Saving Grace #Wattys2016

Chapter Fourteen

Jackson Duggar as James Hale

Heat, air, touch.

Those were the three things I first realized the next morning. I opened my eyes to figure out that the heat was the blistering sun, followed by a cool breeze from the patio and Hardy, whose arms were wrapped around me. I couldn't believe that I just met Hardy almost a week ago; all of this was happening in such a wonderful whirlwind.

"Morning." I smiled.

"Morning." He smiled while tracing my bare inner curves. "Your phone rang twice."

"It's one of two people." I rolled over to the side table for my phone and saw there was two voicemails from Mom.

"Grace," I could tell she had been crying. "What's happened to you? How could you do this to us? To your brother? To me? Why didn't you come to me with this? Wait a minute, is this the boy you've been hiding from me? I feel like you can't trust me. I-" I assume that was her ranting call from last night. The message cut of and went to the next which was recorded an hour ago. "I'm sorry, honey. This is just a lot to take in. Danny's furious at you but I just want to know exactly what's going on." Mama sighed. "I want you to come back home today. Danny's agreed to meet your......boyfriend and I would like to meet his parents. Call me." Hardy looked over when I placed the phone back in a daze.

"What happened?" I looked at him before pulling him down on top of me for a long kiss. "Now I really want to know why happened."

"Mama wants to meet you guys. And Danny's actually agreeing to it."

"That's great!" He smiled. "We should get dressed and tell my parents." My stomach growled loudly. "And get you some food."

"Food sounds good right now." I admitted. Hardy picked me up and carried me into the bathroom. I didn't know a man could look so good in a shower. Hardy pulled me into the tropical mist and washed me up so delicately, I thought I would fall apart from his soft touches. After our long shower, we went downstairs to his waiting family. Jack saw me first and gathered me up softly.

"How ya you feeling, honey?" He bent down to look me in the eyes.

"I'm fine now, thanks for letting me crash here." "You know you're always welcomed anytime." His wife pulled up a chair between her and Sam. "You can stay here as long as you need."

"That actually and unfortunately won't be necessary." After Hardy told his parents and ate, the Hale family and I packed up to go to my side of the world. "Wow; only one day in paradise and I'm going back home." I looked in the rear view mirror of Hardy's car to make sure his father's Jeep was still behind us.

"At least they want you back home." Emma looked on the bright side, holding James who was sleeping. True, with the way I left Danny, he couldn't-shouldn't have wanted me home so early but I guess Mama talked some sense into him.

"I missed them." I admitted. "I've never done anything like that in my life."

"But you did it for a good cause. And I'm not just talking 'bout myself." I had to laugh at his grinning face then he turned serious. "Think of it as a test of having your own choices. You made your first major choice without anyone else's say. And it just so happen to be me." I took a risky move and diverted my eyes from the road to kiss him but it was worth it. We reached Eren's Main Street and it seemed no matter what color you were, you were staring at the car; a black woman driving a fancy car with white people in it.

"Time for some change, Eren." I smiled. Hardy just laughed.

"Oh, boy, this is a better wake up call then coffee." Susan commented. We finally got to my house. It was still the way I left it last night.