“We were in Atlanta a few days ago. The Sinclairs are coming down with a team.” Griffen propped his foot on his knee and took a long sip of his coffee. “Man, it’s a mess. I don’t think the locks have been upgraded in forty years. Forget the alarm system. What they have is barely worth it. We’ll have a team at the house for a while. My old office manager is salivating at the invoices she’s going to throw my way.”
West let out a low whistle. “I don’t want to think about what it’s going to cost for Sinclair Security to secure a property the size of Heartstone Manor. Even if you’re getting the former employee discount.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What about on-site security? I heard you got Savannah to take over Miss Martha’s job. Good move there. She was wasted waiting tables. Heard she’s got Billy Bob on the job and is doing some hiring. Please tell me on-site security is on the list.”
“I’ve got a guy. Hawk Bristol. He was in the Army with the Sinclairs and me. You could look into him, but if you think my record has blank spots—” Griffen shook his head. “Hawk’s not what I’d call social, but he’s a genius at finding a weak spot, and he’s relentless. The Sinclairs managed to get him to Atlanta, but the city is too crowded for him. He’s an outdoor guy and he’s into gardening. I don’t know if you’ve seen the state of the grounds at Heartstone, but he was all over the chance to run security and get his hands in the dirt at the same time. Added bonus for being surrounded by thousands of acres of mountain and an hour from the closest city.”
“Are your guys going to be pissed if I show up and check things out during the install and when Hawk gets here?”
Griffen shook his head again. He broke off a piece of his second cookie, chewed and swallowed, thinking before he said, “I’ve been gone a long time, West. Aren’t many people I missed, but you’re one of them. Hope trusts you and I trust her judgment. You’re always welcome at Heartstone. When the dust settles I wouldn’t mind going out to get a beer.”
West cracked a grin. “I was hoping you’d say that. Look, there’s nothing I can do about Ford. Not as things stand right now. But if you need anything else, you know where to find me.”
Griffen leaned forward to set his empty coffee cup on West’s desk. Something about West’s words had caught his instincts. You know where to find me. “What do you know?”
West gave him a level stare. “Nothing concrete. But Prentice had his fingers in a lot of pies and he never minded pissing people off. Now you’re back, and the whole family is moving into the Manor, bringing it back to life. You married Hope. That’s a lot of change. Some people might see it as a new beginning, but there are a lot of people who’d love to see the sun set on the Sawyer empire.”
“I’m not my father,” Griffen said.
“And thank God for that. I don’t know how you two hooked up, and I’m not asking, at least in an official capacity. Maybe I’ll get it out of you over a beer.” At that, Griffen let a wry smile curve his lips, and I ducked my head. West went on, “But for a lot of the town, seeing Hope happy will make a difference in how they see you.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the way that sounded. I was happy. Mostly. Freaked out about the situation we were in and everything being upside down so fast, but being with Griffen made me happy. Not the thought that it would end in five years, but everything else.
The way West had put it reminded me I was a tool, put into place by Prentice and my uncle Edgar for reasons we still didn’t know.
I was useful to Griffen. I wanted to be useful to Griffen. Of course, I did. I cared about him. I more than cared about him.
I wanted to be useful, but I didn’t want to be a tool. Anyway, I wasn’t sure West was right. Why would the town care if I was happy?
“I’m not sure my moods make that much of a difference,” I said, sipping my butterscotch latte and suddenly wishing Griffen and I were back in his office going through paperwork, the door shut against the rest of the world.
The smile on West’s face was gentle. “Was Griffen behind this change?” He gestured at my hair and suit. I nodded, my throat tight, not sure where he was going with his question.
“Nice to see he doesn’t underestimate you. Edgar did. And so did you. You’ve always underestimated yourself. I don’t think there’s a single person I know who doesn’t like you, Hope. You’re kind and generous. Thoughtful. The people in this town appreciate that. They appreciate you. Gossip about you two getting married has been spreading like wildfire, and while nobody’s quite sure what to think of Griffen, everyone is hoping for a fairytale for you.”