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His last girlfriend had told him that he was a real son of a bitch because he wasn’t happy for his father. He’d thought a great deal about what she’d said, wondering if he was being a jerk. He didn’t think that his dad needed to suffer for the rest of his life, but with all the women in the world, did he have to choose Kim? It felt like a slap in the face, especially as he and all of his siblings had their suspicions about when that relationship truly began.
Perhaps Zack would have been more open-minded if he and his father simply got along better. If they weren’t at each other’s throats all the time, barely agreeing on the color of the sky.
Darting outside to the back garden area, Zack breathed a sigh of relief. While the hall was gigantic and could easily hold all the guests, he had been starting to feel claustrophobic. Too many people, too much perfume, too many smiles that might or might not have been real. The music had even seemed too loud, and he’d simply had to escape for some fresh air and a new attitude.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come here today.
“Hey, man. I heard you were back in town.”
He’d been found. Turning, he saw that it was Ethan Fields from high school. Zack hadn’t seen Ethan since graduation, and he wouldn’t have known that his old friend was an attorney and married with kids unless Lucy had told him last night.
Ethan slapped Zack on the back, a grin on his boyish face.
“How the hell have you been? We need to have a few beers while you’re in town. Catch up some. Although I think I know how you’ve been. I hear you’re a tiger on Wall Street these days, making money and dating supermodels. That must be fan-fucking-tastic.”
How on earth were these stories going around town? He didn’t tell his family about anyone he’d dated since his college days. How did they even know? And who was the one passing this gossip?
“Ethan, it’s good to see you. It’s been a long time. How are you?”
“I’m good, I’m good. Life is good. I work like a dog, but I can’t complain too much. Damn, how long has it been? Ten? Fifteen years?”
“Eighteen. Since graduation.”
“Really? It’s been that long? That’s too long.”
“I hear you got married, had some kids. Congratulations, that’s wonderful.”
Ethan’s grin grew even wider at the mention of his family.
“You have to meet Jenny. She’s great. I met her at college, brought her back here to raise our brood. How’s that for ya’?” he laughed. “She slipped into small town life and loves it now. We’ll die and be buried here.”
As if realizing what he’d just said, Ethan went from giddy and exuberant to sober and sad in seconds.
“Shit, that came out so bad. I didn’t mean it that way. Damn.”
“I’m thinking about Sarah too,” Zack replied carefully, watching Ethan’s reaction. “You and she dated awhile.”
“Well…yeah, but really not for long.” Ethan appeared uncomfortable with the question, shifting from foot to foot, his gaze on the concrete patio. “Maybe a year or so? Not long, anyway. We weren’t serious or anything.”
A year in a teenager’s life was a long time as far as Zack could remember. His senior year of high school seemed like it took forever to go by. He’d been that anxious to leave.
“We weren’t even dating when she disappeared,” Ethan went on. “I think she was seeing someone from the university. You know how high school girls are. They like older guys.”
“I guess we’re all shocked about the news.”
He didn’t mention that he’d thought it was his mother for a few hours. That they’d finally have some answers.
“I was shocked. Sarah was smart,” Ethan said with a nod. “I always thought she’d go to school, be successful. You know what I mean? But I wasn’t surprised when she ran off. She and her stepdad didn’t get along at all. They’d fight all the time. I just assumed that she’d wait until graduation. Maybe it got that bad, and she had to go.”
Zack shook his head in confusion.
“Wait…you think she ran off? But she was found here in town.”
“I know, but…I assumed that she was on her way out of town when something happened to her. An accident or something.”
An accident or something? More like someone.
“I don’t think Finn knows what the cause of death is yet. I’m sure we’ll hear more in the future.”
