Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Josh nodded. “Yeah. I feel like Grim and I have been looking for a long time, and we thought we would find someone we could care about and settle in.”
“Because in your mind the relationship with Grim was the primary relationship,” his father pointed out.
“I missed him,” Josh admitted. “I know it sounds dumb, but he was my first friend and then he was gone for so long. It’s not fair but I was happy when we found him out on the range. I was actually happy his shit-ass stepfather had kicked him out and I got to have him back in my life.”
“Son, you’re being too hard on yourself. Of course you missed your friend. I know you don’t remember this but when Grim was attending the school for the resort workers’ kids, you actually told us you and he were going to grow up and find a wife.”
Josh felt his lips kick up in a grin because he did know this story. “I’ve been told I was a precocious child and had an attachment fixation on the babysitter. Who ended up marrying my uncles. Ben and Chase don’t let me forget it. I also was told I asked about Chloe before she was born.”
“You knew what you wanted—a family. You were an intense kid, but you mellowed a lot. I think finding Nicole is bringing all those instincts to the surface,” his father said. “So she made you sleep on the couch? Did you give it to Grim? You can come sleep in our suite. Your momma’s not holding a grudge, it seems.”
“Nic let me in bed but only to sleep. Though she seems to be fine with Grim.”
“That’s what happens when you play good cop, bad cop and you’re the bad cop,” his father pointed out. “I think it would be hard for Grim to be rough on her in any place but a dungeon. It’s not his nature. You and Grim might not be perfect reflections of me and Sam, but the nature of the relationship is close. Until I met your mother, Sam was my priority, and then Abby became the center of our world and we had to find our places with her, too. It wasn’t always smooth sailing.”
“I’m not sure how to get out of this,” Josh admitted. “I thought I was doing the right thing at the time.”
“You were.” His father sounded completely committed. “I should have come to you and told you I was worried. I should have worked with you. If I’d known you already talked to Harlow, I might not have brought her dads in, and then we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in. Although I still would have cubed her car. It wasn’t a good car. Whatever she paid for it, it was too much.”
“I think she’ll get over the car. Hell, I even think she’ll get over me calling Harlow. It’s the picture. I knew she didn’t want her picture taken and I did it anyway.” His gut clenched. At the time it seemed reasonable. Now it felt reckless. “I thought she had a stalker. And now that I’m saying the words, I’m rethinking everything. If she’s got a stalker, pinging her information could bring him here.”
“Harlow’s partner is a smart young woman. She’s not going to put anyone in danger. Ruby Lockwood has been trained by the best. I know she did an internship with McKay-Taggart, and Adam Miles is her mentor, so relax,” his father said. “If Kimberly Kent thought Nicole was in danger, she would have found a way to get her out of here, and there would be nothing you or I could do about it. So relax about someone tipping off the police.”
“How the hell can I relax?” Josh prayed his father had the answer because it seemed so far from him.
“You have to have some faith in the people around you,” his father advised. “I looked up Mrs. Kent’s team. They’re a bunch of ex-CIA and ex-FBI agents who basically help people find missing loved ones. They’re excellent at what they do and they know how to do it quietly. I think Nic caught a lucky break when the Holloways decided to hire her.”
“She said she didn’t want to take the case until her son pointed out he thought Nicole was innocent.”
His father shrugged. “Then we’re doubly lucky, and when that kind of providence falls into your lap, you trust it. I’ve already talked to my contacts and they say she’s the best. We can trust Mrs. Kent and her team. We can trust Harlow and hers. We can trust Chase to make an ass of himself.”
Josh had to chuckle. “Yeah, but he wouldn’t have called the cops.”
His father’s head shook with surety. “Never. Chase would take care of things on his own. In this case even if Nicole had done it, he would have tried to figure out why. So when I say relax, I mean understand that part of this clusterfuck we find ourselves in is going to work out. You have to concentrate on Nicole.”