“You went into business together,” Kate said.
“We did.”
“But if it’s all so aboveboard, why do people think there’s something underhanded going on?”
For an answer, he just looked at her.
“Your father’s reputation.”
“Right. And the fact that Sara wanted her part in it kept secret.”
“Afraid Roy would hit her up for money?”
“Him and everyone else. And she wanted people to think I did everything on my own. Not many people believed that Roy Wyatt’s eighteen-year-old son could run a business—and sometimes I thought they were right. But I managed.” He gave a little smile of pride. “Anyway, after I took out for wages and materials, Sara and I split everything fifty-fifty. She loved doing it! We’d meet in New York twice a year and I’d show her floor plans of what was for sale. We’d spend at least a week together and she’d feed me until I could hardly walk. And we’d go to lots of Broadway shows. I have a weakness for them.”
“And no one knew of this?”
“I didn’t even tell my mother. I was afraid she’d slip and tell Roy.”
“Did he, uh... Did he and your mother get back together?”
“He tried. He told her she’d always been the one he loved and that all the bad he’d done was because he was so angry at being fool enough to lose her. Et cetera. Et cetera.”
“I could see how that would do it. She’s a strong woman to be able to resist that.” Kate looked up. “If you were buying houses, Roy must have thought Henry left you a lot of money.”
“That’s exactly what he thought. He tried to get me to ‘help him out,’ meaning to cut him in on the profits, but I refused.”
From the way he said that, Kate guessed that there were some heated—maybe violent—arguments. She held out her glass and Jack refilled both of theirs. “Who knows what now?”
“The town only knows that Sara Medlar bought the biggest house in Lachlan, paid the town bad boy’s son to remodel it, and now we’re moved in together. Old-timers like Sheriff Flynn think we’re trying to make people believe we aren’t trash. To him, that’s impossible to achieve.”
“That must hurt.” She looked at him over the wineglass. “Am I the only one who knows this?”
“Yes. Ivy thinks I paid for her schooling, but Sara did. And Evan thinks—” He drew in his breath. “Thought I was going to send him to veterinarian school. He’d only finally made up his mind about what he wanted to be when—when...”
Kate looked out at the water. “You said you were going to move out. Did you mean that?”
“At the moment I did. It was your eyes. I knew what you’d heard about me, so I asked Sara if she’d mind if I told you the truth.” He lifted one side of his hip, withdrew his wallet and handed her a tiny flash drive. “All the paperwork of Wyatt Construction is on there, plus the name and number of our accounting firm. Sara’s name is on everything, including payments. You can check it all out.”
She took the little drive. “I believe you.”
“You’ll keep this to yourself? No telling your boyfriend?”
“He’s not—” She stopped. “I won’t tell anyone, even my mother. But if she thinks I’m keeping even the tiniest secret from her, she’ll put me through an interrogation that will be torture. I swear I won’t reveal this. I’ll protect you and Aunt Sara.”
“Thank you.” He still had his wallet in hand, and he withdrew a card. “A school friend, Gayle Ashe, called me yesterday. Her husband got a job in Houston and they’ve moved out. They’re going to put their house in Lachlan up for sale. Dad built the house and it was one of the first I worked on. Three bedrooms, three and a half baths on half an acre. Gayle wanted me to make some minor repairs before calling Tayla.”
He handed her his business card with the address on the back. “I thought maybe you could show the house to Stewart before it comes onto the market. He might like the place. It would be your first sale in Lachlan.”
“Thank you.”
Jack leaned back over the bench. “Sara’s putting her notebook away. You ready to go home?”
When Kate stood up, the two glasses of wine made her trip and Jack caught her arm. “Thank you for telling me all this. I feel honored that you trust me with it.” She smiled at him. “You’re like the brother I never had.” She walked past him to return to her aunt.
“Your what?” Jack said under his breath, then louder, “Brother? You think I’m your brother?”
THIRTEEN