Page 27 of Crossroads of Betrayal
He followed, not like she’d given him a choice. He didn’t mind eating at the bar but would have preferred a quiet table in the corner. Away from prying eyes. A place he might coax her into opening up about what had really driven her away.
Nodding hello to an older gentleman with a red baseball hat and overalls, he hopped onto the bar stool beside Grace. Nerves tightened in his gut, but he tried to at least appear calm. He didn’t want Grace, or any of the other dozens of Pine Valley citizens for that matter, to notice what a nervous wreck he was around her.
Grace lifted a finger to gain the bartender’s attention.
“Hey, there darlin’, how’ve ya been?” The man flashed a wide, white smile and dimples deepened on his cheeks.
Zeke swallowed his jealousy as best he could, but kept his jaw locked and eyes narrowed.
“Been better. Wade, this is Zeke. Zeke, Wade. He owns the Chill N’ Grill and is the mastermind behind that fried chicken you ate last night for dinner.”
Zeke held out a hand. “Damn good chicken, Wade. Nice to meet you.”
Wade clapped his palm with Zeke’s and gave a hearty shake. “Likewise. What can I get y’all today?”
Zeke raised his brows. “Any chicken leftover?”
Wade chuckled. “’Fraid not. But the burgers are good and the wings ain’t too bad neither.”
“Burger it is,” Zeke said. “With a cola and fries.”
“I’ll have the same,” Grace said. “Everything on the burger.”
“Easy enough. I’ll have your drinks out in a minute.”
Zeke waited for the too-charming bar owner to walk away before taking a second look at the neon signs and liquor bottles lining the shelves behind the bar. “Fun place. Come here often?” He was dying to find out more about her life. What she did outside of work. Who she spent time with. He could tell she enjoyed her job, but the Grace he’d fallen in love with was vivacious and full of life. She’d need more than work to make her happy.
She shrugged. “Just to grab some food. I eat most of my meals at the retreat, but when I have a day off or don’t feel like cooking, I’ll stop by on my way home to grab something.”
Her words piqued his interest. He hadn’t given any thought to where she actually lived. “And where’s home?”
She swished her lips to the side as if debating if she’d answer him. “I’ve got a place not far from the retreat. Nothing fancy, but big enough for me and Annie.”
He frowned. “Annie?”
She wrinkled her nose. “My cat.”
“I didn’t know you were a cat lady.”
She laughed. “One cat does not make a cat lady, though I wouldn’t be opposed to having more. I took her in when she showed up on my doorstep one night, cold and alone. She was an orphan and needed a family. I know what that feels like.”
Her words twisted the knife she’d plunged in his heart the day she’d left. He wanted to argue, to tell her she had a family and friends who loved her, and it’d been her choice to leave them all behind, but now wasn’t the time. “I’m sure Annie was glad to find you. I know once upon a time, I thanked my lucky stars when your path crossed mine.”
She swallowed hard. “She’s a good cat.”
He sighed, understanding the door was closed to that particular conversation. So he’d try another. “You told me about the two men who were on our camping trip, what about the other two women besides Joan and Tessa?”
Wade returned and set their drinks on paper coasters in front of them. “Food’ll be up soon.”
Grace took a sip of her soda. “Brynn and Shelly. They’ve bonded since they’ve been here. Both showed up on the same day. They’ve each been to see me a few times. Nice ladies but I haven’t chatted with either much.”
“Any connections with Tessa? Anything to indicate either has a temper? Or anger issues?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I glanced through their paperwork just to get a glimpse of where they were from and if there was anything I should know before having them do any physical activities. Shelly is mid-forties and from Nashville. Police officer. Here for more emotional healing. Brynn injured her knee during combat overseas. She’s younger. Closer to our age—late twenties/early thirties. I can’t see what beef either would have with a woman they’d just met that day.”
He scratched the wiry hair along his jawline, sorting through all the information. “Someone had beef with Tessa. Or at least acted on impulse and anger.”
“The bruising around the neck makes me think it was a man, but the marks didn’t go all the way around her throat. Hands could have been more a woman’s size. I wish I could get more information on the case. See the files. Find out what Lincoln and Cruz know.”
