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“What about how the others feel about you? Do you suppose they might be jealous that you got the job and everything that came with it? Maybe they think you’ve been given an easy ride?”
This time, Grant placed both hands on the table. His defenses had shot sky-high.
“It’s not easy. The work here is hard, and I’ve earned the right to stay. The guys around here are great. They’ve welcomed me like I’m family. They’re like uncles to Nick. This place might be filled to the brim with people, but I can’t see a single one of them being so vindictive to want me out. That’d mean taking Nick away from his grandmother, too.” His voice was low and heavy. There was almost a desperation to it, as if he needed her to believe it.
In the quiet of the RV after his little speech, there was an intimacy that drew her to him. She would have never been able to find the words to describe it—like there was something inside him speaking to the very same thing inside her. It was a connection that both thrilled and terrified her. She blinked away the thought and stared hard at her notes.
“Grandmother… Nick’s… Grandmother…” she stuttered. “Charlotte. Do you think it’s possible that she would want you gone?”
“Absolutely not. She loves Nick. Seeing as I’m his father, if I leave, then so does Nick. Does she harbor resentment toward me over my failed relationship with her daughter? Maybe. I hadn’t seen or spoken to her daughter since we signed the papers ending our marriage. Either way, I haven’t felt anything but support from her since I got here. She’s always offering guidance and the like when I feel stuck. She’s been the one to give me the most advice when I’ve had to vent about something.”
At least Grant’s story felt honest. Throughout his rambling, he was giving more evidence of his flaws than of his strengths. Men who wanted to present themselves as completely innocent had a tendency of focusing on everything they did right for a community.
Bella nibbled on her lower lip. If the people he worked with were supportive and Nick’s grandmother was off the table, then who else was there? Was this all a great big coincidence? Could there be several people who were up to no good? Or was it just the guys horsing around?
Her gut told her no.
“So?” he asked. “Are we any closer to finding out who could have done it?”
Bella’s eyes darted to meet his. “Unless there’s a jealous boyfriend or someone who wasn’t happy about you coming to town, I’m back to square one. Maybe one of the cowboys who works here was in love with Dee.”
“But she’s gone now. Why would they care?”
She shrugged. “Jealousy. You had a relationship. You were married at one time. This could be their way of coping.” She pursed her lips together thoughtfully. “Tell me about your past with Dee—for instance, when you visited Rocky Ridge, was there anyone she talked about? Anyone she introduced you to? It could be someone from your past.”
His complexion paled and he tore his eyes from her. “I don’t see how that’s relevant. I told you everything that I could think of. It’s not like someone from seven years ago would even know that I’m here. People move on. If there was someone, they had seven years to ask her out—if they couldn’t get up the nerve, that’s on them.” Grant got to his feet. “If that’s all, I did promise my son that we’d go to the park. I don’t know about you, but I like to keep my promises.”
His brusque end to their conversation was like a slap in the face. She got to her feet a little disoriented. “Thanks for meeting with me,” she muttered. “I’ll be in touch.”
Grant wasn’t being as open as she’d thought he was. Was it possible he had skeletons in his past that he wanted to keep buried?
CHAPTER SEVEN
All it took for Grant to come off his high was to be asked about his past with Dee. He’d been in love. At least he thought he had. He’d asked her to marry him, for heaven’s sake. He’d wanted to build a future with her by his side—one where they could do anything and go anywhere.
Money.
That was what he’d needed to ensure their future, and what better way than to build an empire?
Dee hadn’t seen it that way. She didn’t want him spending so much time in the office and away from her. Every complaint, every dig at his confidence had ultimately been what had led to him agreeing to the annulment.
Neither of them had been entirely at fault.
He vividly remembered sitting with their lawyers as they asked all the typical questions. Even now, he flinched every time he heard her voice in his head telling the lawyer there wasn’t a chance she was pregnant.
The letter he’d received hadn’t said whether or not she’d known. It had only apologized to him for keeping the secret from him all those years.
Grant scowled out the window, his vision coming back into focus as he watched the deputy walk to her patrol car. He probably should have just told her what he was thinking. Would it put him in a bad light? Sure. But his work ethic had nothing to do with the vandalism that was being reported.
That officer was intelligent. She could read people. He’d seen it in the way she watched him. She was probably looking for tics and tells as to whether he was lying. One thing was for certain, she wasn’t going to be satisfied with half-answers.
He turned away from the window. None of that mattered. Neither did his past. He’d been a different person back then, and he’d made changes to prove it. No one could claim he wasn’t doing everything in his power to take care of Nick. That was all that mattered now.
Grant glanced out the window, noting how the deputy stood outside her car as she scribbled something else on the pad. Her eyes lifted to the RV as if she could feel his gaze on her. The tinted windows prevented her from seeing anything, but it didn’t stop the hairs from lifting on the back of his neck.
He should have asked what her name was. Calling her Officer Whitfield was getting tiresome.
Nope. He wasn’t even going to go there. His past was littered with short relationships that never went anywhere. Dee had been the one for him, and he’d bombed it. That woman out there wouldn’t put up with him, anyway. He would just have to admire her from a distance.
