Page 76 of Grace's Redemption

I secured it with tape and stood up. I stretched my neck.

“I missed you, Gracie.” Mase said.

I stopped and looked up at him.

“I missed you too.”

“I’m so sorry I sent you away.”

“It’s not that you sent me away.” I scooted between his legs and laid my hand on his chest. “It’s that you didn’t come with me.”

“You know why I couldn’t.”

Mase lifted his hands, but I stepped out of them and began to clean up the workroom. I wetted a cloth and put antiseptic on it to clean up the blood down my leg and on the floor.

It wasn’t much.

Mase took off his blood stained t-shirt and tossed it in the garbage can near the door.

“I might have a old t-shirt in the garage you can wear.” I looked back at him. “Stay here.”

I opened the door and walked around to the garage door.

I blinked back the tears before they fell.

Mase choose his grief and revenge over being with me.

It hurt.

He still didn’t know the truth about how Mattie died. Maybe it was time I told him.

“Mommy.” I gasped and turned around.

“Cason.” I walked up the four steps and to the door that led into the kitchen. I loved my little house. It was a one story, three bedrooms with a study and an open kitchen living room area. The wraparound porch was my favorite feature. “What are you doing out here?”

I bent down to get on his level and felt his head and kissed his forehead. “You feel okay?”

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and leaned into me. He must have woken up from a nap. It was almost three pm.

“Yeah, I heard the garage, but you didn’t come in.”

“You were checking on me?” I smiled and kissed his little cheek. “I’m fine. I was just working on something. I’m almost done. Why don’t you go get a snack in the kitchen and I’ll be in in just a minute.”

He nodded and stumbled through the door into the kitchen.

I watched him. He was such a smart kid. He amazed me every day.

I closed the door and turned.

I saw an older version of Cason’s eyes staring back at me.

But, unlike Cason’s, these eyes were confused and pissed.