Chapter 5
FIVE
Grayden
A gas station Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t the worst I’d ever had. Not by a long shot.
After spending over an hour trying to find a cheap enough motel to justify spending my hard-earned money, I finally gave up and headed toward Main Street. Nearly every business was closed, but old-fashioned street lights lit the route, and strings of cheerful lights crisscrossed overhead. Pretty.
In a couple more weeks, there’d be holiday greenery and red ribbons decorating every spare surface. And a Christmas tree in front of the town hall.
Brought back memories. Like when Teller and I used to cruise down this stretch of road in high school, thinking we owned this town.
Teller became chief of police, a local hero. While I turned out to be the bad guy. The villain in the O’Neal family story.
Also, Teller had scored himself a pop star girlfriend. I’d heard all about it in articles and videos online. While I was here perusing the gourmet offerings of a tiny convenience store for my holiday meal.
The man behind the register grunted, “Happy Thanksgiving,” without looking away from the football highlights on his phone.
“You too,” I said as I considered what to eat. There was a tiny machine rotating two hot dogs that looked drier than the Colorado desert in summer. But I grabbed one dog anyway, stuck it in a bun, and slathered it with ketchup.
Again, not the worst I’d ever had.
Next I selected a bag of chips, an overripe banana, and a few granola bars, along with a big bottle of water, and brought it all to the counter. The man rang it up without much comment, but when I held out a few wrinkled bills to pay, he scrutinized me.
“You look familiar. Got family around here?”
I figured the man recognized the features I shared with Ashford and Callum. Maybe I’d even known this guy back in the day, but my memory drew a blank. I decided not to identify myself.
I assumed every old timer in Silver Ridge knew the name Grayden O’Neal, and I didn’t want to deal with that tonight.
“If I did, I’d be eating better food tonight than this. No offense.”
“None taken,” he grunted.
I accepted my change and dropped half of it into the tip jar before taking my bag.
Then it was back out into the snow. Which was a blessing. Yes, it was cold out, but the snow would cover the windows in my truck before long, almost like curtains. Nice and cozy.
Made me think of the warmth I’d glimpsed through the windows of Gracie’s house. I loved that she had a nice place like that. A man who adored her.
Callum had Zandra, a strong spitfire who could keep him in check. I smiled as I thought of the trouble my youngest brother used to get into as a kid.
And even though Ashford had looked at me like something he’d scraped off his shoe, I was so damn proud of the way he’d talked about his wife and daughter. Like he would sacrifice anything for them.
Ashford might be surprised, but I would do the same for the people I loved. Sacrifice everything. I had done it. With devastating consequences.
I hadn’t earned back Ashford’s trust yet, but I would. I just had to be patient. A skill I’d gotten very good at over the years.
Couldn’t wait to meet my niece Maisie, though. Grace had sent me a photo via text a few months ago, taken on Ashford and Emma’s wedding day. Maisie’s smiling face had been front and center. She looked so much like Ashford. And, I guess, like me. I got choked up whenever I looked at it.
The old hinge of the door to my truck fought me, but this Dodge had made it all the way here from Seattle, so that was yet another thing to be grateful for. I settled into the backseat, taking off my snow-dusted hat and ruffling my hair. Time to dig in to Thanksgiving dinner.
Then headlights swung in my direction, making me squint. The vehicle parked right in front of me, nose to nose. Like it wanted to keep me from leaving.
You gotta be kidding me, I thought.
The car was low slung. Could be a state trooper or something. The cops had found me already? Shitty fucking luck. Unless…could Ashford have called and reported me? Given them the description of my truck?
I immediately started to sweat, heart kicking. It was an involuntary reaction when dealing with police after my history. The moment any cop ran my driver’s license, he could find out that I had a record. Computers and nationwide databases worked at light speed these days.
But you’re the idiot who decided to take the risk of sleeping in your truck this close to town.
I had nothing to hide though. I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I could say I just wanted to relax and eat before I kept driving. Couldn’t be a law against that, right?
Unfortunately, I doubted it would matter. If the cops wanted to make trouble for me, they could.
There was a knock at my window. My pulse increased.
But when I saw the face through the glass, my heart tripped over itself in a different kind of way.
It was the pretty blond from outside Grace’s house.
What in the world was she doing out here in the snow? It was getting late.
I carefully opened the door and stepped out, shutting it most of the way to keep the weather out. She moved back a couple paces, but she was still close.
“Grayden. Sorry. Hope I didn’t startle you.”
I dug my hands into my jeans pockets to keep them warm. “Not much.”
“I’m not sure if you remember me.”
I searched her face but came up blank. “Sorry, I—”
“Piper. Teller’s sister.”
Damn.
Little Piper Landry?
Piper had changed a lot. Not so little anymore. She’d grown. Blossomed, really. She was just a few inches shorter than me, which would put her close to six feet. Her features were delicately beautiful, and the lights of Main Street spun her blond hair into gold.
“Piper Landry,” I said. “How are you?”
I hadn’t recognized her, but now, it all came rushing back.
I’d lost myself in memories of growing up in Silver Ridge plenty of times over the years. Piper had been there, kind of a vague presence orbiting my sister, her features not quite distinct. Even though I’d been around Piper pretty much since she was born until I left Colorado.
But I could almost picture the gangly kid she used to be. The teenager I’d sometimes caught staring a little too long at me. Who blushed whenever I stopped by the Landry house to see her brother, especially when I was in uniform.
Piper wasn’t gangly anymore. That was for sure.
And her brother wasn’t my friend anymore.
“My last name isn’t Landry now,” she said. “But anyway. I just noticed you out here, and I decided to stop.”
“Alright.” I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say to that. Was she going to lecture me about what happened at Grace’s? Curse me out?
“You’re not sleeping out here in your truck, are you? It’s freezing.” She wrapped her arms around her coat, emphasizing the point.
An edge of annoyance worked its way under my skin. “I haven’t firmed up my plans yet.” Like I had a packed social calendar.
“You should go back to Grace’s if you need a place to stay. Or at least find a hotel. That’s what Grace would want.”
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.”
Piper glanced behind her toward her car. I couldn’t make out if anyone else was inside. “Grayden, if you need money or something—”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“I don’t need charity. I can afford a hotel if I want one.” I was trying to save every penny of my savings toward getting myself established here in Colorado, not blow it on overpriced hotel rooms. That wasn’t her business though. I could sort out my own shit.
Besides, this wouldn’t be the first time I’d slept in my truck. In fact, I’d slept in my truck just last night. The drive to Silver Ridge from Seattle was a long-ass way.
“Well, I can’t just leave you out here. I need to know you’ll be alright.”
I barked a sudden laugh as a memory came to me. Little Piper bossing her brother around about doing the dishes, though Teller was ten years older and had weighed at least twice as much as she did. There’d been something fearless about her.
He’d listened though. Always. Teller had been just as doting over Piper as I’d been over Grace.
Piper frowned and put her hands on her hips. “Something funny?”
“Not really. Just thinking.”
Thinking about what a bossy mouth you still have on you. And how you grew up into a hell of a sexy woman.
If I said all that out loud, it would absolutely make her back off. Not that I would. I had a strict rule about not being an obnoxious dick.
The back door to her car opened, and a boy of around ten stomped toward us through the snow. “Mom, that’s him, right? The one we were talking about?”
“Ollie, I told you to stay put.”
“But I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He eyed me like I might pull a knife any second, and he had every intention of defending his momma from me.
The corner of my mouth ticked up. What did we have here? Piper had a kid. A feisty one at that.
I held up my hands. “It’s all good. Your mom was just checking up on me, little man. Which I appreciate. But I’m fine.”
“I’m not little.” His scowl deepened. “See, he’s fine, Mom. Can we go?”
“No, we are not going. Not until I’m satisfied.”
Ollie sighed like he was well familiar with that tone of voice. His mom meant business. She looked at my old truck, then at her own vehicle, then at the gas station. And finally, back to me.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll sleep on our couch tonight.”
Ollie’s mouth dropped open. “Mom, seriously?”
I ran a hand over my beard, tilting my head.
She didn’t take her eyes off me. “It’s either that, or I call Grace and Callum right now and let them know where you are. You decide. But I’m not letting their brother freeze to death in a rickety truck on Thanksgiving.”
“Rickety? My truck takes exception to that.”
“Your truck will get over it.”
I glanced at Ollie, lifting my brows. “Your mom drives a hard bargain.”
“You have no idea,” he muttered.