Page 185 of Guarding Grace

I put the gift certificate in my pile. “What?”

Terry ignored me, and Serena put another box in front of me.

This one was from Jordy. I rattled it.

“I heard you had a sleep problem,” Jordy said as I pulled the wrapping off. “Keep it upright and open it from the top,” he added taking out his phone.

“Probably a pillow,” Winston guessed.

“Or sleep socks,” Duke tried.

“Definitely bigger,” Joe argued. “Probably like a comforter or something.”

I jumped back when I opened the top and a shrill squawk came from the box.

“It’s alive,” Serena squealed.

“Quick, shoot it,” Lucas ordered.

Everybody laughed, obviously in on the joke.

Cautiously, I approached the box again and pulled back the crumpled paper on top. Beady eyes looked back at me, and it squawked again. This time, I caught Jordy fingering his phone. It looked so real.

“The battery should be good for a few months,” the tech guru said. “It’s a redtail hawk.”

I pulled the model hawk from the box. It was covered in feathers. The head rotated left and right, and beak opened when it squawked again.

Jordy held up his phone. “You can control it from your phone, and it’s guaranteed to scare the shit out of any songbirds in the area.”

I rushed to hug the nerd. “This is so cool.”

“Now you can fix the problem,” Terry said. “And we can still have fresh air.”

I hugged Jordy a second time. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“It was Lucas’s idea,” he told me.

How many people knew about our sleeping issues?

“And I saved the best for last,” Serena announced as she plopped the final box in front of me. The card said it was from Terry. Of course I’d only seen him put a card on the table of presents when we came in.

Impatiently, I tore the paper off and opened the box. Inside, was another box. “Like nested Russian dolls?” I asked.

Terry shrugged.

Inside the second box, I found a third, and then a fourth, which was now small. “How many more to go?”

Terry shrugged again. “Close your eyes while you open it.”

That was ominous. I sent him a grimace. He was probably out to embarrass me.

“I’ll help,” Serena offered. “Close your eyes.” She took the box. “Okay,” she said after a moment.

“Holy shit,” I exclaimed when I opened my eyes.

Terry was next to me instead of Serena, holding a small velvet box, and worst of all, he was on one knee.

“Grace, I know you’ve hated me much longer than you’ve liked me.”