AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pete is married to our mother.”
“Where is Blue” Cam asked. He wasn’t interested in the sibling history—at least not now. He had to find her, and they had to make things right.
Cash ignored the question. He grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. It took a few moments for him to scan several pages, and then he handed them over to Cam, who tore through them. By the time he was done reading, his jaw was clenched so damn tight, his teeth were sore. The anger that had been brewing since the night before threatened to engulf him, and Cam took a few deep, cleansing breaths. He couldn’t lose it. He needed to keep his shit together.
“This doesn’t make sense. She would never hand over control of David’s company to his son. He’s not a good guy, and he’s been a pain in her ass for as long as she’s been in Crystal Lake.”
“Not unless she was protecting something.” Cash frowned. “Or someone.”
“And this trust for Tawny? Why would she cut us both out of her life and then do this?” Fear ripped through Cam. “Something is going on, and I need to know what it is. I can’t help her if I don’t have all the information. Where the hell is Blue?”
Her brother looked Cam in the eye, his expression serious and intense. “What is my sister to you exactly?”
What was she? There weren’t enough words. No way he could convey what he felt for Bluebell Barnes.
“She’s everything,” he replied.
Cash slowly nodded. “Give me your cell number and I’ll text you an address in Nashville. I’m pretty sure that’s where she’s headed.”
“Nashville?”
“It’s not my story to tell. But I hope you find her.” He motioned for the envelope, his voice cold. “Leave Edward Barnes to me. It’s time I paid the bastard a visit.”
“Edward’s an asshole, but he’s no idiot. Don’t put yourself in a position he can use against your sister.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve dealt wit
h his type before.” Cash flashed a smile while reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. “That’s why it’s good to have friends in low places, if you know what I mean.”
The two men shook hands, and then Cam left Blue’s home feeling more confused than ever. He had an address in Nashville and not much else. But it was a start, and he needed to see this through. He called his brother and made arrangements for Nash and Honey to look after Tawny.
And then he headed to the airport.
26
An unseasonably warm wind swept across the park, bringing with it debris and leaves from the dogwood and cherry trees that bordered it. Meandering paths snaked around bushes and vegetation, and eventually met up near a large, colorful play center. There were swings and slides and big contraptions to climb. A water pad and a large sand pit rounded out the playpark, with benches set next to an ornate water fountain.
It was early, just after eight a.m., and a lone woman was on one of the benches. Dressed casually in jeans, brown suede boots, and a pale pink sweater, she sat there, motionless. The wind caught at her hair, and it blew around her head, but she didn’t bother to clear it from her face. It was almost as if she were hiding, or trying to disappear.
Cam saw her right away, and his heart jumped, taking off like a rocket and making it hard for him to breathe. He’d been in Nashville for a couple of hours after taking a red-eye from Detroit, and he’d spent the first hour camped out in front of a house down from the park. A large, newer home in an upscale subdivision, it had remained silent until twenty minutes ago when a man who looked to be in his early forties, sporting a black sweater and dark jeans—accompanied by a woman, presumably his wife—walked out the front door. They stood on the step for a bit, chatting to each other, and then a big golden retriever bounded out, followed by a young girl who grasped a long, pink leash.
Cam sat up in his rental, his eyes on the child. She was tall and lanky, with thin arms and legs that went on forever. She moved with a grace that was natural, and when she turned and smiled up at her parents, his heart stopped. The hair was dark, but the face, those delicate features, the high cheekbones and full mouth, were as familiar to him as the back of his own hand.
The girl said something, and the adults laughed. She joined in as they moved on down the sidewalk, and from what he could see, the young girl kept the adults enthralled with an animated story until they disappeared around the bend.
Cam sat in his vehicle for a good long while, his sleep-deprived brain trying to make sense of what he’d just seen. After a while, he got out of the rental and headed in the direction they’d gone. Which brought him to the park and down a path that eventually led him to Blue.
He walked over and stopped a few feet away, unsure how to proceed, not knowing if she even knew he was there. Her face was turned away from him, toward one of the paths that disappeared among the dogwood.
“How did you find me?” she asked softly.
“Your brother.”
Blue moved and made room for him on the bench. He sat down, and though he wanted nothing more than to grab hold of her, he kept still and let her lead. Her pain was palpable, and Cam knew she needed to control whatever happened next.
“Did you see her?” She turned to him then and smiled through tears.
He nodded, throat so damn tight, he didn’t know if he could speak. “She’s beautiful.”
