Page 35 of Knight's Desire

She shook her head. “No. I don’t have time. Between the Shoppe and designing my gowns, my days are full. That’s why Parker and I work. We are both focused on our careers.”

“Was Parker dating anyone when you met?”

“No, but he told me he dated a couple of people before then. Naomi Brown was one. She works with him, but that didn’t last long. They decided to stay friends. Then there was someone else at the country club. She’s the daughter of one of his golfing buddies. Her name was Helena, but I can’t recall her last name. Parker said she was very manipulative.”

“What about you?” Brick pushed his clean plate away and sat back to drink his beer.

He didn’t fit her image of a private investigator. Her mind held a modern-day impression of a TV detective who asked questions, made notes, and solved crimes based on obscure clues. Brick didn’t write anything down, and he was more of a modern-day hot-men-of-Grayson-Cove calendar model. She could easily believe this was more of a date than an inquisition.

She released a nervous giggle to mask her wayward thoughts. “What do you mean?”

“Did you leave anyone behind when you moved here? Were your family supportive of your move?”

Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. “If you think my family could have anything to do with this, you can forget that right now. My family is amazing. We live our own lives, and we’ve always supported each other.”

“Tell me about them.”

She sighed, already wishing for the questions to stop but wanting to put his mind at ease about her family. “I’ve already told you about GranPoppy. She’s my dad’s mom, but the only grandparent we’ve ever known. My dad’s father and my mother’s parents died when I was too young to remember them.

“My dad has always been my hero. He’s the measuring stick I use to judge any man, so that may be why I haven’t gotten married. Not many people are like him. Kind, hard-working, caring, giving. Even with four kids, he always managed to make each of us feel special and important, but we all knew the most special of all was our mother. He romanced her every day of their marriage, and even now…” Her voice caught as she thought of how Truman remained by Claire’s side even when she failed to remember him or their marriage.

“And your siblings?” His tone was gentle, as if he sensed she struggled with something, but he didn’t pry. She didn’t think she could talk about her mother if he asked, so she was grateful he didn’t dig any deeper.

She cleared her throat. “We were raised to support each other. They have their own interests and are busy with their own lives. None of them would try to interfere with mine. Henry is married to Molly. They were middle school sweethearts if you can believe it. They went to a Christmas dance in seventh grade and have been together ever since. Molly works with her family’s insurance company, and Henry is an architect. They have a son, Tyler, who’s four, and a daughter, Annabelle, who’s two. Henry’s the oldest, and then there’s me. Adam is next. He’s an attorney in a prestigious law firm. He’s dated, but he doesn’t have time for anything serious. He and Henry have settled near our parents. Ella, the baby of the family, followed a boy to Alabama, and they’re happily married. He’s an aerospace engineer, and she’s a kindergarten teacher. They don’t have any kids of their own, but I figure they will one day.”

Brick leaned forward and braced his forearms on the table. “You didn’t answer my other question.”

She blinked as she tried to remember what he was talking about. “Your other question?”

“Did you leave someone behind when you came to Grayson Cove?”

She barked out a nervous laugh. “No. With my overprotective brothers, I didn’t date much until college, and then there wasn’t anyone serious. I spent a year working at a design house in New York after graduation, then I worked for some boutiques in New York, Chicago, and Charleston. When it was time to open up my own Shoppe, I wanted to strike out on my own, and I kept thinking of all the times I spent here in Grayson Cove. This has always felt like a home away from home, so it made sense to come back.”

She studied his face for any kind of reaction to what she shared, but his expression was unreadable. Looking away, she shifted in her seat, feeling more vulnerable. She was opening up her life to this man. Something about him made her trust him, and so far, he’d given her no reason to doubt her instinct. But she knew next to nothing about him, and she surprised herself by wanting to know more.

“What about work? Is there anyone who might have a problem with you? A fiancé or someone in the bridal party that may have developed a crush on you that he’s taking too far? Anyone who has been overtly flirting with you?”

She smirked as she vehemently shook her head. “No. Men have never responded like that to me. We don’t get a lot of men in the Shoppe unless they’re being fitted for tuxedos, but if we do, they usually flirt with Kayla. She’s pretty and blonde and young. She draws men like a magnet. I’ve never had men look at me that way.”

“I don’t believe that for a minute. They’ve looked at you that way. You just didn’t notice.”

Gasping, she raised her eyes to meet his and discovered Brick was looking at her that way. His eyes burned with interest, and she felt pretty and…desirable. She should have been offended. He was here to do a job, and he knew she had a boyfriend. But the opposite was happening. She liked how he looked at her, and she liked that it was him looking at her.

Needing to put distance between them, she rose to take their plates to the sink, and Brick joined her. They fell into a companionable silence, and Hope enjoyed having company as she washed dishes and put the remaining food away. Using a cloth to wipe the island clean, she watched him from under her lashes.

“My life must seem strange to you.”

He put the last food storage container in the refrigerator before turning to face her. “Why would you think that?”

“Women are supposed to want a husband and kids and a house with a white picket fence, soccer games, PTA meetings, and family game nights. All I’ve wanted was to design gowns and be a part of the day every woman fantasizes about since she was a little girl. I’ve wanted to make dreams come true and make women feel special and beautiful. It’s not like I don’t want those other things, or at least some of the other things, but my life just hasn’t had room for those.”

“You’re not strange, Hope. You’re a woman who knows what she wants and has worked hard to get it. It’s admirable.”

“Thank you.” She draped the cloth over the sink to dry. “And thank you for keeping me company and arranging for dinner. I’m sure you’re ready to call it a night.”

“My night’s just beginning. I told you, I’m on security detail tonight. We thought it best to escort you to and from work and stand watch at both places for a few days to see if we notice anything suspicious.”

“Oh. Um, do you think that’s necessary? I mean, nothing has happened to me at home.”

---