‘‘No.’’ At even the thought of it, Grace’s heart clutched in panic. ‘‘I shouldn’t be talking about this. He’d hate it. It’d embarrass him.’’

‘‘Well, he’s not here, is he?’’ Amused and delighted, Anna beamed. ‘‘I think it’s terrific.’’

‘‘It’s not. It’s awful. It’s just awful.’’ Horrified, she pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back a sudden and unexpected rush of tears. ‘‘I ruined it. Ruined everything, and now he doesn’t even want to be around me.’’

‘‘Oh, Grace.’’ Flooded with sympathy, Anna abandoned her chopping to wrap her arms tight around Grace’s stiff form, then nudged her toward a chair. ‘‘I can’t believe that.’’

‘‘It’s true. He told me to stay away.’’ Her voice hitched, mortifying her. ‘‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s got into me. I never cry.’’

‘‘Then it’s time you broke tradition.’’ Anna tore off a couple of sheets of paper towels and offered them. ‘‘Go ahead, you’ll feel better.’’

‘‘I feel so stupid.’’ With the dam broken, Grace sobbed into the paper towels.

‘‘There’s nothing to feel stupid about.’’

‘‘There is, there is. I made it so we can’t even be friends anymore.’’

‘‘How did you do that?’’ Anna asked gently.

‘‘I was pushing myself at him. I guess I thought—after the night he kissed me . . .’’

‘‘He kissed you?’’ Anna repeated, and immediately began to feel better.

‘‘He was mad.’’ Grace pressed her face into the towel, breathing deep until she could regain some control. ‘‘It was after what happened at the pub. I’ve never seen him like that. I’ve known him most of my life and never knew he could be like that. I’d have been scared if I hadn’t known him—the way he tossed that man aside like he was a bag of feathers. And he had this look in his eyes that made them hard and different, and . . .’’ She sighed and admitted the worst. ‘‘Exciting. Oh, it’s horrible to think that.’’

‘‘Are you kidding?’’ Anna reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘‘I wasn’t even there and I’m excited.’’

With a watery laugh, Grace mopped at her face. ‘‘I don’t know what came over me, but he was yelling at me. It got my back up, and we had a fight when he took me home. He was saying that I should quit my job and talking to me like I’d lost every working brain cell in my head.’’

‘‘Typical male reaction.’’

‘‘That’s right.’’ Abruptly angry all over again, Grace nodded. ‘‘It was just typical, and I never would have expected that from him. Then we were rolling around on the grass.’’

‘‘You were?’’ Absolutely delighted, Anna grinned.