Born to Make You Smile

TWENTY-NINE

The girls ended up going for burgers with Paige and her family nearby while Gavin and I continued to skate. Well, I continued at least. Gavin decided he had enough, so he sat on the bench to watch while I went back on the ice for one more round. For fun, I showed off my skating skills. However, I must have snagged a dip in the ice as my body twisted, and I fell forward, landing on my hip.

Shit. How humiliating.

A few people stopped to help me up, and as soon as I put weight on it, my right ankle screamed at me. A very kind woman took me to the side, off the ice, and Gavin quickly came to me.

“Grace, love. Are you all right? You poor thing.”

I nodded, trying to contain the pain. “I’m all right, just my ankle. I think that’s enough skating for today.”

He frowned. “I feel terrible. I should have been there to help you.”

“It’s my fault I was goofing off.” I winced as I hobbled my way to the bench.

He helped me remove my skates, and with his gloved hand, he gently rubbed my injured ankle over my thick sock.

“When we get home, we’ll put some ice on it. Hopefully, it’s just a mild sprain.”

***

We got back later that afternoon, and I noticed Eddie’s van in my driveway.

“More work to be done?” asked Gavin.

I nodded. “I’m having my furnace looked at.”

“Ahh. Well, you best come to my place for a bit. Relax until he’s finished.”

The four of us played several rounds of Uno in the family room. Despite my ankle feeling better, Gavin had me elevate my leg with an ice pack.

“I win!” Mackenzie shouted during the last round. However, she forgot to say Uno, but I really didn’t want to be the one to call her out.

“You didn’t say Uno!” Charlotte exclaimed, making a sad trombone sound.

“Yes, I did!”

“No! That was the last round. This round you forgot.”

“Maybe you just didn’t hear me.” Mackenzie crossed her arms.

“Girls, girls.” Gavin gripped the bridge of his nose. “Please.”

Charlotte put her hand of cards down. “Fine. You win. Let’s go downstairs and watch a movie. Let Dad and Grace play a round on their own.”

Mackenzie frowned. “But I want to keep playing…”

“ Come on, ” Charlotte urged, tugging at her sister’s arm.

“Okay, okay,” Mackenzie whined.

After they left, I whispered to Gavin, “Do you think they know? ”

“It seems Charlotte might be getting the hint. I thought about telling them about us, but I know they won’t be able to keep their mouth shut, especially in front of my sister.”

“Okay. Yes. Hush for now.” I shifted, moving the ice off my leg.

“How’s your ankle feeling, love?”

He caressed my right ankle, then moved his hands down to my bare foot, massaging it. A flutter of warm tingles danced in my body.

“A lot better.”

“Did you enjoy yourself today? Minus the injury.”

I smiled. “It was lovely.”

He gestured to bring the other leg up so he could massage my left foot. Goddamn. I let out a quiet moan. His hands digging into the deep arches of my feet felt so good, especially after the skating today.

“I had fun too,” he said, a warmth in his eyes. “I love spending the day with you. No matter what we do. Even if it’s in the bloody cold.”

I laughed.

Gavin disliked the cold, especially the snow. He would complain and groan at the first hint of frost, and he acted as if he was surprised at the winter weather every year. Why is this happening so soon? Snow, again? How is it so bloody cold out? Sometimes I wondered how he’d survived so long in Canada.

He smiled, then his expression shifted. His brow furrowed, appearing uncomfortable.

“Look, Grace.” He removed his hands from my feet and faced me, looking me in the eye. “I want to tell you something. Something that’s been on my mind for quite some time now.”

I blinked, pressing my lips together. Was he having second thoughts? Did he want to end our relationship? My stomach flipped. “Okay.”

“I know it hasn’t been that long since we’ve been together. But I’ve never felt more connected to anyone in my life.” He paused, tilting his head with hesitation. Then he leaned in close. “I love you, Grace. I’m madly in love with you.”

Gavin loves me.

My heart could have burst. With a large grin, I put my hand on his. “I love you, too.”

“Oh, thank God. I wasn’t sure if it was too soon.”

I shook my head. “Not at all.”

“Being with you makes me so happy. Every day, I wake up with a smile, knowing you’re in my life. Knowing you’re all mine.”

I wrapped my arms around him with a smile, inhaling every delicious molecule of him. However, my brain began to wander, and questions about our future stirred. “Can I ask you something?”

He nodded. “Anything, love.”

I took a deep breath. “Do you see yourself ever, you know, going through it all again? Marriage. Kids. Or are you done with that phase of your life?”

He frowned. “At my age, the idea of having more children...it’s quite complicated.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together, my chest deflating. “I understand. I had a feeling that was the case.”

“However,” he said with an inhale, “if someone had asked me a year ago, I’d have said that I’m absolutely done. Without question. But now, with you, I can picture it, Grace. Clearly in fact. And I want that for us. If it’s something you desire.”

My chest swelled, so pleased that it was a possibility for us. “Yes.” My lips turned up into a smile. “In time of course.”

He pulled me close, planting a kiss on my head, then gazed at me. The sparkle in his eyes was so heavenly, it filled me with bliss.

***

About a half hour later, Eddie messaged me to tell me he wanted to talk.

When I entered my foyer, the coldness of the house struck my body like a hammer. I knew right away there was going to be bad news. Perhaps a part that needed fixing. I’d have to order the part, pray it wouldn’t cost me my life, and that it would come in soon so I didn’t have to sleep bundled up in sweaters and blankets for much longer.

“Ms. Mayer,” said Eddie, his face sunken.

“By the way, you can call me Grace.”

“Grace. Um, so I had a look at your furnace. It was working overtime with the cold and drafts so it couldn’t keep up. And it’s really old. If it was newer, I’d consider fixing it, but you really need to replace the unit.”

“Replace?” My ears rang so loud I could barely hear him.

“Yeah.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“How much is a new unit?”

“I could probably source one for around four grand.”

“Four grand?” I shouted, then took a deep breath to calm down.

“Plus installation. So it’ll be five grand total. I won’t charge you for today.”

I squeezed my eyes together, praying this was a bad dream. “Shit.”

“Sorry, Grace, that’s the best I can do. If we order the unit by today, it should come in a week. I’ll have it ready to go for Monday. And you can pay me then.”

I let out a bleak sigh. Where was I going to get five grand by Monday?

“Okay, Eddie,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Order it.”

“Sure?”

“Yes. One hundred percent. I’ll have your money for Monday. Cash.”

***

“I can give you six grand for this,” said Marcelo, holding the bracelet up against his loops. “You have maybe three carats of diamonds here. Good quality diamonds, good color and clarity. The band. Fourteen karat white gold. This is a very nice piece, Grace. Sure you want to sell?”

“Yes,” I said with a firm nod.

While it wasn’t the almost eight grand Gavin had paid, it was more than enough to cover the furnace. Calculations swirled in my head. With the final paycheck from X-PLORE plus my paycheck from Gavin, I would have more than enough to buy back the bracelet by the end of January. As long as Marcelo would agree to hold it for me. What if he said no?

I swallowed. “But I need a favor. If you can hold on to it, hide it away somewhere, and at the end of the month, I’ll buy it back from you. I’ll pay you extra for it. Just please, please, hold on to it. I really need the cash, but I also need the bracelet back. It was a gift.” I dug my nails into my fists, awaiting his response.

“Well.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Okay. I wouldn’t do this for anyone. But for you, Dorina’s best friend, I’ll do this favor. And I’ll give you special deal. Six grand and fifty cents.”

I let out a laugh. I could have hugged him. “Thank you, Marcelo, thank you!”