in his files, but he was able to share more details. “Meryl said Leslie was all class. She didn’t have references and wouldn’t tell much about herself, but the dress she had on cost a lot. Meryl said she was shocked when Leslie said she was going to marry Brody Rayburn. Good-looking man but not Leslie’s class.”
Nate frowned. “I guess she was one of them who thought Leslie did run away with some man.”
“Naw. Meryl said half the men in town—including Lew Hartman—came on to Leslie and made fools of themselves, but Leslie was a real lady. She only saw Brody.”
They didn’t want to get to Summer Hill too early so they spent the night in Richmond. Over dinner they grew serious. They were finally realizing what they were doing.
“We might find nothing,” Rowan said.
“Something is down there at the bottom of the lake,” Nate said. “But it’s probably just some old farm equipment Kissel got rid of.”
After dinner, they went to their separate rooms. They were a quiet group. “Hope they have sheets like yours,” Frank said to Rowan, then pushed the elevator button.
“Tomorrow,” Nate said. “Tomorrow may change everything.”
* * *
Terri was watching Billy try to tie the rope holding the boat to the cleat. He’d forgotten what she’d taught him when they were kids. Of course he’d been away from boats and even water for a long time, and that should have made her more forgiving.
But it didn’t. She just compared him to Nate. Nate could tie knots, could back up trailers, could... Could do whatever needed to be done.
“You haven’t changed,” Billy said as he stood up. “You’re still annoyed that I’m not half merman.”
Terri wasn’t sure but she thought she heard at least two girls sigh at the sight of the big blond man. He looked over her shoulder and smiled in the direction of the sound. Blue eyes, white teeth, streaky blond hair. Put a horned helmet on him and he could star in a Viking movie.
Terri had never realized how much she preferred dark men: hair, whiskers, eyes, honey-colored skin. And oh yeah, chest hair that grew from the middle and fanned out.
“You okay?” Billy asked.
“Sure.” She frowned at being brought back to reality. A year. A whole year before she’d see Nate again. Or maybe he’d forget about her and not return at all. What man would put up with her life? Or with separation for a year? Was she expecting him to do without sex for an entire year? No women at all? Maybe—
“Hey!” Billy said. “Is that frown for me? Sorry I couldn’t remember the knot.”
“You should get Nate to do it,” said Mr. Weber, a Rounder whose boat Billy had been trying to fasten to the dock.
“Ah, yes,” Billy said, “the magical Nathaniel. The man who can do anything.”
Terri shot him a look to cut it out, then turned back to Mr. Weber. “Nate left and he won’t be back until... I don’t know when or if—”
“He’s by the old dock.”
Both Billy and Terri stared at him.
“Come on, Terri.” Mr. Weber’s voice was teasing. “Are you going to tell me that something is happening at this lake that you don’t know about? There’s a whole lot of commotion over by the old dock and—”
“There was an accident?” she asked. “Is Dr. Jamie there? He looks like Nate.”
“I may be old, but I’m not senile. It’s Nate and the sheriff with some big equipment. And there are men and women wearing FBI jackets. I’m going over there to see what’s going on. I’m—” He didn’t finish because Terri had already run to her boat, Billy right behind her.
As Terri rounded the corner, she saw the people gathered where the old dock used to be. There were about half a dozen men and women in blue jackets with FBI in huge letters on the back. A truck with a crane on it towered over them.
Standing together in a quiet, solemn group were her father, Uncle Frank, Nate, and she was pretty sure that was Rowan Montgomery. She hadn’t seen him in years. They were listening to what a man in diving gear was saying. Terri would have yelled at them for not telling her what was going on, but the looks on their faces were so serious that she said nothing.
She stopped her boat several feet away and told Billy to anchor it. The solemnity of the people seemed to make the air feel heavy and Terri had a sense of