Chapter 29 My Responsibility #2
“I figured. He wasn’t that bad, was he?”
“He barely speaks and when he does, it’s short and to the point. I appreciate more than anything what he’s done and gone out of his way to do. I know I’m an inconvenience.”
“You’re not.”
“I am,” she argued. “But he honored my wanting some time to think last night and for that I’m thankful.”
“Were you able to?”
“Some,” she said. “And we can talk more about it tonight, but I should get back to work.”
He moved closer to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not having someone follow me into the bathroom and not waiting in your parents’ house until you get out of work. You’re being unrealistic.”
He knew he was, but maybe he thought she’d agree. He should have realized that wouldn’t happen.
“Just make sure Clay and I know where you are at all times if you leave the property. I’m not sure when I’ll get out, but I’ll text.”
“I like having you around, Ford.”
He needed to hear that. “I like being around.”
“Let’s get your brother some breakfast.”
He cracked a grin. “Did he tell you to bring him something?”
“No. Your mother said she was making the brownies for him for being a wonderful son.”
“Hey,” he shouted. His mother laughed in the back.
“It’s both of your favorites,” his mother called out. “Come back here to get one for Clay and a muffin to go with it.”
He took the last bite of his brownie and a sip of his coffee, then followed Reenie to the kitchen.
His mother had both items in a box and handed it over.
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”
“I’m making a big pan of lasagna tonight,” his mother said. “I’ll bring dishes down for both of my boys.”
“I’ll let Clay know too.”
He left and drove to the mill, then walked in the front door and toward the stairs to Clay’s office.
“Ford.”
He turned his head. “Hey, Lexi.” She had a baseball hat on, goggles on her face, work boots and jeans on with her red Ridgeway Hard Cider shirt.
She blended in with everyone else on the floor.
“Did you bring us breakfast or calories for the boss man? He might not like fat around those muscles.”
He didn’t want to talk about his brother’s physique. “I had orders to bring food. He gets what he gets. Is he in his office?”
“He’s with the guys in the back. Got a big shipment of apples yesterday and they are sorting through things.”
“Thanks,” he said. Lexi looked as if she was going to say something else, but he turned and walked to the back, saw Pete, Rod, Clay, and three others he didn’t know the names of.
His brother had this place growing faster than anyone thought. There were more out front he’d passed and others in another part of the building for canning.
“What’s in the box?” Clay asked.
“Mom put it together. If you don’t like it, blame her.”
Clay reached for it. “Like I’d ever be stupid enough to do that. Let’s go to my office and chat.”
Just like Clay wouldn’t be stupid enough to blame his mother for the wrong food items, he wouldn’t tell his brother no.
Ford drank his coffee as he followed Clay to his office up the stairs, waving to people he passed again.
“Reenie told Mom what happened last night. That’s why we got the brownies.”
“I should get them, not you.”
“I get them for being a considerate boyfriend and letting my girlfriend have her space last night.”
“I let her have it too, so I should get two.”
His brother rarely joked anymore. Not that there was much to joke about in the past month.
“You got a muffin with it and Mom said she’s bringing us both lasagna tonight.”
“Sweet. Reenie was on board with you staying? Or didn’t you give her a choice?”
“She has a choice. It was me or you. She chose the better brother.”
Clay took a large bite of his brownie, his lips smirking while he chewed. “Thanks for making me a choice that I didn’t know about. Maybe I’d have company and not want another woman in the place.”
“You? I doubt that. You’d say that if it was the case. Or is there someone?”
“Who the hell has time?” Clay said. “I’m running a business, babysitting my brother’s girlfriend, and installing security cameras.”
His cheeks puffed out. Clay had done nothing more than take care of most things for the family when he returned home. “Sorry. We’ll get this squared away.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Clay said. “Poor joke.”
“No, it wasn’t. There is a reason you said it. Why?”
Clay shrugged. “I don’t mind doing any of it. Maybe it’s giving me a touch of what I left behind.”
His brother rarely brought up his military career. “Do you regret leaving the Navy?”
“No,” Clay said firmly. “But watching out for Reenie reminds me of it. Not in a bad way, but maybe not in a great way either.”
He hated that for his brother.
That he was the one causing Clay to revisit whatever demons he might carry.
“With any luck we can get some information and this can be behind us soon enough.”
“If Grady has nothing new, there are always other routes.”
“Private investigator,” Ford said. “I’ve thought of it. Just to get information.”
“That and talking to someone in the department down there.”
“Until I can find out who to trust, I can’t risk it. We’ll go with what we’ve got.”
“What did you do with your deputy?”
“Nothing,” he said. “What am I going to do? He did his job. I can’t fault him for that. He apologized and I told him not to. I won’t be labeled dirty or let anyone think I am hiding things. It’s not my way. It happened, so we move on from it.”
“Are you going to show her how to fire a gun and fight back?”
Funny how he and Clay thought alike. He should have made that a priority but didn’t want to open old wounds by having violence around her. “That’s the next step,” he said. “I can’t move too fast.”
“Moving slow can get a person killed. Try living with that regret.”