Then again, six was not a little number when talking about kids. Being one of six siblings, he knew.
Hold up—six siblings?
His body flashed hot, then cold.
Because Grayson made number six. When had he started counting that guy in the mix?
He swallowed hard, scrambling to come up with a reply as a myriad of emotions whirled in his head and heart.
Then he noticed a slow smile curve Roxanna’s mouth, and he suddenly saw the mischief lighting her eyes as a snort of laughter came from across the table. He shot Asher a glare and found him grinning like an idiot.
Loyal dropped his fork on the side of his plate and sat back in his chair as he looked from one to the other. “Oh, I see. That’s how it’s going to be?”
Asher lifted a shoulder as Roxanna reached over to teasingly nudge his thigh. Honor just shook her head, though he’d bet she was trying to hide a smile so she didn’t encourage the two.
He shook his head as he scooped up his fork for a big bite of cake. Seeing the two best friends share a grin as he chewed, he pointed his fork at his future sister-in-law. “I think you and I need to form an alliance.”
“Oh, hell yes, count me in. I’ve seen these two in action too many times now.”
Chapter 26
Loyal set one file aside on Roxanna’s desk and picked up another. Over the past two weeks, he’d gone through most of her past accounting, and was now finishing up with the first year she’d opened the shop. He’d started to form a solid theory, but didn’t want to say anything to her about it yet. He could still be wrong.
He hoped he was wrong—though it wasn’t looking to go that way.
Yesterday, the whole situation had gotten him thinking about that psychic hotline scam from six years ago. He’d been able to deal with the financial loss, but that wasn’t the point, and worse, he knew there were others who weren’t so lucky. He’d filed a complaint against Spirit Guides Now, and the owner, Leander Tanner, with the better business bureau and law enforcement, but the guy had cleared out the offices and skipped town before any formal charges had been brought by the district attorney.
Curious to discover if anything had ever come of the situation, he’d looked up his past contact at the police department and called to see if Tanner had ever been caught and charged.
Detective Kushner had laughed when Loyal reminded him who he was and why he was calling. “This is a hell of a coincidence. Something came across my desk last week that brought that case back up. I can’t give you any details, but I’m following a lead that might make the case. I’m waiting on a search warrant as we speak.”
After giving his cell number for updates, Loyal had gone back to work on Roxanna’s books. In the afternoon, he sent an email with the name of her former accountant to the P.I. he’d hired to check into Grayson back in May. He needed to know more about Mirela Rose before he could voice his suspicions.
More than once throughout the evening and again this morning, his mind returned to what the detective had said about following a new lead. Roxanna couldn’t read him, but maybe she’d be able to intuit something if he told her about the case and gave her the guy’s name?
All of a sudden, the idea that he fully accepted her abilities registered on his consciousness.
Whoa. When had that happened?
He sat back in the chair as he brushed his knuckles along the underside of his chin. Probably about the same time he couldn’t keep his eyes off her each day and saw for himself the honest goodness in her heart as she interacted with her clients, customers, and friends. And even him.
She was so far from the person he’d thought all those years, he was ashamed to fully realize how closed minded he’d been. The other night, they’d rehashed everything one last time. After a back and forth forgiveness session, both agreed it was over and done, water under the bridge.
They’d settled into a routine, work during the day, dinners in or out, and spend the night either at the apartment upstairs, or occasionally, his hotel. Brunch at his parents’ house the previous weekend had his mother beaming, and Merit making off-color remarks about their years of verbal foreplay. Roxanna didn’t take his shit any more than Loyal did. He loved that she fit right in with his family—as she always had—and he began to envision a future with her.
With six little rugrats hanging all over both of them.
He smiled at the mental image and shook his head in wonder at the difference moving back to Colorado had made in his life. He’d gone from simply going through the motions, to being happy and looking forward to each day. The only source of discontent in his life now was Grayson, and even that had softened as he’d considered Roxanna’s suggestion from a few weeks ago.
He was giving serious thought to offering the guy his own money for the foundation, but was waiting for some information from his lawyer as to how to set things up. After that, he’d see about meeting with his…brother to propose the idea.
Roxanna breezed into the room, her long hair loose over the pink sweater she’d paired with a floor-length, gauzy gray skirt and new suede ankle boots. The feminine combat boots would always be his favorite, but these were damn sexy, too. As always when she was near, his body went on alert.
“How’s it going back here?” she asked.
“Slow.”
She stepped behind the chair to massage his shoulders. “Are you sure you have to do all this?”