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Go to Grace.
Those three words played over and over until he nearly raced out to the pickup and sped into town. Only by sheer will did he resist the urge to go to her. As he pulled on his work clothes and then headed out to irrigate, a little voice continued whispering to his heart.
Go to Grace.
Two hours later, Levi rode his motorbike to his parents’ home, arriving just before they sat down for breakfast. Of course, his mother insisted on him joining them and quickly fixed a plate for him. She took a seat, and the three of them bowed their heads while his father asked a blessing on their meal and the day before them.
It wasn’t until his father was slathering fresh peach jelly over his second piece of toast that Levi spoke up, sharing what was on his mind.
“I woke up this morning with the thought that I need to go to Grace. While I was doing the irrigating, the voice just kept whispering ‘Go to Grace.’ Even now, it’s there in the back of my mind, nudging me to go to Grace. What do you think I should do?”
His parents looked at each other, then at him. “Go to Grace!” they shouted in unison.
Levi dropped his fork, hopped up from the table, and ran out the door to the sound of their laughter floating out the open windows.
He sped home, showered and shaved, and dressed in a newer pair of jeans, a blue plaid shirt Grace had always favored, and was just tamping his feet into his boots when he heard gravel crunching outside as a car approached.
“Go to Grace,” he whispered, and ran out the door.
“Thisisridiculous.Justdrive over there and talk to him.” Cindy scowled at Grace as the two of them sat in front of a window with a table fan blowing over a bowl full of ice cubes in an effort to cool off.
Their apartment, being on the second floor, seemed to hold all the heat that came up from the first one. For a few months in the summer, it could be almost unbearable.
Only Grace was far less concerned about the heat and far more worried about her feelings for Levi.
After he’d told her with unmistakable clarity that he never wanted to see her again, she’d finally given up on reaching him. Of course, Stella had kept her updated on how he was doing, although Grace was convinced Levi and his dad knew nothing about the notes Stella mailed to her or the phone calls they exchanged when the men were out working.
Grace’s prayers had been answered when she’d found out Levi had finally started seeing Dr. Becker. She knew from other patients at the hospital that the well-trained physician could help Levi get back on even footing and learn ways to cope with issues that might arise in the future.
It had been so hard for her to take a big step back from the man she loved when all she wanted to do was hold him, love him, and support him.
When he’d first pushed her away, she’d been confident he’d change his mind. Only he hadn’t. She’d been angry, then hurt, followed by a yearning to bargain with him, to do whatever she could to get him the help he needed, even if it meant he’d permanently block her from his life.
Finally, she’d accepted that Levi had to come to terms with his problems and want to seek help all on his own. If there was still a chance for them to be together somewhere down the road, then it would all work out.
The moment she’d realized he was coming in for an appointment at Dr. O’Brien’s office, Grace had made sure she was the attending nurse. She’d needed to see him, even if she kept her demeanor professional and reserved.
But then Levi had apologized. Sincerely. From his heart. When he’d kissed the backs of her fingers, her knees had weakened to the point she wasn’t sure they’d continue holding her upright. He’d thanked her, then invited her to come out to the farm sometime.
She assumed he meant sometime far in the future, not mere days later, but it seemed to be all she could think about since he’d been at the doctor’s office the other day.
Now, she and Cindy were spending their Friday evening trying not to roast as heat flowed into the apartment in miserable waves.
Grace took a cool shower and went to bed, hoping to distract herself with a new book she’d borrowed from one of the other nurses, but she couldn’t keep her focus on it with her mind continually drifting to Levi.
She turned off her light and tried to sleep, but it came in fitful snatches with dreams of Levi. Only they weren’t sad dreams, but more like glimpses of the future they might have had together. She could see sunsets, picnics, horseback rides, laughter, and babies with her hair and his eyes.
Finally, she fell into a restful sleep and awakened knowing what she needed to do.
After dressing and getting ready for the day, she pulled the gun case from beneath her bed where she’d been keeping it and took out the parchment from the pocket, reading the letter once again. When she finished, she tucked the letter back into the case, picked up the pistol, and closed her eyes.
“I open my heart to the joys, sorrows, dreams, and reality of love, to the hope that the man who’ll love me truly, fiercely, faithfully, and tenderly for the rest of my life is Levi, and we’ll spend a lifetime growing deeper in love each day,” Grace whispered, then set the pistol back in the case. She stepped into the hallway and bumped into Cindy, who looked sleepy as she wrapped her in a hug. “Tell Levi I said hello.”
Grace returned Cindy’s hug after shifting the pistol case beneath her arm. “I will. I don’t know what time I’ll be back.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do the laundry and then maybe go to the park. It has to be cooler there.”
“I’ll see you later, Cindy, and thank you for being such a good friend.”
