Page 23 of No Bed Of Roses

She shook her head. “I’d rather keep going, if you don’t mind. That way, it’s over, and I can shove it all back inside a box, and continue refusing to think about them all.”

Marcus grinned. “Okay then. How about your family? Did they help you out after the mess at the lab?”

“I don’t have much family left, and haven’t spoken to either my father or cousin in years. Although my cousin sends me emails every once in a while.”

Marcus’ eyes sharpened. “Who is the cousin, and what does he email about?”

She shrugged. “I never open them. The only time Glen communicates is when he wants something or has a way to use someone for his own gain. He’s a slimy sycophant, and the less contact I have with him, the better.”

Both men grinned at her, and Marcus turned to Levi. “Remind me not to get on her bad side.”

Levi nodded and squeezed Isla’s hand. “Good choice to not even open the email. When was the most recent contact?”

She shrugged. “A few weeks ago.”

Marcus leaned back in his chair. “Any idea what he might want from you?”

This part was difficult, but she worked to keep her tone steady. “My father owns an oil company with an oil field and a couple of oil rigs. When we were growing up, Glen always found reasons to drop by the house if my father was in town. He imitated everything my father did and said. Tried to be the same kind of man.”

Levi had kept a hold of her hand, stroking his fingers over hers in a mindless pattern. Although she didn’t think it was mindless at all. He was offering comfort, and it was helping.

“And what kind of man is that?” Marcus asked.

She sighed and kept her eyes on the table. “Rich. Self-important. All about appearances, with nothing of substance underneath. My father preferred to live in San Antonio instead of the home on the oil field. My mother died when I was young, and I didn’t see him much after that.”

She’d always wondered what her mother had seen in the man or if her mother’s death had changed him that drastically.

Marcus’ question was soft. “You haven’t spoken with him in a long time?”

“Not since I was eighteen. He had been paying for my tuition but discovered I switched from studying business to botany and agriculture. I showed him the impact his business has on the planet. He said he wasn’t paying for nonsense, and if I didn’t change back to a business focus, I had twenty-four hours to be out of the house. And I’d be out of the will.”

Levi’s hand tightened on hers. When she looked up, he was smiling at her. “And you finished your degree and chose your own path. Good for you.”

He’d made it a statement, not a question. He believed in her, something her father had never done. She smiled back despite the emotions brought on by digging up the past. “I almost sent him a copy of my Master’s of Agriculture Degree.”

He smiled. “And now, instead of working with fossil fuels, you work to improve the planet and the lives of the people on it. You’re pretty spectacular, Isla Duggan.”

She felt her cheeks flush again at the praise. With an effort, she firmed her lips and kept the tears from spilling from her eyes.

After a moment, Marcus tapped his pen again. “Would your cousin think you’ve got access to your father’s money? Are you sure he disinherited you?”

She shook her head. “My father was very vocal about no longer having a daughter. I’m sure Glen slid right into his pocket, and is now the one who stands to inherit the money. At the time, he’d started working for RD Oil. I assume he’s wormed his way to an important position, but I’ve never bothered looking him up.”

Marcus nodded. “I’ll check into it. If he contacts you again, will you let me know?”

She nodded. Having all of her embarrassing secrets out in the world was weird. She’d always kept her business to herself, but neither man looked at her differently.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Levi was looking at her with more warmth than ever. And her heart might have fallen a little bit further.

Levi was impressed as hell at how Isla handled the questions Marcus had thrown at her. Her fingers had trembled and color had sat high in her cheeks. But she’d calmly told them about her past with enough detail for Marcus to dig up whatever else he needed.

She hadn’t cried, hadn’t balked at sharing her past. Nor had she hesitated when Levi stayed in the room. He hadn’t asked, figuring if she wanted privacy, she would say so.

Hopper leaned his bulk into her side as they watched Marcus drive away. The man even laughed when the dog had chosen his tire as the perfect spot to relieve his bladder.

The kitchen was already clean, and Levi figured Isla could use a break from the stress of the morning.

He took her hand and tugged until she walked along beside him to the area behind the cottage where her greenhouse was still laid out. “Why don’t we get started on this?”

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