"You're not crazy. You're not insane."

"I know you believe that. But it's in my blood, Braden."

She gave me a sad smile. "No. It's not. There's something I need to show you and a lot I need to tell you. While you've been riding on the back of a hot stud's bike for two weeks, I've been doing some research."

"What? What do you mean 'research'? On what?"

"Della Sloane, you were adopted."

Woods

Darla Lowry, my golf course manager, was now a board member. She was the one thing my dad had gotten right. I trusted Darla with my life. With Jace planning on marrying Bethy, Darla's niece, we were just tying the family knot tighter. Darla was also wise. She was older than me and she had seen this club grow and flourish for over twenty-five years. She deserved a seat on the board. She also deserved the paycheck that came with that seat.

My phone rang and I glanced down to see Braden's number. I hadn't talked to her in a few days but she always called when she had any information on Della.

"Hey," I said, praying this wasn't going to be something bad.

"I know why she left. There was more to it, just like I said there was. But before I tell you anything I need you to make me a few promises and listen to all I have to say, because I'm not scared of you or your money, Woods Kerrington. I will hunt you down like a dog and bury you. Do you understand me?" Braden was fired up and ready to attack.

"If you can help me get Della back I will walk on f**king water," I replied.

"Good. I thought so. However, she thinks very differently. She's of the belief that she has done you a favor. That you wanted to get rid of her and didn't know how. That she walked away and now you're relieved and living the good life."

"What? Why the hell? What the f**k gave her that idea? Did Tripp tell her that? Because I swear to God I'll kill him."

"Sit down and take a breath. You did this. Don't go pointing fingers at other people. First, I have to tell you about a conversation Della overheard the day before she ran off. You had better tell me what she really heard, because what she thinks she heard will get your ass killed, and sexy biker dude will get off scot-free. Capisce?"

"Please tell me what she heard, because I honestly have no idea."

"Did you have a conversation in the stairwell with your friend Jace that day?"

The stairwell? I sat down in my chair and thought back to before Della ripped my world away. I had talked to Jace that day. About my mom. "Yeah, I did."

"And . . ."

I wasn't sure what she wanted me to say. "And what?"

Braden let out a loud sigh. "What did you and Jace talk about?"

Hell, I couldn't remember. My mother was stressing me out. I was planning on installing the new board. I was going to let Della come back to work and stop smothering her. Nothing that should've upset her. "I can't think of one thing I said that would have made her leave me."

"So Jace never told you that you had to stop dealing with her crazy ass? And you didn't say that it was affecting your work and it was easier to work with Angelina? And Jace didn't say that you had to get rid of the batshit crazy because you had a corporation to run?"

I shot up out of my chair. "What?" I roared.

"I didn't think so. Didn't sound like you at all. If someone had called Della batshit crazy you would have beat their ass. Della, however, felt sorry for you for having to put up with her and thought it was in your best interest if she left."

"Holy hell! I swear to God I never said that. Jace never said that. I would've killed him. We were talking about . . . we were talking . . . oh, motherfucker." I knew what she'd heard. She hadn't heard everything. She'd just heard enough.

"Please tell me you didn't just have an epiphany and this conversation did actually happen," Braden said, warning me.

"No. Of course not. I mean, it did but we weren't talking about Della. God! Never Della. We were talking about my mother. She had just caused problems for me at the club and I was talking to Jace about how to deal with her. I . . . f**k! I can't believe she thought we were talking about her. I'm coming to get her. I can't do this anymore. I have to explain this to her. She has to know."

"No! Shut it, Kerrington. I told you at the beginning of this conversation that you would do just as I said. I'm not done talking to you and telling you everything you need to hear. So calm down and put your damn keys away. When it's time for you to come get her, I'll let you know, but this time I think it's real important that she come back to Rosemary on her own. She ran. She needs to find her way back. The cavalry can stay put and be patient."

"I have to see her, Braden!"

"Would you shut up and listen to me? I have information for Della that she needs to deal with first. She thinks she's going to be mentally ill because her mother and grandmother were. She thinks that staying with you means you can't have kids because their mother could snap at any time and go insane. She loves you more than she loves herself. So she's making sure you don't suffer that ridiculous fate she's convinced you'll have with her."

"We won't have kids. I just want her. If she's scared of that, fine. We won't have kids. I have to tell her I just want her."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you do. Shut up, I'm not done," Braden snapped into the phone. I fisted my hand around my truck keys and moved to stare down at my truck parked outside. I could get to her in five hours.