Grace Unplugged: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

you, and I mean that.” He patted Dad on the back. “And I have some exciting news. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
    Mom invited Mossy to come to their house, and Dad gave him directions. Before long they were driving home, and today the talk in the front seat was not the usual rehash of what happened in church. Today the talk was all around Mossy. Speculating why he was here, what kind of news he had, and reminiscing over back when Dad and Mossy were working together. It was impossible to miss the excitement in Dad’s voice as he talked about the “good old days.”
    Mom recruited Grace to help her get lunch ready, and soon they were all gathered at the eating nook together, where the conversation, like in the car, seemed stuck in a time gone by. Even so, Grace listened with interest. It was actually amusing to hear Mossy talking about Dad in his younger days, making him seem almost human. Although her dad shut Mossy down on a couple of wild-sounding tales. Probably because his daughter was listening.
    Dad and Mossy continued chattering happily as Grace and Mom cleared the table. “I can finish this up,” Mom told her. “I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing, sweetie.”
    Grace actually wanted to stick around and continue listening in on what seemed a fairly intriguing conversation. Then spotting Mom’s laptop on the kitchen desk, Grace thought of a good excuse. “Hey, did you look up the Monroe website yet?” she asked, nodding to the computer.
    Mom smiled. “As a matter of fact, I did.” She hurried over and opened the lid. “I happen to have it right here. Would you like to take a peek?”
    “Sure.” Grace sat down at the breakfast bar with the laptop, pretending to peruse the site, although she was actually listening in to conversation going on in the nearby nook.
    “Yeah,” Dad was saying. “We would travel to churches all over. And I’d share my story and—”
    “Wait,” Mossy stopped him. “You mean you made a living going to churches and telling your story?”
    “Did it for years.” Dad told him. “Grace and I would play. I’d speak. Just moved here a couple of years ago.”
    “So what you did today, that’s your job now?”
    “Yeah. Music pastor. We’re also prepping for an album. I’ve written some songs, so . . . we’ll see.”
    “Religious songs?” Mossy sounded doubtful.
    “Worship songs, yeah. . . . But hey, man, you didn’t come all this way to hear my story.”
    “No, it’s good to hear. Actually it plays into why I came. I mean the fact that you’re still playing and writing and everything. You remember Larry Reynolds?”
    “Sure.”
    “Don’t know if you heard, but a few months ago he was named president of Sapphire Music.”
    Grace looked up from the screen with interest. Sapphire was Renae’s label.
    “Nice.” Dad nodded.
    “Yeah. So I pay my old friend a visit, congratulate him, and everything. And you know the first thing he says? He starts talking to me about American Idol, Sweden.”
    Grace could see that Dad wasn’t following this—what happens when you live under a stone.
    “You don’t know?” Mossy looked surprised.
    Dad just shrugged.
    “You are out of it.” Mossy laughed. “Some Swedish kid sang ‘Misunderstood’ on Idol and won the whole thing. After that, the video went viral.”
    “What video?” Dad frowned.
    “Yours! The live one, from the Greek. Couple hundred thousand hits.”
    “Wow!” Dad looked impressed.
    “Yeah, I guess everything comes back in style, doesn’t it? Anyway, Larry and I go out for drinks. Before you know it, he gives me an office in the Sapphire building.”
    “That’s great, man.” Dad slapped Mossy on the back. “Congrats.”
    “Yeah, it’s great when friends help friends. But that’s not the best part. You ready?” Mossy’s eyes were glinting with excitement. “He and I worked it out. Sapphire Music wants to offer you a deal.”
    Grace was so stunned she almost fell off the