Page 58 of Fairy Tale Lies
Whitehill entered the living room, and Sophia requested she check Nigel’s jewelry for the watch and also retrieve the paperwork on the moving company.
She returned in less than five minutes, handing Sophia a folder and informing her there was no Rolex in Nigel’s jewelry case.
Sophia dismissed the woman and shuffled through the papers. She gasped. “Jacob Grimm is listed here. He’s the specialist who repaired the chandelier.”
Bingo!
Her expression was ice. “Would you accompany me to Nigel’s office? I’ll check his safe before calling the police.”
Sophia walked briskly from the room, seeming to miss the satisfaction Blake was sure was stamped on his face. He couldn’t believe his luck. This was shaping out to be a great Fourth of July.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Hey! Jacob! Where ya going?” Will called loudly from his position behind the grill.
“Seriously?” he growled under his breath, dropping his hand from the patio’s sliding door. He faced in the general direction of his brother and shouted, “I’m going to show Greta the house.”
Will’s smile was huge. Greta could spot his two dimples from across the yard. “Later,” he said. “Food’s almost done. I need your help.”
Greta smothered a grin. Will knew exactly what he was doing.
“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” Jacob muttered.
She couldn’t have agreed more. The urge to yank Jacob inside and find someplace secluded was fierce, but guilt stopped her. Will had done most of the cooking, and this was the first time he asked for help.
Turning, she tugged Jacob’s hand, and they walked to Will. Well, she walked. Jacob practically dragged his feet.
“What can we do?” Greta hoped her features were pleasant.
Jacob didn’t seem to have the same worry, and barked, “Yeah. What do you want?”
“I need you to finish the grilling.” Will handed his spatula to Jacob and met Greta’s gaze. “I’ve got a couple things I need to finish in the house. Will you help me?”
She nodded as Jacob muttered creative curses and began flipping the burgers rather roughly.
Will winked, and she couldn’t stop a bubble of laughter from escaping between her lips. She hastily covered her mouth, but not before Jacob heard it. His glare shifted from Will to her.
With a wicked glint in his eye, Jacob bent close to her ear. “Go ahead and laugh now. In the near future, I’ll have you at my mercy. Writhing and pleading. We’ll see who’s laughing.”
Greta swallowed a groan and tried to appear innocent, smiling sweetly. “Oh, honey, if I am writhing around you, I can guarantee you won’t be laughing.”
“Ahhh, woman, you’re killing me.” Jacob growled, kissing her quick and hard before turning back to the grill.
After getting over the disappointment of skipping the “house tour,” Greta found she and Will made a great team. They put the finishing touches on the food he’d prepped earlier. With help from some of the other guests, they had the many tables overflowing with food in a short time.
She proceeded to stuff herself silly with the most delicious food. Five-star restaurants had nothing on Will. The man created magic in the kitchen.
When dinner finished, ThreePence gave another impromptu concert, and before the first song ended, Jacob had her in his arms. Much to her delight, Greta discovered he liked to dance, and they did so until the sun dipped below the horizon and the band quit.
After which, the party took on a mellower tone. Many people mingled throughout the backyard. Most gathered around a large brick fire pit built in the far corner of the yard.
Greta leaned on Jacob, enjoying his warmth and the fires. He had an arm around her and was absently running his fingers down her side.
The night was darn near perfect.
She lazily stared at the sparks crackling and rising into the dark sky before glancing at Will on her opposite side, then to his father sitting next to him. They were relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. She couldn’t help being envious of Jacob’s family. They accepted each other as they were, not as they wished them to be. For all their past problems, they appeared to be a solid family.
She loved and respected her father deeply, but she wouldn’t call them close. They could discuss work and politics for hours. However, it never veered to personal matters. She had no idea if her father had dated anyone seriously since her parents divorced. Heck, the only time they’d talked aboutherprivate life was the extremely brief and uncomfortable conversation after Blake tried to have Jacob’s contract canceled.
