“Where are you going?”
“To check on something. I’ll be back.” He walked over to the driver. “Hey. Can I see that authorization paper again?”
“Sure. But it’s all legit.”
“I believe you. It just sucks because this is not what we were expecting.”
“I hear ya. Glad this ain’t a foreclosure. Those are the freakin’ worst.” He passed Tobin the clipboard.
This time Tobin took his time flipping through the pages. Everything was laid out, exactly how it should be packed.
Nothing from the barn was on the list.
Nor the garage.
He reached the last page.
The signature and the date on the last page.
If he’d eaten anything he might be sick.
The moving van, the packing, everything had been set in motion . . . the day after Jade had arrived in Wyoming. The date? TBD. To be determined.
Miz G never had a chance.
But he knew Jade didn’t have a damn thing to do with any of it.
Not only would she be upset for her grandmother, she’d have to deal with the fact her father had lied to her from the start. And in the end . . . he’d betrayed both his mother and his daughter.
Jade will need you more than ever.
Tobin’s boots felt encased in cement as he crossed back over to her.
She scrambled to her feet. “What did you find?”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you. I am here for you today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and the next decade. Please tell me you believe in us. That we’ll get through this and not only be together, but be stronger together.”
“I promise. I love you. Now tell me.”
And he did.
Her tears were so silent he feared she’d stopped breathing.
He just held her.
Later, when they were sitting on the ground, Jade curled against his chest and lost in thought, the side doors on the moving van clanged shut. The ramps were loaded up in the back.
The driver ambled over. “We’re done.”
Tobin and Jade got to their feet.
“You don’t need to sign nothin’. We gotta git so we can unload before dark.”
Tobin almost asked where the stuff was being stored, but did it really matter?
They held hands as they walked into the house. It was hard not to stop and stare in shock at the bareness of the rooms in front of them that had been so full of stuff. Full of life.
Living room: empty of furniture.
Dining room: no table, no china cabinet.
Tobin clutched Jade’s hand as they entered the kitchen together.
She made a soft gasp.
Not a dish. Not a towel. Not a knickknack. Not a cookbook.
Just the appliances.
And one lone jar of strawberry champagne preserves on the counter.
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” she demanded hoarsely.
Tobin kissed her forehead. “Let’s get out of here. Go grab something to eat and figure out what to do next, okay?”
She nodded.
As they were walking out of the kitchen, the screen door slammed.
Miz G stormed in.
The three of them stood in the empty living room, staring at one another.
Then Miz G noticed Tobin had his arm around Jade. Her eyes narrowed. “Who can explain what in tarnation is goin’ on here?”
Jade had wondered all day what she’d say to GG.
But now, standing in front of her, Jade’s mind blanked, her vocal cords shorted out and she couldn’t move away from Tobin’s side.
He didn’t miss a beat. He kissed Jade’s forehead, knowing full well that GG watched. “We’re wondering the same thing. The day started like any other, then the next thing we knew, a moving van showed up. Me’n Jade both looked at the paperwork, but there wasn’t a damn thing we could do but stand outside and watch as they loaded everything. We tried calling your son, since it was his goddamned signature—”
GG held up her hand, stopping Tobin’s flow of words before she turned away, toward the front door.
Jade could see she’d put her hand over her mouth. Probably to keep herself from crying.
Then GG slowly walked the width of the room and the length, down along the wall to the staircase, keeping her back to them the entire time. The floor squeaked more loudly in the empty space. Her footfalls faded as she headed into the sitting room. And then down the hallway. The doors to the bedrooms and closets were opened and closed.
Through it all, Tobin kept Jade wrapped in his arms. His big hands in constant motion as he tried to soothe her.
The footsteps returned and Jade’s heart jumped into her throat. The saloon doors clattered—angrily?—as GG entered the kitchen.
Tobin kissed the top of Jade’s head. “Come on, tiger. Let’s face it head-on. Together.”
“Okay.” Clasping Tobin’s hand, Jade led him into the kitchen.