“I don’t know what’s going on. How could this happen?” I look up at Grant as the first tear slides across my cheek.
Gently, he wipes it away with his thumb. “Where do you bank?’
“Nashville Horizon.”
“Okay. This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to sit with Aspen while I make some calls. Can you do that for me?”
“Yeah.” Moving out of his arms, I take a seat next to Aspen, and she pulls me into a hug.
“Babe, I’m going to need your account information.”
“My checkbook is there, and I’ll give you whatever else you need.”
He bends and presses his lips to my forehead. “I love you. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” He grabs my checkbook and stalks off toward the kitchen with his phone already at his ear.
“I can’t believe this. Just when I think all is going right in the world, life knocks you back on your ass.”
“It’s okay. Grant is going to find out what happened. Have faith.”
“Should someone not have called me? Are thousands of dollars missing from someone's account, not a huge red fucking flag? Come on. Something isn’t right here. I just don’t know what it is.”
Grant comes back into the room, his phone still pressed to his ear. “Thanks, Owen,” he says before ending the call.
“So, Riggins Enterprises has a relationship with Nashville Horizon. Owen is the chief financial officer, so he works with them more than the rest of us. He’s going to make some calls and get back to me.”
“It’s Sunday night,” I remind him.
“I know, but Riggins runs a hell of a lot of money through that bank. He’ll answer for Owen. We might not have answers tonight, but there will be a fire under their ass. Especially since Owen is going to make sure he knows that they’re fucking with his brother’s fiancée.”
I cough at the word fiancée. “W-What?”
“I had to give him leverage for why he was calling. If they think we’re going to pull our accounts, they’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise you that.”
“I don’t get it. I’m just a small business.”
“Yes, but you’re engaged to a millionaire.” He smirks.
“Millionaire?” I know that my mouth is hanging open right now, but I’m shocked.
“Just one of the many things I love about you, Aurora. You don’t give a shit about my money.”
“No. I would never—” I start, and he leans down, pressing his lips to mine.
“I know that, baby. That’s why I said it. Besides, the look on your face is a dead giveaway.”
“Is kissing always the answer to getting her to shut up? No wonder nothing has worked for me over the years,” Aspen jokes, trying to lighten the mood.
“I don’t know, babe? What do you think? Are my kisses distracting?”
“Very,” I admit, with not a single ounce of shame.
“You’ve ruined romance for me, Riggins,” Aspen whines. “You’re not a normal man, are you? Are you some kind of alien from outer space?” she teases.
“I’m a man who loves your sister, and it’s nothing more and nothing less than that.”
“See what I mean? Men don’t talk like that.”
“I know six that do,” he counters.
“Anyone with the last name of Riggins doesn’t count. You’re all aliens.” She sputters with laughter. “You, my dear sister, are engaged to an alien who’s going to give you adorable little alien babies.”
“He’s not an alien, and we’re not engaged.” There is a pulling in my chest. It’s a yearning, and it hits me that I want to be engaged again. I’m no longer afraid to think about the future, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that if I’m ever lucky enough for Grant to propose to me, that he will not leave me at the church, in my dress with tears, and in embarrassment, alongside a blanket of regret.
He’s one of the good ones.
“You know, I have two single brothers.” He raises his eyebrows at Aspen.
“You’re like a brother to me.” She wrinkles up her nose.
“But they’re not.”
“Guilty by association.” She shakes her head, as if dating one of his brothers is the craziest idea she’s ever heard in her entire life.
“What’s that saying about the lady protesting too much?” Grant teases as his phone rings.
He taps at the screen, holding his phone out in front of him. “What did you find out?” he asks.
“Not a lot,” Owen replies on loudspeaker. “Martin Hamilton, the CEO of that branch, doesn’t really know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to the inner workings of the operations. However, what he does know is that Riggins Enterprises runs millions of dollars through his bank. Once I told him Aurora was your fiancée, he changed his tune. We need to be at the bank in the morning at eight to sit down and see what we can find out. I can guarantee you he’s not going to get much sleep tonight as he starts to look into this.”
“Thank you, Owen.”
“You’re family.” He says it so simple as if it’s written in stone. Or, in my case, a marriage certificate.
“Thanks, man,” Grant tells him. “I owe you one.”
“Nah, he’s a prick. I don’t mind going head to head with him. You want me to meet you all there, or are we meeting somewhere else first?”
“You’re going? You don’t have to do that. You have your job and Layla and Carter.”
“I have nothing pressing at the office that can’t wait, and my wife and son are going to be at home, safe. I’m going to be there, Aurora. I’ve dealt with this guy on behalf of Riggins. He knows I have the power to pull our accounts. Something he knows I won’t hesitate to do.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for this. I’m sorry that you’re being dragged into my drama. Both of you.”
“We love you,” both Riggins men reply at the same time, and tears build in my eyes.
“We’ll meet you outside the bank at eight in the morning,” Grant tells him.
“See you then,” Owen replies, and the line goes dead.
Before I have a chance to ask him what he’s doing, his phone is ringing, and Lena’s voice comes through the line.
“I knew you were my favorite, Grant Riggins. Calling your mom out of the blue.” She laughs.
“You know it,” Grant replies. “Listen, Mom. I have a favor.” He goes on to explain what’s going on and how he and I with Owen are meeting at the bank in the morning. “I was hoping you could come to the bakery and help Aspen while we’re gone. That’s their busy time, and it’s a lot for one person.”
I didn’t even think about that. Shit. I start to tell her we’ll just close for the day when her reply comes quick. “Of course, I will. Oh, I’m so excited. What time should I be there?”
“We have to leave there about a quarter till eight.”
“What time does it open?”
“Six.”
“What time do they get in?” she asks, sounding exasperated.