“Glenda Spencer has one niece—Grissele Cash.”
Aunt Glenda.I didn’t need her address.I’d been to her house more than once with Crosby.
Putting on my blinker, I moved to the turning lane.Seemed it was time I went for a visit.
“Keep trying to get Cressida’s background check,” I told him before ending the call.
I made a U-turn, not caring that it was illegal at that stoplight.It was the least of the crimes I’d done in my life.My phone dinged, and I glanced down to see the address that Ted had sent me.Aunt Glenda hadn’t moved.
It wasn’t a fucking coincidence that Cressida was in Aunt Glenda’s Cadillac.Whatever the fuck my dad, Fender, and Linc were up to, I didn’t like them messing with Cressida’s life.
Why had she been in Glenda’s car?How had they connected the two?What other family did Glenda have?Was there a grandson or nephew I didn’t know about?Was Cressida with him?Did everyone know but me?
I stopped at the next red light as my internal battle waged on.My going to Glenda’s would get back to Linc.I’d likely be sent to fucking Alabama before nightfall.But they were keeping something from me.And Cressida was involved.What if she’d gotten married or was with some other guy?
My chest felt so goddamn tight that I had to rub it.FUCK!Why did I still care?She should be dead to me.What was it going to take to get her out of my head?I wanted my life back, here in Madison.And I’d gotten a chance to maybe convince everyone I was good to come home, and she had shown up.
When the light turned green, I didn’t go straight.I wasn’t messing this up.I had to move on with my life and let this shit with Cressida go.I turned right and headed toward the Carvers’ distillery instead.Gathe was there.He’d texted me to meet him and Than for lunch, but I’d ignored it because I was waiting to hear what Ted had found out on Cressida.
Time to change my focus.Get my head straight again.
Than slid another bottle of whiskey across the table toward me.“Damn, it’s good having you home,” he said, picking up the glass he had just filled and taking a drink.
“Ain’t that the truth?”Gathe said with a slur.
We’d been drinking for a few hours now.It started with a game of Texas Hold’em and moved to a game of pool, and then we’d ordered burgers and kept drinking.
“Seems the only way we get Than over here for a guys’ night is having you here,” Gathe added.
“That’s not true,” Than replied.
“Yeah, it fucking is,” Forge said, walking back into the room with a bag of chips.
“No it isn’t!I was at Bane’s for the Egg Bowl,” he argued.
“That doesn’t count.You also had Montana on your lap,” Forge shot back at him.
“All the women were there, not a guys’ night,” Gathe pointed out.
Than shrugged then.“Well, Six is prettier than the two of you.”
Six was his nickname for Montana, his fiancée.
“You’re pussy-whipped,” Gathe told him.
Than nodded.“Abso-fuckin’-lutely I am.Completely obsessed with her.”
I opened the bottle and filled my glass.I was glad Than was happy, but hearing how happy his woman made him brought back shit I was trying to shove away.Lock up.Forget.
“It’s almost nine o’clock, and you’ve had me for six hours,” Than said, taking another drink.“But Six will be home from her Christmas shopping trip soon.”
Gathe groaned.“Leaving before ten?The night is young.”
“And once I leave, the three of you can move this party to the strip club.”
He had a point.That would be a distraction.
“Good idea.”Gathe nodded.
