Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
MARLEY
Three Weeks Later . . .
“I don’t care how you have to go about this, I just want you to find my daughter.”
It’s all I can do to keep from sighing in frustration. The man on the phone just doesn’t seem to get that I’m not a bounty hunter or a private investigator. I don’t go find people like that. Not anymore. I learned my lesson before I moved here.
Sure, my job is to find people, but the difference between me and a bounty hunter is I can’t actually serve as a bounty hunter. Not anymore.
I gave up that part of my life, and I wasn’t going back to it. I made the decision that the day I moved out here to Tennessee, I was sticking strictly to skip traces and process serving. All you had to do with those two things is focus on research and have knowledge of databases. It was simple enough to serve papers for those who had to go to court. It wasn’t bad to handle finding people for the courts or even law firms. I’ve even done a couple for debt collectors when they needed to find someone. The work was easy enough yet still a challenge for my mind.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t help you. If you want, I can refer you to someone who can,” I murmur, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know several private investigators who would be more than happy to help you.”
“I don’t want anyone else to handle finding my daughter. I heard you were the best, and I’m hiring you to do it. I don’t care if you’re out of the game now or not. I want you to find my daughter,” the woman on the other end of the line snaps. “Now, you need to take down the information to find her.”
“Ma’am, again, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to find someone else. I can’t help you.”
It’s not exactly true, I could, but something about the way the woman spoke, she didn’t sound like a frantic parent. But rather a snooty one who demanded to have their way about everything. I hated working with people like that. Nine times out of ten, the results always ended with the people ran off to get away from them.The runaways always have a good reason, and right now would be no less because the person on the other line definitely isn’t fully concerned with finding the daughter as she should be. It probably has to do with the money she keeps bringing up.
Rolling my eyes, I quickly give the woman my recommendations and hang up before she can snap at me some more. No way was she going to convince me otherwise.
I give a sigh and toss the phone to my desk, my frustration growing even higher. In the past three weeks, that’s been happening a lot more and more. Which sucks. Big time.
I know where the frustration is rooted, and it ticks me off all the more because of it. How did I allow myself to let this happen?
I hadn’t heard from Griz since we texted after he left me all hot and bothered. At first, it hurt because he never showed for the date he said he was taking me on. He hadn’t called. Didn’t text. Nothing.
I never reached out to find out why.
I wasn’t going to be one of those girls that clung to a man and demanded to know what happened and why he didn’t call.
My plan is to push it all down and move on.
Or that’s what I keep telling myself.
Which makes it even harder, because I don’t want to be one of those girls who falls hard for a guy when I don’t even know him. It’s like he’s under my skin in such a way that I don’t know how to get him out.
Last weekend, to try and get my mind off him, I went home to visit my mom and dad. It hadn’t helped. If anything, it made things worse for me.
Mostly because I’d asked my mom about the letters in the box Grandma Ryan gave me. I don’t think I’d ever seen my mom pale as she did. For that matter, seen my dad become as furious as he did.
I ended up leaving their house more upset. Sure, they called later to apologize, but I didn’t answer the call. I hadn’t spoken to them since. I just listened to the voicemails they’d left. They’d also sent a few text messages, none of which I responded to.
Sure, it might not be the best way to handle it. I should accept their apologies, and I have. My problem is the way they reacted to me telling them about the letters and the other stuff that had been in the box. It makes me want to dig into it further and figure out what had happened.
I hadn’t started to do so just yet. I’d been doing my best to stay busy with other things. Between helping Grandma Ryan and work, I’ve done well so far. But now, with it being Friday night and not having anything else to do this weekend, I ended up agreeing to go to dinner with Deputy Riggs. Thankfully, he didn’t mind me meeting him at the diner rather than him picking me up here.
I still can’t believe I ended up agreeing to dinner with him. Suppose I’m just tired of being home alone.
Shaking my head, I pick my phone back up. The thought of canceling crosses my mind as I check the time. Deputy Riggs suggested we meet there at six and here it is going on five now.
Great.
Guess I should get ready.
Hopping up from my office chair, I tuck it back in front of the desk and make my way out of my home office. To do what I do, I didn’t need to have anywhere else. I didn’t need some fancy office. That’s what’s great about being a freelance worker. I work where I want. I just have to go into the courthouse to grab whatever needs to be served for the day. Then I’m done. Some days, there’s nothing. Other days, there could be close to fifty or more.
I make my way through the little house to my room. It doesn’t take me long to pick out an outfit to wear. It might be a date with Riggs, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dress up for a date. Granted, dressing up for me isn’t much different from any other day.
The difference being is that I change the top I’d worn throughout the day for a different one. Where the other was a silky blouse, this one is more fitted and shows off my ample cleavage. I also switch out my heels for boots that have a heel on them. Being that I’m only five-foot-five, I love wearing heels every chance I get.
Hell, I’m an expert on all things heels. I’ve done everything in them. Ran, fought, strutted, even in the rain. It’s surely not easy. I’ve sprained an ankle a time or two, but I learned not to do that in the process.
Clothes changed, I head for the bathroom to touch up my makeup and brush out my hair.
Once done, I take a good look at myself in the mirror.
Not bad.
I wasn’t being conceded by any means. I have my flaws, but I learned long ago to enhance the parts of myself I love the most.
Taking a breath, I make my way back out of the bathroom and through my room. I step into my office long enough to nab my phone and purse, then make my way toward the front door. I snatch up my keys from the hook I hang them on. Finally, I walk right out of the house and right into a wall of muscle.
“What the . . .” I snap, my head snapping back to glare at the face the wall of muscle belonged to. “What are you doing here, Griz?”
I couldn’t believe he was standing on my doorstep. Who does he think he is? Three weeks since I’ve seen him, and he’s back at my door. For what?
“Where ya going, sweets?” he asks, his arms going around me, pulling me even closer. Not that there was much space between the two of us.
“That’s none of your concern.” Planting my hands against his chest, I shove against him, only he doesn’t budge. “You can let me go, Griz. You can also leave.”
“Know you’re pissed with me, baby, but I’m not gonna let you go.”
Oh, the arrogant SOB. Who the hell does he think he is saying something like that to me?
“Let me go, Griz, I mean it.” I give another shove and lift my thigh enough for him to feel it against his groin. “I’m not afraid to put my knee to your balls in order to feed them to you.”
Griz gives me that shit-eating grin of his and presses me into my front door. “You wouldn’t do that to me, sweets. One, you might have your knee where you got it, but I won’t let you get the chance to actually use it. Two, if you try, it just means another reason to spank your sweet ass. Now, tell me where you’re off to looking sexy as you are?”
“I’m not telling you where I’m going because it’s none of your business. You aren’t going to be doing anything to me other than letting me go and leaving me the hell alone.”
Griz loses his grin and stares at me intently, but he does let me go. However, he doesn’t move far enough away from me for me to get away from him. I could at least breathe. Though with each breath I inhale his amazingly sinful cologne.
I suck in a breath and shove back my nerves at seeing him again. “I’m going to be late, so if you’ll please leave, that would be great.”
“I know I fucked up with you, Marley, and I’ll let you go wherever the fuck you’re going. Just know, though, when you get back, we’re talking. I don’t give a damn how late it gets.” Griz draws me close once again, his hand curling around the back of my head, and slams his mouth down on mine.
The kiss wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. What it was, was scorching hot that burned all the way to my toes. Just as quickly, he breaks his lips away from mine, releases me, turns, and makes his way down my porch to where he parked his bike right behind my car.
While he does this, I follow him with my eyes. Watching him walk, the way his jeans fit him, damn, it’s more than enough to make a woman swoon.
I don’t even want to go on this stupid date. I should just say screw it all and find me a hotel to hole up in to get away from everyone for a night. Maybe the whole weekend.
No, I can’t do that. I have plans tomorrow. Well, not really. It’s just some things I want to do, and I intended to do them tomorrow.
Griz’s gaze comes to mine as he swings his leg over, straddling his bike. The grin slides back into place on his lips. Oh boy, does that grin do things to me. Just as everything else about him seems to do. Even three weeks after he stood me up.
At that thought, I come out of the foggy daze of watching him and break eye contact with him. Gathering myself together, I make my way to my car while he starts his bike up. The thundering rumble of his beautiful bike comes to life, making me jealous of it. I don’t think I’ve ever been jealous of an object as such. In fact, I’ve never actually been jealous in my life.
I take that back. I was as a teenager, and the boy I liked started going out with a friend of mine. It didn’t last more than a couple of months, and that friend ended up ditching me, but it was whatever at that point. I figured anyone who would do that to a friend, knowing they have a crush on said boy, isn’t worth being friends with.
Shoving that thought away, along with all thoughts Griz, I start my car. When Griz is out of the driveway and gone, I back out, stopping to check for any coming cars before going out on the road.
It’s always best to be safe than sorry. I’d seen more than one car on this road nearly get hit by a speeding vehicle as it passed by. Driving toward the diner, I can’t help but check behind me, searching for Griz. I’m not afraid to admit to myself that I was hoping he’d be following me, wondering where I was heading.
The fact that he gave in and left without much fight baffles me. More, it doesn’t sit well with me. I mean, why on earth did he have to come this evening of all evenings?
God, I’m such a freaking idiot.
Pulling into the parking lot for the diner, I don’t bother looking around for my date. He’s probably already inside and waiting for me. I park in the first spot I find and get out, making sure to bring my purse with me.
I glance around the lot while making my way toward the door, my heart racing and blood pumping.
Dang it all to hell and back. What is wrong with me?
I should have kicked Griz when he kissed me.
I take a breath and step into the diner, spotting Deputy Riggs right away, sitting at one of the side booths. His head comes up, and he grins. Not a grin like Griz’s by any means, but a genuine one.
Totally weird.
As I make my way toward Deputy Riggs, he slides out of the booth.
“I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up,” Deputy Riggs says.
“Sorry, I was held up with a call,” I lie.
I flipping hate lying. I’m not a liar, and I’m not really good at it either. What makes me feel better about this lie is that it was the last thing I did before getting ready to leave the house.
“It’s all good. You’re here now.” Leaning forward, he grips my hand in his.
My gaze shifts to where he’s touching me. I can’t help but feel awkward from the fact he’s even touching me to begin with. I shouldn’t be here. I should’ve canceled. I should never have agreed to the date in the first place.
Deloris comes to the table a moment later, eyes on me. “Hey, darlin’, how you doing today?”
I jerk back slightly, a sense of guilt filling me for some unknown reason.
“Deloris, I’m good. What about you?” I greet sheepishly.
“Same ol’ same ol’. Still kickin’ it. You two want your usual drinks?” she asks. I’m guessing she knows Deputy Riggs’s order by heart as she does mine.
“That’d be great.” I shift a look to my date to see him grinning at Deloris.
“Sounds good, Deloris. Can we both get the daily special for today as well?” he orders.
Orders for both of us.
What if I didn’t want the daily special? I want to ask this, but I bite off the question and glance back to Deloris.
“What is today's special?”
“Old man in the back has got a Mississippi roast slathered up on some mashed taters and his homestyle gravy. It also comes with a slice of cornbread to go with it.”
Okay, well, that sounded amazing.
“Sounds like it’ll be good,” I murmur, nodding.
“It sure will be.” Deloris grins. “Be back with your drinks.”
“Hope you don’t mind me orderin’ for us both,” Deputy Riggs says as Deloris walks away. “They always have good daily specials.”
“It’s fine. I just like to know what I’m getting before I get it,” I tell him.
“I get that.” He nods and shifts back in his seat. “So, what made you move out this way?”
“Someone had to be close to my grandma.” I shrug and clasp my hands in my lap. “You know, I don’t even know what your first name is. I keep wanting to call you Deputy Riggs.”
Chuckling, he slouches in his seat and cocks his head slightly. “It’s David.”
Nodding, I give Deloris a smile as she places the drinks on the table. “Thank you.”
“No problem, sweetheart,” she says as the bell over the door chimes.
I glance over to see who it is, only to feel my heart start racing at the sight of Griz. His eyes locked on me as three other men step in behind him.
Oh boy. This is not good.
And if the look he gives me is anything to go by, I’m in trouble.
Big trouble.