Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Grant made a point of situating himself at the little coffee shop in order to become better acquainted with Elizabeth Lowery and her newly appointed mother, Amanda. While the male members of the motorcycle gang were wary of letting a stranger into the fold, he had always found that women were much more pliable. Between their less suspicious nature and the obvious affect he had on the majority of them, it was usually the path of least resistance.
“Hello, Grant,” Elizabeth said as the pair of them sat down.
Amanda cast a glance at her daughter, obviously concerned about her knowing a relative stranger on a first name basis. Though she had been there each time they had encountered one another, she had never addressed him in more than a polite manner. She always sat there in the little partially enclosed sidewalk alcove with her coat pulled tightly around her and her thick frilly scarf draped down the front. Grant could hardly blame her for being cautious, but her demeanor said there was more to it than just that.
“Hello,” he replied. “I’m sorry. I’ve not gotten your names in all this time we’ve been coffee shop cohorts.”
“Elizabeth. This is uh, my mother, Amanda.”
“Mother? You don’t seem much older than your daughter,” he said, feigning his surprise.
Truth was he knew about as much about both women as could be found out. One advantage he had, and the prime reason he had been selected to infiltrate their group, was his contacts in law enforcement. There was a reason that a man accused of multiple murders was able to hide out with a bit more ease than someone less connected. He had to keep a low profile, but he also had a bit of help in doing so and access to a number of men and women who were more interested in him not being caught than bringing him to justice.
“I’m adopted,” Elizabeth offered.
“I’m sorry . . . Grant, was it? Have we met somewhere before?”
“No, not that I’m aware of. Seems we both just really like the coffee here.”
Amanda was not there when he had attempted to join the Silver Wolves and if Mouse was, he hadn’t seen her around. Aspen Lowery had dispatched him very quickly, so even those present wouldn’t have gotten a very good look at him. The only one that would recognize him was Aspen, and he was prepared to address that when the time came.
“You are from here?” Amanda asked.
“No. I came here last year from back east.”
“Really? What part?” Amanda asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Virginia,” he replied.
The truth was that he hadn’t been to his home state in years, well before he had been forced to flee to this unmapped town in Montana. Still, he carried enough of the accent to fake it when necessary. He had been called by many names since he had left his family behind and landed here, and anyone would be hard pressed to trace his identity back to where he came from.
“Can’t say I’ve ever been,” she replied.
“You haven’t missed much. Scenery here is much better,” he replied, glancing toward Elizabeth. As expected, she blushed.
“We have to get going,” she told him, nodding toward the usual band of brutes that always stood nearby on their outings.
“I understand. I need to get going myself,” he replied, dropping some cash on his table and making his way toward the door as they exited. “I guess I will see the two of you in a week or so.”
“A week or so?” Elizabeth was quick to say, lingering back for a moment as Amanda continued to the front door without realizing she wasn’t in tow.
“Yes. Business out of town, but hey, if you get bored or lonely, you can give me a call,” he said, pressing a business card from his pocket into her hand.
Elizabeth glanced at it and back up at him with a slow smile. “You’re an art collector?”
“Yes.”
“But you are always studying how to paint.”
“I know. Sad, isn’t it? An art lover who can’t create art himself.”
“I bet you are better than you let on,” she replied.
“Maybe you can drop in and see for yourself one day . . . if you ever have a moment to yourself without those bikers that seem to trail you here just to watch you have coffee.”
“Elizabeth, let’s go,” Amanda called out to her, realizing she had arrived at the exit without Elizabeth by her side.
“On my way,” Elizabeth called to her before turning back to him. “It was good to see you, Grant,” she said.
“Likewise,” Grant replied.
He looked up to find Amanda looking at him disapprovingly. He waved and headed in their direction, keeping enough distance from them so it didn’t appear he was following. His goal for the day had been accomplished and he didn’t want to undo what he had only just gotten planted. There was something else though, something he hadn’t counted on when he had begun this. Already, he found himself drawn to Elizabeth. She was a beautiful girl and seemingly very kind, gentle. It was unfair what he was going to do to her in the end, but she would recover. She would go on again, love someone worthy of her affections. At least that was his hope. He would hate to think the mistrust he would leave behind might haunt her future.
Garnering her interest, her curiosity, was the easy part. The hard part was going to come when he took the next step and Aspen got involved. The suspicion he detected in Amanda Lowery was going to be nothing compared to that of a man who had already rejected him once and had plenty to lose by trusting a stranger, especially on the heels of an attack on his clubhouse and the loss of trusted members of his pack. One wrong step could quickly cost him a lot more than just rejection. It could cost him his life.
He quickly made his way along the sidewalk away from them. The more disinterest he showed beyond polite conversation in the coffee shop, the better. Now, it was just a matter of waiting. He would stay away from the shop and hopefully Elizabeth would make the next move, come to him on her own. If not, he would have to come up with a new idea, but he knew women to be curious creatures when it came to a nice-looking stranger. Hopefully, she was exactly that.