by K. C. Crowne
Jacob shrugged again. “No, sir.”
Grant dropped his pant leg. “That’s right. Because there’s nothing I can’t do, and there’s nothing Caleb can’t do either. He might have some problems with his feet for now, but like me, there’s ways we can work around it. Pretty soon, you won’t be able to keep up with him, I bet.”
Caleb was no longer crying. He smiled brightly at Grant, and I had to admit, I was smiling too. But there was still a lingering thought in the back of my head. As soon as I could, I pulled Grant away from the two boys.
“Thank you for that, but I fear it’s not completely true.” I hated to admit it out loud because it pained me to say it. “I don’t know if I can get Caleb what he needs. If Andy doesn’t do it, or—”
“We’ll get him what he needs.” Grant placed his strong hands on my shoulders and looked me dead in the eye this time.
My heart fluttered in my chest. God, he was so fucking hot, and compassionate too. I prayed he was right about helping Caleb, and from the defiant look in his eyes, I actually believed him.
He dropped his hands from my shoulders and went back to not looking at me fully. “I better get going. I have some work to do at the hotel. I just wanted to let you know Teddy will be contacting you soon.”
“Thanks, Grant.”
I watched his ass as he left the building. Such a tight, firm ass, and what I wouldn’t give to grab onto it while he was— I stopped my thought right there, my cheeks burning red again.
Now isn’t the time for such thoughts, Piper. Behave yourself.
But it was so hard when he looked that good, and after he went outside of his comfort zone to make Caleb feel better. I could see myself falling madly in love with him. Which was even more reason to behave.
Ooo000ooo
Teddy called and asked when would be a good time to come by and talk about the case. Not knowing what he might say, I asked him to come over that evening after Caleb was in bed.
After tucking Caleb in for the night, I paced my small living room, wringing my hands. I had no idea what I’d find out, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to happen. Obviously, I wanted Andy to be found safe, but the idea of Caleb going back to live with his absentee father also filled me with dread.
When the knock came, I rushed to the door, my hands shaking as I let Teddy inside. The look on his face told me that this was not going to be a happy meeting.
“Come inside, have a seat,” I said, ushering the sheriff inside.
He thanked me and sat down in the chair, so I took the couch.
“I’m sorry that you have to find out like this, but I don’t know any other way,” Teddy said, speaking slowly. “We found Andy’s body, and he’s been positively identified.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. I let out a long breath, then felt like I couldn’t take in any more air. I leaned back against the couch, trying to relax and to stop the room from spinning.
Teddy continued. “It appears that he drowned, possibly in a boating accident. Parts of his boat were also found on shore nearby. It appears to have been a horrible accident.”
“Andy was always so good on the water,” I said, wiping at my eyes. “I don’t understand.”
Teddy nodded. “Yes, but it appears he’d been drinking. We found a lot of beer bottles in a cooler that had floated down stream and appears to have belonged to him.”
Had he been drunk and driving a boat down the river? It made sense. Andy drank beer, but what man in Liberty didn’t? As far as I knew, he’d always been safe and never overdid it, but it had been a long time since we’d spent any real time together. Maybe he’d developed a drinking problem over the years, or perhaps he didn’t realize how drunk he actually was.
I had no words for Teddy. I couldn’t even think straight. My mind was spinning - what would I tell Caleb? He was now, officially, an orphan. It didn’t seem fair. Andy was so young, only a couple years older than me. Sure, he was a dick sometimes, but I would never wish ill on him.
Teddy apologized, as many did when giving such news. He’d known Andy too, but like many in Liberty, unless you were in his elite little crowd, you didn’t really know the guy. Teddy was one of us, not one of Andy’s rich friends.
I stood up and walked Teddy to the door. He held his hand out.
“Be sure to call me if you need anything, anything at all,” he said. “I can’t think of anyone better suited for raising that boy, and if Social Services comes calling, I’ll be sure to tell them that.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Teddy. I appreciate it.”
Not like there was any other family for Caleb. Sure, he could go into foster care, but I wanted to believe Ashley had meant it when she’d said they tried to keep families together.
I held it together until I closed the door. Once I was alone, I slid down to the floor and placed my head in my hands. The tears started falling, and I couldn’t make them stop. I was exhausted, and now Caleb would have to find out that his father was gone.
How did you explain death to a three-year-old? In all my years at school, we’d talked about things like this, but it always seemed like something that happened to others, not to someone I knew.
I wasn’t sure I remembered any of it, at least not in the moment. Then again, I couldn’t even think straight. My thoughts were all over the place, random panic attacks hitting me all at once from all different directions, and I could hardly breathe from the crying.
I couldn’t be alone.
I reached for my phone, my hands shaking as I tried to figure out who to call. I needed to talk to someone. I considered calling Grant but decided against it. I couldn’t open myself up to him.
I called Leah instead.
Chapter 9
Grant
I knew something was wrong the moment I saw Leah. She looked exhausted, her eyes sunken in and struggling to stay open. She was leaning against the counter, resting her face in her hands, when I walked into the hotel lobby.
“You okay, sis? Matilda keep you up or something?”
She seemed surprised to hear my voice, as if she hadn’t been fully awake. “Uh, no, it wasn’t Matilda. It was Piper.”
My ears perked up. “Everything okay with her?”
“No, not really,” Leah sighed. “They found Andy’s body in the river.”
“Dammit,” I muttered. I didn’t care much for the guy, but I hadn’t wanted anything to happen to him. “I thought that might be the case when I ran into Teddy yesterday, but I hoped I was wrong.”
“Yeah, Piper’s pretty shaken up about it, not sure how to break the news to Caleb.”
“I bet.” I’d been planning to stop by the daycare anyway to see how they were doing and to tell Piper about what I’d figured out regarding Caleb’s need to see a specialist. But now I had no idea what to say. I wasn’t good in situations like this.
“I was going to take her out to lunch, but Phillip called in sick today and there’s no one to work the front desk,” she said with a sigh. “Figures, huh? I can’t even run over and check on her, just in case someone arrives or wants to check out early.”
I knew nothing about working at the hotel. I left all that to Leah because she was a people person - not me. I’d have run the place into the ground if left to my own devices.
“I’ll check on her.”
Leah smiled, as if she knew I’d offer. Sometimes it felt like she was pushing us together. If she knew how hard I was trying not to get close to her, for Piper’s own safety.
But I was worried about her and Caleb, so I left the hotel and went over to the daycare. As soon as I stepped in the door, Caleb rushed toward me, grinning from ear-to-ear. Either he hadn’t heard the news yet, or he didn’t understand what it meant. It just made my heart ache for him even more.
“Hey, little man,” I said, trying to be extra cheerful. “Where’s Piper?”
She was never too far from the kids. She just blended in with them when she was down on the floor, like she was today. She caught m
y eye, and instantly, I knew she wasn’t okay. Maybe if you didn’t know her the way I did, you’d think she was fine. She offered friendly smiles to the children around her, but the smile didn’t go all the way to her eyes like it normally did. Instead, they were red and puffy, as if she’d been wiping the tears away all day.
She didn’t get up off the floor or come toward me, so I went over to her instead. I sat down in the middle of the floor, surrounded by kids. Caleb sat down beside me.
“You okay?” I asked, trying to be as casual as possible. She nodded but wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I heard the news.” I was intentionally being vague, especially around Caleb. “I’m sorry. If you need anything…”
“I’m fine,” Piper snapped.
“Alright, but if you—”
“I said I’m fine.”
She’d never snapped at me like that before. I don’t think she’d ever snapped at anyone, to be honest. She was usually so cheerful, the person who could smile through almost anything.
I decided to change the subject and talk about the good news instead.
“So I found a doctor who will see Caleb and look at his feet. The two of us can take him in, whenever you’re ready.”
Her face softened a bit. “Thank you. It should be easier to get him in to see one, but you know that’s not the only reason I can’t help him. Eventually, he will have assets from his father that will help with these things, but right now, everything’s tied up.”
She meant the cost. “I know. I’ve got that covered too.” She started to argue, but I held up a hand to stop her. “Not here. We can talk about it later, but please don’t let Caleb struggle because you’re too proud to let me pay for what he needs.”
She closed her mouth and nodded. She knew I was right, and Piper would always do what was best for Caleb. If the handout was for her, she’d have fought me harder - but since it was for Caleb, she gave in much easier.
“Thank you. Once everything is sorted out with Andy’s money, I can pay you back.”
I nodded, not wanting to dig in too deep here. She needed some time to process. Caleb would be living with her for good now, she would be his mother, of sorts. I knew Piper had always wanted kids of her own, but not like this.
“Tabby’s in town for the night, right?”
Piper nodded but looked confused about why I’d ask that. “She’s here for a few days, then back to Salt Lake. Why?”
“I was thinking you might come by my place tonight so we could talk about getting Caleb what he needs. Maybe grab some dinner or something. You need a night off.”
Piper stared at me and blinked a few times, unsure what she’d just heard. “You want me to come over to your place, without Caleb?”
“That’s what I said, right?”
I almost couldn’t believe I was offering it either. I’d make sure to tell her up front that I was sorry for what had happened the other night, that we shouldn’t let it happen again, but even I didn’t trust myself around her. Hopefully, by the way she was acting, she was also uninterested in going further - and the two of us could just talk like two normal adults. We both had the same goal - to take care of Caleb. We shouldn’t let our personal attraction to one another get in the way of that.
“Sure, umm, I’ll ask Tabby if she minds watching him for an evening, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Sounds good,” I said, pushing myself up off the floor.
I ruffled Caleb’s hair before leaving the daycare, praying I was doing the right thing. Maybe I should have offered to meet with Piper in public, but this didn’t seem like a conversation to have in public. No, I’d just have to behave myself.
I had to be man enough to do what was right by everyone involved.
Ooo000ooo
I wasn’t much of a cook, so when Piper told me she’d come over, I left the cooking up to Felicity and her staff. I hopped over to the cafe, picked up an order to go - including Piper’s favorite chicken and walnut salad with an extra side of Felicity’s famous cherry vinaigrette. I got a burger and fries for myself.
Piper had made it clear in the texts that this wasn’t a date - and I agreed. We needed to talk about getting Caleb into the doctor, and when we’d be available, and what else she might need help with in the meantime.
When I opened the door, however, I had to admit she looked as if she’d dressed for a date. My gaze moved over her body, and I was stunned that she was wearing a dress. She hardly ever wore dresses. This one wasn’t anything too girly and looked a lot like an oversized sweater - nice and warm and comfy, but also pretty. It was light pink with a belt at the waist, highlighting her figure. She stepped inside and plopped down on my sofa like usual, though. No greetings, no kisses. Just regular old Piper coming over for a beer, like we’d done a few times with Leah and Kellen in the past. Except tonight it was just us. And she looked damn good.
I went into the kitchen, grabbed our food, and placed it on the coffee table. Her face lit up and she gushed, “I can’t believe you remembered I loved this salad.”
“Eh, I cheated a bit. Felicity pointed it out to me.”
Piper shrugged and smiled at me. “Still, it’s the thought that counts. Thank you, Grant.”
I didn’t think it was a big deal and shrugged. If it made her happy, with everything she’d been dealing with lately, so be it. I thought it was a general courtesy, nothing more.
She dug into her salad, and I started in on my burger.
“So when do you think we could get Caleb into this doctor? I told them we weren’t his parents, filled him in on the situation. He’s a friend of a guy I served with, so we worked out those details already.”
“Whenever you want to, I mean— it’s more a money issue for me. If you’re willing to help, then I’ll work with you.”
“I’ll write the check, cover all expenses. You know I’m good for it.” I didn’t like to talk about it, but since we’d discovered the lithium in the ground at our feet, I’d fallen into a bit more money than I needed.
Piper seemed a little uncomfortable with the talk about me paying for Caleb, and her smile from earlier fell.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked, munching on a fry.
She shrugged. “It’s just, I guess for now, I am Caleb’s guardian. He has no parents. I have to look out for him now.”
“And you’ll do a damn fine job of it too.”
“I hope so.” She nibbled her lower lip and stared down at her salad. “I really, really hope so. You know how much I struggle to stay ahead. Can I really support both of us until everything is sorted out with Andy’s life insurance and benefits?”
“Yes, you can, and you will.” Even if that means getting help from Leah and me until all that kicks in, I thought to myself. I didn’t say it out loud. She had enough trouble accepting help as it was. No need to remind her of that fact.
“Ashley called me today after she heard about Andy. Since this is a bit more permanent now, they’re coming by to check everything out in more detail, look into my past a bit, my financials—”
“And they have nothing to worry about.”
“You think so? You don’t think they’ll look at my bank statements and realize there’s no way I can afford to raise a kid?”
“If you need money, Piper. Just ask.” There, I said it, finally.
She sighed and leaned back into the cushions. “You know it’s not that easy, Grant.”
“I know, but we need to think of Caleb. And there’s no one else who could take care of him the way you do. We both know he can’t go into the foster care system, and there’s no one else to raise him. It’s just you.”
“What if there were others out there?” she asked, her eyes briefly catching mine.
“What do you mean?”
“My family in Vegas. They’re fairly well off, and—”
“And do they even know Caleb exists?” She didn’t answer and looked anywhere but in my direction. “Yeah, didn’t think so. You’ve never met any of the
m, and let’s face it, when you and Tabby were in the system, none of them stepped forward to take you. Why would they show up now?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m just trying to think of every possible angle, you know. I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and it broke my damn heart. I hated when women cried. Especially women I cared about. She leaned forward and put her face in her hands, and the sobbing began.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, “I just can’t take this. Caleb is going to be so heartbroken.”
Dammit. I couldn’t just sit across the room and let her cry into her hands. I got up and went over to her, sitting down next to her. I didn’t have to reach out to her, she came to me. She buried her face in my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her. I patted her on the back but had no idea what to say.
I didn’t want to tell her it would be okay. Andy was dead, Caleb was without a mom and a dad now; it wasn’t fair at all. I didn’t want to repeat tired platitudes that were complete bullshit.
So all I could say was, “I’m sorry.”
Piper looked up at me, mascara staining her cheeks. She tried to wipe it away but only smeared it worse. I leaned over and reached for a napkin, offering it to her. She smudged at her eyes, making herself look more like a raccoon. She groaned in frustration.
“Here, let me,” I said softly.
I took the napkin from her and dabbed at her cheeks, carefully wiping away the black marks. I noticed, while doing this, she stopped crying.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I tossed the napkins on the table and tried to think of something to say. I knew from experience that words did nothing to help with grief. Only time would help heal her wounds. She might not have been close to Andy, but they were still family - and he was young.
Piper fell back into my arms, without the tears. I held her against my chest, feeling stiff in more ways than one. I tried not to think about the blood rushing down to my nether regions. It was, as usual with Piper, not the right time to be thinking with my dick.
