Chapter 18

Grace

"Good Lord, Ruby, I mean Grace, what smells so good?" Mabel's voice sounded from the living room, and I couldn't help but smile at her loud groan.

"It's lunch," I called out, still smiling. "Nothing fancy, just sandwiches." I popped a brisket in the oven as soon as I arrived at Mabel's, and it was now juicy and ready for barbecue sauce.

Turns out that Maverick's grandmother isn't so easily spooked. She'd insisted on returning home the next day after the door had been fixed. Maverick had arranged for a prospect to be with her at night, until my position got filled. I still felt bad about what happened, he was pretty sure it was just kids fooling around, but it left me unsettled.

"Never had any sandwiches that smelled like that," she said. "Is it ready?"

"Just about," I called out as I finished dressing the salad. "Are you hungry, Mabel?"

"Don't see how I couldn't be with that smell filling the whole damn house."

"You said damn, Grandma Mabel," Sophie whispered. "That's a bad word."

"Nonsense," Mabel said in her patented way. "It's not a good word for little girls your age to say, but I'm an old woman and I say pretty much whatever I please."

"That's no fair."

"Very few things in this world are fair when it comes to women, you just have to tell people to go to hell, or in your case tell them to mind their business."

"Don't tell people to go to hell," I shouted from the kitchen. Mabel was right, because of course she was, but I didn't want to confuse Sophie. "Even if they deserve it."

Mabel howled with laughter and my daughter joined in even though she had no idea what she was laughing about. "Listen to your mama, she's a smart cookie."

I smiled, appreciative of Mabel's unintentional compliment. "Okay ladies, lunch is ready… if you're hungry."

"I am!" Sophie's growing excitement brought a smile to my face. I was glad that my little girl wasn't too scared from her life to enjoy the small things. Trent's behavior and my acceptance of that behavior had scarred her without a doubt, but kids were resilient and that was on full display today.

"Don't forget," I began.

"To wash my hands!" Her words were followed by her small footsteps rushing towards the half-bath on the first floor.

"I'm hungry enough to eat a horse," Mabel declared as she settled at the kitchen table. "That smells so damn good," she groaned as she dropped down in her chair.

"Well, let's hope it tastes at least as good as it smells." I smiled and set out the meat, bread, and coleslaw.

The doorbell rang just as I turned back to get some drinks for everyone. "I'll get it."

"There's a bat in the closet right by the door," she called out with a laugh.

I shook my head. "Now I see where your grandson gets his home security." The sound of Mabel's laughter followed me to the front door. I peeked through one of the panels that hadn't been broken to see who was at the door.

I didn't recognize the man, which didn't surprise me since I didn't know many people in town, but this guy knocked on the door on purpose. He was tall and lanky, with curly black hair and eyes such a pale blue they were almost transparent. "Um, can I help you?"

His dark brows pinched into a confused frown. "Yeah, I'm here for Mabel. And for Grace."

I gasped and stepped back. How did he know my name? "Um, Mabel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know a skinny guy with wild black curls and very pale blue eyes?" She didn't answer immediately, and I stepped away from the door as my gaze slid to the front closet and the bat contained within. "Mabel?" I opened the closet and wrapped my hand around the aluminum handle.

"Sounds like Asher. Ask his name."

"Who are you?"

His full lips tugged into an amused grin. "Most people call me Slate, but Mabel insists on calling me by my government name, which is Asher."

My shoulders sagged in something that closely resembled relief as I unlatched the chain lock, the deadbolt, and the knob lock, pulling the door open. "I don't know you, but Mabel does and she's inside."

"The name is Slate," he said again, offering up his hand in greeting.

I took it slowly, carefully. Wary of all strangers. "Grace," I said slowly. "But you already knew that."

He nodded, still smiling. "Maverick may have mentioned you."

"You're one of his biker friends." It wasn't a question and Slate didn't seem offended.

"I am. How are you holdin' up?"

I shrugged, uncomfortable with his scrutiny or his kindness. "I'm fine," I said because it was my default answer. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry," he answered easily. "Smells good as fuck in here."

"Try not to say that in front of Sophie. Please."

"The kid, right. Sorry." He flashed an apologetic smile and shrugged his bony, broad shoulders. "Still smells incredible in here."

I motioned for him to head towards the kitchen, following on his heels. "You have a visitor, Mabel."

Her eyes brightened at the sight of the younger man and then her arms shot out for a hug. "Asher, you handsome devil, come and give me a hug."

He laughed, smiling as he let the older woman fold him into an embrace. "Lookin' good, Mabel." He squeezed her tight and she laughed. "You still smell like vanilla and sugar."

"You're only saying that because you want me to make you some cookies." She laughed and patted his cheek. "Have a seat. Lord knows Grace cooked enough food for a small army."

"It's called leftovers," I shot back, and grabbed another plate along with flatware. "Maverick asked you to come by?"

He shook his head. "No, he didn't have to ask. Figured I'd see what the surveillance in the neighborhood had to say."

I frowned. "You're going to ask all the neighbors to see their cameras?"

Slate laughed. "No. I have my ways."

I didn't want to know so I didn't ask, instead I focused on piling a little bit of everything on Sophie's plate. If I left it up to her, there would be enough food on her plate to feed a grown man.

"Mommy," she began as she rushed into the kitchen, and stopped abruptly. "Who are you?"

Slate flashed a wide grin at my little girl. "Me? I'm a friend of Mabel's. My friends call me Slate. Who are you?"

She looked to me, and when I nodded, she turned her beautiful smile on the man. "I'm Sophie and I'm a friend of Grandma Mabel too."

"It's nice to meet you, Sophie."

"Is Grandma Mabel your grandma too?"

"Not technically, but I think of her as a grandma." He tore open a roll, shoved the juicy meat inside, and bit into it. "Better hurry up and eat, Sophie, before it's all gone."

Her eyes widened and she rushed around the table, stopping at the chair between Mabel and me. "You can't eat it all," she said, and picked up a piece of meat between her fingers. "It's nice to share."

"Maybe," he conceded, and shoved another bite in his mouth. "But this is too good to be nice about."

Sophie's response was to eat much faster than normal.

"Thanks for that," I said to Slate, who only laughed. "So helpful."

Slate stuck around well after lunch, waiting until Mabel and Sophie were both down for their afternoon naps, before he took advantage of our alone time. "So, Grace," he began with a sigh.

I turned to face him with my arms crossed over my chest. "Is this the part where you threaten me unnecessarily? I already told Maverick I was leaving as soon as he finds another caregiver for Mabel."

"No. I'm just curious about what you saw last night. A body type. Eye color. Anything that might help find him. Or her."

"No," I sighed, feeling utterly useless. "I heard the intruder first and then the breaking glass. When I got down here, all I saw was a dark figure running away. Barely even that since they broke the overhead light on the porch." I held myself as the memories flooded along with the fear, palpable and visceral. "I didn't see anyone clearly. I swear."

"I believe you," he said easily, calmly. "I'm just trying to figure out where to start."

"Sorry."

"It's all right, Grace. We just met." He smiled, still picking at the food. "This brisket is fucking delicious."

"Thanks." I cleared the dishes from the table and started to wash them, waiting for Slate to say whatever it was he really came to say.

"I was gonna try to be sneaky about this, but you're skittish as hell and I'm not sure we have time for me to sweet talk details about your life out of you."

I turned from the sink. "Um, thanks?"

He laughed. "You're welcome. I'm just saying that if you tell me your full name or your ex's name, I can track him to see if he's close or still back wherever you left him. It's easier and faster this way."

"And what if your research only alerts him to where we are?"

"That won't happen. I'm damn good at what I do, Grace. I could erase his existence if I wanted to, but right now all I want to do is figure out where he is." I wasn't convinced, and he could tell. "Look, we need to figure out if that was him last night, or someone else. It's important."

"Who else could it be?"

He grinned. "You're not the only one with enemies."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter where he is because Sophie and I will be gone in six days. We won't be anyone's problem anymore."

"You aren't a problem right now, just a woman Maverick feels compelled to rescue."

"I didn't ask him to help," I insisted, feeling defensive.

"That doesn't mean you don't need our help. It's better to know how close he is to finding you, Grace. Trust me."

That was the part that didn't come easy to me, trusting strangers of the male variety. "How are you going to find him?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Credit card purchases, email, and any other digital information that will tell me where he's been and what direction he's moving. For all we know he's going in the opposite direction."

"Or he's already here in Nevada."

"All I need is a name, but I'll take a social security number if you have it."

I wasn't ready to trust him, but his words were appealing. If he could find Trent, then maybe I would learn that he was still back in Ohio, that he'd moved on and found someone else. "You promise it won't bring him here before we leave?"

Slate nodded. "I promise, but what's the hurry?"

"No hurry, but it's better for everyone if we're gone sooner rather than later."

"I can help slow him down, give you and the kid enough time to get a good lead on him. I can even misdirect him if I knew what or who I was looking for."

"You're teasing me."

"Nope. I am damn good at what I do, Grace." He was confident in his abilities, which did give me a bit more faith in him, but it didn't make sense.

"Why are you willing to help us?"

Slate shrugged. "Because Maverick asked us to and he's my brother. Mabel is like family, and you kept her safe last night, that means something to us. All of us."

"Fine." I rolled my yes. "I'll give you his name, just don't make me regret it."

"Never," he promised easily. "You're in good hands," he said with a smile. "Maverick is a good guy. Probably too good sometimes."

That was a foreign concept to me, but I gave over Trent's full name knowing that it would lead to my identity.

Sooner instead of later, which meant I needed to brace myself for the inevitable.