Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Breakfast with her mama and sisters had been exactly what Betsy needed. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having Sadie and Marcy around during the past few days.The fact Summer had made the trip to Crayton to give her support touched Betsy more than the others could ever understand.
It had taken a lot of convincing to get Cain and JB to agree to this outing.
Late last night they’d grumped about the idea.
But early this morning she’d persuaded Cain that he couldn’t spend all his time being her protector.
That wouldn’t work for more reasons than she could imagine.
She had a life to live and a business to run, and he had to solve this case.
He’d finally agreed but had insisted on being part of the periphery of the group.
The women had taken a seat in the furthest booth to the back of Joanie’s Café.
He’d taken a seat on one of the swivel stools at the front counter.
Truman had followed his lead the moment he’d walked in with her mama and sisters.
Her stepfather might have semi-retired from the FBI, but he still did consulting and would never lose those protective instincts.
She’d even seen JB drive by the diner more than a few times. They were a family—her family.
She wasn’t fooling herself as far as Cain was concerned.
After waking up early this morning wrapped in the warmth of his body next to hers, her anxiety of the past few days had calmed.
Knowing he was there for her seemed like everything she needed to be happy.
They’d lain in bed talking about nothing yet everything for a good long time.
Then his phone had beeped with an incoming text alert from the real estate agent he’d been using to look for acreage where he could build his security business.
He’d broadened his search to include all along Interstate 44 from St. Louis to Springfield, MO.
The call this morning had opened the possibilities of two separate large locations available.
One parcel between Mark Twain National Forest and Fort Leonard Wood.
The other one set a little south of Interstate 44 between Springfield, Missouri and Fort Leonard Wood.
The agent said both were prime locations and reasonably priced, so he needed to see them as soon as possible.
She’d listened to his plans and his excitement at the prospect of owning his own business.
But when he asked her to go look at the land with him, her reaction had been no.
He asked her for her opinion on his plans; she tensed and mumbled something about how she really couldn’t say.
He asked what she planned to do once this case was over, and she pretended not to hear him.
After a minute of no response, Cain had gone to shower. She’d gone to make coffee. The happy carefree moment they’d awoken to had suddenly disappeared.
Before they left the house, he loaded his motorcycle into the back of his pickup. Tossed his winter riding overalls, gloves, boots and face mask in the rear seat along with his helmet. Her instincts told her he was preparing to move on after this brouhaha was all settled.
Glancing in his direction at the counter, she met his eyes watching her.
He winked. She smiled. In that moment, she realized how much she wanted him to stay.
Wanted him to be part of their own little family.
Wanted him to keep discovering all the ways to please her while they cuddled in that big king-sized bed every night for the rest of their lives.
“Well, will you look at that? Betsy’s blushing.” Marcy glanced over her shoulder toward the front counter, then slightly laughed as she turned back to the table. “Looks like you and Cain have been doing more than evading the bad guys.”
Summer pointed to the security mirror positioned in the corner a few steps from their booth. “All I know is…I’ve been keeping an eye on the front of the café. And that hunk of a man called Cain has been looking at Betsy as if she’s a tall glass of water.”
Betsy lightly kicked her sisters beneath the table. “Don’t start with that, sisters of mine.”
“Ouch!” Sadie kicked her back. “That was my foot, not Summer’s.”
“Sorry,” Betsy said as she rubbed her shin, then quickly tapped Summer’s foot.
“Wish I had someone who looked at me like that. Guess he’s taken, though.” Summer teasingly popped her fingers on Betsy’s hand. “The men I meet are either already taken, aren’t really worth my time, or they turn out to be wonderful friend material.”
“Don’t give up.” Betsy lovingly patted Summer’s hand. “You’ll find someone.”
“Well, I’ll never give up looking, that’s for sure. Doesn’t mean my happily-ever-after will arrive. And—”
“Maybe you should move to Crayton,” Sadie said as she placed her napkin on the table and stood. “You never know what might be waiting for you in this little town.”
“Like who?” Marcy asked as she slid from the booth.
Betsy could think of a few. One in particular. “I think Sadie’s onto something. A change of scenery might be just the thing you need.”
Summer stood and stepped to the side. “You forget I’ve got a thriving…” She raised her finger for a pause. “Make that a somewhat thriving private investigator business in St. Louis.”
Betsy took up the rear and the women laughed and teased all the way out the front door. Cain and Truman followed, and JB just happened to pull to the curb right then. That was after he’d made a good ten circles of the block while they’d had breakfast.
“Looks like everyone had a good time,” Truman said. “What’s next?”
“Mr. Crestfall emailed that the adjusters got an early start this morning and have already inspected the showroom and main offices. He gave me the okay to start my cleanup, so I’m going straight to the dealership and start cleaning.” Betsy said, her look and her tone daring Cain to disagree.
Crossing his arms, he narrowed his eyes and frowned. Truman followed suit.
Summer looped her arm across Betsy’s shoulder. “If you want some help, I’ll go along.”
“Me, too.” Marcy smiled sweetly at her husband.
JB’s jaw tensed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, I do. So there you go.” Marcy stepped to the other side of Betsy and looped arms with her.
“Sounds like a plan.” Betsy felt an overwhelming joy that they had banded around her. “What about you, Mama? You coming with us?”
“No. I love you all dearly, but I’m going to pass on this” She tugged on her gloves. “After all our talking last night out at the house, I didn’t get to sleep till two in the morning. I’m tired now. Think I’ll—”
“See? Sadie knows this is a bad idea.” Cain lowered his arms and stepped forward as JB and Truman followed his lead and nodded agreement.
Betsy had to agree that time had flown by last night as the entire family discussed everything from the dead body at Peyton’s to the vandalism at the dealership and Betsy’s house.
From Cain and Betsy’s meeting with Mr. Crestfall to the two-million-dollar insurance payouts—including the fact Sadie had not received any of that money and had no idea why her husband would have been named on the policy in the first place.
From their brief trip to New York to where Betsy was staying and why.
At least, the why-version they gave her mama and sisters, which she doubted any of them believed for even a minute.
She’d noticed that nothing was said about Shadow, or Phillip, or the body in the dumpster being an undercover agent.
No doubt, Cain and JB probably considered that confidential information.
Although she suspected they had shared that specifically with Truman when it had taken all three of them to unload the SUV last night—had taken them almost an hour, and most of that time outside.
Pulling her hat on with an extra tug, Sadie cleared her throat.
“That’s not what I said. In fact, I think it’s a grand idea.
I’m just a little tired from my New York trip, so I’m going home to take a nap.
” She hugged and kissed each of her daughters.
“You girls lock the doors over at Peyton’s.
Make sure your phones are on. And have fun. ”
She held on to Truman’s arm as they walked toward their SUV. Suddenly she stopped and looked back at the group. “Betsy, don’t take chances. Watch your back and stay safe. And Cain, I hold you responsible for making sure she is.”
As Truman and Sadie got into his armored SUV and drove away, Kennett pulled his police cruiser into their vacant spot. He motioned JB and Cain to join him as he walked in their direction.
After a brief conversation with the men, Cain made a phone call. When he had finished, he walked over to her. “You stay safe today. Don’t take chances. I’ll be back later.”
“Where are you going?” Betsy asked.
“The real estate agent texted that another agent had called to show the property south of Interstate 44 later today, that's one I told you about this morning.
Sounds like another buyer who'd been watching for land.
Tells me they're ready to buy, also." For a moment, his tone and demeanor seemed all business.
"So, seeing that I don't have to be in a meeting at the police station until three, I'm going to make a quick run over and take a look at the land. "
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were going to look so soon.”
"I hadn't planned to, either, but I've missed other chances at acreage listings when they got snatched up before I could make an offer.
And this one…this one sounds perfect, Betsy.
" He grinned and his expression looked as if he'd just won the lottery.
"I talked to JB and he'll have patrols drive by Peyton's while you and your sisters are there. You okay with that?"
"Okay? Sure. It's just that…"