Grandpa’s scowl was evident when he looked up from the day’s headlines. “I thought you left hours ago.”
“Just to pick up the blinds for the doors upstairs. I ordered them yesterday and they came in today. You’ll be happy to know that your granddaughter now has a state-of-the-art security system. Nobody can get to her upstairs.”
“Those doors are glass, son. If someone truly wants to go after her, they will.” Grandpa stared at him for a moment and then sighed. “Thank you for taking care of her. It never occurred to me there was something to worry about.”
“I just want her safe.” Hunter patted the booth seat next to him and I slid into the spot, holding my breath as he and Grandpa stared each other down. “Now we need to talk about serious matters.”
“Because the potential murder of my granddaughter isn’t serious?”
“You know why I’m here,” Hunter pressed. “More importantly, I know why you’ve been hiding from me.”
Grandpa scorched me with a dark look. “Really? And why do you think I’ve been hiding from you? I haven’t, by the way. I don’t hide from anybody.”
Hunter lowered his voice. “I know about Tina. I know she had Roy’s baby. I know you feel guilty for suggesting she take the job. Before you go crazy and start yelling at Stormy, you should know that I knew about Roy being Dakota’s father before she even gave birth. I never said anything because it wasn’t my business.”
Grandpa leaned back in his seat and pinned Hunter with a pointed look. “That girl has been through enough. She doesn’t need you asking her invasive questions.”
“I’m hoping it doesn’t get to that point,” Hunter agreed. “I still have to find Roy’s killer. He might’ve been a terrible human being, but he didn’t deserve to die that way.”
“Tina isn’t a viable suspect,” Grandpa insisted. “She has health issues. Even though Roy was older, she wouldn’t be able to take him out. Besides, she wouldn’t leave Dakota long enough to do it and there’s no way she would take that boy to watch her kill his father.”
“I don’t think it’s Tina,” Hunter insisted. “Chill out. I’m not looking at her. That doesn’t mean I’m not looking at other women who were in that office. If Roy did that to Tina, what’s to say he didn’t do the same with someone else?”
That hadn’t occurred to me, but it made sense. “Can we put together a list of the people who have worked for Roy throughout the years?”
“That’s the plan,” Hunter confirmed. “And because he hid from me for days, your grandfather is going to help ... just as soon as we have lunch. It’s going to be on him, too, because I spent the entire morning protecting his granddaughter.”
“I didn’t agree to that,” Grandpa said stubbornly. “In fact ... .” He was interrupted by the front door banging open.
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Monica. She’d probably spent the better part of the morning searching the town for Hunter. Circling back only made sense. The look on her face when she saw us sitting together made my blood run cold.
“Oh, crap,” Hunter muttered.
“This won’t be good,” Grandpa groused. “She’s about to make a scene. You know how I feel about other people making a scene. I’m the only one allowed to make a scene in my restaurant.”
27
Twenty-Seven
Even before I’d accidentally burned off her eyebrows, Monica had one of those faces best described as “angry Kardashian after finding out cameras have been banned for life.” She was beautiful, in an over-processed way, and it occurred to me that I’d never seen her without makeup. To be fair, I had spent very little time with her. She was always “on,” though, and that was never truer than today.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Her gaze was furious, and it was directed at Hunter.
“We should go outside,” he said as he started to push himself to his feet. He didn’t look like a man about to go before a firing squad, but he certainly didn’t look happy.
“Why should we go outside?” Monica planted her hands on her hips. “Is there something you want to say that everybody who knows what’s going on can’t hear?”
“This is a private matter.” Hunter was firm. “I don’t want my life spread all over this town for obvious reasons.”
“Your private business has already been spread all over this town,” Monica hissed. “Everyone knows that you spent last night making a fool of me.”
“Nothing happened,” I volunteered. “I swear ... he was just helping me because I was afraid.”
When her eyes turned to me, there was more than anger there. Outright hatred was reflected back. I sucked in a breath. I never thought it was possible to have someone look at me that way.
“I’m not an idiot.” Monica practically spit the words and I shrank back into my booth seat. “He spent the night.”
“On the couch,” I protested.
“Oh, nobody believes that! Do you have any idea the looks I’ve gotten since word started spreading that you were coming back? People pity me. Me!” She thumped her chest like a wrestler, which made me wonder if she could hold her own in a fight if it came to it. She looked as if she did Pilates regularly, which meant she was strong. I was essentially a third-string benchwarmer on the powder puff team.
“I didn’t even know you existed until we ran into your mother at a festival,” she continued, oblivious to the ears taking in her diatribe. “She greeted Hunter like she was his mother — and for a moment I thought she was — but then, when she was introduced to me, she made a big show of acting really sad and saying that she was disappointed he was dating and always wanted him for her daughter.”
I felt the need to say something, but what could I say? Even though I had no idea where I might end up, I spoke anyway. “My mother has issues. She doesn’t think before speaking.”
“Oh, she knew what she was saying,” Monica shot back. “Her aim was to make me as uncomfortable as possible ... and it worked. After that, I started asking Hunter questions about you. He didn’t want to answer them. That’s when I knew I had something to fear.
“If he’d been forthcoming and said, ‘Oh, she’s just a girl I dated in high school and her mother should live in a nut barn,’ it would’ve been okay,” she continued. “But he didn’t want to talk about you at all, so I started asking around.”
Hunter, who had given up trying to leave, shifted on his seat. “You asked around?”
“Of course I did.” Her eyes flashed. “I thought we were going somewhere. I thought we had a future. I went to Sebastian, because he seemed to know everything about everyone in this town. I thought for sure he would tell me I was crazy. Do you know what he told me?”
I could only imagine — and it wasn’t good.
“He told me that you two were joined at the hip. That he assumed you would get married right out of high school,” she barreled forward, barely taking a breath. “I said that never works, and he said it would’ve worked with you two. I asked him if he thought there was a chance you would get back together. I expected him to say that it was far too late for that. He told me that Stormy broke your heart. You’re the type of guy who won’t put up with that, except here you are. You’re putting up with it again.”
Hunter pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “We were kids, Monica. I don’t hold any ill will toward Stormy. We really need to take this conversation outside.”
“She won’t let that happen,” Grandpa said in a low voice, his back still to Monica as he drank his coffee. “The only way out of this for her is to play the victim. I knew this would happen.” His eyes landed on me. “People all over town are talking about Hunter’s squad car being here all night. I wasn’t exaggerating.”
“It’s hard to tell,” I shot back. “It’s like the grandpa who cried wolf.”
“This won’t die down,” Grandpa warned sternly.
I had no doubt that was true. “Just ... shut it.” I slid my gaze to Hunter. “I am so sorry for
this.”
“It’s not your fault.” He sent me a reassuring smile and then focused on Monica. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing happened last night. Stormy was in trouble. It’s my job as a police officer to make sure she’s safe. That’s it. End of story.”
“Uh-huh.” Monica remained understandably dubious. “Do you spend the night on the couches of every resident in need? No? I guess that means Stormy is a special case.”
“This isn’t about Stormy.” Hunter sounded tired. “This is about me. We really need to go outside and talk.”
“Why? So you can break up with me?” When he didn’t immediately respond, Monica narrowed her eyes. “Wait ... are you seriously going to break up with me? That is so ... I can’t believe it!” She stomped her foot. “Well, I’m not going to let you break up with me. How do you like that? I’m breaking up with you.” Before he could respond, she turned on her heel and stormed out the door.
I glanced back at Hunter. Only now did he seem upset, and it was annoyance fueling him more than regret. “I guess I’m going to have to take a raincheck on that lunch.”
“That’s probably best,” Grandpa agreed.
“You and I need to talk later,” he said, and it took me a moment to realize he was talking to me, not Grandpa.
“We do?” I swallowed hard, fear bubbling up.
My reaction elicited a smile, however small. “We definitely need to talk. Don’t go getting crazy or anything. I have to deal with Monica right now. I owe her an apology, even if she is downright evil eighty percent of the time.”
Grandpa smirked. “Good luck, son.”
“Yeah.” Hunter dragged a hand through his hair. “I’m going to need it.”
Grandpa smirked as he watched Hunter exit. Then he focused on me. “One door opens as another closes.”
I didn’t like what he was insinuating. “Nothing happened.”
“Oh, Dolly, you always were a bad liar.”
“I don’t have sex with other people’s boyfriends.”
His brow furrowed. “Can you not say that word so loudly?”
“What? Sex?” I glanced around and found ten sets of eyes planted firmly on me. “Well, it’s true. We didn’t have sex.”
“There are more ways to have an affair than just sex,” Grandpa pointed out. “Some ways, emotional ways, are even more devastating.”
There was nothing I could say.
“It doesn’t matter.” He was calm, something I wasn’t used to seeing from him. “Things have been set in motion. What will be, will be.”
“Oh, you’re so profound.” I struggled to a standing position. I’d lost my appetite and needed air. “I’m going for a walk.”
“I wouldn’t use the front door unless you want to draw the attention of every passing motorist within a fifty-mile radius.”
He had a point. “I’ll use the back door.”
I trudged toward the swinging doors that led to the kitchen, and freedom, stopping when he called out to me. “What?”
His eyes twinkled when I met them. “Some things are meant to be, kid. You might want to consider this was always going to happen and accept it before your big conversation with Hunter.”
That was not what I wanted to hear. “Nothing happened!”
“As long as you keep telling yourself that, you’re doomed for disappointment. Suck it up. Life is about to change for you. It’s time you accept it. Those dreams you’ve been grappling with? I have a feeling some of them are about to come true.”
And that was the most terrifying thought of all.
SNEAKING AWAY AND LEAVING HUNTER TO deal with the fallout seemed cowardly, but it was his relationship. There was nothing I could offer except further drama if I tried to intervene on his behalf. What happened seemed as much my fault as his, but I couldn’t involve myself. He had to do what he felt was right, and if that meant staying with Monica, that was his choice.
Except that I wanted him free. It was hard to admit, especially after I’d fought everyone else saying it, but if he was unencumbered by a girlfriend we might actually be able to figure out if there were remnants of real feelings or just hormones zipping about the room when we were together. It felt real, but it could’ve been something else entirely.
For lack of anything better to do, I headed downtown. Yes, I was likely to run into someone who would ask questions about the previous evening, but I didn’t feel like being alone. I wanted to disappear in a crowd. Shadow Hills wasn’t known for crowds, but being alone felt like the wrong choice given the almost break-in of the night before.
The coffee shop was half empty. One of the few faces I recognized was Erin’s. She sat at a table alone, looking at her phone. After ordering my drink, I hesitated, and then timidly approached her table.
“Um ... want some company?”
Amusement was evident on her face. “I’m guessing you want some company.” She gestured to the chair across from her. “Sit down.”
“Thanks.” I got comfortable.
“Rough day, huh?” She didn’t look gleeful at the prospect of gossip, but she didn’t appear averse to hearing whatever I had to offer.
“It’s been ... a day.” I sipped my coffee. “I’m assuming you’ve heard gossip. What are people saying?”
She gave a slight shrug. “I wouldn’t get worked up about it. This town thrives on gossip. People have been spreading stuff about me for as long as I can remember. You have to learn to deal with it.”
“Nothing happened.” I had no idea why I felt the need to keep reiterating that point. It was more for Hunter’s benefit than mine. “I swear he was just there because I was freaking out.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know the full story,” she said. “What were you freaking out about?”
“Someone was trying to get into my apartment.”
“Really?” Her eyebrows hopped. “That’s freaky. How did they get into the restaurant?”
“Not from inside, from the sliding glass doors on the balcony.”
“Wow. Did you see who it was?”
I shook my head. “I panicked and called Hunter. That’s how this whole mess started.”
Rather than sympathize, she snickered. “Honey, this whole mess started when you were a teenager and saw him shirtless. Some people just get under your skin and you can never shake them.”
“I guess.” I rubbed my forehead. “Have you ever had someone get under your skin?”
“Sure.”
“Anyone good?”
She shook her head. “Just Bobby Buttons.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “No way. Are you guys dating?”
“We’re more ... intermittent,” she explained. “I think we’ve dated, like, eight times. I always break up with him because he’s not motivated. I do not want to be stuck renting a house like my mother for the rest of my life. But there’s something about him I can’t shake.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. Bobby seemed a drain on society. That probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Have you considered giving him an ultimatum? Maybe if you say you’ll never date him again unless he gets a real job he’ll do as you want.”
Her snort was disdainful. “Yeah, I’ve never found ultimatums work in relationships. I’ve tried several times. The last guy laughed at me like I was an idiot. I guess that’s what I get for trying to date old guys these days.”
It was a strange statement. “You tried to date an old guy?”
She nodded and sipped her drink. “Yeah. I thought an older man might be more ... grounded. I guess that’s the word I’m looking for. I don’t think I’m that hard to please. I want a man who is willing to take care of me, provide a good house, and allow me to remain at home. That’s it.”
That sounded like a lot. “So ... you want to be a homemaker? Like, have a bunch of kids or something?”
She shrugged. “I could take or leave the kids.”
Apparently she just didn’t want to work. “Where did you find this ol
d guy?” There didn’t seem many options for dating in that particular pool in Shadow Hills. If you were a good guy, made a decent living, and weren’t a complete tool, odds were you were already married.
“It wasn’t easy, and I had to lower my standards like you wouldn’t believe,” she replied. “The thing is, I asked myself a very serious question when it came time to define my future needs. That’s a thing on all these talk shows, defining future needs.
“I wanted financial stability more than I wanted sexual chemistry,” she continued. “That’s most important to me, so that forced me to adjust my expectations. I had tons of sexual chemistry with Bobby, but he might be the most unmotivated man in the world. I can’t deal with that.”
I could see that. Still, sacrificing the chemistry seemed unfathomable. “Have you ever considered there’s someone out there who can check the boxes in both the financial and chemistry columns?”
“Not in Shadow Hills.”
“You’re still young,” I reminded her. “You have plenty of time to find someone.”
“I’ll be thirty in a few years. Everybody knows that you start losing your looks at thirty.”
I didn’t know that. “But ... .”
She kept talking as if she hadn’t heard me. “If I want to get the future I deserve, then I have to stop messing around. Bobby is a menace. The only way he’ll fulfill those needs is if he somehow gets hit in the head, comes down with amnesia, and develops a work ethic. I have tons of chemistry with him, but he can’t give me what I want. That’s why I told him we needed a clean break this last time. He’s not happy about it — he caused several scenes in the office demanding to know who I was dating — but he’s going to have to learn to deal with it. I need a strong man.”
I thought of the drunken man I’d spent time with a few nights before. “He seems to have a few issues,” I hedged.
“He’s an idiot.”
“His father is kind of a jerk, too,” I continued. “I went in to ask him questions about Roy and he gave me a really creepy feeling.”
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