Page 28 of Missing

When he turned to look at me, he didn’t just turn his head, he shifted his body, so he was giving me his undivided attention.

“Thirty-two,” he stated matter-of-factly.

I cringed.He’s nine years younger.It might not be an issue if I wasn’t past child-bearing years, while he was at the age most people started a family.

“Is that a problem?” Doug didn’t blink as he waited for me to answer.

“No, but I’m quite a bit older.”

If he was surprised, he hid it well. Maybe he already knew. After all, he was a private investigator and it’d be easy enough to find out. Hell, all he had to do was ask someone at the office.

“You can’t be that much older.” He sounded incredulous.

I felt my cheeks flush at the compliment, even if he didn’t realize how much of one it was. I looked at my ice cream to avoid meeting his gaze as I answered, “I’m forty-two.”

“Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “You look great for your age.”

If I hadn’t already been blushing, I would have then. Guys had told me I looked good for my age before, but it always sounded like lip service. The way Doug said it, the strength of conviction in his voice, made me believe it.

He was definitely earning his brownie points tonight.

“Thanks,” I said shyly.

“Beth?” He waited for me to look at him. “Is the age difference a problem for you?”

I took a second to think about it.Is it?I didn’t think it was. But I already had kids, a kid, and he might want his own someday. Which meant it might be a problem for him down the road.

But no, it wasn’t a problem for me. I liked Doug for who he was—a responsible well-mannered man—his age didn’t change that.

“It’s not. Is it a problem for you?” I trusted him to tell me if it was.

“Nope.” He grinned, putting me at ease.

The sudden, deep sound of a boat horn interrupted us, putting an end to our conversation as we both turned towards the water.

Doug glanced at his watch. “We should probably get on the road.” He held out his hand for my empty cup.

After tossing them in a nearby trash can, he reached for my hand again. As we walked, I replayed our brief conversation and searched for clues. Doug hadn’t hesitated when he said our age gap wasn’t a problem. He hadn’t even spared a single second to think about it. I over-thought myself to the brink of doubt. Did he say it so I’d feel better? Did he already know? Would I have to worry about it in the future?

Does he not want kids?

Because that’d be a problem; I was a package deal.

His response hadn’t convinced me the difference in our ages wouldn’t be a problem in the future, but, at least for tonight, I could pretend it wasn’t.

Chapter 16

Doug

Late Tuesday morning I knocked on the doorframe of John’s office before walking in. He held up his hand, causing me to pause. His lips curled into a soft smile as he said, “I won’t forget.” Pause. “Yes, dear.” Pause. “Love you too.”

I didn't always think about it, but, damn, John and Jack looked a lot alike. They had the same piercing amber eyes and thick wavy brown hair.John has more gray. They looked more like brothers than Jack and Jamie, who took after his mom with his thin dark hair and kind hazel eyes.

He looked up and waved me in after putting his phone face down on his desk. “What can I do for you, Doug?”

“I got a hit on Will. A traffic cam picked him up near an established homeless camp.” Will’s parents had hired SSI to find him after he went missing two days ago. They’d reported it to the Fort Worth police as well, but the FWPD was short-staffed and overworked so looking for an eighteen-year-old drug addict with a history of running away wasn’t a top priority for them. “I’m heading there now to search the area.”

He nodded as he asked, “Want someone to go with you?”

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