Giff’s smile faded. “Ginny.”
Brian sighed, discovered that the tension balled dead center at the back of his neck couldn’t be rubbed away. “The cops called here this morning. I guess they talked to you, too.”
“Didn’t have squat to say. I don’t think they’d have bothered to call if I hadn’t been hassling them. Damn it, Brian, you know they’re not looking for her. They’re barely going through the motions.”
“I wish I could tell you different.”
“They said we could make up flyers, hand them out around in Savannah. What the hell good is that?”
“Next to none. Giff, I wish I knew what to say to you. But you know, Ginny’s twenty-six years old and free to come and go as she pleases. That’s how the cops look at it.”
“That’s the wrong way to look at it. Ginny has family here, she has a home and friends. No way she’d have taken off without a word to anyone.”
“Sometimes,” Brian said slowly, “people do things you never expect they would do. Never believe they could do. But they do them just the same.”
“Ginny’s not your mama, Brian. I’m sorry this brings back a bad time for you and your family. But this is now. This is Ginny. It’s not the same.”
“No, it’s not.” Brian forced himself to keep his voice and his temper even. “Ginny didn’t have a husband and three children. If she decided to shake the sand out of her shoes, she wasn’t leaving lives broken behind her. Now I’ll keep talking to the police, I’ll see they’re called at least once a week to keep Ginny in their heads. We’ll make up the flyers for you in the office. I just can’t do any more than that, Giff. I’m not having my life turned inside out a second time.”
“That’s fine.” Giff nodded stiffly. “That’s fine, then. I’ll get out of your way so you can go about your business.”
Fury lengthened his stride as he stalked back to the truck. He climbed in, slammed the door behind him. Then just lowered his head onto the steering wheel.
He’d been wrong. All the way wrong. Sniping at Brian that way, going stiff and snooty on him. It wasn’t Brian’s fault or his responsibility. And it wasn’t right, Giff added, as he sat back and closed his eyes, for a friend to cut into another that way. He’d just give himself a moment to calm and to settle, then he’d go back and apologize.
Lexy sauntered out of the house. She’d streaked down the inside stairs, nearly breaking her neck in her hurry to be sure Giff didn’t drive off before she could taunt him with what he couldn’t have. And her heart was still racing. But she moved slowly now, one hand trailing along the banister, a distant smile on her face.
She moseyed up to the truck and, forgetting that her hands smelled of vinegar, propped them on the bottom of the open window. “Why, hello there, Giff. I was about to take a little walk in the woods to cool off, and saw your truck.”
He opened his eyes, looked into hers. “Go on then, Lexy,” he murmured and leaned over to turn the key.
“What is it?” The misery in his eyes was a balm for her soul. “You feeling poorly, Giff? Maybe you’re feeling blue.” She trailed a fingertip up his arm. “Maybe you’re wishing you knew how to apologize to me so you wouldn’t be so lonely these days.”
His eyes remained dark, but the shadows in them shifted from misery to temper. He pushed her hand aside. “You know what, Alexa? Even my limited little world doesn’t revolve only around you.”
“You’ve got your nerve, thinking you can talk to me that way. If you think I care what your world revolves around, Giff, you’re very mistaken. I couldn’t care less.”
“Right now that makes two of us. Get away from the truck.”
“I will not. Not until I’ve had my say.”
“I don’t give a damn what you have to say, now back off before you get hurt.”
She did just the opposite, stretching through the open window to turn the key and shut the engine down. “Don’t you order me around.” She stuck her face in his. “Don’t you think for one minute you can tell me what to do, or threaten me into doing it.”
She sucked in a breath, prepared to scold him properly. But there was misery in his eyes again, more than she’d ever seen or expected to. Her temper subsided, and she laid a hand on his cheek. “What’s the matter, honey? What’s hurting you?”
He started to shake his head, but she kept her hand in place. “We can be mad at each other later. You talk to me now. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Ginny.” He let out an explosive breath that scalded his throat. “Not a word from her, Lexy. Not a single word. I don’t know what to do anymore. What to say to my family anymore. I don’t even know how to feel.”
“I know.” She slipped back, opened the door. “Come on.”
“I’ve got work to do.”
“You do what I say for once in your life. Now come on with me.” She took his hand, tugging until he climbed out. Saying nothing, she led him around the side of the house toward the shade. “Sit down here.” She drew him down on the side of the rope hammock and, slipping an arm around him, nudged his head down to her shoulder. “You just rest your mind a minute.”
“I don’t think about it all the time,” he murmured. “You go crazy if you do.”
