Exactly. He wasn’t Web. He was more cynical, more experienced with deceptions and people going after him for money. Everyone did. The photographers wanting exclusive pictures. Their grandmother valuing the family money above all else. Mia and her brazen cash grab.
“We have another hour and a half to go.” Hadley shoved the key in the ignition and turned it with more force than necessary. “How about we just get it out of the way, get PawPaw, and get back to the ranch so you can go try to learn to be a cowboy and I won’t have to see you.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, popping the top of his ginger ale.
The faster they made it to her pawpaw and then got back on the road so this endless road trip could be over, the better. There was not anything that would get him to deviate from that course.
Chapter Nine
After an hour and a half of the world’s shittiest music—somewhere there was a crappy coffee house missing its fuck-everyone acoustic play-list—Will breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled into the guest parking lot at the Sandhills Senior Living Village. The village was actually a four-building apartment complex with a clubhouse, pool, and large green area with walking paths and a working community garden.
When they got out of the car and headed for the double glass doors of the clubhouse, Hadley still wasn’t speaking to him. That was just fine with him, because it only showed that she was pissed for getting caught sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. He couldn’t fault her for trying. Information was power—especially when it came to someone trying to worm their way into another person’s life.
Mia had done her research when it came to him. It wasn’t until after everything blew up that Will had discovered just how much legwork she’d done. His grandmother. The majority of Holt Enterprises’ board of directors. Former girlfriends. Shit, even the doorman at his building had been the target of one of Mia’s flirty interrogations.
They were both fast-walking for the door at the same time—no doubt she was as determined to win as he was—when it burst open and an older man flanked by two women walked out. After giving each of them a quick kiss on the cheek, the older man walked toward Will and Hadley with a huge smile on his face. He was lean and leathery, with a shock of white hair cut close. He had a swagger that had either come from a lifetime of riding horses or successfully charming women—possibly both. As soon as he was within arm’s reach of Hadley, he wrapped her up in a hug.
“Trigger, what in the world are you doing here?” he asked, taking a step back. “You look like you’re ready to take on the world per usual. I hope I’m not the one you’re gearing up to do battle with.”
“Nope, just doing Mom’s bidding,” Hadley said with a chuckle. “You ready to head out?”
“I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow,” PawPaw said as he turned to Will and held out his huge meat hook of a hand, complete with well-earned callouses that hadn’t gone away even though the man had to be in his late seventies or early eighties. “You must be her special friend, Web.”
“That would be me, but everyone calls me Will.”
“Good to meet someone else whose name isn’t their name. My real name is Paul but this one”—he hooked a thumb at Hadley—“couldn’t quite manage Grandpa Paul when she was little so she started saying PawPaw, and it stuck.”
“She does like to get her way,” Will said, smiling at her as if that was just an adorable quirk of her personality.
“Ain’t that the truth,” PawPaw said with a shrug. “But unfortunately, I can’t give in on leaving today. It’s the Summer of Love dance tonight. I broke out my tie-dye. Plus, Marion, Alice, and Cat would skin me alive if I ditched them.”
“You have three dates?” Will asked.
“Do you know what the ratio of men to women is in a place like this?” PawPaw leaned in close and said in a stage whisper, “Very good odds, if you get my drift. I do better than others because I still have my original hips—which tends to come in pretty damn handy.”
Okay, that was more information than he needed, but good for PawPaw. He glanced over at Hadley, who was staring up at the sky as if she wished she was anywhere but