Sylvia Grace

Chapter 4

"So what's your story big guy?"  Grace's inquiring eyes found Taylor's.  Everyone turned to look at him then.
Great.  Taylor thought, he loved being put on the spot.  Usually he was the one asking questions.  He was trying to play it cool and just blend in as much as possible to get in with the locals and gather info.
"Not much to tell really.  I travel a lot for work and I've been through here once before.  I decided this would be a nice, quiet place for a vacation."  Everyone except Grace nodded, thinking it was a likely story.  In their minds this was the perfect place for a busy business man to slow down.  But Grace didn't really buy it.  She saw what they didn't, where they saw a capable young man she saw a man close to her own age, a ladies man who was probably pretty used to female attention and big parties.
"I don't know if I buy that.  You're story isn't as far out there as ol' slimeball's was but my bullshit meter is still going off.  You've got the look of someone needing to slow down but I don't know if you even believe that a nice quiet place is where you wanted to vacation."
"No ma'am.  That's the truth.  If you'd been on the road as long as I have you'd be ready for a slow down too."  Funny thing was, now he was being completely honest with her.
"Ok, we'll see how long you last around here."  Grace laughed again.  "I'm outta here boys."  She said pushing up from the table.  "Daylight's burning.  See y'all in the morning."  They all waved and said goodbye to her.
Grace went over to where Becky was busy rolling silverware and sat down to help her get through the pile she had.  Becky was always fun to do side work with after a morning shift.  She always had gossip from what had happened down at the beach the night before with the tourist crowd.

Taylor hung back with the older gentlemen.  There was something interesting about Grace and these three might have some information worth hearing.  Before Grace was even away from the group good, Ernie was already handing out warnings, and some info.
"So young man," he began seeing Taylor's eyed following Grace.  "I see you're interested in our Grace.  Don't be thinking about playing any games with her.  She's not on the vacation tour, if you catch what I'm meaning."
"How long have the three of you known Grace?  I heard her tell ol' Dude that she didn't grow up here but you guys are fretting over her like nervous grandpas."  Taylor questioned looking at all three of them and side stepping Ernie's statement.
Ernie laughed, "I guess we have started looking at her like that.  She's easy to feel protective over.  I don't think she's had an easy go of life.  She's hard working and stubborn thought.  Hell, I'd be proud if she was my grand-daughter.  Any of us would be."  He said looking around the table and getting nods of agreement.
Taylor decided after a moment of thought that they were right, there was something about her that made you want to protect her.  And he wanted to find out why.
"Well gentlemen, if it's ok, I'd like to join you tomorrow morning for breakfast."  After they'd nodded and agreed that they thought that would be a fine idea, Taylor said goodbye to them and Grace and left to explore the town and see if this might be the place Kleckley's daughter had run to.

The town wasn't hard to find your way around and there wasn't much to see really.  It made short work of trying to find any information.  Taylor was discreet about his questions, pretending to be interesting in moving to the small community.  People were welcoming and excited for new neighbors; in fact the last transplant to Trinidad had been Grace, almost six months ago.  Although no one knew her story about where she had come from or why she had relocated to her father's beach house, they were all of the same opinion.  Grace was well liked in the community.
Taylor was well aware that he had been sent out here to do a job; however he couldn't stop thinking about Grace and put his mind fully on the task of looking for Kleckley's daughter.  And I didn't help that she seemed to be everywhere in this town.  She wasn't even his type.  Usually trashier girls caught his attention; too much makeup, clothes too tight or showing some skin.  But Grace was nothing like that.  She was athletically built with feminine curves, long dark hair and tan.  Not the fake, orange tan of his normal selection.  This was a beautiful, having spent time outside glow.
Benny would have his nuts if he knew the kind of brain power he was wasting on a local.  Sitting in his hotel room he tried to figure out if this feeling that he was in the right place was his gut or if it was because he was attracted to the waitress.  After spending several minuets debating the subject with himself, he just decided to try and push aside the attraction and see if his gut was right.  Today he would hit up some of the more touristy parts of the beaches and in the morning he would join the guys and question them a little more.
For the following week he had a routine; early breakfast with three old dudes, a hot waitress and sometimes a creepy hitman, then scout out the town, making wider circles towards the surrounding neighborhoods and small towns.