Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) by Denise Grover Swank Page A
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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Wayne, you can’t be part of this. If you get caught up in any of it, you’ll go back to prison. Maybe for good.”
“Why did you do it at all?”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Skeeter told me Mason’s life was in danger. He promised to help protect him.” He looked doubtful. “Mason’s car accident wasn’t an accident , Bruce Wayne. Someone tried to kill him.”
He blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Joe said his brake lines had been cut.” I lowered my voice. “But you can’t tell anyone. They kept it from the public.”
“Why would Skeeter want to protect Mason?”
I shrugged. “To get me to help him. Like you said, he knows how to get people to do what he wants.”
“Okay. So he helped you and you helped him at this meeting. You’re done.”
“No, Bruce Wayne. I’m not.” I licked my bottom lip. “I’m stuck for six more months.”
“What? How?”
I cringed. “The fire at that strip club Gems. Mason was trapped inside. Skeeter saved Mason, but only after I agreed to help him for six months. But Mason has no idea Skeeter saved him and you can’t breathe a word of it.”
He walked to the window and looked out at the courthouse. “You have to tell Mason.”
I gripped the arms of my desk chair. “I can’t.” My voice sounded small and afraid, even to me.
“He’s gonna find out, Rose.”
“Maybe not,” I hedged. “I’ve kept it from him so far.”
He didn’t say anything, only kept looking out the window.
“I can do this, Bruce Wayne.”
“Then let me help you.”
I shook my head, adamant. “No. You can’t be involved.”
“I already am involved. I’m the one who got you involved.”
We’d had this argument too many times to count. “I’m stuck in this mess. If you want to help me, the best thing you can do is help cover for me.”
“Rose…”
“I can’t tell Mason. It could ruin his career.”
“It’s gonna be worse when he finds out. Or if someone else finds out for him.”
“Look, Skeeter was actually nice to me. Maybe I can convince him to let me off the hook.”
He turned around and looked at me like I’d just announced I was gonna take up mud wrestling. “You can’t seriously believe that.”
No, but a girl could hope. “I don’t want to talk about Skeeter Malcolm anymore.”
He scowled, then sighed. “Fine. We can talk about another problem. I think we have enough equipment to handle bigger landscaping jobs now, but after I picked up the mower from the estate sale last week, I realized there’s no way it’ll all fit in the storage unit out back. It’s in my garage for now, but I still need to pick up a few bigger pieces. We need something else.”
“We can use the barn out on the farm.”
“I got a flatbed trailer to cart the equipment to the job sites, but you’re gonna have to pull the trailer around with your truck. My car won’t do it.”
“Sounds like you need a truck,” I said.
“I can’t afford a truck, Rose.”
“You don’t have to afford a truck, Bruce Wayne. The business would pay for it and it’s a good idea…”
“Only we can’t afford it. We’ve shot the wad on the front-end loader. We’ve got too much money going out, and none coming in.”
He was right.
His cheeks flushed, a sure sign he didn’t want to discuss the next subject, but he plunged ahead anyway. “You know I think Neely Kate workin’ here is a good idea, but how are we gonna pay her?”
I’d wondered the same thing. “I’ll just pay her out of my paycheck.”
He shook his head. “That’s not fair to you. If we’re partners, we should split the difference.”
“Bruce Wayne, the farm is free and clear with no mortgage, and Mason is pulling more than his half in terms of our living expenses. You need all you’re making to pay your rent and utilities.”
“It doesn’t seem right.”
“I was the one to suggest that she work for us. I should have consulted you first, so it’s more than fair for me to cover her
“Why did you do it at all?”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Skeeter told me Mason’s life was in danger. He promised to help protect him.” He looked doubtful. “Mason’s car accident wasn’t an accident , Bruce Wayne. Someone tried to kill him.”
He blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Joe said his brake lines had been cut.” I lowered my voice. “But you can’t tell anyone. They kept it from the public.”
“Why would Skeeter want to protect Mason?”
I shrugged. “To get me to help him. Like you said, he knows how to get people to do what he wants.”
“Okay. So he helped you and you helped him at this meeting. You’re done.”
“No, Bruce Wayne. I’m not.” I licked my bottom lip. “I’m stuck for six more months.”
“What? How?”
I cringed. “The fire at that strip club Gems. Mason was trapped inside. Skeeter saved Mason, but only after I agreed to help him for six months. But Mason has no idea Skeeter saved him and you can’t breathe a word of it.”
He walked to the window and looked out at the courthouse. “You have to tell Mason.”
I gripped the arms of my desk chair. “I can’t.” My voice sounded small and afraid, even to me.
“He’s gonna find out, Rose.”
“Maybe not,” I hedged. “I’ve kept it from him so far.”
He didn’t say anything, only kept looking out the window.
“I can do this, Bruce Wayne.”
“Then let me help you.”
I shook my head, adamant. “No. You can’t be involved.”
“I already am involved. I’m the one who got you involved.”
We’d had this argument too many times to count. “I’m stuck in this mess. If you want to help me, the best thing you can do is help cover for me.”
“Rose…”
“I can’t tell Mason. It could ruin his career.”
“It’s gonna be worse when he finds out. Or if someone else finds out for him.”
“Look, Skeeter was actually nice to me. Maybe I can convince him to let me off the hook.”
He turned around and looked at me like I’d just announced I was gonna take up mud wrestling. “You can’t seriously believe that.”
No, but a girl could hope. “I don’t want to talk about Skeeter Malcolm anymore.”
He scowled, then sighed. “Fine. We can talk about another problem. I think we have enough equipment to handle bigger landscaping jobs now, but after I picked up the mower from the estate sale last week, I realized there’s no way it’ll all fit in the storage unit out back. It’s in my garage for now, but I still need to pick up a few bigger pieces. We need something else.”
“We can use the barn out on the farm.”
“I got a flatbed trailer to cart the equipment to the job sites, but you’re gonna have to pull the trailer around with your truck. My car won’t do it.”
“Sounds like you need a truck,” I said.
“I can’t afford a truck, Rose.”
“You don’t have to afford a truck, Bruce Wayne. The business would pay for it and it’s a good idea…”
“Only we can’t afford it. We’ve shot the wad on the front-end loader. We’ve got too much money going out, and none coming in.”
He was right.
His cheeks flushed, a sure sign he didn’t want to discuss the next subject, but he plunged ahead anyway. “You know I think Neely Kate workin’ here is a good idea, but how are we gonna pay her?”
I’d wondered the same thing. “I’ll just pay her out of my paycheck.”
He shook his head. “That’s not fair to you. If we’re partners, we should split the difference.”
“Bruce Wayne, the farm is free and clear with no mortgage, and Mason is pulling more than his half in terms of our living expenses. You need all you’re making to pay your rent and utilities.”
“It doesn’t seem right.”
“I was the one to suggest that she work for us. I should have consulted you first, so it’s more than fair for me to cover her
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