by Tara Randel
CHAPTER EIGHT
DEKE SAT ON the porch as dusk settled over the surrounding woods, listening to the loud scissor-snapping vibration of cicadas, thinking about the job, his mother’s situation, the course of his life and Grace, whom he couldn’t banish from his mind. The temperature had dropped after an extremely warm day, making for a pleasant evening. He’d just decided to check in with his brother Dylan when Grace rushed out of the cabin, slamming the screen door behind her.
Even though it was twilight, and she was a good distance away, he couldn’t miss the tension in her shoulders, her determined pace eating up the ground as she stalked into the dense tree line. Despite his intentions of not inserting himself into her life, he stood, grabbed the flashlight he’d left on the porch and strode after her.
“Wait up,” he called out when he was a few feet away.
Grace slowed down but didn’t look happy to have her personal space invaded.
Racking his mind to come up with a good conversation opener, he said, “Heard about your mother.”
She stopped in her tracks, nearly tripping over an exposed tree root. “How?”
“I was at the warehouse with Roan when you called him.”
She nodded, then continued walking.
“Is she okay?”
“Banged up her shoulder. She didn’t break any bones, thank goodness, but she’ll be sore for a few days.”
“I saw a woman get out of the van with all of you earlier. Your mom?”
“Yes. She’s staying with us tonight.”
Apparently Grace was indulging only in small talk, so he’d take up the slack. “Roan said he’d take a look at your mother’s front steps tonight.”
Silence.
“Nice guy. Another admirer?”
She turned her head, eyes wide. “Uh, no. I’m not that popular.”
“Just an observation.”
“An incorrect one. Roan lost his wife a little over a year ago and he’s still grieving. He and his daughter came home to Golden and my uncle hires him to help out here and there.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“You probably noticed he’s a man of few words.”
“Yeah. What you told me explains it. He’s got that...haunted look in his eyes.”
One he understood all too well.
The light started to dim as they moved farther into the thick of the forest. Trees huddled closer together, the path became a little trickier to navigate with undergrowth and dead leaves scattered over the rich dirt.
“Where are you stomping off to?”
“My happy place.” She shot him a pointed look. “Where I usually go to be alone.”
He nearly chuckled at her disgruntled tone but decided she was already uptight and his laughing wouldn’t go over well. “Then you won’t mind me joining you?”
“You’re a bright man. You know what alone means.”
“I’m also bright enough to bring a flashlight. By the looks of things, you’ll be walking home in the moonlight.”
“I know my way by heart.”
“Still doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
“Fine, you can tag along as long as you’re quiet.”
“Works for me.”
They walked for fifteen minutes. True to her word, Grace did know where she was going. She kept to the path, knew when to duck under low-hanging branch limbs or step over fallen tree trunks. Before long he heard a gushing sound and noticed the scent of damp air. They passed into a clearing by a stream. A medium-sized waterfall took center stage.
Water tumbled over a ragged outcrop of rock into a lazy swirl before traveling downstream. Dry boulders were scattered around the water’s edge. Grace climbed up on one and stretched her legs out as she viewed the splashing cascade glistening in the moonlight.
Following suit, he clambered up next to her. With a huff she scooted over.
“Nice happy place.”
“I’ve always thought so.”
“By the look on your face you came here to do some thinking.”
She shrugged.
“Family?”
“Always.”
He chuckled out loud. “I know the feeling.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. In the waning light her eyes were bright and inviting, her skin luminous. Her hair, mussed after the hike through the woods, framed her pretty face and he found himself wondering what it was about this woman he couldn’t resist.
His perusal was interrupted when Grace said, “Starting tomorrow there will be some changes at Put Your Feet Up.”
He leaned closer, enjoying the warmth of her body heat and the scent of cherry blossoms. “Is that so?”
He felt her slump. “I’ll be training my sister to work in the office.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Because...?”
“Are you sure you’re a forensic investigator?” She twisted to face him. “Seems like you’d make a better interrogator.”
“Part of the charm.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk to you,” she huffed. “Even though you work for us, you aren’t related and I guess I need to vent.”
“I can be as impartial as the next guy.”
Looking away, she focused on the surging waterfall. Long seconds ticked by and he started to wonder if she’d trust him enough to reveal whatever was bothering her. He might regret it later, but he really wanted her to lean on him right now because he doubted she let her guard down very often.
“If it makes you feel any better, I understand tricky family dynamics,” he said in way of encouragement. “Believe me, my brothers and I have gotten into hearty disagreements from time to time. We’re competitive to a fault and try to outdo each other on a regular basis, but I know I can rely on them no matter what’s going on in my life.” He paused. Thought of his father, a man he’d looked up to, even after he’d been gone for many years. “I guess because my dad always made sure to treat each one of us differently. He picked up on our interests and took special time with each of us. Gave us confidence no matter what road we traveled down.”
“And your interest was?”
“Books. Science.” Deke smiled at a memory. “He used to take me to museums. Just the two of us, nerding out. I never really fit into a steady group of friends, but my dad made sure to let me know I was loved.”
“That’s wonderful for you. My father wasn’t quite so invested.”
“I noticed there was no Mr. Harper around to give your mom a hand.”
Her body tensed, and he would have given anything to see her expressive eyes. “Took off for parts unknown after finishing a stint in prison.”
Okay, that was unexpected.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she said, “After I put him there.”
“Whoa. Back up.”
She let out a big sigh and inched a little closer to him. “Well, technically I didn’t put him there. My mouth did.”
“You aren’t a very coherent storyteller.”
“It’s a time in my life I don’t usually get all nostalgic over.”
“So what happened?”
“One day I came to the office after school and overheard my dad talking on the phone. I was in the hallway leading to the rear door, so he never saw me, but he was talking to someone about a delivery. He said it was coming from Atlanta and they had to meet the truck up at Bailey’s Trail at midnight. I thought that was weird because we didn’t normally have anything delivered to the office and midnight was way too late for a hike in the woods. Then my dad said he had a major buyer, which seemed off. Buyer for what? When I finally walked into the office, he gave me a big hug and asked me to tell my mother he wouldn’t be home for dinner, that he had an errand to run.”
As
she told the story, she leaned into him, probably unaware she was doing so. Deke stayed still, not wanting her to come to her senses and move away. He hated to see this normally in-control, vibrant woman beating herself up over her father’s actions.
“He’d been missing dinner, scheduled tour trips and other family outings often, and my mom was always miffed at him. I just shrugged off my dad’s request, hating to bring Mama bad news. Later that afternoon Uncle Roy and a bunch of his buddies came by the office and he’d asked where my dad was. I told him I didn’t know, but that he was going after a delivery later and my uncle’s face turned a funny shade of red. He asked when and where, and I told him. That night, my dad got busted for dealing drugs.”
“And you had no idea?”
“No. I was fifteen. Naive about the world. Other than the fact that my parents were arguing a lot, I was just like any high school kid.”
“What happened then?”
“He was arrested, stood trial, got sentenced to time in prison. No one ever admitted who tipped off the police. My mother retreated, still in denial to this day. My uncle, who suspected what my dad had been up to but could never prove anything until our conversation, poured himself into running both our business and the cabins. Faith rebelled and Nathan followed in Daddy’s footsteps.”
“Selling drugs?”
“No, finding the easy way out. Apparently my dad got tired of the day-to-day grind and wanted a fast way to make money. He got hooked up with a guy he used to know from the next town and they decided to funnel drugs into Golden, which didn’t go well with local law enforcement or the residents. My family became outcasts after that, until the trial proved only my father was part of the drug business. I took over Put Your Feet Up shortly afterward.”
“I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“Why you’re a criminal attorney.”
“That obvious?”
“Now that I know your story, it makes sense.”
“So if I were to know your story, I’d understand why you became a cop?”
He rested his chin on top of her head. “My dad was police commissioner. All my brothers are in law enforcement.”
Making space between them, she said, “Who’d have thought, the daughter of a criminal sitting here chatting the night away with the son of an upstanding policeman.”
“Doesn’t make us perfect.”
“Bet you didn’t have kids making your life miserable in school.”
“I was bookish and quiet. They picked on me anyway.”
“Did your brothers stand up for you?”
“I never let them know, but if I had, they would have intervened.”
“Must be nice.”
“Your family isn’t so bad.”
“Really? Faith took off and Nathan goofed off. No relying on them then or now.”
“Maybe your sister working in the office will change things. For the better.”
“I’m not holding my breath. Faith is usually all about Faith.”
“She has her own family now. Hopefully her priorities have changed.”
Grace stared at the water. “I guess I’ll find out.”
They went silent for a time, both caught up in their own thoughts. Deke would definitely have to deflect swapping family details if he wanted to keep the reason he was in Golden a secret, but sharing stories had given him a new insight into the woman he found more fascinating every moment he spent with her.
Grace eased back against him. “What a pair.”
Deke fingered the ends of her hair, enjoying the soft silky strands sliding across his skin.
“So, is there a significant other in your life?” He had to ask. “Hiding out in Atlanta maybe?”
“Right. Between my family woes and my work hours, who has time to date?” She rested her head on his shoulder. “You?”
“No one serious.”
“What about that friend you talked about?”
His stomach jolted. Here was an opportunity to open up about what had happened, to ease his guilty conscience. Instead he went for easy. “Her name was Britt. We tried to date once, but were better off as friends. I actually introduced Britt to her future husband and they clicked in a way she and I never did.”
Truth be told, he’d been jealous and hurt, but as time went on, he realized Britt was right. He became buddies with her husband and he’d been adopted into the family as Uncle Deke after the birth of her sons. In a way, she still owned a tiny piece of his heart. Not in a romantic way, he’d come to realize, but part of a loving friendship he missed terribly. He’d never found anyone to fill that void, until now. In a short time, Grace had touched those empty places inside him.
He shifted, moving Grace so she faced him. Yeah, she did it for him. Her eyes glittered in the sliver of moonlight filtering through the leafy tree limbs. Her gaze met his and when he saw approval there, he didn’t hesitate. He leaned down. Covered her lips with a gentle brush. She inched forward, placing her delicate hands on his chest. His heart raced beneath her palms, so he kissed her again, this time with greater intention. She went soft against him, returning his kiss with an ardor of her own. He forgot why he was in Golden, the personal conversation they’d just shared here in the middle of the woods and why going this far was probably not a smart idea. All he was capable of recognizing was how Grace made his blood speed through his veins. She touched him in a way no one had ever done—how, he couldn’t begin to explain. She was so wrong for him, this attorney who defended criminals and took care of her family above all else, leaving no room for others in her life. Yet this kiss couldn’t have felt more right.
He would have kept tasting her lips for hours if she hadn’t pulled away, her voice breathy when she said, “I, um, think we should head back.”
“Grace, I’m sorry if I stepped over the line.”
“It’s...” She waved her hand as if to brush the kiss away, but the gesture hit him like a punch to the gut.
“You work for me, Deke. And without Nathan, I can’t risk messing up and having you leave me shorthanded.”
Her words sobered him. Work. She was all about work.
Sliding off the boulder, he held out his hand to help her down. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed by her decision, but he understood. She’d been looking out for her family for years before he came into her life. Wasn’t he here because of that same loyalty to family? Grace wasn’t the type to throw caution to the wind and start something with him that might affect the family business in a negative way. It made him admire her all the more for her stand, while at the same time his heart wavered with a funny ache.
As she started along the path, he flicked on the flashlight to illuminate the trail.
“Maybe if you decide to go back to Atlanta and your old job, we can see where this leads,” she said, her voice muted as she led the way.
He stepped on a twig and it snapped, just like the mood. If they were both back in Atlanta that meant she’d be defending criminals he was trying to put away. And how exactly would that lead to moving closer? He’d be betraying Britt’s memory, and right now, he couldn’t take that step.
“We’ll see,” he said, tempering his tone. He noticed her shoulders tense and realized he’d driven a spike between them and the tender moment they’d just shared.
* * *
“WHY CAN’T YOU just file the request form like I showed you?” Grace asked after correcting Faith for the third time Wednesday morning.
“I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“The deal is we have a pipeline so the booking requests don’t get lost.”
“I can remember.”
“Really. With Lacey crying and John wandering off?”
“So it’s not ideal, but I want to learn, Grace.”
“Then please follow the protocol I’ve put into
place.”
“Fine.” Her sister muttered under her breath, taking the printed request and making a grand show of placing it in the right slot on the shelf on the wall.
The phone rang and Faith grabbed it. “Hello.”
Grace closed her eyes and counted to ten.
“Ah, I mean Put Your Feet Up.”
Grace lifted one eyelid and squinted at her sister, who was hunting for a pen. Grace had just placed the ones scattered across the desktop back into the holder.
“Yes, we have boats.”
Grace cringed again. Mouthed, “Canoes.”
“Right canoe trips. I’d be happy to give you the information.”
Faith rattled off the packages from the detailed notebook Grace had stayed up late last night preparing. Once she’d returned to the cabin after a terse goodbye to Deke, her mother had informed her that Faith was starting work first thing the next morning. Then she’d gone to sleep in Grace’s bed. Since the lumpy couch was going to keep her up anyway, she’d stayed busy until three that morning, detailing vacation packages, costs and schedules. Thankfully Faith had read through it a few times and was booking tours with Grace’s assistance.
They had both dressed in a skirt and blouse for work today, but Grace noticed the frayed cuffs Faith tried to hide. Were things worse than Faith let on? Lyle hadn’t been back to the cabin and Grace didn’t know if Faith had enough money to get by. A sobering thought. Suddenly Faith’s situation took on a whole new light.
Taking a breather, she went to the small office fridge and removed two juice boxes. She pulled up a chair, opened the straw and stuck it in the cardboard container to hand to her nephew. “I think we deserve a break.”
John dropped the truck he’d been running across the floor, sound effects and all, and sat back. “Yeah. We workeded hard.”
Grace grinned and sipped the sugary juice after inserting her straw. She could have gone for another soda right now, but she didn’t dare leave Faith alone.