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He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped Aidyn’s number.
“Yeah. Everything alright?”
“I’m not sure. After I told Keaton off, he left here in a state. He turned up the first road to Hickory Hills without even so much as going into the bakery or making sure Lara was alright. Something very wrong is going on with Keaton Bennit. And I think I know what it is. I think Kent is Keaton’s son.”
Aidyn whistled. “That’s quite interesting. On my way home today, I stopped at Homemade in the Hollow, the little diner on Main Street. The lady who owns the diner told me it’s just been this year that Keaton Bennit has gone soft on the BRR. Last year, he was like a pit bull about getting them to stop. She thinks he has a long history with one of the BRR that he’s trying to keep secret.”
“Right, Kent. Keaton just told me that Kent went off to college and came back changed.”
“I couldn’t chat any longer with her. Someone came in and she clammed up on me.”
“This also explains the rumors that have been going on.”
“I think I’ll stop by again tomorrow and see if she’ll chat with me.”
“Good idea. You keep working on that angle. I’m going to work on the fact that Kent seems angry with Lara and I want to know why.”
Aidyn laughed, and it rankled his nerves. “He’s jealous.”
“You might be right. What else could it be? She has the things he seems to want. Keaton said Kent wanted to modernize the BRR with electricity and water and such.”
“And what if we send Adelaide and Maya to the dress shop and chat up Shianne? She’s Lara’s best friend.”
“That feels like something that might get me in trouble.”
“Not if you aren’t doing the snooping.”
“I’m staying out of that part of it. I’ll be here until she goes home tonight. Did anyone say anything about the electricity being off yesterday? Lara said the power was off all over town. She had to use the emergency opener on her garage to get out of it yesterday.”
“I’ll check. Be careful.”
“You too.”
Tate turned toward the bakery and saw Lara still watching him from the window. She looked upset and his guilt of a moment ago washed over him before he could justify his discussion.
He entered the bakery, though he was wary. “What was that all about?”
“Work.”
“Just work?” She turned to face him, and he swallowed to wet his throat. “My dad sure took off out of here in a hurry.”
“And drove right up the road to the Hill.”
Her mouth opened, then closed. Her brows furrowed, and he waited for her thoughts to catch up with him.
“Why would your father go up the hill after an argument? Does he know Kent? And, while Aidyn and I were up there today, Everett Howard called your father and asked why we were up there. Why would he do that?”
“That’s not true.”
“It’s as true as the fact that today is Tuesday.”
She swallowed. Pulling a chair away from the little green table. She sat hard in the seat and stared out the window. Just as he was about to sit with her, her phone rang.
“Hi, mom. I’m in the middle of…”
Lara stood quickly and ran to the kitchen. He followed her to see her pulling her purse and jacket from the hook. “I’ll be right there.”
She looked into his eyes. “I have to go. My mom is sick.”
