Free Mended Hearts (New Beginnings Series) by Mandie Tepe Page B

fair, but I didn’t expect to see them here at the pavilion. Let me guess, Jenna spotted you.”
    Gracie chuckled. “Uh uh. It was Drake—and he has a big mouth.”
    “Don’t I know it,” he said. “The kids got restless, so Jenna and Val headed out. Come on over, though, and meet some of my other friends. I think you’ll like them.”
    She sighed. “Okay.” As they walked over, she fidgeted with her belt a little bit. He took her hand and squeezed it in support. She seemed so nervous, but when she looked into his comforting amber eyes, she seemed calmer.
    “Hey, guys . . .” he addressed everyone at the table. “This is my friend, Gracie Laurent. Gracie . . . Meg, Tobi, Anthony, Kai, and Kelli,” he said as he pointed them all out.
    “Hi! I’ve already met Kelli. It’s nice to meet you all.”
    Everyone smiled and spoke to her. She and Sonny sat down and the getting-to-know-you chat started. They all seemed easy to talk to and put her at ease. Sonny thought she seemed a little leery of Tobi, but didn’t know why. Tobi was on her best behavior. They all complimented her on the show, and she invited them down to Savannah’s to hear Sugar Creek again sometime. After they had chatted a little while longer, a deafening discordant crash came from the stage. Apparently, Siege of Asgard had their amps up and running and they were ready for their sound check. Without anyone saying a word, the group stood up to leave the pavilion. A totally new audience—looking nothing like the last one—started filtering into the pavilion.
    Sonny and Gracie stopped to say goodbye to his friends. Meg asked if they wanted to join them for dinner, but Sonny declined. He sensed that Gracie still didn’t feel entirely comfortable being watched by his friends. Kelli decided to go along and left with Meg’s crew. That left Sonny and Gracie alone.
    “Do you want to hang out here for a while? Or we could go find dinner ourselves.” Sonny watched her closely.
    She glanced down at his knee. “Let’s go eat somewhere and get you off your feet. Or we could do carryout so you can go home and put your feet up.”
    “I’ve been off my feet all day. I could use a change of scenery.”
    • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
    About thirty minutes later, Gracie followed Sonny into the parking lot of Bebe Odelia’s, a popular Cajun and barbecue restaurant. The atmosphere was interesting, resembling a backwater cabin in a swamp. They settled into a quiet booth. It was late for dinner on a holiday Monday, so there wasn’t much business. After ordering iced tea and shrimp jambalaya, Gracie settled back and studied Sonny studying the stuffed animals on shelves along the top of the walls. He glanced over to catch her looking at him.
    He smiled. “So, the band sounded great today.”
    She smiled back. “Thanks.”
    “I hope my friends didn’t put you off too much.”
    “No. They seem really nice.”
    “They are. How was the rest of your week?”
    Gracie sighed. Small talk. “Good. I think I’m feeling more comfortable at the daycare center. School starts tomorrow, so that changes up the kids’ groups a little.” Her eyes lit up. “I got my budget for the musical instruments, so I’ll start ordering those soon. Nothing fancy . . . mostly percussion stuff—tambourines, small bongos, maracas, wood blocks—and some recorders. Some CDs and stuff too.”
    “Sounds like fun. I’m glad they have a good project for you. Helps you find your place, huh?”
    “Yeah. So what were you up to all week?” she asked.
    “Not much. Painstakingly following doctors’ orders. It’s paying off, though. The swelling is way down and the pain has knocked off a little.”
    “That’s good. I was really worried about you last Sunday.”
    “Learned my lesson. I did go see Drake play soccer yesterday, but those games don’t last too long.”
    “How did he do?”
    Sonny laughed. “He almost made two goals yesterday. He