GladYouCame (15 page)

She normally didn’t make icing this far in advance, but her
time was already going to be tight. And her icing wasn’t something she wanted
to rush. She tested again after a few turns of the beater. “Much better. Now,
what where you asking?”

“How do you balance everything so easily? You have a perfect
life. A successful business. Great house. Fabulous friends.” She handed
Genevieve a pastry bag. “Two men who worship the ground you walk on.”

Genevieve’s hand twitched. She continued on as though Tessa
hadn’t dropped that particular bombshell. “I don’t know—”

“We all see it, Gen. The spark, I mean. I didn’t believe the
rumors I heard on the gossip circuit at first, but then—”

“Then what?” Even as she asked, Genevieve scolded herself.
This was not the sort of conversation she’d expected to be having with one of
her employees. The fact Tessa was Ryan’s niece and Genevieve had known the
young woman since she was a teenager didn’t help matters.

Tessa fiddled with the edge of the empty pastry bag in front
of her. “I saw you kiss Dade and Tony both tonight. When they stopped by
earlier during the dinner rush. I may not be the greatest when it comes to
love, but I can tell when real feelings are involved.”

“Tessa—”

“It’s all right. I think it’s sweet. I just asked ‘cause…”

“Because?”

Tessa’s fair skin had tinted pink on her cheeks and nose.
Genevieve wasn’t the only one who was embarrassed about this conversation.
Oddly, that fact helped soothe her. “I can’t seem to find a man who likes me
other than when he tries to get in my pants. So I thought, maybe it’s not
working out because I’m doing something wrong. Two guys, there has to be—I
mean, I can’t seem to make it work with one guy and here you have two. So I
wanted to know what the secret was so then maybe I could be happy too.”

The hitch in Tessa’s voice clenched tight around Genevieve’s
heart. Her embarrassment melted away. Stepping around the counter, she gathered
the lithe woman into her arms and hugged her close. “Oh baby. There is nothing
wrong with you at all. Any man who wants you only to get in your pants is
better off lying in the gutter you’ve kicked him to.”

Tremors vibrated Tessa’s body against Genevieve’s, causing
her to hold on even tighter. “I want to be happy, Gen. I see Uncle Ryan and
Aunt Beth so happy. And they have Mal. And Patrick and Allison with Riley. And
Elena and…” She trailed off as another crying jag swept over her.

“Shhh…you’re talking yourself right into a panic attack.”
Tessa continued to sob, obviously distressed about her situation. While it
wasn’t the end of the world, Tess was young enough that this kind of thing
would certainly be upsetting. “You can’t go about living your life based on
what you see other people doing. On what other people say your choices should
be. You have to carve out your own path and make it fit you. Your expectations.
‘Cause at the end of the day, sugar, you’re the only one you have to make
happy. And when the time is right, the right guy, or guys, maybe even girl,
will come along and everything will be perfect. For you.”

Tessa sniffed, wiping her cheek. “I know. Dad says the same
thing.”

“That’s because Sam is a very wise man.” Genevieve had no
doubt about Sam’s competency as a father. Though she suspected he wasn’t
comfortable about talking about this sort of thing with his daughter. “Come on,
why don’t I give you a lift home? Brogans should be closed by now and he’s
probably wondering where you are. I’ve kept you here long enough. We need some
beauty sleep for the cameras.”

“You won’t tell Dad what I said will you? About guys just
wanting to get into my pants.”

“Sugar, I have no doubt he’s been worrying about that very
thing from the moment you blossomed into a beautiful young woman years ago.”

Tessa smiled. “Did you know he followed me on my first date
in high school? After Matt picked me up at the house, and Dad was done
intimidating the hell out of him, he sat at the back of the theater and tried
to stay out of the way so we wouldn’t notice. My date was oblivious, but I saw.
It was…sweet.” Genevieve had no doubt Tessa had felt comforted by the fact her
father hadn’t wanted anything to happen to his little girl. “He’ll probably
follow me on my honeymoon. Here let me help you carry stuff.”

Tessa walked ahead of Genevieve as she flipped off the
lights in the kitchen and then waited for the security lighting to kick on.
Satisfied everything was in order, she pulled her purse out of an alcove near
the front door. As she stood waiting for the locks and alarm system to engage,
she noticed something was out of place. “What’s wrong with my car?”

Tessa gasped. “Your tires have been slashed.” Genevieve
started to call out after her as she ran toward the car, but when Tessa turned
around to face her, her eyes widened in shock. “Oh my god. Look!”

Her line of sight followed to where Tessa pointed with a
trembling finger. Stepping out from under the awning, she spotted the bright
orange spray paint that had been scrawled over the grille’s logo. The word slut
had been woven into the letters of the restaurant.

“That’s original.”

Glancing to her left, she saw
whore
painted across
one window and to her right,
pervert
was in big block letters. She’d
dealt with a few acts of vandalism in her time. Mostly kids causing mischief
because they were bored. Then there were the few usual antics on Halloween with
eggs and toilet paper. The exact same sort of thing she’d done as a kid.

She thumbed open her phone and dialed the non-emergency
line. “Sheriff Batty, sorry to call so late. Have some work for you.” Slinging
her bag over her shoulder, she gestured for Tess to follow her back inside.
“Great. We’ll be here.”

“What are you doing to do?”

“Only thing I can do. Call for a tow.”

* * * * *

The strobe of flashing lights caught Tony’s attention as he
flipped off the kitchen light. Yellow first, followed by a brilliant burst of
blue.

Blue was bad. Very bad.

He closed his hand around the knob just as the screen door
opened. Sheriff Batty stood on the porch, preparing to knock. “Tony.”

“Is she all right?”

Genevieve dropped out of the cab of the flatbed tow truck
loaded with her car. A car that had four very flat tires. “Someone’s idea of a
good time.”

Sheriff Batty grimaced. “Four slashed tires and graphic
graffiti is way more than a couple of teenagers having some fun.”

“Jesus.”

Genevieve elbowed her way past the sheriff. “Don’t blow this
up into more than it is Batty. No need to get my husband all riled up.”

“What’s going on?” Dade swung the door open wider.

“Nothing some time with a painter and a mechanic won’t fix.”

“Since my wife seems to be underplaying what happened, care
to shed a little light on the matter?”

The sheriff adjusted his hat. “Nearest I can tell, someone
deliberately came along and slashed her tires. Someone else spray painted
derogatory terms all over the restaurant.”

“Shit.”

“That was the one word they didn’t use.” The sheriff
chuckled. “Seems as if we have a serial vandalizer working their way through
town. Deputy Murdock is investigating while I came over here.”

“Any other damage?”

“Not to the surrounding businesses. I’m going make a pass
through town and see if they hit anywhere else. Seems really deliberate to me.
Could just be some locals upset with the fact word is getting out about how
good her food is. Don’t want it spread out and just have more tourists invade
the area. Could be innocent as a couple of kids looking for ways to pledge
frats up at the college. Minor inconveniences and annoyance more than anything
else. Most of the troublemakers around here know better than to test my
patience. She fire anyone lately?”

“You think it could be a disgruntled employee?”

“Can’t rule it out. Irate customer who got a fly in their
gravy? Bible-thumper who has taken offense to how you and some of your friends
choose to live? Who knows. Could be anything. We’ll step up patrols in the area
and around here to keep an eye on things. Town will be buzzing come morning
when the regulars come to sit down to breakfast and get an eyeful of neon
orange blasphemy. Y’all don’t hesitate to call me if something turns up or you
see anything out of the ordinary. Have a nice night.”

Tony blew out a heavy sigh. “Son of a bitch.”

Genevieve woke, disoriented for a moment in the darkness.
Her eyes ached from crying. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball
under the sheets and forget she existed. But she couldn’t. There were things to
do. Pastries to bake. Paint to scrape away. Tires to get repaired.

A photo shoot to cancel.

The dread she felt last night crept back into her stomach,
rolling it. Stupid people and their stupid immature attitudes. It couldn’t have
come at a worse time. She needed the publicity if she was going to expand the
grille into something more than just a small town restaurant the locals flocked
to. Not that she minded serving the same people day in and day out, but she
needed something…more.

And the October issue of Southern Temptations would have
been the key.

Now it was all ruined.

Rolling out of bed with a groan, she scrubbed her hands
through her hair and blindly made her way to the kitchen. The scent of roasted
coffee greeted her. Unexpectedly, her stomach growled. As she filled a mug, she
clutched it between her hands and made her way to the living room expecting to
find Tony playing video games with his friends.

Empty.

And a quick glance at the clock on the wall indicated she
was running late.

Crap.

Speeding back to the bedroom, she dug out her cell and
dialed as she slipped into the bathroom. The pipes groaned loudly as she waited
for hot water. She winced, hoping she didn’t wake Dade. The production
assistant at the magazine she’d been dealing with for the past month didn’t
answer her call.

She snapped the phone shut without leaving a message and
jumped into the shower to wash the last of the previous night down the drain.
After drying off and tossing on some clothes, she was at the front door before
she remembered that her car had four reasons why she couldn’t drive. A check of
the garage showed Tony’s car was gone as well as Dade’s motorcycle.

Well. Guess she didn’t need to worry about waking Dade after
all. He wasn’t around either. Fine time for both of them to disappear. It was
only a few miles to the restaurant. She’d had to double time it in order to
make it. Throwing a pair of flats into her bag, she slipped on her sneakers and
locked the front door behind her.

She stopped with a jolt when she found bright, shiny
whitewalls. Her tires had been replaced.
Huh.
She carefully checked each
one, finding them in perfect condition.

Okay, maybe her head was doing her in. Maybe last night had
been some kind of horrific nightmare she’d concocted because of stress.

I’m really losing it.

A few minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot of the
grille and did her best to convince herself she wasn’t insane. The awning
fluttered in the late summer breeze, the grille’s logo just as perfect as it
had been the day before. The windows were spotless as well and a fresh scent
hung in the air. The concrete walkway under the awning was damp as though it
had recently been washed.

Several groups of people milled around setting up various
pieces of camera equipment. A van on the far side of the parking lot had the Southern
Temptations logo printed amid a spray of sunflowers.

“Mrs. Fitzgerald?”

A slim blonde woman, wearing a pink and gray pinstripe shirt
tucked into an ultra-thin gray skirt walked up and extended her hand in
greeting. “Bentley Afton. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

“Yes. Wonderful to finally meet you in person after all
these months. So glad you could make it.”

“Your restaurant is gorgeous. So charming. The town is too.
Really has a lot of Southern charm. My crew is going to finish setting up. Best
light should be in about twenty minute or so. Then we can move inside and get
the shots we need there. I’d love to sit down and interview you then. Maybe get
a sampling of your menu?”

“Of course.” Genevieve spotted Tony exiting the restaurant.
“Will you excuse me for a minute?”

“Don’t wander off too far. Makeup and hair will want to get
their hands on that gorgeous porcelain skin of yours.”

“What the heck are you doing here?”

Tony blinked. “Today is the photo shoot.”

“Yes, I can see that. I meant what happened to my tires? And
the graffiti?” Dade appeared, wearing the same type of tank shirt as Tony. Then
she noticed both of their fingers were stained dark as though they’d been
painting. Or cleaning.

“Made a few calls. Used a little elbow grease. And now
everything is perfect for your shoot today.”

“You did this? For me?”

“Well, not just us. We had some help.” Tony point across the
street to the parking lot. A gaggle of her friends and employees waved, their
clothing wet and stained as well. Paint brushes and buckets littered the
sidewalk in front of them.

Oh.

She faced the two men again, tears forming in the corners of
her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

“We’re ready for you, Mrs. Fitzgerald. Did you want someone
else in the shot with you?”

“Oh could I? But not out here. Can you do a big group shot
when we get inside? Give everyone a chance to clean up and get ready? It doesn’t
feel right to do this alone.”

“Of course! Elektra wants to see you in her makeup chair in
about five minutes. That good?”

Genevieve turned to face Tony and Dade. “Perfect.” Bentley
left them alone. “Thank you for being so damn wonderful.” She hugged them for a
long minute, loving the feel of having them near and knowing they’d done
something so very special for her.

Screw whoever had invaded her personal property in order to
spread their propaganda. She’d never been afraid of her choices before now and
she wasn’t going to let some two-bit hack with a spray can control her life.
For the briefest moment, she’d allowed someone else who she didn’t even know—or
care about—have control of her destiny and possibly ruin everything she’d
worked so hard for.

This place was hers.

These men were hers.

They’d joined forces with the family she cared so much for.
They’d also reminded her just how lucky she truly was.

* * * * *

Dade hated being unsettled.

He’d been that way since the incident at the grille three
days ago. Something about the supposed random acts that had plagued the town
for the past three months wasn’t sitting right in his gut. For the most part,
the town residents were a quiet bunch who tolerated the wave of tourists who
inundated the town on a regular basis.

But something about this whole thing felt…rancid.

He knocked on the door, shoving his hands into his pockets
while he waited. Genevieve had blown off the incident, saying it was no big
deal. But it was one hell of a big deal to Dade. Someone had clearly taken
offense to her. And had chosen the coward’s way of dealing with it.

Dade wasn’t a stranger to such an attitude when it came to
his choices.

And the loudest protestor of some of those choices was right
on the other side of the door. The door swung open and Dade’s former housemate
blinked in surprise. Tanner’s light brown hair was damp, as though he’d just
stepped from the shower. His lips went flat the second he recognized Dade.

“Just need a few seconds of your time.”

“Okay. I’m running early to Brogans anyway.” He stepped
inside and waved a hand. “Want a beer?”

“No thanks.” He did step in however, least they start
yelling at one another like the day Dade had finally had enough and moved out.
Tanner wouldn’t appreciate being the object of town gossip. “Listen, couple of
nights ago, Genevieve Fitzgerald’s restaurant and car were vandalized.”

“Sorry to hear that. Is she all right?”

“Plays the whole thing off as somebody who was bored and had
nothing better to do with their time.”

“But yet you’re here wondering if I had anything do with
it.”

“History does repeat itself.”

Dade had always thought Tanner was a smart man. He’d
graduated with top honors with an engineering degree from UVA and had his pick
of jobs the instant that degree had been placed in his hands. Instead of taking
them up on one of their offers, he’d chosen to stay where his family had put
down roots. Roots he felt were being sullied by the presence of Sanctuary and
the deviant behavior of those who rented the space. If Dade hadn’t known the
person responsible for blowing up the warehouse was sitting in jail, he may
have suspected Tanner capable of committing the act.

“Just because I expressed my displeasure at the types of
relationships you prefer, at the way you and your friends choose to live your
lives, doesn’t make me a criminal.”

But his attitude certainly helped narrow the list of
possible suspects. “Lots of people in this town don’t like it. Or us.”

Tanner snorted. “But I’m on the only one who ever got in
your face about it and was vocal about my opinions.”

“Yeah.” After a time, their arguments had become routine and
were ultimately the reason Dade had bought the ranch in the first place. Tanner
was too much of the Southern gentleman to toss Dade out on his ass just because
he objected to his lifestyle, especially because all he had to go on was
hearsay. Dade had made it a point never to bring anyone to the house when he’d
lived there.

“I didn’t spray paint your girlfriend’s—or whatever she is
to you—restaurant and I didn’t slash her tires. If I have an issue, you should
know me well enough to know I’m going to get in your face and hash things out
that way.”

Tanner would. He always had before, so what would make this
time any different? As Dade left he couldn’t shake off the fact Tanner had
known the grille had been defaced with spray paint and her tires had been
slashed. Far as he knew, the sheriff’s office had been tight-lipped about the
investigation. The only ones who knew were his group of friends.

And the person who committed the crime.

That left Tanner still very much a suspect in Dade’s eyes.
For the moment, there wasn’t more he could do without hampering the sheriff’s
investigation, but he would have to swing by the jailhouse tomorrow and see if
there had been any progress on the case. Maybe even slip a few hints about his
uneasiness with the answers Tanner had offered up.

* * * * *

Tony dumped another batch of popcorn into a large bowl just
as Dade walked into the kitchen.

“Movie night?”

“Gaming. Heading over to Scott’s in about a half hour.”

“Sounds like a hot date. I’ll only keep you for a few.” Dade
jumped up onto the kitchen island, grabbing a handful of the popcorn. “Meant to
tell you that I went to see Tanner yesterday. Seems to be genuinely surprised
to hear the news of what happened at the grille. May poke some more on it
though. He knew a little too much. Something doesn’t seem right. It is enough
to bother me or let it go so easily.”

Red sheeted Tony’s vision, his hand tightening around the
wooden spoon. Dade sat there casually munching on the popcorn as though he
hadn’t just easily brushed away something he’d done. There were a lot of things
that could have happened, each one of them flashing by in Tony’s mind as he
turned. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to go see him?”

“Why does it matter to you? I did and that’s the end of it.”

The flippant attitude fired through Tony, igniting the
agitation that had been brewing for the past few days. “Not as far as I’m
concerned.” Tony snapped off the burner, dumped the last of the popcorn into
the bowl and tossed the hot pot into the sink. The metal slammed against the
porcelain, echoing through the kitchen as he rounded on Dade. “Genevieve is my
wife. My submissive. That means she’s my responsibility.”

Dade pushed off the counter, crossing to the fridge. He
twisted the cap off a beer. “Oh give it a rest. If you hadn’t noticed, there is
more than just you and her in this relationship now. I also see her as my
submissive—that makes her my responsibility too. I knew someone from my past
who was capable of doing that sort of vandalism. I thought I could save
everyone some grief by asking him a few questions. And it wasn’t worth
involving you just to get you worked up about the issue. Like you are right
now. I handled it. End of story.”

“No, it’s not. Not even close.” Tony knew all about Tanner
and his displeasure with the way Dade chose to live his life. The fact Dade had
gone to see someone he suspected in the crime alone didn’t sit well with Tony.
But it wasn’t as though he could tell Dade he’d been worried about his safety
as well ever since the night in question. “You overstepped your bounds, Dade.”

“Doing something with Genevieve’s best interests in mind was
well within my rights.” Dade set the beer on the counter, folding his arms in
front of him. “Even as just a friend.”

“But you’re more than just a friend.”

“A fact that appears to be a problem for you, Fitzgerald.”

“You should have told me. Asked me to go there with you
because it concerns her. First and foremost, Genevieve is mine.”

“You want me to leave, just say the word and I’m gone.”

“Shut off your feelings so easily, huh? Turn your back on
what is probably the best damn thing that has ever happened to you? Clearly
this arrangement means more to us than it does to you.”

Dade’s eyes darkened, the muscles in his jaw working. “And
you’re obviously threatened. You need to work on that if you want to be
invested in this kind of relationship. Otherwise, you’re just fooling yourself.
And I’m no fucking fool. I’ll be out by the time you get back.”

Shit.

Tony knew he’d taken the argument way too far. “Dade, wait.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. You want me out? I’m gone.”

The gruff tone of his voice didn’t sway Tony. He followed
Dade into the living room. “You and I both know that’s not true. That I don’t
want you to leave. I just…there’s been a lot going on lately. Everyone is
stressed.”