Page 177 of Property of Bob

I sucked in a breath. “Jesus, Wade.”

“I was putting it back. I always planned to put it back. I only took what I needed, and I was going to put it back, I swear.”

“You were stealing from your own business and putting it back?”

“Trying to.”

I handed the picture back. “How is Ellie?”

Wade looked at it before sliding it into his wallet. “In remission.” The tension in his face eased for the first time. “Six months.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah.”

A small smile appeared. It changed his whole face. “Best fucking word I’ve ever heard.”

I believed him. That was the problem.

It would’ve been easier if Wade had shown up as the asshole I’d built him into in my head.

If he’d threatened me or demanded something. Told me I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. Instead, he looked like a tired father who had made a long string of increasingly stupid decisions because he’d been terrified of losing his kid.

I understood doing things you never thought you’d do because somebody you loved was in danger.

“What happened to the money?” I asked.

“I put it back.”

I frowned. “All of it?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Sold my boat. Sold my camper. Took out a personal loan for the rest.”

“You sold that stupid boat?”

His eyebrows lifted. “You hated my boat?”

“Everyone hated your boat. You started it at six in the morning.”

For the first time, Wade laughed. “I loved that boat.” Wade’s smile disappeared. “The books are clean now.”

“You mean you covered what you stole.”

“Yes.”

“And you came all this way to make sure I don’t report you.”

His gaze met mine. “Yes.”

At least he wasn’t lying.

“Were you ever going to hurt me?”

“No.” The answer came immediately.