Going Hard: Steele Ridge Series

by Kelsey Browning

  Maybe not a million, but often enough that Carlie Beth could’ve made a different decision many times.

  Aubrey scooted closer, the way she used to when she had a stomach ache and wanted the comfort of a storybook and Carlie Beth’s arms. Unfortunately, the affectionate movement rustled Carlie Beth’s apron, and Grif’s check poked up from her pocket.

  “Mom, what’s that?” Aubrey plucked it out. Carlie Beth tried to grab the paper, but by the way her daughter’s mouth dropped wide, the damage was already done. “Wh…Why did he write you a check for this much money? Is this hush money so we won’t ever bother him again?”

  As reluctant as she was to share Aubrey with him, she wouldn’t let her believe her father was truly an uncaring bastard. “No, honey. Exactly the opposite. That’s what he considers back child support.”

  “This is enough for a house. A lot of houses around this town. But why, after all this time, would he…” She trailed off as understanding must’ve dawned. Aubrey jumped to her feet and glared at Carlie Beth. “You never told him about me, did you? You never even gave him a chance to know me. To love me.”

  “Please understand—”

  “No, I don’t understand why you kept us apart. The only thing I understand is that you’re the asshole.”

  13

  When Grif and Reid strolled into the sports complex, it was clear that vandals had somehow jimmied the new doors and hit the place like demented spray-painting fairies. This time, they’d painted on the rock climbing wall—initials, dates, some poetry with questionable spelling. Jonah had already repaired the fire damage done to the reception area when the former city manager had tossed a Molotov cocktail inside the building not long ago, but obviously that hadn’t been enough to dissuade kids from mucking around inside.

  “Pretty soon, this building won’t be worth a fraction of what it cost the city to put it up,” Grif commented, just to rile Reid.

  “I’ve narrowed it down to three different securities systems. I just need a little more time to decide on the best.”

  Grif slapped him on the back. “Think of it this way. Jonah’s little project is keeping you off the streets and out of trouble.”

  “The mighty didn’t just jump down from a damn truck,” Reid grumbled. “The mighty took a header off a cliff.”

  “Stop your bitching. You know you love stuff like this.” Grif quickly gathered up the climbing gear—belay, ropes, and harness—and turned to his brother. “You want a go at the wall first?”

  With a scowl down at his leg, he shook his head. “My physical therapist would kick my ass.”

  “Sucks to be you.”

  “Ain’t that the truth?”

  Grif stepped into the harness and rigged himself up because he damn well needed to do something to work off all the anger he was feeling toward Carlie Beth. You should thank me, she’d told him. Like she’d somehow placed herself in charge of his future when she’d found out she was pregnant with his baby.

  He’d thought women manipulating him and fucking him over was a recent development, but apparently not.

  Once he double-checked all his equipment, he reached for the first grip on the wall.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something, dipshit?”

  Yeah, he’d been more than distracted since he’d stomped into Carlie Beth’s workshop and threatened to take away her daughter. He was a dipshit for that delivery. He’d been pissed and emotional and out of his depth. But he stood by his message, even though he didn’t know how the hell he was supposed to go about getting to know his own daughter. So he was giving himself some time to cool off and think about the whole situation rationally.

  He looked down and realized he wasn’t clipped in, not that big a deal. “I free climb all the time at home.”

  “I don’t give a free flying fuck.” Once Reid had him hooked in to the belay system, he said, “Belay on.”

  “Climbing.”

  “Climb on.”

  The city had spent a fortune on the four-story climbing wall. Damn shame it had barely been used. And now it was painted up like a bathroom wall. But if he knew Reid, he’d have the thing cleaned up soon. His military—ex-military now—brother liked things in order. Too damn bad his life was in such disorder right now.

  Like Grif had a single bit of room to talk. One thing he’d told himself he’d never do was walk out on his kids like his own dad had. And yet he had done exactly that, whether or not he meant to. And right now, he hated Carlie Beth for making him anything like Eddy Steele.

  Distracted, he missed his next foothold, tried to anchor himself with his hands, but to his damn humiliation, he came off the wall.

  From below came Reid’s smug-ass laughter. “Told you free climbing wasn’t a good idea.”

  After that, Grif scaled the wall half a dozen times with perfect form and accuracy, but Reid’s smirk never disappeared.

  * * *

  Two days after her run-in with Grif, Carlie Beth was a zombie shuffling from a parking spot to Yvonne’s gallery. Aubrey had played the petulant silent game for the past forty-eight hours, and Grif had been just as quiet about his plans. With everything inside her, Carlie Beth wanted to rip that HSBC Bank check into teensy pieces and dump them all over Grif’s shiny shoes.

  But even in her anger, she wasn’t that stupid.

  He wasn’t the kind of man who made idle threats. He would fight her for custody if she tossed his money back in his face.

  When Carlie Beth walked inside, Yvonne glanced up and her face immediately creased with concern. “You look terrible. What’s wrong?”

  Great. Nice to know she wasn’t fooling anyone. “I wanted to drop off a few more pieces I made in hopes you could list them on the gallery’s website.” She’d been in such a fever since her life blew up around her that she’d been in the forge almost around the clock.

  “You know I’ll take everything you’ve got. Anytime. I’d give anything to have your kind of talent. In fact, I’ve been thinking of trying my hand at a little metalsmithing.” She patted a catalog lying on the counter that Carlie Beth recognized from one of the big online smithing supply companies. “Not that I’d ever hold a candle to you, but it would be fun to set up a little backyard forge.”

  “Let me know if you ever want to use mine.”

  “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t think me piddling around is a priority today. What’s important is why you look like you could use some tea and sympathy.”

  Yvonne’s understanding tone burrowed behind Carlie Beth’s eyes, luring forward the tears she’d refused to shed. After the showdown with Grif, she’d thought about talking the situation through with Randi, but she suspected her occasional boss was having her own problems with Blues, Brews, and Books. Carlie Beth didn’t want to lay anything else at her door. “I’ve…uh…Aubrey and I are having some issues.”

  Shaking her head, Yvonne turned toward the back room where she kept the coffee and tea. “She’s getting to that age. I remember I gave my mom and dad complete hell when I was a teenager. If it wasn’t ten in the morning, I’d offer you something a little stronger than tea. In fact, maybe that’s exactly what you need, a girls’ night out. We could—”

  “As much as I’d like to blame this on teenage hormones, that would be unfair. This thing with Aubrey is my fault.”

  “Gimme a sec,” Yvonne said, “and you can tell me all about it.”

  Carlie Beth settled on a stool behind the sales counter and unpacked the new items she’d brought, an array of hooks, candlesnuffers, and keychains.

  When she returned from the back, Yvonne placed a mug of steaming tea and a tall glass filled with ice tea in front of Carlie Beth. “I figured you might need one of each.”

  Carlie Beth smiled even though it hurt her cheek muscles. “You’re a good friend.”

  “You know what they say. Friends help you bury the body. Good friends bring a backhoe.” Yvonne settled on another stool with her own cup of tea. “So tell me what’s got you so dow
n in the mouth.”

  She’d held on to the secret for so long, she wasn’t sure if she could actually get the words out. Then again, now that Grif knew, she was surprised the news wasn’t all over Steele Ridge. Not that the Steeles were gossips like some others in town, but the truth getting around was inevitable. And Yvonne had been such a good friend. If she heard from someone else, her feelings would be hurt and rightfully so. “Aubrey recently discovered who her father is.”

  Steam from Yvonne’s cup curled around her lowered eyebrows. “You mean she didn’t know?”

  “I never told her.”

  “Hmm.” Yvonne sipped. “So I’m assuming you weren’t behind this revelation.”

  “God, not at all. Aubrey and I have done just fine. We don’t need his money.”

  In Yvonne’s place, even Carlie Beth would’ve been dying of curiosity, but her friend just waited and drank her tea. She wouldn’t push, which made it easier for Carlie Beth to finally say, “Aubrey’s father is Grif Steele.”

  “Oh, my. That is a surprise.” If she hadn’t been studying Yvonne so closely, Carlie Beth might not have caught the subtle tightening of her friend’s lips, quickly masked by another sip. Carlie Beth winced inside at the memory of Yvonne sitting with Grif and Jonah at Triple B recently. It had been clear Yvonne was fond of them both. Possibly more than fond of Grif. Attracted. “I didn’t realize the two of you ever had a relationship.”

  Carlie Beth laughed. “I wouldn’t call one night a relationship, exactly.” Not then. And not now. No matter how many sweaty dreams she’d had about the man since he’d recently returned to town. “Of course, Aubrey is upset.”

  “And Grif?”

  “Pissed.” Carlie Beth let the heat seeping through the ceramic mug singe her fingertips. “But determined to be a part of Aubrey’s life.”

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  Her laugh was thin. “Exactly the question I’ve been asking myself about once an hour since he stalked out of my forge after slapping down a check so big I…I…”

  “How big?”

  “The kind of zeroes normal people never see on a piece of paper.”

  “Oh my God. I never believed it was true, but now I’m not sure.” Yvonne’s hand went to her throat as if the tea had burned its way down. “He’s trying to buy you off. Just like he did that woman.”

  “What woman?”

  “Don’t you pay attention to the news? It was all over the place last fall. Since I knew Grif growing up, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but with him throwing money around like this, now I don’t know.”

  “And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “It’s not really my place to—”

  “Are you my friend or not?”

  “Of course.”

  The unsettled feeling vibrating through Carlie Beth’s body picked up speed. “Then tell me what you’re talking about.”

  “Just Google Grif along with the name Madison Henry.” Yvonne leaned over and gave her a reassuring hug. “Hopefully, he was as innocent as he claimed. He was cleared, but you have Aubrey to think of. And a man like Grif Steele? He’s obviously powerful. That’s one thing. But if he’s unsafe, you need to take precautions because he’ll be a part of Aubrey’s life—your life—forever.”

  * * *

  Sitting across from Jonah’s makeshift desk at their mom’s, Grif nodded toward the stash of random antique and flea market finds. “This wasn’t exactly your style in Seattle.”

  Jonah kicked back in his chair and propped his bare feet on the desktop, crumpling a stack of papers in the process. If Grif had to guess, they were probably some other way Jonah had dropped a shitload of money on something ridiculous. “I gave Mom my credit card for a few office supplies, and now she won’t stop with the decorating. I think she thinks if she decorates, I’ll stay. I’ve told her a million times I’m not going anywhere, that I’m back in Steele Ridge for good.”

  Another shortsighted promise as far as Grif was concerned.

  Then again, Jonah sure did look relaxed. When was the last time Grif had felt that way? The last time he could breathe without feeling as if a mountain wasn’t sitting on his chest? “About all this town manager crap…”

  “Look, I know this isn’t exactly your speed, but dammit, I promised the people here—”

  “If we let things trickle along the way they’ve been going, it could take a decade or more for Steele Ridge to recover from all the stupid decisions that were made. If you’re serious about jumpstarting economic recovery, then we need to get people moving in the same direction. Right now, it’s like someone yelled ‘the sky is falling’ and all the business owners are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off.”

  “We?” Jonah angled his head to stare at Grif. “I thought you were out of here as soon as you could find a random bum to take the manager job off your hands.”

  “Things have changed.”

  “Because of Aubrey?”

  “Wouldn’t something like that change your life?”

  Jonah held up both hands and leaned back in his throne-like chair. “Dude, I’m not calling you out on it. I care about Steele Ridge, but I damn well care about my family more.”

  “I confronted Carlie Beth.”

  “And you were right?”

  With a sort of foggy detachment, Grif watched his right fist open and close a few times. “Yeah.”

  “I guess it’s a little too late to break out the cigars. When are you gonna tell Mom?”

  “Soon.” Grif rubbed his palm down his pants and was pissed to find the movement left a small sweat mark. How could what was happening in his hometown make him edgier than handling big deals in LA? He’d once believed he understood all the predators and prey there. Now he wasn’t sure he understood a damn thing anywhere.

  “You don’t want her to hear it from anyone else.”

  True. “Real soon. So”—he blew out a breath, but it did nothing to relieve the tension that had been eating him up for days—“I think I should commute for a while. I can do two weeks here and two in LA.”

  “You want to be a telecommuting city manager?”

  “You damn well know I can get more done in a couple weeks than some schmuck can in a couple months. If you were so worried about the quality of my work, you shouldn’t have promised things in that contract that you can’t deliver.”

  “I figured if you balked, I’d have to step in.”

  “You?”

  Jonah’s casual slouch disappeared, and he sat upright, his forearms in a classic triangular power position on the desk between them. “I did run a pretty successful gaming company. Without you.”

  “Yeah, but if you’d wanted to be the CEO of Steele Ridge, you wouldn’t have wrangled me into the job.”

  “Ever consider that was just a ploy to get you back home?”

  “Just because you’re stuck here doesn’t mean—”

  “I’m not stuck. This is my choice.” Jonah sat back again and studied Grif with what looked alarmingly like pity. “Besides, don’t you think LA’s taken a big enough chunk out of your soul? After what happened—”

  “In the past.”

  “The interweb is forever, dude.”

  “I have plenty of clients who never believed a word of it.”

  “Still, that bitch worked you over—”

  “Enough.” The word came out harsher than he’d intended, making it obvious he wasn’t as over it as he claimed. “I like what I do, and most of my clients are good people. So can we please talk about Steele Ridge now?”

  “Fine.”

  “This town can’t compete with businesses or services in Asheville and the other big cities. Why would people wander out to Steele Ridge for a bite of vegan Indian food or whatever-the-hell when they can get it in their own backyards?”

  Jonah sighed and closed his eyes. “It sure sounds like you’re saying we’re fucked.”

  That made Grif smile. And he kn
ew, without checking the mirror, it was the expression that had often made team management want to call their mommies asking for their blankies and binkies. It was the smile that told people he was going to hand their asses to them. “For a man who owned a mega-company, you sure give up easily.”

  “Fuck you,” Jonah snapped, opening his eyes. “Why do you think I hired you?”

  “Because I’m smarter than all three of my brothers combined.”

  One side of Jonah’s mouth lifted and he lazily shot Grif the bird. “Whatever lets you sleep at night.”

  “All people have been doing since the sports complex went down the tubes is complain and whine. We need to give them something to rally around.”

  “Like a mascot?”

  “Something that makes them feel like they’re in control of the way things turn out. I’ll be talking with every business owner in town one-on-one. Then we’ll host a State of Steele Ridge event for them. Hell, we’ll do it up right with booze, food, and fancy clothes. I’ll reveal an economic development plan that includes something splashy to entice people to visit the town.”

  “We could just go ahead and have a big golf tournament.”

  “No, we need a twist. A hook. Besides, you hate golf.”

  “Then we’ll do e-sports.”

  “I don’t think Steele Ridge is ready to put together an event for a bunch of geeky Jonah-alikes.”

  “Then we’re back to swinging sticks at a bunch of little balls.” Jonah smirked. “Like yours.”

  “Apparently my balls are big enough to make a kid, aren’t they?”

  “Griffin. Fletcher. Steele.” His mom’s sharp and surprised voice came from behind him.

  At the sound, Grif’s balls shrank a couple sizes. Fuck. He slowly turned to face the woman he loved like no one else. Right now, her mouth was drawn into a tight bow and her hands were solidly planted on her hips. “Explain yourself.”

  God, what time was it? Because surely a man should be able to fortify himself with a shot of whisky before telling his mom she was a grandmother for the first time. About, oh, fourteen years too late.