roommate had been taken from the bedroom on the opposite wall of hers. How did she live with that? Reagan had been drunk and hadn’t gone home with her. Had Reagan blamed herself for that, she wondered? Maybe their lives hadn’t been as unchanged as she’d thought.
She brought her eyes up and Zach was studying her, a small frown creasing his brow. “You don’t have to, Josie. If you have questions you think they might be able to answer, I can interview them. Or Jimmy will.”
She shook her head and turned, placing her empty mug in the sink. “No. I . . . I owe it to them, Zach. They tried to reach out to me so many times and I ignored their efforts. They might not remember anything that will be helpful as far as the recent abductions . . . murders. But maybe they knew something about the professor that I didn’t. Reagan was in his class with me. Even if it doesn’t amount to anything, I have to try.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s something I can do.” She felt so helpless, so scared and confused, and calling her old friends was not only long overdue, it was a way she could assist in the case unfolding in horrifying ways right before her eyes.
He was silent another moment before he nodded. “Call them.”
Josie went to get her phone. She hoped their numbers were still the same. She hoped they were willing to talk to her.
She hoped they could find it in their hearts to forgive her.
**********
Josie removed the sheet of cookies from her oven, setting it on the stovetop and inhaling the sweet scent of melted chocolate chips. She heard footsteps behind her as she began to scoop the cookies onto a plate. “You good?” he asked.
She turned, handing him a warm cookie with a smile. He took it, taking a big bite. “Goth that’s gooth,” he said around a mouthful.
Josie laughed, turning back toward the stove and using the spatula to place another cookie onto the plate. Zach took a few steps to the counter and leaned against it, facing her. Josie nodded, answering the question he’d asked a few moments before. “Yeah. I’m good.” She was nervous, but excited too. Both Cooper and Reagan had sounded so happy to hear from her and agreed immediately to come over. Thankfully it was Sunday and neither one had plans. Or if they had, they’d cancelled them for her.
A vehicle sounded in the driveway and Josie turned, running her hands down her hips. Zach gave her an encouraging nod as she walked toward the front door and pulled it open. She stepped onto the porch and stood waiting as the man getting out of his car spotted her. Their eyes met across the distance and for a heartbeat neither moved. But then a wide smile spread over Cooper’s face and he began walking toward her. Josie descended the two steps and covered her mouth as her own smile erupted. She rushed toward Cooper and he took her in his arms, hugging her and spinning her around as she laughed.
“My God,” he said, setting her on her feet and stepping back. “You look good.”
She grinned, taking him in, his thick head of dark hair, deep brown eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he smiled back at her. Cooper. My God. He was so beautiful, he almost stopped her breath. “So do you, Cooper. Thank you so much for coming. How are you?”
“Are you kidding? I was so happy to hear from you after all this time. I’ve . . . thought about you so often, Josie. Wondered how you are. Worried about you . . .” Concern etched itself into his features. Her gaze fluttered to his lips as they turned down. Cooper had always been beautiful. But he’d also always been kind.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get in touch,” she said. “I . . . it’s been hard for me.” She took a deep breath, mustered a smile. “But, I’m doing a lot better now.”
“Good,” he said, his voice soft. He squinted behind her at the farmhouse. “This place looks like a slice of heaven.”
She looked back at her home, seeing it with new eyes—not ones that saw every repair and fix she still had to tackle, but ones that noticed the true peace of the place, the quiet charm. Or maybe it was that she was seeing it with old eyes for a moment—the ones