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“I’d like to chat with Ms. McBride first and maybe Darcy’s friend. You’re free to ride with me, or point me in the right direction.”
No way was she going to be stuck riding in a car ankle-deep in empty Cheetos bags and soda cans with this arrogant asshole. But permitting him to forge on alone without knowing what, if anything, he learned? Forget it. “I prefer to drive my own car. You can follow me.”
Travis muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like, “As always…”
She must have misheard him, but since she didn’t give two figs about his opinion of her, she ignored him.
Chapter Two
Fifteen minutes later Meredith pulled her car up the driveway of the tiny bungalow where Darcy was last known to have been. It was cute in its quaint charm, she supposed. Cute…similar to what she’d heard about the house’s owner.
If you like self-righteous, know-it-all do-gooders. Which she didn’t.
Meredith pushed open the door and slipped out of the car. Travis pulled up to the curb in a black Land Rover. He didn’t attempt to get out of the car, but rather watched her from behind sunglasses.
Really? Was he going to make her stand there all day?
She resisted the urge to tap her toe on the cement and instead made her way up the path. He might not be in a hurry to get to the bottom of this, but she most certainly was.
She rang the doorbell and waited. The door swung open as Travis reached her side and Saint Allie appeared in the doorway. The woman who’d made it a habit since the sixth grade of showing everyone just how rotten Meredith was.
Well. Everyone who mattered back then. Like her father. Who’d always asked why Meredith couldn’t be more like that sweet little Allie girl. Telling her to cut Allie a break, she was an orphan after all. Lost her mom as a kid, he’d tell her. Even if for all intents and purposes Meredith’s own mother was lost to her. Maybe not by death, but in a way just as hurtful, when she walked away without even a good-bye. His comments later turned to why she didn’t ask Allie over anymore until, eventually, he stopped asking.
But she’d never forgotten.
Now she stared at the woman who she’d come to loathe by her teens, a feeling that hadn’t lessened with time. It was hard to miss the thick bandages that still covered both of Allie’s lower arms.
Meredith had heard the news, of course. Of how Allie had been attacked and nearly killed. She’d also heard how Allie had been valiantly rescued from near death by Sam Fratto, a guy whom Meredith had been hoping to kindle a little something with herself. But like always, Allie had perfected the role of victim, and Sam had fallen for her.
To say there was a lot of history between her and Allie would be putting it mildly.
“Meredith? This is a bit of a surprise. If this is about next weekend’s gala, I’m sure you could have just called.”
Meredith didn’t miss the reticence in the woman’s voice and was sure that Travis had noted it as well.
Whatever. Might as well get this over with. “It’s Darcy. She’s missing and I had a few questions—” The deep throat clearing from her companion reminded her of his presence. As if she needed reminding when his brooding silence screamed “notice me” the moment she met him. She clarified, “We had a few questions for you.”
“Darcy? Oh, God. Come in, please,” Allie said and finally ushered them inside.
They all sat, Meredith and Allie on opposite ends of the couch, leaving the recliner for Travis. Meredith started the introductions. “Allie, this is Travis. He’s…” Crap. What had she decided he was? “He’s an investigator. He’s helping me locate—”
“Wait. No. Travis?” Allie stared wide-eyed at the brooding figure.
Meredith turned her head to look at him again, trying to figure out why Allie was acting like she knew him. She nearly fell off the couch when she saw the slight, wry smile lingering on his full lips.
She hadn’t thought him capable of smiling.
“Allie McBride. It’s been a while,” he drawled.
Good God. Why did this not surprise her? Allie was known and loved by everyone.
/> Allie jumped up from the couch and crossed over to him. She bent down and squeezed the hulking figure, who actually placed his own arm briefly around her and squeezed back.
Unbelievable. Was he going to make a pass at the English teacher, too?
“It’s been, what? Ten, eleven years? I nearly didn’t recognize you, you’ve changed so much, and yet”—she shook her head as she stared at him—“you’re still the same.”
Instead of returning to her seat on the opposite side of the couch, Allie squeezed next to Meredith to be closer to Travis, almost pushing Meredith over. Didn’t the woman have any respect for personal boundaries?
