What had happened?

Okay, Peyton had suggested the test if her period didn’t come.

But instead of getting a period, she’d gotten a scary note that appeared to be from her stalker. The world tipped. She had been consumed with fear, with protection plans that included using a Taser on her boyfriend. She had been filled with frightening memories of being a fourteen-year-old girl held captive in a maintenance closet until police could come. Denny and Becca came for a weekend, and Grace skated for them. Her mother made a surprise appearance and...

Somewhere in there, with one crisis after another, she’d completely forgotten about everything else. She tried counting the weeks since she’d had a period and couldn’t figure out the exact number.

The best thing that could happen would be a negative test result now. She unwrapped the test, read the directions quickly and got ready.

And nothing came.

“Come on, come on, come on,” she chanted.

She sat and sat and finally, she felt the urge and wet the stick. Then she had to let it sit for a few minutes. She just stared at it. Gradually, after the first minute and a half, a pink shadow began to appear on the yes side. But she stared at it without blinking, because surely it would go away.

But no. It was two lines. A red button appeared and the word yes popped up.

Grace felt as if she was going to throw up. She sat weakly on the toilet lid. Pregnant, she thought. “Crap.”

Eighteen

When Troy arrived back at Grace’s place with his packed bag, he saw that hers was sitting at the foot of the stairs to the loft. Sure enough, he found her in the shop, going over last-minute details with Iris and Ginger.

“If Peyton should come in to check on things, tell her we’re right on schedule and not to worry about a thing. I think she plans on going to Portland with her sister, Scott to follow with his kids. Even though I won’t be here, tell her we’re good to go, her flowers have been ordered, rest easy. She might not have my personal cell number so you can give it to her if she needs reassurance.”

“Peyton’s not the jittery sort,” Iris said. “And I didn’t think you were, but you seem to be wound up. Is taking the boyfriend home a little nerve-racking?”

She shook her head. “My mother has met Troy, so that’s not it. I haven’t been home in years. In fact, my last four years in competition I was rarely home. I was wherever my coach or the competition was and that was everywhere but home. I seemed to be training in LA or Chicago, only visiting San Francisco when my mother happened to be there. I have no reason to be nervous.”

“Well, if leaving the shop worries you, relax. Even if I really screw up the next four days, your shop will be here when you get home,” Iris said. “And I promise you, I can keep the place standing.”

“You will never know how much I appreciate this,” Grace said. “I’ll make this up to you somehow.”

“Just go. Try to enjoy it a little even though it’s a heavy burden you’re dealing with.”

“We’ll be fine,” Troy said. “I’m anxious to see Grace’s home. Come on, Gracie, relax. Iris will take good care of things. Let’s go—our flight leaves in a little less than two hours and we have a drive.”

Grace gave Iris and Ginger hugs and let herself be drawn away. Troy picked up her suitcase. “Anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“I hope there’s a little time to go into the city,” he said. “If you can’t, I understand.” He hefted the suitcase into the back of the Jeep. “I love the city,” he said as he got in the car. He drove out of the alley and reached for her hand. “Are you really jittery?”

“Oh, maybe a little overwhelmed at all there is to deal with. But I’ll be fine once we get there.”

“It’s all good,” he said. “Pays to have friends like Iris. Not only is she taking care of the flower shop, she’s lining up a substitute for me for Monday and Tuesday. As much as I enjoy the kids, I’m looking forward to summer.” And he proceeded to talk about things he hoped to do over the summer. He realized she might be pretty busy this summer, but he hoped there would be time for a couple of short camping trips along one of his favorite rivers in Idaho. He talked a little bit about some of his favorite river trips in the five-state area. Although Grace nodded a lot, he could tell she was barely paying attention to him. But he thought he was doing her a service by regaling her with stories to take her mind off four days with her mother.

When they got to the regional airport he looked around. “I’ve never flown out of here. And get this—it appears parking in this lot is free.”

She gave him a strange look.

He pulled the suitcases out of the back and Grace took control of hers, extending the handle and pulling it.

“What airline is this?” he asked her.

“Oh, Troy,” she said, walking ahead. “I haven’t prepared you for this. I’m sorry.”

He held the door for her and they entered a small reception area banked by a counter behind which people worked on one side, offices and refreshment machines on the other. A sign pointed to the restaurant. A double door led right onto the runway. There were a few people waiting, and Winnie, Virginia and Mikhail were seated by the door. Mikhail stood up and greeted them. “Good, you are here. We can go.”

Mikhail took Winnie’s left arm while Virginia took her right and they carefully guided her out the door and onto the tarmac. They passed through what appeared to be a metal detector but nothing like the usual airport security.

“Where are we going?” Troy asked.

“Air Winnie,” Grace said, indicating the small jet straight ahead. There were air stairs, but a uniformed man waited at the bottom with a chair-like contraption for Winnie. The plane was not a little six-seater: it was a private jet.

“Shits of the gods,” Troy muttered.

* * *

Troy could not believe he was flying on a private jet. Like most people, just affording coach fares was a challenge. And when he thought about rich people, he thought they were very different, not people just like he was. “Did you always travel like this?” he asked Grace.

“No, not very often. We took a chartered jet on occasion. Now, I think my mother indulges this because of her condition. Her days of traveling are numbered.”