Page 84 of Long Lost Winter

Maybe he was going home instead of dealing with the meeting.

She didn’tlovethat thought, but she felt like he’d tell her if that was the case.Not just ignore her.

Arguing with herself, she wrote one more text message.

Bo, just let me know you’re okay and I promise I’ll stop bothering you.I’m worried about you.

She stared at what she’d typed.Maybe it was too desperate.Bo mightseemhelpless, but he was a grown man.And she couldn’t actually stop bothering him if he didn’t explain what had gone down at his meeting.

Maybe it hadn’t gone well and he was embarrassed.That seemed like Bo.Chewing on her lip, she revamped the text.

Bo, no matter how it went, I just want to know that you’re okay.We can deal with everything else.

It still soundeddesperate, but did that matter right now?Everything rested on what information Bo could get out of this PI.If there was even one tiny clue they could follow to figure out what Ben was up to…

She heard the back door open, and her heart leapt with relief, but it was short-lived.Bo would use the front door.Which meant Nate was just a little early getting home from court.

He walked in from the back.He’d already taken his tie off and it hung out of his pocket where he’d no doubt shoved it.He looked about like he always did after court.A little tired.A little irritated.But relieved the day was over.

His eyes assessed the room, her standing—no doubt he knew she’d been pacing—and he drew the obvious conclusion.

“No Bo?”

Sam shook her head.“I haven’t heard from him at all.I’m worried about him.I should go look for him again, but I didn’t want to leave in case he came here.”

Nate stood there, looking grimmer than she thought he would.Then he held out a piece of paper.“This was on your car, tucked under the windshield wiper.”

It was a folded piece of paper.Her name was on the folded over part.Parts of it were wet.It had smudged some of her name, but it was for her.

And she’d seen that handwriting before.In a notebook.Written by Bo.

She didn’t open it right away.Dread filled her.She looked at Nate.

His expression was blank, but he nodded.“Go on then.”

She took a deep, careful breath and opened it.Because what other choice was there?

Only two words were written on the inside.

Sorry.

—Bo

Sam closed her eyes against a wave of pain.She didn’t even know what he was sorry for.What he’d done or not done, but she knew this meant he was gone.

And there was no point to her text message.

She wanted to collapse in a chair, but this couldn’t… no, this couldn’t stand.She swiped her keys off her desk.“I’ll track him down.”

But Nate took her arm before she could stride past him.“What are we going to do?Force him to… what?We thought he was on our side.He’s not.We’ve got to let that go and move on.”

“If I can talk to him one-on-one… he’s scared and he’s confused and this is a lot.I’ll just talk him through whatever the PI said.”

“That note isn’t about being confused.It’s an apology.If he’s not gone, he’s not helping.That’s about allsorrycan mean here.Why belabor the point?”

“But Cal said…” She swallowed down the lump that wanted to form in her throat.“He said figuring out what Ben’s lawyer is planning is our only chance.How can we just let Bo walk away?”

Nate didn’t say anything at first.He held himself very still.He was very… blank.