Violent knots coiled through her stomach when she recalled the haunting email. It could be a prank, or it could be from someone who knew what’d happened that night. Her throat burned with unshed tears. She owed it to her sister to learn the truth.

  Her cold, clammy hands shook as she typed out a reply.

  * * *

  Who is this? What do you know about Bella?

  * * *

  With her phone’s flashlight engaged, she headed down the winding path to the lodge, wondering how many hundreds of times she’d traveled down the same path with her sister and their friends. It had become overgrown with weeds since her dad had died. Did her mom not have the funds needed to hire a full-time groundskeeper and handyman to replace him, or had she been stubborn, and attempted all the upkeep on her own?

  She wasn’t sure how she was going to break the news to Sarah that she planned to stick around a little longer. But she would volunteer to do some of the cooking, and clean up the trails.

  Inside the lodge, she followed the sound of a female reporter’s disembodied voice. It came from the closet-sized room on the far side of the kitchen where her mom kept the resort’s paperwork. By the pile of dishes she passed drying in the industrial sink, it appeared the dinner crowd had come and gone while she was asleep. She continued on to discover the light of the TV flickering in the otherwise dark little office.

  “Authorities say nineteen-year-old Patricia Foster was last seen on June second, shortly after leaving for her job with the post office. Her roommate reported her missing when she woke the next morning to find a significant amount of blood in Patricia’s bedroom. Patricia is blond-haired and blue-eyed, approximately five foot eight. She was last seen wearing her postal uniform as pictured below. Anyone with information about Patricia is urged to contact the Murray County Sheriff.”

  When a picture of the girl appeared on the flatscreen TV, Mia’s stomach churned with dizzying speed. She was no criminology expert, but she’d done enough research to recognize a pattern when she saw it.

  With a little makeup, different shaped eyes, a smaller nose, and a shorter haircut, Patricia Foster could’ve been mistaken for Bella Hughes.

  And just as with Bella, the only clue left behind in the girl’s disappearance was blood.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  With the sudden sound of heavy footsteps falling on the kitchen tile, Mia choked on the start of a scream. She spun around to meet the same haunted blue eyes that had so easily charmed her the night of Liz’s benefit, only they were shadowed with anger.

  “What are you doing out of bed?” Ben demanded.

  Once her heart resumed a steady pace, she noticed his hair was significantly shorter. Almost military length. Had he gone to town to get it cut, or had he buzzed it down himself? His rugged features were more exposed without hair framing his square face. The running shorts and tank top he’d changed into highlighted his muscular build.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded again, his tone icy.

  She drew her eyebrows down. “I couldn’t sleep any longer. So I came up here.”

  The hardness to his expression faltered. “You worried me is all.” Maybe she’d only imagined his voice’s tone had changed along with his expression. Paranoia and a tendency towards anxiety attacks had done worse things. “Come here.”

  Sinking into his open arms, a silent sigh fell from her lips as a thrill blazed through her center. She could get used to being pressed up against his hard body. It was an entirely different experience than the friendly hugs they’d exchanged as kids. The man holding her was experienced and confident. Her mind drifted back to the night before…the chivalrous way he acted with that douche, Jason…the feeling of his fingertips against her back…the way he looked into her soul. And now, the tingling sensation that came with the hug. Her body was electrified.

  “Sorry if I seem out of it,” he said, his warm breath tickling her earlobe. “It’s been a shitty night.”

  “Wanna talk about it?” she asked, hoping to distract her mind from the details of the missing teenager.

  “Not really.” His lips twisted into a grin. “Actually, I was just thinking I’m glad we ran into each other again. I kicked myself for not asking for your number last night. I’ve been thinking about you…quite a bit. We should go into Slayton…catch a late dinner. I wanna know what you’ve been up to for the past five years.”

  The flush returned as she awkwardly smiled back. “As long as it’s not a date. That’s not something I do.” His smile disappeared, she tipped her chin down with a shy smile. “Nothing personal. It’s just…I don’t have time for a complicated relationship.”

  His fingers covered hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. “We can call it whatever you want, as long as I get to spend time with you.”

  A million butterfly wings took flight in her chest. “Okay,” she decided.

  “I’ve really missed you, Mia.”

  She became light-headed with his scent. And he held her gaze, she experienced a profound level of excitement that didn’t help her resist the attraction.

  She realized, without question, that Ben Pitt would change everything about her life as she knew it.

  Mia eyed the three outfits she’d packed for her short trip back. Jean shorts and a loose cotton shirt felt too casual, and she worried the little black dress she’d worn the night before would send Ben the wrong message. And there was a small part of her that didn’t want to draw extra attention to herself after the strange email. Still, she secretly yearned for her old friend to look at her the way he had when they were first reunited. In the end, she decided on the dress, hoping it’d make him believe she was feeling better.

  After curling her hair into beachy waves, she applied a light dusting of makeup and started for the resort parking lot. Ben leaned against a classic black car, drinking her in. He wore khakis and a navy sports coat over a light blue dress shirt. The feral way his beautiful eyes devoured her curves in the dress caused muscles all over her body to tighten.

  “You look stunning, Mia,” he said, his voice thick with want.

  “You too,” she replied with a flush spreading over her cheeks.

  They rode in silence through the countryside into town. Much of Slayton had changed since her past visit, including the addition of an updated grocery story and attached liquor store, but there were still a few shops with the same worn-out facade and familiar names. Ben parked in front of an updated building with tan clapboard siding and black trim. Beside it, a large patio was lit with large light bulbs strung on wires. Only a few cars were parked in front of the restaurant. The quiet din of music and customers drifted through the open windows.

  He hurried to Mia’s side, opening the door. “I have to be honest with you—I’m not totally convinced this is a good idea.”

  With a sudden tick of irritation, she balked back at him. He was the one who had insisted they go out for a late dinner. “Why not?”

  A family with several teenagers came out of the restaurant and headed toward an SUV. Ben bent until his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. “Because it was hard enough to keep my hands to myself last night. I’m not sure how I’ll do it a second time the way you look in that dress…with those sexy heels.” His fingertips gently brushed over her shoulder. “Of course it wouldn’t be any easier if you took them off.”

  Leaning back, she swallowed hard. The passionate look in his gaze and his touch against her skin electrified her to the core. She hadn’t slept with a guy in months, and the idea of stripping naked for her old friend stirred her most primal needs.

  “Then we’ll just have to ask to sit inside and not out here by ourselves,” she whispered, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She was more attracted to him than she could handle, and she didn’t want to complicate things.

  He captured one of her dark curls between his fingers, tracing his thumb over the silky strand. “The way you make me feel…it’s beyond intense.” His tongue appeared to wet his lips as he offered his hand. “We better head inside before I lose control.”

  Nodding, she set her hand in his and they started for the restaurant. When his strong fingers threaded around hers, she feared she’d pass out again. Nothing could’ve prepared her for those fierce feelings. Not when she once considered him as her best friend.

  Dinner consisted of small talk and comfortable silences. Over a bottle of red wine, they managed to avoid conversations about their past. He also expertly steered the conversation away from any questions about himself. Instead, he drilled Mia on her experience with art school, and the different places she’d lived in New York. She also avoided too many facts about her personal life, not wanting him to know how much she'd kept herself isolated in the city.

  She gave him a sample of her divine pork chop, surprising herself when she offered it on the same fork. He teased her when she begged for another sample of his shrimp fettuccine, saying he should’ve ordered another plate. By the time the bill arrived, they were laughing and bantering like old times. Whenever he chuckled, she felt the vibration of it in the pit of her stomach. Whenever his lips bent with a beautiful smile, she dreamed of kissing him until they were both dizzy.

  Ben had regarded her thoughtfully throughout the meal, wishing he’d invited her back to his cabin for takeout instead of going out. He didn’t want to share her with anyone—especially when she looked edible in that dress. “Do you remember when we went to Matt and Bella’s last track meet their senior year?” he asked. “I wanted to know why you made a weird face whenever Matt was running.”

  Her cheeks flushed as she met his gaze. “You called me out for having a crush on Matt.”

  “You denied it—said you thought of him as a brother. I asked if that meant you wanted to make out with me too. Do you remember what you said next?”

  She shyly dipped her chin. “I said you weren’t so much my brother as my best friend.”

  Ben remembered how she’d playfully poked him in the side when she’d said it, and he’d winced because of the bruises, courtesy of his old man, that covered his ribs. “You said we’d be friends forever, even after we finished college, and found our soulmates. You said we’d live next door and our kids would be best friends, then their kids will be best friends. You called it ‘the legacy of Mia and Ben’ and said it would continue on for centuries after we were gone. Then you said, ‘You’re never getting rid of me, Ben Pitt. I’m yours for life’.”

  Her lips quivered. “That was in another life, Ben. We’re different people now. We barely know each other anymore.”

  With a slow, gentle smile, he shrugged. “As long as we’re both here, we can try to change that.”

  Ben insisted on paying for the meal, and Mia hadn’t protested. Her parents helped with some of her debt from art school, but she’d be paying loans off for the remainder of her life if her art didn’t become lucrative.

  As she headed outside with Ben, she was more conflicted than ever. On one side of the argument, she wanted to return to his cabin to see where the night took them. On the other side, the self-preservation she’d created forbade it. Most hookups she’d had took place in a parking lot, or a bar bathroom. Anywhere that didn’t involve leaving a populated area. But she was quick to remind herself it was Ben, and she’d never experienced that deep of a connection with anyone else.

  Once they reached his car, he locked their hands together and nudged her back to lean against the car. She was absolutely breathless when he brought his face down to hers, parting her legs with the press of his knee. It was an extremely aggressive move—one that she would’ve never expected from the old Ben she’d known.

  His irresistible lips lingered nearby, accelerating her heartbeat to dizzying levels. A deep sense of want swept through her with the unstoppable force of a tornado. If she leaned in for a taste, would they be tart like the bottle of wine they’d shared? Would his tongue part her lips, demanding for more?

  “Do you have any clue how sexy you are?” he growled.

  “Ben,” she pleaded, not completely sure what she was asking of him. “I’ve missed you too.”

  As he traced her lower lip with the tip of a finger, his chest heaved with sporadic, uneven breaths. “You can’t imagine all the dirty things I pictured doing to you during dinner, Mia. Things that would keep you awake at night.”

  While she was usually game for dirty talk, the sudden change in his demeanor made her uneasy. What happened to the shy boy who’d quietly sit at her side for hours while she fished, and let her lead the way when they wandered on their bikes? Clearing her throat, she gently nudged him back a few steps. She was afraid of cheapening their relationship with meaningless sex. With her rejection, his eyes turned away.

  “I’m sorry if I sent the wrong signals earlier,” she said, keeping her tone light. She gripped the lapels of his jacket, waiting for his gaze to shift back to her. “I don’t want to take this too fast…not when we’ve been through hell and back together. I had an amazing time catching up with you, but I don’t know how long I’ll stay before heading back to New York.”

  His charming smile returned as he lifted his chin and stood tall, pushing his hands inside his pants pockets. “You think five years is too fast?”

  “Considering we were only sixteen when we last spoke, it is. As much as I’d love to find out whatever it was you were picturing over dinner, I also want to take the time to get to know the man that lived in Louisiana, and joined the Marines.”

  “Mia. I’m good with whatever pace you decide to take this, as long as we get to spend time together.” He bent to press his warm, soft lips against her forehead.

  After returning from dinner with Mia, Ben paced the small cabin, trying to both gather his thoughts and deflate his excitement. He could’ve so easily become lost in that gorgeous woman. If she hadn’t put on the brakes, who knows what the hell might’ve happened.

  The fascination with her and those delightfully tormented eyes kept him awake for more hours than he could count. He’d always loved her, and he was unable to deny the inherent need to bury himself between her long, tanned legs. She called to his darkest wants and feral needs. How much of his world could she handle?

  Unable to shake her from his sordid thoughts, he hopped back in his Impala and headed toward the seediest streets of the city forty minutes north, driving around until he located a cluster of barely dressed women. He spotted one with long, strawberry blond hair, and motioned for her to come closer. The other girls yelled and chortled as the woman strutted over to his car.

  “What are you in the mood for tonight, sugar?” she purred, bending through the open passenger window to give him a better look. She was in her mid to late thirties, and scrawny. Her sharp collarbones seemed to be the only thing holding up her skimpy top. Tracks on her arms indicated she’d lived a hard life. Most importantly, her eyes were a muddled blue. She was exactly the type he’d been searching for.

  “What’s your rate?” he barked.

  The woman’s overly-plucked eyebrows furrowed, producing deep crows feet. “You a cop?”

  “Do I look like one?”

  “Maybe.”

  “How much?”

  Her thin lips spread with a smile, revealing a noticeably crooked set of upper teeth. “With someone as sexy as you? Hundred for my mouth. Three-fifty for all of me. A hundred more for no condom.”

  He dug for his wallet in the center console and handed her a crisp hundred dollar bill. “Has anyone been around here lately, asking specifically for a blonde with blue eyes?”

  One of her painted eyebrows lifted. “You lookin’ for someone in particular?”

  His gut twisted and churned as he thought of his old man. Describing him simply as an evil bastard probably wouldn’t do the trick. But if he really was back in the area as he was beginning to suspect, this woman might’ve seen him. “An older man…former military type. Square head, buzz cut. Cold eyes. Not too friendly…likes it rough.”

  “Can’t say I have. But I can ask the other girls to see if someone came lookin’ when I wasn’t around.” Eyes wide, she purred, “What’re you in the mood for, sugar? You look like you could definitely use a little…release.” She reached down to stroke his thigh with a blood red fingernail. “And I could definitely use a dose of whatever’s creatin’ that sweet bulge in those pants.”

  Nauseated by the idea of touching another woman, especially one who did drugs, Ben adamantly shook his head. He’d never intended to do anything more than ask her questions, and he would never do something that unforgivable to the woman he still loved. “Sorry, sugar, but I changed my mind. Keep the money.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The moment Mia entered the nursing home room, Gigi regarded her with suspicion. “There’s my sweet granddaughter!” She rolled her wheelchair a little closer, eyes narrowed. “Did you do something different with your hair?”

  Regret blanketed Mia’s shoulders. Much like her daughter, Gigi had also aged considerably. Only Mia wasn’t sure Gigi would survive much longer. Her heavily-lidded eyes projected the kind of exhaustion that couldn’t be cured with sleep. “I’m happy to see you too, Gigi,” Mia replied with a grin, bending to kiss the top of her grandmother’s wildly-combed snow-white hair. It was still a little damp, and smelled like her favorite coconut shampoo. “I’m sorry I haven’t stopped by in so long.”

  “Well, did you change something?” Gigi prodded.

  “Not really—not since I left for New York.” With a sigh, Mia rubbed her grandmother’s arm. “I would’ve come sooner if Sarah had told me about your accident.”

  Laughing merrily, Gigi rolled the wheelchair over to a window. “That woman only comes by to see if I’m still breathing. She’s just waiting for me to keel over.”