If he tugged her back to his side, she’d forget all about taking a short break and peel that soft cotton T-shirt over his head right here in her kitchen.
When her second reluctant step toward the island put pressure on his grip, his fingers tightened for a second, but then he released her. She bit back a sigh of disappointment.
Suck it up and get your ass back to work.
She tossed her garbage and turned on the faucet to wash her hands. “The PI your brother hired said Grayson and his mom didn’t have money, right? So, is all this about making money off the story, or sabotaging your dad’s campaign?”
“Both most likely. Loyal texted me just before I got here and said it appears Grayson’s mother’s ex-husband sold the story to the opposition.”
“The ex-husband? Was it a recent divorce?”
“Yeah. They were only married a couple of years.”
“Maybe that’s why it’s coming out now.”
“Could be.”
“What a jerk. Though, his mother kind of is, too, for lying and keeping that secret all those years.”
“I still can’t wrap my head around why. They didn’t have money back then or now. From what the PI has said, they both live in small houses and drive older vehicles, she’s a waitress at a tourist restaurant, and he joined the military right out of high school instead of going to college. He’s been self-employed doing odd jobs since he got out a couple years ago.”
She leaned her hip against the island counter as she grabbed a towel to dry her hands. “What does any of that matter? Not everyone can afford college, or, he might not have even wanted to go. I went straight into designing cakes out of high school.”
“I guess I’m coming from the angle parents are supposed to want better for their kids, so why would his mother struggle all those years when she could have received child support from my dad? He would’ve supported them both if he’d known.”
Honor rested the towel on the counter. “Maybe she was afraid.”
“Of my dad?” he asked with disbelief.
“Of losing her baby. If your family was as well known then as it is now, she knew your dad had a lot more money than she did. He would’ve been able to afford a whole team of lawyers to gain custody and take him away.”
Asher’s brow furrowed as he swiped a napkin across his lips and met her gaze. “My dad wouldn’t have done that.”
“You don’t know that any more than Grayson’s mother did.”
“I don’t believe this.” He swiveled in the chair to face her. “Are you seriously tak
ing her side?”
“No.” Her voice rose in response to his. “What she did was completely wrong. All I’m doing is offering a possible reason why. You’ve never had to worry about money, Asher. Never had to worry about what it can and can’t buy.”
He stared at her for a long moment, as if taken aback by her words. For the first time since they met, she saw him as the rich guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth and realized they’d been raised worlds apart. Yet, she’d never felt that from him. Not once, until she had to be a jerk and point it out.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean—”
“No. It’s fine,” he said. “You’re absolutely right.” After a long beat of silence, he added, in a low voice, “But I guarantee you, my dad would not have taken the baby away.”
“Okay.” She held up her hands, then reached for her sealed bag of fondant. “I understand that you do know your dad better than her, but you’ve spent almost thirty years with him. She was with him for one night—and you know they didn’t spend that time learning about each other’s character.”
He made a sound of disgruntled dismay as he turned back to the table. “I really don’t want to think about that.”
“Sorry.”
He shook his head and picked at his food. Not quite knowing what to say, she focused her gaze down, kneading a chunk of the fondant with the heels of her hands, softening the icing so she could roll it out.
“What would you do?”
Honor glanced up in surprise to see Asher had once again turned in his chair to face her. His intense gaze made her pulse skip a few beats, and she lowered her lashes. “About what?”