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“They why won’t you leave?” she snapped. “People are trying to hurt you, and by proxy, they’ll hurt Nick, too. He’s counting on you to keep him safe. You realize the threats will stop if you’re not here, right? Clearly you have the money to go wherever you want to, so why risk any of this?” She breathed heavily, just as agitated as he was. “You’re not doing him any favors by staying,” she added in a harsh whisper.
Grant threw up his hands and charged for the door in two steps. He shot a dark look over his shoulder. “Fine. You win. We’ll leave.” He didn’t know where he could go with the custody issue hanging in the balance, but he’d figure it out. Bella was just as much of a problem as the people here at Sagebrush.
He flung open the door and stomped down the stairs, not bothering to see if Bella followed him. If he needed a sign that it was time to move on, this was it. He was finally willing to give up.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Here’s your drink, hun.” Lacey Tipton winked at Bella as she pushed a cup of coffee toward her. “You look like you could use it.”
Bella frowned. “Do I really look that bad?”
Lacey leaned her hip against the bar on the other side of the counter. Her gaze swept over Bella from head to toe. “Well, it doesn’t look like you’ve gotten a lot of sleep lately, if that’s what you mean.”
“Gee, thanks,” Bella said as she wrapped both hands around her mug and lifted it to her lips. “I guess that’s the nicest way you could say it.”
Lacey chuckled, grabbing a rag as she wiped down the bar. “No offense, but what do you have to lose sleep over? You’re not dating, and your job can’t be that difficult. What’s the worst that happens in Rocky Ridge, anyway?”
Bella lifted a brow. There were plenty of issues that had happened over the last couple of years from what she’d heard. She didn’t have to remind Lacey about everything that went down at Twisted Rivers Ranch. Then again, maybe she could use a reminder that not everything was cupcakes and roses even in a small town like Rocky Ridge.
Someone waved Lacey over and she held up a finger. “I’ll come get your order in a minute, Bella. Just take a look at that menu.”
“No need.” Bella tapped the front of the menu. “The cowboy ribeye is never a disappointment.” Unlike certain reckless billionaire cowboys.
Lacey nodded. “I can’t argue with that.” She took the menu. “I’ll put your order in right away.” She hurried off to the other customer, leaving Bella alone with her coffee and her thoughts.
Grant had managed to win her over before she knew what had hit her. He was charming and handsome but also infuriating. The man needed a lesson in common sense. Why couldn’t he see that she was right? He couldn’t be so dumb that he didn’t see the logic in what she’d said.
The worst part was the possibility that he wasn’t being negligent but rather intentionally deceitful. What if Grant had known all about Nick from the beginning and he was only now part of his life due to Dee’s death?
Her grip tightened on her mug and the heat stung her palms, but she couldn’t bring herself to release it. The possibility that he’d lied to her made the cracks in her heart deepen. Bella had never been one to allow herself to get involved this quickly, and for good reason. She knew better than to let her defenses come down when she barely knew the guy.
There was a reason people who’d been lied to found it hard to trust and Bella couldn’t know for sure if Grant had been telling her the truth. She’d allowed herself to become blinded, which was a big part of the reason they’d been arguing so much lately.
The pain in her hands became too much to take, causing her to release the mug. She shook out her hands and glanced around at those seated closest to her. Thankfully no one seemed to notice her poor decision-making.
She could only think of one bright side at the moment. If Grant had been telling her the truth, then at least he wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t involved in illegal dealings, and he wasn’t currently married.
Bella groaned. Which meant he was a decent guy who had been dealt a bad hand. The cherry on top of that reality was that he was a billionaire.
An actual billionaire who had come to Rocky Ridge to raise a son he never knew he had.
She placed her head in her hands as it started pounding incessantly. This was where she stood, caught between two options. Either he was a narcissist who had manipulated her, or he was literal gold in male form—and so far out of her league.
Worse still, she couldn’t blame him for keeping that a secret. He was right on that front. Money changed people. She’d grown up with very little and even she knew it would be difficult not to splurge if she won the lottery.
Bella’s face heated with a vengeance as she thought about how she’d treated him. Her skepticism had pushed him over the edge. Grant couldn’t stand having the people in his life assume the worst.
The heat in her face shifted into something more volatile. She couldn’t believe she’d thought they were close.
Close? Ha! That was laughable. If they’d been close, then she wouldn’t have felt so out of the loop—enough that she went seeking out reasons to explain the things he said and did.
Everything was so messed up now.
A plate was pushed in front of her and Bella jumped, her eyes darting to find Lacey staring at her with concern. “Everything okay, sweetie?”
Bella wanted to shake her head. She would have loved to confide what was in her heart to her friend, but even she knew better than to believe Lacey was a real friend. Lacey was the kind of person a girl could spill her soul to when she was drunk, and she wouldn’t feel judged about it in the morning. But she wouldn’t give the sort of advice Bella was searching for.
So, Bella forced a smile as she grabbed her fork. “I’m okay.”
