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Grace was crying, and Pete was just glad that she was home again and wondered how the hell he was going to keep her here with the family forever.
“Oh my God, Grace, you look gorgeous. You shouldn’t be the photographer. You should be the model,” Peter told her as he stepped back to look at her some more.
She didn’t look like Clara so much anymore. She was much thinner and her facial features were different. He would never say what he thought out loud. He knew that would upset Grace to still be compared to Clara after all these years. But he wasn’t comparing his two sisters. He was admiring his one and only baby sister.
Peter hugged her again and she responded by hugging him tightly in return. “I missed you, Peter.”
“And I missed you, baby sister.” He stepped back and looked at her again. He gave his head a shake. “Damn, woman, I am definitely going to have to keep my eye on you.” He grabbed her suitcase and then took her free hand and led her out of the airport. She looked at him as if not understanding his comment. Could she be oblivious to her beauty? His baby sister was stunning.
They traveled to the hotel where Grace insisted she would stay for a while until other plans were made. He cringed when his sister said she wouldn’t be staying in the States too long.
Peter of course got her the master suite at the best four-star hotel in the area. He could afford it and he only wanted the best for his sister. He wanted to spoil her and to love her. After all they had some time to make up.
They talked in the hotel room for a while and Peter informed her that no one knew she was coming to the wedding. Not even his wife Lindsey.
“She’s going to kill me when she finds out I’ve been hiding this from her.” Peter laughed.
“Hopefully she’ll forgive you quickly. How’s Mom doing?”
“Mom’s been keeping busy with Eric’s social circle and feeling pretty good. That guy’s always trying to make friends. Life as a politician I guess,” Peter said with a smile and they laughed.
Eric was a nice, quiet man who owned a local hardware store in the area. He was just beginning to get his feet wet in the local political ring when Grace left for Europe.
Everyone knew of the family’s tragedy and Eric was a big supporter of the local law enforcement and their need for programs to better train them in homicide investigation. They lived in a small town and things were handled differently.
“Everyone is going to be so happy to see you tonight. Jamie’s going to go crazy, Mom’s going to be shocked, never mind John and Frank. I’m going to have a lot of people angry at me.”
“I hope they really are happy to see me. I know I’ve missed everyone so much. So how is her fiancé, Tod? Is he still a really nice guy? “
“He’s a great guy and a great detective. He has an awesome reputation. He’s a lot like dad, Donald.”
Peter proceeded to tell Grace a little bit about Tod. He was enjoying how easy it was to speak with her. It was as if she’d never left and he loved every second they shared one another’s company.
“Donald is going to be so thrilled to see you there tonight as well. You know every time I’ve seen him at the office or courthouse he asks about you. This is going to be great. Now let’s go over the plan. “
* * * *
They sat down to prepare their surprise, and with each detail Grace couldn’t help the nervous feeling she had.
Her brother had every detail covered thoroughly, and she watched him closely, admiring his strong features and uncanny resemblance to their father.
There was no doubt in Grace’s mind that her brother Peter was amazing at his job as a prosecuting attorney who worked in the district attorney’s office. He was very smart and very well known in the area.
Grace’s whole family was involved in some public service job or another.
Her oldest brother Frank had been promoted to detective last year. Her brother John became a SWAT team member a year before Clara was killed. Now he was a SWAT team trainer of some kind.
Her mother’s husband Eric was a local business owner and politician, and Sarah fell right into the position of politician’s wife. She was a charity worker and the main reason why Eric was so successful.
Grace, however, chose a different path. She had enough of police officers, detectives, politics, the media, and everyone knowing her business. She didn’t want to walk down the street and be known as the girl who found her sister’s body.
She left the state and the country to be alone and unique. She was her own person and it was her own motivation, determination, and hard work that got her to where she was today.
As a professional and established photographer, people waited and held off major photo shoots until she was available.
It was all positive attention. Being in the spotlight with such a strong, immediate reputation for being one of the best was what kept her away from home and away from the negative spotlight that surrounded her. Always being known as the sister who was alive, the one who found the body, the sister of the victim of a serial killer. God, she hated that one, she hated all the quirky little headlines that ran every day for a year, and each one more shocking and emotionally heart wrenching than the next.
Grace knew she had to leave. Everywhere she went reminded her of Clara. She missed her sister so much. She just couldn’t bear to remain in the town where they grew up together and enjoyed life. It was too sad.
