Page 40 of Operation Protector
“Agreed, given her opinion of my work vehicle, which is only a bit higher than her opinion on the one Liam drove. And only that because it’s an SUV, not an actual pickup.”
“And her opinion of me,” Liam put in cheerfully. “I’m too stupid to be a problem to her. We can nurse that for a while, I think.”
And the next day it worked just as Liam had said. This time the Foxworth man stayed in the truck, and as they’d planned, Colby told Liz he was too intimidated by her to get out. He could tell she liked that idea, enough that she didn’t seem to question that it had been a full week for him with no vehicle of his own.
After the usual quiz about where they were going and what they were doing—“Local, as always, and for a walk in the nature park”—they were permitted to leave.
What he hadn’t mentioned was what was happening before that stroll in the nature park. Which was a stop at Foxworth, where Hayley, Quinn and—he hoped—Ali would be waiting. And when they turned onto the gravel drive to the big Foxworth building and he saw her car, his pulse took a little leap.
As they pulled to a stop the door swung open, apparently triggered once more by that clever dog. Cutter raced along the walkway, and Grace called out his name in delighted greeting. Colby hurried to let her out to greet the dog, who had been followed by the little wiggle-butt, as Ali lovingly called her pup.
“Ali’s here!” Grace crowed, and raced toward the door as if she was as eager to see her neighbor as she had been the dogs. She looked back over her shoulder. “Hurry up, Daddy! Ali’s here.”
Which was reason enough for him. He just didn’t know how Grace knew that.
Colby couldn’t describe how cheering this was, sitting here with people who saw the real Liz, the liar and manipulator. Not to mention Cutter’s rather amazing knack for giving comfort with just a touch on his dark head.
Hayley brought a tray with coffee mugs, and one filled with hot chocolate for Grace. They sat sipping for a moment, and Colby felt himself relaxing now that Grace was safely with him.
“I don’t know how I can ever repay you for all this,” he said, looking from Hayley to Quinn.
“Oh, we’ll think of something,” Quinn said.
“Already did,” Hayley said, grinning. “That is, if you’d be willing to take on a real apprentice or two, later, when this is all wound up. We have a couple of outreach programs run by former clients, and they can always use willing employers. We foot the bill for it, of course.”
“Deal,” Colby said instantly, knowing he’d do anything he could for these people who were doing so much for him, and for Grace.
“I’ve been thinking,” Ali began after a moment, sounding a bit hesitant.
“Do you ever not?” Colby asked, not bothering to hide the note of appreciation in his voice. Ali smiled at him, quick, bright and heart-stopping.
“We’re open to all ideas,” Hayley said encouragingly. “What?”
She looked at Colby. “What’s your work schedule these days?”
“My work’s on hold at the moment,” he said brow furrowing, not sure why that mattered to Ali. “My girl’s much more important. Why?”
“Just… I was thinking about some dog walks. And that maybe after a bit longer, when Liz is used to Grace coming to my house, we could convince her to let Grace come with me on those walks.”
“That would be nice,” Colby said, still a little uncertain where she was going with this.
“And now that I know how close this—” she gestured at the building around them “—really is, Grace and I and the dogs could be here in maybe ten minutes at the most.”
It hit him then. A meeting place. She was offering a meeting place. For him and Grace.
“But I…” He glanced at the Foxworths. “The family court order…”
“There is that,” Quinn said. “We’ll get Gavin’s opinion on it, to see how much of the coincidence defense could apply.”
“But if I keep meeting her here—”
“We may have to limit the encounters,” Quinn said.
“Or,” Hayley said thoughtfully, “what if you had to get out of your place for a while. Maybe it needs work done, and you had to temporarily vacate. So your friends offered you a place to stay.” She nodded toward the bedroom and bathroom he’d noticed the first time he’d come here. “That little suite is here for just that kind of reason.”
He supposed he was gaping at them now, but he couldn’t help it.
“We’re what, about halfway between Liz’s house and yours? So you’d be close, but not so close it would make her suspicious if she spotted you,” Quinn said. “It would be a lot easier to pass off as coincidence if you happen to…run into Grace outside your allotted visiting hours.”
