Grace Unplugged: A Novel (25 page)

“Oh, Quentin,” she said in surprise. “I’m so sorry, but . . . something’s come—”

“That did
not
just happen,” he said with a big smile.

Something about seeing him like this, looking so thrilled to see her, she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“So, you doing okay now?” He gave her a concerned look.

“Yeah, I’m . . . I’m fine.”

“Good. My parents are really stoked that you’re coming over, Grace. My mom said she’s even gonna try a new casserole.” He grimaced slightly. “We’ll see how that goes.”

His eyes looked so sincere and his happiness so genuine, she couldn’t bring herself to let him down. No, she decided, she was going to keep her word. She’d agreed to go and she would. “I just wanted to find out what time and get directions to your house,” she said quietly. So he told her when and where, and Grace promised to be on time.

But as she drove home, she wished she could think of a believable excuse to bow out of this family dinner. The idea of sitting down to eat a meal with people who were probably a lot like her parents was truly disturbing. However, at the same time, the idea of disappointing Quentin was equally unsettling.

Back at her apartment, she distracted herself from her dinner plans by launching into a thorough cleaning of her apartment. By the time she finished, she realized it was nearly time to leave. And she had promised not to be late. She quickly freshened up, putting on another relatively conservative outfit. Then she hurried on down to her car and, following the directions he’d given her, she drove to Quentin’s house.

Parked in the driveway, she suddenly felt unsure. What was she doing here? Why had she agreed to this? What difference would it make if she backed up and made a run for it? She could call and apologize later, saying how she was busy getting ready for her tour and learning her new song. All true.

She had just put the car in reverse when she observed Quentin emerge out the front door. Waving and smiling, he came out to welcome her. “There she is,” he said as he opened her car door. “And just in time.”

“In time for what?” she asked uneasily as she got out of her car.

“Hopefully a good dinner.” He laughed. “But no guarantees.”

She forced a smile as she looked up at a house that wasn’t all that different from the one she’d shared with her parents until recently. Still, she didn’t want to think about that, didn’t want to be reminded of who and what she’d left behind. She took in a deep breath as they went inside—
Why had she come here?

Quentin led her directly to the kitchen were she met his mother. She was just putting the finishing touches on a green salad.

“That looks good,” Grace told Donna.

“According to some people, salads are my specialty.” Donna laughed as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, pausing to peer curiously at Grace. “I’m so glad you could join us tonight,” Donna said kindly. “I’ve been nagging Quentin to bring you home.” She patted her son’s back. “But I wasn’t sure he could really deliver.”

“Well, the temptation of a home-cooked meal . . .” Grace exchanged a knowing glance with Quentin. “How could I resist?”

“Did Quentin tell you about the time we heard your father back in Florida?”

“He mentioned that.”

“Your father is such a gifted man.” She gave Grace a warm smile. “And it seems the gift continues in you. Quentin tells me that you’re about the hottest thing at Sapphire Music these days.”

Grace tossed Quentin a questioning look. “I don’t know about that. But I was pleased to hear they want me to tour.”

“Well, of course they do,” Donna declared.

Grace looked around the kitchen. Every counter seemed to be cluttered with bowls and ingredients, probably from whatever was in the oven. “Is there anything I can help you with in here.”

Donna waved her hand. “No, no, the way I cook is a bit unorthodox.” She pointed at Quentin. “Why don’t you show Grace the rest of the house while I finish up a few things in here.”

“Good idea.” Quentin looked relieved as he led Grace out of the kitchen and patiently led her through the house. She suspected this impromptu tour had more to do with calming her nerves than showing her where they lived. Still, it was sweet.

“And this,” Quentin opened the door to a cozy room with walls filled with bookshelves, “is my favorite room.”

“Wow.” Grace surveyed the hundreds of books. “You read all these?”

“Not all of them. Although my dad probably has. I hated reading when I was a kid. But eventually I learned to love it.” He picked up a book from the desk, flipping through it with interest. “How about you?” He looked up. “You like to read?”

She remembered how she used to love to curl up with a good book, how she even used to take time to read the Bible. When was the last time she’d actually opened a book? “I used to read a lot,” she admitted. “But now . . . well, I’m just so busy and everything.”

He nodded as he set the book down. “Well, you’ll definitely have time on tour. All those long boring bus rides, right?” He looked at the bookshelf by the desk. “I’ll pick out a good one for you to take.” He grinned. “Just in case you find out you have time to read again.”

“Hello in there.” A tall, gray-haired man peered in the door. “This a private party or can I join you?”

Quentin laughed. “Come on in, Dad. Meet Grace Trey.” More introductions were made, and Grace nervously shook his hand. She wasn’t sure why she felt so uneasy since both of Quentin’s parents were perfectly pleasant and kind. And yet she knew they were church people. She knew they could find reason to judge her if they wanted. What if they knew how totally wasted she’d been only yesterday? Or if they realized how she rocked the house when she performed in a club or, perhaps worst of all, if they knew how she’d run away from home. She felt certain that, if they knew her better, they wouldn’t approve of their son’s friendship with her.

“Well, you’ve grown up some since we last saw you,” Rick told her. “But it sounds as if your music career is really taking off.”

“Dinner!” Donna called out.

Relieved for a distraction from talking about her “music career,” Grace decided to use this opportunity to ask Quentin about himself. As they were seated, she turned her attention onto him. “As long as I’ve known you, I’ve never really heard why you’re interning at Sapphire Music,” she said as she placed the linen napkin in her lap.

“I’ve always loved music,” he told her as his mom set a large, crusty-looking casserole on the table. “I used to play all the time.”

“That’s for sure,” Donna told Grace as she sat down. “Quentin and his buddies thought they were going to be the next Backstreet Boys.”

“Not exactly, Mom.” Quentin laughed nervously.

“Well, they did make plenty of racket in the bonus room above the garage,” Rick confided to Grace. “I had to get myself a set of headphones just to hear myself think.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad,” Donna defended her son. She tipped her head to Rick now. “Ready to pray?”

He nodded, outstretching his hands to her and Quentin. Donna reached for Grace’s other hand. Feeling awkward and yet strangely comforted at the same time, Grace held Quentin’s parents’ hands, bowing her head while Rick asked a blessing for their meal. The prayer wasn’t all that different from the way her dad prayed before meals, but at the same time it felt foreign . . . or like a land she’d left far behind her. A land that she’d been missing far more than she cared to admit.

“Amen,” Rick declared. Grace’s hands were gently squeezed then released.

“Yeah,” Quentin linked eyes with Grace, “a blessing becomes even more critical on nights when Mom’s experimenting with a new recipe.”

Rick chuckled, and Donna just wrinkled her nose at her son. “Would you like me to serve you?” she asked Grace.

“Thank you.” Grace made a nervous smile. “That looks good.”

As Grace handed Donna her plate, she turned her attention back on Quentin. “So you said that you love music,” she began, “is that why you’re at Sapphire? Are you trying to launch your music career too?”

“No, it didn’t take long for me to figure out that I wasn’t very good.” He handed his empty plate to his mom. “But I still love music, and I still want a career that involves music. In college I discovered I have a pretty good head for business. So I thought I might try going the executive route. It seemed like a good fit.”

“And at Sapphire . . . that’s very cool,” Grace told him.

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it when I landed an internship there. I mean Sapphire Music is where everyone wants to work. I was really stoked.”

“It’s a great opportunity,” Grace said as she put some salad on her salad plate.

“So . . . tell us about this concert tour you’re doing,” Rick said to Grace.

“Oh, it’s not really a concert tour,” she explained. “It’s more like a promo thing. Just doing local radio shows and stuff.”

“That sounds exciting,” Donna said as she passed Grace the basket of bread.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Plus, I just found out I’m doing an album when I get back.”

“Hey, congratulations.” Rick handed the butter dish to Grace.

“Thanks. It’s crazy.” Grace looked around the table, and seeing that everyone had been served, she forked into the casserole.

“I hadn’t even heard that news yet.” Quentin gave her a curious look, and suddenly she remembered how he’d found her this morning . . . hung over, desperate and pathetic. What must he be thinking?

“Yeah, well, you know this industry,” she said lightly. “Everything is constantly changing. Hard to keep up.” She put the bite into her mouth, taking her time to chew and savor the taste. “This is good,” she told Donna.

Quentin tossed Grace a questioning look.

“It really is,” she assured him. “I like it a lot.”

Donna beamed at her. “I just knew you’d enjoy a home-cooked meal,” she told her. “That’s exactly what I told Quentin.”

“You were right.” Grace forked into her salad, noticing that there was no dressing on it but not wanting to mention it. Mostly she wanted this meal to get over with as quickly as possible, and then she would be on her way.

“It must’ve been a bit scary to leave your mom and dad behind . . . to move out here all by yourself.” Donna’s brow creased as she buttered a slice of bread.

“Yeah . . . uh, definitely.” Grace tried to think of a comfortable answer that wasn’t a lie. “But an opportunity came up for me to do it, and it seemed like . . .” She glanced over at Quentin, remembering his comment about his internship.
“A good fit.”
Okay, so she wasn’t original, but at least she was being somewhat honest. She wanted to be honest with these good people. They deserved that much from her.

“Well, it sounds like you’re making the most of it,” Donna told her. “Good for you!”

Grace gave Donna a grateful smile.

“Oh, dear, I forgot the salad dressing,” Donna said suddenly. “Excuse me a minute.”

“So, how’s your dad doing?” Rick asked Grace while Donna was in the kitchen.

“Oh, he’s . . . he’s good.”

“Still speaking at churches?”

“No, he’s a full-time music pastor now.” She really didn’t want to go there, but how could she change course without being rude?

“That’s in Alabama, right?”

“Yeah, outside of Birmingham.”

Donna came back with a bottle of homemade dressing, handing it to Grace. “There you go, dear. It’s a creamy Italian. Unless you’d like something different. I have—”

“No, no, it’s just fine,” Grace assured her.

“Your dad and I had a great talk that night,” Rick continued. “After you guys finished playing. What a heart that man has for the Lord . . . and such a love for people.”

Grace forced a still smile as she poured some dressing on her salad.

“And I’m sure you already heard that was a big night for Quentin,” Donna told Grace.

Grace peered curiously at Quentin, and suddenly he looked almost as uncomfortable as she felt.

“I’ll tell you later,” he said quietly.

Now Rick launched into a story about the time Quentin booked a gig for his band. “It was only a middle-school dance, but they assumed the band could actually play.”

“We could play,” Quentin insisted. “Just not very well.”

“Well, at least you did the right thing, son.” Rick chuckled.

“We gave them back their money,” Quentin sheepishly told Grace. Now everyone laughed. More stories were told, followed by more laughter, and despite herself, Grace realized she was having a pretty good time. Who would’ve thought? But the goodness was tinged with sadness because they reminded her of her own family. And that was something she did not want to think about.

Chapter 21