The last thing I wanted to do was have dinner with Mark, my mom, and Frank to officially celebrate the engagement, the engagement I was still on the fence about. Ever since Frank told me Mark proposed to me for appearances, I had had a hard time being happy for our proposal.

Mark seemed genuinely happy since that night though, enough so, that I started to wonder if I had misunderstood Frank. He even brought up potential honeymoon spots. So, I did my best to swallow my pride and, instead, tried to believe his intentions were sincere. But Frank's words hung heavily in my mind despite my attempts to dismiss it.

"Ah, here they are." Mark stood as my mom and Frank walked toward our table. He shook Frank's hand as my mom gave me a quick hug.

We all sat down and ordered a few minutes into looking at the menu. I had decided on the lobster ravioli and a salad. Mark and Frank discussed business as usual while my mom and I talked wedding details until our entrees were served. The others engaged in small talk while I mainly remained silent, concentrating on my food until most of my plate was cleared.

"How was your ravioli dear? It looked delicious." My mom asked, as she pushed her plate away.

"The sauce was a bit heavy, but otherwise it was wonderful."

"I'm sure it was just fine. You're too picky Grace." Frank took a swig of his beer, waving the waiter down for another.

"That's my Grace for you. Always stuck in a Chef's mindset. This one is hard to please. But hey, it gets me out of cooking for her." Mark winked and both men raised their glasses toward each other.

"You have never even offered to cook for me. I would actually love it if you did."

Mark looked at me momentarily perplexed before his lips raised up into a small grin.

"I think I'll leave the cooking to you. But hey, I'm up for wining and dining you."

I gave him a tight smile as he squeezed my thigh.

"So, how has work been for you honey?"

"It's been fine. We stay really busy. Whisk Me Away has quickly turned into a five star restaurant."

"That's great! I know I sure love their food." My mom winked.

"Maybe we can have our next business meeting there Frank. I've been meaning to check the place out." Mark suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. We will see. Especially if we can get family privileges."

"Well, I have told Mark his meal would be on the house if he ever would stop by. The same would apply to you Frank."

"Great! I will have to try it then."

"Wonderful. Just make sure to let me know you're coming beforehand and I can arrange a table. We stay pretty booked up. I'm actually really excited for Michelle. She's apparently opening up another restaurant in Wyoming."

"Ugh, Wyoming. I honestly hate hearing about that state."

I looked over to Mark who seemed offended.

"Seriously sweetie, I cannot believe you went through that. I am just so glad you are okay." My mom reached across the table and grabbed my hand.

"I am okay mom, really. It was scary, but I made it back in one piece thanks to Colt. And honestly, I learned a lot about myself during that experience."

"Like what? I sure hope it was how to not get lost in the first place. And you keep saying Colt saved you, but he shouldn't have let you ride that horse the way you did in the first place." Mark scoffed.

"He didn't let me do anything. I am a grown woman and should have known better. It was completely my fault, and I take responsibility for it."

"Mark told me you threw a temper tantrum. You've never been one to act your age."

My eyes darted to Frank and his scolding face, before narrowing back on Mark. The look on my face must have given my irritation completely away, because I noticed Mark's Adam Apple bob in his throat with a tight swallow.

"Those might not have been my exact words, but Grace, you know you throw your unwarranted fits quite often. And that one happened to make a lot of people worry about you. When I woke up the next morning and you weren't there, I didn't know what to think."

My heart stopped. I know it did, because for a moment, I couldn't breathe. Hell, I couldn't think. I closed my eyes and placed my hand on my chest until I could feel it beating again.

"What did you just say?"

"I said you had a lot of people worried."

"No. After that." I opened my eyes back up and stared at Mark, examining the exact way the truth fell from his lips.

"When you weren't there the next morning, I didn't know what to do. I was so worried and by noon, I was told a search party was underway for you."

"You're telling me that you didn't report me missing until the next day? That you didn't notice I hadn't come back before nightfall?"

Mark visibly paled before quickly clearing his throat. "What are you getting so worked up for Grace? I figured you were enjoying your ride and doing whatever else you had probably planned for us that night. Shit, you were always planning things, there was no telling what you had lined up."

"Are you kidding me? I had planned a couple's ride which included dinner for that day. Nothing else. And you would have known that if you had paid any attention to me considering I talked about it non stop!" I shouted, no longer able to control myself.

"Grace, lower your voice. And stop talking to him like that. You have no right to be upset." Frank hissed, but I didn't even spare him a glance as I continued to pin Mark with a glare.

"Seriously Grace, relax. Look, I'm sorry I didn't remember about the ride. I already apologized for it. There's no need to throw yet another one of your tantrums."

Oh hell no.

"This isn't about the ride Mark. This is about the fact that I was missing an entire night and half a day before you gave a damn!" I tightly gripped the table to stop myself from grabbing my drink and throwing it in his face even though I was quite enjoying that thought.

"Grace, I will not have this conversation here. Now enough! I'm sorry I did not know your plans for that night, but it obviously turned out okay. You are fine. So, let me buy you some dessert and we can be done discussing this."

I sat there quietly staring at Mark, before glancing over at my silent, yet stunned mom, and then peering at Frank who was sharing a silent look with Mark.

I was shaking with both anger and sadness. But most of all, disappointment. Mark thought he had won, as he placed an order for a cherry cheesecake.

I hate cherries.

The rock on my finger became too heavy to bear. And I suddenly hated it too.

I slowly stood up and slid it off my finger. I firmly placed it down beside Mark's beer. He glanced at it before looking up at me with both utter shock and hurt in his eyes. But I knew if I looked long enough, the sadness would really just be hurt pride.

I turned and walked out of that restaurant without a word. He didn't deserve anything else from me. None of them did.

Though that drink in his face wasn't a bad idea.

"Wait! Baby, please stop!"

I turned around to see my mom had ran after me. I wasn't in the mood for her to lecture me about apologizing and taking him back.

"Mom, don't--"

She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tight and effectively shutting me up. I held onto her even tighter, tears making their way down my cheeks. But they weren't for Mark. They were for me. For the time I wasted not being true to myself. For allowing myself to be walked on over and over.

"Mom," I started as I pulled away, "I'm sorry, but I don't want safe. I want maddening."

She nodded her head as she wiped a tear from my cheek.

"And you found it?" It was a question, but so close to being a statement, it startled me. "This Colt?"

I snorted. "If you consider the maddening type of love to also be the infuriating type, cause that he is."

She shook her head and smiled. "I can't tell you how many times your father got on my damn nerves. But I loved him. Like crazy."

"I don't know what Colt and I shared to be honest. I don't even know what I feel for him, just that I felt something. Something more in those few days of knowing him than I ever felt with Mark if I'm being completely honest. And even if Colt doesn't feel the same way, I just know, I can't go back to feeling nothing. I can't mom. Or I will always be chasing a memory."

She nodded, squeezing my hand. "I'm sorry baby, I didn't see what was happening. You were so young when your father died, I had forgotten how wild and free your spirit used to be. I'm so sorry for allowing you to lose it. It was wrong of me to tell you to settle for safe. Especially if you have a chance at the love your father and I shared."

"I might. But I won't know if I never try; if I never step outside of comfortable and safe."

"You're right honey. So, what are you waiting for?" She smiled softly before placing a kiss on my cheek. "Go find your infuriating."

With a wink, she walked back into the restaurant to deal with what I had left behind. But it wasn't my heart, because I realized that Mark never really had my heart. I had left it behind in Wyoming on a rainy night all those years ago, and it was still there waiting for someone to want it; to claim it.

Please want it.

Dun, dun, dun!! The moment we've all been waiting for!! 🙌 At least one of the moments! Grace FINALLY stood up for herself! She finally realized she deserved more than what she was allowing for herself. Despite it taking so long, I'm so proud of her.

So long Mark....you can totally suck it!😂 We're off to find Colt!

The question is, will he be waiting for her?