Resist

“Not really, but I have to find my client. What if something bad has happened?”

“I can help you if you want.”

He pulled away from the vineyard and we turned onto the highway after meandering through country roads.

“Help me find her? You’re serious?” I looked at him.

He pressed his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose. The aviators had a different level of sex appeal on his structured face.

“Yes. By the time we get back it will be late afternoon. We’ll track her down and we can still finish off our weekend on a high note.” He grinned. “I have selfish motivations.”

“Really, you don’t have to do that. It’s my mess.”

All I could think about was how eerily reminiscent this was of Garrett. The familiar tightening in my chest returned. How many times had I searched for him? How many times had I called his friends desperate for answers?

He squeezed my knee. “Ell, I’m going to help you.”

“All right.” I wasn’t used to it. Accepting help. Even the offer was foreign. I was the one who always solved the crisis. I was the foot soldier. “If you’re sure.”

“I am. I want to do this.” I knew he wasn’t flirting anymore. He was genuine.

The rest of the drive we listened to music while I reminded myself Lana Foley and my brother had nothing in common. Their only connection was not returning my calls. The commonality stopped there. It had to.

Two hours later Vaughn pulled up in front of my apartment.

“Is your roommate here this weekend?” he asked.

“No. She texted and said she was staying with her boyfriend. I think she had to work most of the weekend anyway.”

“Think I’ll ever meet her?”

“I’d like that. She’s fun, but also a workaholic.”

He chuckled. “You do realize you’re the one working on a Saturday.”

“Touche’.”

“Where do we start to look for your client?”

I pulled on the handle. “I need to go upstairs and get my office keys. I have her paperwork at my office. Do you want to wait here while I get them?”

“I’ll keep the car running.”

I slammed the door and took the steps as quickly as I could.

Chapter Fourteen

We parked in a deck not far from the clinic. It was easier to maneuver the campus roads on the weekend. Vaughn walked beside me as I guided him to my office.

I turned the lights on as we walked through the halls.

“So this is where the magic happens?” He stood in the doorway while I searched for Lana’s file.

I laughed. “You make it sound more glamorous than it is.”

I opened the filing cabinet and flipped to the F stack. I pulled Lana’s file from the folders. There was a standard contact form we attached to all files. I took a picture of the address listed. It had always been a part of the process. I never imagined I would need the information to locate a missing client.

“Ok. I have her address. We can start there.”