Ms. Bridges nodded. “She reluctantly admitted her mother has had different boyfriends over the years, but none that stuck around.”
“And that’s where she is now? Ran off with some guy?”
“We believe so.”
He narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t foul play? Should there be a missing person’s report?”
From the kitchen, a cabinet door slammed, followed by female voices. Ms. Bridges stretched her leg, hooked one ankle over the other. “We have eyewitnesses who saw Ms. West leave the bar, where she rather abruptly quit her job bartending, and get in a car with a man she’d been cozying up with at work more than once over the past several weeks.”
“So?” Linc shifted his weight in the chair. “Still could have been a kidnapping.”
“She had a suitcase with her.”
Oh. He let that sink in. “And you obviously don’t want Amelia to know that part?”
“Amelia knows.” Ms. Bridges sighed. “Apparently this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Though it’s the first we’ve known about it. Obviously we’d have intervened sooner, but everyone kept their secrets. Hoped for the best.”
Wow. Linc’s stomach churned. “But if Amelia knows all that, then what was the crypticunknownsthing about?”
Ms. Bridges glanced toward the kitchen, then back at Linc. Resignation clouded her face, and she lowered her voice. “This is the first time we have reason to think she won’t be returning.”
* * *
Linc had a kid.
Zoey stood out of the way by the living room fireplace as Ms. Bridges conducted a thorough search of Linc’s house, confirming there were no firearms accessible, no alcohol or pill bottles in reach. Akid.
A teenager, for that matter.
She let her gaze flick to Amelia, who sat motionless on the couch with her backpack, expression neutral, as Linc led Ms. Bridges around his home. Sort of wished she could pull out her camera, document this moment, but that was obviously a bad idea.
“Did you draw those?” Zoey gestured to the white marker drawings covering the dark pack.
Amelia cut her eyes to it. “Yeah.”
“Wow. They’re really good.” There was a cartoon turtle, a cupcake, a toaster with bread and steam escaping the top. An octopus with a lollipop in two of its eight tentacles.
Amelia just shrugged and looked away. Her mood had tanked since her earlier, faster tour of the house—since her part didn’t involve investigating medicine cabinets. It hadn’t taken more than ten minutes in the kitchen for Zoey to realize the apple hadn’t rolled very far from a particular branch of the family tree. The teen had the same eyes, same snarky wit. Same sarcastic impulses. Especially fascinating, since Amelia obviously hadn’t been influenced by Linc.
Had he really had no idea she existed?
Zoey’s head reeled at all the implications—both known and unknown. Linc had obviously been in a serious relationship at some point with Amelia’s mom—a fact that had no right to make her stomach twinge but did, anyway. And whether this girl stayed a few days, a few months, or a few years, his life had forever changed. Just like that.
Which meant what for Zoey? She would technically be homeless if this situation—however understandably so—meant she needed to move back out.
But this wasn’t about her.
“Sorry again about the lack of Doritos. I’ll try to grab some from the store tomorrow.” Zoey smiled, but Amelia didn’t smile back.
“It’s just chips, no big deal.” Amelia lifted her chin. “I can handle disappointment, trust me.”
Oh. “I’m sure you can.” Poor kid. But she didn’t look all that torn up about this whole situation. If anything, she looked annoyed. Zoey took a chance, eased forward to sit on the floor in front of the recliner. “You really don’t want to be here, do you?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Amelia tugged at a loose thread on her backpack strap. “Linc doesn’t want me here.”
He was going to hate having a kid call him by his first name. But it wasn’t like anyone could expect her to throw the worddadaround, either. “This is just a lot at once, you know? Everyone needs a minute to adapt. You, him.”Me. But again—this wasn’t about her. She needed to help everyone else find the sun.
Amelia squinted. “You really believe he didn’t know about me?”
