.

She bounced a couple times on her toes and for a minute I let myself imagine that she was as happy to see me as I was to see her.

“Hey,” we said in unison, then both laughed as Grace stepped back and I followed her inside.

She lifted her coat off a hook near the door and I took it from her, holding it for her as she slipped into it. She’d left her hair down and she scooped it free of the coat collar as she picked up her bag.

“Mercy wouldn’t let me bring anything,” Grace told me as we walked down the stairs and out to my car. “Next time I’m going to go rogue and just bring something anyway.”

I laughed as I held her car door for her. “And believe me, whatever it is, it won’t go to waste. Between the four of us, Ace, Levi, Ry and I are almost as bad as the pub’s Friday happy hour crowd.”

I shut her door, walked around to my own side, and climbed in. As I pulled away from the curb, Grace lifted her head a little, sniffing.

“It smells good in here, like icing.”

“Occupational hazard,” I told her with a grin. When she gave me the side-eye, I confessed, “Or maybe it’s the dessert I have stashed in the back.”

She glanced in the back making me glad I’d thought ahead and put the Celebration Cakes box inside a larger one for camouflage.

“Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Mm, no. I think I’ll make you wait and see.”

Grace glanced back again then straightened in her seat. “Whatever it is, if you made it, it will be amazing so I’m claiming two big pieces right now. Write that down.”

“Done,” I responded, though I obviously hadn’t written anything, as my chest filled with warmth at her compliment.

It was far from the first time someone had said something similar but coming from Grace it just hit differently.

Of course, I hadn’t made the cake – either Jo or Ellie had – but still, Grace’s compliment stood.

Our conversation turned to a few things Grace was working on with Mercy and soon we were pulling into Levi’s driveway. I let the SUV’s doors slam as first I got out, then got Grace’s door, then lifted the cake from the back, alerting the others that we’d arrived.

I felt a second of panic as Grace and I walked up to the door – what if she hated surprises? I pushed the thought away, knocked, then shoved open the door. I let Grace step in first and followed close behind her.

There was a collective “Happy birthday, Grace!” and Grace reflexively took a step back into me, bumping into my torso as I quickly held the cake box out of the way, balancing it on one hand.

She looked at my family members, then back and up at me, her upper back pressing into my chest.