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Connie studied the image and then shook her head. Standing, she said, “My girl was never a thief. And whoever thinks otherwise doesn’t know her at all.”
That was good and bad news for Travis in the context of the note and intimate destruction of Lila’s belongings. He’d been hoping the older woman would have some insight on the woman who’d been trailing her.
Lila was staring at the floor, looking miserable.
Connie wasn’t having it. “I thought you’d worked past this,” she said, her voice tender. Reaching out, she gripped Lila’s shoulders. “You hold your head high.” She waited until Lila obeyed. “There were no secrets when you came to live with us, sweetheart. Your parents, to my dismay, were useless by the time you came along. You did what they asked, but that wasn’tyou. Not in your heart.
“Anything from before your life here was simply a little girl looking for approval. Looking to survive. If what they thought about you was the truth, you wouldn’t have turned your life around so easily. That’s strength inside you, not weakness.”
Lila hugged her grandmother hard. “Thank you.”
“For what? Loving you?” She shot Travis a pointed look. “Loving you is easy. Always has been.”
He could see that for himself. Not that he was in love with her or anything. He cared about Lila. He cared about her safety and wellbeing. As more than a professional, sure, or he never would’ve slept with her last night. Still, it was a bit unnervingthinking of Lila and love in the same sentence. Happy ever after wasn’t on his radar right now. He didn’t think it was on hers either. They were both too committed to their career plans. Plans that didn’t line up geographically.
Lila told Connie they were going shopping in Charleston and she cautioned her grandmother to stay alert and call the police for anything out of the ordinary. Connie agreed, even as she shooed them out the back door.
“You know Jess will have someone close by,” he reminded her as they walked back to where he’d parked his rental car.
“I’m trying to remember that.”
He was trying to remember it too. He didn’t want Lila to suffer any more loss or grief.
At the car, he opened the door and she paused to face him. “Thank you.”
To his surprise, she kissed him right there. In public. “We don’t have to keep pretending.”
“Who’s pretending?” She grinned at him. “You were amazing with Gram, filling her in without letting her get scared. Taking the blame for the whole mess.”
“None of this is your fault.”
Whatever was going on in her head, that earned him another kiss, and he gave up on the analysis for a few precious seconds.
“Keep it up and we won’t make it to a single store,” he warned.
She hopped into the seat and grabbed the seat belt. “For what it’s worth, that’s really only a threat when baking tools and kitchen supplies are on the list.”
“Duly noted.”
And he discovered she hadn’t been making it up. When it came to shopping for clothes, she was efficient and practical. But when she’d passed by a specialty cookware shop, he might’ve lost her for the rest of the day.
Thankfully, Connor called with an update and that proved more important than the macaron baking sheet she’d been studying. Outside on the sidewalk, he held the phone so Lila could hear the news along with him.
“Lt. Frasier has the training exercise in place. I caught sight of her near the Waterfront ferry stop in Charleston. Timestamp was yesterday morning.”
“Nothing on Brookwell?” Travis queried.
“No.”
“What next?” Lila asked. “Should we go do something to attract her attention?”
Travis stared at her. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Visit a pawn shop or, um, a jewelry store?”
Connor sputtered but Travis saw red. “You’re not bait,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I kinda am,” she countered. “And if she’s close to me—us—she’s not threatening Gram.”
