The Secrets of Stone Bridge 01-A Vintage of Regret by Talty Jen

Author:Talty, Jen [Talty, Jen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, American Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Romance, California
Publisher: Jupiter Press
Published: 2025-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

Bryson’s father’s home office smelled faintly of tobacco and old books, even though his dad hadn’t smoked in decades. The big oak desk occupied half the room, its surface a mess of neatly stacked ledgers, printouts, and an open laptop Mason had brought from home. Sunlight slanted in through the tall window, catching in the dust motes that swirled lazily in the air.

Bryson leaned against the doorframe, mug of coffee in hand. “You planning on building a fortress with all that paper, Dad?”

Walter glanced up from his reading glasses. “If it keeps you out of my office, maybe.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

From where he sat at the desk, Mason smirked. “I think Bryson’s just trying to keep you too busy to notice that Riley’s moved into his wing of the house.”

Bryson narrowed his eyes. “She’s not⁠—”

“Oh, she’s taken up residence,” Walter cut in, clearly enjoying himself now. “And I gotta say, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you looking this happy over a houseguest.” His father smiled a little too widely. “Can’t imagine why.”

Bryson ignored them both and crossed the room, setting his coffee down next to the laptop. “What have you found?”

The teasing faded quickly, replaced by a thick, tense quiet. Mason tapped the ledger in front of him. “Here’s the problem. We have checks from the revitalization fund ledger, signed by Grant. Not a big deal. Only, some aren’t logged in the right place. Or the amounts don’t match. Or some are cashed or deposited into an account with a routing number that traces back to a small credit union in Modesto.”

Bryson frowned. “Modesto? That’s a hell of a drive for someone who lives here.”

Walter shifted through another stack. “It’s the same routing number on every suspicious transaction. And whoever did it, covered their tracks well enough that it looks like the money was moved into a legitimate vendor account before being transferred again, only the money is still missing.”

“And it’s damning news for Grant,” Mason said flatly. “From where I’m sitting, if I took this to my wife right now, Grant’s gonna have to answer for every cent.”

Bryson rubbed the back of his neck, trying to push away the instinct to defend Riley’s brother. “It doesn’t make sense. Grant’s not broke—far from it. He’s got the business, the house, the image. What the hell would be the motive?”

“I borrowed money to start this winery when I was twenty-two because my father wanted to teach me the value of a dollar. And we don’t know all there is to know about Grant and his finances. Just because his business appears to be solvent doesn’t mean it is. He’s expanding, but we don’t know what that looks like on the inside.” Walter rubbed his temples. “And there’s greed. That doesn’t always make sense.”

“Okay, all of that is logical, except Grant’s never been greedy, except maybe on the football field,” Bryson said. “I can’t even say the man’s thirsty for attention. He’s a little arrogant.

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