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“Has to be done.” Grae turned his back on the view. “My family’s been torn apart for over a year. Guess I’m a little lacking in the sympathy department for anybody else.”
“Grae—”
“See you when you get here, Leo.”
* * *
“Looks like the bulk of the media’s losing interest.” Laura sounded exhausted when she entered the office. “Chances are we’ll still have a few stragglers, though.”
“It’s hard to call off the dogs once they smell blood.” Tielle reared back in her desk chair. “We’ll just have to deal with it. With any luck, this’ll be over soon without the place being any worse for wear.”
“I need coffee.” Laura tugged on the tassels hanging from her casual tan knit sweater. The cook staff provided a cart stocked with fresh coffee and tea every day around noon. Laura was making sure her coffee held just the right amount of cream and sugar when a knock fell upon the office door.
“Mrs. Clegg,” Laura greeted Desree when she saw the woman in the hall.
“Des?” Tielle stood behind her desk, a mix of delight and surprise on her face.
A soft smile curved Desree’s mouth. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Please.” Tielle rounded her desk while waving toward the office living area.
“Would you like some tea, Mrs. Clegg?” Laura was already heading back to the cart.
Desree nodded, her smile remaining. “That’d be nice.” She chose a spot on the sofa.
“Looks like we’ve got a reprieve,” Tielle said once Laura had provided Desree with her tea and left the room. “It was good of Faro to suggest we break for a couple of days.”
Desree absently stirred her tea. “That’s what I came to talk to you about, child.”
“Des?” Tielle’s smile shadowed with concern. “You okay?”
“I want you to get Grae out of here.”
“What? Des, uh—”
“Just take him someplace where it can be the two of you.”
“Desree, why?”
“Lord, Tielle, couldn’t you both use time away from all this?” Desree’s teacup clattered in sync with her tense words. She set aside the cup and saucer. “Do you still love my nephew, or has the year changed things?”
Tielle bristled. “No, Des, a year hasn’t changed anything. But something’s wrong here, and getting Grae, of all people, to leave in the midst of it will be beyond impossible.”
“Honey, please.” Desree rolled her eyes as a playful light returned to her face. “It won’t matter what’s going on here. As long as he can be with you, he’ll be happy as a clam. Do you really still love him, baby?”
“I really do.” Tielle’s confirmation held no hesitation. “Why are you pushing this, Des? It has to do with more than sending me and Grae off for private time, doesn’t it? Has Faro done something?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Des retrieved her teacup.
“Then—”
“But I can only handle it if Grae isn’t here.”
“Des!” Tielle gaped. “How do you expect me to go off and leave my business with this kind of upheaval in the wind?”
“Honey, your staff is a marvel.” Des sipped at the fragrant herbal blend filling her cup. “I’m sure they’re fully capable of handling this family, but I need to handle Faro, and I can’t do that with Graedon around.”
Tielle smoothed shaking hands across her cotton skirt in an attempt to dry her damp palms. “He was never worth it, was he? Faro? Me standing up for him and trying to mend fences between him and Grae? I threw my marriage away for nothing, didn’t I?”
“Honey.” Desree set down her tea again and then scooted closer to Tielle, squeezing her hands and giving them a tug. “What happened between you and Grae was between you and Grae. Faro was only an issue that shed light on a bigger problem. When the two of you focus on that problem, that’s when you’ll start to mend the only fence that matters—the one between the two of you.”
“What happens if we can’t?” Tielle watched her fingers, entwined with Desree’s, grow blurred beneath her moistening gaze. “What happens if Faro’s…dealings…put us in another bad place?”
