It was a damn shame. If Brody’s biological father ever got parole, Wade would make him wish he’d stayed in jail. The kind of bastard who would dump battery acid on his young son’s face didn’t deserve to see the light of day. Especially not when his son didn’t get to see it, either.
“For now, some good intel may be all I need to convince her. She doesn’t like me, but if I know what buttons to push, maybe I can change her mind. Look into her company for me and some of her recent projects. I’ll send you the basic info to get started. I know she’s passionate about her work. That might be all it takes. If I’m right, and this is the right property, once I secure it, there won’t be any more trouble. If she holds out, maybe you and I can go out in the dark over the holiday and start digging holes.”
“Digging holes in the dark?”
“You said you wanted to help,” Wade pointed out, only half joking. If the shovels came out, they had big, big problems.
“Don’t let it get to that point, Wade. This isn’t a missing time capsule we’re looking for here. It’s a dead man’s body. One that we all share some responsibility for putting into the ground. It absolutely can’t be found. Do whatever it takes to fix this. It could ruin all our reputations—maybe even our companies. Who wants to do business with someone involved in the death of—”
“Just stop,” Wade interrupted. He didn’t even want the words spoken aloud.
“This could kill Dad with his heart condition. I don’t want another death on my conscience.”
Neither did Wade. It would probably do all that and more. And if it didn’t kill Ken, Wade was certain he wouldn’t be able to bear the look of disappointment on his father’s face. He’d spent his whole life trying to be good enough. For his teenage birth mother, who had dumped him on an old relative. For the foster families that had passed him around like a hot potato. For the Edens, who had treated him like their son. He couldn’t, wouldn’t disappoint Ken and Molly.
He’d already failed fifteen years ago to protect his brothers and sister as he should have. Wade wouldn’t make that same mistake twice.
“I’ll handle it,” he promised. “One way or another.”
* * *
“Welcome to the Garden of Eden Tree Farm. I hope we can help you have a very merry Christmas!”
The moment Tori crossed the threshold into the gift shop among the jingling of bells, Molly Eden greeted her from her post behind the counter. Tori had met the older woman once, at closing, but there had been paperwork to sign and not much time for chitchat.
Today she was determined to change that. Wade thought he could sneak around town and get information on her. Well, two could play at that game. And what better source than his mother? He claimed his family was more important than anything, even money. Spending some quality time with them under the guise of Christmas shopping was the perfect way to do a little digging of her own.
“Oh, Miss Sullivan!” Molly came out from behind the counter with a wide smile that was bookended by rosy cheeks. The woman was tiny and round, with gray-blond hair swept up into a neat bun at the back of her head. In about ten more years, once her hair had gone completely white, she’d make the perfect Mrs. Claus. And judging by her surroundings, Tori was pretty sure that was the plan all along.
“Please call me Tori.”
“Only if you call me Molly, dear. We’re neighbors, after all.” Molly embraced her as though they were lifelong friends instead of acquaintances through real estate.
Tori smiled. She couldn’t help it. The woman was just so damn sweet. How was it that she could raise a sneaky corporate weasel like Wade? “That we are.”
She noticed that nothing in the woman’s tone or expression conveyed any hint of concern about the fact that Tori lived on her old land. The same was true when they’d met at closing. Neither she nor Ken had seemed bothered at all by it. In fact, Ken had appeared a little relieved. She remembered Ken had commented that they were getting to an age where nearly three hundred acres was a lot of land to deal with. Tori’s piece was too rocky and sloped to grow trees. The other two larger plots were the same. No great loss there.
So why did it bother Wade so much that they’d sold it? It made Tori wonder if his parents even knew what he was up to. The burning, childish urge to tattle on him swirled in her gut. It would be so easy. Even a millionaire CEO could be brought down by the wrath of his mama.