A sheriff for Grace

Chapter 16

Grace pov

I look at myself in the mirror, my eyes are wet. One hour now I can't stop crying, I leave early from the hospital, and the truth is I’m not going again. And the reason is my father, he found me and he knows about everyone in my life.

Flashback

I’m in the exam room and take care of a little girl Amanda. Suddenly a nurse comes in when I’m finished and she tells me that someone wants to see me in my office. I walk there and when I open my door I see my father the famous MacLean.

“Good morning Grace,” he says and he looks at me with that cold and hard look that always looks at me. I don’t like that he is here

“Good morning,” I say and I walk to my office desk.

“Why are you here?” I ask and the answer is not that I want

“I’m here to take you back. You stay for long in this place. Is time for you to come back”

“I don’t understand. You know I came here to stay. I have a new life here. I’m not leaving anything” I say

“I’m full with your little revolution. You have responsibilities back in California”

“What?”

“You are MacLean. I can't leave you here to destroy everything.”

“I’m not coming back. I don’t want anything from you. I didn’t ask anything so I don’t need to do something.”

“You're wrong. The day you are born in this family you never leave it. And you are mistaken if you think that I will leave my daughter to marry a simple sheriff in the middle of nowhere” he knows about Steven

“Yes, I know for your little sheriff. And you make the mistake of living with him. To bad. You shouldn’t start anything with him. Because you have already a husband waiting for you in California”

“I’m not married to anyone else”

“Oh, you do. Patrick waits for you” this guy again.

“I’m not...”

“Listen to me, Grace,” he says walking to me angrily

“I have a deal with the Johnsons and I’m not going to lose it for you. You coming with me and do exactly what I say. Otherwise, your lovely sheriff lose everything, or you prefer his lovely parents have an accident” he says and my world falls, my eyes start getting wet

“Or his brother or sister” he leans on the desk

“Or his only son has an accident”

“You wouldn’t dare”

“You know me, Grace. I’m capable of doing anything to achieve my goals. These people are nothing to me. If something happened to them it will be your fault” he says and he walks to the window.

“So? What do you say? You come with me quite and nicely or with the hard way?” He says and turns around to look at me.

Of course, I don’t want something to happen to the Campbells. Steven is everything to me, I can't let him lose his job, his family, or Arthur. He will end up hating me and I will not stand that. My heart will not bear it if Steven hates me. My heart will not bear Piper and Jared getting hurt, they are the parents I never had. Aiden and his family, Becca and her family. My poor Arthur. He will destroy everyone just to have that that he wants.

“Tik Tok, the time pass. You coming or not?”

“Ok. I will come back”

“Ok. The plane waits. Monday morning the Johnsons will be in my office.”

“Wait. I can't leave like that”

“Grace”

“No, please. Give me a little time to say goodbye. I promise Monday morning I will be at your office” he looks furious

“If I’m not you can do whatever you want. Give me that little time and from Monday I will do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt anyone” he thinks for a while

“Monday morning be at my office. Don’t be late or else”

“I promise,” I say and he exits the office. I fall on the chair and my headrest on my hands on the desk.

End of flashback

I cry on the way home, in the shower, everywhere. Steven finds me crying on the bed. I try to cover it, I know he doesn't believe me but for now, he lets me. How can I say it? He will say to stay with him and we will find a solution together. He will not understand that my father will start destroying everything and everyone we love. After our love session, it was the first time that I became emotional, Steven fell asleep and I stayed a long time to look at him. I going to miss so much to sleep next to him. To wake up next to him, to kiss him and touch him. I going to miss Piper and Jared and everyone else. Arthur, I will not have the chance to meet him anymore. Now that he lives here I’m going away. Tomorrow I have to go to see everyone and on Sunday I will spend it with Steven for the last time.

Saturday morning came and I decided to go see Piper and Jared first. We have our coffee and talk about a lot of things. I try to be casual as usual and from inside me, I’m crying because I know I say goodbye. Then Aiden and Elizabeth with their kids came. And so Becca and Brian and their kids. I spend with kids so much time, and I going to miss them.

“Grace are you ok?” My sweet Emma asks. I take her in my lap and I caress her hair.

“Yes, sweetie. I’m ok”

“You look a little sad. You try to hide it but I can see it” I giggle and hug her

“I love you all so much, you know that?”

“I know. I love you too” she says and she squeezes me.

“You are an amazing girl. I’m so happy that I met you”

“Why do you talk like that? You leaving?” Oh God, she doesn’t have to know.

“Just remember that you and all of you in your family are my family. I will do everything to be safe” I hug her again and then I run to the bathroom. I cry for a long but I know I have to go back.

After I visited Steven's family I went to Lisa and Arthur. Allan wasn’t there but I see the other two. I’m with Arthur in his room, Lisa went to the store and I’m alone with him.

“Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

“If I’m not here, you will take care of your dad?”

“Dad Steven? Why? Where you will be?”

“If I’m not here. You promise me?” He looks at me with wonder

“Ok.”

“Thank you. You are such a good kid. Your parents are so proud of you. And when you become a doctor they will be more”

“Like your parents? They are proud of you. You are a doctor” A tear falls on my cheek and I wipe it

“Yes, they are. But I wish I had parents like yours”

“Why?”

“Because whatever you decide to be they will love you and support you. Mine they are not so good”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Just you know one thing. Whatever you choose to do you have your parents will be with you. Don’t forget that so be good to them ok?” He nods with a smile and I hug him.

“Just be a good boy and I will be happy” We play a little more and when the sun sets I drive home. Steven is still at the festival, he asked me to go but I’m not in the mood. I have still one day to spend with Steven and I want to enjoy it. I prepared dinner and I waited for him. When I hear the car I walk to the front door, he opens the door and I run to his arms

“Hi baby”

“Hi,” I say and I smell his cologne. He takes off his jacket and he is getting ready for dinner.

“Is delicious baby.”

“It's your favorite. I learned to cook it perfectly for you” I say and I kiss him

“I will do the dishes,” he says and stands up

“I go prepare a bath. You need to relax after all day on the streets”

“Great idea baby,” he says and he starts with the dishes. I go upstairs and I start with the bath. When I was ready I walked to the room and Steven was already there

“Come is ready. You are here just in time”

We walk inside and after a few minutes we are including the bathtub with my back on his chest

“That amazing feeling baby”

“I know. I wouldn’t change it with anything else” I say and I mean it. But is too bad that in two days I won’t have you with me. We make out a little in the bathtub and when the water starts to get cold we go to bed. I enjoyed that night we made sweet and sensual love. The same thing and the next day. I told him I didn’t want to go out. Just stay home and cuddle and that we did.

“I love you, Steven,” I say breathlessly as I look at after I don’t know how many orgasms he gave me

“I love you too baby,” he says and he kisses me. He lays next to me and he takes me in his arms. I buried my face in his neck and I smell him. I’m going to miss this smell. Everything about him, his voice when he says he loves me, his warm touch, his eyes. Everything he has and does.

“That day was amazing. You think it good to stay home and just spend time together” is my last day with you, I needed to be alone with you

“Baby?”

“Yes, love?”

“I'm happy that you say to stay in”

“I know I heard you the first time. I’m just catching a breath” he laughs

“Ok. Then rest a little. We have work tomorrow” he says and I stay like that until I hear his light snoring. I going to miss his snoring. I stay a little more to smell him, to touch him and then I stand up slowly. I go to the bathroom for a shower, when I finish I write him a letter and then I pack my clothes.

“Thank you for coming into my life, you came at the right time,” I say and I start crying caressing his cheek

“Your love is the reason that I will continue to live. I love you more than my own life” I say and I kiss him on his forehead. I stand up and go downstairs. I give a last look at the house and I walk to the car. I drive to the airport, my parent's jet already is there, and one of his men will drive my car back home. Home the last year I had a new home, more lovely from that I go now. This was never and never will be my true home. I rest my head on the plane window.

“Steven is my home,” I say

“Miss, you say something?” One of my father's bodyguards asks me. Yes he makes sure that I will return

“No. Do not pay any attention to me”

“Are you ok?” He asks if he is one of the royals he has known me since I was a teenager

“No. I’m not ok Jack. But we can’t do anything about that right” he gives me a sad smile and he leaves it there. I close my eyes and Steven's images come to my mind. The day I met him, the first kiss, our first date. Tears fall from my eyes and I try to wipe them but more falls. Jack gives me a tissue and he sits next to me

“You loved him?”

“No loved him. I still love him. That’s why I going back” I say and I look outside

“I’m sorry”

“Is not your fault Jack. But thank you. Just consider yourself lucky. You have Kelly and she has you. Don’t you ever take her for granted” I say to him with a small smile. After that, I return to look outside. I didn’t sleep at all on the flight. They took me to my parent's house and I went upstairs to my old room. Thank God is still early and I didn’t see anyone. After my shower, I lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. Steven must wake up now. He reads the letter.

“Don’t hate me. Please love don’t hate me” I say and I start crying again. This pain will ever go away? A knock at the door makes me jump

“Yes?” The door opens and one of the maids Patty

“Miss. Mr. and Mrs. MacLean are waiting for you for breakfast.”

“In five minutes I will be downstairs. Thank you Patty” She smiles and closes the door. I’m wearing black trousers and a dark blue shirt. I’m not in the mood to dress. I reach the dining room

“Good morning”

“Good morning,” they say back. My mom looks a little happy to see me but of course, doesn’t show it much.

“After breakfast Grace, you go wear something more alive. We going to the company. You will see Patrick today” my father says with a serious tone without looking at me.

“What’s wrong with this that I’m wearing?”

“Maybe this is like to your piteous sheriff and his people but for the Jonshon is not good”

“Don’t talk for him like that. You don’t know him”

“I don’t need to know him to understand that he is not worthy of my daughter. Now eat and go change. Or you prefer to make a call to my men in Kolorado”

“No. Please. I will go change” I say and I stand up

“You’re not going to eat?” my mother asks

“I’m not hungry. And I don’t want to get late” I say and I walk to my room.

I guess I have to accept that this is my life from now on.