Read Online Grace (The Family Simon Book 5) by Juliana Stone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Juliana Stone
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me?”
“Beau’s appendix has nothing to do with you.”
“Mom have you been drinking?”
“Lord knows you kids could drive anyone to drink, but in answer to your question Grace, no, I haven’t been drinking. I’ve been waiting by the phone for most of the day. Waiting for my daughter to call and let me know that she’s okay. That in fact, even though she’s stuck in the middle of a major blizzard that’s pretty much shut down the entire state of Michigan, she’s doing all right.”
“Mom, I was going to call you. I swear.”
“Let’s get back to Beau’s appendix, shall we?”
Groaning, Grace pressed a hand to her temple and squeezed her eyes shut. Her mother wasn’t letting up and nothing short of a miracle would stop her.
“Your father and I were in the South of France when that happened, enjoying the Côte d'Azur, soaking up the sun, drinking entirely too much wine and eating too many pastries. It was lovely. And it wasn’t until we were getting ready to fly home that I found out my son had been in the hospital and that not only had his appendix burst, but it was serious. He could have died.”
“Mom,” Grace interrupted. Her phone was going to die and she didn’t need a rehash of Beau’s burst appendix. “He didn’t bite the bullet. He was fine.”
“You’re not listening. He could have died. Very easily. It happens all the time.”
“Mom, I really don’t understand—“
“You obviously don’t understand or you would have called me as soon as you could and put my mind at ease. But you didn’t for the same reason that Beau didn’t call me. He knew I’d ask questions and he wasn’t prepared to answer them.”
Here we go, Grace thought.
“Do you know where Beau was when his appendix burst?”
Grace shook her head wearily. “No, Mom, I don’t. I was what, fifteen? I think?”
Eden’s voice rose a tad. “Your brother was spending the weekend with a woman, Grace. A woman who was quite a bit older than him, if you get my meaning. A woman who happened to be the mother of one of his teammates. It was highly inappropriate.”
Oh. This was news to Grace.
“Do you see where I’m headed with this?”
“Um, not really.”
“You’re not staying at the hotel.”
Grace stared at the phone. She wished it was dead.
“No. I’m not staying at the hotel. I’m at a friend’s place.”
“You don’t have any friends in New Waterford, Grace. At least no friends I’ve ever met.”
“Mom, it’s not what you think.”
“You don’t know what I think because you haven’t asked. But here’s what I know. This Matt Hawkins is a troubled young man and you’ve got a history of trying to save troubled young men. I know he was in Nashville.”
“How do you know that?” Honestly, what the hell?
“Betty told me he was in Nashville.”
Okay, Grace was getting fed up. Her private life was private. She didn’t need attitude from her brother. She didn’t need her sister-in-law messing in her business. And she sure as hell didn’t need grief from her mother.
“Look, you don’t know anything about Matt.”
“I know enough. I’ve met the man at several family functions. Beau’s wedding being the first. I remember how infatuated you were with him.”
“Infatuated! I’m not infatuated with him.”
Her mother paused and her voice softened. “He’s a handsome devil, I’ll give him that. And I totally understand why women are attracted to the dark and dangerous type. But Grace, men like that are not always redeemable. Sometimes men like that are damaged for life. You need to know what you’re dealing with. I’ve heard things...and I can’t help but worry about any involvement you might have with the man.”
Grace leaned against the wall, staring out into the dark. “You only know what you’ve heard. You only know what he let’s you know. There’s so much more to Matt. So much that he doesn’t let anyone see.”
“Grace. I’m speaking from experience. I know
“Beau’s appendix has nothing to do with you.”
“Mom have you been drinking?”
“Lord knows you kids could drive anyone to drink, but in answer to your question Grace, no, I haven’t been drinking. I’ve been waiting by the phone for most of the day. Waiting for my daughter to call and let me know that she’s okay. That in fact, even though she’s stuck in the middle of a major blizzard that’s pretty much shut down the entire state of Michigan, she’s doing all right.”
“Mom, I was going to call you. I swear.”
“Let’s get back to Beau’s appendix, shall we?”
Groaning, Grace pressed a hand to her temple and squeezed her eyes shut. Her mother wasn’t letting up and nothing short of a miracle would stop her.
“Your father and I were in the South of France when that happened, enjoying the Côte d'Azur, soaking up the sun, drinking entirely too much wine and eating too many pastries. It was lovely. And it wasn’t until we were getting ready to fly home that I found out my son had been in the hospital and that not only had his appendix burst, but it was serious. He could have died.”
“Mom,” Grace interrupted. Her phone was going to die and she didn’t need a rehash of Beau’s burst appendix. “He didn’t bite the bullet. He was fine.”
“You’re not listening. He could have died. Very easily. It happens all the time.”
“Mom, I really don’t understand—“
“You obviously don’t understand or you would have called me as soon as you could and put my mind at ease. But you didn’t for the same reason that Beau didn’t call me. He knew I’d ask questions and he wasn’t prepared to answer them.”
Here we go, Grace thought.
“Do you know where Beau was when his appendix burst?”
Grace shook her head wearily. “No, Mom, I don’t. I was what, fifteen? I think?”
Eden’s voice rose a tad. “Your brother was spending the weekend with a woman, Grace. A woman who was quite a bit older than him, if you get my meaning. A woman who happened to be the mother of one of his teammates. It was highly inappropriate.”
Oh. This was news to Grace.
“Do you see where I’m headed with this?”
“Um, not really.”
“You’re not staying at the hotel.”
Grace stared at the phone. She wished it was dead.
“No. I’m not staying at the hotel. I’m at a friend’s place.”
“You don’t have any friends in New Waterford, Grace. At least no friends I’ve ever met.”
“Mom, it’s not what you think.”
“You don’t know what I think because you haven’t asked. But here’s what I know. This Matt Hawkins is a troubled young man and you’ve got a history of trying to save troubled young men. I know he was in Nashville.”
“How do you know that?” Honestly, what the hell?
“Betty told me he was in Nashville.”
Okay, Grace was getting fed up. Her private life was private. She didn’t need attitude from her brother. She didn’t need her sister-in-law messing in her business. And she sure as hell didn’t need grief from her mother.
“Look, you don’t know anything about Matt.”
“I know enough. I’ve met the man at several family functions. Beau’s wedding being the first. I remember how infatuated you were with him.”
“Infatuated! I’m not infatuated with him.”
Her mother paused and her voice softened. “He’s a handsome devil, I’ll give him that. And I totally understand why women are attracted to the dark and dangerous type. But Grace, men like that are not always redeemable. Sometimes men like that are damaged for life. You need to know what you’re dealing with. I’ve heard things...and I can’t help but worry about any involvement you might have with the man.”
Grace leaned against the wall, staring out into the dark. “You only know what you’ve heard. You only know what he let’s you know. There’s so much more to Matt. So much that he doesn’t let anyone see.”
“Grace. I’m speaking from experience. I know
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