Chapter 4

chapter

four

The wedding lookedlike something out of a fairy tale. The towering redwoods created a natural cathedral and sunbeams filtered through the leaves above, casting a magical glow over the entire scene.

Ellie stood to the side of the rustic arbor, watching with teary eyes as her sister moved toward a future she once doubted Alexis would have. A year and a half ago, she'd flown to this remote stretch of California in a panic after Alexis was abducted from in front of her motel, terrified her last remaining sister was gone forever. But now here Lexi was, getting married in this beautiful forest with wildflowers spilling along the edges of the aisle.

What Alexis had survived was beyond comprehension, and yet in all that darkness, she had found light in Shane. He wasn't the kind of man Ellie had pictured for her sister. He was intimidating—his face, body, and soul all badly scarred from a mission gone wrong when he was a Navy SEAL—but the love shining in his eyes as he watched Alexis approach was tangible. He was more relaxed now than when Ellie first met him, more at ease with himself and others. He'd done a lot of work on himself over the past year to make sure he could be what Alexis needed, and Ellie loved him for it.

Shane's gaze never left his bride as she approached in a satin sheath gown with her hair spilling in soft golden waves over her shoulders. He looked awe-struck, and who could blame him? Alexis was always beautiful, but today she glowed. When he slipped the ring on her finger and declared his vows, his words weren't the overly romanticized phrases that Ellie had heard in past weddings she'd attended. Instead, they were raw and truthful, baring his soul to the woman he loved and promised to protect.

As the couple sealed their marriage with a kiss, Ellie dabbed away her tears and let her gaze drift over the small crowd. Zak, Anna, and their two daughters, Bella and Poppy, took up one row of chairs on the groom's side. Donovan, Sasha, and their ten-month-old son, Hudson, were in another row with Ash and Rose. Behind them sat the intense Pierce St. James with Sawyer Murphy and Sawyer's dog, Zelda, who was decked out in a lace tutu for the occasion.

Shane's teammates.

His family-by-choice.

Alexis and Ellie's parents sat on the bride's side, along with a handful of friends from Chicago. It was surreal seeing those friends again. Chicago felt like a lifetime ago now. The Summers girls had traded tall buildings and loud city noises for towering redwoods and gentle whispers of the coastal wind. A different life, a different world. But it was here that Ellie found a sense of belonging she had never felt in Chicago.

It was here that felt like home.

And he was here.

Cal.

She hadn't seen him since last week in the park, and she hated that she missed him. She should have been relieved she was no longer running into him everywhere. Instead, she found herself searching for him at the grocery store… the coffee shop… the park… the gym... The whole time, annoyed that she couldn't be annoyed at him for crossing her path and irritated that she ached in his absence.

He stood at the back of the gathering with Connelly and Veronica Davis, tall and handsome in a charcoal gray suit with a big grin on his face. He always looked a little bit rumpled in his suits, his hair always tousled, reminding her of a boy who had been playing too hard at recess.

As if sensing her gaze, he turned. His eyes were filled with soft warmth that made her stupid, traitorous heart flutter.

Their gazes locked and there was a moment, just a moment, when Ellie could've sworn everyone else faded away. Cal was smiling at her, a small, crooked smile that looked like it belonged only to her.

Someone cleared their throat softly, breaking the spell, and Ellie's cheeks flushed as she quickly looked away from Cal. Rylan Cross, Shane's best man, was standing there with his prosthetic arm extended, waiting for her. Alexis and Shane had already made their way back down the aisle to the cheers of the guests.

Rylan smirked at her as she accepted his arm. "Daydreaming about a certain lawyer?"

Ellie shot him a scowl and pushed her slipping glasses up her nose. "I wasn't daydreaming."

"Uh-huh."

"And even if I was, it wouldn't ever be about Cal."

"Of course not," he said with mock gravity. "You obviously hate him."

"Shut up, Rylan."

He chuckled and gave her arm a friendly squeeze. As they walked down the aisle, she resisted the urge to look for Cal again.

She had wanted him to come for Alexis's sake. After all, he was part of the close-knit community that had rallied around her sister during her darkest days. But now that he was here, Ellie wished he wasn't.

She didn't like this. She wasn't the kind of woman who became enamored with a man just because he was attractive and charming. She'd always prided herself on that. Dating was an afterthought. She was busy with her career and perfectly happy being single.

So why couldn't she keep her eyes off him?

Ellie did her best to mingle with the guests post-ceremony while Alexis and Shane had their first dance. She laughed at eight-year-old Poppy's jokes and chatted with Bella about her college plans. She discussed Puzzle's training progress with Zak and Anna and entertained Hudson with a game of peek-a-boo to give Donovan and Sasha time to hit up the buffet. Her gaze, however, kept wandering to Cal, who was engaged in an animated conversation with Connelly over by the bar. He caught her eye once more, raising his glass in her direction before returning to the conversation with a chuckle. But then Ash approached him, and his smile faded.

Ash, tight-lipped and stern as usual, led Cal away from the festivities toward a quieter part of the garden. They were out of earshot, but their postures screamed tension. She watched as Cal took a step back as if in surprise. A few years ago, she wouldn't have given it another thought, but now that she knew the uneasy history these men shared, she anticipated an explosion. For while Cal was defense and Ash was offense, both were good at their jobs, and they were two of the most stubborn men she'd ever met.

Ash punctuated his words with sharp hand movements, jabbing a finger into Cal's chest every time he made a point. Cal stood tall and resolute under the onslaught, his face hard as granite. He waved away whatever Ash was saying with an impatient flick of his hand.

Ellie excused herself quietly from Sasha and Donovan and made her way through the crowd toward the pair. She didn't intrude into their conversation but parked herself within hearing distance under the pretense of admiring one of the flower beds.

"…need to stay out of this," Ash was saying, arms crossed over his chest.

Cal, visibly annoyed but keeping his calm, replied, "I don't think you understand, Ash. I can't walk away. It's not that simple."

"Of course, it's not simple. Nothing ever is with you. But this doesn't concern you."

"I have every right to be involved," Cal said, his voice icy and calm. "She called me for help."

Ash sighed and took a step back, dragging a hand over his face. "I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here to warn you."

"Warn me?" Cal's laugh held no humor. "About what?"

Ash glanced around before leaning in closer. "Just... stay away from Hope's case. There's more going on here than you realize."

Hope?

Ellie's heart surged into her throat. They couldn't be talking about her sister, could they? But why would they be after all these years?

"Just because you wear a badge doesn't mean you have a monopoly on justice," Cal shot back.

"All I'm saying is that there are certain things you don't understand, certain angles to this that you can't see," Ash said, obviously striving for calm.

Cal scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And let me guess, you can't tell me what those angles are?"

"That's right. Because it's an ongoing investigation and I don't need you snooping around and messing things up."

"I'm not some amateur bumbling my way through," Cal replied, his voice rising with anger now. "I know my way around a sensitive case."

"Do you?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because sometimes it seems like you're more interested in playing Ellie's hero than in actually finding Hope."

Cal looked as if he'd been slapped. "Don't you dare question my intentions. I want closure for Ellie, yes. But I'm invested now, too. If she's still alive, we need to do everything in our power to get her back to her family."

Hope was alive?

Ellie clamped a hand over her mouth to hide her squeak of shock.

The two men stared each other down, tension crackling between them like a live wire. But before either of them could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of clapping and cheering from the party. They both turned and spotted her loitering by the raised flower bed. Ash's expression closed down. Cal's eyes narrowed slightly, but when he met her gaze, his features softened.

"We're not done talking about this," Cal said without breaking eye contact with her.

Ash, with a scowl and a reluctant nod, turned and made his way back to the party, leaving Ellie alone with Cal.

She didn't say anything at first, just stood there under the starlight, blinking against the sudden brightness of the patio lights. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt lightheaded with it. She had barely managed to stammer out a "hi" before Cal closed the distance between them.

"How much did you hear?" he asked, not bothering to pretend she hadn't been eavesdropping.

"Enough. Why were you talking about my sister?"

Cal sighed deeply and looked back towards the party. "It's… a long story. One not really appropriate for a wedding."

"Is she alive?"

"I don't know."

Frustration surged through her. She was tired of waiting for answers—and tired of old wounds being ripped open without warning. "Hope disappeared twenty years ago. How can there possibly be anything relevant now?"

Cal sighed again, running a hand through his sandy hair, messing up the neatly combed strands. "Someone called me about her few days ago."

She inhaled sharply. "What? Who?"

"I don't know who. She was young, and sounded scared. She asked for my help, said Hope was missing."

"A prank call."

"No," Cal said quietly.

He seemed so sure. She stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. How could he be so sure?

When he finally spoke again, it was in a tone so soft she barely heard him over the murmur of the party. "I thought it was a prank at first too, but... Ash and I tracked down where the call came from and obtained security footage. And, Ellie, this girl looks like Hope. Like a teenage version of Hope." He took a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it out.

Ellie slowly took it and the world tilted on its axis. Her mind spun with questions and doubts and a fierce, gnawing longing. Finding Hope had always been Alexis's dream and until that moment, she hadn't realized it was so important to her, too. The girl in the image looked so much like Hope it was like stepping into a time machine. The same high cheekbones, the same wild curls...

"But... how? How is it even possible? It's has to be a weird coincidence. If Hope is still alive, she'd be forty years old now, not a teenager."

"It's her daughter."

Her gaze snapped to his in disbelief. "What?"

"We found a hair clip near the phone she called me from. Ash had it tested, and the preliminary report came back nearly one-hundred percent definitive—the girl is Hope's biological daughter."

"A daughter?" She understood the words he was saying at a basic level, but couldn't seem to actually comprehend them. "Hope has... had... a daughter?"

Cal nodded solemnly, and the reality of it hit her like a punch to the gut. She had to sit down and took a few wobbly steps toward a nearby bench. Cal was right there beside her, his arm sliding around her waist to support her.

"Easy," he murmured.

She couldn't stop staring at the photo. Hope had a daughter. A daughter who was a virtual replica. A daughter who had reached out for help...

God. Her sister had left behind more than just memories and heartache. She'd left a part of herself in this world.

"Who is she?" Ellie demanded. "Where is she? Why hasn't she come forward before now?"

"We don't know yet. There's no record of her."

"But if the girl is Hope's daughter and she told you Hope is missing now… that means... Hope was... is... alive somewhere. But how could she be alive? She hasn't been seen in twenty years! She never touched her bank account after she disappeared, never used her credit card. This is impossible. This is—" Alexis called her name from the reception and she jumped to her feet. "Oh my God. I need to tell Alexis. I need to?—"

"Ellie." Cal wrapped both of her hands in his, stopping her. "Take a breath. We all have a lot of questions and there aren't any answers right now. And you don't need to tell Alexis. This is her day. Let her have it without Hope clouding it."

He was right.

Of course he was right.

God, she was shaking.

She looked down at their entwined hands, then back up into Cal's earnest brown eyes. His grip was warm and firm, steadying. She wanted to lean into his touch, to draw from his strength and grounding presence, and because of that, she pulled away. She pretended she didn't see the flash of hurt in his eyes.

Alexis called her name again. She sounded closer.

Ellie drew a fortifying breath and although it pained her to lose the connection to Hope, as tenuous as it was, she handed the photo back to Cal. "I should go."

Cal nodded, but his hand lingered, brushing hers before he let her go. "Of course."

As she walked back toward the reception, the laughter and music seemed distant and surreal. She found her sister at the top of the terrace steps looking out over the garden, her dress shimmering in the fairy lights draped around the winery's patio.

She really was stunning.

Ellie had always felt plain in comparison, with her unruly curly hair and oversized glasses, but she could never hold her sister's beauty against her. She loved Alexis too much. And now wasn't the time to wallow in her insecurities. This was Lexi's day, and she would do whatever she could to keep it happy and upbeat, despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.

"Hey," Ellie said as she joined her sister on the steps.

"Where have you been?" Alexis asked, a line of concern forming between her brows.

Instead of responding, Ellie pulled her into a tight hug, breathing in the floral perfume that always reminded her of love and comfort and home. She forced a smile as they pulled apart.

Alexis's concern only deepened, and she opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short when she spotted Cal in the garden below. A small knowing smile tugged at her lips. "Oh. I see."

"Lexi, don't start."

"I'm telling you, give him another chance."

Ellie scowled. "You know my feelings."

"I know, and I'm sorry but in this case, your feelings are stupid. He's a good man."

"He defends criminals for a living. I could never date a man like that."

"And I never thought I could date a man like Shane but look how it has turned out."

"That's different."

"How?"

Realizing she didn't have a good answer, Ellie pushed out a breath. "Okay, maybe it's not different, but I could never date someone who would willingly defend the man who hurt you, Lexi."

Alexis sighed. "That's his job, Elle. It doesn't mean he agrees with his client's actions." She paused and looked toward her husband, who was deep in conversation with Zak and Donovan on the other side of the dance floor. "Besides, he defended Shane, too. And, if local rumor is to be believed, Donovan."

Ellie opened her mouth to retort but closed it again because she didn't have a counterpoint. Shane had once lived off the grid on the mountain, and because he looked the way he did, he'd been branded a criminal, wrongly accused of crimes he didn't commit. Cal had fought for him, proved his innocence, and got him released. She didn't know all the details of Donovan's story since that happened before she arrived in town, but she imagined it was similar.

Cal was a good man.

But then he'd gone and defended the man who actually committed the crimes that Shane had been accused of. The man who sliced open Alexis's throat and left her for dead.

She just couldn't forgive him for it, even if Alexis could.

She glanced toward Cal again, watching as he laughed at something Sawyer said while he bent down to slip Zelda a treat from the charcuterie board. There was an ease about him that made people trust him, a warmth that reached out and embraced those around him. Yet underneath all that charm lay a tenacity that was formidable.

Was it any wonder he was the one to finally find Hope?

"…want you to fall in love," Alexis was saying, and Ellie snapped back to the conversation.

"You're just saying that because you have little cartoon hearts circling your head." She took her sister's hand and gave it a squeeze. "And I will find love. Someday. But not with Callum Holden."

"God, you're stubborn."

"Learned from the best."

"Mom?"

That made them both laugh because, yes, all three sisters had received an oversized dose of the stubborn gene from Amy Summers.

"Okay, c'mon," Alexis said after a moment and tugged her toward the winery. "We need to find the bathroom so you can help me fix my makeup. It's all streaky from crying during the ceremony."

Her makeup was perfect, but Ellie didn't say so and followed her sister inside.