Saving Grace (Madison Falls) Read Online Free PDF Page B

she went? What were the odds that they’d both choose the same place for breakfast two mornings in a row? She grabbed the paper, pulling it up close to her face and praying he wouldn’t try to sit with her. Could she pretend to be waiting for someone? Could she be any more pathetic?
    She glanced up again and their eyes met. Terrific .
    He flashed a reticent smile before stepping toward the counter. He stopped, his eyes fixed on the James Dean/Kirk look-alike. The man flicked him a cocky sneer, and Grace thought for a second she might witness her first ever diner brawl. Sam lingered a moment before slipping into a seat near the window.
    Her shoulders fell. Her emotions had been so manipulated during the past two years that her sensors must need a tuning. Why should she feel disappointed that he hadn’t tried to sit with her?
    “Here you go, honey.” The waitress returned with an omelet the size of Central Park. “See,” she winked. “That wasn’t so hard. Need a warm-up?”
    Grace glanced at her still-full cup. “No. Look, I really didn’t mean—”
    “Not to worry.” The woman shifted her weight onto one foot, clasping the rim of the coffee pot. “Waitressing isn’t for everybody. It takes a special sort of skill. You kind of reminded me of that. It’s funny how God sends us messengers just when we need them. I was having a real bad morning and you helped me remember my calling.”
    “Your calling?” Grace said, unconvinced that God would actually use her as a messenger.
    “Sure.” The waitress’ face looked brighter than it had just minutes before, when she’d seemed to want to stomp on Grace’s toes. “It might not seem very noble, but a good meal served with a smile is a gift I can give people every day. I’m where I’m supposed to be.” She grinned and crossed to the window. “Morning, Sam.”
    Grace’s thoughts staggered. It hadn’t ever occurred to her that someone could find that kind of meaning in a service job. She had always thought you were either called to do something lofty and significant or you settled for earning a living.
    Mechanically, she lifted her cup with both hands, taking a sip she barely tasted, as the waitress and Hardware Boy exchanged a laugh. She drew in a deep breath to keep from choking up.
    She looked again at the man who wasn’t Kirk and remembered how it felt to be where she was supposed to be. Would she ever get to feel that way again?

Chapter 7
    Sated from the best breakfast she’d eaten in a very long time, Grace commenced with the Plan B she had developed while forcing down her second cup of morning mud. Forget about the skimpy want ads. She’d walk around town to scout for Help Wanted signs. It was either that, or take a quick correspondence course in dental hygiene.
    Stepping out onto Main Street, she surveyed her prospects. With so many little businesses in town, there had to be something interesting she could do.
    She walked slowly, peering into the shop next to the café. She was in luck already. A bright orange sign announced that they were 'Now Hiring.’ Optimism surged until her eye caught an image in the lower corner of the front window. She balked at the yellow outline of a man running in winged helmet and heels, with one arm strewn behind him and a bouquet of roses clutched in his outstretched hand. Her shoulders drooped. Too bad she hadn’t pursued floral arranging in her spare time.
    She gave herself a mental pep talk. If she wanted something badly enough, she just had to focus. That had always worked for her in the past, why should this be any different?
    Standing on the curb and looking across Mountainview Avenue, her curiosity was piqued by the building on the other side. From this angle, it looked like a long, narrow garage, but the square facade in the front gave it the look of a set from a John Ford western.
    Intrigued, she crossed the street.
    The front of the building was prettier than she’d thought from a distance. The upper