Page 9 of Just One Kiss

He'd felt the same nerves, the same impatient, raw desire that had resulted in an experience he'd never forgotten. He wondered if she still remembered. He knew she didn't want to. She'd wanted to forget him after he'd broken their relationship beyond repair.

But she might remember. That might be the reason why she was so careful to avoid him, to never really look at him. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

He wanted her to want him again, the way he still wanted her. He just didn't know how to make that happen. Maybe it shouldn't happen. Perhaps, he should let the past stay where it was.

On the other hand, like Hannah, when someone put a mountain in front of him, he had to climb it, no matter the danger, no matter the risk.

But the risk wasn't his alone, and that's what gave him pause. He'd hurt her once; he didn't want to do it again.

Hannah finally lifted her gaze from the necklace. "Kelly is in trouble, and she needs my help with Brett. I'm not going to call Adam back, not yet anyway. I need to give Kelly some time to come back."

He nodded, as she brought his thoughts back to the present. "Okay."

"That's it?" she asked, as if surprised by his agreement.

"It's your family, your call. I am curious—have you heard from Kelly since she left?"

"No. She hasn't been in contact with any of us since the day she took a bus out of town. My mom looked for her in the beginning. I think she might have spoken to her once or twice, but then Kelly disappeared again. There was so much anger between them; they couldn't find a way to reconnect or maybe they just didn't want to."

"I know we talked about it in high school, but I can't remember all the details now. The relationship between Kelly and your mom took a turn for the worse after your dad died. Your mom blamed Kelly for the accident, right?"

"Yes. Kelly was a senior in high school. She had stayed out past curfew and my father went to find her. On the way home, on a very stormy night, he lost control of the car and died. Kelly was not injured. My mom told Kelly it was her fault. My dad never would have gone out that night if Kelly had come home on time."

He felt a little sorry for Kelly, even though he understood that the blame had come from a place of deep grief.

"I didn't blame Kelly," Hannah added. "I knew it was just an accident. But she and my mom could not get along. They were both in a lot of pain. Several months later, Kelly disappeared. I never thought she'd stay gone. I believed she'd return when she had a chance to calm down and grow up. But she never did. When Tyler and I were put into foster care, which happened about four months after Kelly left, the social worker said she looked for Kelly, but she couldn't find her. That's when I started to hate her. She hadn't just abandoned my mom—she'd abandoned all of us. It was selfish, but that's who Kelly was. Her drama, her problems, were always more important than anyone else's. Now, it's happening again. She has gotten herself into something, and I'm supposed to be there for her, even though she's never been there for me."

Hannah's voice was thick with emotion. She was angry and frustrated but also worried. Deep down, he knew she still loved her sister, because Hannah loved with her whole heart. He'd seen the way she'd taken care of her little brother, and even her mom, who often didn't deserve it. And for a while, she'd loved him like that, too. But when the love was gone, when she felt betrayed, there could be no end to her anger.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake?" Hannah asked. "Should I call Adam back?"

He was surprised she even cared what he thought, but if she wanted his opinion, he'd give it. "I think you should hold off on that call. Brett is safe. You're his aunt. See where this goes."

Relief filled her gaze. "I agree." She tilted her head. "I keep thinking about her note, about Brett not being safe if we go to the police. It makes me wonder if Brett's father is in the middle of this trouble. Was he hurting Brett? Did he have custody? Did Kelly take Brett and run to protect him?"

"Those are definitely all scenarios that make sense to me, including the idea that the father might be a cop."

"He could be, but he's not a Whisper Lake police officer. There's no way Kelly has been living in our small town. I just wish I knew where she was before she came here."

"That shouldn't be difficult to find out. There's a trail," he pointed out. "She had a vehicle. It had to be registered to someone. She booked the rental. I assume there was a deposit, a credit card involved. All those clues could lead to her whereabouts."

"And the police could probably find all that out in just a few minutes." She let out a breath of frustration. "I wish she'd left us more information in her note. It's so difficult to know the right move to make, and I still think she took a big risk that I'd be the one to respond to her call. What if I hadn't come right away? What if you hadn't driven up when you did? I could still be stuck on the side of the road. Did Kelly stick around to see if anyone would come, or did she just hope for the best?"

He started at her words. "When I walked over to Trevor's cabin, I saw a car leaving the area. Maybe it was Kelly. Maybe she waited until you arrived."

"That would make me feel better, unless the lights didn't belong to her car. Did you see anyone else?"

"No. There was a light on in the cabin next to Trevor's. Why don't I go knock on their door? Maybe someone saw something."

"That's a good idea." She got to her feet. "I also think we should take Brett to my house. With the storm coming in tonight, I'd rather be back in town."

He was relieved by that decision. "I would agree. I'll give you a ride whenever you're ready to go."

"Okay." She paused, an odd, tense look passing through her eyes.

"What?" he asked curiously. "Do you have something else to say?"

"Thank you," she said through tight lips.

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