“Seems pretty fishy to me,” Bruce said.
“Fortunately, the council didn’t see it that way.” Kade snatched his things from the floor. “If there’s nothing else—”
“Who was that woman?”
“Ginny? She’s a real estate agent. I told you that.”
“Where’s she from.”
“San Francisco.”
Bruce’s eyebrows rose on his age-spotted forehead. “California?”
“Is there another one?”
“What do you know about her?”
This was getting ridiculous. “I know she’s lovely and kind and knows a lot about real estate. And I know it’s none of your business. If there’s nothing else—”
“You think I’m a washed-up old fart who hates change.”
Bruce nailed it, so Kade said nothing.
“But I care about this community,” Bruce said.
“As do I.” Kade set his things back on the floor. “This is my home. Pretending the rest of the world isn’t out there isn’t going to protect it. The schools need more money, the roads need to be repaved, the police force needs new cars, and there’s not enough money for any of that. What I’m proposing will increase the tax base and, thus, revenue. It’ll also bring new customers to the businesses in town. It’ll be good for everyone.”
“Maybe. If you do what you’re promising to do.”
“When have I ever not finished a project?”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “Look, Kade, you’re a decent kid, but this is a big project. And now you’ve gotten in with outsiders. Strangers even you admit you know nothing about—this Ginny person and those new investors. My job is to protect this community, and that means I need to know who’s investing in it. So if you won’t do your homework, then I will.”
Kade lifted his things once again and turned toward the hallway that would lead him out. “Do whatever you need to do.”
Kade seethed all the way outside. Sokolov’s money would spend just like everyone else’s. He and his friends would have zero control over the project.
Except that Sokolov could pull his funding. Which, Kade admitted, gave him plenty of leverage.
But why would Sokolov care? For him and his friends, this was a business investment.
Kade wished he were more like Ginny and could push away that niggling worry. As he reached his car, what Bruce said came back to him. Not just about Sokolov but about Ginny.
Had Kade made a mistake by bringing her with him today?
What kind of information might Bruce discover? If he found out the truth about her parentage, would it hurt Kade’s project?
More importantly, would it hurt her?
Kade drove to Ginny’s house the next morning as nervous as he’d been before the council meeting.
The more Kade thought about Bruce’s words, the more like a threat they sounded. If the guy decided to look into Ginny, what would he find? And what would he do with that information?
The rain and clouds that had moved in over the weekend had blown out to sea, leaving the air crisp and cool. In the giant sugar maple in Ginny’s front yard, birds twittered and squirrels jiggled the bare branches. It wouldn’t be long before buds appeared around town and flowers bloomed on the apple trees in the orchards.
And he broke ground on his real estate project.
Developing the lakeside property had been his dream since he’d graduated from college, since his parents had given it to him. In one way or another, everything he’d done since then had been leading to this moment in his life. All the prior development projects had been practice for this. The money he’d made had gone into the bank to fund this. Other people went to movies and watched sports and dated. Not Kade. He’d spent his free time reading books, meeting people, and studying other developments. Because this was the project that would launch his business.
This was the project that would set him apart from his brothers and sister.
This was the project that would prove he was competent and successful. Prove he’d been worthy of the gift.
But as he parked in Ginny’s driveway and walked to the door, he asked himself—at what cost?
The door swung open, and Ginny greeted him with a smile that had his heart thumping. As usual, she looked gorgeous. She wore black slacks with a blue sweater that made her eyes sparkle. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m almost ready.” She held the door open, and he stepped inside while she headed for the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she said, “I was looking at listings for a new client, and I lost track of time.”
“I’m in no hurry.”
She was often just a little late. A minute, maybe two. In anybody else, that would annoy him, but with Ginny, he found it endearing.
He found everything about her endearing.
She returned with her purse and jacket.
He took the jacket and helped her into it, then pulled her hair out. The feel of the long silky strands in his hands did something wonky to his brain.
She turned to face him, so close he could feel her breath. Her cheeks were flushed as if something wonky had just happened in her brain, too.
They were supposed to go to breakfast, but he’d be happy to stay here and kiss her all morning.
Her eyebrows lifted as if she knew what he was thinking.
“Food.” He practically grunted the word, not because he wanted to eat but because they needed to talk, and he needed to talk to her before he kissed her again.
“If you say so.” She engaged her alarm and then preceded him to the car.
Though McNeal’s served the best breakfasts in Nutfield, he drove to a little diner in the next town over that had been there as long as Kade could remember.
As they walked inside, he said, “Ever been here before?”
She gazed at the sign above the door that read North Star Diner. “Never even heard of it.”
He pulled open the door, and they stepped into the tiny dining room and waited at the hostess stand.
The place hadn’t changed in years. Laminated table tops, peel-and-stick tile on the floor, acoustic ceiling tiles. The scents of bacon and sausage and real New Hampshire maple syrup made his stomach growl. Clanking utensils and pots and pans served as the musical backdrop.
Most of the tables were filled.
A white-haired woman wearing an apron called from the door that led to the kitchen, “Sit wherever you like. I’ll be right with you.”
“Shall we?” With a hand on the small of her back, Kade led her to a table in the far corner and pulled out her chair. “It’s not exactly fine dining.”
She shrugged off her jacket and studied her menu-slash-placemat. “I bet the food’s good.”
“You ever had biscuits and gravy?”
“Honey, my kin are from Louisiana.” Her deadpan expression and exaggerated Southern accent made him smile. “What do you think?”
The white-haired waitress stopped at their table. “Coffee?”
They flipped over their cups, and she filled them. “You kids know what you want?”
That was the second time in two days he’d been called a kid. He was tempted to order chocolate milk and animal crackers but feared the waitress would take him seriously.
After they ordered, Kade sipped his coffee and set it down carefully.
“What is it?” Ginny said.
“What?”
But her smirk told him she wasn’t buying his false nonchalance.
He folded his hands on the table. “I have to tell you something.”
She folded her hands and set them on the table, too. He wasn’t sure if she was teasing him or trying to take him seriously. “Clearly.”
“After you left the meeting yesterday, I had a conversation with Bruce.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m sure you gathered the fact that he doesn’t like strangers.”
“I actually cracked that code.”
“Well, he sees you as a stranger. Which I knew he would, but I wasn’t wor
ried about it. I guess I didn’t understand what…”
Her eyes narrowed. “Just say it.”
“He gave me the impression he intended to look into Sokolov and the other investors.”
“Are you worried about what he’ll learn?”
Kade shook his head, swallowed. “He also said he intends to look into you.”
She tilted her head to the side. “And you’re worried about what he’ll find?”
“Aren’t you?”
She paused, bit her lip, looked past him for a minute. When she met his eyes again, she shrugged. “It’s not as if my parents’ being criminals is public knowledge. They’ve never been arrested, at least not as far as I know. They were upstanding members of the community. Dad sat on a number of boards at non-profits.”
He nodded, and a weight lifted off him. “Right. If he looks for information, he’ll find out they owned restaurants. Nothing wrong with that.”
Now, she sat back a bit, looked away.
The coffee churned in his empty stomach as he watched emotions play across her face. “What?”
She unrolled her napkin, set the utensils carefully on the paper placemat.
Clearly, there was something she hadn’t told him.
He sipped his coffee and waited.
She sipped hers, too, then set it down and met his gaze. “One of the places my parents owned was a…” She swallowed, looked away. Seemed to meet his eyes again with effort. “They owned a strip club.”
He sat back. “Ah.”
“So Bruce might find that.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. If I’d had any idea my parents’ business could come back to hurt you—”
“I’m not concerned about me. I’m concerned about you.”
Her burst of laughter was short and humorless. “Bruce Collier is the least of my worries.”
“He could hurt your business. He could—”
“I have no control over what my parents did or what they owned. Were my parents criminals? Apparently. But me? I’ve never even gotten a traffic ticket. I have nothing to fear from that man.” She leaned toward Kade again, her blue eyes gazing deep into his. “If you think this can hurt you, then maybe we need to stop…” But her words trailed off, and her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink.
“Stop seeing each other?” he finished for her.
She sat back and swallowed. “Yeah. That.”
“No.” He held his hand out, palm up, on the table, and she took it. Funny how perfectly her hand fit in his.
Her life fit in his.
Okay, it was way too soon to be thinking that way. He knew that. He also knew he’d dated a lot of women, but none of them had affected him like Ginny did. None of them intruded on his thoughts all day and then had starring roles in his dreams at night. None of them understood him the way she did. She believed in him and encouraged him in his hopes for the future. She didn’t think what he wanted was too much, too fast, as others had told him. She didn’t begrudge him the time he spent on his project.
This thing with Ginny was brand new and fresh. But they’d already survived their share of troubles. He’d seen her cry, he’d seen her terrified, he’d seen her strong. In the short time he’d known her, he’d seen a lot of facets of her, and he’d yet to see one he didn’t like. No, not just like. Respect. Admire.
This thing with Ginny was new, yes. But all lasting relationships started somewhere. New didn’t have to mean temporary.
She was looking at their joined hands, watching as his thumb rubbed across her knuckles.
He gave it a little squeeze. “I’m not going to throw you over because that crusty old curmudgeon doesn’t like new people. If you’re not worried, then I’m not worried.”
Her smile was natural and sweet. “Good. Then let’s not worry together.”
He could do that. He wanted nothing more than to do that.
But there was still plenty for them to worry about. Because he may have just decided to pursue this… whatever it was with Ginny. But that didn’t change the situation. There were people threatening her, and somehow, Kade and Ginny had to figure out who they were and how to stop them.
Chapter Eleven
Ginny couldn’t believe it.
Six weeks had passed since the town planning meeting. Six weeks since Kathryn left. Six weeks since an intruder had broken into Ginny’s house.
And nothing had happened. Nothing bad, anyway.
Ginny’s home had remained secure. Kade’s investors had sent the money they’d promised and then stayed out of his way. Bruce hadn’t spread any rumors or confronted either of them.
She stood on the hilltop overlooking Kade’s land at Clearwater Lake. The air was cool this early summer morning. The sun shone overhead, turning the surface of the lake a dark blue. A few fishing boats cut through the still waters, far enough away that she could barely hear their motors from here. The only other sounds were the rustle of the breeze in the trees, the chirping birds, and the low murmur of voices behind her.
In a moment, she would return to the gathering crowd. Right now, she was content to breathe in the beautiful day and wonder at her good fortune.
She’d given up trying to find out where the money in that duffel bag belonged and put the whole ugly business out of her mind. She’d worked on her real estate business and helped Kade get his development going.
The best thing about the previous six weeks, the thing that had made them the most wonderful six weeks of her life, was the time she’d spent with Kade.
They’d shared at least one meal a day. They’d bounced ideas off each other for their respective businesses. They’d gone target shooting a few times a week, which she’d learned to love. They’d joked, laughed, watched movies, and eaten popcorn.
They’d kissed.
They’d done a lot of kissing.
And the shocking thing was, Kade had yet to push for more. It wasn’t because he didn’t want more. She could see the desire in his eyes every time he left her for the night.
Six weeks before, she’d worried she might be falling for him. Well, she was still on the descent and loving every minute of it.
She’d even taken to going to church with him. Between church and Bible study and all that Samantha and her friends had taught Ginny, she felt like she was finally beginning to grasp this whole God thing.
Maybe He wasn’t just some force that had set the world in motion then stepped away. For the longest time, she’d believed God had left His power on the planet for people to learn to wield. Not for bad, of course, but she’d had these ideas about the power of thoughts, the power of belief.
Those things were true. But they were true because God was real and working and powerful.
Not only that, but she was coming to understand that no force on the planet, weak or strong, was without allegiance. The spiritual realm wasn’t comprised of neutral beings willing to do the bidding of humans who called upon them.
No, the spiritual world was comprised of benevolent forces versus sinister forces, good versus evil.
At least that’s what the Bible said. And Ginny was starting to believe it, not just because of the words but because of the people who’d shared it with her. People who’d seen miracles. People who’d had everything stacked against them and had no reason to hope but had chosen hope anyway.
If the Christian God was real, then Ginny wanted to know Him. Because… wow. To have a Father who would send His own Son to die for her? She couldn’t imagine. To have a Father who cared about her, who knew her every move, who knew all her thoughts and loved her anyway…
Her mother had barely tolerated her. Her father had been selfish and distant.
Ginny couldn’t imagine a God of love.
She stared at the sparkling waters of Clearwater Lake and spoke to the God she was trying to believe in. I want to know You. If You’re there, if You’re real, show Yourself to me. Help me see You.
A hand settled gently on Ginny’s back, slid against her T-shirt and
around her waist. She didn’t have to look to know Kade had joined her.
“Enjoying the view,” he asked.
“It’s wonderful, this vista.”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “It’s really going to happen.”
One day, after she and Kade had done some target practicing, Kade had given her a tour of the property on a four-wheeler. He’d shown her where he intended to put the clubhouse about halfway down the hill and about where the roads would go and the different plots of land. They’d continued down to the lake, where he’d pointed out his plans for a dock and boat slips. On the rocky shore, they’d built a campfire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and watched the sun set.
Now, she was seeing the vision he’d laid out for her that day. It was coming together just like Kade had planned. The roads had been cleared and paved, the plots marked, and a few houses were already being built. Construction had begun on the clubhouse a few weeks before, and today they would break ground on the golf course. “It’s beautiful.”
He glanced over the land. “It will be soon enough. We’ve come so far.”
She loved that word, we. As if she were part of his plans, his future.
Lord, is there any way…?
But she was afraid to finish that prayer, afraid somehow she’d jinx it. She knew that was ridiculous, but still…
“Do you need my help with anything?”
He squeezed her waist. “You’ve done everything I asked and more. Thank you. I don’t think I could have done this without you.”
“I just made a few calls.”
He took her hands. “Ginny, having you with me has made an enormous difference in my life. Maybe I could have done it alone, but I guess what I’m saying is, I’m really glad I didn’t have to. I always thought this development was my dream, but now that I know you…” He smiled, shook his head. “I’m dreaming bigger now. I’m dreaming of having a family. Of you.”
“Oh.”
He held her gaze. “I just wanted you to know that. Because all of this”—his gaze roamed the land before it rested on her again—“wouldn’t mean nearly as much to me without you by my side.”
She swallowed, unsure how to respond. Before she could think of something suitable, he continued. “Would you pray with me?”
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