26
“Okay, I really think we should get out of here.” Ember hitched Arthur into the crook of her right arm and slid her left into Griff’s as they watched Autumn take her father, her ex-husband, and the other man into her office. Before she closed the door, Autumn shot Griff a look that he couldn’t quite translate.
Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. He gritted his teeth at the thought of her in that room with the father who always tried to railroad her, and the husband who’d hurt her. Gently pulling his arm from Ember’s, he turned to walk over to the office.
“Griff, don’t.” Lydia put her hand on his substantial chest, her eyebrows rising up as though she was surprised at the muscles there. “Ember’s right, you should go. Be cool and let Autumn handle this.”
“I’m not going anywhere until they leave. Who was that other guy with them?”
“I don’t know,” Lydia admitted. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“Then I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He started walking toward the office, his strides so long that Lydia had to break into a fast jog to keep up with him.
“Seriously, Griff, let Autumn manage this. She’ll be mortified if you go in there all guns blazing.”
“But what if she needs some support?” He slowed down to look at Lydia. Her cheeks were pink, her mouth open as she panted.
“I’ll tell you what,” Lydia said, sliding between Griff and the office door. “Let me go in. I’ll find out who that man is and what the hell Josh is doing here. Autumn’s had enough of guys thinking they know best for her. Let her sort this out herself.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I get that. I don’t like it much either.” Lydia gave him a worried smile. “Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
He looked through the grimy windows of the office. The sun was shining too bright for him to make out anything more than the shadows of the people inside. All he could see was himself, his jaw set straight, his arms hanging at his side, and his hands forming two formidable fists.
Lydia opened the door, and he tried to see past her, but she pulled it closed too fast. But he heard the raised voices, and they made him grit his teeth.
“What’s going on?” Carla asked, coming to a stop beside him. “I heard yelling.”
“Nothing,” Griff said through his clenched jaw. “Go back to the restaurant.”
“Why are you hanging around here staring at the office like you want to kill somebody?” Carla tried to peer around him.
“No reason.” He wanted to swat her off like a fly.
“Are you okay?” she asked him, laying a hand on his arm. The edge of concern in her voice made him feel like an asshole. “Is there a problem with Autumn?”
“No.” Would she just leave already? He could feel the fire burning inside him, heating up the fear and anger laying right below the surface.
The office door opened, and Lydia stepped out, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth the same way he’d seen Autumn do a hundred times. She looked at Carla with a wary expression, then sighed and walked toward them. “Okay, we should go,” Lydia said, inclining her head to the passage between the office and the restaurant.
“Is Autumn okay?” Griff turned his back on Carla.
“Um…”
“Have you found out who the other guy is?” he asked, nodding his head at the door.
“His name’s Carlsson. He’s a property developer from L.A.”
“What’s a property developer doing here?” Carla frowned.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Lydia asked her, though Griff was perfectly aware that she knew exactly who Carla was.
Carla squared her shoulders. “You know who I am. My dad owns this restaurant. So who’s the property developer? Why is he here? Are they talking about changes to the pier?”
The door opened again, and the three of them looked at it expectantly. But instead of Autumn walking out, it was Josh. He gave Lydia a huge grin. To Griff’s satisfaction, she gave him a scowl in return.
“You want me to point you to the airport?” she asked him.
“Hi, I’m Carla Delmonico.” Carla pushed past Griff and Lydia to offer Josh her hand. “A friend of Autumn’s. I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
Josh’s eyes lit up. “Hey Carla, it’s good to meet you.”
“And you are?” Carla prompted.
Griff looked at Lydia, and she lifted her shoulders back at him. It was like watching a train wreck. If two exes meet, does the universe implode?
“I’m Josh Garner. Autumn’s husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Lydia corrected him, and Josh turned to look at her.
“Sorry,” he said, that inane grin never wavering. “It’s been such a short time, I forget about that.”
“I didn’t know Autumn was married.” Carla’s gaze slid to Griff. “Did you know?” she asked him. He hated the way her expression was full of compassion.
“Yeah,” he said roughly. “I know all about the divorce.”
“You must be Gruff. The whaleboat captain. Autumn’s dad has told me all about you.”
“It’s Griffin,” He shook the man’s hand, trying not to smile as his grip made Josh wince.
“Of course it is. Though Gruff rhymes with rough, which kind of suits you, right?”
“Sorry, can we get back to the property developer that Autumn’s talking to?” Carla said. “I didn’t know she had plans to develop this place.”
“Oh, she doesn’t,” Josh said casually. “She wants to sell it to him.”
It felt like a punch in Griff’s gut. “She’s selling the pier?” he asked, frowning as he tried to take it in.
“His offer’s too good to refuse,” Josh carried on. “I should know, I’m the one who found him. She’s one lucky son of a gun to find someone willing to pay that much money. Especially since she was completely hammered when she clicked the buy button.”
“She was?” Carla’s mouth dropped open. “As in drunk?”
“To her eyeballs.” Josh grinned. “Didn’t she tell you the story? She woke up to the listing on her browser. Couldn’t even remember sending an offer in, but she did. If it had been me, I’d have rescinded right away, but you know Autumn.” He shook his head, chuckling. “She has this sense of duty and felt she had to do her best for the place.”
The way Josh was talking about Autumn, as though she was still his wife, made Griff’s teeth grind together.
“How do you know all of this?” Lydia asked Josh, her face even redder than when she’d run after Griff.
“Well from you, of course,” Josh said, shaking his head as if she’d just told the funniest joke. “Via your dad. He said you told him it was all a drunken mistake.”
“I didn’t say that,” Lydia muttered. “Not in those words, anyway. You’re twisting them.” She turned her head, her eyes catching Griff’s. “It wasn’t a mistake. It never has been. She wanted to come here.”