Love You Madly(17)

Then she backed up and headed home.

…

Travis thought of a million reasons why he should turn around now. It wasn’t like he had the time to do the whole reunion     thing. If this were a kidnapping case, the first hours and days were pivotal to finding the person, as the scent went cold very quickly.

What if she didn’t want to see him?

But the fact that he’d just seen Allie a few hours before meant it was likely she already knew he was in town. And would be hurt if he didn’t reach out. He went ahead and knocked.

Immediately, a dog barked on the other side, and a few seconds later he heard footsteps that paused at the door. He raised his gaze and stared into the peephole.

The door swept open, followed by a squeal, then his sister was throwing herself into his arms. Guess she might be happy to see him after all.

“I almost didn’t believe Allie when she told me you’d been by,” she said once she settled back down on the ground in front of him. “It’s been so long and you look…” She looked him up and down. “Wow. Hot.”

“You’re not doing too bad yourself,” he said and smiled.

Claire was only eighteen months older than him, but without makeup and wearing her glasses, she looked like she was twelve. But even as a brother he could appreciate that she was stunning, with her long chestnut-colored hair—something she’d ground into his memory when they were kids any time he tried to call it brown—and those wide innocent blue eyes. With her hair pulled into a ponytail, she looked more like a schoolgirl than a woman.

“Come in, come in,” she said and scooped up the small, fluffy white dog that was still barking around their feet. “Stop that, Daisy.”#p#分页标题#e#

As if she’d only been waiting for attention, the little dog immediately stopped and stared at him. Travis looked uneasily at it. He wasn’t very good with small yippy dogs. He stepped into the small, sparse, but tastefully decorated condo.

Not sure what to do with himself, he took a seat on the worn and scarily bright celery-green couch as Claire continued. “I hope it was okay that Allie called me, but she knew that if I heard you were in town and that she knew and didn’t tell me, I would never forgive her. At least not without causing her some bodily harm.”

He shrugged. “Figured as much.” Although Claire hadn’t gone to St. Andrew, she and Allie now both taught at the school, something he’d learned through the letters Claire sent him over the years. The two women had become quick friends when they realized their connection through him.

“I couldn’t believe it when Allie told me that Darcy was missing,” she said and put the dog back on the ground.

“You know Darcy?” he said, trying to ignore the scrap of dog sniffing at his heels.

“She was a great student, always had her assignments in on time. Math wasn’t her strongest subject, but she studied hard and managed to pull As every time. I hope you find her. From what I know of her, it really isn’t like her to just take off like this. Crap. Where are my manners?” she asked. “Can I get you something to drink? Water, soda? Beer?”

“Water would be great.”

When she left, he rose from the couch and headed over to some pictures grouped on a shelf. His gaze fell first to the old picture of the two of them as kids, trying to smile against the bright summer sun. He was around ten. From the swimsuits, he guessed they’d been playing in the sprinklers that day, forgetting for that moment the troubles that usually drew a shadow over their young lives, although he spotted a faint bruise under his right eye.

There was another photo of Claire and their mom at Claire’s college graduation. The love they had for each other was evident in their eyes and the warm hug they posed in. Mom looked frail, and he knew that within six months of that picture she’d be gone. Guilt assailed him, as it usually did. He hadn’t been around—had been serving his first tour.

The next photo, the one front and center, drew his brow in a frown. Some guy with a lopsided grin and a toothy smile with his arms wrapped around Claire. She was entirely too good for the schmuck.

“That’s Rick. I’ve written you about him. It was taken over Christmas break up at Deer Valley. He’d just proposed.”

He took the bottled water she was holding toward him. Yeah. She’d told him about the guy. And how he’d practically proposed right after their first date. Sounded hinky, if you asked Travis. Like if he waited too long she’d come to her senses and see something she didn’t like. Travis hated him already.