The Way of Grace (Miller's Creek Novels) Read Online Free Page B

for God. He pressed his lips together . Was there any hope of getting that Gracie back? More importantly, would he ever be able to prove he wasn’t the slacker and daydreamer she imagined him to be?
    The phone r ang again and she answered , jotting down a note while rearranging her desk to keep everything in perfect order , as though she’d marked the distance between each item with a ruler. Even notepads were placed exactly on top of each other , their sides p recise and even .
    He crossed his arms . E ve ry thing about her was too perfect, f rom h er professional voice to her sensibl e shoes . But it was more than just role-playing . More like her thinking she could be perfect if she tried hard enough . Matt frowned. This wasn’t good at all. If Gracie kept heading toward the illusory trap of perfectionism, she was destined for a fall— and not a minor one.
    The back door swung open and closed with a bang. Gracie tur ned her head at the sound, then smoothed her hair and skirt and checked her teeth in a small mirror near her desk .
    Matt swallowed a gulp of tepid coffee, his forehead tight . Who was she trying to impress?
    Andy r ounded the corner, and his face broke into a grin . “ Bro , when did you get here?”
    “Late last night .” Matt hugged his brother and patt ed his back , careful not to spill the contents of his cup on Andy’s dark suit or crisp white shirt . “Didn’t wanna wake you and Trish, so I stayed at the apartment.”
    “You’re here early, Gracie.” Andy strode around her to the coffee pot.
    She look ed up momentarily before rifling through a stack of papers. “It’s a good thing, too. The phone’s been ringing off the hook. Where’s Sandra?”
    “Called earlier to say h er youngest has the chicken pox.” He hesitated, his face strai ned. “C an you cover for her ? ”
    “Not a problem.” She spoke the words sincerely , though the enthusiasm in her voice lowered a couple of notches .
    Matt pressed his lips together, the coffee aftertaste in his mouth growing increasin gly bitter. H er disease to please had grown worse. Why didn’t she stand up for herself?
    “Good old Gracie, a s dependa ble as always.” Andy patted her on the head like an obedient puppy . “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were after something. A raise, maybe?” He winked at Matt.
    Graci e flashed Matt a “don’t-you-dare-tell” look, but didn’t answer.
    He flinched inwardly. Him and his stupid promises. How could he help Andy see that he needed to treat Gracie more like an attorney and less like a crack-filler , ye t not breat he a w ord about Gracie’s desire to become a prosecutor ? More than that, what could he do to help G racie feel more appreciated? The seed of an idea root ed in his brain.
    Andy stopped beside him. “ Wanna do lunch later ?”
    “Sure. I’ ll hang around ‘ til then.” That wo uld give him time to work on the surprise for Gracie.
    His brother checked his wristwatch. “I have a few client appointments this morning, but should be done by noon.” He turned to Gracie. “Can you bring me the files for this morning’s clients ?” Without waiting for an answer, he steppe d to his office and closed the door behind him .
    Her lips tightened and her shoulders drooped. “Sure.”
    Matt’s heart tumbled. Poor thing. Today should have been a day of celebration for her. Instead it had turned in to the same boring routine. He caught her attention. “You okay?”
    She nodded and went back to work .
    The front door creaked open, and a spry, elderly man strode by. He nodded at Matt. “Morning, Gracie.”
    “Good morning, Ben.”
    T he man tottered down the hallway and entered one of the offices.
    Matt gazed after him. “Who was that?”
    Gracie raised one eyebrow. “One of the new partners, Ben Snodgrass. He joined the firm about the same time as Jason.”
    “Jason?”
    She star ed at him like he’d lost his mind. “ Jason Den t, t he other new partner. You haven’t