Page 52 of Cautious Love

The corner of his mouth tips up. “You do this thing when you think of something or maybe scheme something. I haven’t figured that out yet, but you purse your lips a little, it’s like a tick.”

My lips roll over my teeth to hide them. I don’t know if I feel exposed or seen, maybe a bit of both. I also had no idea I did that.

“Uh, yeah, so he has poker nights once a week. He’d always take a six-pack with him, and either a friend would come and pick him up or he’d drive himself. But he usually wouldn’t roll back in until maybe around two in the morning. I never thought much about it. I was either at the Wooden Cowboy or sound asleep because I had to get up early in the morning.”

Ledger nods. “Do you know if they actually played poker? Or did he tell you that?”

“He told me it was poker, but I don’t know for sure,” I whisper.

“That’s alright. Was there anything else out of the ordinary, or something you think was normal but maybe isn’t?”

“Why are you asking me this?”

He tongues the inside of his cheek and stares at his hands. “I can’t give you that information.”

“I feel like I should—”

“But it’s not because I don’t want to. Can you trust me on that?” he says.

I stare at him, and his beautiful brown eyes. Everything about him makes me feel safe. He’s given me no reasonnotto trust him.

“Yeah, I trust you.”

“I won’t let you down, Shiloh,” he says, his expression serious and no-nonsense.

“I never figured you would.”

He huffs. “Did anyone ever drop off his product?”

I start to say no, but then a memory pops up like I searched for it online. “Normally, no, but there was one time I was coming home a little early from work, which is not my norm. I was pissed because I thought he was cheating because I didn’t recognize the car, but then I saw his sister Kate coming out of our house. I assume she dropped things off. They don’t exactlyhang out.”

“Did she ever do it again?” he asks.

“Not that I know of,” I mumble. “But then again, he was cheating on me with my former best friend and I had no idea, so maybe she did.”

“Does he usually go straight to the ranch to pick up?”

“That’s my assumption, otherwise I don’t know how else he gets it because his dad is a piece of work, and I doubt it would happen at the mechanics. You know, Jimmy, he would be the first to call you.”

He nods and rubs his mustache in thought.

“Are you trying to arrest Grey?” I ask.

Ledger puffs out a breath. “I would like to, but not for these reasons.” He stares at me, and I can read between the lines. He wants me to press charges, and normally I would. But I have no interest in bringing more trouble into my life,or Ledgers.It feels like we’re toeing the line as it is, being married.

“You don’t need to be afraid of him, and what happened today will never happen again. I’ll protect you if you let me.”

I pick at my cuticles, trying to hide my smile. “I appreciate that, and I’m sure you think that’s possible. Yes, Grey is an idiot, but I’m more concerned about his family if Grey were to be … taken off the board.”

“I see,” he says.

I finally lift my gaze to his and part of me wants to say yes to make him happy. But the other part of me doesn’t want to face it again. It’s all too much.

“I need you to think long and hard about any little thing you might have seen, heard. What ever it is, I need you to tell me,” he says.

My throat closes up as the memories flood my mind, threatening to pour from me, but I can’t. I can’t tell him any of it.

“He would take me to the Wooden Cowboy or Perry’s and tell me were going on a date, but would end up selling the entire night.”