Page 35 of Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire
I laughed. “Not if I see you first, little Red.”
I’d be watching, too.
CHAPTERTEN
A GOOD LIAR
Scarlett
Well,thatwas a shock.
When I’d flown out here from Minnesota, I’d prepared myself for surprises and possibly the unearthing of some uncomfortable emotions.
But seeing Wolf—I mean Gray—again…wow.
When I’d said he looked the same, I hadn’t been lying. He’d looked amazing then, and he looked amazing now.
How was it that one week with the man had affected me almost more than the entire two-year relationship I’d had with Bryce?
It was irritating. Especially now that we had to work together.
That was another thing I would never have predicted. I expected to fly here, meet my grandmother, reminisce about the handful of memories we shared, then go back home and maybe have the occasional phone call with her if things went well—or if they didn’t, say, “goodbye and good riddance,” and try to forget all about her.
She’d obviously had other plans.
I sat at the desk in my hotel room, reading over the document again. Victoria had already signed it. I supposed I didn’thaveto. I could just walk away and say, “no thanks” to the responsibility and whatever compensation came with it.
But if I did that, Gray would take over the job of putting her affairs in order—alone. And I didn’t trust him.
Yes, he’d apologized for sneaking out that morning while I’d slept, but his reason didn’t hold water. He’d had to work?
Please.He’d already told me the promotional products convention was winding down and that he had some days off for recreation.
While I didn’t know my grandmother well, I certainly wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing while some smooth-talking con artist “took care of” her affairs.
She needed someone to protect her, to make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of.
That someone would have to be me.
The upside was the extended stay would give me a chance to finally get to know her. I already liked her, and I was full of questions about her life and my father. I was excited about filling in some of the blanks my mother’s account of their marriage had left.
Speaking of that, I called Mom, telling her about the meeting with Vivi and asking her about the estrangement. She explained the mystery of Vivi’s missing letters.
“Your father’s family had so much money, they were so powerful. I was afraid when he died, they’d try to take you away from me—and succeed,” she said. “Your grandfather, Mr. Hood, never liked me in the first place. I had nothing—I couldn’t afford a lawyer. So, we left Florida, and I told no one where we were going. I didn’t have my mail forwarded or have any of your school or medical records sent to Minnesota. We started over, and I just hoped they’d never find you.”
The story made me sad—for my mom and for all the years I’d missed with my grandmother because of her wrong assumptions and fears.
“I understand,” I told Mom. “But I hope you understand that I’d like to have a relationship with her now, if I can.”
“Of course. And Scarlett… I love you, honey. Everything I did was because I loved you and didn’t want to lose you.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
* * *
As we spent time together over the next few days, I started learning to love my grandmother again as well.
One particularly beautiful morning, Vivi invited me to take a walk in the gardens at Indigo Point. Her gait was slow, but her memory was amazing.
