Page 12 of Love At Peace

The headache happened right during my divorce. Right before I moved here to work at the Grand River.

“Nevaeh’s not the smartest girl when it comes to guys. Maybe she would be so stupid to hang around Heather’s ex. I don’t know.” I narrowed my eyes as I focused on looking for that bike, for any sign of my niece. “And I don’t care. I’ll cut ties with her. I know I shouldn’t. She lost her dad, and her mom. I’m all the family she’s got left now. But I’m not solving anything like this. I’m not helping her. I’m enabling her to know she always has a place to sleep and eat, but she’s got to grow up and stop this bullshit.”

“It’s hard. Tough love is...tough.”

It was. “If I don’t put my foot down and take a harder stance with her, she’ll just continue down this path. A worse path.”

“I agree, man. I agree. It’s not easy, but you’d only regret it if she keeps this shit up and causes more issues. Heather told her boss that Nevaeh was by her computer, right? They’ll be looking at her?”

“I don’t know. From what I heard in that call, it sounds like Janelle is going to let the bank’s IT team look into it. Maybe she’s assuming something else could have happened beyond their reach.”

We obviously didn’t talk about it today. She’d come home furious and defensive with this news about Nevaeh being with her ex.

“Well, maybe Marty or someone’s already going to be looking for Nevaeh if that’s the case,” Gavin replied gently.

“And if that’s how this is going to shake out, then so be it. I’ll help Marty bring her in.”

I hated to be in this position, but there was no way I’d turn a blind eye to something criminal happening.

Nor would I stand back and let my niece’s drama ruin my chances with Heather.

We deserved an opportunity to be together, and I’d fight to make that happen.

But first, I had to get some answers somewhere.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like I’d be getting any from Nevaeh.

Wherever she was hiding, wherever she was staying on this chilly November evening, she was concealed well.

I had no clue where she was.

And I had no clue what to believe anymore.

All I could think of was how silly it seemed to ever believe in love again.

Too bad that’s where it’s going. I envisioned Heather, feeling worse when the last image I had of her was with her so furious and defensive, tears gathering to spill.

Because of me.

I’d pushed the woman I was starting to love away.

Chapter 5

Heather

The tears did the trick.

I hated to cry because it seemed so useless. Nothing happened if I cried. Nothing could be changed or altered just because I struggled to bottle in all my anger and frustration.

But they worked.

They did serve a purpose this time.

I’d finally gotten what I’d been insisting on.

Roarke left me alone.

After all those reminders and statements about wanting to be left alone, to have the freedom and peace to mind my own business and keep to myself. He finally let me be.