Page 18 of Best Laid Plans

"You know it. His daddy retired, and that sumbitch took over. He's still got his nose up Anson's ass so far that it's nearly black now." She let out a harsh laugh.

Pete Fontaine had been sniffing around the rich folk in Sentinel for as long as he'd been alive, but he always had a special propensity for Anson.

"Now, you know that bitch Bailey's daddy lost all his money?"

I quirked an eyebrow. This I didn't know.

"That's why she's workin' for Anson," she huffed. "They say that she asked him to set her up, and he said, hell no, we ain't married yet. She wanted to move in with him in the Larue mansion, and guess what he said?"

I waited.

"He said, hell no. I don't think they're ever gonna get married. It's been six months since they got engaged, and no date set yet. She wants to but he won't let her, says he's busy, bless his heart. But you know, when a man doesn't want to set a date, he gave you a ring to shut you the hell up, not ‘cause he wants to marry you."

It shouldn't have given me hope that he seemed reluctant to marry Bailey, so I squished it under my stiletto heel. Whatever happened between Bailey and Anson was none of my beeswax. He was never going to be mine again.

"Say you're mine, Sugar," Anson demanded as he entered me slowly for the second time that glorious night we made love. "Say it, baby, I need you to."

I had said it, and I had meant it. What a stupid thing for me to do.

"Anson's been good for the town. And this Sentinel Heights thing…it's gonna change things for us, bring in people and money." Maureen patted my hand. "But girl, you know he's only gonna try and hurt you. The whole town was in an uproar when you left like that, without sayin' nothin' to no one. The Deputy Sheriff started a rumor that Eileen was also stealin', and all that. There was a rumor about you whorin'. You understand I'm not sayin' this to hurt your heart."

I smiled wanly. "I know, Maureen." She wanted to protect me, and like Trevor, she wanted me to get the hell out of here.

Maureen lowered her voice, leaning in closer. "How do you feel about seein' him again?"

I hesitated, the old wounds still raw. "I already saw him once in Savannah. It's fine. I'm here to do a job."

I'm fine! I'm fine! If I kept saying it, I hoped, eventually, I'd believe it. Eventually, it would become my truth.

She nodded knowingly. "Well, just know that not everyone believed the rumors about you. I told Anson straight up that there was no way you'd steal a damn thing. You wouldn't even take a sugar packet that didn't belong to you."

"Thanks, Maureen."

Her words were a balm to my bruised spirit. As I looked around the diner, I realized that, despite everything, this place was still comforting and homey.

"You come back and see me again?"

I nodded. "Yes, I will. I'm going to be in and out of Sentinel for this project."

"If you need a place to stay, the apartment above the diner is empty. You say the word, and it's yours."

I couldn't stay the night here. I couldn't risk it. I was afraid of being arrested by Pete again. It was irrational because there was no reason for that to happen. I was not a criminal, but I hadn't been one the last time, either.

I had told Trevor about my fear, and we'd decided that he would be able to track my phone. He expected me to call him every evening at six to let him know I was okay while I was in Sentinel. I agreed because it made him and me feel safer.

The fact that I had to do so much to feel secure made me wonder again why I'd not just told Nina that I couldn't do this, that I didn't want to.

I knew why. My pathetic heart wanted to be close to Anson, even if it meant that it would break again.

Chapter 9

Anson

"What on God's green earth is goin' on, Anson?" Bailey demanded as she barged into my office. "I saw her name as the project manager from Savannah Lace."

I should've warned Bailey, but I hadn't had the time. I had told Alma about seeing Nova at Savannah Lace. She'd asked me not to work with the company and to go back to the firm we usually worked with.

But business was business, and I'd seen the work that Savannah Lace had done with several development companies, and knew they were exactly what Larue Homes needed for Sentinel Heights.

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