Chapter Fifteen

"LeRoy, let me know if you see a red Jaguar pass by your window," Grace called out that Friday a little after nine as she lifted up the hood on a truck.

"Will do, Grace," LeRoy hollered back from his office. "You expecting somebody? That seems like an awful fancy vehicle."

"It's one of Vince's friends from New York," Grace replied. Leaving out that it was a woman and the reason for her visit. She still wasn't too sold on the idea of Vince calling in back up to help her with things that she had gotten herself into.

"I take it he's rich too?" LeRoy inquired.

Grace sighed. Sometimes small town and their nosey ways were too much. "It's a she and I honestly have no idea."

LeRoy stepped out into the garage shaking his head. "Your fiance's female friend is coming all the way here from New York just to visit him and you're okay with that."

Grace rolled her eyes as she dug a greasy wrench from her toolbox. "I'm not exactly the jealous type."

"Good," LeRoy laughed and patted her on the back. "Because that man loves you. I'll keep an eye out for the car." LeRoy disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him, and Grace got back to her work.

In all honesty, she was a bit a nervous and intimidated about meeting Patricia. She knew that Patricia had been Vince's friend and a very important part of his life for a long time and she desperately wanted the woman to like her. Patricia was due to arrive anytime and while Vince had given her directions to the garage, Grace worried that she still wouldn't find her.

Vince was busy meeting with park officials and a wildlife committee about the possibility of fixing up some of the trails and natural tourist attractions in the area. He would be in meetings all morning but would be coming by at lunch to take her and Patricia out to lunch. Grace had no idea what Patricia would do to entertain herself for hours in a garage but she figured she'd come up with something.

Grace sighed and laid down on the concrete before sliding herself beneath the truck. She was just finishing up fastening the oil pan when she heard the sound of high heels clicking on concrete.

"Hello, is anyone here?"

Grace recognized Patricia's accented voice. "I'll be right out," she called from beneath the truck. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for meeting the woman she'd heard so much about. She slid herself out from under the truck, wiped her greasy hands on her coveralls and turned.

Amusement filled her at the sight of the woman currently standing in the garage looking very out of place. She was tall for a woman, over six feet, though some of that height came from the heels on her bright red, open-toed shoes. Her black skirt was tight, very short and seemed like something a twenty year old stripper would wear even though Vince said Patricia was somewhere around fifty years old. He couldn't be sure because she had written 'none of your business' on the date of birth section of her job application.

Patricia's blouse was red and flowing and tucked neatly into her skirt. There was a black suit jacket tossed over her arm and a black leather satchel held by her perfectly manicured hand. Patricia's face was flawless. Not a single wrinkle or line marred her smooth skin. Her thick brown hair was pulled back in an intricate coif on the back of her head. She was so willowy that she made Grace, who had always been on the skinny side, feel a little bloated.

Patricia slid her sunglasses,(probably costing more than Grace's car), up onto her head and raised one perfectly arched brow. "Are you Grace?"

"Yes," Grace snapped out of her appraisal of Patricia and held out her hand. "You must be Patricia."

"Oh thank God!" Patricia exclaimed dramatically as she shook Grance's hand. "At least now I know Vince hasn't completely lost his mind and that he has much better taste than that horrible mother of his."

Grace had no idea how to respond to that. "Th..thank you?" she offered.

Patricia looked her up and down. "Never thought I'd meet a female mechanic from the middle of nowhere Kentucky. You aren't what I had pictured. I had a mental image of a rather buff and burly woman with just a hint of a mustache."

Grace smiled with amusement. "You thought Vince would be interested a woman like that?"

Patricia shrugged as she glanced around the messy garage. "I've never seen Vince interested in any woman so I honestly had no idea."

"So, how did your trip go?" Grace asked, turning the subject away from Vince and his tastes in women since the man wasn't here to defend himself.

"Oh it went just fine until I got behind one million slow drivers on these back roads you have here which truly aren't fit to be called roads at all. Do you know that GPS makers actually have the nerve to call these highways?"

"The nerve of some people," Grace agreed, unbothered by Patricia's words because of the good nature in the woman's eyes.

"Honestly, I was raised in a small town," Patricia admitted in a whisper. "But don't tell Vince because it would ruin the image that I work to maintain in front of him."

Grace leaned in. "I wouldn't dream of it," she whispered back.

Patricia's light laughter filled the garage and Grace instantly felt comfortable around the woman. She had a carefree spirit and easy going nature just like Meg. Grace had a feeling that, given time, they could become very good friends.

Patricia looked around again, tapping her satchel against her leg. "This is a very nice garage you have here," she said with just a hint of boredom in her voice. "I see all the necessary car fixing pieces."

"Yeah, it gets the job done," Grace agreed.

Patricia tilted her head as she studied her. "You really are quite beautiful you know. You have a Grace Kelly look to you--back in her younger days."

Grace blushed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you. My grandmother loves Grace Kelly and convinced my mother to name me after her."

"The name suits." Patricia winked. "Now where can a woman get a meal around here? I'm famished."

"Meg's Diner," Grace replied. "Vince is actually going to come pick us up sometime soon and take us to eat. He's in a meeting right now."

"A workaholic even on vacations," Patricia sighed.

"He really is a good man," Grace defended him quickly. "I've never seen a man so dedicated to helping others."

"Helping you, darling. He's dedicated to helping you. The man never had much of a mind for any charity before. He never thought of anything but his job. And now I'm in the process of interviewing people to find a replacement because, apparently, he's done." Patricia clicked her tongue and her eyes sparkled with amusement. "I believe he wants to take up engine repair."

Grace stood there in shock. Vince hadn't said a word to her about quitting his job or giving up his company. Grace wasn't at all sure she was comfortable with him making such a sacrifice for her! Vince had spent his entire adult life building that company, and while Grace knew that she couldn't move Cadence to New York City, there had to be some other arrangement they could come to so Vince could still have the company that meant so much to him.

"So what are we doing to this one?" Patricia asked, setting her satchel and jacket down on the cool cement and pointing toward the truck.

"Oil change," Grace replied, knowing that she'd have to talk with Vince later. "I'm almost done, just have to add the new oil."

Patricia rubbed her hands together and her eyes lit up. "Let me do it!"

"Are you sure?" Grace questioned skeptically. "You might get dirty."

Patricia raised her brow. "Darling, I am a professional when it comes to lubing."

***

Vince was happier than he could ever remember being. He had a woman he loved more than life who had agreed to be his wife, a daughter who kept him smiling, a grandmother who kept him laughing and all the best things that no amount of money could buy. Add to that the fact that all of Vince's plans for this town and the county were going according to plan and Vince was practically walking the clouds!

The only thing that could put a slight damper on his happiness was knowing that Patricia would be arriving soon. The woman would probably blow the gates of hell right off this small town but Vince couldn't help but like her. She was wild, uninhibited and just a little crazy but she was his friend and she would keep Grace busy while he went away for the weekend.

Vince wasn't happy about having to leave but he had always known that if by some miracle a woman stole his heart, he would have her wear his grandmother's emerald and diamond ring.

Of course that meant going to his mother and asking for the ring which was something Vince was dread more than a root canal without anesthesia. He could only imagine what Beverly's reaction would be to learning he was going to marry Grace. He hadn't even let the woman know that Grace existed yet but she would simply have to accept it and move on. Vince wasn't changing his mind.

Who knew? Maybe his mother would notice how much happier and lighter he was and quickly give her his blessing without too much incident. That thought made Vince chuckle and he was still chuckling when he walked to the open garage door and stepped inside.

His laughter died on his tongue when he saw his secretary standing inside wearing a miniskirt and a several hundred dollar blouse holding up a bottle of engine oil and looking very pleased with herself.

Grace was leaning with her hip against a truck and an amused smile was lighting up her face as she watched both LeRoy and Uncle Pete fawn over Patricia.

"You wanna rub one off with me?" Uncle Pete offered with a wink.

Patricia laughed. "Well, handsome, you are a few years older than the ones I normally go for but, then again, I always have had a thing for musicians."

"Woohoo! Did you hear that boys?! I got me a pretty woman to twirl around at the next dance!" Uncle Pete wiggled his hips as if dancing and Patricia put her hand on his shoulder and laughed.

Grace's gray eyes moved past everyone in the garage and Vince saw them light up when they landed on him. Vince would never get tired of being looked at that way and he knew he'd do everything he could to make sure she looked at him like that for the rest of her life.

"Vince," she sighed and he needed no further incentive to close the distance between them and wrap her in a hug.

Vince kissed her hair and moved to her side, keeping his arm around her waist. He smiled at Patricia. "I see you made it in one piece."

Patricia ogled at him as if he had sprouted a second and perhaps even a third head. His smile broadened as her frown deepened. "Who in the hell are you and what have you done with my boss?"

"I'm your boss, Patricia. Are you still jet legged or has your motion sickness medicine not worn off yet?" Vince asked with amusement.

"No, you cannot be the Vince Griffin I have known for over twelve years. That Vince Griffin never smiles, never sounds amused and does not walk around in sinfully tempting jeans and t-shirts."

"Vince here is a stand up guy," Uncle Pete defended him quickly.

"Don't worry, Uncle Pete," Vince assured him. "I can handle her." He tipped his head at Patricia. "I trust you made it down here without incident and didn't kill anyone along the way?"

"Why would she kill someone?" Grace inquired.

Vince stooped lower and laid his lips against her ear, feeling her tremble as his breath washed over her. "Because Patricia here has a very strong tendency toward road rage and is well known around New York for being the woman you don't cut off. As a matter of fact, the DMV has her picture on the wall."

Patricia waved her hand. "That's because I'm so beautiful, boss."

"Right," Vince replied without conviction.

"Stop being your charming self and take your woman and I out to lunch," Patricia ordered dryly.

Vince tipped his head. "Of course."

Patricia rolled her eyes. "I don't even know who you are! Apparently the mountain air has altered the blood flow to your brain cells and caused the friendly portion of your frontal lobe to magically come to life after lying dormant for thirty-two years!"

Vince shook his head toward Patricia as Grace pulled away from him and walked to the front of the truck. She began to pull off her coveralls and Vince knew she didn't realize he was watching her as she bent low to yank the fabric over her shoes.

"No, it wasn't the air," Vince replied quietly as Grace stood back straight, smoothed out her t-shirt and redid her ponytail.

"No, I suppose not," Patricia agreed knowingly. She was smiling as she walked to Grace and took her by the arm. "Darling, you have this big strong man wrapped around your finger. Come on and let us talk about whether or not you're taking full advantage of that situation."

Vince muttered under his breath as Patricia dragged Grace from the garage. "You better go catch 'em, boy, or you'll be in for a world of hurt. That Patricia seems like a worldly woman," Uncle Pete warned, nudging Vince with his elbow.

Vince was chuckling as he started after his woman and his secretary.

***

"So you need all these recipes organized into a cookbook?" Patricia asked, looking at the hundreds of cards tossed into an aged wooden box.

"Not all of them," Grace assured her. "I'll only do the best ones." Grace sat Cadence up at the table with her homework. After they'd eaten lunch, Vince had talked Grace into signing Cadence out of school early and now they were all crowded into Grace's tiny house.

"I'll do that," Vince said, taking the flash cards from Grace and sitting down across from Cadence.

Grace gave him a grateful smile before going back to Patricia. "I can see why Vince's likes you so much," Patricia muttered as she fingered through the stained and worn recipe cards. "You're just as unorganized as he is."

"My grandmother used to keep everything organized and neat but she's not been feeling up to doing that in the last few years," Grace admitted.

"Where is grandma dearest?" Patricia questioned. "Vince told me all about her, or should I say George told me all about her?"

"Grace!" Ester exclaimed, storming into the kitchen. "Who is this hussy and what are you doing with my recipes?"

"Grandma! You shouldn't call people hussies!" Grace scolded as her face flushed.

"Well, only a hussy would wear clothes like that," Ester sniffed.

"Well thank you, Mrs. Collins. That's just the look I was going for," Patricia winked.

"Vince, what's a hussy?" Cadence questioned innocently. Grace burst out laughing as Vince cleared his throat loudly and looked at her with panic.

"It's a woman with beauty, style and charm, little one," Patrica spoke up.

"I want to be a hussy!" Cadence exclaimed with excitement. Grace groaned and hid her face with her hand while Vince seemed to become choked on his breath and bent to his knees coughing loudly.

"Well okay then," Patricia lifted up the wooden box. "Let's get back to these recipes!"

"What about my recipes?" Ester demanded. "My husband will be home soon and he'll expect supper. Grace Elizabeth Collins you know better than to bring so many friends home so late at night! I should ground you until further notice."

Grace sighed. "Grandma, I'm twenty-eight years old."

Ester glanced around appearing quite confused for a moment before shrugging and heading back into the living room. Grace's eyes dropped to the floor as her heart hurt. "Don't mind her," she whispered. "She doesn't know one day from another much any more."

Before Grace had time to compose herself and look up from the floor, Vince was behind her and wrapping her tight in his arms. Grace leaned into his support for several long moments before pulling away and walking around the kitchen island where Patricia was attempting to pretend she was looking at recipe cards and not watching their public display of attention.

"Cadence, why don't you go play for a while?" Vince offered and the girl happily escaped her flash cards and disappeared down the hall to her room. "Patricia, I need to speak to you outside for a moment."

Both Patricia and Grace frowned at him. Patricia held up a recipe card. "Boss, I'm busy being Betty Crocker right now." Vince shook his head and grumbled under his breath causing Patricia to beam. "There's that surly boss I know and love so well. I knew you were still in there somewhere."

Patricia stood from the stool and Grace slid the wooden box of recipe cards toward her. "I'll go ahead and pick out the ones we'll use while you're out there," she offered, though she wasn't at all sure what to make of Vince's sudden mood change.

He suddenly seemed stressed and on edge and it made Grace uneasy. She watched Patricia and Vince walk outside and tried to concentrate on her recipe cards.

***

"I am very proud of you, boss," Patricia said as they stood together on the porch. "They aren't what I would have picked for you but they seem to be exactly what ou needed."

Vince squinted into the warm September sun and gripped the porch banister. "I want you to keep Grace busy this weekend. Get the recipes ready and take her to Lexington where she says there's a printer who can make the cookbooks. I will leave my credit card with you, since Grace would never accept it, and I want Cadence to get all the new clothes that she needs, Grace had been talking about doing that for a while now..."

"Boss, take a breath," Patricia ordered gently as she crossed her long, slender arms over her chest. "Something has you stressed and worried because you always talk too much when you're stressed and worried. You know I think there is a therepy that could help with that..."

"Yes, firing annoying secretaries," Vince interrupted.

Patricia shook her head and waved her hand. "You wouldn't fire me. I'm irreplaceable."

Vince snorted. "Those candidates for the COO position are coming in tomorrow, aren't they?"

Patricia studied her long red nails. "Yes and I still can't believe you're allowing Davis to do the interviews. That man can't make decisoins to save his life. He agonizes over whether to have ham or turkey on his sandwich at lunch."

"Davis isn't doing the interviews," Vince countered. "I'll be flying out tonight and I'll return Sunday night or Monday morning at the lastest."

"You are?" Patricia asked and then her eyes narrowed. "You're going to talk to your mother, aren't you? That's what has you so stressed! You're going to ask Grace to marry you and you're going to talk to your mother about it... but why do you want that horrid woman's.. I mean your lovely mother's, opinion on your love life?"

"Are you done?" Vince asked with amusement as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked down his nose at her.

Patricia propped her hip against the porch banister. "Quite."

Vince nodded. "I've already asked Grace to marry me and she's already said yes. However, I don't have her ring yet."

"I'm sure there are jewelers closer than New York where you can get a ring, boss," Patricia stated with boredom, clearly trying to sound uninterested after his scolding.

"Yes," Vince admitted. "But they wouldn't be my grandmother's ring."

"How romantic!" Patricia exclaimed, clapping excitedly. "Who would have thought my cantankerous, angry, serious, no-nonsense, workaholic grumpy..."

"Patricia.." Vince warned.

She nodded curtly. "Right boss. It's just so, for lack of a better word, strange."

"I'm sure it seems that way to you," Vince agreed.

"Perhaps your mother and father will come to the wedding. And they could bring Widget. He'd look quite charming in a tiny tuxedo and he can carry the rings on a pillow...."

"Patricia, you're getting carried away again," Vince grumbled.

"Sorry, boss," Patricia amended. Then her face sobered. "Grace seems to be a woman with a lot of responsiblities on her shoulders. These people are lucky you found them."

Vince looked in through the window. He saw Grace sitting at the counter looking through recipes with Cadence at her side and Ester's television was blinking in the living room. He shook his head and smiled before looking back toward Patricia. "No, they're not," he assured her. "I'm lucky I found them."

***

"You're leaving?" Grace asked as she walked Vince to his car.

"Yes, I have to look into hiring a COO at the company to run things.

"Vince, I... I wanted to talk to you about that," Grace said quietly as she wrung her hands.

"What?" Vince asked, taking her hands in his.

"I don't want you to give up what you love for me and my family. There has to be some way to make things work without you giving everything up."

"Grace, I'm not giving up anything that means anything to me any longer," Vince promised.

Grace shook her head. "But Patricia said your job was your greatest passion."

Vince nodded. "Keyword in that sentence is was. That's past tense. The moment I met you my priorities began changing. I honestly don't care about that job anymore and it wasn't for wanting to make sure I have a legacy to leave to my children, Cadence included, I would probably be tempted to sell the company outright."

"Are you sure you're real?" Grace whispered as she gazed up at his face. "Because some days I'm sure that I'm going to wake up and find out that all of this was just a dream or some cruel trick."

"God, I hope not," Vince replied, taking her into his arms and spinning her around. "I love you, Grace. Don't worry about what I'll be giving up because what I'll be gaining means so much more. Besides, I'll still be CEO of the company and that means that from time to time I might have to go to New York but I'll always come back as quick as I can."

Grace nodded. "Well, have a nice trip and then come back home safe and sound."

"Always," Vince promised. "Tomorrow you'll be going to Lexington to print those books. Patricia has my credit card and I expect you to get Cadence any clothes that she needs and anything else that you, Cadence or Ester might want."

"Vince.." Grace warned, her gray eyes flashing with temper. "I don't need your help taking care of my family."

Grace was taken aback by the hurt and anger she saw on Vince's face. "Am I going to be your husband?" he demanded.

"Of course you are," she replied quickly.

"Then, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it my duty to provide for my wife and children? Doesn't that make you all my family too?"

Grace sighed. "Of course we're your family, Vince, but I'm not marrying you because you can provide for us."

Vince flashed her that lazy half smile that she loved. "I know that and that's why I'm more than happy to give you anything and everything you ever want or need."

Grace knew she was defeated. She poked his chest. "Well, just so long as you understand that I don't expect it."

"Duly noted," he replied before kissing her nose. "Now, I have to leave but have fun with Patricia. She's a little out there but she's a good person and I'm sure she'll be more than willing to tell you all about my sordid past."

"You have a sordid past?" Grace asked skeptically.

Vince chuckled. "No, but I'm sure by the time she's done, you'll be convinced that I did."