Chapter 31 Easton
Easton
Lying with my head on Nova’s lap and my eyes closed, I soak up the attention she’s giving me. She keeps dragging her fingers through my hair while her other hand draws patterns on my chest.
I have no idea what’s playing on the TV.
“This is nice,” I sigh.
“It is. You’ve been working your butt off and deserve to rest a little. I’m glad you have three days off.”
Just as I open my eyes, Nova’s phone starts to ring in the kitchen. I let out a groan. “Don’t answer it.”
“It might be Lainey’s school,” she says as she pulls her thighs from under my head.
I sit up and watch Nova frown when she looks at the screen. “Hello?” Her eyes widen. “Oh, hi, Deputy Stone.”
My eyebrow rises, and I climb to my feet.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Ah . . . can you hold for me quickly?” Nova covers the phone with her hand, then says, “The deputy sheriff found my grandfather walking in town, and it sounds like he was confused and didn’t know where he was. Will it be okay if I go to Verona to check on him?”
The man never did anything for Nova, but not wanting to be a bastard, I nod. I take the phone from her. “Hi, I’m Nova’s partner. Where’s Mr. Allen now?”
“Oh hey,” the deputy says, “I dropped him off at his place. I’m worried though. He seemed a little out of it, and he’s never in town this time of year. He couldn’t remember how to get home.”
I glance at my wristwatch, then say, “We won’t be able to get to Verona until six this afternoon. Can you do a welfare check during the day just to make sure he’s okay?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
I end the call, then dig my own phone out of my pocket. Dialing Sylvia’s number, I wait for the call to connect.
“Hi, Easton,” she answers.
“Hi. I need the private jet ready to go as soon as possible.”
“Where are you going? You have to be on set in three days.”
“It’s a short trip to Verona. I’ll also need a car. Nova’s grandfather isn’t doing too well, and we have to check in on him.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes to make the arrangements.”
“Thank you.”
Ending the call, I glance at Nova, who’s giving me a questioning look as she says, “I can go on my own.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m going with you. Call Charlotte and ask if she’ll mind picking Lainey up from school and if it’s okay if she can spend the night. Just tell her we have a family emergency to deal with.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod and place her phone in her hand. “Call Charlotte, then text Lainey so she knows she’s spending the night at Porsha’s before you pack a bag for us. I’m going to tell Tyler so he can get the security team ready.”
I dial Tyler’s number, and when he answers, I say, “Sorry to do this to you on your day off, but we need to travel to Verona to check on Nova’s grandfather.”
“I’ll let the others know,” he replies.
I bring up Izak’s number and listen with half an ear as Nova speaks to Charlotte. “Thank you so much. I’ll pack a bag for Lainey and drop it off at your house on the way to the airport.”
If my woman thinks I’m letting her go back to Verona alone, she’s got another thing coming. She’s not leaving my sight while we’re there.
Nova
When we drive past the park in the middle of town, I glance at all the trees and flower boxes lining the sidewalks.
It feels like a lifetime has passed since I was last here.
I really hope we don’t run into Trent. He’s the last person I want to see, and I don’t know how I’ll handle it. With the therapy I’ve been receiving and Easton’s support, I’ve been doing well, but I’m scared coming face-to-face with the bastard will stir up old demons.
Izak turns onto the road that leads to the mountain, and it takes another fifteen minutes before we pull up to my grandfather’s house. It looks more like a weatherworn cabin between the trees than someone’s home.
Taking a deep breath, I climb out of the vehicle and walk to the front door. Easton quickly catches up to me, and when I turn the knob and push open the door, the air is stuffy and smells of rotten food.
God, when last did he open a window?
Entering the living room, I see the man who never really cared about me sitting in the old armchair he’s had all my life. Unable to help it, I still feel a flicker of sadness for him.
“Hi, Grandpa,” I say to get his attention, the title feeling foreign on my lips.
His head snaps up, and I’m stunned by how much he’s aged since I last saw him before winter. I ran into him in town when he came to get supplies, but all he did was grumble at me to get out of his way.
“What do you want?” he barks, a look of disgust making the wrinkles cut deeper into his leathery skin.
“Deputy Stone called me. He said you were wandering around town looking lost.”
“Everyone should mind their own goddamn business!” He grumbles as he stands up from the worn armchair, and not even glancing at Easton, he snaps at me, “Leave before I get my shotgun.”
I look at Easton and whisper, “Can you wait outside, just in case he grabs the shotgun?”
He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Hell no.”
I glance around the house, and seeing the weapon on the kitchen table, I figure we’ll have enough time to get out before my grandfather can get to it. There’s a pile of dirty dishes and flies buzzing around the kitchen, which makes my stomach roll.
God. It looks bad.
Turning my attention back to my grandfather, I say, “You can’t live like this.”
“I’ll live however I damn well please. Get out of my house! Get!” He shuffles in the direction of the kitchen, and it has me pushing Easton out of the house.
I’ll be the most hated person in the world if I let him get shot today.
“There’s no use trying to talk to him,” I sigh as we walk to the car where Tyler, Ryan, and Noah are waiting. We left Eddie with Lainey.
I lift my hand and place it on my forehead as I glance back at the house. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Can I give some advice?” Easton asks. When I nod, he says, “He can’t live here alone. He’s clearly not getting enough to eat, and the place is filthy. I think we should put him in assisted living.”
“He’s going to lose his shit,” I mutter.
“What else do we do, Nova? We can’t just leave him like this. What if the deputy comes to check on him, and he decides to grab his shotgun?”
“I know.” My teeth worry my bottom lip.
Just then, a sheriff’s car comes up the dirt road, and we walk toward it.
Recognizing Deputy Stone, I wait for him to get out of his vehicle before I say, “Hi, Deputy. I’m so sorry about this.”
His eyes lock on Easton, then shock ripples over his face, and he stares at him, completely awestruck. “Holy shit. Easton Rowe, as I live and breathe.”
“Hi.” Easton walks toward the deputy and shakes his hand. “I’m Nova’s partner. We talked on the phone earlier.”
“I had no idea. Hot damn.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I never thought we’d see you in these parts again.” The deputy looks like he’s a second away from asking for an autograph. “Everyone in town is so proud that you’ve made such a big name for yourself in Hollywood.”
“Thank you,” Easton replies.
I step forward to break up the ‘fanboy’ moment. “About my grandfather. He’s threatening to use his shotgun, so we can’t go inside.”
“I should’ve taken the weapon when I dropped Bill off.” Deputy Stone shakes his head. “He can’t live like this, Nova. He’s dangerous with that shotgun.”
“I know.” I look at Easton. “Maybe it will be best if we put him in assisted living.”
“There’s a nice place on Oak Drive,” the deputy informs us. “But it’s going to cost money Bill doesn’t have.”
“Don’t worry about the money,” Easton mutters.
I give the man I love a thankful look, then ask, “What do we do with him tonight?”
The deputy shrugs. “Leave him here until you’ve made arrangements for the folks from assisted living to come get him. I’ll make sure I’m here so Bill doesn’t shoot any of them.”
“Yeah, I guess we have no choice. Thank you for all your help.”
“Before you leave,” Deputy Stone says as he takes a notepad and pen from his breast pocket. “I have to get an autograph for my son. If you don’t mind?”
“Sure.” Easton scribbles a short message on the paper before signing it.
“Thank you so much.” Deputy Stone walks back to the driver’s side of his patrol car, then pauses to say, “My condolences about Rachel. I read about her death in the newspaper.”
Hearing her name makes my heart clench with sorrow. Easton just nods.
“You have a nice stay in Verona. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning to check on Bill,” the deputy says before climbing into the patrol car.
“Thank you.” I look at the house again, and it’s to see my grandfather peeking through the curtains with his shotgun in his hand.
Stubborn old man.
“Let’s go,” Easton says.
“We wasted time coming here today,” I mutter as I head to the car. “I’m sorry. You should be at home resting and not out here dealing with my crap.”
“Stop apologizing.” Easton waits for me to climb into the back seat before he slides in beside me. He takes my hand and rests it on his thigh. “We’re a family, Nova, which means we deal with shit together. Okay?”
I lean my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.” I glance at the house as we’re driven away and let out a sigh. “I’ve forgotten how far the house is from town. That was quite a walk for someone his age.”
“And he survived it, so don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine on his own for one more night.”
“I don’t know why I worry,” I mutter. “It’s not like he ever cared about me.”
Easton lifts his arm and wraps it around my shoulder. “Should we drive to Madison for the night?”
“We can go to Sugar River Inn? I know the owner. She’s really nice.” I give him an apologetic look. “It’s close by, and we can get everything taken care of first thing tomorrow morning. I want to go home as soon as possible. I don’t like leaving Lainey for longer than absolutely necessary.”
“Sugar River Inn it is, then.”
I give Tyler the directions, and when he pulls up to the inn, which has a charming feel to it, my stomach grumbles.
“What are we going to do about food?” Easton asks.