Chapter Twenty-Six
Soft warm lips pressed against her temple. Maddie sighed and opened her eyes. “Wyatt. What are you doing here?” She straightened in the recliner, stretched and yawned.
Maddie shot a quick glance at the bed. Gramps’s chest rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern. He was asleep. Good. The morphine the hospice nurse administered must not have worn off yet. A piece of her heart broke with every groan Gramps made. She hated to see him suffer like this. At least she’d brought him home.
Wyatt knelt beside her chair. “Did you think I’d leave you to deal with this alone?”
No way. He’d stood by her side since they’d returned to Scott Hill two days ago. Supported her in every way possible.
“I thought you and David were supposed to meet with the fire inspector?”
He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “That was hours ago. You’ve been sitting in here all day.”
Gramps didn’t have much time left. “How did it go?”
“Not good. Three of the men we identified based on Steve’s description have alibis.”
“But, the inspector still has two men left to interview, right?”
Wyatt nodded. “Any chance I can convince you to take a break? I checked with the hospice nurse. George will be okay for a while. Have dinner with me.”
Dinner together sounded heavenly. She’d been with Gramps round the clock. “What about Jacob?”
Wyatt tapped two fingers on the face of his watch. “He’s asleep. It’s almost ten. Don’t worry, I have the monitor.”
Maddie smiled. “It’s a date.”
“Great. Nick dropped off a margherita pie. It’s downstairs waiting.”
Her favorite. He knew her so well, knew what she wanted without her asking. “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek.
“For what?”
“For being such a great guy. Jacob and I are lucky to have you.”
He brushed his lips over hers, and oh, the sweet tenderness of his touch. She opened her mouth and deepened the kiss.
A pitiful moan split the silence. Maddie jerked away. “Gramps.”
“It’s not my fault. Ava. So sorry.”
His weak, raspy voice tore at her heart. “I need to get Maya. He needs more morphine.”
“I’ll get her. You stay here with George.” Wyatt strode to the door.
Maddie sat on the edge of the bed, grasped her grandfather’s hand in hers, and rubbed it gently. She spoke softly so she wouldn’t agitate him further. “Shh, Gramps. Maya is on her way. You’ll feel better soon.
“No, Maddie. Have to tell you.” He coughed and his whole body shuddered. “Important.”
Important? She’d chalked his ranting up to the tumors in his brain, but he’d been trying to tell her something all along. “Okay, Gramps.” Maddie lowered her head close to the bed to hear. “I’m listening. What is it?”
“Couldn’t let your mama sell Scott Hill to Johnny Leone.”
Her mother had wanted to sell the vineyard? Maddie frowned. How could she when it belonged to her grandparents? Maddie blew out a breath. “I don’t understand.”
“Couldn’t let Kay sell my winery.”
Maddie clasped a hand over her mouth to muffle her gasp. Not her mother. Grams. Why would Grams want to sell to Johnny Leone, of all people? The one person in the world her grandfather despised.
“It’s okay, Gramps. Everything is fine. Grams didn’t sell Scott Hill.”
“Never meant to hurt you, Ava.”
What did Gramps mean? He had never hurt her mother, as far as she knew.
“Why couldn’t my Kay understand? No one was supposed to get hurt. Couldn’t let Johnny have everything I worked for.”
She scrubbed her hands over her face. What didn’t Grams understand, and what did selling Scott Hill have to do with hurting her mother?
Another coughing spell seized him. His body convulsed, and his face contorted in pain. She swallowed hard. Maddie couldn’t let this continue. What ever happened didn’t matter anymore. “Hush now, Gramps.”
“No, no.” He thrashed in the bed, his breaths slow and ragged. “Please forgive me, Ava.”
Tears blurred her vision. Where was Maya? Gramps needed his pain medication. “You’re forgiven. Now please—”
“I never meant to hurt you. Just wanted to stop Johnny from buying Scott Hill.”
Oh my God, oh my God, Oh my God. Maddie clutched at her chest. “What did you do, Gramps?”
“The fire. It was me.”
“No, Gramps. You didn’t start the fire at Leone Estates. You were in the hospital.”
“Yes, Maddie. I did. I dropped the cigarette butt. Not Johnny Leone.”
Ice shot through her veins. Gramps wasn’t talking about the fire earlier in the week. “You started the fire that caused the barn to explode? That killed my parents?” Her breaths came in short sharp gasps.
“Yes. Couldn’t lose my vineyard.”
A rapid knock sounded, and the door opened. Maya hurried in. “I’ll take care of him, Maddie.” She moved to the IV stand and injected a syringe into the bag.
Gramps quieted, and within a few minutes his chest rose and fell smoothly.
Maddie couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. For twenty years her grandfather had let the dead Johnny Leone take the blame, and all this time it was him.
Gramps was responsible for her parents’ deaths. All because he couldn’t lose his precious winery.
It was the only thing that ever mattered to him.
Her stomach heaved and she raced from the room.