“We’re working on this job together.”
“Are you kidding me? That kid is Ford’s son?”
“Steve—”
“At what point were you going to tell me that we have two obvious suspects in front of our faces?”
“It wasn’t either of them.” Andrew jerked forward. “Dalton checked out, and Ford would not do that to his son.”
A nasty huff left Steven in disbelief. “You ever stop to think they might have planned this together?”
“They are helping me with the case.”
“Or maybe you’re just putting blind faith in a man who should be back in prison.”
“Youhelped him cut a deal.”
“For the greater good. That doesn’t mean he’s reformed.”
“So what would? Immaculate conception?”
He saw the steam about to pour from Steven’s ears and rushed on to keep the upper hand.
“Vallancourt is in on this too. You want to berate her next?”
“She trusts Ford?”
“She trusts Dalton. And me. It’s a shame you never do.”
Silence settled over the table, the brief respite of good will that had existed between them long since squashed.
Steven was the first to break the quiet. “I thought we didn’t keep secrets in this family.”
“We don’t. I wasn’t…” Andrew trailed off when he had to admit that he had been keeping secrets, and he had a lot more he hoped his brother never learn about. “I was trying to protect a friend.”
“Who? Wellesley? Or Ford? He’d still be in jail if you hadn’t gone easy on him.”
“Easy? I did everything I could to prove the rest of those thefts were his, but the classifieds weren’t enough, and you know it.”
“Then why defend him now? He’s your competition. You can’t tell me that wasn’t purposeful, and now you’re working with him?”
Andrew bit back his next retort. He’d always assumed it was purposeful too, but he didn’t believe that anymore. Ford had changed—for Dalton—and security was the only thing that made sense for him. “He’s different. And you met Dalton. He’s a good kid. If you saw them together, you’d understand. You’d want to give Ford another chance too.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do.”
“Then you won’t have a problem inviting them over for dinner.”
“What?” The combative adrenaline drained from Andrew’s body.
“If Ford’s so worthy of a second chance, you should feel comfortable having him under this roof. Or is that not true?”
Technically, Andrewhadhad Ford under this roof—by the fireplace.
And on the sofa.
“It… is,” Andrew said hesitantly. “I am comfortable. It’s just... there’s one small problem—and this is not me backtracking. I trust Ford. There’s just something you should know.” Collapsing back into his seat, Andrew tried to tell himself that keeping this between only a handful of people was never going to pan out anyway. “Dalton thinks Ford and I used to date.”
