Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Like fate,” Hope finished for me.
My stomach twisted, the heavy weight of guilt making it hard to draw a full breath. This was the moment I’d been avoiding for so long—admitting I’d been selfish and dishonest and waiting for the axe to come down.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t honest, and I understand if you want to fire me.”
“He’s not going to fire you,” Ford said firmly from beside me. “Right?” He speared Griffen and then Hope with a sharp glance.
Neither Griffen nor Hope responded. Griffen began pulling the letters from the envelope. “What was your plan?” he said finally.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I didn’t really have one. I’m not, you know, an investigator or a spy or whatever. I guess—” I let out a sigh. This was embarrassing, but the whole situation was a mess already. I might as well just tell the truth. “I thought I’d hear enough gossip to fill in the blanks. Maybe someone would know something about Sarah and who she’d run off with or where they’d gone. I didn’t really get much further than being here.”
I paused, gathering my thoughts.
“Then once I was here, I realized no one really talks about Sarah or why she left. It was clearly such a painful memory for everyone that I couldn’t bring myself to ask any questions.” I gave a helpless shrug and looked to Hope. “I love being here. I love the kids. I love your family. And I just put it aside. But that doesn’t change the fact that I knew security was important to you and still came here under false pretenses.”
“Do you think we should fire you?” Hope asked gently.
I wasn’t expecting the question. “Do I want you to—or do I think you should?”
“Either,” she said. “Both.”
I drew in a slow breath and let it out. More honesty. I owed it both to them and to myself. “I’d understand if you wanted to. Of course I would. But I don’t think you should.”
“Why not?” Griffen asked, his narrowed sea-green eyes leaving me feeling like he could read every thought that passed through my mind, every shadow on my heart.
“I made a mistake,” I said. “One that I’m very sorry for. But I’m good at my job. I love the kids. I love being here, helping care for your family.”
“No one would question that,” Hope said. She shared a long look with Griffen. “Is this it? Is this the sum of your secrets? That you found out your father was involved with Sarah and now you’re involved with Ford?”
I nodded. “That’s it. Those are my deep, dark secrets.”
“I wouldn’t call us a dark secret,” Ford said in a murmur, lifting our joined hands to press a kiss to the back of mine.
I wanted to argue, but the twinkle in his eyes and that tiny curve at the side of his mouth had me smiling back. “Maybe not a dark secret,” I said, “but definitely inappropriate.”
Griffen smirked. “I’m assuming you’re keeping your hands off each other in front of the children?”
I was too shocked by the question to even answer, but Hope did it for me.
“Of course they are!” she said with a teasing grin at me. “Otherwise, we would have known already. You two were very discreet. I’m assuming this is fairly new?”
I nodded again, my throat so dry I didn’t think I could swallow.
“You’ll find it’s nearly impossible to keep a secret long-term in Heartstone Manor,” Hope said. “I don’t have a problem with any of it. Assuming we keep communication clear going forward, of course.”
“Absolutely,” I said, letting out a breath. “I’ve regretted the way I handled this for months. I wanted to tell you, but…I love this job, and I was afraid you’d send me away. I feel more at home here than I have in years, and I didn’t want to lose that.”
I looked to Ford. He had his eyes on his brother, who was staring back at him, a small smile curving his mouth that reminded me of Ford’s.
“If you do anything to drive Paige away,” Griffen said to Ford, “the kids and I will murder you in your sleep.”
“Understood,” Ford said, his laugh a low rumble in his throat.
“Fine.” Griffen nodded. “Before we look through this envelope further, I have some news of my own—from Emmett, Hawk’s friend who’s now at Sinclair.”
I nodded, vaguely remembering hearing Emmett’s name here and there.
“He’s got contacts,” Griffen went on, “and access to places on the dark web the rest of them don’t. He found out that Cole’s put out a bounty.”
Ford shook his head. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Griffen said, tracing the edges of the photograph of their mother, “that he’s made you a very profitable target. Hawk’s coming by shortly. We’re calling Cooper. We need to put together a plan. But, for the moment, our main objective is to keep you alive.” He pointed at Ford. “That means you stay put. You don’t leave Heartstone by yourself.”