All Roads Lead to Swatragh - Chapter 51

Grace made sure that Quinn was comfortable for the night and headed upstairs to one of the empty rooms. It seemed strange sleeping in a guest room as the host of the B&B, but she had no choice and she was exhausted from the day before getting very little sleep. Tommy had a key and could let himself in when he returned from the pub. It wasn't long when she heard a commotion at the bottom of the stairs. She was worried it might be Quinn trying to move around, so she jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs.

It was Tommy, and he was drunk. He had tripped over a small stool near the bottom of the stairs. As Grace came into his view, he looked up to see her in her tank top and shortie pajamas. Grace had not even thought about what she was wearing when she headed out of the room and was now a little self conscious. Tommy was blubbering something about music and drinks, but was barely coherent. She was surprised he was able to drive back to the cottage.

It took all the strength that Grace could muster to get Tommy on his feet and help him up the stairs to the small single room. His hands kept wandering down her back further than they should and she was becoming more annoyed by the minute. Tommy thought he was being funny. By the time she got him into the room and near the edge of the bed, he twisted her around to where they both fell onto the bed with Tommy on top of Grace.

“Guess we were just meant to be here,” Tommy stammered.

“Not a chance bucko,” Grace retorted back and gave Tommy a shove to the side and scooted out from under him. In the process Tommy fell off the other side of the bed. “You're on your own now, mister.”

Grace hurried back to her room. She was flushed from the whole incident and angry. Just another Braden she thought to herself. She could hear Tommy moving around in his room, and made sure to lock her door. She would put up with no more of this behavior from him in her cottage. Then she thought of Quinn downstairs. Did he hear this? What would he think? Should she go check on him?

Grace was so worried about leaving her room, that she decided to wait until morning. A simple explanation of “Tommy came in drunk” should suffice. At least she hoped it would. Why was she so worried what Quinn would think? Her mind was racing and she thought she might not sleep but the exhaustion from the night before hit her hard, and she was out until the morning light crept in through the window. It took her a minute to regain her bearings, and then she realized how late she had slept. She was in the shower and out so fast she barely had time to think what she needed to do.

As she crept out of her room, she noticed that Tommy's door was still closed. She quietly climbed down the stairs and headed to the kitchen to put on some tea. It had been a few days since she made scones, so she thought it might be a nice treat for Quinn along with his regular breakfast. She doubled the amounts figuring that Tommy would like the same. Sausage, rashers, brown bread, orange juice, and orange marmalade on the side for the scones.

Grace nearly jumped as she turned around and saw Tommy standing in the doorway.

“You know you and your brother have a way of sneaking up on people. When were you going to say something?” Grace was feeling very uncomfortable.

“I was just watching you go about making breakfast. Nice view,” Tommy snickered. “Do you have some tomato juice and hot sauce?”

“What's the matter, need something to clear your head from last night?” Grace was getting annoyed again. “There's some tomato juice over on the counter. I don't keep hot sauce around, but you could put some pepper flakes in to spice it up.”

“You know you look really cute in those shortie pajamas. You should wear them around the cottage,” Tommy was being insolent and Grace had had enough.

“Excuse me,” she said as she brushed past him to get out of the kitchen with her tray for Quinn. “There's enough left over for you if your stomach can handle it.” she called back over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.

Grace gently knocked on the bedroom door and turned the knob to enter. Quinn was already sitting up in bed and looking so much better than the day before.

“I hope you are hungry,” she smiled as she put the tray next to the bed. I didn't know if you'd have a full appetite or not.”

“Grace, is something wrong?” Quinn asked. “You look a little flushed and out of sorts.”

At that moment Tommy opened the door wide and stood there. Grace wheeled around and glared at him. Quinn caught every second of this, and didn't have to ask Grace any more. Tommy was being his obnoxious self, and had made an unwelcome move on Grace. He had heard Tommy coming in drunk the night before. It was difficult to miss. Loud and stumbling, like he had heard so many times before on nights when Tommy didn't dare go home to his wife and he crashed at Quinn's.

“Grace, I apologize for my brother and anything he may have done, or said. Would you excuse my brother and I, we need to have a small discussion. Thank you so much for the breakfast,” Quinn explained forcefully and Grace didn't' stay around to find out what was going to happen.

Grace took refuge outside in the rose garden. But even from there she could hear the shouting in the room. She could not make out what was being said, but knew Quinn was beyond angry, and Tommy didn't have a bloody chance in this argument. A few minutes later, she heard doors slamming downstairs and upstairs and then Tommy coming out the front door.

“He's all yours darlin'. You were only going to be a distraction for me anyway. I met a luscious redhead at the pub last night and I'll be lookin' her up next time I come this way. When the taxi comes, tell them to find me walking the road to town.” And with that Tommy exited the front drive and headed down the road toward town. Only a few minutes later and Grace was directing the taxi in his direction.