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But after talking with him the past couple of times, it didn’t seem like that was the case. Reid Ramsey had changed these last nine years. He was a man now. I’d noticed growth in him—but I also saw the shadows. Maybe it wasn’t me who Reid blamed for his sister’s death.
Maybe he blamed himself.
It couldn’t be further from the truth, but there was guilt in his eyes, the same guilt I’ve carried for the better part of a decade.
I blew out a heavy breath as the bulky printer booted up and started to spit out the copies of the posters. It would be more cost-effective, and better quality, to get them printed at the print shop, but I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to get as many up tonight as I could before the sun went down.
“Ready to close up?” I jumped as Jojo stuck her head through the door. “Oh, sorry, sweetie, didn’t mean to scare ya.”
I waved a hand at her. “No, that’s fine.” I glanced at the time. “Wow, I can’t believe it’s already time to close.”
Jo’s wrinkled lips cracked a warm smile. “Time flies.” Her eyes shifted to the printer and the growing stack of missing posters on the tray. Those lines around her mouth deepened. “I hope those help.”
“Me too.”
“Well, I’ll close on up and get myself out of here, if that’s all right with you. You can leave whenever you’re ready.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
Jojo hesitated; her eyes roamed my face before she let out a small breath. “It’s been so nice to work with you today. Even with the…unfortunate news this morning.”
My eyes stung as I looked at her. “Thank you for helping so much. I literally couldn’t do this without you.”
Her gray-blue eyes misted over before she shook her head. “Oh, jeez.”
Before I knew it, she barreled toward me again and pulled me into one of her hugs. I let myself sink into her soft body.
“Welcome home, Lark.”
For the first time since I’d set foot back in Ember Hollow, I felt welcome.
We stayed in that embrace for a long moment. She smelled of expensive perfume and laundry soap, exactly as I remembered. When she let go, she wiped her red-rimmed eyes.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then, okay?” she said with a small sniff.
I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just nodded. She left me with one of her bright smiles and closed the door to finish closing up.
I left shortly after Jojo with a stack of posters tucked in one arm and a roll of tape in the other. My mother had texted me twice, wondering when I was getting home, but I ignored her. She could get around enough now that I didn’t need to be at her beck and call at all hours. She had been the one pushing me to reopen the shop, anyway.
It was a balancing act as I locked the front door without dropping the papers. Then, I promptly tore off a strip of tape and put up the first poster right on the front door. I shivered against the dropping temperatures as the sun began to set. It wasn’t very windy, which was good, and I made quick work of putting up all the posters I could.
I secured them to windows, lampposts, even the community bulletin board by city hall. Some people stopped me on the street and took one, their eyes widening as they read. I needed to hit the college campus, but I was already running low on posters and daylight.
“Lark Meadows.”
A voice from behind me made me freeze after placing the last piece of tape on a poster I’d hung on the door of the public library. I spun around, meeting the dark-gray eyes of a very tall man.
Xander Cohen cocked his head to the side as he studied me. He wore a sharp suit with a blue tie. A gold police badge glimmered on his hip.
“Um, hi.” The greeting sounded more like a question.
He glanced at the poster behind me, his expression hardening. “Reid told me you’ve decided to help out with Lily’s case.”
I nodded hesitantly. “I thought that the more people looking for her, the better chance we have at finding her.”
His mouth tightened, and he reached out his hand, palm up.
I stared at it, confused.
