Chapter 32

“I have news,” Landon’s grin was downright irresistible.

“I do, too.”

“You go first, then,” said Landon.

“The teachers are excited about the idea of a play. The drama teacher said it was a great idea. Mr. Livingston, the principal, gave his okay, as well. He offered the auditorium for rehearsals. The play itself it’s going to take place in the town’s square.”

“That’s great news, Grace,” Landon smiled at her.

“Did Marcus approve?”

“Well...” Landon looked at the floor. Grace gulped. “Yes, he did! He’s going to skim through the journals to look for paragraphs we can use.”

“Yay! You’re a wonder!” before she realized what she was doing, Grace hugged Landon and kissed him on the cheek. Spontaneous and quick, but it sent quivers down his back.

Landon looked at her with his mouth slightly opened.

Grace batted her eyelids and said, “Hell no, I’m not sorry! Sit down and tell me all the juicy details. I promise your virtue will be safe.”

Landon let out a short laugh. “That’s good to know.”

“Coffee?”

He nodded and she went straight to the kitchen. Grace could barely focus on what she was doing. She was too aware of his eyes on her.

She carried two cups to the table

“First,” he said, “Marcus Carter has printed some pages from Fergus Carter’s first journal for me to read. He told me he had the journals scanned some years ago.”

Grace looked at Landon in total disbelief. “You ... are ... awesome.” Then a slow smile spread over her face. “Can I read them?”

“Maybe, if you behave.”

Grace leaned over and took Landon’s hand. “You said Marcus Carter wants to help with the play.”

“He had this great idea.” Landon related Marcus’s thoughts about a narrator reading directly from the journal.

“Is the journal that good?”

“I haven’t read it all, but, yes, I think so. Fergus Carter was a good writer. Succinct, yet somehow he makes you feel you’re there.”

“Can I take a look at it now?”

He looked at her for some seconds. “I don’t know ... maybe if you give me another kiss ... Then, sure.”

“Thank you!” She leaned over to kiss Landon’s lips, catching him by surprise.

Grace sat at the table and Landon place the folder with the printed pages in front of her. Landon sat at her side.

He didn’t know how long they sat there. An hour, maybe, before she lifted her head. “You’re right. You’re with him every mile. I can see exactly what Marcus Carter has in mind now.” She reluctantly closed the folder and placed it on the coffee table. “Have you had dinner?”

Landon shook her head. “No, not yet. I rushed to share the good news with you. I probably should go back to the cabin.”

“No, you won’t, Mister. You’ll stay here and I’ll cook dinner for both of us.”

Grace knew she was asking for trouble by inviting him in, and yet she didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Scout came with them to the kitchen and sat down next to Landon.

“What happened with the man?” Landon asked Grace out of the blue.

“What man?”

“The one that made you wary of men.”

“Is that obvious?”

He just shrugged. “Our first meeting at the gym was a big hint.”

“Do you want to hear the whole messy story?”

He nodded.

She was silent for a moment. It was obvious it was one she didn’t want to tell. However, she knew trust is a two-way road.

“I had a string of bad relationships and even worse breakups. Most of them were the result of my own bad judgment. My last boyfriend cheated on me using dating apps. He covered his tracks using different names and using fake pictures.”

“How did you catch him?”

“I looked on his phone while he was in the bathroom and found a dating app and messages back and forth with several women. When I confronted him, his apologies didn’t feel genuine. He lied saying that nothing was going on, even though I had seen that wasn’t true. He probably thought I was stupid. I talked with the last girl he messaged with and she admitted they had met and had sex.”

“How did you find her?”

“I wrote down her number and called her.”

Damn if Grace knew why she was spilling her guts. Landon was just so easy to talk to.