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“Alright, that’s probably good enough for right now anyway. Let’s see if you still feel that way after tonight.”
After a while, we drive into a residential neighborhood. All of the houses are small, individual two-story homes. “I think it’s this one,” I tell River as he drives past it. He glances toward it and nods. Ok, let’s try to find parking.
One of the nice things about our townhouse complex is we have driveways and guest parking. Parking in the city is just as bad as driving in it.
Luckily, it doesn’t take long to find a spot that’s only a few houses down. It’s a cute neighborhood. I can hear some kids playing outside since it’s a warmer day. I wonder if this is where Evander grew up. We walk up to the house. There’s a fairly steep staircase leading to the front door. The first thing I notice is how well kept it is, with a little flower bed below the windows. There’s a plastic pumpkin on each step leading up to the front door.
It opens before I can knock, and we’re greeted by a huge man that fills most of the doorway. He’s holding a bowl of chips that he’s munching on as he stands in the doorframe with a smile.
“I’m guessing this isn’t Evander,” River whispers to me. I described the man and showed him a picture from when I vetted him. I shake my head. Since this clearly also isn’t Eric, I’m assuming this is the third man, Logan.
“Hey!” he says cheerfully. “Lake and River, I take it.” I see his dark-blue eyes bounce from each of us, probably trying to figure out which one is which. “I’m Logan. Mr. C and Ev are just finishing up dinner out back. It’s so nice out, Mr. C wanted to squeeze in one last outdoor dinner before it gets too cold.”
I’m still a little shell-shocked by this man. I’m not sure what I expected, but his presence is so overpowering, it’s almost overwhelming. Even though he is relaxed and friendly, there’s this undercurrent of danger there.
River seems to have recovered quicker, as he steps up to the man, his right hand extended. “I’m River. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me come so last minute.” He doesn’t elaborate as to why, and Logan doesn’t ask.
His eyes are on me, assessing. I clear my throat. “You must be Lake, then.” He steps back enough so we can walk into the home, but he’s so close I can practically feel his breath on me as I slide by him. I force myself to get it together and look him in the eyes. He’s another very attractive man, but he’s completely different from Evander. Even as I’m captivated by his dark-blue eyes, I notice the rest of him. He’s blonde, but the cut is short and efficient, almost a military style. His facial features are as tough and masculine as his build, which adds to the whole image. His nose is slightly larger than what’s probably conventionally attractive, but it doesn’t take anything away from him.
He smiles at me, amused I still haven’t answered his question. His jawline is impressive, and I have to jerk my eyes away from it. “Oh yes, I’m Lake.”
River is eyeing me suspiciously, but he turns back to Logan. “I brought a pie, homemade apple. I hope that’s ok.”
Logan beams, and that weird sensation in my stomach I had with Evander reappears. “Oh, sweet! I love apple pie. I’ll put it in the kitchen for now, and I’ll lead you out back.”
The house is cute and well kept, though clearly outdated. I have to imagine that most of the furniture is the same as it was when Evander was a kid. I’m pretty sure this is his childhood home. There’s small touches that show that a child grew up here, like notches in the wall with a growth chart and pictures of a much younger Evander. There’s even a few with what must be Logan, though he was much much skinnier back then.
As Logan places the pie in the small kitchen, River catches my gaze and sees I’m staring at a picture of Evander, his father, and Logan at what must have been their high school graduation, as both boys are wearing graduation caps and gowns. I glance at the older man in the middle of the two teens and can see the pride in his eyes. There’s a very similar picture of Luke with River and me in his home.
River turns back to Logan. “I take it you’ve known the Cirillos for a while.” He nods toward the picture. I’m shocked by the question but glad he asked it. I’m curious about the relationship between this man and Evander.
“Oh yeah, Ev and I have been best friends since we were fifteen. Mr. C’s like a father to me. I’d never have graduated or made it through the police academy without them.”
Police academy. I make a mental note of that so I can vet him later. “Oh, are you a cop?” River asks with interest, and I’m even more glad he invited himself along. Social situations have always been difficult for me, but trying to have a conversation with Logan is even more so. His entire presence leaves me flustered.
After leaving the pie in the kitchen, Logan pops another handful of chips in his mouth as he gestures toward the sliding back door where I assume Evander and his father are. “Detective, actually. I work in Missing Persons.”
I force back a swallow. Detective. I’ll have to be careful what I reveal about my job, though that did answer some questions for me. Once I left the cafe last weekend and had a chance to think, I found myself wondering how Evander found me at all. Now, I can only assume he used some of Logan’s resources to look for me. I’m not sure how they found the cafe, but I’ll leave that question for later.
“C’mon, let’s head back. I know Ev is excited to see you again.” And there’s that flutter in my stomach. River eyes me meaningfully as he follows Logan out the door and to the back. I’m not sure what his look means, but clearly he knows something I don’t. There’s no time to ask him about it, so I follow them outside.
The outdoor area is pretty typical for urban New York, for those lucky enough to have one at all. We walk out onto a deck that’s raised above the ground. It’s huge, and all I can think is that Dad would love this. He always complains about the lack of outdoor space in his home. Below the deck is a tiny patch of grass that’s closed in by a beat-up old fence. The deck is well maintained, and there’s a very impressive patio set that can easily seat ten people.
Standing near the grill are two men who easily could have been confused for the same person based on build and presence alone from behind, except that one of them has colorful tattoos crawling up their neck, and the other one’s dark hair is speckled with gray.
“The guys are here,” Logan calls as he ambles toward a big red cooler that’s in the corner of the deck. He’s oddly graceful for such a large man.
The two men turn around, and I get my first look at Evander since last week. Not much changed, obviously, but I still instantly feel that warmth again, and the feeling just gets stronger as he smiles at me. He has his dark hair slicked back again, and it looks like he changed the open gauges to closed ones that look like big black buttons. I’m actually surprised I noticed that. I’m not usually the best with details, but something about Evander has me memorizing everything about him. He’s dressed more casually than we are, in dark jeans and a dark long-sleeve Henley.
“Lake!” he says excitedly. “I’m so glad you were able to make it.” His eyes linger on me a little too long, and I have to fight the urge to look away. Eventually, he does and turns his smile toward River.
“You must be River. I’m Ev.” He sticks out his hand toward my brother, who accepts it with a smile.
“Nice to meet you. Lake’s been talking about you all week. Thank you for letting me crash the party at the last minute.”
The other man, Evander’s father, walks up to us. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re happy to have you. The more the merrier.”
Memories come flooding back to me as I look at Eric Cirillo for the first time in over twenty years. He’s older, of course, with crinkles around his eyes and gray in his hair and beard, but not much else has changed. He and Evander look so much alike it’s startling. Yes, I’m aware I’m an identical twin, but I look nothing like my biological father, and while we resemble our mom, it’s nothing compared to the two of them. I’m getting a perfect glimpse of what Evander will look like in his fifties.
