Dead Silence (Stillwater Trilogy #1)(52)
Author: Brenda Novak

She hesitated, but ultimately couldn’t see any harm in telling him the truth. “George.”

“The man you want to marry?”

“That’s him.”

“And…”

She gave a little shrug. “I guess you could say the wedding’s off.”

“And the relationship?”

“That’s off, too.” She tried to inject some indifference into her voice but could tell from his expression that she hadn’t managed it very well.

He stood clutching the frying pan he was about to scrub, as though he didn’t know what to do with it. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He’s better off,” she said and went to change.

12

Kennedy sat on the beach with Joe, watching Grace play with Teddy in the water. His son was pretending to be a dolphin and splashed loudly while Grace guided him around, laughing. Kennedy noticed a marked difference in her when she was with children. She acted so carefree.

A few minutes earlier, Heath had presented her with a pretty rock. She’d made such a big deal of how beautiful it was, he’d been searching for another one ever since.

Her enthusiastic response made Kennedy want to get up and search for a pretty rock himself.

“When you invited her up here, did she agree easily?” Joe asked, crossing his long legs in front of him. Because Joe had more than his fair share of leisure time, he was deeply tanned and had been eager to remove his shirt. He claimed he wanted to catch a few more rays, but Kennedy suspected he was hoping to impress Grace.

She didn’t seem to notice.

“Easily enough.” Kennedy was wearing a T-shirt with his swimming trunks, but considered taking it off so he could get in the water.

“You asked and she accepted, just like that?” He snapped his fingers.

“Teddy’s been spending some time at her place lately.” Kennedy shoved the warm sand around with his bare toes. “I think she came because of him.”

“So you’re telling me she’s more interested in your boys than she is you?”

Kennedy glanced up in surprise. “Probably.” He didn’t want to analyze Grace with Joe, didn’t like Joe’s attitude toward her.

Joe took a pull on the soda he held casually in one hand. “Why would you think that?”

“Because of the past, I guess.”

“What happened wasn’t our fault.”

“Maybe some things weren’t.”

“You’re saying other things were?”

Kennedy knew Joe was baiting him, but he cared more about answering this question honestly than whether or not Joe liked what he had to say. “More or less.”

Joe scowled. “You had a girlfriend. You never even messed with her.”

“Maybe not, but I certainly wasn’t nice. And you and the others—”

“Don’t try to put me on a guilt trip,” Joe interrupted, raising a hand and shaking his head. “She couldn’t wait to get her pants down.”

Kennedy didn’t appreciate the vision Joe’s words created in his mind. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m just saying I wasn’t going to turn her away. She was beggin’ for it.”

Kennedy felt his muscles tighten, but he knew better than to reveal how much Joe’s words bothered him. Joe was trying to get a reaction, hoping to learn how deep Kennedy’s feelings ran. “I think she’s more upset with the way she was treated after those incidents than with the incidents themselves,” he said calmly.

Joe gave a disbelieving bark. “What’d she expect?”

Kennedy had to work to keep the disgust from his face. “I sincerely hope you don’t need me to answer that.”

Grace squealed as she let Teddy dunk her in the water, and Joe returned his attention to the lake. “Whatever you think, it looks like she’s back for more of the same. Only she’s being selective this time.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“You don’t suppose the fact that you’re a rich widower has anything to do with the way she’s doting on your two motherless boys?”

Kennedy was beginning to wonder how he’d tolerated Joe for so long. “No, I don’t.”

Joe chuckled. “I never figured you for naïve, but there you go.”

“She’s here because she enjoys Heath and Teddy,” he said. He knew she’d also come to recover the Bible, but he didn’t mention that. What she felt for Heath and Teddy was sincere. Kennedy could tell. He wasn’t sure why she’d taken to them so easily, but he guessed it was because his boys weren’t old enough to be a threat to her. They loved her, and she loved them back. Simple. Uncomplicated. Nothing to fear. If Kennedy was willing to settle for a strictly platonic relationship, she’d probably be friendlier to him, too. But the physical part of his attraction to her was too strong to deny. Even if he told her he wouldn’t touch her again, she’d be able to feel that he would touch her if she ever gave him the chance. And that instantly relegated him to the “threat” category.

“You said earlier that you might take her out when we get home,” Joe said.

“So?”

One eyebrow slid up. “Would you do that openly?”

Kennedy wished his friend would leave. He preferred swimming in the lake with Grace, Heath and Teddy to sitting on the beach with Joe. But he didn’t want to interact too much with Grace under Joe’s watchful eye. If Joe saw anything that made him uneasy, Kennedy had no doubt he’d go straight to Otis and Camille. He might anyway. “Maybe.”

Joe sat up taller. “Really?”

“She was only thirteen when your uncle went missing. Forgive me if I don’t see her as a homicidal maniac.” Kennedy suspected he should care more about the past than he did. But at this point, what was happening in the present was far more important to him.

“What about her reputation?”

“I told you, she’s different now.”

At the irritation in Kennedy’s voice, Joe paused, but only briefly. “Kennedy, screw her brains out if you have to. But don’t let it go any farther. You have too much to lose.”

“Your respect for women is inspiring,” Kennedy said dryly.

“Cindy wasn’t like Raelynn, or maybe you’d understand.”

Cindy was Joe’s ex-wife, but she wasn’t nearly as bad as he made her sound. As far as Kennedy could tell, she’d tried to make their marriage work. It was Joe who’d caused most of their problems. He’d gambled away their money and cheated on her, probably more than once.