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out
anything? Anything at all?”
         “Of course.” He gave her
a smile. “You’ll be staying at the hotel?”
         She shook her head. “No.
I’m going to stay at her place. At least for a few days if need be.”
         “You’re staying at her
place?” He sounded surprised.
         “I might as well. If
she’s fine she’ll come back there eventually.” Her smile was tight. “And I’ll
be there waiting for her.”
         “I don’t like the idea of
you up there all alone.”
         Snorting, she shook her
head at him. “You forgetting I grew up there? Besides, Katy lives up there all
alone.”
         “Katy’s…” he frowned and
didn’t finish what he was going to say.
         “What? Tougher than me?”
         “Something like that.”
         “She had to be.”
         No one could dispute
that. “Will you at least come out to dinner with me tonight?” he asked
abruptly.
         “Matt, I… I don’t know.”
They’d dated a few times in high school. She’d made out with him in the front
seat of his daddy’s old Chevy. And then she’d fallen for JD. It had surprised
her as much as it had surprised anyone. What had surprised her even more had
been when she’d thought he’d fallen for her too. But, as she’d found out the
hard way, boys like JD only wanted one thing from girls like her.
         “Oh, come on, Lizzie. For
old time’s sake. I’ll show you around town. We can eat at The Cottage .”
He saw a brow lift and damned if he wasn’t reminded of that inquisitive girl
from the mountain he’d known so long ago. He chuckled. “It’s a new place.
You’ll love it, trust me.”
         Still she hesitated. She
was here to find her sister. And she didn’t want to be running around town.
Running into…
         “If you’re worried about
running into JD he won’t show up there.”
         She had been worried
about running into him, but she didn’t want to admit it to him. “No. No
worries.”
         “We can ask around about
Katy while we’re out. And we can catch up. I want to know what you’ve been up
to, besides becoming a doctor.”
         Staying on Matt’s good
side could be imperative to finding her sister. He’d push harder for a friend.
Besides, he was right, it would be good to relax and catch up. “All right,
Matt, you’ve talked me into it.”

 
    Chapter 7
     
     
     
         The thought of running into JD sent her into a near panic. The thought of losing her sister put her
over the edge. So it was the threat of losing Katy because she was a chicken
which propelled her down the long driveway to Josh’s house. She’d decided to
start with him first, hoping two things. One that JD would not be there and two
that Arlene would not be there. She was not afraid of Arlene. She despised her.
         This long, winding
driveway surrounded by pastures was as unfamiliar to her as the surface of the
moon would be. Though she and JD had dated in high school she had never come
down this driveway to see him. Theirs had been a forbidden relationship. And
they’d hidden it well. Or so they’d thought.
         But she had come down
this driveway once, on a cold rainy fall day, shortly after she’d started her
freshman year of college in Washington. The thought of that trip and what had
transpired at the house at the end of the driveway so many years ago nearly
made her turn around. Nearly. But, she reminded herself, Arlene wouldn’t be
there. She wouldn’t invite her in and offer her tea and cookies. Wouldn’t act
like she understood or cared, only to shove a knife through her heart before
throwing her out on her ass.
         “Stop it,” she growled as
the house came into view. Arlene didn’t live in this house anymore. She’d had a
mansion built for herself on the other side of the property and she’d given the
old house to Josh. Katy had kept her informed on some of the goings-on whether
she’d