Page 38 of Guarding Over You
“Anything,” Clay said.
They were at his brother’s mill, the sweet scent of apples filling his nostrils, the homey nostalgia of being on the farm never far from his mind.
Yes, it was different now than it’d been, but it was still a comfort to step foot on this soil.
“Let’s go somewhere private.” He angled his head toward his brother’s office on the second floor.
Clay only lifted his eyebrow but turned from the production room where they climbed the stairs in silence.
That was the thing about his brother—he said yes without asking specifics because Clay knew it’d never be something silly, stupid, or frivolous. Even if it was, Clay would still do it.
“What do you need?” Clay asked.
“First, this has to stay between us. Not Mom and Dad and especially not Ford.”
His oldest brother’s lips twitched just in the corners as if he was going to smile. “Did you get your ass in a bind? Not thegoodson.”
“I’m not the good son,” he argued. “That would be Ford. Always out for justice and on the right side of the law. And no, I’m not crossing to the dark side like someone else in this room.”
“Never like you think,” his ex-Navy SEAL brother argued.
“We know. You did what you were slated to do and you have to live with it, which we all hate. This isn’t bad, I promise. Just... complicated. For now, I’d like to keep it quiet.”
“Shoot.”
“I’ve got a new neighbor who happens to also be a social worker at the hospital.”
“Woman?”
“Yes. Single mother, divorced, has an ex with a history, but I’m not sure what kind, other than what she said and I’ve witnessed.” He filled his brother in on the first interaction he’d seen with Arden and Billy.
“William Bellamy?” Clay asked, lifting his laptop.
“I’m assuming William. My bet, he has a few arrests or at least calls, but I could be wrong. Someone like him with a drug and alcohol background screams being caught at least once.”
Clay was typing away. No one asked how he got information and maybe it was better that way.
“A few calls for disturbing the peace. From neighbors. No charges filed. No other arrests, a DWI about three years ago, but otherwise clean.”
He wanted to grind his teeth over that, but Arden had already said she’d given Billy a lot of chances. “Anything violent?”
“Not that I can see. Credit isn’t so great, but I’ve seen worse. Nothing here about drug arrests, sales or possession.”
“Guess he’s smarter than I realize.” Which never sat well. Or it was prescription and not the street variety?
“Tell me more. Is this you being neighborly because the ex-wife is a looker?”
He should have figured his brother would go there. He hated to ask but knew he should. “Anything on her other than angel wings and a halo?”
Clay snorted. “Not even a traffic violation.” He closed his laptop. “I can look deeper if you need me to.”
“I’m good for now. Nothing more on Arden. Billy, I’m holding out some.”
“You didn’t answer my question on what this is. It’s not like you to get involved with anything that’s messy, least of all with a woman. Not since Kristin that we know of.”
He sighed and pulled out the chair in front of Clay’s desk to plant his ass. “Why are you riding me so hard?”
“Just returning the favor.”
