Missing Persons. Shirlee McCoy

a woman. Young. Maybe a student who was attending the college.” Jeannine spoke quietly, and everyone at the table leaned toward her. Except for Seth. He’d heard the information before, had spent way too much of his time speculating about who it could be. A woman. Someone who’d disappeared ten years ago.

      Ellen.

      His half sister and his parents had had a big blowup the year Jake was born. Ellen had stormed out of the house and never returned.

      That had been ten years ago. About the same time the first renovations had been done on Magnolia College’s library. About the same time the sidewalk had been poured. She’d had friends in Magnolia Falls and a job doing freelance photography for the public relations department at Magnolia College. And now she was gone.

      Seth flashed his number again, trying to block out the conversation and his own morbid thoughts. Sure Ellen had had a lot of friends in Magnolia Falls. It was possible she’d visited there after the blowup with their parents, but that didn’t mean she had. It certainly didn’t mean her body had been hidden under a sidewalk for the past ten years.

      Seth bid a final time, winning Lauren’s chef services and then following her progress as she made her way through the crowded room. She took a seat at her table, whispering to her sister, Deandra, who wasn’t quite as restrained. She shot Seth a look filled with malice. Obviously, she wasn’t going to let bygones be bygones. Jennifer, Cassie and Kate were at the table, too, and glanced in Seth’s direction before leaning forward and beginning what looked like an animated conversation.

      They could talk all they wanted. Seth had accomplished his goal. The only person he had to explain things to was Lauren, and he’d have plenty of time to do that while they worked on the menu for Jake. As for the rest of the ladies, they’d just have to hear the details from her.

      Steff announced the next item up for auction and another bidding war began. This one over a summer’s worth of lawn service. Lauren’s sister made a bid, the woman next to her saying something that made the rest of the table laugh. As Lauren’s companions turned their attention to other things, Lauren whispered something in Deandra’s ear, grabbed a small handbag from the floor and stood, moving quickly toward the door and out of the room.

      Five minutes passed, then ten as Seth tried to convince himself not to follow. He didn’t do a good job of it and finally gave up the effort, pushing back his chair and standing.

      “Are you leaving already?” Jeannine looked up from a dinner roll she was slathering with butter.

      “Just going to call and make sure my son isn’t giving the babysitter grief. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

      “As if that sweet young man could ever give anyone trouble.”

      “I won’t tell him you called him sweet.” Seth strode away from the table.

      The lobby was empty, the sounds of laughter drifting in from the events room barely disturbing the refined air the inn worked so hard to maintain. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, dialing his home number as he stepped outside into cool September air, his gaze scanning the parking lot.

      “Hello?”

      “Hi, Reese. It’s Seth.”

      “Is everything okay?” Reese sounded as bubbly as ever. Apparently her ten-year-old charge hadn’t worn her out yet.

      “Everything is fine. I just thought I’d check in. Make sure my son wasn’t giving you trouble about his bedtime.”

      “You know he is. He wants more time to read the book I brought him.” A junior at Magnolia College, Reese had been Jake’s babysitter for two years. Seth had come to value her dependability. Being a single parent was hard. Having reliable child care made things easier.

      “How much time do you plan to give him?”

      “You know me too well. Is a half hour okay?”

      “Works for me, but tell him that if he values tomorrow’s fishing trip, he’d better not push for more.”

      “I will. See you when you get home.” The phone clicked as Reese disconnected, and Jake shook his head, smiling a little as he thought of his son and Reese conspiring to extend Jake’s bedtime. Dependable or not, Reese wasn’t nearly as far from her childhood as Seth was from his. That made her more likely to allow later bedtimes and extra snacks. Which was fine with Seth.

      Once in a while.

      And that was as frequently as he went out. According to Jeannine and a few other well-meaning neighbors and church ladies that wasn’t nearly enough, but Seth wasn’t in the market for a relationship. One marriage was enough for a lifetime.

      He pushed aside the thought and the memories that went with it, and turned back toward the inn. That’s when he saw her—sitting on a bench near the corner of the building, her shoulders slumped, her dark hair spilling forward to cover her face. Lola. Despite what she said, despite what she wanted, that’s how he thought of Lauren. The nickname was one he’d coined when he’d met her his sophomore year of high school. A transplant from New Orleans, Lauren had seemed lost and alone as she wandered through the cafeteria of their Savannah high school. When she’d glanced his way and offered a sweet smile, Seth’s adolescent heart had melted. Despite his determination to keep the past at bay, the memories washed over him, bittersweet in their simplicity.

      “You new?”

      “Yes. I’m Lauren Owens. From Louisiana.”

      “Well, Lauren Owens from Louisiana, it looks like you could use a friend. I’m Seth Chartrand. Want to have lunch with me?”

      “I was looking for my sister.”

      “No problem, Lola, I’ll help you find her. We can all have lunch together.”

      Even now, the memory made him smile. Friendship had blossomed that day. From there love had grown. Unfortunately, Seth hadn’t known enough about life to value it. He liked to tell himself he’d matured since then. Sometimes he almost believed it.

      He moved toward her, grass and leaves crackling beneath his feet, the sweet scent of newly mown lawn heavy in the air. “You look like you could use a friend.”

      She tensed, but didn’t turn toward him. “No. Just some fresh air.”

      “I guess that makes two of us.” He kept his words casual, ignoring her not so subtle dismissal.

      “You shouldn’t have followed me out here, Seth.”

      “Who said I did?”

      “Didn’t you?”

      “I thought you might like an explanation.”

      “As long as you have the money to pay for what you bought, no explanation is necessary.” She stood, moving a few steps away, her lean form taut with whatever she was feeling. Eleven years ago he would have known, would have been able to read the look in her eyes, the expression on her face. Now she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.

      “Maybe not, but I’m going to give you one anyway. My son has severe food allergies, Lauren. Making meals he can eat and enjoy is difficult. I thought learning from an expert in the field might make his life easier.”

      She nodded, but there was no softening in her expression. “You’ll have to make me a list of what he’s allergic to. I’ll put together meal ideas based on that. Do you have an e-mail address where I can send the menu?”

      “Sure.” He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “I’ll call you tomorrow with the list of allergens.”

      “It’ll be easier if you e-mail it to me.” She handed him her card, and Seth glanced down at her e-mail and business address. Savannah. She hadn’t moved far from home. At least in this she hadn’t surprised him. The Lauren he’d dated had always been content to be near home and family.

      He, on the other hand, had been desperate for adventure and freedom.