I called Bruce Wayne next. While our landscaping business was as dead as the majority of the plants in the ground since it was early February, I still felt guilty about heaping so much of the responsibility on my business partner’s shoulders. I needed to at least check in to see if anything needed my attention.

“Hey, Bruce Wayne,” I said after he answered. “How’s everything with the business?”

“You’ve got great timing. We got another landscaping bid request. It’s out in your sister’s old neighborhood, so it might not be that big of a job.” He sounded reserved, like he was miffed. Was he upset that we were so short on work? That I’d been gone so much?

“That’s a good sign, right? That we’re still gettin’ work even though I was arrested? It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. Right now we need every job we can get. Maybe I can get to it tomorrow.”

“Okay.” He sounded dubious. “But you’ve got a lot goin’ on. Maybe Neely Kate can handle it.”

“She’s only been on two jobs with me, and even then, she only came along because I dragged her out of the house. She’s nowhere near ready. It’ll have to be me.” I sighed. “I have some things I need to take care of with my case, but I’ll try to come in later today.”

“I might not be here. Violet and Anna need me at the nursery this afternoon.”

“Anna will be there?” While I was excited that Bruce Wayne had a crush on someone, I tried to overlook the fact that she had so much animosity toward me.

“Don’t you be startin’ somethin’.”

“I’m not. I’m just askin’ what you’re doin’ and who’s gonna be there. It’s a perfectly innocent question.”

“I’m moving bags of mulch. Don’t be makin’ more of it than that.” He paused. “If you really want to get in each other’s business, how about we talk about the fact that Lady made a special appearance last night?”

My blood ran cold. There it was. The reason he was mad at me. I tried to sound noncommittal. “What did you hear?’

“That she and Jed turned on Skeeter.”

Oh crap. “That’s out already?” It was one thing for us to deceive Mick, but I’d hoped we would manage to put this put to bed before the rumors started flying. But this was huge news. It was going to spread like wildfire.

“So it’s true?” he asked in disbelief.

What should I tell him? The fewer people who knew my plan, the better. Even my partner. “It’s nothing to worry about, Bruce Wayne.”

“What the Sam Hill are you doin’, Rose?” He sounded angrier than I’d ever heard him.

“I have a plan. Leave it be.”

“Like hell I’m leavin’ it be! You’re playing with fire, and you’re about to get burned to a crisp.”

That was exactly what I was worried about, but I couldn’t let him know that. “I’ll keep your concerns in mind.”

He was silent for several seconds, but his voice was cold when he responded. “So you’re just blowin’ me off?”

I tried to keep my voice steady and sure. “No. But I know what I’m doin’. You have to trust me.”

“No. I don’t.” He sounded hurt and angry. “I think you’ve crossed a line this time. You need to stop this right now.”

“I can’t.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“Bruce Wayne.”

“You won’t listen to me because you think I’m feeble-minded and stupid.”

“What? No!”

“I expected better of you, Rose Gardner. I thought you were different than everyone else.”

“I swear to you that’s not it. How can you believe I’d think such a vile thing?”

But he didn’t respond because he’d already hung up.

I sat down at the kitchen table, feeling sick to my stomach. My heart was bursting with the pain and guilt of hurting him, but I had no idea how to fix this. I considered calling him back and telling him everything, but he’d insist on helping, and this was just too dangerous for him. He’d finally gotten his life together. I couldn’t let him throw that away. Especially not for me. Even if I broke his heart.

Neely Kate found me still at the table, alone in my despair. She set down the shopping bags of food and listened as I told her about my conversation with Bruce Wayne. “If it makes you feel any better,” she said with a tight smile, “I think you did the right thing.”

“He’s certain that I think he’s stupid,” I said in defeat. “He’s spent his whole life hearing that very thing from people, and he was just finally starting to crawl out of the hole of believing it. What am I gonna do?”

She patted my free hand. “You can tell him everything after this is all said and done. I know it sucks, but if you tell him now, he’s gonna wanna be in the thick of it, especially since he got you into this in the first place. But his loyalty to you is gonna get him arrested or worse. Keepin’ him safe is more important than protectin’ his feelings right now.”

While what she said made sense, hurting him didn’t settle well on my soul. “But that makes me no better than Joe. He says he’s keepin’ everything to himself to protect me. How is this any different?”

It gave me a whole new appreciation for Joe’s reaction to my anger toward him.