by Marion Myles
Lina’s hazel eyes bore into her. “Likewise. Even under these circumstances.”
Brooke and the other girl walked over to join them. “This is Brooke, one of Anita’s best friends all through school, and this is Morgan, daughter of Claudia and Ed. They live in Memphis now, but they used to be our next-door neighbors. All us kids played together.”
Mia nodded to the two girls, and Brooke smiled at her.
“Hi, again. I’m glad you came.”
“And you know Tony of course,” Molly added when he sauntered over. “Okay, children, go play.”
“Who’s up for a swim?” Tony asked, tipping his head at Mia.
“Not me,” she said. “You guys go ahead.”
“I think I’ll sit it out too,” Brooke said. “Come on, Mia. We can lounge on the dock and enjoy the sun.”
Molly gestured to the table, laden with a variety of snacks. “Help yourself to food, and I’ll see where Frank’s gone with your drink. Oh, there he is. Well, come on. The girl’s getting dehydrated standing here.”
“My apologies,” Frank bowed and handed her a bottle of Coke.
“Thank you,” Mia said.
She took a sip and lowered the bottle, glancing casually around until her eyes magically locked on Roman. He stood at the edge of the dock with the others. They were lined up and apparently counting down to diving in.
“Come on, let’s go dip our feet in the water.” Brooke tucked her hand in at Mia’s elbow. “I’m really glad you came. I know we’ve only talked once before, but I have a good feeling about you.”
A burst of joy spread in Mia’s chest. “Um…thanks…I guess. I have a good feeling about you too.”
Mia kicked off her sandals, and they sat at the end of the dock, lowering their legs over the edge and letting feet sink into the refreshingly cool water. Mia wiggled her toes and sighed. It did feel good.
“This is the life, huh? Anita would have loved this place,” Brooke said. “The Mancinis only bought it five or so years ago, so she never got to see it.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. But I thought…didn’t Tony’s father have a cottage? I guess I assumed it was this place.”
Brooke shook her head. “Well, he did, but it wasn’t this one. They sold it years ago. It was across the lake over there. The one with the flag.” Mia’s eyes tracked to where Brooke pointed. “Tony talks about it sometimes. He has a lot of memories of his mom from there.”
“It must be hard for him,” Mia mumbled.
“Listen, I don’t want to bug you, but have you found out anything about Anita?”
“No, not so far. In fact, I feel like I’ve hit a dead end.”
“You’re not going to give up, are you?”
Lina swam toward them.
“No, I’m not giving up. If I find any new information, I’ll follow it. Right now, though, I’ve got nothing. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
“What are we talking about?” Lina asked, treading water and pushing her hair out of her eyes.
“Anita, of course,” Brooke said.
Sinking down and tipping her head back, Lina stared at the sky. “It’s crazy thinking of her turning thirty.” She twisted her head to look at Mia. “So, Wonder Girl, how’s it going with finding her?”
Her tone was light and teasing, but Mia caught the flash of another woman, face soft with lines, her hair a dramatic shade of red. She took a check from Frank while Molly cried and begged her to find their daughter. Mia stiffened.
“I’m doing the best I can.”
“I’m sure you are. Just make sure you don’t break my parents’ hearts over this.”
“Mia would never do that,” Brooke said in a shocked voice.
Lina’s shoulders lifted up and down in an exaggerated shrug. “I hope not, but we don’t really know her, do we? People do all kinds of fucked up things.”
“Why are you being so mean? Mia’s only trying to help.”
Mia swung her legs up and climbed to her feet. “It looks like me coming today was a bad idea. I think I’ll go.”
“No, you won’t,” Brooke said, clambering up to stand beside her. “Lina’s always had a sharp tongue. I’m sure she didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
Lina swam closer so she could grab the edge of the dock. “Mia, you don’t have to go,” she said in a weary voice. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. I guess I’m just tired of having another piece of my soul crushed every time it seems like we’re going to find Anita and then never do. Sometimes I think it’d be better if we accept we won’t ever know what happened to her.”
Except I know, Mia thought as a weight of sadness settled on her. It was an impossible choice deciding if it would be worse for the Mancinis to know all about Anita’s violent death or to perpetually wonder what happened to their daughter and sister and cousin.
Mia zoned back in to hear Lina saying, “…please stay. I promise to play nice. I need to remember this is a day of celebration. We may not have Anita with us anymore, but we can still celebrate her life.”
“Yes, you have to stay,” Brooke urged.
“Okay.” Mia nodded her head. “If you’re sure. I don’t want my being here to ruin the day.”
Roman swam over and splashed at Lina. “Everyone looks so serious. What are we talking about?”
“Girl stuff,” Brooke said with a strained smile. “What happened to the other two?”
“Tony and Morgan decided to swim over to the O’Reilly’s cottage. She used to be friends with Megan and wanted to say ‘hi’ to her and her family. You guys have got to come in. The water’s amazing.”
His eyes lingered on Mia, and she swallowed while looking away from him and out across the lake. “Oh, I see them. Morgan’s really fast. She’s miles ahead of Tony.”
“College swim team,” Lina said with a smile. “That’ll put a considerable dent in Tony’s ego.”
“He’s not like that,” Brooke protested.
“Believe me, sister, he’s exactly like that. All guys are. Even this big dork right here.” She tipped her head at Roman.
Nobody said anything for a beat. Roman spread his arms. “So what if I’m a confident guy? Maybe I have reason to be,” he said, flicking his eyes over to Mia and smiling broadly.
Well, damn, thought Mia. How the hell am I going to walk away from that?
Soon after, Frank fired up the grill. Within the hour, everyone was gathered on the deck, helping themselves to steaks and grilled vegetable kabobs and loading up plates with various salads and side dishes. Roman followed Mia around the table and slid onto the seat beside her. He bumped his thigh against hers. When she looked over, he smiled sweetly. Mia swallowed and stared down at her plate.
“Mia, why don’t you have a steak? There’s plenty,” Molly prodded.
“Oh, no thank you. I’m…well, I don’t eat meat.”
“But…oh, I see.” Molly’s brows pinched together, and she sighed. “Anita was the same. Wouldn’t eat my Sunday roast. Wouldn’t so much as look at a strip of bacon. She watched some movie about factory farming, and that was that.”
Mia took a bite of pasta salad and chewing vigorously, smiled at Molly. “There’s so much food, and it’s all wonderful. Thank you again for inviting me.”
This time Molly smiled back at her, and when conversation resumed around the table, Mia let out a silent breath of relief. It wouldn’t take long for dinner to be over and then she could finally make her excuses and head back home.
It’s not that she didn’t like them, but between Lina’s hostility and the constant pull of Roman, it was a struggle to stay calm…even more so during dinner with his arm somehow seeming to bump against hers…or the way he shifted his chair closer until she could literally feel the warmth of him. On top of all that, she fought the typical mental spillover from being around so many people. Factoring everything in, she was exhausted from the effort of it all.
Clearing his throat, Frank stood and lifted his wine glass.
; “First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming. It’s really wonderful having everyone together like this. Both old friends and new.” He gestured toward Mia on the last few words. “I know it’s been a long time since we lost Anita, though to Molly and me it sometimes seems like she was here only yesterday. Still, it helps knowing all of you hold her in your hearts. It makes us believe she lives on even if she’s no longer physically with us. Thank you, everyone. Thank you for honoring our Anita.”
Molly leaned forward and reached for her glass. “And now that the wonderful Mia’s come into our life, we’ll find our baby girl and bring her home.”
Frank turned to Mia and nodded, leaning across the table. “Yes, to Mia.”
Feeling incredibly guilty, Mia raised her water glass and clinked it against Frank’s to complete the toast. She could sense the wave of hope rising up from around the table. Considering she was surrounded by Anita’s family and friends, she should have been inundated with scenes of her. Why would Anita’s energy have reached out and grabbed her so forcibly the first time in the park if there was no hope of finding her body?
As soon as Molly and Lina started gathering plates, Mia leapt to her feet and grabbed her own.
“Good night everyone. I really must get back home. It was a wonderful afternoon. Thanks for having me.”
She heard choruses of good nights and nice to have met you. Careful not to make eye contact with Roman, Mia picked up several side dishes to bring inside the cottage.
“Thank you for a lovely dinner,” Mia said to Molly. “I really need to get back to the dogs.”
“Oh, but you haven’t had dessert. I made a cake. Red velvet. It was Anita’s favorite.”
“I’m sorry, but I’d best go.”
“Okay.” She patted Mia’s arm. “You’ll let us know if you get any closer to finding her?”
“Yes, of course. Bye, Lina. It was nice to meet you.”
“Same here. Mom, which dishes do you want for serving the cake?”
“The glass ones with the flowers. I’ll walk you out, Mia.” Molly crossed over to where Mia was inching back from the kitchen and put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for coming. Having you here meant a lot. It was a real comfort. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’re doing for my family. You’re a good girl, Mia.”
When she reached out for a hug, there was nothing for Mia to do but follow suit. With Molly’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, she leaned into the tiny woman, doing her best to block out any mental crossover. She was already feeling enough guilt and inadequacy and couldn’t bear to take on one ounce more.
“Good night, Molly. Thanks, again.” Mia said when she was at last able to disentangle herself.
With a giddy sense of relief, she turned and strode across the main room and out the front door. The bubble quickly burst when she saw Roman. He stood leaning against the front bumper of her car, arms crossed over his chest and a ready smile. Gathering herself, she approached slowly, stopping several feet away from him.
“That was a fast getaway if I ever saw one,” he said.
“My dogs are at home. I hate leaving them for so long.”
“Sure, that’s true, but I also know you couldn’t wait to get out of here. You’re good at hiding it, but I’m a trained observer. You have so many tells.”
She shrugged unapologetically. “I’m not much of a social girl. It’s nothing against your family. They’re wonderful people. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming to me.”
“Even Lina?”
“Well, no. Not her.” Mia snorted. “She doesn’t like me one bit, but I understand. She’s only trying to protect your parents.”
“That and she’s not naturally friendly. Never has been. It’s a miracle she managed to snag herself a husband.”
“Such a shame they’re getting divorced.”
“What makes you think that?” Roman demanded.
“Oh…sorry. I thought you knew. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Nope. No sirree. She hasn’t mentioned that little tidbit to anyone. Why the hell would she tell you before her own family?”
“She didn’t exactly tell me.” Mia paused, and her eyes slid away from his. “It was the barest flash of a vision, I swear. I didn’t go poking around in her mind if that’s what you’re thinking. Sometimes stuff comes spilling out of people, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Hence my desire to be by myself. Please don’t say anything about it to your family.” Her words finished in a rush.
Roman stared at her for a full ten seconds. Mia knew because she counted it out in her head. “You know, I forgot all about that today. Forgot you could…well, you’re something, that’s for sure. You have my word I won’t say anything until Lina tells us herself. I guess that explains why Greg wasn’t here. Pretty sure there was no work trip.”
Mia exhaled. “Okay, thanks. Well, I’d better book. Good night, Roman.” She sidled around him and made a beeline for the driver side door.
“Wait. Hold up a sec. We need to talk about this thing between us. You have to be feeling it too?”
Her shoulders sagged, and she stopped, bracing her hand on the front of the car when she turned to face him. “There’s no thing between us.”
He cocked his head. “Why do you insist on lying to me? There is most definitely a thing. I felt it in the kiss and today, I caught you sneaking glances at me when you thought I wasn’t looking. I’m not a bad guy or anything. It’s okay for you to like me.”
“I know you’re not. In fact, I think you’re a very good man. Aren’t there any other single women in Dalton? What about Brooke? She’s sweet and so pretty. You guys would make a great couple. Mary-Ellen from the bank just broke up with her boyfriend. I think you two might mesh really well.”
“Except I’m not interested in Brooke or Mary-Ellen from the bank. I’m interested in you.”
“Please don’t be,” she said softly, turning away. “Go back to your family and your life, Roman. If anything comes to me, you’ll be the first to know. Otherwise, I think it’d be best if we keep our distance. Good night.”
Starting her Escape, she backed out of the driveway and onto the dirt road in front of the cottage. She didn’t glance back at him.
He walked the short distance down to the middle of the road and stood there watching her drive away.
Chapter Fourteen
Mia didn’t think she’d sleep. The afternoon spent with the Mancini family—and the way things had ended with Roman—left her stomach twisting like a writhing pit of snakes. Even after walking for over an hour with her dogs, followed by a lengthy and somewhat violent session of weeding the flower beds at the back of the house, she was still strumming with anxiety.
Yet, when she finally got into bed and turned over on her side, she dropped straight into sleep. The dream came in the early morning. Not of Roman, which had been her fear when she went to bed, but Anita.
Mia saw the scene as if hovering some distance above. Anita, dead and wrapped in a greenish material, being carried through a forest in the dark of night. The man, bent under the weight on his shoulder, trudged through the undergrowth, a shovel hanging from his left hand. The trees were a mixture of deciduous and evergreen, and in the distance, beyond the forest, a lake gleamed under the moonlight.
The next flash brought her flying down through the leaves, past branches and tree trunks and zooming to ground level. Anita was in the grave. The rough green material had been left on the pile of dirt at the side of the hole.
The man was nowhere to be seen, but when Mia looked down, she saw the path of footprints leading away. Turning back to Anita, she noted the body had been laid carefully, her hair fanning out slightly and her hands clasped on her chest. The vivid marks on her neck were the only sign of injury.
Feeling sick, unable to look at the poor girl any more, Mia stumbled back several paces, tripping over a tree root and falling on her butt. The idea the man could reappear at any moment filled her
with panic. He would surely hurt her if he realized she’d seen Anita’s grave. Scrambling to her feet, she leaned against the nearest tree and fought back a sob.
The trunk was massive. It must be a very old tree. Her fingers traced back and forth across the bark and over the ridges of carvings. It seemed to Mia they were letters inside hearts. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the first spark of light pushing its way through the trees. Dawn was breaking. Birds chirped away in a happy chorus. In the distance a loon made its eerie sound as though calling back the night.
Mia blinked when air rushed by her face, and she realized she was rising again. Up and up she went, above the trees, above the lake, and higher still until, far away, she saw the sun on that teetering edge ready to breach the horizon.
The dogs were whining and rustling around her bedroom. Mia groaned and reluctantly opened her eyes. It was not fully morning, though some light seeped into the room. She realized Mac was standing beside the bed staring at her with worried eyes. Tucker let out a yip of excitement when he realized she was awake and bounded onto the bed beside her.
“Everything’s okay, guys. Relax. It’s way too early for breakfast. Go back to sleep.”
Tucker burrowed under the sheets and molded himself around her, a hot little ball of fur at her hip. Mac sighed and rested his head on the duvet. Mia let her head fall back on the pillow and closed her eyes. She was so tired. Another hour might give her at least a fighting chance of feeling like a normal human for the remainder of the day.
She lay quietly for several minutes, listening to the dogs settling back into various sleeping arrangements. Her mind was mushy, hardly able to hold a single thought. Something pushed at her, something important. And then, like a bolt of lightning, the dream flashed into her mind.
Except it wasn’t a dream. She was certain what she’d seen had actually happened. This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced one of her visions this way. Rubbing at her eyes, she blinked them open again.
Holy shit. She knew where Anita was buried.
Okay, not exactly where, but she had some landmarks to help her find the place. Throwing the covers off, she slid out of bed. What should she do? Call someone maybe? No. This time she wouldn’t involve Roman in it unless she had to. First, she needed to find the location and make sure it wasn’t another false alarm.
