by Sherri Hayes
When they went inside to look at the security footage, Trent wasn’t surprised to find it was worthless.
“How many people have access to the gated area?” Detective Travers asked.
“My four crew leaders all have keys, as well as the office staff.”
Detective Travers scribbled something down in his notebook. “How many is that?”
“Three. Trinity is my office manager. Joss helps with scheduling and he’s in charge of deliveries. And Kevin handles our accounting.”
“I’m assuming you have a key as well.” The detective made more notes.
“Of course.”
“Can you account for your whereabouts last night, Mr. Daniels?”
Trent had known the question was coming. “Yes. I was with a friend.”
The detective raised an eyebrow.
“A female friend,” Trent clarified.
“Her name?”
“Abigail Hoffman.”
Detective Travers nodded.
Several more moments went by before he tucked his notebook in his pocket and met Trent’s gaze. “I don’t know how well you know your staff, Mr. Daniels, but this feels like an inside job to me. Someone knew where that camera was and how to avoid it. They also appear to have known exactly what they were going for.”
Trent’s first reaction was to get defensive, but then he remembered the missing mulch from two weeks ago. Besides, it wouldn’t help his case if he ticked off the detective. “Most of them have been with me for at least a few years. I trust them.”
Detective Travers didn’t seem surprised by Trent’s answer. “We’ll run the fingerprints, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Chances are they’ll all match those of your employees.”
The detective was probably right.
“I’ll be in touch,” Detective Travers said as he moved toward the door. “I might also suggest that you put some security cameras inside the yard. And if I were you, I would keep the fact that they’re there to yourself.”
“Thanks.”
Detective Travers gave Trent a curt nod before he showed himself out.
Sighing, Trent lowered himself into his chair. He was having trouble wrapping his head around the idea that one of his employees would steal from him. But if it wasn’t someone who worked for him, then how did they know exactly where the security camera was positioned and how to avoid it? He felt nauseous just thinking about it.
A knock sounded at his door. “Come in.”
The door opened and Trinity walked into his office. She set a cup of coffee down on his desk. “I thought about bringing you something a little stronger, but I figured that wouldn’t be a great example in front of the employees.”
He took the offering and brought it to his lips. “Thanks.”
Trinity had shut the door behind her, so for all intents and purposes they were alone. “Do they have any leads?”
“No. Not yet.” Trent shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. What Detective Travers said kept ringing in his ears. It didn’t sit well with him that he had to keep this from everyone, including his office manager.
“Well, hopefully they’ll have something soon, right?” she asked.
“Hopefully.”
Trent decided it was best to change the subject. With all the activity that morning, there was plenty to go over and an inventory had to be made of all their supplies and equipment. The insurance company, as well as Detective Travers, would need an accurate count of what had been taken.
At noon, Trent sent Trinity out to get lunch for the office. It was the least he could do. All four of them would be spending most of the afternoon counting inventory in the hot sun. Not exactly how he’d wanted to spend his day and he was sure they didn’t either.
With Trinity picking up lunch, Trent shut himself in his office and dialed Abby. He was worried about her and how they’d left things.
Her phone rang four times, and then went to voice mail. Had she made it to work today?
Trent was still mulling over his options, which included calling Max—as averse as he was to the idea—when Trinity returned with the food. His stomach growled, reminding him that he’d skipped breakfast. Pushing his worry over Abby aside for the time being, Trent joined his employees at the conference table and dug into his lunch.
***
Somehow, Abby had managed to drag herself into work this morning when what she really wanted to do was crawl back in bed and pull the sheet over her. She thought she’d been doing pretty good keeping up appearances for the last two hours, but she should have known Max would figure out something was wrong.
He skidded to a halt in front of her desk after exiting the conference room for the second time that morning. “What did he do?”
She thought about lying, but what would be the use? “Trent didn’t do anything. I-I told Chris.”
Max sucked in a deep breath and moved to her side of the desk. He placed his briefcase on the floor and knelt down beside her. “What happened?”
Tears formed in her eyes again. She would have thought with all the crying she’d done in the past twenty-four hours that she’d be cried out. Apparently not.
Without warning, Max pulled her up out of her chair and practically carried her into his office. He took her over to the couch along the wall, made sure she was comfortable, and then walked back out of the office. He returned a few seconds later, briefcase in hand.
As he moved about the office, there was no doubt that this was his domain. Max intimidated a lot of people and it was easy to see why. He forwarded the phones, locked the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted, and joined her on the couch.
“Tell me what happened,” he demanded, taking both her hands in his. The gesture was in complete contrast to his tone.
Abby pulled her hands out of his grip and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Things with Trent were . . . heating up. I had to tell him. I couldn’t let things continue between us and then have it come out later.”
“And?”
“He said I needed to tell Chris. That he deserved to know.” She leaned forward, burying her face in her hands. “He was right, of course. How many times over the years have I thought about calling Chris and telling him about Kaylee, and then chickening out?”
“How’d he take it?”
She groaned and dropped her hands. “He was upset.”
When she didn’t go on, Max’s eyes narrowed. “What did he say?”
Abby knew if she said the wrong thing he would be out the door in a heartbeat, and be on Chris’ doorstep within the hour.
“Not much. He said he needed time to think, and then he left.”
Max’s jaw stiffened. “And Trent?”
She looked away. “He stayed with me.”
“That’s what you wanted, right?”
Abby nodded.
“So why do you look as if your world just ended?” Max asked.
She twisted her fingers in her lap. “Trent asked me this morning why I’d never told Chris. He wanted to know what had held me back since I had to know that he and his family would all have supported me and my decision to keep the baby.”
Max reached for her hands again, but she stood, pulling away from him. She didn’t want his comfort—didn’t deserve it.
“I told him the truth. That Chris would have wanted to get married and . . .” She walked over to the large window that framed the back of Max’s office.
“And you told him you didn’t want to marry his brother.”
She nodded again.
“I take it that didn’t go over very well?” Max got up and moved to stand beside her.
“I don’t know. We didn’t get to discuss it. He got a phone call and had to leave.”
Max turned toward her, resting his hip on the windowsill. “So what has you more upset? Chris? Or that you don’t know what Trent thinks about you saying you didn’t want to marry his brother?”
“I’m sorry I upset Chris. I never meant to. Looking back, I know
I should have sucked it up and told him. There was nothing that said I had to marry him if I didn’t want to.” She met Max’s gaze. “I am worried about what Chris will do after he has time to think about it, but . . .”
“But you’re more worried about Trent’s reaction.”
She nodded.
“This thing between the two of you, do you see it going anywhere? Are you planning to stay here when I return to New York?”
Abby opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“It’s okay. I know you’re worried.”
Max pulled out the chair behind his desk and took a seat. “I am. I think you’re falling for this guy and your history with his brother is going to make the two of you being together complicated.”
“I know that,” she defended.
“I hope so, because things could get ugly. Chris’ reaction is just the tip of the iceberg. How do you think his parents are going to feel once they find out? If you’re with Trent long term, that’s something you’re all going to have to deal with.”
She blanched. Abby had been so caught up in Chris and Trent that she hadn’t thought much about what Mike and Marilyn would say. Or Paul. Or Gage.
He studied her face for a long moment. “I want you to take the day off. Go get a massage or something. Relax. And try not to think about it for a while. Going by all those stories you used to tell me about growing up with the Danielses, I would bet one or both of them are going to show up on your doorstep sooner rather than later. You need to be mentally prepared, and right now you’re a mess.”
“Thanks.” She absentmindedly ran a hand through her hair.
Max grinned at her sarcasm. “Go. Pamper yourself. Forget all about the Daniels family for an afternoon. Clear your head.”
“What about—”
“Work will wait. Heaven knows those boxes of invoices you’ve been working on aren’t going anywhere. And if something comes up, I’ll take care of it.” She saw the determined look on his face. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a tight squeeze. “Thank you.”
It took her less than five minutes to gather her things. The receptionist waved to her as she passed through the lobby. “Going out, Miss Hoffman? Do you need me to cover your phones?”
“Yes, thank you.” The fact that she hadn’t thought to call the woman and let her know that the phones would be diverted for the rest of the day proved just how out of it Abby was. Maybe Max was right. She needed some ‘me time’ to get her head on straight before she dealt with any of the Danielses. Of course, that was going to be easier said than done, since as soon as she slid behind the wheel of her car, she wanted to drive over to Trent’s work and talk to him.
As strong as that pull was, she resisted. If she went to see him now, Abby knew she’d end up breaking down in tears again. Granted, she couldn’t guarantee that wasn’t going to happen anyway the next time she saw him.
Using her GPS, she found a full service spa not too far away. Since she didn’t have an appointment, she had to take what openings they had. That was okay, though. The soft music helped to ease the tension in her muscles as she changed out of her clothes and into a fluffy robe the spa supplied.
For the next six hours, Abby tried not to think about anything. She got a facial, a manicure and pedicure, a massage, and even got her hair done. On the outside, she looked refreshed, even if she didn’t feel that way on the inside.
Back in her own clothes, she handed the woman behind the counter her credit card. “Thanks for fitting me in today.”
“Not a problem. You picked a good day. Mondays are usually pretty slow.”
Abby made sure to leave a good tip for each of the ladies who’d helped her today. Max had been right. She’d needed this.
Once outside, Abby turned her phone back on. She had a text from Max and one missed call. Abby checked the text first.
You’d better be relaxing or else. – Max
She snorted.
That man needed a woman of his own. As much as she loved his protectiveness, sometimes she wished he had somewhere else to direct it.
See you tomorrow morning. – Abby
Abby chuckled and tucked her phone back in her purse. Let him make of that what he would.
The drive home took a little longer than she would have liked. It was rush hour and traffic was backed up because of an accident. She considered taking a different route, but so much had changed since she used to live here. Knowing her luck, she’d get lost.
Finally, the cars ahead of her began moving and she drove the remaining five miles to her apartment complex. As she turned into the parking lot, she had a moment of panic wondering if Trent or Chris would be waiting for her, but there was no sign of their vehicles.
She pulled into her parking space and turned off the engine. It was then she remembered that she had a missed call. After digging her phone out of her purse, she pulled up her call log. The missed call was from Trent’s cell. She doubled-checked her voice mail, but he hadn’t left a message. She had no idea what that meant.
Forcing herself to go inside, she locked up her apartment, and headed straight into her bedroom. She fell onto her bed and pulled the pillow Trent had used the night before against her chest. His scent lingered and it calmed her more than all the pampering she’d gotten that day at the spa. She closed her eyes and sighed. Within minutes, she was asleep.
Chapter 13
Trent stepped off the ladder that led to the loft area above one of the tool sheds. They didn’t keep much up there, but he had to check it anyway to be sure. Everything looked to be there, though, so whoever it was had only taken what was easily accessible.
Sweat was pouring off him. It was ninety degrees today and the humidity was stifling. He felt for his crews on days like this.
Grabbing his bottle of water, he downed the rest of the contents. Thank goodness he was finally done with inventory and he could go home and shower.
He took one last look around the shed before heading toward the dumpster to toss his now empty water bottle. When he walked out from beneath the cover of the shed, Trent noticed his brother marching toward him. Chris looked to be on a mission. Trent was glad he’d sent Trinity, Joss, and Kevin home. Whatever his brother had to say, they didn’t need to hear it.
Chris waited for him right inside the gate.
“Hey. I didn’t expect see you today.” Trent moved past his brother to the yard entrance. He’d been out in the heat for hours. If they were going to have the discussion Trent figured they were going to have, he didn’t want to be outside when it happened—especially if there was a better alternative.
Chris’ footsteps crunched on the gravel as he followed Trent out. He stood silently while Trent locked the gate with the shiny new lock he’d had to buy.
Without a word, they walked over to the office and went inside.
“Did you want something to drink?” Trent asked. “Water? Coffee? I might even have a pop in the fridge.”
“I’m good.” Chris’ voice was clipped.
Reaching in to get a fresh bottle of water for himself, Trent brought it over to Trinity’s desk and sat down. He eyed his brother cautiously as he tipped the bottle up and took a swig.
Instead of saying anything, Chris began pacing.
Trent leaned forward, bracing his water between his hands. “You obviously came down here for a reason. Spit it out already.”
Chris stopped and looked at him. “You sound like Paul.”
Trent released a short laugh. “Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not.”
One side of his brother’s lip twitched. Paul was the quintessential older brother. He was the responsible one and he had an opinion on everything.
“I’m guessing you came to see me about Abby.”
Chris ran a rough hand through his hair before plopping down in a chair himself. He looked worn down
. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
While Trent knew the answer to that thanks to Abby blurting it out that morning, he didn’t feel it was his place to tell his brother. “What would you have done if she had?”
“I don’t know.” Chris shook his head. “I thought about it all night, and then today . . . I couldn’t stay focused at work. Finally, Elizabeth suggested I drive down and talk to Abby. But what am I supposed to say? My first instinct is to yell at her for not telling me. But what good will that do? It isn’t going to change anything. And it was twelve years ago.”
“Might make you feel better,” Trent suggested. Even as he said it, his body recoiled. Although he knew his brother would never physically harm Abby, the thought of Chris being aggressive to her in any way brought his hackles up.
“Maybe. I’m not sure about that, though.” Chris rested his elbows on his knees. “We were young. And stupid. I remember waking up that morning thinking that I had to get my head on straight because something like that couldn’t happen again.”
He paused and looked out one of the large windows along the front of the office, seeming to need a minute to gather his thoughts. Trent waited. He knew this couldn’t be easy for his brother.
“I’ve been trying to put myself in her shoes. What would I have done in that situation? And . . .” Chris blew out a breath. “I hope I wouldn’t have kept it a secret. That I would have felt comfortable enough to share what was happening. But as Elizabeth pointed out, I can’t possibly know what it would have felt like to be a twenty-year-old woman, alone, and pregnant.”
Chris took another break. He bowed his head and rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. Trent was patient. His brother needed to get it out.
“What keeps nagging me most, though, is wondering if she would have ever told me had she not come back.” Chris’ voice sounded loud in the otherwise quiet room. “Would I have gone the rest of my life not knowing?”
He met Trent’s gaze, as if pleading, hoping he had the answers Chris was seeking.
“I can’t answer that. She told me she’d wanted to tell you, but didn’t know how.” That much was the truth.