Page 60 of Distress Signal

“Aspen,” Reagan said, surprising both me and Lane.

“You know about that?” Lane asked.

Reagan shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but her cheeks pinkened a bit in embarrassment. “I’ve read her book,” she admitted. “And I had lunch with her today.”

“What?” I blurted. “How did that happen?”

“After your brother so kindly accused me of being the reason my sister is missing,” she said, shooting a glare toward Lane that could’ve killed if such a thing were possible, “I sort of had a panic attack when I came out of the station. She talked me down and invited me to lunch.”

My gaze narrowed on her as the wheels in my head spun.

Aspen was a private investigator.

Reagan had a missing sister.

“What’d you talk about?”

“Girl stuff,” she said quickly, an obvious lie I didn’t buy for one second. “Did you know her sister died when she was a teenager?”

“I did,” I said slowly. “She told you about that?”

Aspen was tough as nails, a bad ass with the backbone of steel her chosen profession demanded, hardened further by all the shit she’d endured in her life. She wasn’t exactly an open book, preferring to handle all of her problems on her own—or with Crew’s help, though that had taken a long time. We’d all come to accept that about her, knowing she’d share with us whenshe was ready. Telling a virtual stranger about Lola was out of character.

“We bonded over our losses.”

“Your sister isn’t dead,” I reminded her, tone vehement. Placing a palm over my chest, I said, “You’d feel it, right?”

She mirrored my stance. “I would,” she agreed. “I know she’s still out there somewhere.”

And I guaranteed she’d conscripted the help of Aspen McKay, top-tier private investigator, to find her.

Lane butted into the conversation by clearing his throat, though his attention remained on his notebook.

“I need to get back to the station and set up a canvass of the area,” he said as he continued to scribble. “And I need to call Trey to check the cameras. I’ll catch you guys later.”

Yet again, we relied on fucking technology, and for ReaganandLainey’s sake, I was getting goddamn tired of the waiting game. A month without anything resembling a lead would drive even the strongest person insane. This guy was dust in the wind, it seemed, and Reagan’s shoulders were stiff with tension. The lines around her eyes appeared a little deeper, coupled with purple bruising beneath them.

Clearly, she hadn’t been getting enough sleep, and all the unknowns surrounding her sister’s disappearance were starting to take their toll physically.

“What happened earlier with Lane?” I prompted.

“He…questioned why I didn’t call in a missing person’s report on Lainey sooner.”

God, my brother could be such a prick sometimes.

I gently cupped her face, and she leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed.

“This isn’t your fault, Reagan. Do not think for one second that it is. The blame for all of this rests solely on the shoulders of the creep who took your sister.” I swiped a thumb along hercheek, her skin so smooth beneath my calloused fingertip. “Look at me, belle. Tell me you understand.”

Her eyes popped open, and I immediately lost myself in the hypnotizing green depths, the shade the same as the soft, pale underside of a maple leaf.

“I understand.”

“Good,” I murmured, then quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead before she could stop me. Gauging her reaction, I was deeply pleased to find her lips twitch at the corners, an almost smile appearing on them. “Now let’s go get you a new wiper and head home. Sound good?”

She nodded, following me toward the hardware store. Less than ten minutes later, we were on the road, headed back to the ranch.

I followed her all the way to the turn off toward my house. She rolled her window down and waved at me as she headed into the trees. I wasn’t entirely comfortable letting her go back there alone, without me nearby to keep an eye on her, but I wasn’t going to press the issue. I didn’t want to suffocate her, and I had to get back to work.