BILLIONAIRE FOR KEEPS: Book 3 (Point St. Claire, where true love finds a way) by Robyn Grady Read Free Book Online Page B

ain’t that a woman for you.” The old gentleman was ambling over. “Making a man chase her all over Kingdom come.”
    Griffin nodded a warm greeting. “How you doing, Judd?”
    Judd tipped his cap. “Worn thin.”
    Griffin saw to introductions.
    “And you’ve already met my great granddaughter.” Judd leaned over, gnarled hands on coverall knees. “Say how d’ye do to the folks, little Miss.”
    The girl peered into Vanessa’s eyes with such a curious look. Then she clapped a dimpled hand over her mouth and threw it out again―blowing her kiss along with a beaming smile.
    Vanessa laughed. “She’s gorgeous.” So precious .
    “And, I bet, a hand full,” Griffin added, smiling, but meaning it, too.
    Judd was eying Vanessa. “I’ve seen you before around here,” he said.
    “We were up a few weeks ago,” Griffin said.
    Judd’s brow wrinkled more. “I’m thinking back. Way back.”
    Vanessa was thinking back, too. “My family used to come here for vacations when I was young.”
    Judd nodded deeply. “ Ayuh . It’s your hair. It was like a flame back then. Could spot it a mile away. You used to follow your Daddy around. He liked to fish any chance he got.”
    Sure . Now Vanessa remembered. “You’re Mr. Everett. You used to give my dad tips on sinkers and hooks.”
    “One and the same. How’s your pa doing?”
    Griffin replied. “He passed away last month.”
    Judd rubbed his scratchy jaw. “Sorry to hear it.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “He never got tired of saying how you helped him with his model ships, handing over all those itty-biddy pieces for him to fit in.”
    Vanessa bit her inside cheek against the threat of tears. Ronan’s death…the funeral…it was still so raw. “We were close.” Particularly back then.
    “There’s nothing like a father’s love for his children,” Judd said. “ Nothing . And that’s the honest truth of it.”
    Something must have caught the little girl’s eye. She scampered off again and Judd trundled after her. Good timing because Vanessa had suddenly choked up so much, so doubted she could speak.  
    Griffin obviously saw she was upset. He got up and slid in alongside of her.
    “Judd has the best memory in all of Maine. I bet if we asked him, he’d remember that horse of yours, too.”  
    Vanessa’s insides clenched, but wouldn’t give herself a chance to soften more. They’d talked long enough.
    “I need to speak with Jace.”
    He hesitated, slanted his head. “You’re staying here for a while, aren’t you.”
    “Did the realty agent tell you that?”
    He frowned. “No. When you weren’t at the office, when you wouldn’t return any of my calls…this was the first place I thought of.”
    “Now you can turn around and go back to Boston.”
    A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I’m worried about you.”
    “I’m a big girl now, remember?”
    From now on, she’d take care of herself.
    *
    After Griffin left the booth, Vanessa and Jace discussed the logistics of her promotion. There’d be lots of phone calls and Skype and emails. But Vanessa had every faith in her friend’s capabilities and, just as important, loyalty. Besides…
    There were things way more important than business.
    Two hours later, Jace shut her laptop and lowered her voice. “He’s still there, isn’t he? Sitting at the counter, waiting.”
    Vanessa flicked a glance across. Griffin was studying his cup of coffee. He wore black dress pants, white business shirt, no tie. His hair was ruffled. He hadn’t picked up his cell phone the entire time.
    Vanessa finished her third glass of milk. “You’d think he had nowhere better to be.”
    “I’ll follow you back to your place. Stay the night.”
    Vanessa wanted to reach across and hug her. God, she loved this woman. But, “I’m not afraid of him, Jace.”
    “You’re just in love with him, which is way more dangerous, considering the beast in question.” She looked hard at ‘the beast’ and exhaled. “I