Page 1 of Known By You
CHAPTER ONE
Elizabeth
When someone smiles and suggests everything happens for a reason, I instantly know three things about them.
First, they have a sunny view of the world and life.
Second, they’re likely someone for whom most things have worked out in their favor.
And third… they are diametrically different than me.
I would never be confused for an optimist. I’ve had my fair share of successes, but when factoring in parental divorce, failed personal relationships, a sister who was kidnapped—even if we’d recovered her quickly—and now the mess I found myself in, I didn’t think of myself as living a charmed life. Not to say I’d suffered—I had privilege up and down the street. But I didn’t feel the need to fit life events into a tidy puzzle where everything fitfor a reason.
Sometimes, being a few minutes late doesn’tsave you from a horrible car wreck. And relationships end because people don’t love each other anymore or don’t want to work hard enough to fix what broke. Sometimes, people simply don’t click long-term. Sometimes, a freaky fan thinks he has the right to kidnap someone.
Sometimes, work blows up in your face despite your best efforts.
These were consequences of choices, actions, and sometimes world events or outside forces. I refuse to believe they were all for a preciousreason.
That said, as I stood staring at my baby sister, a tear slipping down her cheek, it felt a lot likeshewas the reason I’d come to Silverton. She beamed at me with her innocent smile that held so much love it made me ache as she slipped her bright scarf from around her neck.
“I’m so,soglad you’re here. Last summer, it was all such a blur, but now? It’s an absolute dream come true to have you here for more than a few days!”
She launched out of her seat, making quick work of sliding out of the booth, then yanking on my closest arm and hauling me into her embrace.
“Okay, Jojo. Point taken. You’re glad I’m here.” I chuckled through it, ignoring the pinch in my chest and shoving the way I’d neglected her for so many years to the back of my mind.
She released me after a few seconds longer than a normal person would, then slid back into her side of the cherry red booth. Catherine, the waitress who was also part of my sister’s girl squad here in Silverton, delivered our lunch.
“Here you go, ladies. Anything else I can get you?”
She smiled kindly at us. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her stunningly clear, pale skin fresh andwithout any makeup. She had the mountain girl natural beauty thing going for her in spades.
“This looks amazing, thank you,” Jo said with a grin.
“I’ll take some more coffee and would you top up the water, too? I’d appreciate it.” I held up my half-empty glass. I’d taken to guzzling water since arriving last night. Dehydration never helped jetlag, plus the altitude had me pretty miserable last summer when I came for a quick visit. I wanted the coffee for the caffeine and to warm my fingers, which still felt a bit frozen after my walk from the small apartment I rented.
Granted, I’d hardly been here long enough to adjust when I’d stopped in six-ish months ago. Not even quite a week. Now, though, I planned to be here at least a few months, both to help Saint Security bridge the gap while Jess Korbel-Rawlins dealt with her extreme morning sickness, and to… enjoy my wintry sabbatical from work.
Yeah. It’s a voluntary sabbatical and not a voluntold, paid leave of absence while your subordinate is drawn up on ethics charges that implicate you. Way to spin it.
The burn of frustration and betrayal lit in my chest, but I tamped it down and smiled at Catherine.
“Of course. I’ll keep both coming.”
She scuttled off to get my beverages, and I turned to see Jo eying me with a sly look. I didn’t get to spend much time with her, but I still recognized the expression as one to be wary of.
“Yes?”
“I’m just waiting for you to tell me why you’re here and how you’re taking more than a month off work and how it went when you showed up at Saint Security and, if we’re just going to put it all out there, what Kenny did when hesaw you because Iknowhe had a reaction based on seeing him at the signing.”
I huffed, the barrage of questions so like ten and twelve and fourteen-year-old Jo it hurt. We were sisters with a six-year age gap and had often been stuck in different phases of life. We’d stayed in touch fairly well considering I’d lived internationally for the majority of the last decade, but this instance made a wisp of memory blossom and wither at the same time.
Judging by the cant of her head and the way her eyes narrowed and flickered from one part of my face to another, she was trying to suss out the truth. It had been so rare for us to sit across from each other and talk. In truth, it was rare for me to sit and talk to anyone who wasn’t part of my working life. So maybe I should take this chance to connect—make an effort while I was here and let her in a little, knowing it would likely make her day. It was a small offering for the kindness and enthusiasm she’d shown me since we’d sat down.
I could give her some of the answers she wanted without creating a situation I had no control over, and so I did.
“I’m on sabbatical for up to three months depending on a few factors and it’s standard practice,” I said, but left out a few key details aboutwhenit was standard practice or the fact sabbatical wasn’t technically the right word. “And I’m here because I enjoyed this little town and seeing you and Dad. I like the Saint Security team, and when I reached out to Wilder Saint and Bruce Camden, they indicated I could fill a need.”
