repeated
quietly. “Such an ugly word.”
“An even uglier deed,” JD
told her, sipping his coffee. He sighed. “That’s not what you wanted to tell me
though, is it?”
“No.” Leaning back
against the counter she held her own coffee mug between the two of them like a
shield. “Matt told me something last night which honestly has me a little
worried. He told me that Grady Summers has disappeared.”
JD’s hand froze with the
mug partway to the table. A coldness settled over his features and his lips
thinned. “Grady,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “What could he have to
do with any of this?”
“That’s what I’m
wondering.”
“If he’s back, if he has
anything to do with this, he has more balls than he has brains.”
“I think we established
that fact a lot of years ago. Matt seems to think maybe Grady and Katy were
working together.”
“What do you think,
Lizzie?”
She shook her head and
shrugged helplessly. “I wouldn’t think Katy would have anything to do with him.
But I can’t swear to it. I mean, she did some pretty stupid things when it came
to making a few bucks. And she made this sound like a big score for her. She
might have worked with Grady if the price was right.”
“Would a quarter of a
million dollars make her lower her already slithering standards?” Suddenly the
coffee tasted bitter. He set the cup down carefully.
“A quarter… Oh. God.”
He nodded. “Is she still
out of it?”
“Yes. I called this
morning. There’s been no change.”
“And Matt hasn’t found
any trace of where she might have been left after she was attacked?”
“None that he’s told me
about.”
JD rose. “Then our ride
today will serve a dual purpose.”
“If the police couldn’t
find where she came from what makes you think we can?”
He shrugged. “Maybe dumb
luck will prevail. In any event, I want to look around.”
“And if we find
something?” she wanted to know.
“If we find something
we’ll figure out our next move from there.”
Chapter 16
“Let’s take a little
break and warm up with some of that hot chocolate you brought along,” JD
suggested. He saw her gaze drift to the river and saw her hesitate. He also saw
the light of a memory flit through her eyes.
“You would pick here,”
she grumbled, stopping her horse to dig in the saddle bag for the thermos.
“We made a lot of
memories here,” he told her.
“Yes. And that’s just
what they are. Memories. As in, in the past. History.” Her fingers shook a
little as she unscrewed the lid of the thermos. God, they’d made more than a
few memories here. They’d made a child.
“Lizzie,” he began, “I’m
sorry I hurt you. I never, ever meant to do that.”
She looked into his eyes
as she handed over the lid of the thermos which served double duty as a cup.
The liquid inside steamed. “What’s done is done, senator.”
“I know that. Can’t we
leave it in the past?”
“I have,” she told him,
raising her chin. She hoped she sounded resolute because she sure as hell
didn’t feel it. Anything but. Old feelings were churning in her fast enough to
make her dizzy. “And I will again when Katy is well and I go back home to
Seattle. Don’t confuse my helping you with any feelings I may have for you. I
won’t repeat the past. The seasons may have changed but I won’t have a casual
affair with you. I can’t. I have a son to think of.” And my own heart to
think of.
“Who said anything about
repeating the past? Who said anything about casual affairs? Maybe that’s not
what I want either. Maybe I want what we missed out on before.”
If she could only believe
that.
“I’m not married this
time,
quietly. “Such an ugly word.”
“An even uglier deed,” JD
told her, sipping his coffee. He sighed. “That’s not what you wanted to tell me
though, is it?”
“No.” Leaning back
against the counter she held her own coffee mug between the two of them like a
shield. “Matt told me something last night which honestly has me a little
worried. He told me that Grady Summers has disappeared.”
JD’s hand froze with the
mug partway to the table. A coldness settled over his features and his lips
thinned. “Grady,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “What could he have to
do with any of this?”
“That’s what I’m
wondering.”
“If he’s back, if he has
anything to do with this, he has more balls than he has brains.”
“I think we established
that fact a lot of years ago. Matt seems to think maybe Grady and Katy were
working together.”
“What do you think,
Lizzie?”
She shook her head and
shrugged helplessly. “I wouldn’t think Katy would have anything to do with him.
But I can’t swear to it. I mean, she did some pretty stupid things when it came
to making a few bucks. And she made this sound like a big score for her. She
might have worked with Grady if the price was right.”
“Would a quarter of a
million dollars make her lower her already slithering standards?” Suddenly the
coffee tasted bitter. He set the cup down carefully.
“A quarter… Oh. God.”
He nodded. “Is she still
out of it?”
“Yes. I called this
morning. There’s been no change.”
“And Matt hasn’t found
any trace of where she might have been left after she was attacked?”
“None that he’s told me
about.”
JD rose. “Then our ride
today will serve a dual purpose.”
“If the police couldn’t
find where she came from what makes you think we can?”
He shrugged. “Maybe dumb
luck will prevail. In any event, I want to look around.”
“And if we find
something?” she wanted to know.
“If we find something
we’ll figure out our next move from there.”
Chapter 16
“Let’s take a little
break and warm up with some of that hot chocolate you brought along,” JD
suggested. He saw her gaze drift to the river and saw her hesitate. He also saw
the light of a memory flit through her eyes.
“You would pick here,”
she grumbled, stopping her horse to dig in the saddle bag for the thermos.
“We made a lot of
memories here,” he told her.
“Yes. And that’s just
what they are. Memories. As in, in the past. History.” Her fingers shook a
little as she unscrewed the lid of the thermos. God, they’d made more than a
few memories here. They’d made a child.
“Lizzie,” he began, “I’m
sorry I hurt you. I never, ever meant to do that.”
She looked into his eyes
as she handed over the lid of the thermos which served double duty as a cup.
The liquid inside steamed. “What’s done is done, senator.”
“I know that. Can’t we
leave it in the past?”
“I have,” she told him,
raising her chin. She hoped she sounded resolute because she sure as hell
didn’t feel it. Anything but. Old feelings were churning in her fast enough to
make her dizzy. “And I will again when Katy is well and I go back home to
Seattle. Don’t confuse my helping you with any feelings I may have for you. I
won’t repeat the past. The seasons may have changed but I won’t have a casual
affair with you. I can’t. I have a son to think of.” And my own heart to
think of.
“Who said anything about
repeating the past? Who said anything about casual affairs? Maybe that’s not
what I want either. Maybe I want what we missed out on before.”
If she could only believe
that.
“I’m not married this
time,
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