Renovating the Model (Forestville Silver Foxes Book 1) by Nora Phoenix

Author:Nora Phoenix [Phoenix, Nora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-28T16:00:00+00:00

19

TIAGO

I’d barely been able to sleep, what with the excitement about the house bubbling inside me. Giving a tour and hearing all the possibilities for improvements had made me love the place even more, and I couldn’t wait for Cas to get started with the renovations. All I needed to wait for now was closing the sale. Jess had called on Sunday—she was certainly dedicated—to tell me she was working on my case and hoped to have more information soon.

With nothing to do to speed things up, my mind returned to the conversation with York at the reunion. How had none of us seen how Essex had treated his brother? And even worse, how had their parents not realized it? Or maybe Essex had been as smart in concealing it from his parents as he had been with us. Because, I swear, I never had a clue. Had I seen him teasing and ribbing York? Absolutely. But I’d never picked up on any hints that it was worse than that.

I hadn’t brought it up with the others yet, but I wanted to, and now was my last chance. We were going out for breakfast one more time, and after that, Marnin would be heading back to Seattle, and Auden had to work. Tomás, who had already pushed back his flight by a day, would fly out today as well, though not until later. He had a shoot for high-end outdoor apparel in a skiing resort in Vermont, and after that, he would travel back to Europe.

This time, we opted for pastries and found a spot in the corner of the sitting area in Brianna’s Bakery. A steady flow of customers had come through the door since we had sat down, but none of them were staying, which assured us of some privacy. I took a deep breath and broached the subject that had been on my mind for days.

“Did any of you talk to York on Saturday?”

“Briefly,” Auden said. “I wanted to check in with him, make sure he was okay.”

“And you two?” I asked.

Marnin and Tomás both shook their head. “I saw you walk outside with him for a while,” Tomás said. “It seemed like you had a deep conversation with him.”

“I did, and he shared some disturbing things.”

Auden frowned. “Disturbing in what sense?”

“About Essex and how he treated his brother.” I summarized what York had told me, and when I was done, the silence hung heavily.

“You know, I wish I could dismiss these accusations out of hand, but I can’t,” Auden said softly. “It sounds awful to say this about someone I considered a friend, but they ring true.”

“That’s what I told York. He said I was the first one who had ever spoken bad of Essex.”

Marnin clicked his tongue. “Jesus, that poor kid. Well, not actually a kid, but still.”

“He was only twenty when Essex died,” Auden said. “Barely an adult. And it breaks my heart to learn that no one was there for him.”

“Not to be rude, but that’s first and foremost on his parents,” Tomás said in a sharp tone.

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