All or Nothing at All (Stevens Book 3)

Chapter 22

Grace followed Richard as he led the way toward the dining room, and she felt as if she was being led to her to execution. She could hear Melinda saying good morning and how nice it was to see everyone again, and as she saw Grace stop next to her she began to mention the previous evening and how much she had enjoyed herself.

Grace stood behind her, just outside the door, hoping she wouldn't be noticed.

"Grace?" she heard Elizabeth's friendly voice call, and she didn't know why but the sound of it made her want to burst into tears.

Melinda moved forward, allowing Grace to enter the room behind her. Her gaze swept the room taking in all of the Stevens clan plus a few faces she didn't recognize. She wouldn't let herself stop at Bryce, she wanted to, but all she noted was has broad frame at one end of the table.

"It's so lovely to see you again my dear." Elizabeth came around the table and gave Grace a warm hug. She closed her eyes to fight off the tears and when she opened them she was looking directly at Bryce. He looked tired but good. She didn't attempt to smile or acknowledge him in any way.

Elizabeth stood back and included Melinda in an invitation for them both to join the family for lunch. Knowing she couldn't get out of it, she watched as Melinda walked around the table to the buffet and loaded up a plate. There were only two spots at the table and one was where Melinda had grabbed a plate from so she sat at the only one remaining which was on Bryce's left and near the door.

"Aren't you going to eat my dear?" Elizabeth asked as she took her seat at the other end of the table.

"No, thank you." She didn't dare reach for the glass of water that was in front of her for fear the Bryce would see her hand shaking. She could feel the tension radiating off of him as he leaned back in his chair watching her and his family. He was livid, and she had no doubt it was her that he was mad at.

"Grace, why didn't you let us know that you were here? We would have loved to have seen you last night at dinner." Elizabeth went back to eating her meal as did some of the others. Grace let her gaze land on each of them doing her best to smile.

"I'm Quinn by the way and this is my wife Dana." The tall blond man who she didn't recognize introduced himself and the woman sitting next to him.

"Grace." She nodded to him and his lovely wife, recalling that Quinn was the third son and the only one she had never met.

Elizabeth was still waiting for an answer. "I'm only here for a short time so it hardly seemed worth it to intrude on your plans." She didn't know if her excuse was accepted or not but no one called her on it as a general discussion began about why they were all there and how exciting it all was.

"Why are you here, Grace?" Bryce's voice asked from her left. She almost jumped out of her seat at the sound of it saying her name.

There was a sudden silence. Bryce hadn't even raised his voice to be heard above the others but they had heard anyway.

"Cybil had her baby, and she asked if I would come and help on the site until she could return," Grace said, trying to keep it simple so the Melinda wouldn't get her feelings hurt. Although Grace doubted that she had any feelings to hurt as she watched her happily munching away, watching her along with all of the others.

"Oh did she, how wonderful, was it a boy or a girl?" Elizabeth asked with motherly concern.

"It was a baby boy, and they named him Kent." She cleared her throat nervously as she felt Bryce's stare. "Both mother and baby are healthy, and she hopes to return to work in August."

She knew he wasn't satisfied with her vague answer. "I thought that's why Melinda was here."

She looked right at him with her most lethal stare. "I was asked to come so I came." She was glad that her voice was level.