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Matthew worked his jaw back and forth, as if unwilling to show how much Cade’s admission hurt him.
“We think it’s connected,” she said. “That someone was looking for something in the office then at Cade’s house.”
Matthew dropped into his desk chair. Sitting across from him, she could see how bloodshot his eyes were. He propped hishead up with his fist. “That doesn’t make sense. We have nothing to steal here. And it’s not like your place is packed with cash. Besides, what does that have to do with someone going through my shit?” Matthew swiped up the papers on his desk then let them fall back down.
The drip of sarcasm took her back, and she swiveled around to gauge Cade’s reaction.
Cade rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave a tiny nod, letting her know he’d handle things.
“We couldn’t find some paperwork,” Cade said, voice hard. “We hoped to find it in here, but only ended up with more questions.”
Matthew rolled his eyes. “Would you spit it out already?”
Her jaw dropped. “Matthew. What’s wrong with you? We’re trying to explain everything.”
“Explain what? Your lack of respect of for my privacy? You hooking up with my best friend while carrying another man’s baby? I mean, there’s a ton that needs explaining so take your pick.”
Cade took a step forward. “Enough. You don’t talk to her like that. Ever.”
Appreciation for Cade mixed with horror at Matthew’s words, burning the backs of her eyes. For the first time, she had a man who stood behind her and lifted her up. Demanded others treat her with respect.
But she finally realized she didn’t need someone else to speak for her. She was tired of men—even the ones she loved—thinking they could demean her. Thinking they could say whatever came to mind and she was supposed to just sit and take it.
“Cade has been here for me over the last few days while you’ve been off doing God knows what. I’ve been helping your business partner—your best friend—figure out what the hell’s going on withyourbusiness while trying to figure out my ownlife. While struggling not to fall apart after the father of my baby—your niece or nephew—shoved a knife against my side.”
Matthew shot to his feet, eyes wide. “Oh my God. Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I swear I’ll find that asshole and finally put my fist in his face.”
Although she didn’t want her brother upset, relief loosened the tightness in her neck seeing him acting a little more like his protective self and not a jackass. “The police are looking for him now, and if it weren’t for Cade and Mrs. Collins, I might be with him. Scared to death. So stop with the attitude.”
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not myself. There’s no excuse. I should have been around, and I’m glad Cade was there when you needed him. Even if I don’t understand what’s happening with you two.”
Since she wasn’t sure what was happening between her and Cade, she decided to dive right into the reason they were here. “Did you know Dad was passing out estimates to your clients?”
Color drained from his face. “You’re joking right?”
“Nothing funny about it,” Cade said. “We know for a fact he gave estimates to both Brooke Mather and Mrs. Collins. Each with our logo and your signature. Both projects connected to the Community Outreach Fund.”
Matthew shook his head over and over as if the constant motion would erase the truth. “No. There has to be a mistake.”
“No mistake,” Laura said. “Does Dad talk to clients for you?”
Matthew shrugged. “Does he pass out our business card to people he meets who need a contractor? Sure. But that’s it.”
“What about passing out estimates or discussing payments with the Community Outreach Fund?” Cade asked. “I thought we handled all of that. That the donations came to us, and we figured out additional pricing from there. All of which should be reflected in the one, and only, estimate we give to the clients.”
Matthew scrunched his nose. “Yeah. That’s how it should be.”
“There’s a difference between how it should be and how it is,” Laura said, hating the turmoil rolling around in her stomach. Something wasn’t right. Mathew was acting cagey, which was so unlike him. She wanted to shake him.
His narrowed eyes were so sad it gutted her like a knife. “Things don’t always go the way they should in life.” A text message signaled on his phone, and he glanced at the screen. “I gotta go.”
She watched in disbelief as Matthew stood and stormed out of the office without uttering another word. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth about what he knew about their father, but one thing was for certain.
Matthew had a secret.
17
Early evening swept in with the warm breeze. The bright sun moved across the sky, casting long shadows along the land as it hovered above the mountains. Cade carried Laura’s duffle bag and waited for her to unlock her front door.
