“If it makes a difference,” Hayden said, “it’s freshly made and not the stale stuff you often find in the afternoon.”
“I don’t care how or what it’s made of,” she said with conviction. “I absolutely would like some.”
“Black, one sugar, right?” Gabe asked.
She gave him a soft smile that went straight to his heart. “Right.”
“You guys are way too in sync for just…whatever this is. Cute, I guess.” He stuck a finger in his mouth and faked gagging.
A quick reply was right on Gabe’s lips, but his buddy was right. Gabehadnoticed El’s coffee preference. He’d noticed that and so much more over the years.
“Besides the coffee,” Hayden added. “Reece left you some sandwiches in the refrigerator.”
“I could eat,” El said.
“I’ll grab them.” Gabe handed the mugs to El and pushed through the swinging door to the large commercial refrigerator that was always stuffed with fresh food. Not only had she madesandwiches, but they were sack lunches with their names on them. Made sense, or one of the guys might polish them off as a snack.
Gabe returned with the two bags. “I’ll follow you.”
She turned to leave, and Gabe paused near Hayden. “Let us know the minute you find anything else.”
“Will do.” Hayden turned back to his computer.
El hurried toward Gabe’s room, where he’d temporarily hidden the journal. She’d logged it as evidence, but since they hadn’t finished reading Kenna’s entries, they wanted it close.
Gabe slipped past her, unlocked the door, and followed her inside.
She sat on the sofa. “Time to call social services.”
Gabe went to his gun safe and listened to her give them all the information she possessed. By the time she finished, Gabe had crossed the room to sit next to her, Kenna’s journal on his lap, the lunches on the table.
“Go ahead and start eating,” she said. “I need to let Mina know about this, too. But please wait for me before you read the journal.”
He reached for the bag with his name on it, but his favorite meatball sandwich tasted like sawdust and he set it down. El’s call ended with her leaving a message for Mina.
“Could I get my lunch, please?” She set down her phone and held her hand out. “I’m sure you heard that I had to leave a message.”
“Yeah.” He put the bag in her hand. “But you know she’ll call back.”
She removed her sandwich and used it to point at the journal. “How about we start in the same section we read before, but at the beginning of that week?”
“Sounds like a good idea, but honestly, I don’t think I can read more of it.” He handed the journal to her. “Will you do it?
El swallowed her bite. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He got up to pace, and he heard her flipping pages.
“This entry is a letter to you.” She started blinking as if she didn’t believe what she was reading.
“What?” he asked, his stomach clenching tighter. “What is it?”
She looked up, her expression tight. “You’re not going to believe this, but Kenna gave us the name of Lucy’s father.”
Acid burned in El’s stomach and she dropped her sandwich into the bag. If she felt this bad when she didn’t have a past with Lucy, how would Gabe feel when he learned the father’s name?
“Who is it?” Gabe demanded, standing over her.
El couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.
