“That can’t be true. I know she misses you working at the resort.” She wasn’t able to read her mom’s feelings like she could as a child, but she knew that much to be true. “She can’t find anyone who cooks as well as you, so I filled in for breakfast and lunch today.” She glanced around the small room, wondering how someone as sociable as Gigi was handling the solitude. “What’s on the agenda today? Wanna take a walk before it gets too hot outside?”

  “What I want is for you to tell me what’s different about you this morning. Did you change the kind of rouge you put on your cheeks?”

  Running her bottom lip between her teeth, Mia smiled faintly and sank into the small armchair in the corner of the room. Looking back at her grandmother’s wrinkled face and basset hound eyes, she couldn’t help wondering what she’d think of the adult version of Ben. “I reconnected with an old friend…” she began, unsure how detailed she wanted to get. “You remember Ben, don’t you?”

  “If by ‘reconnect’ you don’t mean you got it on with him, then you’re harder up for action than I thought.”

  “Gigi!” Mia scolded, giggling.

  Gigi lifted her frail shoulders up to her ears. “Well? It’s true.”

  “We went out for dinner is all.”

  “Did you make a move? His kind doesn’t come around too often.”

  “I have too much going on to get involved with anyone. And it wouldn’t work. I’m heading back to New York in a couple of days, and he’s living in California.”

  “Doesn’t mean one of you can’t move. And you need to stop pushing everyone away.” Rubbing at her deeply lined forehead with one hand, Gigi used the other to roll a little closer. “Sweetheart, what happened to your sister was a fluke. A rarity. Doesn’t mean anything like that’ll happen to you.”

  “Oh yeah? Does that mean you haven’t been watching the news?”

  “You mean that young woman who went missing? Yeah, I saw. Could be she’s tired of her family, and ran off. Or maybe she ran into the arms of a lover. For all we know, she jumped off a bridge. Sounds like no one knows what happened to her.”

  “After what happened to Bella…it’s hard to trust anyone.”

  “You gotta trust that your journey won’t be the same as your sister’s or any other poor souls that have gone missing before their time. Fate has different plans for you. You’ll see. Give Ben a fair shake. Let him take you out, show you a good time. If you decide you like him and he feels the same, bring him by to see my old ass.”

  “If there’s time, I’ll bring him by so you can re-introduce yourself. But I highly doubt he’s forgotten your amazing blueberry pie.” Laughing, Mia lightly squeezed her grandmother’s wrinkled, liver-spotted hand. “Love ya, Gigi.”

  “Love you too, sweetheart.” Her wide, thin lips flipped downward. “Now please get me the hell outta this place. My neighbor defecated in the hallway in the middle of the night. I’m still traumatized by the odor.”

  Following the visit with her grandmother, Mia swung by the women’s boutique attached to Key Largo, the lake’s busiest lake-side bar, to purchase a new swimsuit and a few outfits. Then she called Ben to arrange for a more casual get-together at the resort’s beach.

  She packed several bottles of water into the cabin’s stocked cooler and grabbed her camera, hoping she’d be inspired to paint something later on. Once dressed in her new two-piece beneath shorts and a light blue sleeveless top, she slid into her flip-flops with a towel under her arm, feeling confident about their plans. She doubted she’d ever be able to revisit Sandy Beach again after Bella’s abduction, but the resort’s beach only held the kind of happy memories she was eager to revisit. And she’d been craving more of that tingling sensation she got from Ben the way a junkie craves another hit.

  Once she grabbed an umbrella and two folding chairs from her parents’ shed, it didn’t take long to spot Ben camped out on a towel in nothing more than a pair of dark swim trunks and wayfarer sunglasses. His tanned abs were as every bit as sculpted as she expected from a former military type, and the solid build she’d envisioned beneath his shirts. What she wasn’t expecting was the large tattoo that spread from one bicep up to his shoulder, continuing on to a portion of his back. She stopped to study it from afar. A beautifully drawn, fierce bird in various colors encased in flames. A phoenix rising from the ashes, she thought.

  Seeing his ruggedly handsome profile set against the backdrop of the sparkling lake, she was inspired to snap a couple of quick photographs in case she never saw him again. She set everything down by her feet and focused the lens on the broad angle of his thick jaw. Her stomach twisted into knots of excitement as she clicked away. It was amazing that someone so charming and attractive was unattached. What had he been up to since the military? Had he ever been in love? Maybe he wasn’t single. Maybe that was why he didn’t like talking about himself.

  Ben removed his sunglasses and turned his head slightly at first. Then he whipped it in her direction with a hand held up between them. “Mia?” Though she didn’t catch the expression in his eyes, she could hear deep agitation in his voice. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Warm flushes blossomed up her neck for being caught like a Peeping Tom. “Sorry. I had to capture how you looked sitting beside the water. You’re incredibly photogenic.”

  He continued to shield his face. “I’m not much into pictures of myself. Especially not on social media.”

  She wondered if he ever took the time to look in a mirror. “Then you don't have anything to worry about,” she muttered, bending to scoop her possessions off the sand. “I despise it too.”

  He stepped in to take the umbrella, chairs, and cooler. “You should’ve let me know you were headed down. I could’ve carried everything.”

  A chill filled her with the serious scolding to his tone. “I’m feeling better today. And I’m stronger than I look.”

  “You always were,” he volleyed. With that, his voice took on a caring edge. “Just don’t be too proud to accept help when it’s offered.” A moment later, he brushed his lips over her left temple. “You look more beautiful than ever,” he whispered into her ear. “I can’t stop thinking about the way you looked in that dress last night.”

  Her toes tingled from the heat of his breath spilling across her jaw. Taking his hand, she trailed behind to where his towel and small drawstring bag sat in the sand. They quietly worked together to set up their little camp. As she prepared to sit in the open chair beside him, she lost her breath on a disturbing thought. Maybe he was afraid she’d upload his picture because he had a wife waiting for him at home. What other reason could he have for not wanting her to post it online?

  “Are you single?” she blurted, turning to him. “I can’t do this with you if there’s another woman in the picture.”

  His eyes caught hers, sparkling with a hint of amusement. “Are you saying you do want to get involved with me? I thought you didn’t date.”

  “Just answer the question.”

  “There’s only one woman in my life at the moment, and she’s currently looking at me like I’m the antichrist.”

  “I’m sorry.” With a massive wave of guilt, she let her chin drop to her chest. “Did I mention I’m not good at this sort of thing?”

  Swinging his legs off the chair, he angled his body to face her straight-on before taking her face in his hands. “You can trust me, Mia. I haven’t changed. I’m the same guy you’ve known since we were kids—as I was when we were sixteen. I don’t get offended very easily, and there’s nothing you can’t ask. In addition to being beautiful beyond words, you’re stronger than you know. Embrace that. And don’t feel like you have to apologize to me…for anything.”

  Her shoulders rose and fell violently with a sharp intake of breath. “Thank you,” she whispered with a little smile, practically moved to tears by his kind words.

  With a chuckle, his thumbs brushed over her cheeks in unison. “Whatever you do, don’t stop giving me that gorgeous smile, Mia Hughes. It’s part of the reason I couldn’t forget about you all this time.”

  She swallowed the lump rising up her throat. “Have you dated anyone serious since high school?”

  “Not even close.” His jaw hardened. “What about you?”

  “Like I said, I really don’t date.” She reached out to cover his hands with hers. “Have you ever been in love?”

  “Once.” His hands slipped out from hers and he gave her a hard look that made her stomach flip. Not in a good way. “She was into someone else.”

  She fought against the burn of tears. “Every now and then I get this feeling like…I don’t know. Are you mad about something I did? You didn’t even say goodbye to me once you knew you were moving.” Folding her hands in her lap, she looked down. “God, that was hard. I lost both my sister and my best friend in a short time.”

  He wrapped a hand behind her head, waiting until she looked him in the eye. “Trust me when I say I was upset about having to leave. You were everything to me, Mia.” He paused to lick his lips. “You still are. I never stopped feeling that way…not for a single minute.”

  Tears seared behind her eyes. “Then why didn’t you tell me you were leaving? I had to open your stupid fridge to find out you’d left.”

  “I was going through some shit.”

  “And I wasn’t?”

  “I want more than anything to explain, but you wouldn’t understand.”

  A single tear spilled from her right eye. “You could try me.”

  “Mia,” he whispered, his voice all at once hoarse. “I love you.”

  “I love you too!” she snapped, swiping the tear away. “I always have!”

  “Not the way you mean,” he scolded.

  “Oh,” she whispered, eyes wide. “Ben—”

  “I realized I was in love with you the very first time we watched movies in your bed our freshman year. Jesus Christ…I had to hold a pillow over my dick the entire night because I wanted you so damn badly!”

  Her lips dropped open and her heart fluttered with his confession. How would she have felt if she had known back then? How could she have not known? Thinking back, she supposed the signs were all there. In school, he always sat by her at lunch, and walked her to her locker whether or not his classes were nearby. He came to her house nearly every single day, and often snuck in at night after her parents thought she was asleep. She always assumed he came over because he didn’t have the best relationship with his dad, and wanted to get away.

  The rest of their gang had always come in second to her friendship with Ben. Her bond with her own sister had never been as strong.

  “I had to leave. My old man gave me no other choice.” His fingertips dusted back and forth against her scalp. “It was for the best, Mia. You wouldn’t be able to handle the kind of shit I was dealing with—especially when I’m still dealing with the same shit today.”

  Her fingers enclosed around his wrist. “Why don’t you let me decide for myself what I can and can’t handle?”

  His head slowly shook. “I can’t stomach the idea of ruining you.” His Adam’s apple dipped with a hard swallow. “Not after everything you’ve been through already.”

  “I’ve had time to process my dad’s death…and Bella’s. I mean, we’ll probably never really know what happened to her, but I’ve let go of any hope that she’s still alive.” She nudged his hand downward and laced their fingers together. The connection felt right, like they were always meant to hold hands. Like the past five years never happened. “I’m not fragile, Ben. Not anymore. I mean, I’m still dealing with my own demons, but I can try to help you get through whatever you’re battling.”

  Moisture pooled in his beautiful eyes. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

  Mia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We already share the kind of connection I’ll never feel with anyone else. There’s so much history between us. Even though I don’t know how to make something more complicated work when we live so far apart, I want to…somehow.” She leaned in, touching her forehead to his. “Now I understand why you were so bothered by my crush on Matt. I’m sorry if I was a jerk about it. I hope you’ll give me a chance to make it up to you.”

  “Don’t be calling my girl a jerk,” he teased, dusting a fingertip across her chin. “I’d rather say you were ‘clueless’.” His breaths became labored, in sync with hers. “Can I kiss you?”

  “Yes.” A shiver of anticipation rippled through her core. “Please.”

  He framed her face in his hands, holding on like he was scared she’d run away. Beautiful blue eyes locked on hers, sending her heart into an erratic, staccato rhythm. Nostalgia whooshed through her, almost too potent to stomach. When her chest filled with warmth, she began to question her own feelings, wondering if she’d always felt the same. Was that why she’d never felt a true connection with another man?

  The sounds of the beach-goers and rush of the water onto the shore faded away as he bent down and his warm lips found hers. They were soft and gentle at first. Tentative.

  Then his lips parted and his tongue ran along the seam of her mouth, waiting for permission. She opened for him, letting out a small moan when their tongues tangled. Emotions ripped through her when the kiss deepened and she consumed his minty taste. All at once, he became ravenous, a blur of tongues and lips.

  Realization of what was happening struck Mia hard and fast. She was kissing her best friend—the one she never thought she’d see again. Hooking a hand over his head, she pulled him in closer, needing to feel the sweet friction of his skin against hers.

  The man knew how to kiss. If it weren’t for his hand cupping her backside, she’d wonder if she was floating above the sand. His tongue worked against hers with power and determination, reducing her insides to a pile of mush.

  He pulled back with a breathy gasp, dragging his lips along her cheek. Scraping his teeth over her earlobe. Pressing suckling kisses against her neck.

  “Mia,” he panted, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder. “We need to stop before things go too far.”

  Rejection hit her fast and deep for a moment before she remembered they were on a beach surrounded by families. Laughing at her naiveté, she ran her fingers over his short hair, and kissed the top of his head.

  CHAPTER TEN

  That evening, after Sarah informed Mia she had enough employees to cover the evening shifts, Mia invited Ben to her cabin for dinner. The way she’d been eyeing him with so much heated want that he could feel it in his groin, he was certain she was ready to take things to the next level. Their make out session on the beach had been out of this world. Had he known that was what he’d been missing out on as a teenager, he doubted if his old man could’ve dragged him away from her for anything. He’d been growing more restless with every hour, wanting to explore every crevice of her sensual body. The need lingered just beneath the surface. Begging him for more. The woman drove him insane with desire whenever they were in the same room. He wasn’t sure where things would go after they left Shetek, but he was willing to stay in her life as long as he was able to keep her far away from his old man’s reach.

  Once he’d run into the closest town to purchase wine, he jumped into the shower and changed into a clean button-down and khaki shorts. As he was reaching for the power button on his wireless speaker, the deep voice of a female radio announcer interrupted a classic John Parr tune.

  “We interrupt this broadcast with news of yet another disappearance of a young woman from the Lake Shetek area. Authorities were called when twenty-year-old Terri Roberts failed to meet her boyfriend after she’d finished her shift at the Sweet Treats and More in Currie, and blood was found in her abandoned car. Like Patricia Foster and Bella Hughes, twenty-year-old Terri Roberts also has blond hair and blue eyes. Requests for interviews from family and friends of the two missing women have all been denied. Earlier this evening, Sheriff Perkins had the following to say about the active investigation.”

  The woman’s singsong voice was replaced with a southern man’s gruffer tenor. “We’re well aware the circumstances surroundin’ the two women are uncanny to that of Bella Hughes, but that doesn’t call for anyone to jump to conclusions. We’ve received several viable leads, and plan to take action immediately. We’re confident that both women will be found with time. In the meantime, anyone with any information on the whereabouts of either woman is urged to contact us on the tip line.”

  With vomit burning his throat, Ben raced to the toilet.

  When Ben arrived outside Mia’s cabin with a bottle of white wine and a fresh bouquet of lilacs, she sensed he was in one of his surly moods. There was something odd in his expression as his eyes shifted away from her. Although he was still breathtakingly handsome, the blank look he gave her was downright unsettling.

  Mia bit her bottom lip, wishing he’d open up to her. He had yet to delve into whatever was bothering him. “Everything okay?” she asked, opening the door and stepping aside.

  He strode inside, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead while handing the flowers over. His familiar scent warmed her belly. “It is now.” Face aglow from the flicker of candles she’d placed throughout the room, he regarded her sundress with a quiet groan. “How is it possible you’re more stunning every goddamn time I see you?”

  Excitement shimmered through her with the tone of his deep, seductive voice. It was enough to forgive his temporary slip of attitude. Once she’d decided she was ready to take him to bed, their dinner date couldn’t have come soon enough. The anticipation struck her so hard that she could barely speak. A wild fire of need ignited inside her chest. “You remembered lilacs are my favorite,” she choked out, inhaling the rich scent with a flush filling her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  The soft click of the cabin door closing was followed by the firm click-clack of his loafers against the hardwood floor as he glanced around. “How does your place look so much nicer than mine? It’s so…romantic.”