Stretching my arms up above my head, I rolled over and smiled at the sun streaming in through the enormous windows, washing the room in warm, golden light. The city stretched out beyond the glass. The water of the lake below sparkled under the early morning sun.
I still can’t quite believe that’s only a lake. Surely, it’s large enough to classify as something else?
When I finally pushed myself upright, I spotted the note on the bedside table and reached for it, not surprised by what it said.
Gone golfing with Douglas. Back later.
—JR
JR. James Roderick.
Naturally, nothing saidimportant family triplike abandoning your daughter in a foreign city while you went golfing with a near stranger you were sort of friends with decades ago. I sat there for another second, trying to fully appreciate the fact that I had nothing to do today. Then I swung my legs out of bed and padded to the sitting area.
It was empty. As was Winnie’s room, which meant I’d been right and she definitely wasn’t here either. She wasn’t golfing with Dad. That much, I knew with absolute certainty.
Doubling back to my room, I pulled my phone off the charger on the nightstand and tried calling her, but it rang through to voicemail. Accustomed to this, I hung up and tried again, but when I heard myself listen to a recording of her voice once more, a slow knot began forming in my stomach.
Alright, first things first. Do not panic. Winnie is an adult. Technically. She travels constantly. She knows how to take care of herself.
Still, she was also my little sister and she was as foreign in this city as I was. I opened the social media account I ran for the Roderick estate out of habit more than anything else, but I knew that if there was one way to track her down, it was on here.
Usually, I only used this account for messages about tours, questions about opening hours, or requests from production companies wanting to film in the east wing. Today, I clicked over to Winnie’s profile without even checking our own.
Several new videos flooded my screen and my stomach bottomed out as soon as I pressed play on the first. Footage of a wild night somewhere in this very city, featuring loud music, flashing lights, and crowded rooms full of strangers around her.
Winnie danced on something elevated and unstable looking while people cheered. Drinks were handed around while onlookers shouted. Someone fell over in the background.
I stared at the screen, realizing then that she had ended up going out and that I had no idea if she’d come home or where to even start looking for her. Suddenly desperate to know she was okay, I tried calling again, but she still didn’t answer.
Oh, God. Win, where are you?
In an attempt to quell the panic rising from deep within, I pressed a hand to my forehead and drew in a deep breath. This was exactly the opposite of the break I was supposed to be having. Instead, I was halfway across the world trying to track down my missing sister while our father played golf.
A knock at the door made me jump, but for a brief, irrational moment, I wondered if it might be Winnie, having somehow lost her key and returned in dramatic fashion. I raced over to open it, but instead of finding my sister on the other side, room service stood in the hallway with a cart full of covered dishes.
“I didn’t order anything,” I said softly, trying not to let my disappointment that he wasn’t my sister bleed through. “I suspect you may have the wrong room.”
“It’s the right room, miss.” The man smiled politely. “The check has already been taken care of.”
I frowned but stepped aside to let him in, watching in mild disbelief as he arranged plates and poured coffee like this was a perfectly ordinary morning. For him, it probably was but not for me. After he was gone, I checked Winnie’s room, but the bed was untouched, certainly not slept in. Her suitcase still sat at the foot of it with clothes strewn all around.
Trying to decide on an appropriate outfit for last night.
The counter in her en-suite bathroom told a similar story. Makeup and assorted paraphernalia covered the marble, but her makeup remover and facial wipes were still tucked into her vanity bag. Finally satisfied that she definitely hadn’t returned last night, I headed back to my own bedroom, showered, changed, and five minutes later, I was pacing in the living room.
Room service sat untouched on the table while my thoughts spiraled steadily downward.What if Winnie left that club with strangers? What if she got lost on her way back to the hotel? What if she?—
Another knock sounded and I hurried to the door, pulling it open with my heart pounding in my throat. Once again, however, it wasn’t my wayward sister. Instead, Jesse Westwood stood in the hallway.
“Good morning.” He smiled easily, like this was perfectly normal. “I’m here to take you around the city today. Well, mostly Winnie, but you’re welcome to join us.”
I blinked hard. Under ordinary circumstances, I might’ve felt a bit miffed that he’d come to spend the day with my sister but was willing to allow me to tag along. As if I’d come all the way across the ocean simply to chaperone a date.
I might’ve even marveled about how good he looked in a fitted black T-shirt, a leather jacket, and dark-wash jeans. I definitely would’ve been mortified about the fact that my hair was still wet, my face bare of makeup, and my feet stuffed into my favorite fluffy slippers.
But nothing about these circumstances was ordinary. So I just looked into those big blue eyes and pleaded my case. “That’s wonderful of you. Very hospitable. I’m sure she would’ve enjoyed that, but I don’t know where she is and I’d truly appreciate your help.”
His expression shifted immediately from friendly to concern. “What do you mean?”
