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“I didn’t know what your favorite was, so I got a mix of cheese and pepperoni.”

“Grace, I’m very easygoing. I eat anything,” I said once we both sat down. The dining table was the only thing that wasn’t huge in this apartment, which made me think she usually dined alone.

“Really? That was not the impression I got of you,” she replied.

I laughed. “Want to start sparring again? I’ll have a slice of pizza, and then I’m good to go once my stuff is dry.”

“No, God, don’t go.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’m so sorry about tonight.”

“Grace, let’s make a deal.”

She raised her eyes to me. “I’m listening.”

“Let’s give it a rest for tonight. We don’t need to talk about the river, the ranch, or anything else. I just want to make sure you’re okay. And as soon as my clothes are dry, I’ll leave, and then we can pretend this never happened.”

She looked at me intently for a few seconds before nodding. “Sounds like a fair deal.”

“Glad you think so. Did your friend see your email?”

“Yes. She hangs on to her phone as much as I do, so she immediately replied. She’s a bit sad that I couldn’t make it but understands. So, what were you doing in the Quarter?”

***

Grace

“I took my niece to the voodoo museum. Turned out to be a shitty idea.”

Zachary took his niece? That was nice. “Why was it bad?”

“Because that stuff is fucking scary,” he said, and I started to laugh. He seemed like a totally different man than the one I’d met at the ranch and in the coffee shop near my office. Who knew he could actually laugh and have fun at his own expense? Or perhaps he was making an effort right now because I was still out of sorts. “When you saw me, she’d called to tell me that she was scared shitless. Anyway, let’s change the subject. What did you do today?” he asked.

“I had lunch with my parents.”

“They moved back to New Orleans?” he asked as he took a bite of his pizza.

“No, they still live outside the city. They only come to New Orleans on weekends.”

“You visit them often?”

“Honestly, no.”

He raised a brow. “You don’t get along with them?”

I sighed. “I do. I just don’t really have time. My business is taking up a lot more time than I thought, but I love every minute of it. Though I could be a better daughter and see them more often now that I’m the only kid they’ve got left around here.”

“No one is in contact with your brothers?”

I looked at him intently. “Are you fishing for information?”

He shook his head. “No, Grace. I was simply trying to make conversation.”

I swallowed hard. “Sorry. My brothers are a sore topic even now.”

“Noted. I won’t bring them up again.”

“I’d appreciate that. For what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry for the problems they’ve caused. I have to say, I’m not even sure who exactly they stole money from.”

“Not us,” Zachary said. “But we’ve always been a bit at odds with Kyle, especially since we were in school.”