The Falling of Love Read Online Free

a chore all in its own, I bet!” Ian chuckles.
    “Yeah, she’s a handful at times. She tries to be good. Sometimes I do feel like I’m her mom though. To both of them!” Grace giggles. “My brother is a big baby.”
    Though her life has not left much room for boyfriends, there is something about Ian that makes her want to leave her adult responsibilities behind and just spend time with him. For the first time, she is terrified of liking a boy. If he does ask her out, she hopes James will like him when they meet, and that he won't be disappointed by Ian's bad boy appearance.
    “Well, I better get goin’ if you need to fix dinner.”
    His words make her sad. She does not want him to leave. She wishes he could stay forever, but she doesn’t want to ignore her household chores, either. Grace never complains about her responsibilities, and has come to accept them as so much more than household chores. Years ago, her mother taught her to cook and she still values the time in the kitchen they shared. Even though her mother is gone, cooking for her family makes her feel close to her parents and helps her remember those cherished times with her mother.
    She stands and Ian follows her lead. “Thanks for coming over and helping me.”
    “I think you get it now, right?”
    “Totally.”
    Grace walks Ian to the front door and opens it, stepping aside to let him pass by.
    He stops and turns with a huge grin reaching his eyes. “Guess I’ll catch you tomorrow in math.”
    “Yeah,” she says, feeling shy and lowering her eyes.
    “That was actually kinda fun.”
    “It was.” She brings her eyes back up to meet his and catches a glimpse of James coming up the walkway. “There’s my brother.”
    Ian turns and waves to James, “Hi.”
    “James, this is my friend Ian. He came over to help me with homework.”
    James studies Ian with scrutinizing eyes, and then puts his hand out to him. “Hey.” He looks at Grace and she can see the doubt on his face. Grace knows, that James knows, she does not need help with homework. James steps past them into the house.
    “I better go,” Ian says, as he turns to walk down the stairs of the Victorian home. “See ya tomorrow, Gracie.”
    “See ya, Ian.”

 
 
 
    “You love him!” Michelle teases Grace one night while they do the dinner dishes.
    “I do not love him, Michelle!”
    “You’re such a liar, you totally love him!” she teases again.
    Grace is not comfortable talking about the feelings she has for Ian with Michelle just yet. Michelle's teasing irritates her, but there is something truly special about Ian that she cannot deny. She does not care if he dresses differently than the other kids at school. It does not bother her that he is poor, and she does not care that half the time the oil under his nails from working at Tony’s Auto is so thick that it looks like he has a Goth version of a French manicure. She may not be in love just yet, but she is completely infatuated with Ian Taylor.
    “You should just tell him, ya know.”
    “There’s nothing to tell, Missy.”
    Michelle grabs a handful of water and splashes Grace. “Liar! I’m going to tell him, so there!”
    Grace, wide-mouthed, grabs a handful of suds and water and lands it right on Michelle’s head. The girls are going at it full force when James pushes open the double doors to the kitchen. “I can’t leave you two alone for five minutes without you destroying the place.”
    Grace turns to him and smiles. Just having him home helps to ease her restless mind.
    “She’s impossible, James! Just impossible!” screams Michelle.
    James looks at Grace, and they make an unspoken agreement that Michelle is the one who is impossible.

 
 
 
    Later that night watching the sunset, James and Grace sit quietly on their front porch.
    “James?” she asks, softly.
    “Yeah?”
    “Do you think a girl should ever tell a boy that she likes him?”
    James turns his head quickly and looks at Grace with shock