Page 68 of Grissom
Grissom placed a warm kiss behind her ear. “You told him to take care of me and Luke, that you’d miss us, but you couldn’t stay. Why not?”
She breathed, “Hmmm.” Just, “Hmmm.” No denial. No change of plans. She was still leaving.
Grissom buried his face in her hair. “Don’t go, Tuesday. Give me a chance. Give us a chance, you and me.”
Her hands curled over his protective arms. Still no commitment. Still no “I love you.”
As hard as it was, Grissom accepted her answer, but he also knew better. Tuesday hadn’t declared her love for him because she didn’t know how to let go of her past and fall into love. She’d only lived with her parents and Frederick Lamb, which were essentially caretakers. Tuesday was wary of getting hurt again, of causing more death. Who could blame her? He, of all people, knew what a misstep relationships could be. Which was why he was taking it slow and only dating Tuesday, not proposing marriage.
“What was in the hand-delivered letter that came earlier? Must’ve been important. Was the guy who delivered it Pam’s lawyer?”
“Yes-s-s-s,” Grissom hissed. “She’s suing me for divorce, and she wants full custody.”
“She can’t do that.”
“Legally, she’s still their mother.” Grissom kept his voice low.
“But…” Tuesday sucked in a long, slow breath. “I might be able to help you fight her. I mean… Umm, there’s something you need to know, Grissom. Please don’t be mad.”
He pressed his lips to her cheek and breathed, “There’s nothing you could ever do to make me angry.”
“I’m… Grissom, I’m” —she coughed into her fist— “I’ve got… I mean, I’m… I’m rich. I’ve got money. Lots of it. I could get you the best lawyers in New York City. You wouldn’t have to worry. She’d never get Tanner or Luke. She’s unfit and she’s evil. No judge in his right mind would grant her anything, but just in case—”
He was stuck on, “You’re rich?”
Tuesday finally looked up and straight into his eyes. “Actually, I’m insanely wealthy,” she whispered. “Stocks, bonds, time-shares, off-shore accounts, real estate, you name it, I’ve got it. Freddie left everything to me, including an accountant and a very smart financial manager. I divested some of his property after he died, and I gave his businesses to his sons. But yeah.” Her shoulders lifted. “I’m one of those rich bitches you see on TV, the ones who never work unless they’re making headlines. I could—”
“But you do work for a living. You’re one of the world’s best nature photographers,” he interrupted, like the dolt his mother’d always said he was. Damned if she wasn’t right after all. Not once in the past few days had Grissom connected the dots between Tuesday and the billionaire she’d married. He’d known Lamb was a rich son of a bitch before he’d died, but Tuesday?
Of course she was rich. She was Lamb’s widow, and Grissom was poorer than shit, and… Damned if a nasty spike of hairy male ego didn’t stand up and shake a gnarly finger at him, urging him to dump her. To push off and slink away like the cur he was. Tuesday Smart was a pedigreed AKC winner, a champion with pure bloodlines. He was a stray,“Lady and the Tramp”different from her.He was uncollared and unleashed; mangy and uncouth. She was rich damned royalty, could probably hirea hitman if she wanted to, and then pay off a ton of lawyers to make sure she was never accused.
Hmmm.There was an idea worth entertaining.Not.
Grissom’s belly expanded as much with awareness as with disbelief. The problem Tuesday thought she’d just unloaded on him was obvious. She wasn’t happy and being wealthy hadn’t ensured power or influence because those things had never been important to her. What did any of Lamb’s wealth mean? Nothing, in Grissom’s estimation. He’d never been nor would be rich. But he did know what true happiness was: Tuesday and his boys. End of story. Even if he lost the seemingly perfect house he still owed a mortgage from hell on, he’d still have Tanner and Luke, and they’d make do. The three of them would get by, and Tuesday would make four if she stayed. Grissom had started from scratch before; he could do it again. The bottom line was they’d be okay because they’d be together.
So what if she was one of the top one-percenters in the country? The dollars in all those bank accounts she’d mentioned hadn’t made her happy, had they? All a smart man had to do was look at her to see she had low self-esteem. Determination, sure. She had that in spades, but the only time he’d seen her genuinely happy was when she’d been with his boys. Or when he kissed her. He was certain he’d made her happy then.
She wasn’t snobbish or unkind. Tuesday had more class in her pinkie than all the rich bitches in Hollywood lumped together. What did her being wealthy and him being a poor dumb jock matter?
Grissom put a finger under her chin and tilted her head so he could look into her soul. And there she was—my girl. The woman strong enough to put Maeve Astor in the ground. Fierce enough to stand up to Estes. Brave enough to knock the ever-loving shit out of Pam, despite damned near bleeding to death afterward. Just as brave when she’d nailed Moreno full in hissmart assed face with the back of her skull. Yet still so fragile, Grissom wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and update his damned security system.
“Do you think I’m a snob?” he asked, still keeping his voice low and this conversation private.
Since Tuesday’d come home, his brain had settled down. Panic didn’t rule him, and it hadn’t snuck up on him once. His boys were happier with her in his house. So was he. For the first time in his life, Grissom had a woman whose touch soothed his soul instead of damned it. He wasn’t letting her go just because some billionaire had saddled her with cash and maybe debt, too.
Hmmm… He’d have to look into that. Later. Not. Now.
“No, but…” There went her shoulders again. “Money complicates everything.” An ocean of weariness painted her words.
“If we let it.”
“Do you think…?” Her pink tongue darted over that succulent bottom lip again. She looked over his shoulder at his sons. “I just wanted you to see me for the real person I am, not because I was rich or because I had Freddie’s money. I wanted you to fall in love with me, Grissom. Just me.”
“I did. And I do see you. You’re my girl, and I love you,” Grissom acknowledged quickly. “You’re the first and only woman I’ve ever said that to.” His chest heaved with the burning question he couldn’t and shouldn’t spring on her today. Maybe after a few dates. He’d already declared his love. Blame that on his lack of impulse control, but jumping the gun and asking her to marry him like Dr. Pratt had advised? Would that break the fragile trust between them, or would she jump at the chance? Was he what she needed?
“I could pay for lawyers to fight Pam,” Tuesday offered again. “Once you’re finally divorced, we could, umm…”
Grissom’s heart caught in his throat. Was she going to propose? He hoped.
