Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27300 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“What?” Gracie gasps, her face going as white as a sheet. “Me? But everyone knows that I’m a farmer! I don’t do drugs!”
“Yes, but your brother and father were framing you,” I repeat in a low voice. “You were going to take the fall, while they stayed out of jail while continuing to indulge their habit. Hell, they’d probably continue to cook and sell, seeing that the police had a bust under their belt. You know, quotas and all.”
“Me?” Gracie whispers again, her eyes pooling with tears. “I can’t believe it. This is total and utter betrayal.”
Unable to help myself, I pull her soft curves into my lap while holding her tight with strong arms.
“It is an incredible betrayal by those closest to you in the world,” I murmur into her soft blonde hair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. If I could make it better, I would. I can’t imagine how you must feel just now.”
Gracie breaks down totally then, hiding her face in my chest while her shoulders shudder with sobs. My heart squeezes painfully because I love this woman and can’t bear to see her like this. But after a few minutes, she lifts her face to me, tear-stained and delicate.
“But how did you get involved, Braden? I mean, how did you convince law enforcement to confront Rob and Jim? Why did Chief Briscoe even let you come with him on the raid? It was a police matter, so I’m surprised they didn’t have all sorts of red tape keeping civilians out.”
Oh shit. This is where the pedal hits the metal. I take a deep breath because this is my make-it-or-break-it moment. I have to tell the truth, and I’m not sure if Gracie will forgive me when she finds out that almost everything I’ve shared about my identity is a lie.
“That’s a good question,” I begin in a low voice. “The fact is that I am your neighbor.”
She blinks.
“Right, because you inherited your cabin from your grandparents a couple years ago. You’re here in Fairview relaxing because you’ve been so busy with work as a journeyman lumberjack.”
“Sort of. Well no, not exactly,” I amend.
Grace stares at me, her expression confused.
“What do you mean ‘not exactly’? That’s exactly what you told me.”
I sigh because here comes the hard part.
“I embellished. Okay, I lied,” I correct. “I’m not a lumberjack. I’m a tech CEO and I have my own company called Duality Technologies. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s a lot like X, or Twitter, or whatever it’s called these days.”
There’s a pregnant pause between us.
“You’re a tech bro?” Grace asks, her eyes squinting. “Really? But why didn’t you say so? Why the lumberjack ruse?”
I take a deep breath before fixing her with a look.
“There’s a lot of publicity that surrounds tech bros. Some dudes like it, and some dudes don’t. Some guys even welcome the attention, and pursue it at all costs. But I happen to be the kind that hates publicity, so I like to stay on the downlow.”
“Okay,” Gracie says, her expression still confused. “I kind of get it. But not really.”
I sigh.
“There are a lot of eyes on us, all the time. It’s almost impossible to have a private life, and I hate that kind of shit. So I hide, and tend to go incognito. People think I have a dark secret, but I don’t. Yeah, I like rough sex, but that’s not that fucked-up. The truth is that I fucking hate being chased by reporters, and constantly misquoted in the papers. I hate that they leap on every woman I date, and the rumors that swirl whenever I go out.”
“But you’re a CEO,” Gracie says in a slow voice. “So how do you avoid it?”
I nod.
“Well, I’m actually co-CEO of the company, along with my twin brother Mason. He acts as the public face of the firm, whereas I’m the background ops guy. The arrangement works, and provides a lot of cover.”
“You have a twin brother?” Grace demands, sparks beginning to shoot from her eyes. “You never mentioned that! What else haven’t you told me?”
A look of remorse crosses my face.
“A lot, unfortunately. But let this be my mea culpa. I came to Fairview with every intention of flying below the radar. I had no intention of talking to anyone, meeting anyone, or causing any waves whatsoever.”
“It’s a little late for that don’t you think?” Grace says in a dry tone. “That definitely didn’t happen.”
I hang my head with shame.
“Yes, because unexpected shit blew up, and I guess that’s how life is sometimes. But yes, I met you and it was amazing. But I’m not a lumberjack, as you know now. I’m a property owner. I actually do own the land bordering yours, but not just the small sliver that has my cabin on it. I own the entire hillside, Gracie, and I’m erecting a massive lodge that’s going to be equipped with all the amenities. It’s going to be a fucking wonder. But it’s under construction, so right now, I’m living in the small cottage that you know.”