Rare Find (26 page)

Interesting that he walked away without attempting to touch the animals. They were hidden in the back of the pen. She leaned forward.
There.
The man jerked around as if he heard something. Then he raced away. Interrupted most likely. She had security guards. Chances were good one was on his rounds at that hour. She needed to show this to Ronin.

Had this man acted alone? Or had there been there another man waiting by the vehicle, or worse, causing damage to another pen? She clicked through the different camera feeds looking – but no...there was no one else. She slumped back.

The man had just cut a chunk of fence then disappeared. If he’d intended to steal the animals, that would be a different story altogether. She'd have to wonder if he was connected to Trinity's smuggling. Speaking of which, she didn't have all that long before she'd have to go back and check on Trinity to reinforce the energy keeping her calm.

Sue came in with her coffee. Tabitha asked, "Did you watch the feed?"

Sue nodded. "Yes. I'm presuming it's someone still trying to make trouble for the Center."

Her mind puzzled over the video feed. There was something...almost familiar about the person she'd viewed. But she wasn't sure what it was about him that tweaked her memory.

As she mulled over the problem of who this man was, she buried herself in work. The door opened.

Ronin.

"Ready to go?"

Surprised to realize it had been more than three hours since he'd dropped her off, she nodded and stood up stiffly. "Take a look at this first."

"Your dad said not to be late." He sat down to watch the feed.

She paused. "He's still there? Maybe that's a good thing. I need to ask him about a box he took from my father's desk. Stefan said it was important.

That caught his attention. He raised his eyebrows. "In that case we need to know what's inside that box. Your father had an overnight bag in the front hall. I'm thinking he's planning on sticking around for a few days."

He returned his attention to studying the feed. "Damn little useful here. I'll call Roman see if he hasn't anything clear enough to print a couple of images off for me." He stood up. "Let's go. Your father is cooking."

She shook her head at that.
Why would he stick around?
It had been years since she'd slept under the same roof as her father. Unless it had something to do with Grandpa's death? And the future of the place. Had her grandfather changed the paperwork? Would she lose the Center? Her heart squeezed tight. Her grandpa wouldn't have pulled a fast one on her. Surely not. He'd loved her. This was her place. But it had also been his. Worried, she hardly noticed when Ronin parked the truck in front of her house and hopped out.

She followed slowly, her mind worrying about her future and her animals.

Her stomach, now devoid of food, cramped tight, and a shakiness worked its way up her legs. Hating the fearful thoughts overwhelming her common sense, she entered the house to find wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. She had no idea when she'd last eaten, but the smells highlighted how empty she was.

She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. Tripod greeted her as always, his comforting yelps of welcome and his soothing, caring energy so happy to see her. She crouched down and hugged him. The love so freely given helped ease the rawness inside. After his boisterous greeting, she straightened and walked over to her father, who appeared to be making chilli. In spite of her worries, her stomach growled.

"Dad, why are you still here?" She hadn't meant it to sound like an accusation but it slipped out that way. There'd been a lot of that in their relationship. Accusations and miscommunication. With her grandfather gone, her father had lost the chance to mend fences with him. But for everything else it meant a whole new day.

Especially for her and her father.

His back stiffened, the only indication that he'd heard her. "The chilli is almost done. Start setting the table, please."

With a look at his blank face, she slowly complied, hating the sense of impending doom.

"Can I help?" Ronin asked. He stepped in front of her, taking the plates from her hands. "I'll put these down. Maybe you could get the rest of the stuff."

She nodded and rushed to the sideboard for the cutlery. She didn't know what was wrong, but something was bothering her father. She wanted to ask him but the words wouldn't come out.

Tripod was underfoot and she accidentally kicked him. He yelped and bounded out of the way. She stopped and leaned her head back.
Damn. Sorry, Tripod.
She sent him soft, loving, apologetic energy.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
His response as always was generous and accepting. He whimpered from the side.

She bent and hugged him. "Sorry baby." Tripod and Tango, like all animals, were sensitive to moods and tension, and she'd been the one he was responding to. To her fear, her emotional pit and her energy blocks. The animal in him could do no less than respond. He leaned into her hug, almost knocking her over. She laughed. He woofed and wagged his tail happily.

Feeling better, she stood up and turned around. The table was set and her father had already served dinner.

Ronin held her chair for her – a nice gesture.

She opened her mouth to ask her father about the estate when he said, "Your grandfather's will is a bit convoluted."

Her appetite drained away as he spoke.

"It shouldn't be," she said. "I saw it a couple of months ago." She paused, remembering Stefan's message. "I gave you a box from Grandpa's desk. Full of his papers. Have you been through it yet?"

"No. I took a brief look but it didn't appear to be legal documents, so I left it for later."

"I need to see it," she said abruptly, her gaze sliding to Ronin.

His gaze widened in understanding. "It would be good if we could see that box tonight, if possible. It might have a connection to the break-ins going on at the center."

"Connected to the break-ins? Her father stared at her, open-mouthed, then adding, "Tonight?"

Tabitha nodded. "As soon as possible. There could be something in there regarding the will, too. Maybe it will have the information you need to help out with the estate stuff."

"That would be good." Her father nodded. "He had some bequests for people, but not much in the way of contact information for them."

"And you can't find them?" Ronin asked as he lifted a spoonful of chilli to his mouth.

"Not so far."

"Like who?" Tabitha asked.

"Jumbo. Now a last name would help, for a start."

Tabitha laughed. "That's so Grandpa. I have Jumbo's contact information. If he's still alive." She shrugged. "I haven't seen him in a couple of years."

Her father frowned. "And Chester."

"Chester is another old carny buddy, but I'm pretty sure he died of cancer last summer."

"That's what I mean. How am I supposed to find these people?" her father complained.

"Is that why you're here?" she asked. "To find out about his friends?"

Her father's face lowered and he played with his food. So obviously not. She put her spoon down and looked at him. "What's wrong? Is there something in the will that I'm not going to like?"

His eyes opened wide in shock. "No. Not at all. The house is yours. Exotic Landscape is yours. There's a little cash but…" He looked at her apologetically. "Not much."

She snorted. "That's nothing new." She smirked. Inside she smiled with relief. The place
was
hers. Thank God. "Grandpa never had much."

Leaning back, she closed her eyes briefly. The panic started to unknot, the band around her chest loosening, and she opened her eyes. "Thanks, I needed to hear that."

With a shake of his head, he smiled reassuringly. "Sorry, I should have made that clear right from the beginning. He had more than you think. I've been trying to get him to invest for years. We'll need to talk about what you want to do with it, but you aren't destitute."

Removing her hand from her heart, she sighed happily. "I have a roof over my head and the animals are safe, so we're good."

"This house needs some work," he said. "A new paint job inside and out. New furniture. I bet the plumbing needs to be updated."

She snorted. "As you said, there isn't much money." She swallowed her mouthful. "Besides I'm, not ready to make changes."

"Don't wait too long. I know you loved him, but it's time to make this space yours and not just live in his house."

She tilted her head. Interesting choice of words. "Is that what you felt, Dad? That it was never your home? That is was always his?"

"It
was
always his house. I didn't live here long enough to change that."

His words rang true, but there was something more going on here. But what? She knew little about her father's friends, his likes, his dislikes. Except for his business associates like Eric and Germaine. She'd heard a lot about those two. Then her father had a talent for business. He was good at making money, but not at relating to her.

Or she to him.

"You never really felt at home with him," she said intuitively. "The house had nothing to do with it."

His face set and he refused to meet her eyes.

"Why was that? What was so wrong between you two? I get that you don't like animals in the same way as I do, but there's got to be something else there. Something that drove a wedge between you two."

He gave a mocking laugh. "Everything was black and white with him. Right or wrong. His way or the highway." He stabbed the contents of his bowl viciously. "I chose the highway."

Tabitha stared, shocked. She knew the two hadn't been close but hadn't realized the level of animosity. It saddened her. Her grandfather had been everything to her. Her father almost nothing.
Why was that?

"Was it me?" If it was, that would make her feel worse, but she'd rather know now. She'd lost her grandfather. She didn't want to lose her father as well.

"What?" He shook his head. "No. Not at all." For the first time since they sat down, he smiled at her warmly. "He was very happy to have you."

"Well, whatever your problem with grandpa was, it's over. He's gone." And damn if she didn't feel the tears collecting in the corner of her eyes again. She sniffled them back. "It's time to make peace with whatever it is and move on."

"That's what I'm hoping to do here and now," her father said without looking up.

She looked at him in surprise, her full spoon halted in midair. "
With me?
What do I have to do with it?"

She glanced over a Ronin who sat eating quietly across from her. He listened but stayed out of the conversation. That was probably wise. She turned her attention back to her father.

"In a way, everything." He put his spoon down and dabbed his mouth clean. Then he put the napkin down. Tabitha slowly put her spoon in her bowl and waited. Whatever this was, it was big. And difficult.

She studied him closely for a long moment. Unable to handle the suspense much longer, she asked, "What's wrong, Dad?"

He took a deep breath, raised his eyes to stare at her and said, "The real reason my father and I never got along..." He gave a short laugh. "We had a huge fight about it. Once he knew the truth...well...I think he honestly hated me." He stopped, glanced at Ronin, then back at her. "I told him..."

She prodded. "Told him what?"

With his gaze locked on her face, he said, "I told him I was gay."

***

As bombshells went, this one was big. Like over the top, completely re-evaluate your life type of big. Ronin kept quiet, but he watched the shock dawn on Tabitha's face. Only it didn't appear to be as big a shock as he might have expected.
Had she known? Had she any inkling?

He couldn't image hearing that himself. From a close friend, sure. Even a sibling. But from a parent? Wow. Having no parents himself, he didn't have an understanding of how that relationship would work.

Both Tabitha and Ronin had been raised by their grandfathers. But for different reasons.

The silence at the table grew and he realized that perhaps he should leave. Give them privacy. No one said anything to him. In fact, they were oblivious to his presence, but he felt as if he was in the way. He polished off his chilli and damn, it had been good. He realized he had a perfect excuse.

He stood up and said into the shocked silence, "You cooked, so I'll do the dishes. Tabitha, eat up."

"Don't worry about it, Ronin. I'll do them," Tabitha said, her eyes never leaving her father's face.

He walked over to her side and nudged her plate closer. "No, you won't. One, you should be in bed, and two, you have more important things to work on right now."