Page 11 of Two Hearts Reunited

Eric grinned. “I can sleep anywhere these days.”

“Well, you have your own thermostat down here in case you get cold. And another electric fireplace, as you can see. You can make any adjustments on the remote.” Brian grimaced. “Ashley likes installing all these digital upgrades and sometimes I forget how everything works.”

Eric began laughing.

“Well, I’d better get to bed,” Brian said, heading toward the staircase. “One thing. We have security installed on the exterior doors. I’ll give you the code tomorrow for down here. Just don’t go outside until after I’m awake.”

“Alright,” Eric replied. “Hey, Brian? Do you remember Anya Weldon?”

Suddenly looking troubled, Brian stilled. “I do.”

“I ran into her at the flower shop tonight.”

Brian nodded.

“Okay. I can tell by the look on your face that something’s wrong. What is it? I knew when I saw her that something was really off. She looks…” Eric shook his head, not knowing the right words.

“Like a victim?” Brian asked quietly.

Eric stilled, finally replying, “She wasn’t…?”

Brian pursed his lips. “I don’t think so. Jake hasn’t told me everything of course, but right after you left, her entire family went to pieces. Her dad was driving drunk and was killed when he drove off an icy bridge. I think it was the one that crosses over Stone Lake.”

“Oh, no.”Eric frowned.“I knew that there was trouble brewing because of his drinking but Anya tried not to talk about it.”

Brian paused before heaving a sigh. “There’s more. A lot more. Do you remember her younger sister, Shanna?”

Eric nodded. “She was kind of a troublemaker, but deep down, I always thought she was a good kid.”

“She disappeared.”

“What?”Eric’s jaw dropped open.

“Her mom was certain she was kidnapped by traffickers, but Shanna was doing a lot of things her mother and sister were unaware of.”

His eyes met his brother’s. “You mean…?”

“I’m afraid so. Jake found out she’d gotten pregnant,” Brian confessed.

“She was onlythirteen,” Eric growled.

“Jake wasn’t going to tell Anya or her mom without following up on her disappearance first. Her mom believed she was taken by the traffickers, which could very well have happened. But her disappearance didn’t follow the pattern.”

Eric shook his head in disbelief.

“Her mom ended up going a little off the deep end, not willing to give up on trying to find Shanna. She became so obsessed that Chief Danielson decided it was better not to give her false hope even though they never stopped investigating.”

“How’s Anya’s mom doing now?”

Brian held his gaze.

“Oh, no.What happened?”

“I think it was a heart attack,” Brian said. “It happened about a year before I came back to town. That’s apparently when Anya returned.”

“Returned?”

“She was working down in Madison. She went on to college after graduating high school. Anyway, she quit her job down there and came back to settle their affairs. Anya’s actually the manager of Sander’s Floral. She’s some kind of accounting wizz. I have a feeling her mom was deeply in debt when she died.” Brian sighed. “We can talk more tomorrow. I’m not even sure if what I’m telling you is what really happened. I’ve picked up bits and pieces from people here in town.”

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