Page 26 of Steal My Heart

“No,” she answered quickly. “I was hoping that someone was going to be here, but they didn’t seem to make it.”

That was a bald-faced lie, but Hilliard didn’t call her on it. Violet was terrible at fibbing, and the more she spoke, the more she gave away. “That’s okay. You and Beverly must be old friends, and it has to be a huge relief to know that her grandson wasn’t the person who broke into your family home after all.” He laid it on thick, but Violet didn’t seem to be paying attention.

“Yes, that’s true. Violet and I have been friends for years, and events put a strain on things, but now we can hopefully start again,” Beverly said. “Isn’t that right?”

“Of course,” Violet said absently.

Beverly didn’t press it either, and Hilliard shared a smile with her as he went ahead and ordered lunch. He wished Brian were here to watch Violet squirm like a fish on a hook.

Chapter 10

BRIAN WASexhausted. Every project he took on today seemed fraught with issues. First there wasn’t enough drywall compound to patch a hole in Mrs. Grant’s ceiling, and then the pipe he’d gotten to fix Mr. Fox’s sink wasn’t exactly right. He knew he should be grateful for the work, but by the time he got back to Gran’s and dragged himself inside, he could barely walk.

“I made you some dinner,” Gran said. “Your plate is in the oven.”

“Thanks, Gran,” he said softly. “I’m going to eat and go right up to bed.”

Gran chuckled. “I don’t think so. Your Hilliard and I had a nice lunch today with the church ladies. He got some interesting insight into Violet, but we didn’t get to talk about it afterwards. I needed to lie down, and he had work to do. So I picked up some sweets at the store, and he’ll be here in half an hour. I figured you’d want to hear what he thought. So sit down and eat your dinner. Then go upstairs, clean up, and be ready when he gets here.” She adjusted the blanket over her legs and patted her lap. Both dogs jumped up and made themselves at home.

Brian knew better than to argue with Gran, so he went to have his dinner before taking a shower. By the time he came back downstairs, Gran and Hilliard were sitting together in the living room with cups of tea, another waiting for him on the coffee table.

“What’s going on? Why do I feel like this is the Spanish Inquisition?” He squirmed at the way they both looked at him, and he had to remind himself he wasn’t a naughty child.

“It’s not,” Hilliard said. “But I think Violet couldn’t get out of that restaurant fast enough after lunch.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen that woman move that quickly in years, the gossipy old biddy.”

Brian couldn’t help chuckling. “So what happened?”

“Your Gran laid it on thick. It was beautiful. The other ladies at the luncheon were thrilled to see her and immediately thought her news was wonderful. Violet just paled and then hurried outside to make a phone call. I managed to hear part of it, but I’m not sure if she knows who is behind the burglary. She said some things that are suspicious, but it could also mean that the case will be reopened and that everything will start again.”

“Who was she talking to?” Brian asked.

“I’m not sure. She didn’t say a name, but I did get a peek at her phone, and she was getting text messages from a Frank.”

“Her son,” Beverly supplied. “She has two, Frank and Ansen. Frank is the one she’s closest to, while Ansen lives on the East Coast somewhere and rarely comes home. I think he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”

“Okay, so she was talking to her son after getting troubling news. Is that so suspicious?” Brian asked. “If Gran were in her place, she’d probably call me and tell me about it.” He didn’t really see where this got him anything other than maybe running in circles. “You know, we aren’t detectives, so maybe we should leave this to the police. Turn everything over to them and let them figure out who really pulled off the burglary. We can prove it wasn’t me. That will help me get my life back and….”

Gran leaned forward a little, her face hardening. Brian knew that was the wrong thing to say. “That tape only means that it isunlikelythat you were the thief. It doesn’t rule you out completely. Though people would be stupid to think otherwise, it’s still ridiculously possible.” She huffed.

“Okay, Gran,” he said gently. “Please don’t get yourself upset.”

“I’m just making sure you understand that we aren’t at the finish line yet.” She sat back, and Hilliard sipped his tea, tension in the room lingering.

Brian huffed. “Do you know how much I hate this?” he asked softly. “It seems like every waking moment is spent consumed by this stupid burglary and me. Both of you are spending all this energy trying to prove a negative, which is nearly impossible. I didn’t break into that house, someone else did. The court said that I did, and now we are turning in circles to try to prove I didn’t. I just wish I could live my life without all this.” He took Gran’s hand. “I want you to be able to spend your time enjoying life and being happy. Hell, I want to be happy too. But this whole thing hangs over me all the damned time. And now I feel like I’m dragging you into it as well.”

“That’s enough of that nonsense,” Gran told him. “We’re doing this because we care.”

Hilliard nodded and put an arm around his shoulder. “Your Gran loves you, and she wants you to be happy. You shouldn’t have been put in this position in the first place. It wasn’t right.” He paused. “Look, this is important to me now. And you aren’t putting either of us out. We want to help, okay?” Brian’s skin tingled as Hilliard ran his fingers along his jawline.

Brian wondered just when Hilliard and Gran had gotten close enough that he was speaking for her. But Gran simply nodded and put her feet down. The dogs whined before jumping down and going to the bed in the corner, where they curled up together.

A knock sounded, and Gran went to the door and opened it. “I saw your lights,” Gran said as she stepped back to let an older man come inside. He had close-cut white hair and intense blueeyes. On this man, the normal signs of aging seemed to make him more distinguished and handsome.

Brian stood, along with Hilliard.

“Boys, this is Grant Whittaker. He’s with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.” She smiled and led him inside. “Grant, this is my grandson, Brian, and his friend Hilliard.” She swallowed. “That is the right term, isn’t it?” she asked.

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