“But it was what I didn’t find out that was the most revealing,” Reese explained.
“Such as?”
“Well, I did as you requested, looked into his personal life. I had my brother dig up the dirt on his financials. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Guy hordes money like it’s going out of style.”
“Tell Z I appreciate his help,” Travis told him, referring to Reese’s older brother Zachariah, known affectionately by his friends and family as simply Z.
“Already did.” Reese paused while the waitress delivered two iced teas and a grilled chicken salad Reese had evidently ordered before their arrival.
“Watchin’ the figure?” Gage teased, nodding at the overflow of greens in front of Reese.
“Always.” Reese picked up his fork, stabbed some lettuce, then peered up at Travis. “Anyway. The most interesting thing I learned is that Daniel is dating a woman named Phoebe Monroe.”
Travis squeezed his lemon into his tea, dropped the wedge into the glass. “Why’s that interesting?”
“Well, Phoebe Monroe has quite the social life. Girl’s always out and about, all over Austin. I get the feelin’ she’s quite into the Sixth Street scene based on her social media.”
Travis wasn’t sure where Reese was going with this, but he refrained from grilling him, hoping the man would get to the point soon.
“And she’s tethered to her Instagram account. Posts at least two dozen pictures every single day.” Reese took a bite, chewed, reached for his ice water, drank. Very efficient in his movements. “Odd thing is, her boyfriend of four years isn’t in any of those pictures.”
“Maybe Daniel’s camera shy,” Gage noted.
Reese took another bite, shook his head. “Oh, no. Definitely not the case. His Instagram’s overflowing, too.”
Travis peered at Gage, over to Maddox, back to Reese. “And what does this mean to me?”
“Daniel and Phoebe have been together for four years, even have it noted on their Facebook relationship statuses, but Daniel’s only been in one picture with her in all that time. Just so happens to be a picture of roughly half a dozen people.” Reese washed down another bite with water. “Only ol’ Danny-boy’s not snugglin’ up to the blond princess.”
Travis frowned, waiting not-so-patiently for the point.
Reese held up his fork, like a light bulb over his head. He held it there while he grabbed his phone, brought the screen to life with one hand, then set it on the table and slid it over to Travis.
“That’s the picture.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Travis grumbled.
Gage bumped his shoulder. “Looks like you really were onto something.”
*
Jeff pulled into the parking lot of the diner and maneuvered into a spot beside Kennedy’s. He hopped out and instantly smiled at the two faces beaming up at him from the back seat of Kennedy’s SUV. When he heard the locks disengage, he opened the door and leaned inside.
“What’s goin’ on, little guys?” he asked his grandsons, who were now smiling ear to ear.
“We have dinner with Pawpaw,” Matthew said in his three-year-old speak.
“Yes, you are havin’ dinner with Pawpaw,” he told him as he unbuckled Brody from his car seat and hefted the eighteen-month-old into his arms. “I think you’ve gained weight, little man.”
Brody tugged at his hair and planted a sloppy wet kiss on Jeff’s cheek, making him chuckle.
Kennedy opened the opposite door, released Matthew’s fancy-ride buckles. But rather than take her hand, the little guy crawled over Brody’s seat and popped out of the car on Jeff’s side. He took Jeff’s hand and proceeded to lead the way into the restaurant, hungry based on his urgent tug on his hand.
With both his hands occupied, he was unable to open the door for his daughter, but once she swung it wide, Jeff held it with his foot, allowing her to walk inside.
Once they were at the table—Brody in a highchair, Matthew standing in the booth beside him, and Kennedy across from him—Jeff turned his attention to Kennedy.
“Not that I mind havin’ dinner with my daughter,” he said, “but is everything all right?”
