Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)(40)

“I didn’t realize you two knew each other,” I say, motioning between them.

“Yeah, we go way back,” Eli answers, pulling her into his side.

“Hi, Emma. Sorry I didn’t recognize you. You’ve grown up a lot since I last saw you.” Casey gives me a forced smile.

“Yeah, it tends to happen. How the heck have you been?” I ask her.

I’ve only met Casey three or four times, but I knew her better than Manda back in the day. After the accident, Casey went off the map. Sarah wouldn’t speak to her, and Manda was gone. She essentially lost her two best friends that night, and it broke her. I heard she’d moved to Ohio and never looked back. Seeing her with Eli now makes me smile. She deserves a good man, and what I know of Eli says that he more than fits the bill.

“I’m okay. Living in Ohio. I’m just here visiting family and decided to catch up with Eli.” His nostrils flair, but if possible, he pulls her even tighter against his chest.

“Look, I know things have been crazy over the last few years, but Sarah is finally getting help and dealing with her demons. Maybe I can talk to her doctor and see if you could go visit her? She really is getting better, and I bet she would love to see you.”

“I don’t know. I think it might be best if we just leave it as water under the bridge.”

Shit. She must have really done a number on Casey the last time they spoke, because those three were inseparable.

“Okay, but just know she really is a different person these days. She’s come a long way from how she was after the accident. If you change your mind, here’s my number.” I dig through my purse to find her one of my business cards.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll think about it.” She nods, but a small tear threatens to escape her eye.

“She’s not the same, Casey, but she’s still there.”

“I miss them,” she chokes out, and Eli pulls her completely into his chest.

“Shit, I’m so sorry.” I didn’t mean to upset her. I thought maybe she might be happy to see Sarah again. “I’m going to leave now. I’m really sorry. I’ll just grab Caleb’s coffee and be out of your hair before you even know it.”

“Caleb?” She suddenly perks up.

Eli lets out a curse, and I suddenly realize that I’ve said too much. I steel myself, ready for the reaction everyone gives when they realize Caleb and I are dating, but it never comes from Casey.

“Are you dating Caleb?” she asks with a quick swipe under her eyes.

“Yeah. For a few months now. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know this must be awkward as hell.”

“No. Not at all. Is he happy? I mean, are you two happy? Is it serious?” She asks a barrage of questions.

Her reaction completely confuses me, until it dawns on me—Casey doesn’t have a vested interest in this. She just wants to see someone in this whole mess moving on and finally happy again.

“Yeah, we are doing really well. I think he’s happy—or I at least I hope he is.” I laugh. “I’d say we are kind of serious. Maybe?” I laugh again.

Her lip begins to quiver as she nods. “That’s good. That’s really f*cking good.” The relief floods her face.

Eli leans down and kisses her long black hair. She offers me a genuine smile, but that damn tear finally escapes the corner of her eye.

“Well, we’re going to head out, Emma,” Eli says to me as Casey begins to blankly stare into the distance.

“Yeah, okay. Sorry if I ruined y’all’s morning.”

Casey speaks up. “You didn’t ruin anything. I just don’t talk about Sarah or Manda very often. It’s still hard. I’m glad to hear Caleb is doing well though. He’s a really good guy. Loyal to a fault. I’ll let you know if I change my mind about visiting Sarah, okay?” She leans her head back against Eli.

“Yeah, that would be great.” I smile then head toward back toward the counter.

A few seconds later, Eli leads Casey out the door. A small sense of peace washes over me as I remember that simple smile on her face. I can’t help but hope she takes me up on the offer to see Sarah.





“DETECTIVE JONES,” I hear spoken in a sultry voice behind me. A smile immediately spreads across my face as I spin in my chair to see Emma carrying two large coffees.

“Oh, I love you, woman!” I say teasingly as I reach forward to grab one of the cups from her hand.

“Wait! Who said that was for you?”

“Excuse me! Do you have another man working here today?” I glance around the office. The only other man in the room is Bob Stein, a fifty-year-old man with a potbelly. “Huh?” I lift a teasing eyebrow. “Hey, Bob, were you expecting any coffee?” I shout across the room.

“Oh my God, stop. Here. Take it,” she says, annoyed, but she still leans in to give me a kiss.

All is right with the world if Emma is still giving me kisses.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” I take a long, much-needed, sip. The sludge they call coffee here is terrible, and after the late night I had buried inside Emma, I need caffeine to keep me going.

“So I ran into Casey earlier.”

I almost choke on my coffee at her announcement. “Casey Black?” I need to clarify. None of us have seen or heard from Casey in years.