Long Way Home

by HelenKay Dimon

  “There are reports you had an altercation with Marc Baron in town.” The chief didn’t read from notes or stammer over his words. He leveled his gaze at Grace and let loose.

  She shot him a half smile. “I’m not interested in pressing charges.”

  “He is.”

  Callen’s gut clenched hard enough to cause pain. “For what?”

  The chief finally broke eye contact to glance at Callen. “He’s claiming Ms. Pruitt assaulted him.”

  “That’s fucking ridiculous.” There were no other words for it. Callen took a step forward, thinking to kick the guy back out again. Only a slight shake of his mom’s head stopped him.

  “Explain, please,” she said in pure mother tone, all this-had-better-be-good and in charge.

  “He’s claiming Ms. Pruitt put him in danger.” The chief said the words but didn’t seem all that invested in them. More like he repeated the story than that he planned on lodging an actual charge.

  Callen guessed he was looking for a reason to back Marc down. That wouldn’t be tough. Callen had seen Grace furious but never violent, and God knew Marc deserved to have someone beat the hell out of him. But no way did Grace step over the line.

  She had training and a scary amount of control. She also had the skills that if she really wanted to hurt Marc, she could probably do it without leaving any evidence . . . not that Callen supported that solution to the Marc Baron crisis.

  The bottom line was that Callen had heard all about Marc’s scene at the diner. During the numerous retellings he’d been subjected to in his rush to get home to her, at no time did one of the good citizens of Sweetwater blame a thing on her. In this town, that meant something, because no one had any trouble pointing fingers.

  “I don’t care what Marc says. Walker Reeves was standing right there,” Grace explained.

  The chief started nodding. “Marc is complaining about Agent Reeves as well.”

  Callen could understand that, and it grated to have to support the guy, but he did it. “He’s FBI. I’d like to think his word carries more weight than Marc Baron’s ravings.”

  Grace grabbed his arm. Callen had no idea what he’d said or why she’d gone still until the chief started talking again.

  “As to that, I’ve checked, and it would appear he is not in Sweetwater in his official FBI capacity.” The chief’s voice stayed steady as a bit more heat and steel slipped in. “Which is problematic in light of representations he made to me and his actions now.”

  Son of a bitch. Leave it to Walker Reeves to screw them all. That would teach Callen to try to support the guy for even a second.

  Grace didn’t seem surprised, but that was an issue for another time. “What actions?”

  “The diner incident.”

  “There was no incident, at least not one instigated by either me or Walker. Marc came up to our table and started yelling. I never touched him.” But with the clenched jaw and red flush to her skin, she looked half ready to do it now.

  “Did Agent Reeves?” The chief slipped the question in there, slow and gentle, proving he might once have been competent to hold his position of power.

  Callen had no idea how to help out. Grace didn’t exactly overflow with information as far as Walker was concerned. She’d built some sort of communication wall between the two men and tried not to spill one side into the other.

  Not that he’d always understood that. He’d walked away from her, in part, because he was convinced she was a mouthpiece for the guy and looking to set Callen up. But her coming here, and the way she handled his family and the news about his past and the baby, all suggested he’d been dead-ass wrong.

  He got that now. Got that he’d been a dick and had some groveling to do—which sucked, because groveling was not really his thing.

  “Walker escorted Marc outside to get him to calm down,” she explained as the tension tightened her voice.

  “There you have your explanation.” His mom stepped up to the door and put her hand on the knob.

  “Now you can leave.” Callen didn’t mind playing backup for his mother. Not when the person she was protecting was Grace and she looked ready to throw her body in front of Grace’s if needed.

  “That hardly settles the matter.” Chief Darber’s gaze switched between them as his voice deepened.

  “The diner was half full. People saw Marc explode.”

  When Grace looked ready to fill in more blanks, Callen stepped in. They’d said enough. Been clear on the Marc angle.

  Now Callen would make a point of his own. “If Baron presses charges, he’s done in this town. You can tell him that.”

  The chief’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like a threat.”

  Damn straight. “Okay.”

  The chief leaned in, looking like he was not ready to let the topic go. “What exactly are you saying, Callen?”

  He’d said enough. Marc knew they had the evidence tying him to the scam against the town all those years ago. Knew and was scurrying around like the rat he was. “Baron will understand. Just pass on the message.”

  “I’m the police, not the damn Internet.”

  The anger came from being left out of the loop. Callen recognized the rough sensation but had no intention of making this one ounce easier on the chief. He’d picked the wrong side long ago when he threw in with Marc and agreed to do his dirty work in making it tough for anyone with the last name Hanover to assimilate in this town. “Then go be a policeman. But Grace told you all you need to know to check into both stories.”

  “You might be able to prevent this from touching Ms. Pruitt, and—”

  “You can call me Grace.”

  Now, Callen didn’t agree with that at all. “He should call you Ms. Pruitt.”

  The chief shot a scowl in Callen’s direction before looking back at Grace. “My point is that it could be too late to save Agent Reeves from serious trouble.”

  That was not even on Callen’s radar. “I don’t care.”

  Grace tugged on his sleeve. “I do.”

  “So do I,” his mom said at the same time.

  Callen had expected Grace to balk. But his mother? “Why you?”

  “Marc has gotten away with bullying and being rude and awful to Leah his entire life. This ends now.” She drew herself up straight and pressed her shoulders back as she pointed at the ground to make her point. “He needs to understand this behavior will no longer work.”

  Callen had seen his mother angry and frustrated, sad and defeated. Right now she came off as ready to go to war and nearly invincible. He kind of liked this version of her.

  Then she opened the door, and the fall breeze blew in.

  Grace caught Mom’s arm before she could step outside. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to find Marc and talk some sense into him.”

  Talk about a frustrating exercise. Callen couldn’t think of anything less likely to lead to success. “That’s a loss cause.”

  Grace glanced over her shoulder at Callen with an expression pinched with fear. “Callen, don’t let her go. That guy is not okay.”

  Callen wasn’t sure if he should celebrate or be worried about the idea of Grace and his mom working together. But Grace was right on this issue. “Listen, you need to stop. He could hurt you, and then I’ll have to kill him.”

  And he might. No one touched the people he loved, and the two women standing there were at the very top of his protection list.

  The chief cleared his throat. “He’s outside.”

  “Baron?” Callen faced around to look at the officer. Gun or not, the guy should have better sense. “You brought him on my property without my permission?”

  “He has a claim to the house.”

  “He does not. Not legal or otherwise.” Callen couldn’t believe he had to explain this—again—to the man
in charge of upholding the law in this town. “Marc lost this house years ago to a bank, and he is trespassing right now. If you want to start arresting people, start there.”

  But his mom was already out the door, with Grace running behind her.

  By the time they all hit the front porch, Marc was climbing out of the front seat of the patrol car. A few seconds later he stood at the bottom of the steps, right at the edge of the yard.

  His mom put her hands on her hips and faced the older man down. “Marc Baron.”

  Some of the ever-present rage left his eyes when he saw her. “Stay out of this, Kim.”

  That was the only thing Callen had ever agreed with Marc about. “Go inside, Grace, and take her with you.”

  “Listen to him,” the chief said from behind Callen’s shoulder.

  Instead of backing down and ignoring Callen’s mumbled swearing, Mom took a few steps and went to the very edge of the porch. “We are done doing this dance, Marc.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “You want to dig up the past? Fine, I’ll go get a shovel.” She sounded like every ounce the school teacher she was. “I lived here back then, Marc. I know what you did to drive your wife away.”

  Marc’s face turned bright red. “Shut up.”

  “I know what really happened between you and Charlie.”

  “What does that mean?” the chief asked.

  “I have no idea what she’s talking about.” Marc’s glanced darted to the chief, then back to Mom.

  Callen knew, but he was too stunned to move. All this time he’d assumed his mom either hid from the truth about Charlie’s affair and Marc’s involvement with the scam or refused to see it. Callen figured there was no way she missed it all back then unless she was trying to.

  Turned out he’d sold her short. Didn’t give her enough credit. Made him wonder if he’d done that more than once.

  Marc launched his body up the steps until he stood one stair below Mom. “I said to shut your mouth.”

  There was no way Callen was accepting that. Call it assault or not, but he put a hand on Marc’s shoulder and held him away from her. “Back up right now.”

  “Don’t touch me.” Marc threw off the hold as his voice rose.

  Now Callen’s anger matched the other man’s. A red haze of fury clouded his vision, but in his head he knew exactly what he was doing when he took another step and backed Marc down the steps again. “I’ll do more than that if you don’t get off my property.”

  The chief finally jumped to action. With a hand on Marc’s chest and another on Callen’s, the chief stood between them, glaring at both of them. “Let’s all settle down.”

  “You caused this by bringing him here,” Grace said.

  Marc’s gaze zipped to her. “No one is talking to you.”

  Grace shook her head as she moved to stand next to Mom. “How in the world did Leah come out of your household?”

  “Stupid bitch.”

  Callen didn’t know if Marc was referring to Grace or Leah. It didn’t really matter.

  But before he could teach the guy some manners, Callen felt a hand on his back.

  His mom pulled him away and pushed her way into the male circle. “Marc, hear me. I have spent my life trying to protect my boys, and I will spend whatever is left of it making yours a misery.”

  The chief shook his head at her. “I don’t think that sort of talk is necessary, Kim.”

  She never broke eye contact with the man she once called friend. “Oh, Marc understands me just fine. He knows what I can and will say. Trust me, I have nothing left to lose.”

  The energy seemed to drain from Marc then. He stepped back and all emotion left his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  But he did. Callen could see it in the other man’s eyes.

  His mom aimed her finger at Marc’s chest. “You are going to lose Leah forever if you don’t stop this.”

  “Your son already saw to that.”

  Grace snorted. “Declan is the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

  It was as if Mom didn’t hear any of it. She kept up her steady lecture. “Get rid of the anger and stop wallowing in guilt. You have a heart condition and a daughter who loves you despite your behavior. There could be grandchildren, Marc.” Her head fell to the side as her eyes softened. “Think about that. Think about knowing they are in town and not being allowed to see them.”

  “The idea of Leah sleeping with your boy disgusts me.”

  There was no heat behind Marc’s words. Clearly something she’d said had gotten through but Callen wasn’t exactly sure what. “If you’re not going to listen to her, then listen to me. You want a war with the Hanovers, fine. Bring it. But don’t depend on Leah to protect you anymore. Don’t count on the Hanover brothers to hide your dirty secrets.”

  The chief grabbed Marc’s upper arm and pushed him back even further. “We’ll be heading out. Sounds like Marc and I need to have a talk.”

  Marc didn’t say a word when his old friend led him back to the police car. As the wind whipped up and the leaves blew across the yard, they got in and pulled away. After they turned around, the brake lights disappeared through the tall trees and down the rough and bumpy road.

  Grace stared into the distance. “That was impressive.”

  “It was.” Callen tried to remember the last time he’d seen his mother stand up like that to anyone other than his brothers as little boys. He couldn’t come up with an instance.

  Grace sighed. “Of course, I had no idea what anyone was talking about.”

  The words seemed to break the spell winding around his mom. She blinked a few times, then turned back to face Grace. “Charlie and Marc devised the original scam against this town together.”

  “Another family secret.” Callen meant it less as an accusation and more as a fact.

  His mother’s shoulders tensed. “One we’ve all kept for Leah’s sake.”

  “I didn’t know you knew.” Worried he’d offend her or say the wrong thing, Callen tried to step carefully.

  “I figured it out long ago. You?”

  With the flash of trouble behind them, Callen wrapped a hand around Grace’s waist and pulled her in tighter to his side. “Declan discovered a discrepancy while looking through all the files and documents. The same ones Marc collected to convince Leah the Hanovers had to be stopped.”

  Grace frowned. “Interesting Marc let that happen.”

  “He didn’t count on Declan having the actual documents from back then from all the bank account–shifting. Specifically, the one that showed Marc moving money out of town accounts to where they could easily be accessed and removed.” It had all happened months ago, but Callen remembered every minute of it. Leah heartbroken at the news, and Declan devastated that he had to be the one to deliver it.

  “So Marc, and not Charlie, made this stuff happen? Charlie needed Marc for access. Interesting.” When Callen nodded, Grace rolled her eyes. “There is never a dull moment in this family.”

  Which is exactly what he’d been trying to warn her about. “Not many.”

  Still, she looked resigned and didn’t appear ready to pack a bag and get out. Callen felt hope rush through him at the thought.

  She lifted her hand and rubbed the back of it against his chest. “So, now what?”

  Callen hated this part. Anything that threatened Leah and Declan’s relative peace was bad in Callen’s mind. “I find Declan and warn him, so he can keep a closer eye on Leah.”

  “She’ll love that.” The sarcasm almost pulsed off Grace with that one.

  There was one more thing. Callen looked at his mom. “And I’m calling Tom for you.”

  His mom’s eyebrow lifted. “Did something in my tone suggest I needed babysitting?”

  Grace shook her h
ead. “Not to me.”

  He was getting hit with an impressive display of female power, but Callen refused to back down. “Did something in mine suggest I would let anything happen to you?”

  His mom’s mouth opened, then shut again. Some of the stress left her face. “Fine, I’ll call Tom.”

  Callen wasn’t sure how he’d won that one, but he took the win anyway. “That’s all I’m asking.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Grace knew she was playing a risky game. Callen hated Walker, and Walker hated Callen. Neither trusted the other. Callen only now showed signs of trusting her.

  What a freaking mess.

  She didn’t bring Walker into the house. It seemed like one step too far to give him access to Shadow Hill. The Hanovers deserved better than that. Despite a rocky start and all the questions that still surrounded her relationship with Callen and his seeming ambivalence about the baby, life was finding a strange sort of calm. Callen no longer talked about her needing to leave town and certainly welcomed her in his bed. Declan and Leah, Kim . . . Grace had grown to love them all.

  They could see this as a betrayal. She hoped not, but she’d never been naïve, and the wounds here ran deep.

  But it all had to end. Grace didn’t know how to do that except to drag the information out into the open. Once it was there, they all had a chance of moving on. And if that meant saving the two men she loved—the one she wanted to spend a lifetime with and the dear friend she worried hung right on the edge of reason—from destroying each other, she’d do it.

  Walker stood in the side yard of Shadow Hill in a black suit similar to the one he always wore on the job. No jacket or umbrella. No nod at all to the storm that had rolled in and blanketed the area in foggy gray skies.

  If he’d been terminated from the FBI, he sure didn’t show it. Even his mood still telegraphed the confidence of a guy in charge and ready to make an arrest, if needed. “Why am I here?”

  “Marc Baron.” Even saying his name started an angry shake moving through Grace.

  She wanted to chalk the unsettling sensation to the change in the weather. Cool had turned to cold and mist had given way to a driving rain that only let up a few hours earlier. Even now she stood outside in a raincoat and her favorite yellow boots while Declan and Callen went with Tom to the lumberyard and Leah stepped out to run errands.