Dutch’s eyes narrowed.
“That can be explained,” she said too fast because she needed it to be true. “Maybe somebody messing around in the lot. A jerk with a knife. But…”
Everyone was watching her, waiting for her to continue.
“What aren’t you telling us, Summer?” Rhae’s sweet tone almost ripped away her control.
“There was a credit on my account at the tire shop. Someone already paid for them. Also…” she swallowed, “the groceries.”
Willow straightened. “What groceries?”
She met her stare. “You didn’t know about the groceries?”
“No.”
She waved a hand to dismiss the connection that had already formed in her mind but just had to be an assumption because Granny hadn’t sent them and Vander hadn’t paid for the tires.
They all waited for her to explain. In a fast tumble of words, she told them about coming home from the grocery store and a few minutes later found a lot of bags on her porch.
Denver’s jaw hardened. “Do you have cameras at your place?”
“No.”
Carson traded a look with Dutch, then focused on her again. “If we can pull footage from the bar parking lot, we can find who stabbed your tire and it’s a vandalism charge.”
The kitchen bell rang behind her. “Order up!”
Summer jolted like she’d been doing something wrong. “I have to grab that.”
She hurried away, grateful for the moment to think and furious that her hands were shaking when she picked up the plates. She delivered burgers to table eight, checked on refills and smiled about the fries not being hot enough.
But her mind circled around the same ugly facts like a buzzard around a fresh kill.
When she made it back to the Black Heart table, her throat felt raw from all the words she hadn’t said.
“Summer, we’re going to help you figure out who is responsible for your tire. And the groceries too.” Carson’s statement unlocked her voice.
“I can’t afford you.”
“You can’t afford not to have our help,” Willow said softly.
Summer almost laughed, but there wasn’t enough humor left in her. “That’s easy to say when you’re not the one staring at rent and a dentist bill.”
A customer lifted a hand for their check, and she was on the move again. As she passed behind Carson’s chair on the way back from printing the bill, Willow’s voice carried to her.
“We have to help her, Carson. Let me introduce you to one word: pro bono.”
“That’s two words,” Carson said.
“Then you learned two words today.” Willow leaned over the table to command everyone’s attention. “Pope offered to pay, but if you won’t take his money, you can take mine. Either way, we’re taking Summer’s case.”
She stopped in her tracks. For a second, she couldn’t breathe.
Vander offered to pay? It didn’t surprise her but the tears filling her eyes did.
Of course the man she’d pushed away had gone straight to people who could help. He hadn’t shown up here, waving around a fistful of cash and making himself seem more important in her life.
He’d just tried to make sure she and Ben were safe.
