Page 26 of The Missing Couple

Vince turned his attention back to Charly. “You know I’ve got that little Maverick pickup if you need a vehicle to use until yours is prepared. I’m more than happy to bring it over.”

Charly looked from him to Billie and back. “I… I suppose that would be a good plan. Save the trouble of getting a rental.” She winced. “But I’m not sure how long my SUV will be out of commission, and I have guests coming on Friday.”

Vince held up his hands. “I’ll have it over here by the time we close. Use it as long as you need to.”

“Thanks.” Charly smiled, which seemed to make the guy inordinately happy. “I really appreciate it.”

He gave her a nod. “I’d better get back to the office. Just wanted to check in with you. You let me know if you need anything at all.” He sent a nod in Billie’s direction and then was gone.

When Charly closed the door, Billie shot her a grin. “That’s some fan you’ve got there.”

Charly waved him off. “He was friends with my husband. He’s just being neighborly.”

Billie followed her back to the kitchen. The man may have been friends with her husband but what he wanted now was to be friends—good friends—with her.

“Unless I can help you in some way,” he said, kicking the idea aside, “I have a call I need to make to a source.”

“I’m good here. You do what you need. Finding Briana and Martin is top priority. I don’t want to slow you down in any way.”

“I’ll be back shortly. I want to help.” You, he didn’t add. His protective instincts were swarming…but other feelings were stirring as well.

You’re going way too fast here, pal.

Sometimes a stressful situation caused a person to reach out for any available form of comfort. He didn’t want Charly to be his comfort…not like this.

He paused at the door and glanced back at her. But he wanted her…more than was smart for either of them.

Chapter Nine

Bradly Retreat

Deep Woods Trail, 2:30 p.m.

When the door closed behind Billie, Charly relaxed. She’d put on a brave face when he arrived to rescue her. She closed her eyes and shook her head. And he had rescued her. No question about that.

She could have called the police or Vince, for that matter. Even Shelly. But her first thought had been Billie. It was so foolish. They barely knew each other. But she felt drawn to him. Trusted him. On some level she understood that it was about the situation. The tension and fear of having two people—her guests, his family—missing.

But it wasn’t just Briana and Martin niggling at her so fiercely. It was all the other blond-haired, blue-eyed women who had gone missing over the past sixteen years. Eight. Eight! How did that happen and no one seemed to notice? Had it started with Francesca Andrews? If so, then it was nine! How could that be?

Her father had worked the case. She’d been found wandering along the highway with no memory of where she had been for the past forty-eight hours. The very next day she was taken back to Nashville by her family.

Except then, hardly more than weeks later, she had disappeared again. This time for good.

A new thought occurred to Charly. Her knees felt weak, causing her to lower into a nearby chair. Was it possible that the person or persons who abducted Francesca Andrews were responsible for all the others over the past sixteen years? Could those same people have murdered Charly’s parents? No, that couldn’t be right.

Could it?

She was going way too far with this random theory. Still, she intended to talk to Billie. Get his thoughts on the matter. It was very possible that her subconscious was infusing the need to solve that part of her past into an unlikely situation that simply shared nothing more than timing.

Charly stood. First, she would complete the guest baskets. They were the final part of prepping the cabins for new guests. By then, Billie would be finished with his calls. They could talk about her new concern then. If it was nothing more than wishful thinking, then at least she went the distance.

She set back to the task of arranging the fruit, along with the box of chocolates, in each basket. The baskets were old, but sometimes vintage was a good thing. They were well made and showed the love of time. Her mother had selected the baskets. They’d been hanging on one of the overhead timbers in the kitchen for years. Charly had known she had to use them. She wouldn’t think of changing, even now.

Despite her best efforts to focus her thoughts on the task in front of her, her mind churned with questions. This sinking feeling that she and Billie were on to something terrible with this blond-haired-blue-eyed scenario kept nagging at her. It was a struggle but somehow she managed to finish the last basket.

Seven cabins were rented starting this Friday. She surveyed the seven baskets. They looked good. Surprisingly so considering her level of distraction. One by one she carried each out to Lola. Once they were secured she climbed behind the wheel.

“Mind if I join you?”