Falling For Gracie

Gracie watched her go, then opened the newspaper and prepared for a quiet morning. That afternoon she would be moving into the house she’d rented for the six weeks she would be in town, but until then, there was nothing to occupy her time except—

The back door burst open.

“Oh, good. You’re up.” Alexis, Gracie’s older sister by three years, glanced around. “Where’s Vivian?”

“Getting ready to go to the hardware store.”

Alexis frowned. “I thought she’d be gone already. Doesn’t the sidewalk sale start at eight?”

“I haven’t a clue,” Gracie admitted.

She’d been home all of two days and was still finding her bearings. While Alexis and Vivian had grown up in this house, Gracie had left the summer she turned fourteen and had never been back.

Alexis poured herself a cup of coffee and took the stool next to Gracie’s.

“We have to talk,” her older sister said in a low voice that shook slightly. “But you can’t tell Vivian. Or Mom. I don’t want them to worry. Not when they already have the wedding to deal with.”

“Okay,” Gracie said slowly, knowing there was no point in asking if everything was all right. If things were all right, Alexis wouldn’t be here demanding promises of confidentiality or looking panicked.

“It’s Zeke,” Alexis said, then pressed her lips together. “Dammit, I told myself I wouldn’t cry.”

Gracie tensed. Zeke and Alexis had been married for five years—happily from all accounts.

Alexis sucked in a breath, then let it out. “I think he’s having an affair.”

“What? That’s not possible. He’s crazy about you.”

“I thought so, too.” Alexis brushed her free hand across her eyes. “It’s just....” She paused as they heard thumping noises from overhead. “He disappears every night and doesn’t get back until three or four in the morning. When I ask him to tell me what’s going on, he says he’s working late on the campaign. But I don’t believe him.”

Gracie carefully closed the newspaper. “What campaign? Doesn’t Zeke sell insurance?”

“Yes, but he’s running Riley Whitefield’s campaign for mayor. I thought you knew.”

Gracie was more out of the loop than she’d realized. “When did that happen?”

“A few months ago. He hired Zeke because—”

Footsteps thundered on the stairs. Seconds later Vivian burst into the kitchen.

“Hey, Alexis,” she said as she fastened her long hair into a braid. “Want to take my place at the store today?”

“Not really.”

Vivian grinned. “It doesn’t hurt to ask. I’m off to do slave labor to pay for my wedding dress. Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone.”

The back door slammed shut behind her. A minute later, a car engine started, sputtered, then caught.

Alexis walked to the window over the sink and stared out toward the street. “Okay, she’s gone. Where were we?”

“You were telling me that your husband now works for Riley Whitefield. How did that happen?”

“Zeke spent two years after college working for a senator from Arizona.” Her worry faded a little as she faced Gracie and smiled. “I was at Arizona State and he...” Alexis shook her head. “God, that was a lifetime ago. I can’t believe he’d do this to me. I love him so much and I th-thought....” Her voice cracked. “What am I going to do?”

Gracie had the uneasy sensation of being trapped in the middle of a fun house. Nothing was as it seemed and she didn’t know her way out.

Sure, Alexis and Vivian were her sisters. Her family. They looked enough alike that no one could mistake the genetic connection. Long blond hair—pale for Alexis, strawberry for Vivian and gold for herself—big blue eyes and the same average body build. But she’d been doing this sister thing long distance for half her life. She didn’t know how to slide back into confidences and advice mode without a little warm-up.

“You don’t know for sure Zeke is doing anything,” Gracie said. “Maybe it is the campaign.”

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” She took a step forward.

Gracie got a bad feeling in her already queasy stomach. “I’m going to hate myself for asking, but how?”

“By spying on him. He’s supposed to have a meeting with Riley tonight and I’m going to be there.”

“Not the best idea in the world,” Gracie said as she reached for her coffee. “Trust me. I speak from experience. Riley experience.”

“I’m going to do it,” Alexis said, her eyes filling with tears, “and I need your help.”

Gracie set down her coffee cup. “No. No. Alexis, I can’t. You can’t. It’s crazy.”

Tears trickled down her sister’s cheeks. Pain darkened her blue eyes. Alexis personified agony and Gracie didn’t know how to fight that. But she tried.

“It will only lead to disaster,” she said firmly. “I won’t be a part of that.”

“I u-understand,” Alexis said as her mouth quivered.

“Good. Because I’m not going with you.”

* * *

LATE THAT NIGHT, Gracie found herself following her sister along a trimmed hedge just east of a massive old house. Not just any house, either. The Whitefield family mansion, home to umpteen generations of wealthy Whitefields and now Riley’s main residence.

“This is insane,” Gracie whispered to her sister as they paused to crouch a few feet from a back window. “I stopped spying on Riley when I was fourteen. I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”

“You’re not spying on Riley, you’re spying on Zeke. There’s a big difference.”

“I doubt Riley will see that, if we’re caught.”

“Then we won’t be caught. Did you bring your camera?”

Gracie grabbed her trusty Polaroid from under her arm and held it out. Light from the streetlamp glinted off the narrow lens.

“Get ready,” Alexis said. “The library window is around the corner. You should be able to get a really good picture from there.”

“Why aren’t you getting the picture?” Gracie asked as dread made her legs feel as heavy as bronze.

“Because I’m going to stay here and see if any floozy bitch runs out the back way.”