“That’s just not how a gentleman acts. He doesn’t get it from his daddy, who is as nice and mannerly as they come. But Garrett, he’s the baby. Some parents do just spoil the baby rotten. I think that’s the case here.” Denver pinned Caroline with her gaze. “Royal wasn’t born to me. But he’s my son sure as if he was. So if you’re wondering if he shares things with me, he does. Nothing that would be a betrayal of your trust. But he’s thoughtful, Royal. So he told me about this Garrett thing, and I’ve also heard there’s some trouble with Anne.”

“I think at least that part is smoothed out.” Caroline remained very careful. If Anne had been around for six years, chances were Denver liked her. Or she wouldn’t have been around long.

“Well, that’s good. I love Anne. She’s a good girl. But she and Royal are far better off as being close friends. She needs a different sort of man, and he needed a woman who saw things the way he does. Wanted the same things. Anne…well I’d tell you she hasn’t had an easy life. That she regards Royal as hers and would have a difficult time loosening up when he finally met a woman and truly fell for her. I’d tell you that, but it seems to me, you have had your share of traumatic childhood stuff.”

“We worked it out yesterday. Who knows, we might even end up friends.” She didn’t want to give any more detail than that.

“Good.” Denver paused. “I just want to tell you that I knew your parents. Your mother was gorgeous. Inside and out. We often stopped in at the diner on the way home after church on Sundays. There’s no way anyone could ever make me believe he had anything to do with harming your mother. Petal is talking. It’s what Petal does. Sometimes it might feel like everyone is out to get you or thinks you’re bad or wrong for continuing to try to prove your dad’s innocence. But that’s far from true.”

Bob came in with Royal, who nervously checked her over to see if his aunt had done any damage. It was sort of cute. They stayed another few minutes and then got back on the road to town.

“Should I be apologizing?” Royal asked as they made it out to the main road.

“Nah. I like her. She’s plucky. She told me she knew my dad.”

“Yeah. I remember something about it. At the time they were upset. But you know the whole damned town was upset. I was seventeen, nearly eighteen years old. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t pay attention much back then.”

“If it hadn’t been my family or a friend, I probably would have too. Sometimes it’s like this whole thing happened in someone else’s life, and then I remember. Anyway, she said nice things and that I wasn’t alone.”

“She’s pretty amazing. Once back in grade school there was this teacher who I swear no matter what I did she just hated me more. My grade kept getting worse until she showed up over there at the school and demanded to see any paperwork that supported such a low grade. Then the teacher tried to say she wouldn’t talk to Denver because she wasn’t my legal guardian.”

Caroline gasped, just imagining how Denver would have reacted to being told such a thing.

Royal cackled with glee. “Exactly. You understand. I mean, they didn’t have my official guardianship, but it was well known who really raised me. So yeah. I ended up with a very respectable B minus in that class after all. She’s little, but she packs a wallop.”

“Denver Watson, defender of the weak. I like it.”

They drove and laughed, but she got more and more quiet the closer they got.

“Last chance,” she said as they pulled off Walnut and onto 35th. The thirties were considered the “nice” part of town.

“I can slow down right here. Even if she’s peeking out the front windows—which she’d never do, you understand, how crass—and she won’t see.”

“I already told you, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the look on Garrett’s face when I show up. Asshole thinks he can treat my woman like crap?”

“Are you my defender now?”

“I know you’re totally capable of doing this yourself. But I want to be there.” He pulled up at the curb and keyed the truck off. “I’ll park here instead of the drive.”

“Quick escape. Smart.”

He walked with her up to the front door.

She knocked and opened up, calling out. She had a key. She needed to use it and one day it wouldn’t be awkward.

“Hey all! Royal and I are here.” She hung up their stuff and stashed her stuff in a hall closet.

Shep came out, tipping his chin in that dudespeak thing with Royal. “S’up?” Royal asked as he tipped his chin back.

She gave her brother a hug and kissed his cheek. “Hey you. We’re still on for Thursday right?”

Shep nodded. “Totally. I’ll meet you at your place at five thirty with a pizza and the next Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD.”

She turned to Royal. “Shep and I are stone-cold addicted to binge-watching television series. We just finished up Farscape. Oh my God I’d forgotten how much I loved that show. Anyway. So we finished up Farscape and now we’re on to Buffy. We also eat pizza and ice cream and drink root beer.” And over those times he’d been in her apartment, they’d gotten a lot closer. He talked to her about his life in ways Mindy and her grandparents didn’t. She didn’t hide away her pictures when he visited, though she did generally keep her stuff regarding the case in her spare room that doubled as her home office.