Crain's Landing (24 page)

“Yes, well, at least I didn’t break my word to your father.”

His fingers began to twirl pieces of my hair; it was completely inappropriate considering we were in public and surrounded by tiny, impressionable eyes. “So, you had something you wanted to discuss with me?” His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, and for a moment, I was lost in his gaze.

The giggles that suddenly became louder diverted my attention from him. Peyton was now holding hands with the other little girls, walking around in a tiny circle, laughing as they sang nursery rhymes.

“I...um...yes. I wanted to um...” Good God, could I sound more pathetic? I was stumbling over my own tongue. With a deep breath and a quick check of my senses, I pushed forward. “I wanted to nail down a day and time for us to have our date.”

Grant lifted his hand up and briefly brushed his thumb across his chin, removing something that he must have felt tickling him, although I saw nothing. “Well, how about Sunday night?” That was in two days. “If that’s too soon...” He trailed off.

“I’ll have to let you know about that. I have to get a sitter for Peyton,” I reasoned.

“Oh, that isn’t an issue. I mean, if you’re willing, my mother has been itching to have Peyton over with the rest of the grandkids. She lives for the times when she gets them all to herself.”

The look of wonder in his eyes made me want to know what was running around in his head. “Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt her time with her grandkids...”

“Natalie...” He placed his hand on my cheek and stopped me before I could ramble any further. “My mother loves Peyton, just as Autumn and Lily love her. She’d be a welcomed addition.”

Somehow, I knew he meant more than just for a play date. This was an area I had refused to venture into. It was one thing for me to get my heart crushed, but it was something entirely different for this to affect Peyton. I would take my last breath protecting her, regardless of who was trying to hurt her. “Let me ask Dad first, he’s her grandfather and should get first dibs on spending time with her.” I watched as he looked longingly at the little girls still singing and giggling.

“Can I ask you something personal, Natalie?”

I turned to see him looking at me intently. “Sure,” I replied quietly.

“Do you ever think about having more children? I mean Peyton is a beautiful child and full of life, but do you ever see yourself having a bigger family?”

I looked into his blue eyes, seeing the look of determination, anticipation, and something I couldn’t quite seem to place. “Honestly, Grant, I haven’t really thought about it. For the past few years, I’ve only been able to focus on getting my degree, keeping Peyton in clean diapers, and keeping a roof over our heads. I haven’t even given her deadbeat dad a second thought.” It was true, after Holden left, I’d struggled to stay afloat many times during my pregnancy and after Peyton was first born. There wasn’t time to think about what I was missing in my life. I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t...”

It was my turn to cut him off. “No, it’s a valid question. But up until now, I hadn’t realized myself that I’d forgotten life goes on, and I do need to consider those things.”

It wasn’t long after that, Peyton came over us, rubbing her tired little eyes. Grant picked her up and carried her back to my car. I watched him cradle her in his arms, his careful placement of his arm around her back, so gentle and yet such firm protection. As softly as possible, he placed her inside the car and secured her car seat, closing the door with great care, so as not to disturb her.

I was stunned nearly stupid as I moved to the side, allowing him to open my driver’s side door. With a quick lick of his lips, a gesture I anticipated would lead to him leaning in for a kiss, a measure I wasn’t prepared to return. His eyes traveled between mine, his hand once again finding a place against my cheek, it warm and comforting and completely welcome.

The sound, however, of gravel under tires behind me was not. I slowly broke my gaze away to find the Sheriff with his window rolled down, elbow outside of the car, hat riding along the bridge of his eyebrows, and the aviator sunglasses he wore with pride covering his eyes from the sun and my ability to see his eyes.

“Ms. Reid, I've been meaning to have a word with you.” The dust from his travel over the dirt portion of the road rolled with the slight breeze now blowing past.

I moved away from Grant only to feel him take my left hand, pulling me back into his arms. “Oh really, Sheriff? What can I do for you?”

Sheriff Dale, as he insisted I call him when he introduced himself, I found to be a bit of comedy in uniform. He held the persona of being a rough and tough law official, however, I discerned he would shake as he pissed his overly starched pants if any real trouble came his way. “Well, it hasn’t passed my special attention you have lived in our town for a spell now, yet you have failed to properly replace those New York plates.” He pointed at the rear of my car; his lips continued moving with the action of his chewing gum.

“Sheriff, I assure you, I have every intention of following the law to the letter. You have my word, I will take care of it immediately.” In a dramatic gesture, and in all honesty a polite middle finger to him, I placed my hand over my heart, swearing an oath of good measure.

“You know, I could take care of that for you. Give you a
personal
escort to city hall, make certain you filled out the right forms, get you to the head of the line.” Sheriff Dale not only tried hard to be a Texas Ranger, but a player as well. I’d seen his car parked down the street and watched him sneak out of Janice’s house on far too many occasions. I suspected he visited quite a few women in this small town. I was determined not to be one of them.

“Thank you for the offer, but it’s completely unnecessary. I will take Peyton and make an afternoon of it.”

Grant moved to stand closer to the Sheriff’s car, causing my attention to shift slightly. No pleasantries were exchanged as Grant and Dale stared each other down. Only the honking of a passing truck ended the showdown.

“Make sure you do, Ms. Reid, I’d sure hate to have to handcuff you.” Just as quick as he pulled in, he made his exit.

“What was that about?” I asked Grant, as he watched the Sheriff wave to several people walking in the park.

“That’s just Dale being an ass, hiding behind that badge of his, like he has since they handed it to him.” Grant spun back around, opening my door, motioning for me to climb inside.

“I take it you don’t care for the Sheriff?”

Grant’s eyes shifted down before running his hand behind his neck. This wasn’t the Grant I was used to seeing. The confidence left for a moment, uncertainty and doubt in its place. “Dale and I had a disagreement, we’ve never gotten past it.” I knew there was more, much more, but I knew I wouldn’t get anything else out of him today.

I promised him I would talk with my father and see if he was available to watch Peyton on Sunday night. As I pulled away, I watched Grant standing there in the parking lot, never moving until I turned the corner.

“I wish you would’ve asked me yesterday, Natalie.” I’d made a slight detour on my way home. I ran by my father’s house to see if he was available to watch Peyton. “Peggy’s sister is visiting from Oklahoma and she’ll only be in Charleston for one day before she heads back home.”

Dad had just told me of his and Peggy’s plans to drive to Charleston in the morning to meet with her sister. He offered to take Peyton with them, but I worried about having her so far away from me this soon after her illness. “Really, Dad, it’s all right. Carolyn has offered as well. I just wanted you to have the opportunity.”

“Sign me up for date number two. No matter what’s going on, I’ll make certain I can watch her, maybe take her golfing if the weather is good enough.”

I agreed and hugged my father. “What makes you think there’ll be a second date, old man?”

He looked at me and then shook his head. “What did I tell you, young lady? Open your eyes and see what’s right in front of you. He’s a good man and he’ll take good care of you, love you like you deserve.”

“Dad, aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves? It’s dinner, maybe a movie, nothing more.”

“All I’m saying is don’t build a dam on a dry creek bed.”

So with a not so quick call to Carolyn, who spoke a hundred miles a minute about how she was so excited to have Peyton in her home, I had a sitter. She offered to have Peyton spend the night, which I immediately turned down. I did finally agree that Peyton could come over in the afternoon to play. Most of the conversation was spent with me listening and Carolyn excitedly telling me everything she had planned for the kids to do.

When I finally got off the phone with her, my phone rang almost instantly. This time it was Autumn and Lily. They were nearly as excited as Carolyn. Lily began the interrogation of what I planned to wear and how I should do my hair. Autumn insisted I take a drive over to Bertie’s, a local beauty salon, and get a full waxing done, as well as my hair cut and styled. This was clearly out of control and I was nearing my limit.

“You know what? This is really all too much. This was such a bad idea. I’m just going to call Grant and cancel. I mean I really don’t want to lie on a table with a complete stranger and have the hair ripped from my body. That isn’t on my bucket list. Yes, I’m sure I need to cancel.”

Dogs in the next county heard the high-pitched screams of the two of them. They began to plead with me not to cancel on Grant. Autumn was rambling about how this would derail her plans if the date didn’t happen. Lily was making it known she wanted to be put on record that if my date was disastrous because I was embarrassed due to bushy body hair, she was not to blame.

Peyton was excited to hear she was going to Nana Carolyn’s house to play with the Crain grandkids. She wasn’t in the least bit upset I wouldn’t be there. She just kept chattering on about Savannah.

“So I hear you got an interesting call this afternoon.” Grant had called me after Peyton was sound asleep in her bed. He had a knack for doing just that.

“I wouldn’t call it interesting...psychotic maybe, but not interesting.” I giggled as I remembered the conversation I had with Constance, because
that
was an interesting conversation, one I hadn't shared with Grant.

“They mean well, but I was glad to hear you handled things. You’re beautiful just the way you are. Now, I was wondering if you had a food preference?”

I thought for a moment. “Surprise me, just nothing Italian.”

“No Italian, I can handle that. Six o’clock, Ms. Reid, I’ll be at your door.”

“Six o’clock, Dr. Crain. Don’t be late.”

“Not a chance, Natalie, not a chance.”

THE SHRILL SOUND OF MY
phone ringing woke me from a deep slumber. The sun was out, but the clock told me it was only a little after seven o’clock in the morning. “Hello?” my sleep-filled voice croaked.

“Natalie, oh, my God, have you seen this morning’s paper?”

Ashley’s voice was so high and excited, I was certain I had suffered hearing loss. I cringed from not only the blinding light, but the incessant buzzing in my ear. “Ashley, I’m still in bed. How the fuck would I know what the paper says?” I huffed as I laid my head back on my pillow, frustration taking over me. I hated being roused from a sound sleep.

“Well, then you’d better get your skinny ass out of bed and have a look. It’s going to blow you away.”

I reluctantly tossed my covers back and swung my feet out of bed. I slowly made my way down the hallway and opened the front door, snatching the rolled-up newspaper that sat on my front porch. “Okay, I’ve got it, now what’s the big deal?”

“Look on page three and then call me back.”

She didn’t wait for me to reply and the line went silent. I tossed the paper and my phone on the couch and headed into the kitchen. Once my coffee was brewed and Peyton was eating her breakfast, I sat down and opened the paper.

The town of Crain’s Landing was not a large city, by any means. The Sunday paper was a simple reflection of that—only six pages in total. The front page told of the Festival that was fast approaching, discussed the rivalry two local farmers had regarding their prized vegetables, and the chili cook-off, which would be held in the firehouse parking lot this year. The second was a reminder that deer tags would be available starting next week for the local hunters, listing the names of places you could obtain them and their cost. My memory flashed back to the phone call I once had with Emily over at the florist shop, I hoped her business would again be profitable from the upcoming hunting season. My eyes scanned the pages until I located the article that was nestled on page three, as Ashley had said.