by Arianna Hart
The still conscious, smaller man spat something out in Spanish and Grant answered back in the same language. Ellie had no idea what he said, but whatever it was, it made the man’s olive-toned skin pale.
“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”
“And Pashto and a little Russian. I was learning Cantonese when I got blown up. Join the Navy, see the world.”
Ellie was about to comment when she heard the sirens. The man on the floor tensed, but before he could do more than get to his knees, Grant did something to his neck that made him fall face first to the floor. She and Grant held their hands high as the police rushed through the broken door with guns drawn.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“I can’t believe how much trouble Greg caused in barely three months. He must have been thinking about this for a while.” Grant’s mom stirred the sugar in her coffee cup and sat next to him and his father.
The last few days had been filled with giving statements at the police station, helping his Aunt Karen find a lawyer and fighting to get information from the police and DEA about how much trouble the store was in. Grant had logged so many miles on the road to Canton he could drive it blindfolded. This morning was the first chance he and his folks had had to really sit and talk.
“Yes. Asked to change suppliers before. I wouldn’t let him. We had a big fight.” His father still struggled to get the words out, but he was talking more and more every day.
“Poor Karen. She’s tried so hard to support him, but he fought it every step of the way. She and Tom did their best for him, but it was like nothing was ever good enough. He was always looking for the easy money, the big score.”
“He found it. Now he’s going to pay for it for the rest of his life.” Grant sipped his own coffee, biting back all the things he wanted to say about his stupid-ass fucked-up asshole cousin.
“What do you think is going to happen to him? Will he be able to make a deal?”
“Tony, my contact with the DEA, didn’t know. That’s for the DA to decide, I guess. It’s a huge mess because it involves the mail, a dirty customs agent and international politics. I’ll say this about Greg, when he screws up, he goes all out.”
“I hope I never have to make another statement to the police again. I felt like a fool trying to explain we didn’t know what was going on right under our noses,” his mother said.
“Mom, there’s no way you could have imagined what he was doing, don’t beat yourself up.”
“I could have paid a little more attention to the business, but your dad was more important.” His mom reached over and grasped his father’s hand. It made him smile when his father was able to hold her hand back. “Do you know what’s going to happen to the store?”
“Not yet. It’ll be a while before everything gets straightened out.” Grant took a sip of his coffee, collecting his thoughts. “I know you cashed in your IRA to pay for my BiOM. I’m going to pay that back. If I had realized how much you were paying for it, I’d have waited for the military to come through.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you had waited for that, you’d be collecting social security before you got your new foot. We were happy to do it. We didn’t even want to take the money you gave us for your part.”
“But now you need that money.”
“We’ll be okay. I have some money saved in my personal account, and, thank God, we’re done paying for Jenny’s college. The mortgage on the house is paid off, so we can use that equity too. And honestly, your dad and I know how to live simply. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.”
“But you shouldn’t have to start over. Damn it, you should be planning your retirement, not starting from scratch.”
“Don’t you curse in my house, Grant Edward. And I’ll have you know fifty-six is practically a spring chicken these days. People start new careers in their fifties all the time.”
“What new career do you want to start?” He couldn’t imagine his parents going back to school, especially after his dad’s stroke.
“It’s not a new career, exactly.”
“Oh?” Grant watched his parents exchange a look.
“We were talking with Ellie and Anita, and I think we’ve come up with a plan that will work better for all of us.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“Well, even if the police let us reopen the store again, we’ve lost a lot of our regular customers because of Greg’s bungling. The physical store itself wasn’t really cost effective either.”
“That sounds like Ellie talking,” Grant said.
“It was. She had an idea. Your father and I have talked about it and want to try it.” She took a deep breath and squeezed his dad’s hand again. “We’re going to close the store and be a totally online business.”
“What? I thought you didn’t want to close it because of Uncle Tom,” Grant said to his dad.
“Times change. I have to adapt, and Tom’s gone. Karen doesn’t care about the store. We need to do what’s best for our family,” his dad said.
“So how is this going to work?”
His mom brought out a yellow legal pad that was covered in Ellie’s precise handwriting. “This is what we’ve figured out so far. There are still a few glitches to work through, and Lord knows if anyone will trust Anderson’s again, but here’s what we’ve got. Instead of having the store, we’re going to move all the computers—at least the ones the police give us back—to the office here and to Anita’s house. She’s going to work from home with some help from her sister who lives with her. Dad and I will work from here, and Anita will handle the deliveries to the warehouse and such from Canton.”
“That cuts overhead. I have some money saved. You can use that to restock the inventory.”
“We can’t take your money, Grant. I’m hoping Georgia Wholesale will give us credit again once we explain what happened with Greg.”
“Mom, things don’t work like that anymore. Let me help, I need to pay you back and this is a good start.”
“You don’t need to give us a red cent. You’re our son.”
“And you’re my folks. I want to help. Please, it would mean a lot to me.”
His parents shared another moment of silent communication before his dad spoke. “On one condition.” He nodded to his wife.
“What is it?” Grant asked his mother.
“The other day, while you were dealing with the police, J.T. McBride dropped this off at the house.” She pulled a white piece of paper out from where it was tucked in the yellow legal pad. “It’s an application to the police academy. We’ll take your money if you fill it out.”
“What? I don’t even know if I want to be a cop. I haven’t had time to think about it.”
“What is there to think about?” his dad asked. “You’re a protector.”
“They may not take me with my missing foot and all.” Grant’s mind spun. Is that what he was really afraid of? Or was he scared he wouldn’t be able to cut it now?
“Then you’ll know and find something else. But at least you’ll have made a step in the right direction for your future.”
“I haven’t exactly been sitting around playing video games for the last month.”
“No, but you’ve been in a holding pattern. Grant, we appreciate everything you’ve done for us. Lord knows, I wouldn’t have known what to do about any of that craziness with Greg, but you need to live your life.”
“I am.”
“No, honey, you’re not. It’s time to start.”
“This is a good first step,” his dad said, taking something from the pouch on his walker. “Get the girl before someone else steals her from you.” His dad slid a blue, velvet jewelry box across the table.
Grant opened the ring box and saw a gleaming diamond. It was an old-fashioned square setting with flowers engraved on the band.
“It was your grandmother’s ring. She wanted you to have it when you found the right one,” his mom said, tears shining in her eyes.
“You didn’t give this to me when I proposed to Chastity.”
“Thank God,” his father said.
“I didn’t think this was her style, no matter the sentimental value. It was a little small for her tastes as well.”
“You’re probably right. It’s perfect for Ellie though.” She’d love that it was his grandmother’s ring. The delicate engraving was perfect for her slender fingers too. But damn, was he really thinking marriage? He and Ellie hadn’t had a chance to talk much since the attack at Greg’s apartment. “Thanks, but Ellie and I need to clear some things up first. Maybe you should hold on to it.” He tried to give the box back to his mom.
“You keep it. You never know when the right moment will hit you. Better be prepared.”
Ellie emailed the last of her invoices and shut the laptop down. It was the first time in months her schedule was clear. Sure, she desperately needed to do laundry and clean her apartment, but no one needed her for anything right now. For a second, she contemplated doing nothing at all for the rest of the day. She could turn off her phone and take a nap or a walk in the woods, or even just sit on the balcony and listen to the birds.
Damn, she was boring. With a sigh, she packed her laptop in her messenger bag and debated whether cleaning the bathroom was more important than doing laundry. Mrs. Anderson let her use their washer and dryer, so if she did her wash, she’d end up spending the next few hours visiting.
Usually, she loved hanging out with the Andersons and doing her laundry. Sometimes she’d help Mrs. Anderson in the kitchen or play cards with Mr. Anderson, but with everything still so up in the air with Grant, spending the day there had awkward written all over it.
A cardinal flitted by her window, his bright red wings grabbing her attention as he ate from the bird feeder hanging by her window. She smiled as a tiny wren harassed him to get her share of the seed. Her grandmother had loved to bird watch and cardinals were some of her favorites.
It had been a while since Ellie had been by her grandmother’s house. Even though it was next door to the Andersons’, it was set back in the woods and not visible from the road. Maybe she’d take a walk through the woods and check it out. It was too nice a day to spend indoors cleaning the bathroom, and the exercise would do her good.
Decision made, she changed into jeans and sneakers and headed out the door. The wren was still badgering the cardinal at the feeder, and she laughed a little ruefully. The birds reminded her of her and Grant. He was the bigger colorful bird who drew everyone’s eye and she was the plain brown bird who poked at him.
She’d had some hope that he might change his stubborn mind about ending their relationship after everything that had happened at Greg’s, but he’d been so busy with the police she hadn’t seen him in days. Mrs. Anderson had told her to be patient, but God, it was just so frustrating.
They were so good together, why couldn’t he give them a chance?
The smell of the woods reminded her of when she’d been a little girl and would take this same path through the trees to spy on Grant. He’d always been larger than life to her. Now she knew he was only human, with just as many faults and fears as her. Maybe more.
And she loved him for it. Oh Lord, how she loved him. How could she convince him that even if he didn’t trust himself, she trusted him? That just because Chastity couldn’t look past his scars and his injuries didn’t mean he was less of a man? Why couldn’t he see that she saw the man he was inside, the one who took care of his family, who wanted to fix everything, who was just as afraid of rejection and failure as the rest of the world?
She sighed, remembering she was supposed to be patient and wait him out. She’d gone through this conversation with herself a hundred times. There was nothing she could do to make him see things her way. Either he’d come around and give them a chance or he wouldn’t. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,” she said aloud.
The trail through the woods ended at some scrub bushes and Ellie peeked through them to see her old home. The new owners had done a lot of work on the little house, putting in a patio out back with a fire pit, digging out the overgrown shrubs in the side yard and putting a coat of sunny-yellow paint on the house. Ellie knew her grandmother would approve. It was nice to see it taken care of.
When she got her own house, she might paint it that same sunny color. It would make her happy every time she drove home. First, she had to get a new car so she could actually get home, but a house was in her ten-year plan. Of course, part of that plan was also being married and having babies to fill that house, but she was no longer sure that was in the cards.
There was no way she could go back to the type of relationship she’d had with Josh. It would be like eating nothing but plain oatmeal three meals a day for the rest of her life. Sure, it would fill her up, but there was only so much bland a person could take. After experiencing what love could be like, what passion was really like, there was no going back. She’d rather be alone than settle for less than she wanted.
Hell, she could always adopt. There were children everywhere who needed homes. Maybe she could start an adoption fund along with the house fund. She’d have to look into how much it cost.
She was so busy trying to calculate a future budget that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. Sunlight blinded her as she stepped out of the woods and she ran smack into a brick wall.
A brick wall that smelled like Grant and wore a soft T-shirt.
“Oh, hi. I didn’t see you,” she said, once again feeling like an idiot.
“I gathered that. Whatcha doing?”
“I took a walk to see my grandmother’s house. The new owners have put a lot of work into it. It’s nice.”
“I knew you lived next door, but I guess I never thought about it more than our mailboxes were side-by-side. I rarely went there except when my mom would ask me to help your grandmother out.”
“I know. Whenever you would come to fix something, I’d hide so I could spy on you. I used to sneak through this trail and watch you ride your bike in the driveway or work in the garage.”
“That’s sweet, in a creepy, stalkerish sort of way,” he teased.
“Jerk. You should be flattered.” He took her hand as they walked around the edge of the woods and her heart leapt. “I thought you were the best-looking, smartest, strongest man around. Besides your dad.”
“Damn, I knew my dad was after my girl, I didn’t realize I played second fiddle to him already. And what do you mean thought? You don’t still think I’m the best-looking, smartest, strongest man around?”
“I don’t know…”
“What?” He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, spinning her around and around until she was breathless and dizzy. Setting her down, he said, “Admit it. I’m still the best-looking, strongest man you know.”
“You forgot smartest.” She laughed, falling on her back in the sweet-smelling grass while the clouds spun overhead.
“I know I’m not the smartest,” he said, lying on his side next to her. “If I was smart, I wouldn’t have pushed you away.”
Hope surged in her chest. Could he be coming around? Oh Lord, oh Lord, please let him be saying what she wanted him to say. “True. That was really stupid.”
“You’re supposed to be gracious when a man apologizes.” He trailed a finger down her cheek.
“I’m still a little angry at you.”
“Because I want to protect you? That’s how I’m wired.”
“Not because you want to protect me. I’m mad because you don’t trust me.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never trusted anyone more. You have no idea how hard it was to let you see me without my foot on. I haven’t been completely comfortable
with a woman since I got blown up. You’re the first.”
“And I couldn’t be happier. I love your body, all of it, including the parts that aren’t perfect. That’s not what I’m talking about. Do you think I’m weak?”
“Excuse me? You’re incredibly strong. The whole town relies on you. Maybe too much. You don’t know how to say no.”
“That’s not what I meant. Do you think I run at the first sign of trouble?”
“Obviously not.”
“Then why do you think I’d turn away from you for having flashbacks?”
“I didn’t. I don’t. I just don’t want to accidently hurt you.”
“I don’t believe you.” She sat up and poked a finger in his chest. “I think you’re afraid I’ll run screaming and crying into the night, that I’m not strong enough to see you at your worst and stick.”
“You don’t understand.” He sat up as well.
“No, I don’t. And I probably never will. What you went through isn’t something most people experience, no matter how many movies they watch or how much research they do. I get that. But just because I don’t know what it’s like, doesn’t mean I can’t understand you. I’m not afraid of you, and nothing you could do will change that. Get it through your thick skull. I’m not quitting on you, no matter how many flashbacks you have or how many times you try to walk out my door. I’m not afraid and I’m not leaving.”
Grant looked at her, stared right into her eyes as if he could gage the strength of her convictions. Finally, he said, “You humble me.”
“Good. You could use a little humbling now and then. With all those women panting after you, someone needs to keep your ego in check.” Her heart thudded in her chest. Had she gotten through to him?
“Between you and my mom, I don’t think my ego stands a chance.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I have a couple of questions to ask you. I had planned on waiting, but I’m afraid if I hold off too long, I won’t have any self-esteem left.”
“Somehow, I think you’ll survive.”
