Page 25 of Say it Ain’t So

My chest clenched. I pressed the heel of my hand against the ache. “She was gone when I woke up in the morning. Took her things but left all the clothes I bought her and her diamond ring.”

Ray was quiet again. He rubbed his hand across his scruffy jaw. Then he asked, “What are you planning to do?”

“I don’t know.” I let out a sigh. “That’s why I came here.”

“If you really love this woman, you need to find her. You need to make sure that this ex-boyfriend doesn’t hurt her the way he has in the past. You need to make sure she’s okay, because there is nothing worse than losing the ones you love.”

Didn’t he know? I had already lost her.

I’d never felt pain like this.

I closed my eyelids and Joss’s face was there. Beautiful eyes. Gorgeous smile.

“If you could go anywhere in the world, live anywhere other than where you do now, where would you go?”

The corners of her lips turned up as she sucked on her straw. “I’ve always wanted to go to Chicago.”

“Yeah? What’s there?”

She shrugged. “Nothing really. I just thought it would be fun. Somewhere I’ve never been. The big city. All the food and drinks and things to do. It’s gotta be more interesting than North Dakota or Minnesota. What about you?”

“Chicago,” I said with a laugh.

“What’s there?” she asked, her smile growing until her blue eyes sparkled like gems.

Reaching out, I took her hand and strung my fingers between hers. “You.”

Ray watched me as I stood. “Where are you going?”

North Dakota. Minnesota.

Chicago.

“Gonna see if I can find my girl.”

9

JOSS

My phone chimed with an incoming text at the same time a tear slid down my face. The sun was leaning toward the horizon, and I kept telling myself that’s why.

That’s why my eyes kept welling with tears.

It was the sun.

Nothing more.

I swiped away the tear with the heel of my palm, then grabbed for my phone, though I didn’t want to. I only wanted to hear from one person, and I didn’t even know his number.

Cheyenne: Wait. You got married?!? What the hell!??

I’d barely had a chance to read the words on the screen when my phone was ringing in my hand.

She started speaking before I said a word. “Give me details, girl. You don’t just send your bestie a text saying you got married and not give the details!”

A laugh caught in my throat and came out sounding like a strained cry. “Well, you know me. Gotta do everything the hard way.”

“What’s his name? What’s he like? What the hell were you thinking?”