“I don’t think so either,” I said.

I turned toward footsteps.

Bryce walked into the foyer. “Hey, Talon, what’s going on?”

“Sorry,” I said to Bryce. “We’ve got some new evidence that Talon came by to talk to me about.”

“Oh, okay. Let me just get Henry, and we’ll be on our way.”

“No!” My voice sounded harsher than I intended. “I mean, don’t disturb him. In fact, why don’t you leave him here for the night?”

Bryce started laughing. “No offense, Joe, but I don’t think you know anything about kids.”

He had me there. “Then you crash here too. God knows I have the room. It’ll be fun, like old times.”

“You mean when you and I used to pass out in your barn because we were too drunk to move?” He shook his head, still laughing. “It’s not even nine o’clock yet. It’s early. Henry will be fine.”

“Bryce, I really need to talk to you.”

“Then call me later. Right now, I need to get my son home. He needs to be in his own bed.”

I sighed. What could I say? Henry was probably safe at the Simpsons’ house. After all, Bryce would be there.

“When are you moving out?” I asked abruptly.

“I don’t know. Probably in a couple days. I was able to get an apartment right on the outside of town. I figure Henry and I can stay there until I find a place to buy. Frankly, I’m getting a little sick of living with my parents. My mom treats me like I’m twelve.”

I tried not to sigh with relief. “You just say the word, bro. I will be there to help you move.”

“No need. I rented the place furnished. All I need to do is move Henry’s stuff.”

“I’ll help you with that. Can you get in tomorrow?”

“Calm down, Joe. Probably this weekend. What’s your hurry?”

I pressed my lips together. I could not tell Bryce my suspicions about his father with Talon standing right here. Talon would go crazy…and rightfully so. Right now, I had to focus on my brother. He was distraught over this new evidence. Plus, Bryce was going to be home with Henry. He wouldn’t let anything happen to his child. I knew that. I just had to make sure Henry was never left alone with his grandfather.

“So what did you want to talk to me about anyway, Joe? You said something about one of the—”

“It can wait,” I said. God, if Bryce had finished that sentence, I would’ve had to spill the beans right in front of Talon. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. I’ll just go get Henry.” Bryce left us standing in the foyer.

In a few minutes, he returned with his son, still a sleeping bundle. “See you later,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, thanks for coming over, man. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Talon and I went into the family room. Time to open up the bar. I poured us each a drink, and then we sat down on the couch.

“I don’t even know how to approach this,” Talon said.

“I think you need to ask her. Talk to her first, before bringing the cops in.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Talon took a sip of his bourbon. “I just can’t imagine how her prints got on that card.”

I shook my head. “I sure don’t know either, but there may be a logical explanation. So you talk to her. Maybe take Jade with you. Or Marj.”

“It’s just so weird at the house right now, with Brooke there. And I love Marjorie, but Jade and I don’t get any alone time, except at night. And now this. I have to talk to my housekeeper about something really awkward.” He sighed.

“Tal, you may not solve everything that happened twenty-five years ago, but maybe you can at least find out who got in your house and left that flower for Jade. You have to follow this lead. You know that as well as I do.”

He took another sip of his drink and nodded. “I know that.”

“You want me to go with you to talk to her?”

“Yeah, maybe. I need some time to figure out what to do.”

“Understood.”

He furrowed his brow, the wrinkle on his forehead creasing. “You don’t really think Felicia could’ve had anything to do with this, do you?”

“Of course not. But we have to find out for sure.”

“God, when will this all end?”

“I don’t—” My phone buzzed.

“Go ahead and take it,” he said.

“No, I don’t have to.”

“For God’s sake, Joe, take the call. I’ve disrupted your and Ryan’s lives enough as it is.”

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket. It was a number I didn’t recognize, with the Grand Junction area code.

“Hello, Jonah Steel.”

“Jonah?”

The voice was soft, kind of parched. But it sounded an awful lot like…

“Melanie?”

Chapter Ten

Melanie

Just hearing his voice smoothed soothing lotion over my tired body and menaced mind. “Yes. It’s me. Melanie.”

“Are you all right? You haven’t been returning my calls. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Jonah.”

“You don’t sound fine. Where are you?”

“I’m in…the hospital.”

“What happened?”

“It’s a long story. But I’m going to be okay.”

“Are you at Valleycrest? I’m coming to see you.”

“No, it’s late. They won’t let you in.”

“They’ll let me in, by God.”

I sighed. I wanted to see him more than anything. I needed to see him, to know that he still existed in the world. Even if he could never return my feelings, I needed to touch his hard body, like a pillar of rock in the whirling tornado of my life.

“Yes,” I said, barely whispering. “Please come.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

I rang for my nurse and let her know I was going to have a visitor. Of course I got the standard lecture on hospital rules, but she finally relented and said she’d show my guest to my room when he arrived. I closed my eyes, picturing Jonah’s strong countenance.