Filed to story: My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict Novel by Anastasia Marie
“They… they thought you were my boyfriend,” she whispered.
“Isn’t this something that they’ve known for a while?” he asked.
“Then they said that you were too beautiful.” She was even more embarrassed now.
“And then?” he asked.
“After that, they started teaching me some husband-taming moves.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the details.
“Well then, in the future, you can use them on me to see if there’s any effect,” Jason said.
“Why, you too…” Grace bit down on her lower lip in embarrassment.
His throat could not help tightening up at this sight.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and answered. Her face immediately changed, and she responded in a low voice.
After finishing the call, she looked at him and said, “I will go back to my mother’s hometown during Thanksgiving this year. Just now, a call came from my mother’s side saying that my grandma wants to see me.”
When her father married her stepmother, he first threw her back to her mother’s hometown. During that time, it was her grandmother who had taken care of her, until she couldn’t any longer, due to her poor health. Grace’s dear paternal grandfather then stepped in and took over.
After that, Grace could only come back during the winter and summer holidays. After she graduated from high school, she would sometimes save enough money to buy a bus ticket, and she would go back to see her grandmother-until the disaster that happened to her three years ago…
At that time, her grandmother was already in worse health and often needed to rest in bed, and other relatives were busy trying to distance themselves from Grace. Even when she gave them a call, she would always be heartlessly hung up on.
This time, it could be said that it was the first time her mother’s side had called her in three years.
“Jay, my family on that side has avoided me since the accident.
It’s… why would they call me home to her now?”
Jason could imagine. And it filled his heart with dread.
“Will you be going?” Jason asked.
Grace nodded. “But you…” She hesitated for a moment. “Do you want to go with me?”
He was quiet for a moment then said, “I have to work overtime the night before. The boss said that I will get triple the rate if I do. How about you give me the address? I will go find you the next day.”
“All right,” Grace said.
However, she then bit her lips and said hesitantly, “But when you show up with me over there, some of my relatives might give you a hard time. When that happens, don’t mind them.””
Jay gave her a faint smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t pay any attention to it.”
At this moment, she was the only person he cared about.
The closer it got to Thanksgiving, the fewer people would be seen on the road. Many people had already returned to their hometowns.
Her mother’s hometown was a small town on the outskirts of Emerald City. It was not far away, and it would only take about an hour and a half to get there by bus. Therefore, relatively speaking, she would have to compete for a bus ticket home with many other people who were also looking to get out of the city for the holiday.
While Grace was still booking the tickets, she asked Jason, “Jay, do you have your ID card? I’ll book a ticket for you.”
As a matter of fact, she had never seen his ID card.
“I have already booked a ticket,” Jason said.
Grace did not say anything else after hearing that. Instead, she took out the scarf that she had been hiding in the past few days and helped Jason put it on.
“Is it too short?” she studied the scarf and asked.
“No, it’s just right,” he said. Her scent seemed to be on the scarf, which made him feel as though he was being surrounded by her scent as well.
“Then, I’ll go ahead and finish up knitting the ends of it so that you can wear it for the holidays. But it will take some more time before the gloves are ready,” she said.
He clasped her hands as she fiddled with the scarf.
Grace’s dark eyes lifted to his. Goodness, he was so perfect.
“Grace,” he said, his thumbs tracing tiny circles on her hands.
“It’s beautiful.”
Only he wasn’t staring at the scarf, he was looking at her.
Suddenly, all those whisperings from the old ladies rushed to the forefront of her mind. Maybe they could be something more. Maybe this friendship could be something bigger.
As if with a will of its own, her body leaned toward his.
He smiled faintly, his gaze dropping to her lips.
Grace sucked in a breath.
This man… he was more to her than anyone else in her life had been.
And she wanted him. More than she could even admit to herself.
He angled his head and leaned closer.
Grace’s eyes fluttered closed.
Then her phone started ringing. Loudly.
And just like that, the moment was shattered. If it had even been there in the first place. Perhaps she’d imagined it.
Grace hobbled over to the countertop and grabbed her phone.
“Hello Lina.”
Lina had planned to hang out in her apartment during the holidays, but when she heard that Grace was going to visit her mother’s hometown, she couldn’t help worrying.
“Are you going alone?” Lina asked. No small talk. No skirting around the subject.
It was no secret that Lina didn’t want her to go back home. Grace glanced at Jay.
“Actually, no. I won’t be alone. Jay will go over to accompany me,” Grace said.
“But, the relatives from your mother’s hometown are…” Lina paused mid-sentence. She knew how heartless those people were when her friend got into trouble back then. They’d not been kind to Grace in the years since.
“I don’t like them, Grace. No offense. They were all fine to ride off your success and take money when you were working, but the moment you fell on hard times, they abandoned you.”
Grace didn’t argue the point. It was true what Lina said. Every bit of it.
“I want to see my grandmother, Lina. I haven’t seen her since I was released from prison. I don’t know how she is now,” Grace said. “She’s the only one of them who’s been good to me, Lina. And she’s been getting on in years. I’m not sure how much time she has left.”
“If anything happens, just call me. I will come get you. I’m just going to be at home during the holidays,” Lina said.
“What can happen?” Grace laughed. “I’m only going back to my hometown. I’m not going to fight someone. You make it sound so dramatic. This is a short visit, nothing more or less.”
“With your family, one can never know,” Lina said.
“Ouch.”
“I’m not saying it to be mean. Just so you’re prepared. I hate thinking of you defenseless.”
“They aren’t going to hurt me.” Grace argued.
And she watched as Jay tensed. His whole body changed from lighthearted to violent in the space of a heartbeat. She sucked in a breath.