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A frown curved his lips.
“I’m sorry.” When would she learn to think before she spoke? “I know you did everything you could to help me.”
“Except be there. I’m sure Goldman did his best. It’s just that I don’t like it when women beat the drum of chauvinism.” An expression crossed his face like he’d surprised himself by what he’d said, but he didn’t retract his words.
“You’re kidding me, right?” She took a drink from the glass in her hand.
“Hey, I admit I have strong misgivings about Eli and Val Wheeler, but it irks me when a woman falls back on the old argument of sexism. And I know some people don’t hire women because of their gender, but in this day and age, if Vanessa’s as all-powerful as some believe she is, why play the chauvinism card?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because it’s true.” Dania had dealt with enough macho men that she knew it was still an issue and probably always would be. It just surprised her that Brett would say such a thing.
He lifted a shoulder. “Okay, maybe you’re right, but I still have a knee-jerk reaction when I hear it. Some women use that excuse to cover up something else they don’t want you to discover.”
“Like what?” She couldn’t wait to hear this.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “That’s why it’s called a cover-up.”
“You’re not making sense.” She set her glass in the sink but then stopped. “However, she didn’t say why she didn’t want to represent Wheeler Land Management.”
“No, she did not. And that’s huge revenue she thumbed her nose at.” Brett inclined his head, his eyes never leaving hers.
“Could be she didn’t want to represent a company that dealt with cattle ranchers. She’s a vegetarian. She tried to convert Matthew many times. She’s connected with many radical people who believe that cattle contribute to global warming.”
“If that were the case, why didn’t she say so?” He raised his eyebrows. “That Blue Skies Corporation intrigues me. I’ll use the database at work to dig into them first thing tomorrow.”
He guided her to the dining room table. “Because of the planner and these files, we now have two strong leads.”
She sat as he did. Puzzled by his sudden optimism, she asked, “Which are?”
“Blue Skies and Val and his father.” He rubbed the whisker stubble on his chin. “I must say, Vanessa made one good point.”
Surprised that he’d admit it, she asked, “What?”
“That we’ve got to find another place for you to stay.” He put his hand on her arm.
The warmth of his palm made her realize how grateful she was that he was helping her. He’d make someone a great husband. His words about finding a woman like her came back to her. Maybe it was the ticking bomb of being discovered, or maybe it was relying on him for so much, but she needed to know why he wanted a woman like her and not her personally. “Brett, before, when I asked you if you would ever settle down and you said only if you found someone like me—” All at once, she couldn’t find the words she wanted to say.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel awkward.” His voice was soft, worried.
“No, it’s not that, I mean”—she sucked in a breath—“Why not me?” Did she just say that? Hadn’t she caused enough stress for this man without making him explain himself?
He stepped closer to her. “I was out of line and shouldn’t have said what I did. I guess thinking of Logan opened up old wounds, and I said things I ordinarily keep to myself.”
“But you did say it.” Every nerve in her body tingled.
“I’m not that lucky to have you in my life.” He patted her arm. “Or to even think that you might want to be.”
“Brett, my feelings are pretty raw right now. For years, I have avoided you. After everything that has happened the last few days... I...”Just spit it out.“I find that I’m attracted to you, too, but until whoever murdered Matthew is caught and the authorities say I’m free, I really can’t go down that path. I hope you understand.”
“Sure I do. But I want you to know that you can always count on me.” His serious face relaxed into a slight smile. “And I still think we need to find another place for you to hide.”
“You’re right.” She was grateful to leave the subject of their feelings behind, but she hated turning to leaving his grandmother’s house. She’d felt safe here. It was a haven in a storm of doubt.
“You should go pack enough of Gran’s clothes to tide you over.”
“And you need to see the envelope she left for you in her underwear drawer.” Dania had no idea what could be inside, but she knew it was important.
They went upstairs, with Jasper tailing them. Brett pushed open his grandmother’s bedroom door. He went straight to her dresser but stopped before he opened it.
