Page 19 of Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire
“I’m not telling ‘people.’ I’m telling you.”
She was right of course—she could trust me. But still, I worried about her. There were plenty of people who’d be only too willing to take advantage of her trusting nature and vulnerable state.
Why was someone as kind as she was—and in increasingly fragile health—so alone in the world? I knew she’d had one son who’d died some time ago and her husband had passed away last year, but surely there were other relatives.
“Mrs. Hood,” I began.
“Victoria,” she corrected. “If you refuse to call me ‘Vivi’ then you must at least call me Victoria.”
I smiled. “Victoria, I’m wondering if it might be a good time for you to ask your family to step in and help? Not that I mind. You know I don’t, but there comes a time in all our lives when it’s good to have relatives nearby.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have any. I’ve outlived my brother and sister. Their children and grandchildren live on the West Coast and barely know me. You’re the closest thing I have to family now. You’re like a son to me.”
My heart contracted in a brief pulse, and I gave her a warm smile.
“Thank you. I’m very fond of you, too.”
That was an understatement. Over the past few months, I’d come to love the old dame. She was funny and sweet and sharp as one of the MK 3 knives I used to carry as a SEAL. I’d told her on a couple of occasions that if she’d been sixty years younger, I would have proposed.
“You mentioned a granddaughter before,” I said. “Where is she?”
“I wish I knew.”
“She’s missing?”
“Not exactly. I’m sure she’s fine… wherever she is. We became estranged when my son and her mother got divorced,” she explained. “My husband Stuart was… well, he wasn’t the easiest person. He had certain ideas in his head about what our son should do with his life. When Charles decided to go into the military instead of join him in the family publishing business, Stuart was livid. Then Charles married a woman Stuart considered “beneath” the family pedigree. He wouldn’t even go to the wedding. Stuart died without ever meeting our granddaughter, the stubborn old coot.”
“But you did. You told me she was a lot like you.”
“Oh yes. I used to think so. Now I might not recognize Scarlett if she passed me on the street. It’s been so long. I haven’t seen her since she was a little girl. I used to fly down to Florida to spend time with her whenever Stuart would let me get away. I wrote letters and sent birthday cards. They all started coming back marked ‘Address Unknown—Unable to Forward,’ and their phone rang and rang with no answer.”
Her face brightened. “Perhaps someone at Viridian could look into it for me? I’ll bet they could find her. I would so love to see her again before I die.”
The words sent an unpleasant jolt through me. I’d noticed Victoria slowing down a bit since we’d met. Living alone probably hadn’t helped, but the fact was shewaselderly. I hated the thought of her not being around anymore.
I also hated the idea of inviting this callous, uncaring granddaughter back into her life. Yes, the family rift had occurred a long time ago, but Scarlett had to be almost thirty years old now—plenty old enough to reach out to the grandmother who’d been so good to her during the early years of her life.
I had a feeling what we found when we went looking—and wewouldfind her—wasn’t going to be pretty.
Anyone who’d leave this sweet old lady alone at the mercy of all the vultures out there had to be one selfish bitch.
Still, I couldn’t tell Victoria “no.”
“Of course. I’ll take care of it. But no more talk about dying. You’ll probably outlive us all—as long as you stay off ladders.”
After all the checks were written out and sealed in envelopes addressed to their respective recipients, Victoria wrote one more. She handed it to me.
“What’s this? Did we forget one?” I looked around for another bill envelope.
“That’s for you—for your help today.”
Immediately I pushed it back to her. “No way. I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
“Let me give you something, Gray. Please. It’ll make me feel better. You spend so much time here doing things for me.”
I stood and backed away from the table. “I appreciate it, but no thank you. I promise you, Victoria. Idon’tneed the money.”
My elderly friend walked me to the door. “You know, it’s about time you made a family of your own to take care of.”
