In A Different Time

Chapter 32

James Ryder POV

A smile on my lips as I check the backyard, happy with the result that George and I worked on since 2:00 pm. His happiness was glowing and anytime he could start skipping on his feet. When I told him I ended my relationship with Lucinda and I'm in love with Grace, he congratulated me and squeezed me tightly in his arms. I don't know which he was happy about, ending things with Lucinda or my love for Grace. Maybe both. He happily helped me with the dinner arrangement I planned for Grace. I checked the time and it's almost 6:00 pm. She could be home any minute now.

Before leaving Martin's place, I asked him if he could invite her over to their house while I set up my backyard. He came up with an excuse of how he needed her help in the kitchen and also with the help of his two daughters and wife, they kept her occupied the whole afternoon. I called in to check on them and instantly smiled when I heard her laugh in the background. I almost forgot my purpose why I called him. He told me Grace and the girls were having fun playing tea parties and coloring. Annabelle, Martin's wife, excitedly shared recipes with Grace and also was happy to be taught how to bake. Wherever you put her, people will always open up to her easily. She draws people in with her warmth and genuinely cares for their well-being and it's one of the things I love about her.

I went to a lot of stores today just so I can make this evening perfect. I went to get groceries for dinner and asked George to help me cook her favorite dish, Chicken Curry. I locked that information into my brain as well as her other favorite things even if she only mentioned it one time. I went back to the boutique where I first brought Grace to buy her clothes. Donna assisted me in finding the perfect gift. I remember her telling me the name of the saleslady who helped her and I thanked her when I came into the store for the help she did with Grace. She asked how she was doing and told me how lovely she was and misses her. I told her she was fine and I asked for her help to pick a gift for my surprise dinner date I planned for Grace. I smirked when she gave me a disapproving look and tried to find an excuse not to help me. I'm impressed how much she cares for her despite meeting her once. So, I pulled her to the side and explained everything to her. Donna contained her squeal and excitement when I shared the news and agreed to keep it a secret. I laughed when she told me she never liked Lucinda.

Donna took me to the backroom and showed me the jewelry that will be displayed next week. Since it's a special occasion, I was the first one to see and also the first one to buy the jewelry. One piece of jewelry caught my attention and I pointed it to Donna. She smiled in approval of my choice and it makes me proud to find something that reflects Grace. It will look beautiful on her. She placed it safely in the box and I hugged her, thanking her for the help. Wishing me good luck, I left the boutique and hurried home to prepare dinner. By the side of the boutique, there was a mother and daughter selling flowers. Luckily, they have pink carnations, which is Grace's favorite since she told me one time when she was gardening back at Dotty's house. I paid for the flowers and requested the mother to use a blue ribbon because it's her favorite color. I gave them an extra tip and they thanked me. I smiled and said my goodbyes.

Cooking was a challenge but with George's help I was able to make the Chicken Curry edible. I just hope she'll like it. George set up the table with a white tablecloth and brought out the finest china for the dinner. Also, to make it more romantic he added candlelight and a few carnation petals on the table. I brought out my music recorder and put it on the record. The song Earth Angel fits us so perfectly.
Hearing the front door brought me out of my thoughts. My heart raced when I heard her voice. George is now guiding her towards the backyard and I took the bouquet from the table. I turned on the recorder and music started playing in the background. I stood by the table and smiled as she came into view.

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Grace Michaels POV

I was wondering why George is leading me to the backyard when I'm supposed to be in the kitchen to prepare dinner. Also, I'm curious why he was smiling at me like he was excited.

"Um... George? Why are you smiling like that?" I asked him.

He remained smiling and replied. "I'm just really happy Grace. That's all."

I nodded and decided to let go. There was music coming from the backyard and I was about to ask when he held up a finger and told me to wait. He opened the door for me and gestured for me to enter. I awkwardly smiled and raised an eyebrow but entered anyway.

My eyes widened as I saw the backyard with Christmas lights, a romantic dinner set by the table and standing there was the man I love holding a bouquet of pink carnations and he had my favorite smile on his face. Earth Angel playing in the background making the scene even more romantic.

"What's all of this?" I questioned trying not to get my hopes up thinking he's doing this all for me. It could be for Lucinda which sucks for me.

"This is all for you." He grinned and handed me the bouquet. "I remembered you said you love pink carnations and I cooked Chicken Curry for our dinner."

"Chicken Curry for dinner? Wait, this is for me? Why? What's the occasion?"

"Celebration because I broke up with Lucinda."

"What?! You guys broke up? That's so sad! Are you okay... Why do you look so happy?" Breakups are hard and heartbreaking but by looking at James he seems to be taking it pretty well or maybe he's hiding the pain from me. I placed the bouquet on the table and wrapped my arms around him, patting his back comfortingly. "It's okay. You don't have to hide it from me. It's fine if you're heartbroken by this. Do you want to get ice cream?"

He gently pulled away just by an inch and placed his hands on my waist. I could feel my cheeks burning from how intimate our situation is. His eyes softened as he stared down at me. "I'm not heartbroken Grace. As a matter of fact, I'm the one who ended it. I'm very happy right now."

"You are? But what happened? You two are okay. Did something happen? Did you guys fight?"

"The relationship wasn't going anywhere. To be honest, what we have is just an arrangement we agreed to make us look good in front of the cameras. To promote our movies together. The fans love the idea we were in a relationship in real life and not just on screen. But I realized it wasn't the type of relationship I wanted and I don't see Lucinda in my future. So, the moment we came back from Boston, I went to her to break up but you wouldn't believe what I witnessed when she opened the door."
"What? What did you see?"

"Her with messy hair and smudged lipstick and a shirtless Luca Bianchi on the couch."

My eyes widened in shock. "The hell! She's cheating on you! That no good wench! You know what?! I'm going to march right over there and pull that hair sprayed hair of hers! I'm going to pull it so hard—" he firmly but still gently made me stay in my place.

"No need to get all violent but I appreciate you reacting this way and avenging me but it doesn't matter. We were never going to work and we are too different from each other." he grinned and tucked my hair behind my ear. "I'm ready to move forward with my life with someone special."

"You're right. You'll find someone much better than your wicked ex. And it's good you're moving forward." I agreed to everything he said. It just breaks my heart to see that someday he's going to find someone who'll make him happy and possibly get married. My heart clenched and threw away the image in my head of him getting married.

His head tilted to the side and smiled softly at me. "I already found my special someone."

Alright, ouch! So soon. Didn't even give me enough time to emotionally prepare myself.

I cleared my throat. "T-That's great news! I'm so happy for you! Really. Do I know her?"

"Yes you do." He smiled even wider.

"Oh? Who?"

"You."