Page 65 of One Spicy Summer

Years of friendship and brotherhood, gone, just like that.

Guess I really am on my own.

I make it back to the office with time to spare before my meeting. The conference room on the second floor is already set, Julie, my secretary, is just finishing the drinks and refreshments.

“Thanks, Jules. Sit in and take notes, yeah?”

“Of course, Mr. Garrison,” she chirps before leaving.

I pull out my chair, sit, and my phone rings. “Hello?” I answer.

“Hey, it’s Mindy. I got your message.”

Relief floods through me. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I need your help. I need to find Presley. Nobody’s willing to help me. Not Agatha. Not Rafe. Nobody.” Silence hums over the line. Leaning back, I sigh. “Please... help me.”

“I’ll keep my ears open, Ry,” she says finally. “But she hasn’t been seen in a while. I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you.” Hope stirs, faint, but it's there.

“Don’t thank me yet,” she says. “I’ll feel awful if I come back empty-handed.”

“You’re trying. That’s more than anyone else has.” Julie pops her head in, mouthing ‘your client is here.’“I gotta go,” I tell Mindy. “Let’s meet at Nancy Drew’s next week?”

“Sounds good,” she says before hanging up.

I shove my phone away, stand, and straighten my jacket just as the conference room door opens.

“Thank you for coming in today, Chuck,” I say automatically, extending my hand, only to freeze when I see who it really is.

My father.

He grips my hand, but I jerk it away like I’ve been burned.

“Come on, son,” he drawls. “Is that any way to greet your old man?”

“All this time," I growl, "and that’s what you open with?Son?”

“You’re lucky I don’t kill you for the stunt you and Sylvia pulled.”

“Whatwepulled?” I laugh coldly. “You ruined our fucking lives! What the fuck did you do with Chuck?"

“Oh, Chuck’s fine," he says, smirking. “I asked him to give me a few minutes alone with my boy.”

“I’m no boy of yours.”

“Careful,” he warns. “Don’t test me.”

“Or what? You’ll do nothing,because you can't.” I cross my arms. “Now, get the fuck out of my office before I forget I’m wearing a suit.”

He stares for a long moment, something almost... longing... flickering across his face. But then he smirks again. “Before I go,” he says casually, “I hear you’re looking for someone. Come by the house. Maybe I’ll tell you where she is.”

Tempting, but I don’t believe a damn word out of his mouth.

“I’ll find her myself,” I snarl. “Now get the fuck out.”

He finally turns and leaves.

“Jules!” I bark.

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