Finding Gracie's Glory Read online

  Finding Gracie's Glory

  Copyright © 2016 by Patty Schramm

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Other Titles from Patty Schramm/Pat Cronin

  Anthologies with Verda Foster

  About the Author

  Visit Us On Line

  Finding Gracie's Glory

  by

  Patty Schramm

  Yellow Rose Books

  by Regal Crest

  Tennessee

  Copyright © 2016 by Patty Schramm

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, incidents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Print ISBN 978-1-61929-237-6

  eBook ISBN 978-1-61929-237-6

  First Printing 2016

  9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cover design by Acorn Graphics

  Published by:

  Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC

  1042 Mount Lebanon Rd

  Maryville, TN 37804

  Find us on the World Wide Web at http://www.regalcrest.biz

  Published in the United States of America

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost no book can be completed with any amount of quality without a strong team behind it. Special thanks to our RCE team that, without whom, this book wouldn’t have been published: Verda Foster and Nann Dunne, best editors in the business! Ann McMan—what can I say about my cover except, wow! You always rock it, SB. And Cathy Bryerose—who still keeps putting my work out there. I can’t thank you enough.

  Extra thanks to my bud, Jess Frankel for the help with my Japanese.

  Dedication

  To my mom, Mary Jo Schramm. She taught me to get out there and do what I want and gave me the strength and gumption to make it happen. I love and miss you, Mom.

  Chapter One

  THE FRONT DOOR slammed shut, and the walls of the house shook. Grace leaned against the dresser in their bedroom. Her knees grew weak, and she slid to the floor. Blood stained the front of her white T-shirt, but she didn’t care. The pain in her arm overrode her other injuries.

  Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle and hung limply at her side. She didn’t dare try to lift it. She should call 9-1-1. She needed to get to a hospital, but calling for an ambulance meant that cops would come as well. She wasn’t sure she could deal with that. Carly would be pissed.

  Grace’s chest burned with each breath. Were her ribs broken, too? The blows from the baseball bat hit her everywhere. It hurt to think.

  Her cell phone on the nightstand mocked her from the short distance. But who would she call? Matt, her twin brother, would be so angry he’d go after Carly. Maybe her sister-in-law, Sherry, could come get her. No, she had to take care of the kids.

  That only left one person. Her mom. She’d help. She’d also tell Grace’s father.

  Using only her right arm, Grace managed to pull herself the few feet from the door to the nightstand and grasp her cell phone. Her vision blurred, and it took three tries to get her mom’s number on the screen and the call through. Marsha Kato answered immediately.

  “Hi, sweetie.”

  Grace tried to speak around the lump in her throat. They’d last spoken a month ago. She choked back a sob. It was the only noise she could make.

  “Oh, no,” Marsha said, a mix of sympathy and fear in her voice. “Sweetie, are you hurt? Is she still there?”

  “Yes...no. Mom...” She just couldn’t go on. The tears came in earnest, and she slumped to the floor into a fetal position. It hurt the least.

  “We’re already in the car. Stay on the phone with me. Okay?”

  “Yeah.” Grace gritted her teeth in pain. “I’m...sorry...Mom.”

  “This isn’t your fault, Gracie Lee. I love you.”

  “I...no one else to...I didn’t want you involved.”

  “I’m involved because I’m your mother, sweetie.” There was a brief silence. “Are you still there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Grace, listen very carefully. You might hear the sirens before we get there. Dad called for an ambulance—”

  “No...please...”

  “It’s already done.”

  Time slowed, or sped up, Grace couldn’t be sure. Her eyes opened and closed as she fought to stay awake. She heard her mom say something but couldn’t make out what. After a while she heard, “We’re on your street. Where are you?”

  “Bedroom.”

  Grace’s eyes closed and it seemed only a few seconds before she heard her father’s unmistakable voice. She managed to open her eyes as he fell to his knees at her side. Hariku Kato, Jr.’s, piercing brown eyes met hers. Tears slid along his pale cheeks. He started to touch her but pulled back as if afraid to.

  “Gracie...”

  “I’ll be okay, Dad,” she said, though she knew it was a lie. She would never be okay.

  Sirens blared in the distance. Marsha appeared beside Hariku and handed him a towel. He gently pressed it against Grace’s cheek, blocking some of her view. His usually stern expression was gone, and he looked so vulnerable it broke her heart. How could she have done this to him?

  “I love you, Gracie Lee,” he whispered.

  Grace wanted to reply, but nothing left her mouth as the darkness took her.

  DISCONNECTED IMAGES FLOATED through Grace’s brain. A dark-haired man with a kind face; bright lights overhead, shining in her eyes; a woman in pink touching her arm; Carly’s face twisted with rage...

  Her eyes flew open and disorientation set in. Grace looked wildly around the room, at the pasty white walls, then squinted at the stream of sunlight peeking through the window blinds. The room smelled of antiseptic. It sank in fast that she was in the hospital. Next to the bed was a skinny, green vinyl recliner. Her twin brother, Matt, was curled up on it, asleep.

  Every part of her body hurt. Her swollen right eye wasn’t open more than a slit. Her left arm was heavy. She tried to lift it, but the pain stopped her. So did the white cast that went from her hand to her elbow. Only the very tips of her fingers were visible, and they looked bigger than normal. She couldn’t move them. Breathing hurt, and she knew her ribs were broken. Realization hit her and caused a new pain in her chest.

  The woman she loved had beaten her. Again. Tears leaked from her good eye.

  A light touch on her shoulder surprised her. She opened her eye and looked into Matt’s concerned face. His lightly tanned complexion was pale and his eyes red rimmed. It broke her heart to see the sadness there.

  “Hey,” she said. Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. “Water?”

  “Sure.” He held the light-pink hospital cup close to her and put the straw in her mouth. “Just a sip.”

  “Thanks.”

  Matt placed the cup on the bed table and took her uninjured hand in his. “You scared the crap out of me, Gracie Lee.”

  “Sorry. I don’t remember a lot.”

  “That’s probably a good thing.” Matt b
rushed her bangs away from her face. “If you hadn’t called Mom, you might have died.”

  “Died? Carly wouldn’t—”

  Deep, rich, brown eyes, the one identical trait they shared, narrowed, and she could see his controlled anger. “She hit you with a baseball bat. Repeatedly. The head injury alone could have killed you. If I’d been there—well, the cops wouldn’t have needed to arrest her. They’d have arrested me.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t there. Where is she now?”

  “Jail. Where she belongs.” Matt gently squeezed her hand and swiped at the tear that trailed down his cheek. “Sherry’s been to your house. She got most of your stuff out of there and put it into our spare room. We’re going to get a bed so you can stay with us. No arguing.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Gracie Lee. That bitch is never going to touch you again if I have anything to say about it.”

  Emotion tightened her throat. Tears flowed and she gripped his hand as hard as she could. It was difficult to reconcile that Carly hurt her this badly. They’d had a lot of fights in seven years of marriage, but she’d never hurt Grace like this before. Whatever started the inevitable argument was lost to Grace. She recalled coming in from work—then waking up in the hospital. Flashes of images raced through her brain, but they didn’t make much sense to her.

  “I’m sorry,” she managed to squeak out.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Matt kissed her again. “I need to tell Mom and Dad you’re awake. Ojiichan is here, too.”

  “He is?” Ojiichan, their grandfather, lived in the Yukon in Canada. He rarely left his small home except for the occasional holiday or other family gathering. The injuries must be bad to bring him to Seattle. “Matt, how long...”

  “Three days. We weren’t sure you’d wake up.” Tears clouded his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. “Let me step outside and talk to the nurse, then I’ll call the family. I love you. Don’t forget that, okay?”

  “Love you, too.” Grace hated to lose the contact of his hand in hers. He walked quickly out of the room.

  Barely a minute went by before the door to her room opened again. Two nurses went through a list of questions for her as they took her vitals and moved around the bed. A doctor soon followed. He did his own examination, told Grace to rest, and left.

  When the door opened again, she expected to see her parents. Instead, the slight form of her grandfather appeared. Hariku “Harry” Kato’s arms were strong despite the appearance of frailty. His once jet-black hair was completely gray and still cut to military standards, though he’d retired as a colonel over thirty years ago. Grace didn’t think she’d ever seen him with his hairline below the ears. She inhaled the familiar scent of Old Spice as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. When he straightened, strong, dark eyes met hers, and Grace nearly broke into tears. She’d expected to see disappointment. Instead, she saw only love.

  “Ojiichan...you didn’t need to come.”

  “Nonsense.” He placed his thin fingers around hers and squeezed gently. “I am here now, and I plan to stay until you are well again.”

  “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

  “You need more faith.” He squared his shoulders, and Grace knew the colonel was firmly in place. She and Matt always called him that when he spoke with authority. “I’m here to give that to you.”

  “Are you staying with Mom and Dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “No.” Harry released her hand. “Grace, you must first believe that no one is angry with you. Disappointed, perhaps. Never angry. It is done and now you will move forward. We will get you healthy. You will get yourself well.”

  “Ojiichan...”

  He held up one hand like a traffic cop to stop her speaking. “Enough said. You will rest.” He kissed her on the forehead and left. The colonel had spoken and that was it.

  Grace closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. She didn’t even want to consider what would happen next. It was all too much. Thankfully, her mind shut down as her eyes closed.

  GRACE HAD NO way of knowing how long she slept. The bright sunshine was gone, but it wasn’t yet full dark outside. She looked up into the concerned face of her mother, who stood beside the bed, holding Grace’s hand. Grace knew, deep down, that her mother was disappointed in her, too. How could her child, whom she’d raised to be independent, resourceful, and strong, live with an abusive wife for so long?

  Nothing made sense. Not anymore. Grace knew one thing for certain; she was no longer the person her parents had raised her to be.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said through renewed tears.

  Marsha’s expression never changed, and her gaze never wavered from Grace’s. “You have no reason to be sorry. None of this was your fault.”

  “It is—”

  “Hush,” Marsha said. “It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do. I’m thankful you weren’t killed.”

  The door opened and Grace’s father, Hariku, walked in. Dressed in a black golf shirt with an air force logo on the breast, and tan slacks, her father made a dashing figure. His jet-black hair was short and trimmed closely above the ears. Despite being retired from the military, he looked every bit the Air Force officer he’d always been. He quietly closed the door, placed a hand on Marsha’s shoulder, and smiled down at Grace.

  “I just spoke to your doctor. Looks like you’ll be a guest here for a few more days. Maybe a week.”

  Grace noted the dark lines beneath her father’s eyes. He couldn’t have gotten much sleep. She wondered if he was disappointed in her as well.

  “Dad—”

  He held a finger to his lips to quiet her. “I love you, Grace. We all do. Don’t dwell on what brought us here. We’re going to move forward.” His voice was soft, but it held every bit of the command tone she was used to hearing. Unlike Ojiichan, Hariku never learned how to turn that off when dealing with his children.

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “The only thing for you to do is get better. Matt and Sherry will be ready for you, and if at all possible, I’ll make it so you never see that woman again.”

  The tears spilled in earnest now. Grace sobbed, thankful for the love of her family, ashamed by what occurred, and sad at the loss of Carly. Whatever happened between them, Grace still loved her. Loved the woman she married. Loved the comfort they once had; the wonderful times they shared; the idea that somewhere, she didn’t know where or when, she’d lost her best friend. And a part of her soul.

  Chapter Two

  AFTER ANOTHER WEEK in the hospital, Grace was allowed to go home. Rather, she was sent to Matt and Sherry’s house. There was no home for her to go to. Matt took the day off work and, along with Sherry and Marsha, entered Grace’s hospital room. Her mother was smiling, but Grace could see there wasn’t much happiness behind it. Matt and Sherry looked equally distracted.

  “Okay, spill it. What’s wrong?” Grace perched on the edge of the bed. She was dressed and ready and now worried that maybe she wasn’t going to be leaving. “Did the doctor say something?”

  “No, honey.” Marsha was by her side immediately and took hold of her uninjured hand. “We got some bad news is all.”

  “Then you should tell me now. Please.”

  Marsha hesitated, so Matt finally spoke up. “Carly’s out of jail.”

  “What? I thought you said—”

  “I did. She was in jail, but someone paid her bond. She was released yesterday. We only found out an hour ago when the prosecutor’s office called me. There’s a protection order against her, so she’s not allowed within a thousand feet of you.”

  Grace started to shake. If Carly wasn’t in jail, that meant she’d be coming for her. Charges of domestic violence would be a death knell for Carly’s career in public office. She worked in grant management for the city but had aspirations of achieving a much higher office. An elected office. Felony charges, whether Carly was found guilty or not, would r
uin that. It was the only reason Grace never called the police before. She was protecting Carly.

  But that was over now. And Carly would be beyond angry.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Grace said as tears filled her eyes. “I never wanted any of this to happen. She’s going to be fired.”

  “She’s already on administrative leave,” Marsha said. “Honey, she did this to herself. Let’s get you home, and we’ll figure all this out. Okay?”

  Grace wiped the tears away. “I just hate this.”

  “We all do,” Matt said, placing the wheelchair by the bed. “But that bitch isn’t going to come near you. I found a lawyer who is drawing up the divorce papers and will be at the house tomorrow afternoon. You’ll be away from her free and clear.”

  Grace got into the wheelchair. “She can have everything. I don’t want a thing from her. Not the house. Not the car. Nothing.”

  Matt kissed her temple as he started wheeling her out of the room. “I figured as much. I’ll take care of you Gracie. I promise.”

  GRACE SAT ON the edge of the twin bed and took in her temporary bedroom. It used to be Matt’s business office, but he’d moved his computer, desk, and anything else he could into the master bedroom. He replaced his stuff with a plain, white, chest of drawers and a corner table that held a laptop. Grace’s clothes and few possessions now filled the closet.

  Sherry’d managed to bring anything of worth from the house Grace and Carly had owned for five years. Sadly, not much of it was of any meaning to Grace. Matt retrieved her cell phone and took it to the phone store to get a new SIM card and new number.

  The laptop wasn’t hers. Matt insisted on getting her one so she could be connected to the world. Or play games. Whatever she preferred. Grace wasn’t overly technical, unlike her computer geek brother, but she appreciated the gift nonetheless.