Saving Grace #Wattys2016

Chapter Sixteen

Alicia Coppola as Lucy Romano

One was still ringing in my ears until the second one came and landed a little too close; shattering James's glass.

"Get down!" Jack barked and in seconds, everyone was under the table. A few more shots came out then nothing.

"We don't like blacks so go home!" A distorted voice came out before tires squealed away.

Silence.

And that silence came in a deathly form. James whimpered in his mother's arms for his father who decided to take a peak outside.

"It's safe." He said after a few moments. We all piled from underneath to survey the damage of our sunny picnic. Pieces of glass were flung everywhere, food in the same position, and chairs carelessly tossed.

"Lord have mercy." Susan gasped, rubbing Emma's shoulders while she sobbed.

"Everyone get inside." Olivia's usually polite voice was as sharp as the broken glass that littered the glass. Hardy lifted me and was halfway to the door before his mother got the full sentence out her mouth. I showed no emotion, it seemed like I was in shock.

"Baby." Hardy held my head in his hands.

"It's my fault." I whispered. "This is my fault."

"It sure as hell isn't." Sam got up.

"When we took you in, we took this too." Tanner added quietly.

"Don't worry 'bout it, honey." Mama came to hug me close. "It's alright."

"I hope y'all don't mind," Jack called out. "But I'd feel safer if you guys stayed here for the night; we don't know exactly how did this, but I don't want to take any chances with your family." Danny, as the new head of the family, was the one to speak.

"I'd appreciate it, Jack; I don't want the girls home either. I'll get their clothes, y'all stay here." Danny kissed Mama's head then came to my eye level.

"Stewarts don't back down." He mirrored Daddy's famous words. He looked so much like him, it made me cry.

"You come right back, ya hear." He gave me a curt nod and headed out.

Danny stopped to car and turned off the truck, taking the day in.

His family almost got killed today.

Then he saw his favorite sight outside the family; Brenda. She was waiting on her father's car until she realized he was there.

"Danny." She ran up and jumped into his arms. "What happened?"

"We're alright." He assured her gently. "No one's hurt." He couldn't wait for her to become his wife, just to have her with him all the time.

"Is.....is Grace okay?"

"She's fine, just a little shaken up. Everything was going so good until...."

"Oh, God, she must feel like this was her fault. Where are they?"

"Jack thought it would be better if we stay at their place tonight."

"I'll gave them a call later then."

"Thanks, baby." Danny hugged his future wife and gave her a loving kiss. "I don't know what I would do without you. Help me pack for them?"

"Sure." Brenda nodded and. Took his hand to follow him, wondering just how violently these people would get. She knew him and knew this was a shock, a scare for him. Danny still held her hand but she guided him into his room.

"B, this isn't Grace's room." He stated, cluelessly.

"I know." Brenda began to unbutton his shirt and slipped it off his strong shoulders. Danny got the message immediately and pulled her down to bed with him, thinking he would do everything possible to protect the ones he loved.

I was now laying inside the parlor on Hardy's lap trying to get the repeating backyard scene out of my mind but it just kept coming back. All the shocked faces and screams seemed like they just happened.

They would haunt me for the rest of my life.

Thankfully, Hardy was being more supportive than he already was, telling the family that I just needed a few moments to calm down.

"Miss Grace," Stanley handed me a glass of something bubbly; ginger-ale. "It'll clam your nerves a little more."

"Thank you, Stanley." I smiled the biggest I could which wasn't so big but it worked. The drink also worked in calming me; my body settled down and gave me some energy, enough of it to crawl up to Hardy's face which he welcomed.

"Feeling better?" He asked, his lightening blue eyes searching my plain brown ones.

"I will." My hand went through his hair and I leaned in the kiss him tenderly.

"Thanks for being my lap to lay on."

"I love you, Grace Stewart," He pulled back a few strands of hair back. "There isn't much I wouldn't do for you."

"Let's go; Mama and the rest are probably worried 'bout me."

"Probably?" Hardy raised an eyebrow while he picked me up and we walked to another room where the rest were sitting. Mama looked up from sitting next to Sam and placed James, who was sitting on her lap, to the couch before coming to me.

"How are you?" She hugged me warmly. "Better?" I nodded.

"Danny hasn't come back yet?" Panic slid into my voice. A million things ran through my mind all leading to one thing; the shooters.

"Don't worry. I told him to call every fifteen minutes. Brenda's with him."

"I'm back already." Danny's voice traveled throughout the house and I rushed to see him. Now more than ever, I was happier to see him.

"Good." Susan smiled. "Now we can all try to relax. Tea?"

After the boys and Stanley went to clean up outside, we had a decent dinner. Now, it was time rest. Everyone walked upstairs at the same time but walked into different rooms.

"Night." Hardy and I yelled to both sides of the hallway before closing the door, leaning on it and closing my eyes. A sigh of relief went through me; thank God the day was over. Hardy was staring at me when I opened my eyes on a darting gaze with those incredible blue eyes.

"Come here." Automatically, I went into his arms as he guided me to the shower.

"This is the second time I'm doing this when you've had a bad day."

"At least you'll be here with me." I smiled, loosening his shirt buttons. He pulled me into the shower and I was a goner. With all those kisses and touches, I was surprised I was still standing.

"I love you, Grace Stewart." Hardy whispered into my hair. The surge of happiness that went through me couldn't be helped.

"I love you, Hardison Hale." We turned off the water and got dressed.

"Then show me." He replied, pulling back the sheets on the bed. Knowing what he meant, I snuggled as close as possible to him; he didn't mean sex, just someone to be there with him in the morning.