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Gracie felt thankful for hardwood flooring. She would have worn a hole in a carpet with the number of times in the last twenty minutes she'd walked to the small digital clock on her nightstand.
Jake should have arrived to pick her up almost half an hour ago. Church would start in less than ten minutes.
She picked up her cell phone and pressed two keys, triggering the redial function.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
"You've reached Jake Peoples. I can't take your call right now..."
Gracie hung up. She'd heard the automated message about ten times already. And she'd left three messages. Gracie didn't see the sense in leaving any more.
Nor did she see the sense in waiting any longer. She would miss worship by continuing to stall. Gracie grabbed her keys and purse off the table near her small bathroom and headed downstairs.
Maybe Jake had forgotten that he'd committed to picking her up. That explanation seemed plausible. He was probably already sitting at church, saving her a seat and sharing a laugh with Mamí and Papí.
In fact, they were probably all wondering why she was running so late. She needed to get her little blue Ford in gear and get on the road—without thinking of Jake, whose car repair help and borrowed screw a few days ago made it possible for her car to start this morning.
Outside the church, Gracie saw dozens of cars she recognized, but not the one gray truck she hoped for. Maybe Jake parked in the next block or around the back.
Mariela Ramos began to play a hymn's opening notes as Gracie opened the door to the sanctuary. Even though the song signaled the beginning of church, Gracie didn't rush to find a seat. She stayed put in the doorway, scanning the back of everyone's head looking for one particular short, dirty-blond haircut.
"Gracie!" Gloria's attempt at whispering could be heard by the crowd in the back half of the sanctuary. She waved her hand.
Gloria moved her Bible off the seat it had been saving and Gracie slid into her spot. She stayed perched on the edge of the seat, unable to settle in. She should have watched the choir singing, looked through her bulletin and located the day's verse in her Bible. She should have focused on God while she sat in His house.
But Gracie couldn't keep her eyes off the door.
Where was Jake?
"What's the matter?" Gloria passed Gracie a note scrawled across the top corner of the bulletin.
Gracie waved her hand dismissively and shook her head. "Nothing."
She pushed the trifold back to her sister. The speed at which Gloria's eyebrows shot up wordlessly told Gracie her sister wasn't going to leave it at that. She knew there was something behind the quick denial. Gloria picked up her pen again, but Mamí plucked it from her fingers. They'd never been allowed to pass notes in church, and even though they were both grown, Mamí's rules remained steadfast.
The choir started singing one of Gracie's favorite hymns. She tried to listen to the voices raised in praise. But the doubt in her head drowned out all the surrounding sounds of grace.
Pastor Ruiz stepped to the pulpit. "Bienvenidos, mi familia. Today we're going to speak about a topic affecting us all. Trust. Worrying. What does Jesus say about these two things? In Matthew 6:34, He says plainly 'Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own'."
Oh, boy, did it. The words hit home to Gracie. But instead of focusing on the preacher's lesson, she found herself drawn into her own worries, rehashing them in her mind.
An hour later, Gracie still couldn't control her mental wanderlust.
"Yoo-hoo? Where have you been all morning?" Gloria poked at Gracie's shoulder for emphasis. Gracie kept walking, winding her way through the small after-church crowd in the foyer.
"Hmm?"
"Exactly. You've just proven my point. What is on your mind?" Gloria stopped Gracie from exiting the church. "Is it Jake?"
Gracie blinked, trying to clear the fog from her mind. "Qué?"
"Jake. The guy you've thought about all the time recently."
"He's not here." She tried to scan the faces nearby. Maybe she just missed seeing him in the sanctuary.
"I know he's not and, mentally, neither are you. What is going on?" Gloria took Gracie by the chin and turned her face, bringing them eye-to-eye.
"He said he'd pick me up for church this morning, but he didn't show."
Gloria dropped her hand. "When did he tell you he was coming?"
"Last night, after our date." She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Gracie could feel the pins and needles she'd sat on all morning. As the numbness wore off, the hurt began to set in. "He said he'd be back in the morning for church, then he went to give the boat keys back to his sister."
"Jenna Peoples Carson? That sister?" A spark of animation popped into Gloria's voice.
"Yes, why?"
Gloria only sounded like this when her instinct kicked in, and Gracie knew from experience not to discount Gloria's gut feelings. Her sister frowned, which didn't reassure Gracie about what was coming next.
"Jenna Carson is a patient of mine. In fact, Jake was with her at yesterday's appointment and I thought he was there as the father, not the uncle. So I made it clear I was his girlfriend's sister. She was surprised to hear he even had a girlfriend. She seems very nice, but Jenna Carson is the number two person in charge of the largest foundation in town. She sits on the board of every major charity on this island and her face is pictured on the society page every single week. What if she said something about his new girlfriend after they left the clinic yesterday?"
Gracie took a step back. That didn't sound at all like the sister Jake described. Jenna had even set up the boat and made that delicious meal for Jake and Gracie. But the pins and needles poked more, leaving a burning sensation. Maybe Gloria was onto something.
"What are you getting at?" "They're already in the middle of a huge storm because of the revelations at the board meeting. The Peoples name is damaged goods right now. If it got out that Jake was dating a girl like you, there would be even more fires to put out."
Gloria's words drove into Gracie like a punch to the gut. A blow in a boxing ring would have inflicted less pain than the shot to Gracie's pride, to the heart of her insecurities.
"A girl like me?" She desperately hoped her sister meant something other than the way Gracie took the comment.
Gloria nodded. "An immigrant from Mexico. You do good work at your school. I help women—even those like Jenna Carson—bring new life into the world. But this is a small town, and you and I both know none of that matters to certain groups of people."
Gracie knew Gloria wasn't pulling a wild theory out of thin air. She remembered everything—and she never would have forgotten how David treated her kid sister years ago.
How could Gracie have been so blind not to see the reality again? How could she be so naive? Jake might have expressed feelings for her yesterday, but it wouldn't take long for him to be set straight about the reality of trying to rebuild his reputation while in a relationship with a girl from the other side of town.
"Do you really believe that, Gloria?" The words came out in a whisper. Each syllable scraped her throat raw.
Her older sister answered without a blink or a flinch. "Of course I do."
The cell phone vibrated in the truck's cupholder where it lay, forgotten in the frenzy of the past twenty-four hours. After four rings, the voice-mail message came on in lieu of the owner's personal greeting.
"You've reached Jake Peoples. I can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message. I'll return your call as soon as possible. Thanks."
Beep.
"Jake. It's Carter Porter. I just got your message—I've been out of town with the family. Look, I can't take back the proposal. We have to move forward. You're not the only one who was interested in the Maximized Revenue Zones. I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow and we'll discuss it more. Bye."
––––––––
Gracie's heart skipped a beat as she pushed open the heavy door to the City Council's chambers. She hadn't planned on coming to the meeting since Jake told her he'd decided to call off the proposal. But she hadn't heard from him all day yesterday and after a sleepless night, she needed to talk to him—needed to know Gloria's theory was wrong—and she was running out of logical places to get answers.
She even made a midnight drive past his grandmother's estate. The familiar truck wasn't parked out front, and she couldn't see a single light on, either in the carriage house or the main house.
Gracie didn't know why he wasn't answering his phone or where he'd gone. But maybe he'd be at the meeting today. It was her best hope of finding him and asking the questions drilling a hole in her brain.
The more Gracie thought about it, the more Gloria's statement after church made too much sense.
Just like yesterday at church, though, Gracie didn't see Jake in the crowd. She took a seat near the back so she could watch for him, unnoticed by the rest of those gathered to hear Port Provident's official business.
At least she only needed to worry about finding Jake, not about saving El Centro. If she hadn't been told that the outcome of this meeting was secure, she didn't think she'd be able to handle it.
Thank goodness she knew Jake had left the message for Carter Porter and that Jake told her yesterday things appeared to be straightened out. Gracie really only wanted to deal with one major source of stress at a time.
"All right, everyone, let's call today's meeting to order." Mayor Blankenship spoke into the microphone placed in front of her. "Let the record show that we have a quorum. First on the agenda today, we will revisit the issue of Maximized Revenue Zones on Gulfview Boulevard. Councilman Porter, the floor is yours."
A little kick of adrenaline surged into Gracie's bloodstream. Shouldn't something else be on the agenda?
But Jake said things were going to be okay. She clung to the reassurance he'd given her, even if nothing else about Jake made sense right now. She assumed Jake's friend would set the record straight and then her heart rate could slow back to normal.
"Thank you, Madam Mayor. We held off the vote last week to give businesses affected by the proposal the opportunity to get their affairs in order. Now that we've done our due diligence for our business owners in that matter, I'd like to propose that we move immediately to a vote on the proposal without any further discussion. Do I have a second?"
A vote? A second?
Suddenly, the weight of her deepest fears pushed on Gracie's lungs. She couldn't breathe. Wordlessly, her mouth opened and shut, then opened again.
Councilman Ben Gartner looked at his colleague and nodded. "Second."
With an involuntary gasp, respiration kicked back in. But the rapid shallow inhalations and exhalations made Gracie light-headed in seconds. She gripped the sides of the chair until the pads of her fingers tingled with pain in order to keep from falling over.
"Let's vote, then." The mayor wasted no time in moving things along. "Regarding the proposal for Maximized Revenue Zones on Gulfview Boulevard, let all those in favor raise their hand and say 'aye.'"
Four hands went up, including the mayor's. An affirmative chorus pierced Gracie's eardrums.
Everything happened so quickly. Gracie couldn't keep up with the speed of the City Council as they approved the ordinance.
"We have four votes in favor. All those against raise your hand and say 'nay.'"
Only Angela Ruiz's hand rose in dissent.
The gavel came down with a crack. It sounded like the breaking of Gracie's heart.
"Let the record show that the proposal for Maximized Revenue Zones on Gulfview Boulevard has passed, four-to-one. All affected parties will be notified this week and the new ordinance will be effective at the first of the coming month." The mayor laid the small mallet back in the cradle at the edge of the table. "Next up, Councilman Gartner has requested that we discuss a change in the water rate."
Just like the final buzzer sounding at a championship game, the battle came to an end. Gracie's world changed with lightning speed.
One day before, she'd been secure in her work and her relationships. Now, she didn't have a school and she couldn't find Jake.
Jake.
Is this what he'd felt like Friday when he lost his job and his family heritage?
Jake.
The same person who told her El Centro would be okay. The same person who cared for her.
She'd spent so long building her walls back up after David's disregard for her feelings and her school. Gracie had repaired her broken heart and wounded trust by promising herself she'd remain self-sufficient. That she'd take care of El Centro and herself by herself.
And then, in a short period, she'd allowed Jake Peoples and his fancy law school talk to make her forget every hard lesson she'd ever learned.
She almost couldn't forgive herself for her own stupidity. How could she have trusted him?
She couldn't think about Jake now. She couldn't think about anything. Whirring at blazing speed just moments before, her mind now cooled into a numb crawl.
The City Council members began their next debate, but Gracie couldn't hear another word through her frozen haze. She rose unsteadily, not caring about protocol. She knew she shouldn't just walk out of the meeting like this, but Gloria was right. No one in this room would care what someone who came from the wrong side of the border did anyway.
Pushing the solid door open took every ounce of Gracie's remaining strength. Her footfalls across the marble foyer sounded to her ears like echoes in a mausoleum. Truthfully, that's what City Hall just became to her. The place that housed the death of her dreams.
All of them. Her school, which she'd built from nothing. And Jake, for whom she'd let down her guard. She'd been so wrong to waste her time on both. She didn't have anything to show for either effort.
Until this minute, Gracie had believed with all her heart in faith and hard work. God answered all her recent prayers with a clear "no."
That broke her heart more than anything.
She'd been so wrong about it all.
Gracie reached out for a nearby wall to steady herself. She leaned back, wanting to take a few moments to compose herself. Instead, her knees buckled and she slowly slid down the length of the cold green stone. She reached the floor and pulled up her knees, then rested her head, too exhausted by the battle to fight anymore.
––––––––
The nurse's shoes squeaked on the linoleum outside the door to the room in the ICU. Jake hadn't left Nana's side since arriving at the hospital more than twenty-four hours ago. He needed a shower and a shave.
More than that, he needed to apologize for his words the other night. He couldn't bear the thought that those might be the last words he ever got to say to Nana.
Jake squirmed a little in the chair. Whoever bought furniture for Provident Medical Center clearly put cost before comfort. The thin cushions were covered in a burnt-orange vinyl that squeaked when anyone sat down. He rolled his shoulders back and around once, twice, three times. Anything to get comfortable.
Jenna touched Jake's shoulder, shaking him from his thoughts. "Jake, we have to talk." Her usually sparkly voice sounded flat.
"I know, Jenna. The doctor said we may have to make some decisions soon. I've just been hoping it wouldn't come to that. Do you think we're there?"
She nodded. "We may be close. And before we get there, we have to decide what to do with the foundation."
The Peoples Family Foundation easily rated as the last thing on Jake's mind. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I turned in my resignation after I found out I was expecting. My last day is next Friday. With my history of hypoglycemia, Gloria felt that it would be best if I eliminated as much stress from my life as possible for the next few months. And Mitch and I have always wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom."
Between the revelations about her brother and Nana's stay in the ICU, Jake knew that the last few days had been anything but stress-free. "Okay. I understand."
"But even if Nana...comes back to us...she can't keep up with the demands of the foundation and being on the board at the company."
Jake could hear Jenna forcing words around the lump in her throat. He recognized the sound because he'd been battling the same stone hardness ever since he got that fateful phone call.
"You're right, Jenna." Jake nodded in agreement. "But I'm starving and I can't think straight. Let me run down to the cafeteria and get a candy bar or something and I'll come back and we can talk it through. Do you want anything?"
"No. I'm fine for now. All I want is for things to be the way they used to be." She turned her gaze back to Nana and her soft words got lost in the steady beeping of the machines monitoring Diana Peoples's vital signs.
"I know." He blew a kiss to his sleeping grandmother on the narrow hospital bed. "Be right back."
He couldn't look at Nana under the blanket of wires and tubes for long. It reminded Jake that the doctors considered her prognosis touch-and-go.
Even the strongest of hearts could wear out.
Jake walked down the long, fluorescent-illuminated hallway, alone with his thoughts. What would become of him without Nana—especially now that the secret about his heritage had come out? How would he rebuild his life without the foundation on which he'd always relied? He didn't see how he could help Jenna with the burdens on her shoulders now that it was revealed that he was a Peoples in name only.
As he rounded the corner to the cafeteria, his train of thought drifted, and Gracie came to his mind. The image seemed so clear—almost as if she was standing in front of him.
"Jake?" The voice cut into his thoughts. "You need to get out of here before she sees you."
"What?" He did a double take. Gloria Garcia Rodriguez blocked his path to the vending machine. She narrowed her eyes and gritted her jaw.
"Gracie. After what you did to her..." She paused, then launched in again. "You need to leave."
"Gloria, I don't understand." He looked over Gloria's petite frame and saw Gracie near the soda fountain. "What are you doing here?"
"I work next door, remember? One of my clients had complications in labor and had to be admitted here. I'm bringing lunch to the family. Gracie's with me. She needed a shoulder to cry on today."
Gloria looked him up, then down. The searing anger in her gaze locked on Jake like a missile that had found its target. "No thanks to you."
What? Gloria kept talking in blame-filled riddles. Clearly he wasn't going to get answers from her. He needed to make his way to Gracie and ask her personally.
If he could get her pit bull of a sister to let him through.
She dogged each step he tried to take.
"Let me pass, Gloria."
"No." One determined syllable said it all. Only one tactic remained for him to try.
"Gracie!" At his shout, every cafeteria patron's head snapped around and stared straight at him. He took a quick step and edged past Gloria.
As he neared, Gracie put her hand out. He could see a sheen of tears across her chocolate brown eyes, clouding them. "No, Jake," she said softly.
"You've got to tell me what's wrong. Why is Gloria giving me the evil eye?"
Gracie looked down at the floor, then up at Jake. She stuck a fingernail in her mouth and bit down before speaking softly through clenched teeth. "Because you lied to me."
"I did what?" Jake began to doubt his ears. First, he couldn't believe his entire family hid the truth of his parentage from him his whole life. Then, he couldn't believe Nana's life was in jeopardy. And now, he couldn't believe Gracie thought he'd been untruthful with her.
"I trusted you, Jake. You let me down. I've never really believed anyone when they said they wanted to be with me. I trusted you. You said you called Carter Porter and that I could keep my school." Tears squeezed out of her eyes, but she continued. "But you stood me up yesterday, just like every other man from your side of town has. You've figured out I'm not good enough for you. Then today that ordinance you said you'd stopped passed. Did you even really make that phone call? How could Carter Porter ask for a vote on your special proposal if you told him not to? Your actions closed El Centro. Everything was clearly a lie."
It all sounded like the teacher from the Charlie Brown specials, spoken with a bitter Spanish accent. None of her words made any sense.
"You're not good enough for me? What do you mean, Gracie?"
"Come on, Jake. You and your family can't afford any more scandal this week. Why else would you be afraid to be seen on the wrong side of the tracks with the wrong girl or to actually go to bat for her school?"
"Gracie, that's nonsense." The whole room could hear them arguing—some of them Nana's friends—but Jake didn't care. He needed to make this right. But how? He didn't understand, much less know where to start.
"No, it's not." She turned her face away. "I can't...I can't talk to you any more." She clapped her hand over her mouth and dropped her head, then turned and quickly made her way through the maze of tables.
Jake started to follow her, but Gracie's chief protector intercepted him. "Leave her alone," Gloria said in a tone that left no room for discussion. "You've done enough damage. She's been calling and calling for two days. Why won't you answer your phone?"
"I haven't gotten any calls." Jake reached in his pocket to prove his point, but it was empty. His stomach grew queasy. "Oh, no. I bet it's still in my car. I've been at the ICU with Nana since I left Gracie's house Saturday night. Nana had a heart attack. My whole world has been a haze of surgeries and consent forms and standing vigil with my sister."
Gloria gave him a wary look.
"Look at this chin if you don't believe me." Jake pulled his hand across two days' worth of stubble. "I haven't had a shower in forty-eight hours. I haven't been home, I haven't left Nana's room. These are the same clothes I was wearing when I left Gracie's house Saturday night. I don't know what she's talking about. Gloria, you have to help me."
A chime rang from the pocket on Gloria's scrubs. She pulled out her cell phone and looked at the screen. "I have a mother in early labor at the clinic. It looks like she needs me."
"But I need Gracie."
Gloria started to take a step and then stopped. "When you stood her up for church yesterday, I told her that I figured your family didn't want any more scandals this week and you didn't want to be seen with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks."
Jake shook his head.
Gloria kept talking. "Your friend on the City Council got the resolution passed. Gracie has to close her school. She's probably gone home to pack." She punched a button on the phone in her hand. "It's funny. People always look to money to solve problems. Your family has all the money in the world, but it doesn't seem to help. In our family, we never had money. We just had faith. Now Gracie thinks that's deserted her, too."
She slipped away quietly, leaving Jake by himself in the middle of the crowded cafeteria. He heard footsteps behind him and hoped to see Gracie, returning to listen, to let him explain the misunderstanding.
When he turned around, he saw his brother-in-law, Mitch.
"Jake, Jenna said I'd find you here. Nana's awake and she's asking for you."
