Joshua's Grace

Chapter 16 (1)

When Ben opened the door to his eldest daughter he found her standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks. She made no effort to hide her anguish.

"Grace? What's happened love?" He pulled her into the house and to him, holding her close to him.

Angie appeared. She frowned and looking worried came over to her daughter. Grace flew into her mother's arms.

"I'm an idiot." she hiccuped. "I can't believe I threw myself at him."

"It's alright, it's o.k. " Her mother cooed and soothed, "Come on, come on. That's enough now, come on Grace." She kept holding her daughter and murmuring over and over until Grace stopped sobbing. Angie took her through the house onto the back deck and Ben followed. Ben hurriedly pulled out a chair for Grace to sit in.

Grace brushed her tears away with the heels of her hands. "I must look a real sight." She sniveled as she wiped the remnants of tears away with her finger tips. She did look a sight, her eyes were red, and puffy, her hair was in disarray where her mother had stroked and calmed, and she was sniveling.

"I've seen you look better." Her mother told her.

Ben handed Grace his handkerchief. She blew noisily.

"How can I love a manwho has got less intelligence than the whole flea population in New Zealand."She grimaced "And is even less faithful and honest and .." She started to cry again

It was many minutes later that Grace finally calmed down and told her parents what she had stumbled upon.

"Oh darling, I don't think he's interested in Lysette." Angie told her as she kept her arm around Grace's shoulders.

"So what are you saying? That he goes around kissing any female who turns up for breakfast?"

"Grace. The man loves you." Ben told her.

"Damn funny way of showing it. Kissing that blonde tramp." She retorted angrily. She felt miserable, jealous, angry, hurt and so confused. How could he? How could he do that to her? He knew she was upstairs, he knew....

"I mean, I really love him dad. I've done everything to show him how much. I love him. Why me? I hate this. I...." She started crying again.

"I don't know what this is about but I am going to find out." Ben stated as his daughter once again tried unsuccessfully to stop crying.

"Where are you going?" Grace asked when her father stood up.

"To talk to him. Or give him a swift hard kick up his backside."

"Hello?" Called a deep male voice which they all recognized instantly.

"Oh good, he's saved me the drive."

"I'm not here." Whispered Grace frantically, flying to her feet, scrubbing at her eyes and wiping her nose, all in one moment.

Too late. He came round the corner.
"Good. You are here." He actually sounded pleased to see her. 

"Of course I'm here you obtuse man."

Her furious eyes flashed angrily as he came nearer. So she was a sight, but if he thought he could just turn up and pretend, he had another thing coming.

"Grace." Angie remonstrated, but she too, flashed Joshua a speaking glance.

"What do you want?" Grace demanded angrily. She wrapped her arms around her midriff and stood there glaring at him.

It would have been difficult not to notice that she had been crying. He was tempted to just take her in his arms and kiss the evidence of her tears away. But then he remembered what he'd been telling himself all the way over here. If he hadn't relied on his ability to demonstrate his love for her, to convince her, they wouldn't be in this mess now. No, he was going to spell things out. Make sure she knew exactly what he felt, and not leave her to figure it out. He had spent months showing her how much he loved her, now he was going to tell her.

"Why were you crying?" 

"None of your damn business."

He raised his eyebrows at her tone. "I want to talk to you. You flew out of the house without any explanation."

Ben moved toward his wife, "Angie, I'll take you to golf after all." He took his wife's arm and began to walk toward the ranch slider. Angie let herself be led away after she had flashed her husband a questioning glance and received an answer all in the space of a second.

"Dad." wailed Grace in dismay. Her panic was visible to everyone. "Be nice to him Grace." Her father said cheerily.

Joshua stepped onto the deck. As Ben passed Joshua, he stopped to whisper, "Upset her again and you'll need a dentist." Then Ben stepped through the doorway and was gone. Joshua waited until he heard the car pull away. Grace initially waited for Joshua to say something. But when he still hadn't spoken after several seconds her apprehension, mixed with anger, took over.