Desire (Desire, Book 1) - By Missy Johnson Page 0,19

at me.

“How did your new job go?” Neri asked, mouth full of cornflakes.

“It was good, thanks.” I was pleasantly surprised by her interest. “I think I will like it there.” Neri nodded, and turned her attention back to her breakfast. “How is school going?”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ve made a couple of friends, which makes things easier.”

“I love kinder.” Sam piped up. I glanced at him and laughed. He had jelly all over his cheeks and his nose.

“I like to eat the middle first.” He announced, picking up his piece of toast to demonstrate. Neri rolled her eyes while I chuckled.

I made myself a very strong coffee. I had a feeling I was going to need a lot of caffeine today.

After dropping the kids off, I came back home and collapsed on the couch. No sooner than I’d closed my eyes, my phone rang. Picking it up, I didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello.”

“Kait. Hi. It’s Devon Walkerson. How are you?”

“I’m good, thanks.” I instantly noticed he sounded professional, formal even. Not the casual laid back Devon I’d encountered on our last few meetings. My body tensed, bracing itself for bad news. “What’s up?”

“Do you know if your mother has any family or friends in Colorado?”

“Colorado?” I repeated. “I have no idea. No family, I know that much, but friends I’m not sure. Does she have any friends from home you could speak to? I haven’t seen or spoken to her in so long…”

“Hmm. Okay. We’ve tried her friends and neighbors, nothing.”

“Why are you asking? Have you found something?”

“Nothing confirmed, just a possible sighting of her at a roadhouse.”

“Was she alone?” Devon was silent for a moment. There was my answer. “Who was she with?” The fact that she wasn’t alone didn’t really mean anything. I just couldn’t get the feeling that she’d left willingly out of my mind.

“I can’t really go into the details, Kait.”

“Dev-“

“I have to go, if I hear anything else, I will let you know, okay?” He hung up before I could grill him for more information. I sighed, sitting upright on the sofa. As tired as I was, my mind was too worked up now, and chances of me getting any sleep now were pretty slim. I threw my jacket on, and grabbed my keys.

I was heading somewhere I never thought I would again. I was heading home.

I eased the car into the driveway of the house I grew up in. This house held so many memories for me, both good and bad, though mostly bad.

Walking around the front garden, not much had changed. The tree where I’d made a swing was still there, as was the rosebush marking the spot where I buried my pet rabbit, Peter. The lawn was in need of mowing, and cobwebs littered the window frames.

I felt about the doorframe for the spare key. Yes.

The door creaked as I opened it, as though it hadn’t been opened in ages. Inside, the house felt empty. A thick layer of dust hung over the surfaces, and with the drawn blinds the place looked dark and stale.

I didn’t know where to start.

Hell, I didn’t even know what I was doing here. What exactly was I expecting to find?

The floorboards creaked as I made my way down the hall toward mom’s room. With each step, my stomach lurched. Memories of hearing those floorboards creaking in the middle of the night came flooding back to me.

Inside mom’s room, it was the same. The same dresser, the same wooden stained bed, and the same floral green curtains. The bed was made, and a pile of clothes sat neatly on the floor. Sitting down on the bed, I eased open the bedside drawer. The scent of mom’s perfume hit me like a freight train. Tears picked my eyes as I shuffled through cards, and papers, something at the bottom of the drawer catching my eye. I reached in and brought out a ring.

Grandma’s ring.

The yellow gold was worn, and the diamonds had lost their shine, but it was the same ring mom would show me when I was a little girl. She used to tell me when I was old enough, I could have the ring. It would bring me luck. Maybe that was where I’d gone wrong all those years ago.

I shook my head and placed the ring on my finger.

The sound of the door opening, then closing brought me back to reality. Startled, I quickly shoved the large stack of papers back into the drawer. I crept