Page 37 of Dangerous Secrets
“Sure thing, I’ll look itup when I get home from work and send it your way.”
A woman who looked like she might havebeen a teenager when the wares of Retro Days were modern walked byand stopped at the display of 70s lunch boxes in the window.Shenudged her companion and pulled him to the shop door.
“Yippee, customers.”Antonia gave Delaney a little wave.“I’ve got to go, sweetie.Nicecatching up with you.I’ll send that email address thisevening.”
Delaney turned to thenarrow walkway between Retro Days and Three SistersBakery, out of which pumped heavenlysmells that made her weak enough to consider going in for one oftheir amazing cinnamon rolls.
Her mouth watered at thethought.But she’d parked in the lotbehind the stores fronting Main Street and figured she should grabher umbrella from her car in case the thunder rumbling across thevalley actually meant rain.
She thought about what Antonia’d saidabout James being in her heart.The basic truth of the sentimenthelped to ease Delaney’s grief.It made her feel like James wasclose by, but just out of sight.
Antonia always gave Delaney’s spiritsa boost.Clara had given her love and support in the way she could,but it was Antonia who had added the warmth Delaney had missedgrowing up.
“You’re looking fortrouble.You won’t like it when you find it.Or maybe it’ll findyou.”
Delaney nearly jumped out of her skin.Her mind had been on her conversation with Antonia and she hadn’tnoticed the gaunt man with weathered features standing around thecorner in the shadowed walkway.He leaned against the building, hisarms crossed over his chest.He had gray hair cut military-close tohis head, and glared at her from under bushy brows.She thought hissharp gray eyes looked familiar, but she couldn’t placehim.
Delaney took a step back.“What areyou talking about?I don’t know you.”
“You should know me.Iheard you talking to that hippie woman.You need to mind your ownbusiness and butt out of what’s of no concern to you.”
“Move along,Grafton.”
Delaney gave her second startled joltin less than a minute.Walker seemed to have materialized out ofnowhere to stand behind her.He gripped her elbow and pulled hercloser to his side.The old man was Neil Grafton?She should’veremembered the coldness in the former sheriff’s eyes.
“Protecting your fuckingwhore, McGrath?”
Delaney sucked in an enraged breath asGrafton straightened so he was no longer leaning against thebuilding.She’d seen his photo in the paper when a scandal hadcaused him to lose his position several years ago, and time hadonly hardened his features.But though he’d aged, he still appearedto possess the same wiry strength he’d always had.
His gaze traveled over her and snaggedon her breasts, his lips splitting into a leering smile.“Guess Iwouldn’t mind getting a piece of that myself.”
When she would have surged forward,Walker’s grip tightened and he tugged her back until she bumpedagainst him.His chest was a solid wall of muscle.
The ugliness Grafton spewed twistedher stomach into knots and set her temper boiling.She thought itmight be doing something similar to Walker.His body grew rigid andthe air around them grew so tense she wouldn’t’ve been surprised ifa bolt of lightning were to spear out of the sky to land at theirfeet.
“Watch your mouth,Grafton, or I’ll be helping you with that,” Walkergrowled.
Grafton sneered.“Guess I was right.She is your whore.Just like her grandmother was a fucking whorefor James McGrath.Figure you all keep it in the family.It’s alittle incestuous, if you ask me.”
Delaney saw red, the deep scarlet redof anger, and lunged forward.
She wasn’t sure what she’d do—hit him,kick him, knee him in the balls like she’d done to Vance—but Walkerwrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her firmly against him,well out of range of the disgraced sheriff.
When Grafton smirked, she twistedagainst Walker’s hold.“Dammit, let me go.He’s got no right to saythat about James and my grandmother.I’ll punch him in the throat.”That seemed like a solid plan.
“Pull it back, Laney.Ifanyone needs to punch the sorry bastard, it’ll be me.”
Grafton apparently had more bravadothan sense because he continued in a goading tone, “Is that whatyou’re going to do, asshole?Punch an old man?It’s what you wantto do.Go for it.Take a swing.”
His taunting words had her furyclearing enough for reason to set in.Punching Grafton would be badfor Walker.He’d just come back to town and didn’t need to revivehis reputation as a hothead.
No longer trying to break his hold,she grabbed onto the arm still wrapped around her waist, his cordedmuscles tense under her fingers.“Don’t, Walker.Don’t hit him.That’s what he wants so you’ll get in trouble.He’s not worthit.”
“Don’t hit him, Walker,”Neil Grafton mimicked her in a singsong voice.“Fucking ex-con.Goahead and try it.Beat the shit out of me if you think you can.Maybe it’ll get you a ticket back to prison, and you’ll be back ina cage built for animals like you.”He glanced past them andmuttered, “Well, isn’t this rich.The Boy Scout of the family hasshown up.”
Delaney twisted to peer aroundWalker’s wide shoulder and spotted a sheriff’s department SUVparked in a space on the street in front of Retro Days.Reliefflooded through her when she saw Sawyer striding towardthem.
Mirrored sunglasses shielded his eyesand he wore an El Dorado Sheriff’s Department ball cap pulled lowover his forehead.Delaney didn’t know how Sawyer had spotted them,but she thanked her lucky stars he had.
