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putting on a show. She needed to figure out what had happened to Gabby. Nobody else was going to do it, and the police clearly didn’t have a clue.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
    Josh
     
    “What smells so good?” Claire breezed into the kitchen, fastening an earring. “Morning, sweetheart.” She reached up to kiss his cheek.
    “Hey, Mom.” He pulled her close for a quick hug and kissed the top of her head. Some guys his age might not appreciate their moms, but he’d seen how fast someone he loved could be taken away. He’d promised himself he’d never take her for granted. “It’s a frittata.”
    “Oh my goodness! That sounds amazing, sweetie! What time did you get up?” She grabbed his face, looking deeply into his eyes. “You couldn’t sleep again?”
    He shrugged. “I slept. I woke up around five and couldn’t get back to sleep.” It had been closer to four, but he didn’t want her to worry.
    “Hey.” She put her hand over his as he tried to open the oven door. “Are you taking your sleeping pills?”
    “I don’t like how they make me feel.” He gently removed her hand and pulled the frittata out of the oven. “I’m tired of being a zombie all the time.” He served the frittata along with a fruit compote he’d made; he’d had plenty of time to kill.
    “How about a compromise? How about you ask Dr. Monahan for a smaller dose? Don’t you have an appointment today? This is delicious, by the way. Thanks for breakfast.”
    “You’re welcome.” He smiled at his mom. They had to stick together. They had no one else anymore, so he swallowed his irritation. “Yeah, I see him this afternoon. I’ll talk to him about a lower dose. That’s a good idea.” He focused his attention on his plate, determined not to let the memories, the emotions swamp him. He was doing fine until he heard his mom sniffling across the table. “Aw, Jesus, Mom.” He stood up and walked around to pull her into his arms.
    “I’m okay,” she said as she sobbed against his shoulder. “I’m just so proud of you, Josh.”
    “Don’t cry, Mom. Please,” he pleaded.
    “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve cried enough tears in the last year to fill an ocean.” She pulled away to wipe her eyes on her napkin. “Okay. I’m done. Sorry about that. So, tell me about your project with Bernie. How’s it going?”
    He sat back down and stabbed a bite of frittata. “Well, it’s going, I guess. She’s…I can’t figure her out.” He took another bite. “I took her to the restaurant for dinner last night. Do you know she’d never had salmon before? Or crème brûlée.”
    “I get the feeling she hasn’t had a lot of things in her life,” Claire said softly.
    “Yeah, me too.” He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So, I’m taking Kayleigh out tonight.” He didn’t want his mom asking too many questions about Bernie. He had no answers for those questions and didn’t really want to think about why.
    “Oh. I didn’t realize…well, that’s, uh, great.”
    “You don’t like Kayleigh?” He knew he sounded defensive, but he couldn’t stop.
    “No, not at all! She’s wonderful. I just, I didn’t know you were still together, that’s all. You haven’t talked about her for a long time.”
    He ran his hands through his hair. “I know. I haven’t treated her very well. She’s been great this whole time and I’ve just—”
    “Hey.” She reached across and grabbed his hand. “You’ve been through hell, Josh. I’m sure Kayleigh understands. So, where are you taking her?”
    He blew out a breath. “I’m not sure. Shit, I’ve forgotten how to do this. Sorry.” He had the grace to look abashed.
    “I’ll forgive your potty mouth this once,” she said with a smile as she pushed her smooth, blonde hair behind her ear. “But don’t make it a habit. I’m sure you’ll remember how to date. It’s like riding a bike. How about taking her to a movie and then to the restaurant