Never Ever Forget: The Perfect Date, #12

By Donna McDonald

The new man in her life calls her Amazing Grace. Grace Under Fire is more like it.

 

Grace Ward-Adams only ever loved one man. When Vance left her for a younger woman, their divorce felt like death to her. Now the only man she'd ever loved is dead for real and she's so mad at him she could scream. Not that Grace had been pining for Vance the entire decade that had passed because she hasn't been. She married twice after him... and divorced twice too.

 

Yes, Vance's death had stunned her. The video he left stunned her too. How could Vance ask her to help the other discarded women in his life get over him? Two members of his harem were young enough to be her daughters. It was utterly selfish of him to ask such a thing and to make their inheritance her problem. She didn't need his millions. 

 

Grace felt like digging Vance up and shaking him until he died again. Her plan to get revenge is currently circling the drain as well. Dating the so-called "grief expert" his estate hired was supposed to be a joke where she got the last laugh. It turns out, though, that falling in love again isn't funny at all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna McDonald
• Release date: Dec 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781950619443

Donna McDonald

Donna McDonald published her first romance novel in March of 2011. Fifty plus novels later, she admits to living her own happily ever after as a full-time author. Her work spans several genres, such as contemporary romance, paranormal, and science fiction. Humor is the most common element in all her writing. Addicted to making readers laugh, she includes a good dose of romantic comedy in every book.

Book preview

Chapter One

After exiting her beloved BMW, Grace straightened her black pencil skirt and checked her white blouse and dark silk jacket. No matter how badly she wanted to skip this, she couldn’t avoid finding out why Lane said her presence was critical to him carrying out Vance’s last wishes.

Her recently deceased first husband, Vance Ward, hadn’t let death stop him from imposing on their former ten-year marriage. Ever hopeful in the past, Grace had always responded to all of Vance’s summons. She told herself she was waiting for the perfect moment to give him the finger in person one last time. 

There was absolutely no hope of that happening this time, though, which was why she’d been stalling all morning about answering Lane’s summons.

With Vance gone for good, her self-respect was all she had left. Vance had married other women besides her and divorced those same women over the years. Yet despite her subsequent marriages and divorces, her first husband always acted like he knew Grace had never gotten over him.

And his clever, razor-sharp attorney knew it too.

She felt sure Vance also knew with absolute certainty that she’d eventually come running to help Lane, no matter how ridiculous his last request turned out to be. Heaven only knew what was on the private video message Vance allegedly left solely for her, but wasn’t that why she’d forced herself to come here?

Her crying jag last night was thankfully behind her and wouldn’t be repeated today—or any other day in her future. She’d spent the entire morning making sure that the ravages to her heart didn’t show in her updated hairstyle or her flawless makeup. The wrinkles on her forty-seven-year-old face outpaced her cosmetic work to keep it from happening, but she refused to look like some has-been wife who was grieving over the man she couldn’t keep.

Like a knight suiting up for battle, she’d even visited her bank vault and donned her most expensive jewelry for this dreadful occasion. She had on the diamonds Vance had given her on their tenth anniversary just mere moments before confessing he’d fallen in love with someone else and wanted a divorce.

Wearing the diamonds today served as a last act of irreverent defiance, which their shared attorney, the Honorable Lane Everett, would recognize straight away. And Grace was counting on it. She’d always felt there was a time and a place for petty revenge. This one moment might be her last chance to show someone associated with Vance that she no longer cared about him.

Grace hated thinking about the past, especially the part of her life that she’d given to the man she loved more than any woman should love a man. Stunned by his shocking divorce request delivered on their anniversary, she’d sarcastically asked Vance why he couldn’t have waited one more day to confess. Vance favored her with his most apologetic smile—a smile she’d once thought so, so charming—while shrugging one wide silk-suited shoulder.

The marriage she’d thought was rock-solid had ended so anti-climatically. Vance had paid for their faux celebratory dinner and they had ridden home together like he hadn't just shattered her world. Vance had slept in the guest room that night and moved out of the house the very next day. He hadn’t even waited until he’d had coffee.

Despite his recent death, Grace felt no remorse at all for wishing Vance dead many times over the way he’d callously ended their marriage. Yet now that he was dead, the reality didn’t satisfy her at all. She’d cried herself to sleep last night over how Vance had escaped her in yet another way.

And worst of all, Grace knew she wasn’t alone in her grief. Vance had left behind a harem’s worth of women to also grieve him—a harem that unfortunately included her. Or perhaps even started with her. That was a depressing thought, and one not worth entertaining, but it was her unfortunate reality.

As far as she was concerned, last night’s grief had revealed a new low in her sad love story with Vance Ward, because she’d been secretly harboring hope that he might return to her one day when he was done being a womanizer. Now she had to totally let go of that foolish hope and give up all the silly romantic dreams she’d clung to about him over the years.

What was she doing here? She should have just answered the phone when Lane called her the second time. But she was still reeling from the one where he’d left a message saying Vance was dead.

Lip lines be damned, Grace couldn’t keep the deepening frown off her mouth as she pushed open the door of Lane’s office. She stopped with the door in her hand and nearly turned around to leave when she saw that his waiting area was filled with an assortment of Vance’s ex-wives and an odder assortment of younger women she didn’t recognize.

What proved them to be fellow victims was that every one of them stopped what they were doing to stare at her with red-rimmed eyes and frowns highlighted by their bold painted lips. A few even burst out in wailing tears at the sight of her.

Two of the younger ones—young enough to be Vance’s daughters—laughed uncomfortably over the weeping drama of the older ones. Grace dismissed them with a smirk and a glare. She’d done her crying over Vance in private. All of them should have done the same.

Grace felt no sympathy for their grief or their embarrassment or their dashed hopes of reconciliation. She had her own demons to lie to rest.

Before she could make her escape from the craziness so typical of Vance’s life, Lane threw open his office door and rushed out of it to stop her from bolting. Her intention to leave must have shown on her face because Lane looked equally determined to prevent her from doing so.

Grace, thank goodness you’re here. I was afraid you weren’t coming. You’re over an hour late.

Sue me, Counselor, Grace said with a snort, glancing around. Whatever kind of melodramatic crap this, I want no part of it, Lane.

Lane rubbed his nose. Their presence was a deliberate omission on my part because I knew if I said the others would be here, that you wouldn’t show. I was afraid someone on my staff had squealed and told you. Sharon threatened to do so.

Grace’s mouth twisted at the irony. No one informed me of anything. I simply had better things to do with my day than jump through one of Vance’s flaming hoops. You know I got all I wanted from Vance in our divorce. Unlike the rest of his wives, I had no prenuptial agreement.

Grinning as evilly as she could, Grace swept the room with her hand. Give what pittance he left me to the rest of Vance’s victims. I was done with him years ago.

Sorry, but I can’t do that, Lane said firmly. And you didn’t get all you wanted in your divorce. In his will, Vance left you the beach house at Cape Cod and the convertible he made from the Carmen Ghia. But there are conditions for taking ownership of both. He left you a video explaining everything.

Grace blew out a breath. The beach house had been a genuine gift Vance bought for her, but he’d traded her out of it during their property settlement. The car possessed only sentimental value for her, but the memories she and Vance made in it were among the best of her life. She’d loved no man as much after him, nor made any better memories with anyone.

How could she when she was so monogamous by nature? It was the sad, jaded truth. And one she’d go to her grave denying, even to her two best friends.

Lane put a hand on her arm. Well? What’s it going to be Grace? The video is only ten minutes long. He pulled her gently from the doorway and let the heavy oak close behind her.

Grace drew in a deep breath as she thought.

A fluffy blonde wearing tons of makeup and bright red lipstick jumped up from a chair and rushed over to embrace Grace. Red-painted lips graced her cheek. Disgusted, Grace pushed the woman to arm’s length, rapidly realizing who she was. The urge to wipe the woman’s lipstick off her face was strong, and she barely avoided doing so.

Damn Vance, anyway. He tossed women aside but never away. She counted nine in waiting chairs... and she made the tenth walking love zombie.

Please, Grace. None of us knows anything. Lane said you had to hear first. Do this for our friendship, the fluffy blonde begged.

Grace barked out a hard laugh as she glared. Olivia, you’re delusional. My husband left me because he was sleeping with you. You and I are not friends.

Olivia raised both hands as she took a step back. Well, we could be friends if you’d get over yourself. She pointed at the others. He did the same thing to all of us that he did to you, Grace. Have some compassion.

Grace turned to glare at Lane. "Nothing Vance left me is worth dealing with this. The divorce guaranteed that I never had to know or care about any of his other women after Olivia. Is this some cruel joke, Lane? Why in holy hell would Vance do this to me?"

Because he loved you most, Lane said flatly. His gaze swept around the room. Sorry, ladies, but she was the only one he truly loved. I’m sure he told you all.

Then his gaze came back to Grace. Vance loved you first, most, and always, but we both know he wasn’t a good husband. Vance would admit that too, which means you need to listen to the video he made. Not even I know what’s on it. I literally can’t carry out his other wishes until we sort this first request out.

Despite knowing the action would erase her makeup and give her face a shine that would highlight her worry, Grace rubbed her throbbing forehead as she groaned. This is a load of crap, Lane.

The man’s dead, Grace. Vance left me a long list of what he wanted to be done and it starts with you. Don’t make me let down the best client I ever had next to you.

When her hands lowered, a room full of pleading eyes landed on her. For reasons that eluded her, Vance loved damsels in distress. She long ago realized that his true preferences made their relationship a total anomaly because she was a survivor who needed no one. And Vance was the reason she was that way.

This is why she was so hard on Sydney all those years that Tom slept down the hall and refused to share her bed. No woman should ever feel so unwanted. Thank goodness Dylan was the polar opposite. He was high maintenance but no one who met the two of them would ever doubt they were a devoted couple.

But then, she and Vance once had been a devoted couple like Sydney and Dylan as well. Until Olivia had come along and Vance had decided to be devoted to her instead. She glared at Olivia for good measure. The woman rolled her eyes and looked away.

Grace looked back at Lane and swore at her dead ex-husband with a word she only used for the most horrendous of circumstances. Her attorney swallowed hard, blushed a little, and nodded.

Grace shook her head. Hearing what Vance has to say will change nothing.

Lane blew out a breath and nodded once more. Let’s just listen to the video together and hear him out. If you need time to think about things afterward, I’ll reconvene this reading of the will until you know your mind. I tried to get you here alone, but you returned none of my phone calls.

It was true. She had been avoiding Lane. In hindsight, some of this was her fault for not at least calling him back.

Grace nodded in resignation and let Lane pull her toward his office.

She didn’t give two flips about the other women in the waiting area or what they were thinking about the situation. If they knew Vance at all, they knew how unconventional he was.

All she cared about was protecting her own heart from letting Vance Ward break it all over again. Dead men shouldn’t have such power and she didn’t intend to give any more to him.

Chapter Two

Grace braced herself, but her stomach still dropped when Lane pointed a remote at the screen. A gaunt and sick-looking Vance walked from the camera he’d set up to sit in a chair facing it.

Hiya, Gracie. If you’re watching this video, I’m guessing it’s been quite a while since you and I talked in person. I knew we’d fight if you saw me like this, so I decided making this video would have to suffice. You know making money always came easy to me, but then so did making women fall in love with me. After the cancer diagnosis, I stopped marrying and settled for some fleeting moments here and there. When the docs told me I had less than a year to live... well, that’s when the regrets hit me hard. You were right up there at the top of my list.

Stop the video, Grace ordered, walking away as Lane did as she asked.

She rose from her chair and walked to stare out of Lane’s twelfth-story window. Breathing was suddenly hard to do, but she didn’t want Lane to know how badly she was affected.

"Vance never told me he had cancer. He texted me every other week and sometimes more. He made sure we kept in touch even though I told him he wasn’t supposed to care so much about his first wife’s opinions. My second husband left me over my continued relationship with Vance. He stole my phone and blocked him until I threatened to hurt him if he invaded my privacy again. You know his jealousy of Vance is the reason we divorced. And Vance knew he caused my breakups. He owed me the truth about dying."

Lane cleared his throat. I can’t speak to whether or not Vance knew he caused you problems with the other men you married. However, I can tell you for certain that he told no one in his life that he was ill until he realized he needed to make final arrangements. That’s when I found out.

Then he was a fool. He didn’t have to die alone. If he didn’t want me to hold his hand, then why bother leaving me a message at all?

Lane shrugged. "I also can’t answer