Sweet Heart (The Hearts of Sawyers Bend #2) - Ivy Layne Page 0,85

letting me know what's going on,” I said flatly, unable to meet his eyes. I was too angry to deal with him. Too angry to pretend I had my emotions under control.

“If you're quitting, you'll need to move out.”

I nodded sharply, not trusting my voice. He didn't care about the apartment. He was just trying to get a reaction out of me. I knew that, and it didn't matter. My throat was still choked up.

“I don't like you talking to Garfield. Just remember, we're family. If you bring trouble down on one of us, you hurt all of us. Including your grandmother.”

His words spun in my head long after the door swung shut behind him. Why did my dad care what I said to West? I didn't know anything about anything.

Unless I did. What did they think I knew? I remembered my dad and the mystery woman talking in the dark behind the bakery all those weeks ago. But he didn't know I'd seen them, and I still had no idea what they'd been talking about. There wasn't anything else.

Not until this morning and my apartment, but I didn't even know why… And wasn't it weird that my dad didn't even ask about the apartment? I told him my place was broken into and his only comment was that he didn't want me talking to the police?

An uneasy suspicion planted itself in my brain. But why? He had the keys, why break in?

The lock wasn't tampered with.

The lock wasn't tampered with because the person who broke in had the keys.

No.

My phone rang. Royal's ringtone. I should answer, but my hands were covered in frosting, and if I answered the phone I'd have to take the gloves off, find a place to put this spatula…

I was avoiding him. My head was too messed up to talk to Royal. I'd call him later.

The phone fell silent, then started ringing again ten seconds later. Royal again. I looked down at the cake and decided I'd finish this up and call him back. Only a few more minutes. Then I'd be at a good stopping point. The phone fell silent, the kitchen quiet for a few too-short minutes.

I braced as the door to the front swung open. Grams walked in, the phone to her ear and a smile on her face. When she reached me, she said, “Here she is,” and held the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

Royal's voice answered. “Hey, I tried your cell, but you didn't pick up.”

“Sorry, my hands are covered with frosting. Is everything okay?”

“I didn't mean to worry you. West stopped by with an update on the Forrest thing and said your place was cleared. I have a few staff in housekeeping who're coming off shift and wouldn't mind earning a few bucks to clean up a mess. Can I send them over to your place?”

My heart pinched in my chest, his sweetness almost painful. Tears sprung to my eyes. I was done with crying, but Royal was too much. “I can't afford—”

“Daisy. Let me help.”

What else could I say? Nothing, except, “Thank you. That would be great. I'll make it up to you.”

“Make me a mixed berry pie one of these days, and we'll call it even.”

“It's a deal,” I said and sniffed.

“You okay?” His voice was gentle, soothing the ragged tears in my soul.

Aware my grandmother was close enough to hear considering she was holding the phone to my ear, I said, “Sure. I'm fine. I'll go unlock the door upstairs as soon as I finish this frosting.”

“Come see me when you're done there. I'll be at The Inn all day. Griffen and Hope took the day off, and I have a pile of stuff to do here. I'll probably be late, but I want to see you.”

“Okay. As soon as I'm done.”

Grams pulled the phone away at my nod and clicked the button to end the call. “What's going on? Why did Royal need to talk to you so badly he couldn't wait for you to call back?”

“Someone broke into my place last night and made a huge mess. He's sending someone to clean it up for me.”

“Is that why Weston was here?” Grams narrowed her eyes at me, knowing I wasn't telling her everything.

“Yes. It's not a big deal.”

I couldn't remember ever feeling this awkward tension with Grams. Even when I was a teenager and we'd fight I never felt like this. There was a wall between us, and I didn't know how to tear it