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Grady knew one thing for sure. He had a good father as an example to follow. He couldn't imagine a better father than Jack Heart. In the innocence of childhood, he hadn't begun to imagine that his parents could die. His father's booming laughter, his deep voice, echoed in his head. Jack and Susan Heart had been nurturing, encouraging, and demonstrative in their constant show of love. A lump formed in his throat, and he wished that his parents had stayed around long enough to see grandchildren. But knowing how quickly life can be snuffed out, he suddenly knew that he didn't want to wait one more day to ask Arabella York to marry him. She might have only been back in his life for a few months, but she'd never really left his thoughts. He didn't want her to just live with him. He wanted her to be his wife. Just the solid thought of calling her his wife made him smile into the darkness.
And what better place to propose that at her granny York's house? He knew in his gut that was where she'd gone, but he had to make sure. If not, he'd search until he found her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME
The drive to Cincinnati took Arabella the better part of two days, partly because her mind drifted, causing her to miss exits, but mostly because she kept second-guessing herself as to whether she should just fly to New York and join Grady and Heartbeat. But in the end, she knew she was making the right decision heading back to her roots. She hadn't informed her parents of her arrival, mostly because she wanted a couple of days at her little brick house to simply sit back and reflect on the past few months with Grady Heart.
Having stayed up late the night before, she slept in at the hotel on the second day, since her drive to Cincinnati would only last another four or five hours-well, unless she got lost . . . again. She found out the hard way that Siri only helps if you pay attention. To make matters worse, Arabella possessed a horrible sense of direction, so she knew rerouting was a given. But she didn't stress over the extra hours added to the trip. Driving, listening to music, and simply having some downtime was something she sorely needed.
"Oh no, hope I didn't miss it!" Arabella reached for the remote when she caught sight of the nightstand clock after rolling over in bed. She searched for Good Morning America on the TV. Grady had sent a text message that Heartbeat would be on the popular morning show. She shoved her tangled hair from her face. After a night of restless sleep, her hair had taken on a life of its own. "I am such an idiot. Why didn't I set my alarm?"
"Oh good." She breathed a sigh of relief when Heartbeat was announced to appear after the commercial break. She hurried to the bathroom and then returned to the bed, sitting down with a bounce. Smiling, she leaned against the pillows and beamed with pride at how handsome, professional, and articulate all four of them were. Although dressed casually in purple Susan Heart Lupus Foundation T-shirts and blue jeans, they exuded a sincerity and emotion during the interview that came through the screen and tugged at her heart. Grady was smart to do the interviews while the publicity remained hot. Arabella knew that their appearances would translate into funds and increased awareness for the foundation.
While they still radiated the playful boy-band charm, they possessed knowledge and poise that lent credibility to the questions asked of them. They shared the spotlight, each brother answering several questions, and she smiled when their personalities shone through. Grady wore his patented bad-boy non-smile. Jesse cracked jokes, adding a touch of humor to the rather serious interview. Jimmy answered with emotion, reciting memories of a childhood filled with music and joy. Oliver oozed charm, lighting up the screen with his lady-killer smile. As individuals, they were something else, but as Heartbeat, they were unstoppable.
"Ah, guys, you're killin' it," Arabella said with a grin.
After the interview, a flawless performance of "You Will Be with Me Always" made tears stream down Arabella's face. Dabbing at her eyes, she knew she could hear the song a million times and still cry. Jimmy was such a gifted songwriter, and she knew that most people didn't realize that he'd written not only several of Heartbeat's hits, but a slew of number ones for various artists in different genres as well, and she was happy that some of that information came out during the interview. Arabella hoped that besides shedding light on lupus awareness, the interview showed the audience watching that the Heart brothers had more talent and depth than they'd once given them credit for.