Chapter 28
Grace
I should have known better. It was stupid to underestimate Bryson. But as much as I love Bear Creek Cabins, I’m a little shocked that motherfucker would stoop to this level of sabotage to get it.
“All this for a strip of cabins,” I mumble as we cross Dean’s bridge.
“It’s not just the cabins, Grace.” The truck slides a little when we curve to the right. “I own the whole mountain.”
I must be hallucinating. “I’m sorry. What ?”
“I own the whole mountain,” he repeats. “It’s just over five hundred acres.”
Oh. My. God. No wonder Bryson wants it so badly. His family would turn this into the best ski resort in the state and put the one an hour away out of business in a blink. “Why didn’t you ever do that?”
“Do what?”
Oops, I forgot that convo was mostly in my head. “Why didn’t you ever turn Bear Creek Cabins into a big ski resort?”
“I’d have to clear so much of the woods to make the slopes. When you do that, animals and birds lose their homes.”
I’m so in love with this man, it’s not even funny .
“Besides, I can’t imagine the upkeep. Snow machines. Slope lights and lifts. That’s a hell of an operation to run.”
And he just wants a simple life. One that comes with spectacular views of the forest and stream and all the nature in between.
On the off chance that Bryson is still creeping around town, we’re on the hunt for him. Even if the asshole managed to slip on and off Dean’s land last night, the storm was already raging, and the airport would have canceled all flights. Not even a private jet or helicopter would’ve been an option. He’s got to be around here somewhere. Dean says the grocery store and bar never close, so we try those first.
Turns out, he’s at the bar across from the grocery store.
It takes all my control to not stab his tires in the parking lot. Of course, I’d also need a knife to do that, and Dean refused to let me bring anything sharp to play with.
That’s fair.
There’s no telling how far I’d go with it.
Besides, he’s way better with the axe than I am and yes, he brought it with us.
Dean shoves the bar door open and heads straight for Bryson.
The dumb fuck smiles when he sees him coming. That smile, however, wipes clean off his face when Dean grabs him by the back of the neck and slams his face flush against the bar top.
“Apologize,” he growls.
I sit next to Bryson and ignore the eyes of a half-dozen people in here for lunch .
“A-po-lo-gize,” Dean repeats, grinding Bryson’s face harder into the lacquered wood.
The bartender leans back and watches without a hint of surprise on his face.
“For what?” Bryson grits out. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You got Grace all worked up.” Dean leans into his ear. “She was upset.” His jaw clenches. “Do you know what I do to assholes who upset my girl?” He yanks Bryson up by the collar and slams him back down on the bar again.
Bryson laughs.
So, Dean calmly lays the axe in front of his face as a quiet threat.
Fear flashes in Bryson’s eyes.
“You’re done, Mr. Morgan.” He tries to shove upwards, but Dean’s got him pinned. “You can threaten me all you want, but there’s no stopping the inevitable. I told you that land was mine. Now it will be.”
The bartender stops drying the beer glass. “What’s he talking about?”
I address the whole bar. “This cocksucker has been doing all he can to sabotage Bear Creek Cabins so he can buy it out from under Dean.” Maybe me sharing that was a little too over the line but Dean needs more people in his corner.
“Is that true?” the bartender asks Dean. I recognize him from the first night I came to this town. I think his name’s Jesse.
“Yeah,” Dean growls. “And he just fucked up big time because now he’s involved Grace.”
“I didn’t— ”
“You did ,” Dean snarls. “Are you in the same town as her? Breathing the same air as her? That means you involved her. I fucking told you to stay away.” His knuckles are white with how fiercely he’s gripping Bryson’s neck. “You didn’t listen.”
Someone behind me locks the door.
Everyone else stands up and closes in on us.
“You go after one of our own, you go after all of us,” Jesse says, gently placing the beer glass down and picking up a baseball bat.
“Say you’re sorry,” I urge. “At least give yourself a fighting chance here, Bryson. I don’t think you’ll have teeth left after this.”
Do I really think we’re going to have a beat down?
Maybe.
But I don’t want Dean in trouble, and the fact that all these people are now at his back… we’ll make headline news.
“Sorry,” he spits out.
The axe scrapes the bar top when I slide it out of the way. “Now what do I do with this pretty footage?” I hit play on my cell and prop it up so that not only can Bryson see the incriminating evidence, but so can everyone else. “All the cabins flooded, thanks to your little trick.”
“Pity,” Bryson chimes with no remorse.
Dean snaps. Ripping Bryson off the stool, he drags him across the bar and slams him against the wall.
His fist is ready to swing.
“Don’t!” I yell.
Dean freezes.
Bryson laughs .
“She’s got you on a short leash. Do you bark for her, too?”
Dean slams his fist into Bryson’s jaw. Before he can do it again, I grab his arm. “I can hurt him better than that.”
Bryson spits blood onto the floor. His hair is disheveled, and shirt is half untucked. “Go ahead, sweetheart. I know you’ve been dying to get your hands on me.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But eww. No. There’s not enough disinfectant in the world to make me risk touching your disgusting….” I twirl my hand in the air trying to come up with the best word, “baby man body.”
Not my finest work.
I pull my cell up and scroll through the contacts, then dial a number. Funny, I have more enemies than friends in my contacts list. Guess I picked up a habit from my mother. “ Keep your frenemies within reach, Grace. They’re more valuable than you realize .”
Stella answers the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Ms. Clyde, it’s Grace Finch, how are you?”
Bryson’s blood drains from his face.
I wink at him and put her on speaker. “I have a slight problem and am hoping you can help me.”
“Of course, sweetheart. What is it?”
“Your great nephew has… well, he’s overstepped and broken the law.”
She doesn’t sound at all shocked. “Bryson or Bailey?”
“Bryson.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “What did he do? ”
Bryson shouts out, “I’m only closing in on a big property that—”
“Shut up, you stupid fool.” Guess Stella’s not surprised he’s on the call too. “I asked Grace a question, not you. Close your mouth and keep it shut until I say otherwise.”
There’s a reason this woman is good friends with my mother.
She sighs heavily over the speaker. “Go on, Grace. What has he done now?”
“He destroyed private property and caused major damage. I’ve just sent you a short video of him doing it.”
More silence. Dean hasn’t looked at me at all. His attention, and fury, remain on the prey locked in his grip.
“How much?” Stella finally asks.
“Damage?”
“Money, child. How much money do you want to keep this quiet?”
I knew she’d ask.
I could have stooped to Bryson’s level and blackmailed him with it. Posted the videos online and dragged him through the mud. But I’m not about to sully the entire Clyde-Smith family’s reputation when only one has played dirty. Reporting it to the cops wouldn’t have the same positive effect as reporting it to Stella.
“One million,” I say cooly. Dean looks over his shoulder and gawks at me like I’ve lost my head. I deadpan him. “Make it two million. I didn’t account for the insults he so crassly slung at me the other day when he threatened to… get me on my knees.” I cock my brow and look down my nose at Bryson .
“I’ll make it three if we can ensure this doesn’t go beyond this phone call.”
I think Dean’s about to pass out.
“That works. I’ll send you the information for a money transfer. Thank you, Stella. I appreciate your cooperation.”
“And I appreciate yours, Grace. Thank you for calling me instead of taking a more public and legal approach to this matter. You understand how these things can get…”
“Messy,” I say, letting her know that indeed I do.
“Yes, well, other than this little hiccup, you’re doing well, I presume?”
“Very. You?”
“As well as a woman in my position can be, I suppose.”
She has billions. She’s doing fine.
“Will I see you next month for our appointment?” she asks.
“I’m afraid I’ll no longer be going to that stylist.”
“Just as well. She botched my last color, and I’ve struggled to accept the honey highlights when I told her I wanted gold.”
Now I think Bryson’s going to pass out.
Guess he didn’t know I spend every five weeks at the salon with his great aunt Stella, the owner of his balls, paycheck, and trust fund.
“Bryson,” Stella yells into the phone. “I expect you here by dinner tomorrow.”
“That’s impossible. No flights are—”
“Are you giving me excuses, boy? I said be here by dinner tomorrow. Snow or no snow, I don’t care if you have to walk. Be here or kiss your career, and your bank accounts, goodbye.”
She hangs up.
Dean’s eyes are wide as saucers as he stumbles back, lets go of Bryson, and gawks at me.
Tucking my cell away, I casually saunter over and grab the axe from the bar. “I missed you with the sledgehammer.” Then I sway my hips as I make my way closer to Bryson. “I promised my brother I wouldn’t miss again.”
I raise the axe over my head and Bryson takes off, bulldozing through the empty tables and fights to unlock the door so he can get out. I think he might have pissed himself.
When he leaves, I notice everyone’s staring at me, eyes huge and mouths open.
“Relax. I wasn’t really going to throw it at him.”
Lies .
Dean storms over and grabs my face, smashing his mouth to mine. “Holy hell, woman.”
I accidentally drop the axe, and it smashes his foot. I don’t even think he notices.
“Are you happy?”
“Am I—” His gaze softens. “Am I happy?” He kisses me all over—my head, cheeks, nose, and chin. “You just went after a man with an axe for me.”
“You ground his face into the bar for me.”
“You’re terrifying.”
“Thank you.” I bat my lashes. “But are you happy? I know three million might seem like a lot, but I’m worried it’s not enough to make your dreams come—”
He kisses me again. Harder. Deeper. Smoothing the hair from my face, he’s positively trembling. “ You’re my dream, Grace. Not the money. Not the mountain. Not the cabins. I’d walk away from all of it but not you. Never you.” He crushes his mouth to mine again and I’m swept up in his embrace.
My feet aren’t touching the ground.
Hooking my arms around his neck, I wrap my legs around his middle and forget that we have an audience. “Does that mean I can stay till summer now?”
“You better stay for all the summers.” He kisses my cheeks. “All the autumns.” He kisses my nose. “All the winters.” He kisses my forehead. “And all the springs.”
“Until my ashes float downstream?”
His eyes flash with a hundred emotions and I feel each one in my soul.
I came to this mountain to find myself. Never thought I’d find love too.
“Take me home, you sexy lumberjack.”
Dean slings me over his shoulder and slaps my ass. “Yes, Ma’am.”