Paradise ignored his comment and pulled out her phone and showed him the picture she’d taken. “There was white paint on the back bumper. Dean could have hit him from behind and knocked him into the ditch. While Allen was unconscious, he could have injected him with meth.”
Blake studied the picture. “What kind of vehicle did Dean drive at the time?”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask Mary yet.” She took back her phone and shot off a text to Mary, who answered immediately.
A white pickup. I never saw it after I gave him Allen’s truck. Dean said the engine went out on it.
She turned her phone around so Blake and Jenna could see the text. “What if we could find that old truck? It could be in a junkyard.”
Blake shrugged. “Or crushed up by now. But it’s worth a try.”
The server placed the steaming bowl of shepherd’s pie in front of Paradise, then slid one in front of Blake as well. The deep, meaty fragrance of slow-cooked ground lamb mingled with the aromas of rosemary, garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. She couldn’t wait for the first taste of the buttery mashed potatoes on top.
She took a tiny bite of the top. “Yum. I felt a little guilty leaving the boys. They wanted to come with us so badly.”
His blue eyes were warm with love and he reached his hand across the table to take hers. “They get our attention all the time. I wanted to be able to look across the table at my gorgeous girl without a kid distracting me. We don’t have enough time together. I can’t wait until there are no problems to deal with.”
If that day ever came. The problems seemed to multiply exponentially. She gave an answering squeeze to his hand. His strong grip was a reminder of how he held fast to those he loved. “Just when it seemed the money troubles might be lifting, we got that news about the will. Have you heard anything from Hez?”
His smile faltered. “I thought he might call tonight.”
She released his hand and scooped up the first savory bite of meat and gravy. “I wish I could get this recipe.”
They could pick up beignets for dessert, then take a walk along the water. She’d rinse the powdered sugar from her fingers in seawater and listen to the boats blow their horns out on the bay. It sounded idyllic, but that state of mind felt unattainable with this cloud of foreboding hanging over her head.
They tucked into their food for a few minutes, then Paradise reached for a hot yeast roll. While they were walking, maybe Hez would call.
Blake scooped up a spoonful of gravy and potato. “I still can’t believe we have to worry about a will surfacing.”
“When the auction started for the property, had you heard anything about a possible will?”
“I was still in the Marines and was overseas. I wired money to Mom to help cover the down payment, but I wasn’t in on the initial property evaluation. I remembered the place, of course. You and I both came over a lot when the Steerforths had the roadsidezoo. I thought it was an unbelievable stroke of luck that we had the chance to acquire it. But I left the details to Mom and Hank, and Hank was one of those guys who researched everything. You probably remember that about him. I’m sure he wouldn’t have moved forward unless he was positive things were in order.” Blake took a roll and broke it open to slather it with butter.
She tensed and moved a carrot around in her bowl. How did she bring up that his mom had heard mention of a will?
His brows rose, and he set his roll on his plate. “Are you worried about something, Simba?”
Had Jenna even mentioned Mary’s concern about a will to Hank? This didn’t look good, but how did she tell Blake without making it seem like his mom had done something wrong? She knew Jenna well enough to be sure she wouldn’t have purchased the property if she’d thought there could be a problem, but would a judge believe it?
It felt like she was throwing her friend under the bus, but she set down her spoon. “I told your mom what Hez said, and she mentioned Mary had told her she’d thought there might be a will, but it never surfaced. After failing to find it, Mary went ahead with the sale. She said the will left everything to her anyway.”
“Did Mom and Hank consult an attorney about it?”
“Your mom didn’t mention doing any other research, so I don’t know.”
“I doubt Hank would have bought it without doing some checking. At least I hope that’s true.” Blake slumped in his chair. “Babe, this isn’t good. If Mom admitted she’d heard there was a will, would she have been required to make sure before purchasing the property?”
“That seems crazy. She’s not a private investigator or anything. How could she find a missing will?”
“When I talk to Hez, I’ll mention it, but you’re right—it wouldn’t make sense for the court to put the burden of proof on Mom.”
Though she could see him make a conscious effort to shrug off his worry, clouds gathered in his blue eyes. His phone sounded with a message, and he glanced at it. “Hez says to come by the condo when we’re done with dinner. I’d hoped for a romantic walk along the water.” Blake grinned. “And I suspect Savannah wants to show you her engagement ring.”
“We can do both. Hez can tell us what he’s found out, and we can walk to the pier when we’re done. Our romantic evening isn’t ruined.”
But his attention felt far away from her, and the new distraction of the threat to the park’s ownership had derailed her as well. Would they ever get a chance to talk about their own future?
Chapter 27
