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“She’s not gone,” Beau said. “She’s just a little different. We all go through things in life. What fun would it be if it didn’t change us? Time will bring back a little of who you were, but not the exact same person. But that’s not a bad thing.”
She held his gaze and swished her lips to the side. “I’ve missed you.”
Her confession slammed against his chest, threatening to toss him from his chair. He and Izzy had been friends since they were kids. He’d been by her side when her dad died and listened to her complain about her mom and sister. Coming from a stable family with no siblings and parents who were still madly in love, all he had to offer was an understanding ear.
Until a party at Danny McCade’s house on graduation night, and a couple of America’s finest ales, had prompted him to finally share his real feelings. The night had been magical, two kids giving into a trusting friendship and watching it morph into something so much deeper. No lines had been crossed, but he’d hoped the foundation for a new beginning had been laid.
Those hopes were dashed when he’d woken up alone, with nothing but a note telling him Izzy had a future somewhere else that she had to see through.
Years of trying—and failing—to lose himself in other women, other relationships, proved that Izzy might have had to seek her future elsewhere, but for him, she was his future. And hearing that she’d missed him boosted his resolve tenfold.
He smiled. “I’ve missed you, too.” That’s all he was willing to say with half the town’s eyes on them and uncertain of where Izzy’s head was.
Izzy dropped her gaze to the table and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Listen. I’m not proud of how I treated you. I needed to get out of this town and was scared that—”
“Izzy!” The screech of Paxton’s voice cut through the din of the room as she bolted to their table and threw her arms around her sister. “Oh my gosh. What are you doing here? You should be home. Resting.”
With her head on Paxton’s shoulder, she mouthed, “See. Told you.”
He swallowed a chuckle, not wanting to upset Paxton or mock her concern. Brushing back the disappointment at not getting a chance to hear all Izzy had to say, he nudged out the seat beside him then offered Izzy a wide-eyed expression he hoped she’d understand meant, ‘I got you.’. “Any chance you can join us?”
Paxton straightened and glanced over her shoulder. “Wade, I’m off the clock,” she shouted toward the bar. “Gonna sit with my sister.”
Nodding, Wade grinned and fiddled with the tap to fill a glass with beer. “Got it, darling. Dinner’s on the house,” he yelled back, adding a wave before retuning his focus to the woman leaning against the bar, waiting for her drink.
Paxton slid her chair as close as she could to Izzy’s and sat. She clasped their hands together. “You hungry? You want to eat something?”
A tight smile flattened Izzy’s lips. “I’m not hungry. We just want to talk to you.”
Paxton’s light eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Talk to me? About what? About what happened? I mean, you don’t need to go through that again. And you really should eat something. Did you have lunch?”
Izzy shot Beau a pleading look he’d seen countless times in their youth.
“How about I order some fries for the table?” Beau asked, flicking a finger in the air to grab a server’s attention. “Then anyone who wants to grab some can.”
A perky teenage girl with a dark, swinging ponytail and a pretty smile approached the table. “Sorry about the wait, guys. What can I get ya’ll?”
“Just a water for me, Willa. Thanks,” Paxton said.
“Same,” said Izzy.
“Water, as well and a basket of fries. We’ll order more later if we’re hungry.” He pushed the menu aside, more interested in talking with Paxton than perusing a menu he’d practically memorized. He waited for Willa to hustle away before getting down to business. “Paxton, we wanted to speak with you about what happened the night Izzy was taken.”
Paxton reared back her head, her blonde waves bouncing around her face. “I thought you wanted to talk about what happened tonight. Why would you bring up what Izzy and I went through before? We’ve tried so hard to put that behind us.”
Izzy rested a hand on Paxton’s arm. “But it’s not behind us—not behind me. And what happened today proves that.”
Tears dotted the corners of Paxton’s eyes. “I hate this. Hate this so damn much. That night was terrifying. When I couldn’t find you…I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“But you found me, and you saved me,” Izzy said.
The server appeared and set down their glasses of water.
Beau took a long drink, the cool liquid sliding down his throat. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, but now that it appears as though the two criminals in jail weren’t the only traffickers in the area, we have to look at things a little differently.”
“How so?” Paxton asked.
“Do you recall the woman you spoke with having an accent? Any discerning characteristics that would point to a specific location?” He ran the pad of his finger over the condensation on his cup.
