matching pajamas. It was 10 a.m. and Dustin would probably be out of the house already. Grace had mentioned last night that she would be coming late to the house. We probably wouldn’t see her until late evening, since Dustin and I planned to leave for Serendipity at 1 p.m., whether Cole had gotten back to us or not.
I reached the last step and hesitated. Cold fear showered my back. What if it was Jude, and he had finally found me? No. He would want to show up unnoticed; he would not walk in through the front door in broad daylight like a normal visitor. He most certainly wouldn’t ring the bell.
I wiped the palms of my hands on the gown. Then I moved forward. Of course it wouldn’t be Jude. He was an animal that pounced in the dead of night. When he showed up, no one would notice, not even me. My stomach squeezed when I remembered the day he had followed me to the Drawbridge Inn, how I had woken up to feel him in the room before I even saw him. That was the kind of man he was. A shadow.
Before I could open the door, I heard footsteps pounding down the stairs behind me. Then Dustin was at my side, wearing a charcoal suit and tie, reaching for the doorknob before I could.
“Don’t open the door to anyone,” he said before twisting it open himself. “It could be him.”
I moved back as he opened the door.
A handsome man with reddish hair and pale blue eyes stood in the doorway. He wore jeans and a plain white t-shirt and carried a sleek black suitcase. No one needed to tell me who he was.
“Cole.” Dustin slapped his brother on the back and pulled him inside. “You didn’t have to drive all this way. A call would have been enough.”
“I needed to be here in person for what I have to say to you both.” Cole turned to me and pulled me into a hug. “Haley, so lovely to see you again after so long. I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.”
“It’s nice to see you again too, Cole. I appreciate your help.”
“I wish we could reminisce about old times, but I’ve got some news about Jude.” Cole charged through the house toward the living room where he sank onto the couch and placed his briefcase on his lap before clicking it open.
“Good news, I hope.” Dustin led me to the couch. I was almost afraid to follow him.
“It could be.” Cole pulled an envelope from the case and opened it.
I sat and bit down on my lip, afraid to move or even breathe.
“What did you find out? We need anything we can take to the cops.”
“Let me show you.” Cole removed a bunch of photos from the envelope and laid them out on top of his briefcase.
I shut my eyes to gather the courage I needed for whatever lay in store for me. I opened them again to find Dustin already peering at one of the photos. “A hotel lobby? What exactly am I supposed to be looking at here?”
“Maybe Haley can tell you. What do you see, Haley?” Cole handed me two photos.
I gazed at one of them, my heart thudding. I immediately saw what Cole wanted me to see. Me, dressed in a black evening gown, hovering by the elevators, looking uncomfortable. Shame washed over me as I remembered that moment. Leon had been at the front desk talking to the receptionist while I waited, wishing I could disappear. “That’s me.” I didn’t look up, too embarrassed that my past was catching up with me this way to make eye contact with either of them. “The night—”
“Exactly.” Cole stood and came to sit on my other side so I was wedged between him and Dustin. Dustin was still staring at the photo and occasionally looking at me. He was quiet, but I felt his fleeting glances on the side of my face. I knew what was going through his mind: He was still coming to terms with me having been a prostitute.
Dustin finally cleared his throat and reached past me to hand the photo back to Cole. He didn’t look at the others, and neither did I. “How does this help us?”
“Look closer, Haley,” Cole said. I wished I didn’t have to. I
I reached the last step and hesitated. Cold fear showered my back. What if it was Jude, and he had finally found me? No. He would want to show up unnoticed; he would not walk in through the front door in broad daylight like a normal visitor. He most certainly wouldn’t ring the bell.
I wiped the palms of my hands on the gown. Then I moved forward. Of course it wouldn’t be Jude. He was an animal that pounced in the dead of night. When he showed up, no one would notice, not even me. My stomach squeezed when I remembered the day he had followed me to the Drawbridge Inn, how I had woken up to feel him in the room before I even saw him. That was the kind of man he was. A shadow.
Before I could open the door, I heard footsteps pounding down the stairs behind me. Then Dustin was at my side, wearing a charcoal suit and tie, reaching for the doorknob before I could.
“Don’t open the door to anyone,” he said before twisting it open himself. “It could be him.”
I moved back as he opened the door.
A handsome man with reddish hair and pale blue eyes stood in the doorway. He wore jeans and a plain white t-shirt and carried a sleek black suitcase. No one needed to tell me who he was.
“Cole.” Dustin slapped his brother on the back and pulled him inside. “You didn’t have to drive all this way. A call would have been enough.”
“I needed to be here in person for what I have to say to you both.” Cole turned to me and pulled me into a hug. “Haley, so lovely to see you again after so long. I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.”
“It’s nice to see you again too, Cole. I appreciate your help.”
“I wish we could reminisce about old times, but I’ve got some news about Jude.” Cole charged through the house toward the living room where he sank onto the couch and placed his briefcase on his lap before clicking it open.
“Good news, I hope.” Dustin led me to the couch. I was almost afraid to follow him.
“It could be.” Cole pulled an envelope from the case and opened it.
I sat and bit down on my lip, afraid to move or even breathe.
“What did you find out? We need anything we can take to the cops.”
“Let me show you.” Cole removed a bunch of photos from the envelope and laid them out on top of his briefcase.
I shut my eyes to gather the courage I needed for whatever lay in store for me. I opened them again to find Dustin already peering at one of the photos. “A hotel lobby? What exactly am I supposed to be looking at here?”
“Maybe Haley can tell you. What do you see, Haley?” Cole handed me two photos.
I gazed at one of them, my heart thudding. I immediately saw what Cole wanted me to see. Me, dressed in a black evening gown, hovering by the elevators, looking uncomfortable. Shame washed over me as I remembered that moment. Leon had been at the front desk talking to the receptionist while I waited, wishing I could disappear. “That’s me.” I didn’t look up, too embarrassed that my past was catching up with me this way to make eye contact with either of them. “The night—”
“Exactly.” Cole stood and came to sit on my other side so I was wedged between him and Dustin. Dustin was still staring at the photo and occasionally looking at me. He was quiet, but I felt his fleeting glances on the side of my face. I knew what was going through his mind: He was still coming to terms with me having been a prostitute.
Dustin finally cleared his throat and reached past me to hand the photo back to Cole. He didn’t look at the others, and neither did I. “How does this help us?”
“Look closer, Haley,” Cole said. I wished I didn’t have to. I
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