The Mountain Man's Secret Twins(25)

When Kenzie parked, she knew something was amiss with the cabin. It looked dark, almost abandoned, and was missing the massive pile of logs for his fire out front. Kenzie took tentative steps toward the door, peeking in through the window. The couch was still there, along with the rug and several pots and pans, but the heavy layer of dust on the other side of the windowpane spoke the truth: Bryce wasn’t around. He hadn’t been for a while.



Kenzie drew back from the window, suddenly frustrated. He hadn’t given her any information from his past whatsoever, meaning she didn’t have any clues regarding his current location. She considered giving up, driving home, and doing what her mother always said: finding a man who could take care of her and the babies so she didn’t have to be so careful with money.



But, honestly, the mere thought of that turned her stomach.



She sat on the porch, enjoying the scenery and trying to create a plan. She knew he’d been at the cabin for 12 years, which meant a planned move didn’t seem likely. He’d probably been taken away by surprise. Perhaps a relative had contacted him? Perhaps the child in the photo had needed him? Perhaps he was getting back together with the blond woman?



Don’t jump to conclusions, she thought. You’ll just depress yourself.



As she stepped down from the porch, she remembered something. When she’d ripped Bryce’s jean jacket from his body in a fit of sexual desire, a patch had fallen off. She’d picked it up on the morning she’d left, just as a keepsake.



She’d dropped it in her purse and promptly forgotten about it.



Feeling wild, she leafed through her purse and found the patch almost immediately. It was rectangular, thick, and had a motorcycle embroidered on it. Above it were the words: “The Blue Boys Clubhouse.”



Kenzie frowned, realizing she’d found a path. But where on earth could the Blue Boys Clubhouse be? She rubbed the embroidered patch with her thumb and forefinger, knowing that if she did find this Blue Boys Clubhouse, Bryce wouldn’t necessarily be there. But others who knew him—who actually had a history with him!—would be there. Perhaps they could give her another clue, which would lead to another. She was on a scavenger hunt now. If she succeeded in finding him, it would alter the course of her life.#p#分页标题#e#



Kenzie returned to her car and drove back down the mountain, keeping the patch in her jacket pocket, close to the babies. She parked at the diner, suddenly starving again, and ordered a piece of pie from the same waitress. She laughed, slipping the apple pie slab onto a gleaming white plate. “Darling, this one’s on the house.”



“Thank you,” Kenzie said, dipping the fork into the tip of the pie. But as the waitress walked away, Kenzie got an idea. “Wait a minute!” she called.



She pulled the patch from her pocket and laid it on the counter, certain that if the clubhouse was around the area, the waitress would know about it. “Do you recognize this?” she asked.



The waitress frowned, bringing the patch closer to her eyes. “Hmm. Is this a jacket patch?” she asked.



“Yes. I’m looking for someone who might hang out at this place. The Blue Boys Clubhouse. Have you heard of it, or recognize the label?”



At first, Kenzie thought she saw a glimmer of recognition cross the woman’s face. But soon the waitress was pushing the patch back across the counter, shrugging. “Sorry, babe. I don’t recognize it. Definitely not a part of this town, anyway. Maybe if you drive over to the surrounding towns you’ll find something? There are definitely a few too many bikers in the next town over, south of the mountains.”



Disappointed, Kenzie nodded and thanked the waitress, eating the rest of her pie in soft, easy bites. She leaned back heavily, accepting her fate, which was a long afternoon of research. But she had to get started.



Driving out of the small town, she swept eagle eyes from side to side, searching for any sign of the Blue Boys logo. Nothing seemed to match. The only bar in town had a familiar troupe of ragtag alcoholics out front, squabbling and bickering and smoking heavily. None of them seemed like the kind of company Bryce would keep, but she still pulled over, rolling her window down.



“Hey, pretty lady,” one of them said.



“Hi there,” Kenzie said, giving them a dull smile. They walked toward her slowly, tossing their cigarette butts to the ground and smashing them with their heels. “I wondered if you guys could answer a question for me?”



“Anything for you,” one of them said.