to her trim physique to her widened eyes. Lord, she was a vision. She was thinner. That had changed. She’d obviously spent a good amount of time working out since he’d last seen her. What hadn’t changed was that she was still as cute as a button.
It was what he’d thought the first moment he’d seen her. She had walked into the store wearing black pants and a tank top that hugged her beautiful curves. Alex had stepped in her direction, instantly intrigued. But then Carter had made a beeline for her, and that had been that. Alex had lost his chance to pursue anything with Brianne.
“Alex?”
“Hmm?” He looked up at her. He hadn’t heard a word she’d said.
“I asked if you really want to do this. Head to Florida?”
He cleared his throat before speaking. “I think it warrants investigation, yes.”
Brianne nodded, then bit down on her bottom lip. She looked vulnerable as she stared at some point ahead of her, probably not really seeing anything, just lost in her thoughts.
She suddenly shifted her gaze to his, as though she had caught him staring. Alex moved his eyes.
“What if you’re wrong?” she asked softly.
Alex looked at her and shrugged. “Don’t you want to know? One way or another? ”
“To tell the truth…I’m not sure. I…I don’t know if I could handle getting my hopes up, only to learn that you saw someone who looked like him.”
“I know what you mean,” Alex said. “But the way things are now, we don’t know—”
“And what if he’s got this whole other life—which he’d have to, right? A life that doesn’t include me?”
“You mean assuming he has amnesia?”
“Yes.” She looked scared suddenly, and something inside Alex’s gut stirred. “If he’s been missing all this time, he must have suffered some type of memory loss. What if he’s got a family?” She swallowed. “I don’t want…I’m not sure I could handle that.”
“Even if he’s got a new family, he’s still got his family back here. Parents who grieved for his loss. Friends. You.” He paused, looked at her pointedly. “He deserves to know about the people he’s left behind.”
Brianne began to pace. “Maybe you’re right. But if it does turn out to be Carter, his parents will always be his parents. I’m just a woman he used to love. He’s probably forgotten all about me.”
Alex stood and walked toward Brianne, stopping only when he was directly in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’re more that that,” he said, then took a breath, hoping she didn’t pick up on the double meaning behind his words. All this time he hadn’t seen her, and yet he was still attracted to her.
His best friend’s girl.
Former best friend’s girl.
“Weren’t you the one who didn’t want to give up hope?” he asked. “The one who thought for sure that I was wrong, that Carter was out there alive somewhere?” She nodded, but Alex saw pain in her eyes. “Wouldn’t you feel better knowing he was alive, even if he’s got a new life?”
“I don’t know,” Brianne said softly. “Maybe.”
“Then we work together. We hit the streets in Florida. We find out if Carter is still alive. Once we know for sure, we can decide what to do next.”
Brianne stepped away from Alex and hugged her torso. “You can do it without me.”
“Maybe. But we both knew Carter, and I think it’ll be easier—”
“I can’t.”
“Of course you can.”
She shook her head.
Alex didn’t want to pressure her, but she couldn’t say no. He needed her. “I know it won’t be easy, but I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”
“This is all too much to process right now. I need time. Will you give me that?”
“Of course,” he said. “Absolutely. I’ll give you my number and you call me whenever.”
“I’m not making any promises.”
“That’s fine.” Alex wasn’t about to pressure her, even if he needed her. Brianne would want to know. He felt that in his heart. She would think things over and then call him and tell him she wanted to help him find Carter.
At least he hoped so.
Because she had the key to finding Carter.
“I’ve got a business card in the car. I’ll go get it.”
Brianne nodded.
Alex went to the front door and jogged down the steps. There was a chill in the November air, reminiscent of the day he and Carter had gone into the mountain three years ago. Three years that had changed his life.
Because Carter hadn’t just destroyed him emotionally when he’d disappeared on that mountain. If Alex was right, he had taken the one thing from him more precious than any money.
While he and Carter had been in hiking the Canadian Rockies, someone had ransacked Alex’s home, emptying the safe of not only its cash but of a family heirloom that meant the world to him.
On her deathbed, Alex’s mother had given him a ring that had once belonged to her mother. His mother had told him that since she hadn’t had any daughters, she was passing the antique diamond engagement ring to him. That he should give it to the woman he would ultimately marry.
The memory burned him as he retrieved a business card from his car. At the time, he’d considered it a cruel twist of fate that his home had been robbed at the same time that his friend went missing. Now, he didn’t think it a coincidence at all.
His gut told him it was all a part of Carter’s plan.
Alex went back to Brianne’s front door. She swung the door open before he could.
To his surprise, he saw tears in her eyes.
“Brianne,” he said with alarm. “Are you okay?”
She wiped at her eyes and forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just overwhelmed, is all.”
Guilt slammed into him. Maybe it was unfair to involve her in his plan. She had gone through so much as it was…
“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “You have your card?”
“Yeah,” he replied and passed it to her. “The office number is on there, and my cell. You can reach me anytime.”
Nodding, she accepted the card. “Okay. I’ll call you.”
“I’ll talk to you later, then,” Alex said.
“Mmm hmm.”
Again, he was struck by her loveliness, and her vulnerability. His heart quickened.
Ignoring the feeling, he turned away from her and trotted down the steps.
He hoped it wasn’t a mistake to involve her in this. And yet, he didn’t know of another way.
He had to do what he had to do to get back what was taken from him.
Alex could live without the money that had been stolen from his place. Insurance had replaced it, anyway. But the ring that had meant so much to his mother. That was irreplaceable.
Alex wanted it back. And he intended to get it.
Chapter 3
Brianne went to the living room’s front window and peered outside. Alex’s car was still there, as if he were waiting for something.