47 Destinies: Finding Grace (20 page)

Grace now was the one smiling.  “I told you to never underestimate the quiet ones.”

“I knew I had feelings for you, Grace.  I wouldn’t have worked so hard on impressing Brent and Leslie if I didn’t care for you.  What really pushed me over the edge was the other night when Bella cried out, I became unglued with worry.  You know I enjoy children, but I haven’t experienced the responsibility of being a parent.  Working with Parker has shown me how much time and support it takes to be a good parent.  I knew the mechanics, but completely disregarded the emotions involved.  Honestly, it really scared me when I understood the ramifications of my feelings for Bella.”

“I am really sorry that it isn’t easy to have a relationship with me.  My family is a lot to take,” Grace admitted as a tear slipped out.

“I can’t disagree with you there, but I am not explaining myself clearly.  Grace, I have fallen in love with you, Bella and Mattias.  Now, it will take time for me to really like Brent and I am not sure I will ever fully trust Leslie, but none of that matters.  All that matters is that I want to commit to this relationship.  I never thought I could love again, but you have done nothing but reveal yourself to me fully; all of you.  I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.  I wanted this time to make sure that I could commit to not only you, but also to Bella and Mattias.  They deserve a man who is willing to step into a fatherly role in their lives.  They miss their father and need someone to be there for them.  I want to be that person, if you will let me.  My sweet Grace, I love you.”  Todd pulled Grace toward him and crushed his mouth against hers.  Tears flowed freely from Grace’s eyes.  They were tears of utter joy.

“Todd, I love you too.  I was so worried that you were going to say goodbye.  And here you are saying hello.  I am so overwhelmed.  I’m not making any sense.”

“You make sense to me, Grace Ann.  You are everything to me.  It was terrible not to talk with you this week.  I have become accustomed to you being in my life, but I needed to step away in order to step forward.  I hope you understand.  I know now that you are not Melissa and I cannot hold the mistakes she made over you.  I am willing to make this relationship work if that is what you want, too.” 

Grace could not contain her happiness.  “I want this more than anything in the world.  Can I show you just how much?”

“About that, I have been thinking about the last time we were intimate.  I am still not sure exactly what happened.  However, I think for now, we should maybe be more respectful.  This is, after all, your house with Derek.  Would you be okay if we weren’t intimate here?  We do have my house.  There aren’t any spirits living there that I know of.”

Grace thought about it a moment before she answered.  “I think that would be a good idea.  I am still not sure why Derek has appeared in my life again.  Maybe once I have some answers to that question, we will know more.”

“Plus, I promised you that we would take things slow.  And, we both know how challenging it has been to keep that promise,” Todd rationalized.

“Well, I have been a bit of a temptress,” Grace admitted.

“I’ll say!” Todd playfully remarked as he tickled Grace.  “So, are we good?”

“We are really good, Mr. Harcourt.  I love you so much!  It feels incredible to say those words to you!”

“Well, you are my girlfriend.  Hey, will you be my date for Cora and Brent’s wedding?  It is just a few weeks away.”

Grace rolled her eyes and then replied, “I guess.  There is just one thing you probably should know.”

Todd winced. “Let me guess, more family to meet?”

Grace nodded her head.  “Yes.  My mother and father are coming out from Georgia.  They think the world of Brent.”

“Why am I not surprised?  Be straight with me, how bad is this going to be?”

“Honestly, my mother already loves you.  I’ve been talking to her about you since we started getting to know each other.  My dad is a kind southern gentleman who doesn’t meddle in other’s business.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised by their acceptance of you.”

“I want to believe that, but don’t blame me for being gun shy.  Your family hasn’t been the easiest to get to know.”

“I know.  Trust me.  This time it will be different,” Grace grinned.  “Since I have put you through so much torture, when will you reciprocate?”

Todd folded his arms across his chest.  “Lucky for you, my parents don’t live here in the States.  They live in Europe.  I don’t see them very often.  We had a large falling out several years back when I was going through my divorce.”  Todd offered no additional details and Grace was not the type to prod.  She was, however, very curious as to what happened between Todd and his parents.  Todd was such a kind man; it was unfortunate that he was currently estranged from his family.

“The good news is that I have enough family for the both of us!” Grace rationalized.

“You can say that again,” Todd mumbled playfully. “Come here and give me a kiss,” Todd demanded as he pulled Grace into one of his infamous bear hugs.

“There is nothing I would like more!  I wasn’t sure you would want to kiss me ever again after Bella’s party, Mr. Harcourt.”

“I was thinking about doing this all week.  I missed you, Grace.”

“I missed you too.”

Grace and Todd cuddled on the couch.  They talked and shared and laughed.  Their time apart served to bring them even closer together than before.  Their relationship was stronger than ever.

I
t was the week of Cora and Brent’s wedding. Anticipation and excitement filled the air.  The ceremony was at the Saints Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco on Filbert Street.  The nuptial mass began at three o’clock in the afternoon with the reception and dinner immediately following at The Mark Hopkins.

When Brent and Cora were first engaged, Grace was a bit saddened by the thought of celebrating love.  However, now that Todd was in her life, her perspective shifted dramatically.  Love was the greatest gift anyone could ever give or receive.  It should be celebrated and revered.  Grace couldn’t wait to partake in the outpouring of the love Brent and Cora shared.  It was going to be a day to cherish forever.

Grace’s parents flew in a few days before the wedding in order to catch up with Grace, Mattias and Bella.  Grace’s mother, Rose Chandler, was also secretively looking forward to officially meeting Todd.  She had heard many wonderful things from Grace and wanted to see if he was that impressive in person.

The Chandlers, along with Grace and the children, attended the rehearsal dinner.  Grace’s parents had met Cora on several family occasions and sincerely enjoyed her spirit and kindness.  They could sense the special bond Grace and Cora had developed.  Grace’s mother pulled Cora aside to learn even more about Todd.  Cora would not stop singing his praises.  The two swapped countless stories about the couple and hoped that perhaps another family wedding would occur in the next year or two.

On the day of the wedding, Bella’s enthusiasm was off the charts.  She couldn’t wait to perform her flower girl duties and show off her fancy dress.  She begged Grace to let her wear the dress before the wedding, but Grace would not budge.  They finally compromised on Bella wearing the tiara Brent provided her for the special occasion.  Bella felt like royalty as she skipped around the house.  Every few minutes, she would ask someone how much longer until the wedding began. Grace couldn’t help but smile.

Much to Bella’s satisfaction, around 1:00pm, Grace allowed Bella to put on her dress.  She fixed Bella’s hair and even allowed her to wear blush on her cheeks.  Grace wore a silky floor-length, light-pink satin dress.  The one shoulder strap elongated Grace’s already lengthy body.  Grace styled her hair in a sophisticated bun and wore a diamond necklace, earrings, and combs in her hair.  Grace looked absolutely stunning.

Todd arrived at the house at 1:30pm to meet Grace’s parents before they all went over to the wedding.  He wore a black suit, white shirt and a black tie.  The black contrasted flawlessly with his sandy blond hair and fit him perfectly in all the right places.  His hair was subtly slicked back, which gave him a touch of class.  He looked incredible.  Todd walked to the door with bouquets of flowers in hand.  Todd felt the love in the air and wanted to bask in the joy of it all.

“I’ll get it,” Grace cried out upon hearing the doorbell ring.  She opened the door and her jaw dropped.  “Wow, you look incredibly handsome!”

“Me?  You are a vision, Sexy Legs.  You better watch out, nobody is supposed to look better than the bride on her special day.  We may need to rub a little mud on your face or throw some punch on your dress because you look straight out of a fairy tale.”

“Well, aren’t you just one charming gentleman?” Grace gestured to the flowers in Todd’s hands in her most pronounced Southern drawl.  “Did you rob a florist on your way over here?”

“I sure did.  Can I come inside before the police find me?”  Todd pleaded.

“As long as some of those are for me,” Grace teased back.  Todd gave Grace a huge bouquet of white lilies mixed with pink roses.

“I thought these would match your pink dress.”

“Aren’t you the romantic?  Thank you.  They are glorious.  Let me get some vases.” 

After Grace went off to find the vases, her mother walked down the stairs and into the foyer.  Grace’s mother didn’t look a day over 40.  Her legs were long and toned like Grace’s.  Her blond hair was short and showed no signs of gray.  If Todd didn’t know better, he would have guessed that she was Grace’s older sister.  Her sea green eyes were an identical match to Grace’s and were currently searching Todd’s in an attempt to learn more about him.

“Mrs. Chandler, these are for you,” Todd said as he handed Grace’s mother a huge bouquet of white roses.

Grace’s mother’s face lit up.  “My, my… aren’t you just the sweetest thing!  They are simply marvelous.  Come here, Sugar, and give me a hug.”  Todd quickly obeyed and was drawn into her scent of wildflowers mixed with perfume.

“I can see where Grace received her incredible beauty, Mrs. Chandler,” Todd proclaimed.

“Now Todd, please call me Rose.  After all, you are courting my one and only child.  We don’t have to be so formal.  I have heard a lot about you and I must say, you are as handsome as my dear daughter described you to be.”

“Thank you, Rose.  I love that Georgia accent.  It is much more pronounced than Grace’s,” Todd acknowledged.  Rose smiled.  Everyone in California though Rose had an accent.  She couldn’t hear it, but it brought her joy when someone mentioned it.

“It’s because Grace has gone all city on us living in San Francisco for so long.  I tried to get her to move back home after Derek…” Rose stopped speaking.  “I am so sorry.  I didn’t mean to be inappropriate bringing up Grace’s deceased husband.  Will you please forgive me?”  Rose felt terrible.  It was not a proper way to meet Grace’s boyfriend.

“Rose, no worries.  There is nothing to forgive.  Grace and I talk about Derek all the time.  He will always be a part of Grace, Mattias and Bella’s lives.  It doesn’t bother me.  I have no intention of taking Derek’s place.  That wouldn’t even be possible.  Please continue,” Todd said as he touched Rose’s arm reassuringly.

“I can see why Grace likes you so very much, Honey.  You are very understanding.  Ok, well, a few months after Derek passed, I came out to see how she was doing.  I tried everything to get her to move back home, but she wouldn’t.  She told me that nothing would ever cause her to leave here.  She is a strong, independent woman.  She said that San Francisco was a part of her and in her blood forever.  As much as I wanted her home, I was proud that she was able to face the situation without running away from it.  What about you, Todd?  Are you also in love with San Francisco?”

“I have to say, I am just like Grace. This city is a part of me.  I also have to confess that I am in love with your daughter.  Did she tell you that, too?” Todd asked with a huge grin on his face.

“Sugar, you should know that a good southern girl doesn’t keep any secrets from her mama,”  Rose slyly answered back.  By this time, Grace had returned to the foyer with two large vases.

“What are you two up to?  Why are my ears burning? Should I be worried?” Grace said as she narrowed her smiling eyes at the two partners in crime.  It was a relief to see them getting on so well, especially after the previous encounters with Leslie.

“Just getting to know each other a little better,” Rose replied.  “Thanks for the vase.”

Bella charged into the room.  “TODD!!!!”  As usual, she jumped right into his open arms.

“Princess Bella!  You look so very pretty.  I love your tiara.  I have something for you,” Todd said as he went back outside.  He came back in with another large bouquet of flowers.  The bouquet was bursting with the brightest rainbow of spring colors.  “I saw these and thought of you, Bella.  Do you like them?”

Bella squealed with joy and threw her arms around Todd’s neck.  “I love you.”  She took the flowers and went to show her grandfather.

“Todd, that was very kind of you,” Grace remarked.  “Mama, can you see why he is my Prince Charming?”

“I sure can, Honey.  I sure can,” Rose answered as she hooked her arm in Todd’s.  “You better watch yourself; we may all be in love with you soon enough.”

“That would make me very happy, Rose,” Todd replied, more than happy to be spending the day with them.