Finding Gracie's Rainbow (6 page)

Gracie hugged Bea, “That
was a good movie. Did you thank ‘Uncle’ Jackson?”

“
Sure I did.” Bea stood
and started dancing around as Gracie finally noticed
Paige.

“
She's a lot happier now
that you're here.” Paige stood and stretched as Bea twirled around
her. “Are you hungry?”

“
Actually, I am.” She
watched Paige smile as she answered her. “That just made your day-
didn’t it?”

“
Don’t you know it?” Paige
took out some macaroni and cheese.

“
We'll eat anything but
that. No offense,” Gracie said as she pointed to the box Paige was
holding.

“
None taken,” Paige
replaced the box when Steven walked into the room.

He danced with Bea as he
looked Gracie over. “Looking good, Gracie,” he stopped at the sink
to wash his hands.

“
And you look tense.”
Gracie glared at him. “Jackson had the same look on his face at the
hospital yesterday. So, I’m going to ask you what is going on and.
. . .” Gracie pointed a finger at him. “You better not patronize
me.”

Paige was looking at Steven
when he started to talk. “Mark is out on bail.” He said it very
softly before he turned around to face his sister.

“
How?”

“
His wife posted his
bail.” Steven looked apologetic.

“
Don’t,” Gracie didn't
like the tone he had just used. “Mark was mean, but he did give me
Bea.” Gracie watched as Jackson walked into the room. She mentally
started to count to ten with her eyes shut trying to calm
down.

“
Gracie,” Steven was
watching her. “His wife helped him break into your
apartment.”

Her eyes sprang open. “So
now you're telling me that I have to watch out for two of them. Do
we even know what she looks like?”

Jackson saw the anger in
her face and walked out of the room as Gracie continued to talk.
“Bea, go watch cartoons in the spare bedroom please.” She watched
Bea walk out before she looked sharply back at her brother. “Were
you going to volunteer this information or are you just trying to
protect me again?”

Steven bit his lip. “I. .
.”

“
That’s what I thought.”
Gracie snapped “News flash, Steven. Gracie grew up a long time
ago.” She walked out of the door and looked at Jackson, who was
just staring at her. She kissed him and then heard herself moan
when he kissed her back. “You see, Jackson. I'm not a little girl
anymore, and I know I explained this before. I'm going to watch
cartoons with Bea now.”

Jackson looked over at the
kitchen door when he saw Paige smiling at him.

She walked over to him. “So
was that like kissing your sister?”

“
Not knowing how I should
answer that, I'm going to plead the fifth.” Jackson looked down the
hall. “Tell Steven that I had to go. I think I have a
date.”

“
You think?” Paige laughed
at the look on his face. “You're right; you do need to leave so
Steven doesn’t see your expression.” She stood on her toes and
whispered. “And if you're smart, you won’t tell Steven she just
kissed you again.”

“
She’s a very confusing
person.” Jackson left before Steven came out of the
kitchen.

“
Where’s
Jackson?”

“
He left. Something about
a date.” Paige was watching
Wheel of
Fortune
on the television as she
spoke.

“
Always a player,” Steven
sat down next to her.

~

Addison smiled when she saw
Gracie come into the office building. “Just a little tense today,
Gracie?”

“
Just a little,” Gracie
admitted glancing at her office noticing the doors had already been
replaced. “What is my schedule like today?”

“
Nothing until ten,”
Addison looked up from the appointment book. “How do you
feel?”

“
Fine. I need to go over a
few things with you if you have a few minutes.” Gracie walked
towards her office and took a deep breath before she went in
followed by Addison. She looked around for any sign of what
happened the past Friday before she settled down.

Addison fixed them both a
cup of coffee before sitting down across from her. After telling
Addison everything, Gracie smiled. “And then I kissed the
doctor.”

“
And?” Addison asked when
she put down her empty coffee mug.

“
I haven't given him a
second opinion.” Gracie frowned. “There is one more thing. Mark
married again, and his wife was the one that helped him tear up my
apartment. I don’t know what she looks like, and he's out on
bail.”

“
Just what you needed,”
Addison stood and walked to the windows. “Goody!”

“
What?” Gracie looked over
at her.

“
The owners of the
building are installing cameras and hired a security team.” Addison
smiled. “And I want to hear about that kiss right after I
straighten you out about your brother’s math. You haven’t thought
about that much- have you?”

“
What math?” Gracie
asked.

“
Wait and see.” She
grabbed a pencil and paper and started to write down Steven’s,
Kim’s and Gracie’s birth dates. “I have a photographic memory,
remember?” She smiled while Gracie was watching her. “Steven was
nine years old going on ten when you were born. See?” Addison
pushed the paper to her. “If he met the doctor when he was in
middle school. . .”

“
Jackson couldn't have
changed a diaper.” Gracie smiled at her. “Why are you just a
secretary?”

“
Lack of people skills,”
Addison laughed at her. “Now tell me all about that
kiss.”

Gracie smiled as she
glanced up at her. “I believe that I told you before that I don’t
give second opinions.”

“
I think that the poll is
still open, but you don’t have to say a word.” She picked up the
mugs. “Sometimes actions can speak louder than words. Your ten o'
clock will be here shortly if you need to prep for
them.”

“
Thanks, Addison.” Gracie
took out some files from the cabinet and studied them before her
appointments started showing up.

~

“
Mom?” Gracie walked into
her parents’ house. “Bea?” She laid down her keys as she heard Bea
giggling. “Hey, Princess,” Gracie looked down when she noticed the
puppy in her daughter’s lap. “Mom got a puppy?”

“
Uncle Jackson’s,” Bea let
the puppy lick her in the face before Gracie frowned.

“
Where is Granny?” Gracie
sat down on the couch watching her daughter play with her new
friend.

“
Gracie.” Janet walked out
of the kitchen drying her hands on the towel she was holding. “Is
it that late already?”

“
It is. Are you puppy
sitting now?” Gracie looked up at her mother.

“
No, Jackson is outside
helping your father put together a swing set.” Janet glanced down
at Bea. “Don’t let him lick your face, child.”

Bea looked up at Gracie,
who nodded in agreement.

“
I’m not going to kiss you
now.” Gracie heard Jackson laugh as she talked. She hadn't heard
him come into the house. “Well, she has doggie germs on her face.
What are you laughing at anyway?”

Jackson smiled as he walked
into the kitchen to wash. Janet looked at Gracie as the puppy
walked over to her. “Fuzz ball, don’t you come anywhere nearer to
me.” Gracie was talking to the puppy as Bea smiled.

“
Are you scared of the
puppy, Momma?” Bea laughed as she picked up the puppy. “Fuzz ball;
that would be a cute name.”

Janet looked curiously at
Gracie as she packed up Bea’s backpack. “Are you sure that it's a
good idea for you to stay at your apartment tonight?”

“
I can't stay at Steven’s
forever, Mom.” Gracie frowned as she felt dog slobber on one of
Bea’s tennis shoes. “Especially with the way he's
acting.”

Janet looked at her
intently. “He is just trying. . .”

“
To protect his baby
sister.” Gracie finished for her mother as she had heard this
speech from her brother that morning. “I've heard this
already.”

“
I don’t doubt it.” Janet
watched as Bea came back into the room carrying the
puppy.

“
That thing is going to be
spoiled.” Gracie said after she finished cleaning Bea’s shoe. She
handed the shoes over to her daughter. “We need to go,
Princess.”

Bea placed the little black
puppy down on the floor and sat down to put on her shoes. “He's so
cute.”

“
That he is.” Gracie
admitted just as Jackson walked back into the room. “Tell everybody
bye and let’s go.”

They made the quick trip to
the apartment, and Gracie sighed as she sat down on the couch.
Paige and Kim had worked all week putting the apartment back
together while Gracie worked. The only room left was the kitchen,
and Gracie was too tired to mess with it. She smiled after Bea came
back into the room and sat down beside her. “It’s good to be home,
isn’t it?”

Her daughter looked up
smiling as she agreed.

~

Paige was sitting down with
Kim at Gracie’s apartment the next day putting the final touches on
the kitchen. She looked surprised when Kim mentioned Jackson and
Gracie in the same sentence.

“
What did you say?” Paige
asked as she watched Kim wiping the counter off.

“
When?” Kim looked at her
puzzled.

“
You were talking about
Gracie and Jackson.” Paige was putting silverware in the drawer and
paused, looking towards Kim puzzled.

“
All I said was that it
was lucky that Jackson had been there at the office.” Kim sat down
at the table. “But you're thinking about something
else.”

“
I think they look good
together. I saw Gracie,” Paige paused. “She kissed Jackson at our
house.”

“
She did? Who made her
mad?” Kim was laughing at the expression on Paige’s
face.

“
Steven, of course,” Paige
smiled. “We're setting her up with a couple of friends.”

“
Seriously?” Kim stood as
she laughed. “I hope that it wasn’t your idea to set her up on
dates.”

“
Why?”

“
It’s just not a good
idea.” Kim thought for a minute. “But. . .”

“
Don’t keep me in
suspense.” Paige frowned when Kim didn't finish what she was
saying.

“
Add Jackson to the list.”
Kim looked at Paige as she shook her head.

“
Steven won’t let me. He
even went so far as to tell Gracie that Jackson had changed her
diaper.”

Kim laughed so hard at that
she almost cried.

“
What?”

“
Steven didn’t meet
Jackson until Gracie was two or three.” Kim smiled at Paige as she
talked. “What is the real reason that Steven doesn't want to put
him on that precious list?”

“
It had something to do
with one-nightstands and Jackson being a player." Paige was angry
that Steven had lied to both her and Gracie.

“
That would be a better
reason.” Kim wasn't laughing anymore, “A very good
reason.”

“
In which context are you
saying that in?”

“
As both her sister and
her reverend,” Kim answered as she stood glancing around the
kitchen to make sure that they hadn't overlooked anything. “When is
this first date set up?”

“
Friday. We're taking
Gracie out, and Richie is going to meet us there.” Paige grabbed
her keys as they started to walk out.

“
Stick in the mud, depress
you until you cry Richie?” Kim asked in shock.

“
I take it that you know
him.” Paige asked while they walked out of the apartment and locked
it up.

“
You can say that. What
other names are on your list?” Kim listened to the names Paige was
reciting. “Geez, who made out that list?”

“
Your brother,” Paige had
been watching Kim’s expressions as she had mentioned all the
names.

“
Talk about playing it
safe,” Kim frowned. “Steven’s friends are safe, dull, and
predictable.”

Paige smiled. “Maybe she
needs a Jackson.” She sat down in Kim’s car. “He's definitely not
boring.”

Kim pulled up into Paige’s
driveway. “Let me know how it goes with Richie.”

“
Will do,” Paige closed
the door and walked up to her apartment.

Kim drove to Salem
Publishing Plus to drop by and see Gracie. She sat down in the
reception area after Addison smiled at her. She watched with
amusement as Gracie was talking on the phone, looking at the
computer screen and writing notes on a piece of paper.

Gracie hung up the phone
and paged Addison to come into her office before she answered her
cell phone. Kim saw Addison say something to her, and Gracie looked
up. Smiling, she motioned for Kim to come into the office while she
was still talking.

“
How many things can you
do at one time?” Kim asked her sister as she sat down at the
desk.