Page 47 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

He was so much more than a family friend. And the feelings she felt now... There was nothingexabout them.

“I’m a movie executive,” Grant’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Uh-oh. She stared at Dallas for too long. Heat rose to her cheeks. “And I’m an accountant.” A highly successful one, who’d made partner in her firm, but why go into details?

Hmm. Had Grant said his profession with an air of importance, or did it only seem so?

Dallas shrugged. “And I’m a cowboy. Let’s combine our knowledge about Mr. Lane’s disappearance so far.”

“I made several women movie stars.” Okay, there was certainly an air of importance this time. Why wouldn’t Grant drop that topic? Wasn’t he in a hurry to find his father any longer?

She wrapped her fingers around the warm, smooth cup and sipped her tea with mint flavor, eyeing him like numbers to fit in their proper column. Her appraisal must lack the eagerness and admiration he expected. “How admirable of you.”

He wasn’t bluffing, though. While her grandmother had been getting ready that morning, Skylar researched Earl’s son online. Another thing she should’ve done before, considering he was going to become her family.

He’d been successful and had helped others become a success. He had a habit of dating beautiful starlets, and one of them had become his wife for ten years. No children, and two years ago they’d divorced.

Grant loosened his fancy tie and draped his arm over the back of his chair. He was probably more accustomed to slick tall leather chairs than stalwart scratched oak ones displaying the decades they’d served with love. Diamonds on his cufflinks sparkled in the lamplight, tarnishing the inheritance motive. The man must be rich in his own right. Or was this appearance as fake as a movie prop? “Maybe we should wait for my sister to have this conversation. Though I called her, she didn’t answer.”

“Your family seems to have a knack for finding places with no cell phone coverage,” Dallas said drily.

“Well, after the wedding, it’s going to beourfamily.” Grant’s smile, directed at Skylar, seemed too sweet, like tea when she’d added too much sugar. Huh. Why such a drastic change in demeanor? “Let me send her a quick text.”

While he typed something on his phone, Skylar, Dallas, Grandma, and Breeze exchanged glances. Then Grandma pushed the pastry plate toward Skylar, and Skylar took a bite of a sweet bear claw, more to placate her grandmother than out of hunger. Well, at least he wasn’t throwing accusations any longer. But how much of what he was about to say could she believe?

“While we wait, have you ever thought about becoming an actress?” Grant’s voice became suave as he leaned toward her. “You have the looks for it.”

Skylar chuckled. “Nope. Never wanted to be an actress. Never wanted to be famous.” She didn’t even want to be a famous artist. She just wanted people to enjoy her work. To bring them joy instead of sadness. Apparently, she’d wanted too much.

Her throat clogged up at the fate of the last painting she’d done, and she put the pastry aside.

As a teen, she used to wear her heart on the sleeve of her bright dresses. But then she’d had to learn how to conceal her feelings. So maybe she knew how to act a bit, even if it had been self-taught.

Hmm. If Dallas was like a storm cloud before, that cloud now carried not just rain but thunder and lightning. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? He moved his chair closer to her. “Let’s get started. Grant can explain everything to his sister later, right?”

“Good point.” Grandma nodded. “We have a new development you need to know about.” She paused, clearly reluctant to voice it.

Dallas did it for her. “Today, we went to the cottage Mr. Lane rented. The place seemed empty, but there was dried blood on some plants outside.”

Grant gasped. “Oh no!”

“Most likely, it’s not your father’s,” Skylar said softly, her heart going out to the man. She’d become too much of a cynic in the city. This was a man missing his father, and she should extend him some grace. She’d known all too well how it felt to lose a father. “It might’ve been some injured animal. The police are investigating whether it’s human blood.”

And more rumors and speculations were circulating in town aboutthatcottage. Skylar suppressed a grimace. More people started discussing other things that had happened there. Including Dallas’s father’s suicide. Some folks still doubted it was suicide. Sadly, Skylar was one of them, though, for Dallas’s sake, she hadn’t voiced those doubts.

Grandma shuddered.

Skylar got up and hugged her, then took her empty cup, and brought her more tea. According to her grandmother, more tea was always a good thing. “Mr. Lane—”

“Grant.”

“Grant, if you give the police a blood sample, maybe they’d be able to tell if your blood is related to that found onsite.”

“I’ll do that.” Grant nodded. “I’m glad I’m here.”

“Me, too.” Skylar reluctantly admitted, nibbling on the rest of the pastry. They could get answers faster with him here.

But Dallas’s eyes darkened at her words.

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