He watched her take in a slow, deep breath.
“I think I do,” she replied. “I’m not sure what will happen,” she groaned, “I’m exhausted, but I wouldn’t mind having you come inside to keep me company for a bit.”
“I can do that.” he reassured her.
He wasn’t interested in pushing her into anything.
That was the last thing he wanted, but he’d take any chance to spend some time with her. That’s what he wanted most of all.
CHAPTER 11
NOELLE
She was ready to drop until they got on the road.
The night was so nice out that she asked if they could put the windows down.
McCrae did it and slowed his speed so that the wind coming through the open windows moved over her skin like a breeze.
As he drove her home, her mind drifted away toward the photo that West showed her.
“What…” she took in a breath, filling her lungs, “what was her name?”
She blinked back the sudden tears that filled her eyes.
“I didn’t even look. How stupid was that?”
McCrae didn’t turn toward her but he reached out a hand and touched her leg in a gentle brush of his fingers. “Aracely Santos.”
“Aracely Santos.” She repeated the name and then let it play over and over in her head. “I really hope it’s her,” she sighed, “and I really hope it’s not her. I would love it if she was alive, but…”
“But then her family would still be wondering where she was.”
She nodded. “That’s the horrifying part of it. If it wasn’t her they might still have hope.” She cleared her throat and sagged against the door of the truck. “That might be more cruel.”
“It’s hard to imagine what it’s like for her family,” he seemed to consider it for himself, “every phone call… every knock at the door… do they wonder if it’s her calling? Or coming home?”
She closed her eyes but the tears that had been on her lashes were already falling down her cheeks.
Noelle picked up his train of thought, feeling the anguish inside of her heart.
“And when they don’t hear her voice on the phone. Or see her at the door. I can’t imagine what it would be like to get my hopes up and then to feel the gnawing disappointment when it’s not her.”
She looked up and at McCrae sitting beside her. “I wonder if it’s so painful to me because I have a daughter? Is that why this hurts like it’s eating at me from inside out?”
Noelle frowned a little when McCrae pulled the truck off to the side of the road.
There weren’t any lights visible where they were, but when he turned toward her she swore she could see every plane of his face.
Every feature.
Was it her imagination, or did she see the aching need in his eyes that she felt deep in her chest.
“When you were talking about that loss, that empty feeling,” his voice was rough as if it was scraping its way out of his throat, “I saw my sister, but…”
He shook his head, shaking… shaking… shaking… tiny little movements back and forth as if he couldn’t do anything else but that.
“I saw Ciela, too.”
