Saving Grace by Kimberly McKay

Lilah has been cutting Anne off from Grace’s life.”
    “I’m glad you don’t have a rich family anymore.  There’s too much drama … disgracing the family name.” He moaned in his best dramatic voice. 
    Mercy absentmindedly frowned, and looked into Anne’s dark eyes on the computer, hoping she’d found happiness once she left her family drama behind. 
    She sat up, grabbed her cell phone, and tried once more to call Grace.  And, just like it had for the prior four times, it went straight to voicemail.
    Phillip stretched back, and placed his legs across Mercy’s lap.
    “Is she answering yet?”  He asked.
    She hit the end button and shook her head.
    “No, and I’m worried. I hope she’s okay, because if she doesn’t call me in the next two hours, I’m tempted to call Lilah to see where Grace is.” 
    Mercy put her phone to her lips, and prayed for her friend.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 12
     
     
    Unwilling to move, Grace felt like she felt she had a rock in the pit of her stomach, which kept her anchored in the sand.  And as the waves rolled in and receded back out, all she could do was relive every disappointing moment in her life. 
    As unsettling as the weekend with Zach was, it sadly followed suit with the rest of her life.  The loss of her parents was just the first domino that fell, knocking everything else out of order … or into place, depending on how you looked at it.
    Grace lifted her head from her hands, and looked toward the horizon.  As the sun slowly lowered toward the far edges of the ocean, she found herself wishing she could sail off over the edge and start over.
    Soft thunder could be heard in the distance, as storm clouds rolled in, blocking the bold island colors that normally radiated across the sky.  Within minutes, the vibrant canvas transformed, painting a very dismal picture.  She felt a few soft drops pelt her skin, and realized she had no idea where to go. 
    What are you going to do now?  Grace groaned, not having a clue.
    In a matter of minutes, the sky seemed to open up, sending tears from heaven raining down around her.  She didn’t even bother to lift her hand to wipe off her face, as she’d been crying already.  She did wish, however, that she had a rain jacket as her white linen shirt was getting drenched. 
     
    Burke sat, with beer in hand, wondering how long this tourist would take to pack up and run for cover.  He soon realized she was content to sit outside, without shelter.
    “Sheesh,” he muttered under his breath, setting his Corona down.
    He roughly grabbed for the tarp, which had been sitting outside with his paint supplies, lifted it over his head, and jogged out to sit next to this crazy young girl on his beach.
    Claps of thunder shook her from her trance.  The first thing she noticed, after coming to realization that she’d have to take cover, were Burke’s strong legs as he sat next to her. 
    It was then she realized how well formed his calf muscles were, and how the hairs on them tickled against her thighs, which were exposed from her shorts. As she watched him rush in, amazed at his kindness, she blinked back her emotions, which were a combination of gratefulness and disbelief.
    It was almost as if he had his arm around her as he held the tarp over the two of them.  Her damp hair, which lay down her back, felt slick against his arm, as he held up the tarp over their heads.
    “Are you going to sit out here all night?  You’re getting drenched,” he said softly, but still held a gruff tone. 
    He looked down to her with a slight frown, noticing how her wet white shirt gave him a clear view of what was underneath.  He quickly averted his gaze. 
    Grace noticed, and smiled for the first time.  She thought he was handsome – rugged and grouchy but handsome. 
    She brought her knees up to her chest to keep her from exposing herself.  “Sorry about that.”  She saw how uncomfortable it made him,