Read Online Mended Hearts (New Beginnings Series) by Mandie Tepe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mandie Tepe
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disconnected.
He lay awake a long time that night. He knew what physical wounds could do to you. He was experiencing it right now. But, what could have happened to her that wounded her emotionally down to her soul? He knew her damage was so much worse than anything he’d ever known. And he’d been through some rough stuff . . . losing Gran, and then Gramp—his only family . . . never really knowing his parents . . . seeing some really ugly things out in the field and still pushing on to do the work his country expected of him and his teammates . . . losing some good friends in war. All of those things left little scars on your psyche.
But something had happened in her life that was worse. Even with her wonderful family helping her through, she was struggling. Various horrible scenarios flashed through his mind until he forcibly shut them out. He didn’t even want to think about it. Sometimes the things you imagined were a lot worse than what actually took place.
After a good long time, he drifted off to sleep . He dreamed he was in the woods behind his grandparents’ old house . . . running, playing, laughing. He could hear a little voice—Gracie’s—humming, as he played. But she never came out to join him. And he never saw her.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Gracie didn’t talk to Sonny for the rest of the week. She didn’t call and neither did he. She kind of expected him to show up at Savannah’s to see her, but he didn’t. What if he was just giving up on her? He had his own problems. He surely didn’t need to be hanging out with a downer like her. She wondered if he’d even bother to show up today.
Sugar Creek was setting up for their show at the benefit fair. Gracie looked across the pavilion where Maggie stood flirting with one of the benefit volunteers as she tuned up her fiddle. She made it look so easy. Why couldn’t Gracie just fall into it the way every other woman did? Luca was sweet, and not at all threatening. It should just come naturally. But then her mind went back to how sweet and non-threatening Rob had seemed—for years. Maybe you never really knew people after all. If you didn’t protect yourself, who would?
By quarter to five, they were set up and ready to go. The sound check was done and they were just killing time. Gracie walked from the pavilion to a booth selling cold drinks. The band would normally have brought their own cooler full, but since it was a fund-raiser to benefit military families going through difficult times, they were buying their drinks there to support the cause. She walked back toward the pavilion, her arms full of water bottles. As she stepped up into the pavilion and began weaving through the picnic tables, she heard a little familiar voice.
“Hey! Look, Mommy! It’s the friend lady! Mommy!”
Gracie glanced around and saw Drake with Jenna, a smaller boy and a baby in a stroller. She was busy tying a bib around the baby’s neck and chatting with some other women at the table with them.
Gracie grinned at Drake. His face was smeared with mustard from his corndog. He grabbed the sleeve of Jenna’s white t-shirt with a little fist coated in the mustard too. Gracie winced.
Jenna looked down at her sleeve, still caught in his mustardy grip. “Oh, Drake . . .” she huffed out little laugh as she pried his fingers loose and wiped them down with a baby wipe.
“But, Mommy . . . look . . .”
She started dabbing at the stain on her sleeve, but soon gave up. It was obviously a lost cause.
“Mommy! The friend lady!” Drake was nothing if not persistent.
“What, Drake?” Jenna finally gave him her full attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Look! It’s the friend lady!”
“What friend lady?”
“Sonny’s friend lady!” Drake pointed to where Gracie had stopped a few feet away.
At that statement, all conversation at the table stopped as all eyes swung toward Gracie. She wanted to sink into the concrete
He lay awake a long time that night. He knew what physical wounds could do to you. He was experiencing it right now. But, what could have happened to her that wounded her emotionally down to her soul? He knew her damage was so much worse than anything he’d ever known. And he’d been through some rough stuff . . . losing Gran, and then Gramp—his only family . . . never really knowing his parents . . . seeing some really ugly things out in the field and still pushing on to do the work his country expected of him and his teammates . . . losing some good friends in war. All of those things left little scars on your psyche.
But something had happened in her life that was worse. Even with her wonderful family helping her through, she was struggling. Various horrible scenarios flashed through his mind until he forcibly shut them out. He didn’t even want to think about it. Sometimes the things you imagined were a lot worse than what actually took place.
After a good long time, he drifted off to sleep . He dreamed he was in the woods behind his grandparents’ old house . . . running, playing, laughing. He could hear a little voice—Gracie’s—humming, as he played. But she never came out to join him. And he never saw her.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Gracie didn’t talk to Sonny for the rest of the week. She didn’t call and neither did he. She kind of expected him to show up at Savannah’s to see her, but he didn’t. What if he was just giving up on her? He had his own problems. He surely didn’t need to be hanging out with a downer like her. She wondered if he’d even bother to show up today.
Sugar Creek was setting up for their show at the benefit fair. Gracie looked across the pavilion where Maggie stood flirting with one of the benefit volunteers as she tuned up her fiddle. She made it look so easy. Why couldn’t Gracie just fall into it the way every other woman did? Luca was sweet, and not at all threatening. It should just come naturally. But then her mind went back to how sweet and non-threatening Rob had seemed—for years. Maybe you never really knew people after all. If you didn’t protect yourself, who would?
By quarter to five, they were set up and ready to go. The sound check was done and they were just killing time. Gracie walked from the pavilion to a booth selling cold drinks. The band would normally have brought their own cooler full, but since it was a fund-raiser to benefit military families going through difficult times, they were buying their drinks there to support the cause. She walked back toward the pavilion, her arms full of water bottles. As she stepped up into the pavilion and began weaving through the picnic tables, she heard a little familiar voice.
“Hey! Look, Mommy! It’s the friend lady! Mommy!”
Gracie glanced around and saw Drake with Jenna, a smaller boy and a baby in a stroller. She was busy tying a bib around the baby’s neck and chatting with some other women at the table with them.
Gracie grinned at Drake. His face was smeared with mustard from his corndog. He grabbed the sleeve of Jenna’s white t-shirt with a little fist coated in the mustard too. Gracie winced.
Jenna looked down at her sleeve, still caught in his mustardy grip. “Oh, Drake . . .” she huffed out little laugh as she pried his fingers loose and wiped them down with a baby wipe.
“But, Mommy . . . look . . .”
She started dabbing at the stain on her sleeve, but soon gave up. It was obviously a lost cause.
“Mommy! The friend lady!” Drake was nothing if not persistent.
“What, Drake?” Jenna finally gave him her full attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Look! It’s the friend lady!”
“What friend lady?”
“Sonny’s friend lady!” Drake pointed to where Gracie had stopped a few feet away.
At that statement, all conversation at the table stopped as all eyes swung toward Gracie. She wanted to sink into the concrete
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