Sweet Heart (The Hearts of Sawyers Bend #2) - Ivy Layne Page 0,96
piercing green eyes. “Sure, you aren't.”
“I'm not. I don't know. I can't think about that yet.”
“Then what are you going to do? You can't hide out in here forever, and I know you're not baking that pie for us.”
“I'm not. But before I bring it to Royal, I have to call West.”
J.T. leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I knew you were a smart girl, Daze.”
“Sometimes, I am. And sometimes, I'm a dumbass.”
“We're all dumbasses every once in a while.”
I pulled out my phone and opened my contacts. Before I could dial the police department, a knock fell on my door. I jolted, panic spiking through me.
J.T. stood. “Keep your phone in your hand. If that's anyone other than Royal or Grams, go ahead and call West. Especially if it's your dad. Got it?”
I nodded in agreement. I lurched to my feet, ready to bolt for the privacy of the bedroom to make my call if J.T. gave me the signal. He checked the peephole and laughed.
Swinging open the door, he let West into the apartment. “I swear, you have ESP or something. We were just going to call you.”
“I talked to Royal,” West said simply. “He suggested you might have some information for me about what's been going on at The Inn.”
Maybe I should have been mad at Royal for talking to West, but I couldn't be. I should have called West myself the second I'd seen the Inn uniform in my father's room. I hadn't figured out exactly what to say or how to say it. Now I was out of time.
I poured West a cup of coffee and gestured to the table. He sat and waited. I sucked in a deep breath and said, “I stole twenty thousand dollars from the bakery. I gave it to my father for a business venture that turned out to be fake, and he said if I didn't come back to work he'd talk Grams into pressing felony theft charges against me. That's why I didn't call you a few hours ago.”
I paused for breath. “Well, that and I'm afraid of what's going to happen to my family after I show you what I found.”
West nodded slowly. “Why don't you show me, and I'll do my best to make this easy on you.”
I sank into a chair at the table, J.T. by my side, and swiped through my phone for the pictures I'd taken in my dad's room. I told West everything. The missing contract with my father, that he'd pretty much admitted to the break-in, the meeting I'd seen and heard between my dad and Vanessa, and so much more. Together we listened to the video I'd taken earlier. There wasn't much to see, but there was plenty to hear.
When I was done, it was West's turn. “I already have my people looking for Vanessa. I'll go pick up your dad myself. If they know anything about Prentice's murder, I'll get it out of them. If your dad comes here, you call me. Do not open the door. Understand?”
“Yes, but what about the money? I didn't think of it that way at the time, but technically, I stole it from Grams.” I should have kept my mouth shut, but the specter of felony charges dangled over my head.
West gave me a steady, calm look. “I have plenty of evidence against your dad and Vanessa, but I don't have any evidence against you. If your Grandmother provides it and presses charges, that's a different story.”
“But… My dad said—” It's not that I was trying to get West to arrest me, but the idea of false hope was even worse.
“Daisy, I think you already know your dad is in a lot of trouble. He's making threats to save his ass, but they aren't going to work. He doesn't have any standing in the bakery right now. Only your grandmother can assess the bakery's finances and determine if there was a theft. And, honey,” West gave a shake of his head, “Eleanor is not going to press felony theft charges against you. No way in hell.”
I dropped my head to stare at the tabletop. I used to believe that, too. That Grams loved me best, that she'd always have my back. But now…
West reached out to take my hand. “Daisy, look at me.” I did, and the kindness in his face was too much. A tear ran down my cheek, chased by another.