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2023-05-15 20:22:58The sky was clear, for a day in the middle of July when the weather forecast had announced an eighty percent rate of precipitation for today, but he didn't care about that right now. Noah Roberts just needed to get a cup or two of coffee into his system to start his day, before heading to the hospital.
He had gracefully slept at home last night after his surgery had been canceled but it was scheduled for three o’clock this afternoon. As he parked his Chevrolet Silverado, he glanced up in the sky, and then around the street. The rain might pour, but the clear sky was deceiving. Shaking his head, he waved at the bakery owner on the other side of the street, before turning to go into the coffee shop. “Hey, Char.” He greeted as he saw his cousin's sister walk around the counter to assume her position as the barrister. She made amazing coffee with different designs. “Hey, cousin. You look well-rested today.” She said. "The usual, please." He said as he walked up to her. Before he could sit down on one of the high seats, he heard a car park outside and he looked at the black car and squinted his eyes, seeing as she had never seen it around before. He watched the car door open, and the woman with straight black hair climbed out. She was wearing a blue and pink sundress that reached the place above her knee, with sneakers on her feet. As she looked around the street, he watched her carefully, his eyes roaming over her figure. He had not seen her face yet, but it was as if he knew her, whatever the reason for feeling like that was. Sighing, he turned to face Charlotte. "You get customers like this, huh?” She grinned with a shake of her head. "Customers like what?" she asked. "If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn you like what you see.” She said. Noah thought about that, and then he realized that it might be true. It was a foreign thought and feeling, but it didn't feel weird. He drank the coffee that Charlotte placed in front of him in one go, feeling it go around his body, waking him extra. He stood up, seeing as he wouldn't need another cup, and then he asked. "Do you need me to grab out your trash?” he asked, and when she nodded, he walked to the back and out the door of the kitchen with the trash, his mind still thinking about the woman out front. Dusting his hands as soon as he dumped the trash in the huge can in the alley behind Charlotte’s shop, he decided to walk around the shop and get in from the front. Maybe he would catch the woman still out there. As he got back to the front of the shop, she was already inside the shop, but he saw her falling backward, right after a jump. Quickly, he moved forward and caught her wrist before she could meet with the floor in front of her, then something weird happened. He saw her froze, felt it too, and all he could do was frown. Noah had only thought to grab a cup of coffee before heading to work, but he never thought he would be rescuing a damsel in distress, or that the damsel would find him so frightening she would freeze like this. It took everything in him not to yank his hand away from her wrist because that would make her fall again, since she hadn't gained her stand. “Are you all right?” he asked, offering her a small smile to help her feel a little bit at ease. The woman looked at him over her shoulder, her green eyes popping out like the forests before the mountains that were sounding their town. He could tell she was from out of town, in fact, she had come a long way from out of town. Her eyes widened for a few seconds before she swallowed visibly. Noah wondered why she was acting that way, but then, he was a huge man, and very tall at six feet four, making him tower above her. Well, he towered above most women and men. The woman nodded her head slowly, biting her red cherry lips, calling his attention to her mouth. He was surprised yet again, the feeling that assaulted him. He didn't usually get that kind of feeling, and neither did he encouraged it, but here it was. Noah knew women always want his attention, but he had never given that to anyone. He just couldn't. He had been betrayed five years ago when his supposed fiancé had run off town with another man, right after Noah proposed to her with a forty five thousand dollar ring that had been passed down generations in his family. Must be the feeling he always had right after a shot of caffeine mixed in his bloodstream. That was all it could be. “Thank, you!” she said, yanking her wrist from his hand, before walking to Charlotte. Noah frowned again at her reaction, but he shrugged his shoulder. At least, she had the decency to appreciate what he did for her. Shaking his head, he gestured with his hand raised over his head at his cousin and mouthed that he had to leave. With her smile at him and a nod of her head, he walked out of the coffee shop.Related chapters
Saving Grace 3.
Grace was sorry for acting like she did, but she couldn't help being nervous. And she hated people putting their hands on her. “May I help you?” The woman asked, and she looked up at her, realizing that she had been staring at the counter for a couple of minutes or so.Clearing her throat, she offered the woman who was staring at her from behind the counter like she was two-headed a small smile. "Huh, sorry. I would like to grab a hot cup of coffee.” That was all she could manage before a clap of thunder in the distance roared behind her, and she ducked, grabbing the counter so hard her knuckles turned white from holding it too much. Shaking violently, she started to hyperventilate, her throat closing in on her. She heard the woman rush around the counter to her, and then she heard the doorbell sound again as the door to the coffee shop opened.They must be getting another customer, but she was here displaying her innermost insecurity right in the middle of the day because the loud
Last Updated : 2023-05-15Saving Grace 4.
Grace opened her eyes slowly, and a white bright light blinded her for three solid seconds. She closed her eyes tightly after and blinked it open again, her eyes adjusting to the light. She looked above her, and then she tried moving her head around to see where she was. She didn't have to though, if her senses had picked up on the beeping sound that came from a hospital monitor. She was in a hospital, a hospital a stranger had brought her in on the first day in town. Fuck! What was she going to do now? She was going to have to leave here and go somewhere else. It was either that or risk being known by other people. Too much was at stake here already to be discovered. She had been exposed to people noticing her and that was the last thing she wanted. She was worried a lot about a lot of things, and how to get out of there without being noticed, get to her car, and get out of town were at the top of the priority list. Looking from left to right, there was no one there in the room
Last Updated : 2023-05-15Saving Grace 5.
Noah saw the fear enter her eyes the moment Gavin mentioned the interrogation, and again, he frowned. As he had predicted before, something was wrong, something he couldn't quite place his fingers on, but all he could deduce from the situation, was that she was running from something or someone; if the weird scars the female nurses had found on her body was anything to go by. He hadn't seen it himself, but Dr. Gavin had seen the pictures they took of it. The nurses had been forced to snap it when they were changing her out of her sundress. Whoever had inflicted those wounds had made sure to never put them where they would be visible. She was surely not the one that did that to herself. He would be going there to check it out after this. “Huh, why?” Grace’s voice came out suddenly in a question. It was Gavin that answered before he could. "Because we noticed something weird about you that we were forced to report.” He said. She tried to sit up, but Noah quickly helped her raise t
Last Updated : 2023-05-15Saving Grace 6.
Ultimately, the only way she could be at ease was to get this over with, or better, run off before the cops arrived, but now, they were here. She looked from one of the cops to the other, as they introduced themselves to be the deputies of the sheriff's department. She wondered what was going through their mind as they sat there, staring at her. The best thing she could think of was that they would see her as a pitiful woman who had no respect and value for herself that she was. She wished she was brave enough to dispute that, argue with the thought if that was what they were thinking but she just about sat there mute. As promised, Dr. Noah Roberts was sitting with her as they questioned her, but all she could say was no comment so they were now in the staring phase. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the doctor gesturing to one of them to cancel the interrogation, or at least, that was what she thought he was doing. Looking back to the deputies, she saw one of them sigh with a
Last Updated : 2023-06-18Saving Grace 7.
Noah wanted to laugh at the hotel look on Grace’s face as her stomach made that sound. He could tell that she was embarrassed if the blush climbing up her neck to her face was anything to go by. He glanced at her to see her covering her stomach with both her hands, and he almost chuckled again. There was something about the way she looked that made him want to laugh even though he rarely laugh at anything. “It's fine, Grace. You don't have to be embarrassed.” He said, just as he started the car. When she refused to answer him, he sighed and continued driving. A thought occurred to him, and he realized he wouldn't be going straight home after dropping her off as he had planned. He remembered that she was new in town, and had just arrived this morning, so she probably had no place to stay. But, that wasn't the problem though, the problem was that the two hotels that were in town were probably all booked because of the wedding that was happening on Saturday between his brother and th
Last Updated : 2023-06-19Saving Grace 8.
Noah was still sitting in his cousin’s coffee shop, wondering where Grace went and why she had decided to leave on her own without even a goodbye, when all he wanted to do and had done so far was to help her. He shook his head, surprised that she would even leave the way she did when all he wanted was to help her get a place to sleep tonight. Does that mean that he wouldn't be able to see her again? That it was the first and the last time he would see her or even talk to her? What could she have been running from so bad that she had not even cared about herself before heading out of town this late? "She's gone, Char.” He said when Charlotte came back out. By that time, the customers in the whole were almost gone, so he could talk here without worrying about someone hearing him. The grandmother clock on the wall told him it was late, which meant that it wasn't completely safe for a woman to be out there alone by herself. There was no reason he should be worried, seeing as he had j
Last Updated : 2023-06-19Saving Grace 9.
Nightmare was something Charlotte only see people experience in a movie, or read in a book, but she never thought she would see someone experiencing it. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she wasn't sure what woke her. The whimpering sound coming from Grace, or the fact that she needed to use the bathroom, either way, the latter didn't seem as important now as the former. If anything, it had seemed to disappear. There was something about the way Grace moved on the foldable bed she had placed on the floor beside her own bed for her the night before when she had brought her home, that made it seem like she was fighting someone. Right now, all Charlotte could do was sit on her bed and stare at her. Grace had both her hands in the air like she was trying to push someone off her when no one was there, and occasionally, one of her hands would fly to her neck and she would drag down the old t-shirt she had worn as a nightwear as if it was choking her. At some point, she even made
Last Updated : 2023-06-20Saving Grace 10.
"And you think that’s appropriate?” Noah asked his cousin as he sat on the high stand in front of her across the counter. She had asked him if he would like to rent one of the rooms in his house to Grace. He looked behind his shoulder to Grace who sat on one of the chairs in the shop, picking the beans to make the coffee. He had no idea why the beans was needed to be picked anyway because he knew nothing about coffee. “You know the ball is in your court, but if you still want to help her, then it's your window to do so,” Charlotte said. Noah thought about that, and he wondered what he should do. They hadn't talked about anything else since she asked him here this morning thankfully, he was on night duty today, so there was no rush at all. He glanced at Grace again, and she was still engrossed in what she was doing. He sure loved that she had a little bit of color on her face today, and she was wearing the appropriate cloth for the weather; a fitted pair of blue jeans, and a green s
Last Updated : 2023-06-20
Latest chapter
Saving Grace 75
Talking about using herself as bait when she realized Jack had came to town.“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked with a frown on her face as she looked at Grace panting.Grace put one hand on her chest and the other was pointed outside the door of the shop. “He’s here, Charlotte. My ex husband is here.” She said, swallowing at the same time, talking.She had gone out to take the trash when she saw him down the road on the main street seeing as she had decided to take the front.She was scared, or maybe she was more than scared. She wanted to go hide somewhere, anywhere at all, wherever it was that he wouldn’t find her.“What? Are you sure?” Charlotte asked, the distress showing right there on her face. She was sure that she was going to have a heart attack if care wasn’t taken because of how hard her heart was thumping against her rib cage. Nodding as she looked from Charlotte to the door, she said. “Yes. I’m sure he’s the one I saw.” She said.“Okay, you know what?” Charlotte asked w
Saving Grace 74
Charleston, West VirginiaFBI BuildingWhen Agent Conner walked into the observation room the afternoon of that Saturday, he didn’t think he would see their boss, the deputy director, Mr. Jimmy, and a junior agent, Agent Smith in there.He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white and black striped shirt inside it, and he stood there in front of the one way mirror with his arms folded across his chest.“Sir,” he greeted him with a nod.“Agent Conner.” Mr. Jimmy nodded at him and then he greeted Smith then he sighed, before turning back to look through the one way mirror, where Agent Ezekiel sat and on the opposite side of the chair, was Jack Northland and Mr. Darien, his lawyer.The bastard had lawyered up the moment Zeke had mentioned warehouse to him. “What has the bastard said?” Conner asked looking at his junior colleague, but Agent Smith just shook his head. He hadn’t said anything, Conner thought. If the shake of his boss’s head was any indication.Conner furrowed his brow, pond
Saving Grace 73
The small, secluded corner of the charity event became the stage for a confronting Jack, and it was as if Grace couldn’t think of anything than what they had planned, as she stared at Jack’s face. He looked as if he could have shot her if they were alone, but thankfully, they weren’t. Zeke’s penetrating gaze fixed on Jack, looking at him with reproach, something to mirror the exact way Grace felt.“You’ve been walking a tightrope, Jack,” Zeke said, his voice carrying a weighty seriousness. “But the act ends now.”There was nothing Grace could do but let Zeke take the lead, but at the moment, she seemed to have lost her voice and things seemed to be like a dream. She couldn’t believe in a million years she would be able to do a thing like this, confronting Jack, a man who had made her suffer all those years ago, like this.Jack’s facade flickered briefly, a moment of uncertainty crossing his face before he regained composure. “I’m not following,” he retorted, striving to mask his grow
Saving Grace 72
Grace’s heart pounded with nervous anticipation as the car pulled up in front of the grand entrance to the charity event. “Be still, my heart.” She whispered.If this was some other day when she wasn’t so tensed and nervous, she would have thrown her head back and laughed at the ridiculousness of her words to steady herself.No one said words like that anymore, talk less, to themselves. She clutched her purse to herself as Noah offered her his hand to pull her out of the back of the limo Zeke had arranged. According to him, they needed to arrive in style, so that people would know they were of importance, as that would aid their plans for the night.The swarm of reporters and flashing cameras waiting outside made her feel uneasy, but there was a faint sense of relief knowing that anything that transpired tonight would be caught on camera, dissuading Jack from trying anything untoward.As she held unto Noah’s hand, she felt as if she could conquer the whole world, his confidence radiat
Saving Grace 71
Being tensed doesn’t even began to explain how Grace was feeling as she sat in the hotel room in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with anticipation and dread. They were back in San Diego, according to Zeke’s request that they attend Jack’s charity event he was hosting with some people.He said he suspected that this was how they had been able to keep under the radar for a long while, and he wanted them to show up there.So, being nervous and tensed was just an understatement. If anything, she was scared, and the way her heart was leaping hard in her throat, pumping hard against her rib cage, was indication enough.Her hands trembled as she attempted to apply a touch of makeup, but her nerves made the task difficult. Tonight was the night she would confront her ex-husband, Jack, face-to-face for the first time since she ran away from him.Zeke’s plan echoed in her mind, the fact that he had said they had to attend this charity event, hosted by Jack and his associ
Saving Grace 70
Back in West Valley Rocks, Grace and Noah became even more discreet about things than ever, but they were doing as Zeke had asked them to be. Things were a bit tough, between going to work, and making sure to close early, and driving back home to ensure no one from Diana came to threaten her again.Noah had insisted actually, but she didn’t want to have to be that scared anymore. Now, she was eased into closing early and getting back home early where it was save.Speaking of Diana, according to Noah, who wanted to meet with her and ask her about sending that man, she was nowhere to be found in town, so maybe she had skipped town, or at least, that was what Grace believed.Anyway, after work today, she had decided to make some pot roast she would be taking with her over to Noah’s parents, as they had invited a small number of people over to their house to celebrate the success of Zeke and his wife’s wedding, and honeymoon.Grace shook her head when she remembered Tammy calling her to i
Saving Grace 69
The dimly lit apartment seemed smaller than usual as Noah and Grace stood facing each other, the tension thick between them. Grace’s hands trembled slightly as she struggled to articulate her fears. “Noah, I can’t do this anymore. We were so close to being caught tonight. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”Noah’s jaw clenched as he tried to maintain his resolve. “But Grace, we’re onto something. This isn’t just about us anymore. There’s something fishy going on in that warehouse, and I need to find out what it is.”“But at what cost, Noah?” Grace’s voice cracked, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “I can’t lose you. I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to you because of this.”He softened, realizing the depth of her distress. “I understand, Grace. I do. But if we stop now, we might never uncover the truth. I can’t just turn away.”They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their opposing desires pulling at the fabric of their rela
Saving Grace 68
The warm fragrance of sandalwood and man filled her nostrils, making her want to thread her fingers into the heavy waves of his hair, so she could hold him there and simply breathe in.They had just finished packing and Noah and came to her room to find her, to talk, but somehow, they had ended up in each other’s arms, his tongue down her throat.Her heart stuttered as he released her hands to slide one of his under her hair to the nape of her neck. The first brush of his mouth against hers had sent her eyelids drifting down so she could savor the firm warmth of the lipsHe traced the line between her lips with the tip of his tongue, not invading, just stroking lightly, shifting his weight so his thigh pressed between hers, the thin material of her skirt pulling tight around her hips to accommodate him.Grace moaned as she parted her lips, he swept inside, his tongue teasing the moist flesh of her mouth as he stroked it around, then he moved his leg between her thigh a little bit.It
Saving Grace 67
Grace sighed, feeling a mix of relief and regret. “Noah, I… I’m sorry,” she said, her voice tinged with remorse. “I had no idea you felt that way. I was hurt and confused, thinking I had repulsed you in anyway. I mean, I’ve seen how attractive your ex girlfriend looks, so...”She trailed off to look away from him, getting embarrassed from talking this close to him. He put his hand under her chin to raise her face to his, a small smile playing on his mouth.Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. The air seemed lighter, the tension that had loomed between them dissipating with the truth finally laid bare.“I realized what I should have done when I pulled back. I should have talked to you about it,” Noah admitted, a hint of remorse in his voice. “But when I heard that cry, all I wanted to do was beat myself up and just punish me for hurting you in whatever way.”Grace nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we both should have. But now that we’ve cleared that up…” She trailed o
