Grounded by Neta Jackson Page A

mother’s plaintive voice from the kitchen. “I just don’t understand!”
    And her brother’s still angry voice: “Jerk has no idea he just lost the best fish in the sea.”

    As hard as it’d been to tell them she’d been dumped, the Sunday afternoon with family felt like a soothing balm for Grace’s wounds. They built a fire in the family room fireplace, and Denise served hot cider with cinnamon sticks and peppermint ice cream as they played a cutthroat game of Scrabble—a Meredith tradition. But her parents had to leave around five, heading back to Indianapolis—a four-hour drive—and Grace said she’d better get going too. Mark followed her out to the car.
    â€œIf you want me to go punch his lights out, just say the word, Sis.”
    She shook her head with a sad smile. “Thanks, Mark. I’ll let you know.”
    â€œHey, sorry I didn’t get over to shovel your walks. Maybe I can drop by tomorrow. I’ll look at my—”
    â€œIt’s okay. I paid a neighbor kid to shovel. Did a pretty good job.”
    Her brother looked surprised. “Really? Thought you didn’t know anybody.”
    â€œWell, I don’t really. But I met the family next door, some of them anyway, and they seem real nice. Tavis shoveled the walks. He’s a twin. Cute kid. Thirteen.”
    â€œThirteen. Hmm, never did think of thirteen as a cute age. All that angst. Kind of dreading it.”
    She leaned over and kissed her brother on the cheek. “Marcus and Luke are going to be
fine
. But good luck with the drums.”
    She got in her car, waved good-bye, and backed out of the driveway.
    Daylight was fading fast and traffic was still heavy going back toward Chicago, but she felt relieved. She’d dreaded telling her parents about the breakup. Her mom had been so excited about getting to be mother of the bride—a whole different role than the mother of the groom she’d been at Tim’s and Mark’s weddings. And she knew her parents were a little anxious that she was almost thirty and not yet married. Tim had gotten married right out of college and he and Nellie had pre-teens already as well as a surprise baby, who was now three—all girls. They lived in Colorado Springs and she didn’t get to see her nieces very often. At least she had Mark and Denise and the boys nearby. Family. What a gift.
    But … there was a lot she hadn’t told them. She just felt so weary. There’d be time to tell them about canceling the sweetheart banquet in Milwaukee next weekend—surely they’d understand
that
. She did tell them she had an appointment with a throat specialist tomorrow. After that, maybe she’d need their counsel—and surely their prayers—about what to do about her upcoming bookings and the West Coast tour this spring. And the switch in her booking agent …
    Oh. She still hadn’t called Jeff Newman back about him stopping over in Chicago to see her on Tuesday! Guess she couldn’t put that off any longer. Why not meet the guy … she’d give him a tentative okay, and let him know for sure after her doctor’s appointment tomorrow.

Chapter 12
    Grace stood at her kitchen window Tuesday morning, wondering why she hadn’t heard from Jeff Newman. It had started snowing during the night and was still falling lightly and getting foggy. His plane was probably late.
    Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t like she had to convince him to take her on as a client. She was already well established with the agency, and Newman had said the switch was simply a client overload for her agent. But was he experienced? He’d sounded a lot younger than Fowler.
    Regardless, he wasn’t going to be happy when she told him the otolaryngologist had strongly recommended a monthlong rest of her voice and treatments by a speech therapist to restrengthen her vocal chords. Besides the viral infection that