Saving Grace (Madison Falls) by Lesley Ann McDaniel

Then his eyes lifted, and his look grew shadowy.
    Grace’s gaze flitted toward Sam, who was pinning Devon with a stare that could melt iron. A palpable tension hung in the air between the two men.
    “Devon!” Sophia huffed.
    Devon’s eyes remained steady. He reached into his back pocket, removing a thick, Dior-embossed leather wallet. “The least I can do…” He held out a crisp bill and steadied his gaze on Sam.
    Sam’s mouth tightened. “I’m not taking your money.”
    “Take it.” One corner of Devon’s mouth pulled upward. “On behalf of the lady.”
    Grace withered in puzzlement as Sam worked his jaw. After a moment, he reached out and took the money. Grace caught a flash of the bill as he wadded it in his fist.
    Devon slanted Sam a look as he stepped away. “You can keep the change.” He tossed Grace a wink and met up with the retreating Sophia.
    Sam turned away, darkness overshadowing his demeanor.
    Looking at Sam’s hunched shoulders, Grace measured her words. “Uh…Sam?”
    He kept his back to her, barely turning his head as he spoke. “You really don’t have to take the painting, you know. I wouldn’t want you to feel like you’re contributing to the selling out of the town.”
    She bristled, mystified and disturbed by his dark mood swing. “No, I still want it.” She reached for the frame slowly, as if he might snap it away. “So, can you take a check?”
    He lifted his head slightly. “Why? Did you want to grab some more stuff?”
    Grace furrowed her brow, wondering if he had even bothered to look at the money. “No, but he gave you a ten .”
    His shoulders lifted in a sardonic chuckle. “You’re right.” He turned to face her. “You know what, I’ll give you a deal.” He bent down and picked up an empty box. “You can fill this up with whatever you want and we’ll call it even.”
    She tried to shake off her mental whiplash. “Sam, I don’t get it…”
    He let out a sigh, pressing his fingers onto the bridge of his nose. “I can’t explain. That guy just…” He waved a hand over his head. “You don’t need to know.” His face lifted and he turned back to the table. “There’s some great old theatre stuff here. I don’t know what you’d do with it, but hey, for five bucks—”
    “Five bucks?”
    He quirked a confused look. “Ten minus five. Such a deal.”
    Realization spread through Grace like a cool breeze. He’d given her the painting for five. Such a deal, indeed.

Chapter 15
    “One for dinner?”
    Grace inhaled the intoxicating bouquet of roasted garlic as she followed a young man with a large menu. He led her to a table by one of the elongated windows at the end of a surprisingly elegant dining room. She had a lot to celebrate, and it was time she treated herself to a nice dinner.
    As she opened the menu, a warm rush of emotion pervaded her being. The Fountain Restaurant . She couldn’t believe this little jewel had been hiding all along just a block past Main Street. After five days in Madison Falls, she had yet to find any real take-out and had been mainly relying on cold sandwiches from the display case that passed for a deli at the Peach Basket Market. Now, her mouth watering, she hoped the gastronomic options lived up to her expectations. If their Sauce Mornay turned out to be Velveeta, she might just lose it.
    Scanning the bill of fare, she mentally reviewed her new To Do list as she took a sip of icy water to quell her fluttery stomach. Reality was setting in. Soon she’d be going home.
    Her head still reeled from her amazing purchase that morning, but now there was much to be done. First she’d need to take the painting to an appraiser. According to the online yellow pages, there were two in Missoula—both of whom specialized in real estate appraisal, but that would have to do. She’d spent the afternoon researching auctions. Online was out. She needed to go to a reputable auction house with something of this caliber. EBay—no