Page 38 of To the Moon and Back
“I was looking for clues.” Her answer was quick. Just short of snappy.
Landon nodded at the computer. “Open it up. Let’s see the clues.”
Ashley couldn’t believe this. “You’re really angry.” Her disbelief came out as a solitary laugh. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“No.” He took a few steps closer. “I want to see the clues.”
“That’s ridiculous, Landon.” She thought about Brady’s calendar photos. “I’m not going back to his page.”
“Then tell me.” His voice sounded harder now. “What did you find?”
Ashley hated this. She should’ve kept it to herself. Looking up Brady Bradshaw meant nothing. There was no reason for Landon to be upset. She released a pent-up breath. “Fine.” She shifted in her chair so she was facing Landon. “He doesn’t seem to have faith in God. No family or girlfriend. He’s mostly about his job at the firehouse. Some firefighter calendar he was in and pictures of his time on the show Survivor.”
“Calendar pictures?” Landon’s eyes grew darker. “Do you hear how that sounds?”
“Okay, so I found nothing.” This was getting worse. “I was actually going to tell you I’m glad you never did the Bloomington firefighter calendar.” Ashley stood and took a step back. The closeness between them a few minutes ago was gone. “It wouldn’t have been fair to the other guys.” She tried to smile. “You would’ve gotten the cover every time.”
Landon didn’t smile. “This isn’t funny, Ashley.” His tone was more hurt than mad. “I asked you to stop looking up the guy, but it’s become . . . I don’t know, an obsession.”
“Landon!” She felt her own anger rising. “Because I want to help somebody, suddenly I’m obsessed?”
“You’re not helping.” Landon shook his head. “You’re stalking. Or meddling. Something . . . but there’s no point to it.”
She felt her heart sink. Did he really think that? “Wow.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what to say.”
Landon walked to the cupboard and grabbed a glass. He filled it with water and drank it, his eyes on Ashley the whole time. When he stopped for air he angled his head. “That’s easy.” His tone was more controlled now. “Tell me you’ll let it go. You don’t know him, Ash. There’s nothing you can do to help him.” He hesitated. “Let the guy figure out his own life.”
“Let it go?” Determination gradually replaced the hurt. “I haven’t found Jenna. I know you’re mad but . . . I’d like to at least try.”
“Are you serious?” He set his glass down. “How will you find her, Ash? Do you have special Internet powers?” He clenched his jaw. “This Brady guy’s been looking for her every year for more than a decade.”
“What if . . . what if I text him?” She couldn’t tell him that she already had. “Maybe he could point me in the right direction. Maybe there’s something he’s missed.” She took a quick breath. Let Landon hear my heart, God. Please. “This isn’t about Brady. It’s about . . . doing what’s right.”
This time disbelief flashed in Landon’s eyes. “Doing what’s right, Ash? The right thing is to forget all about it.”
From upstairs the sound of the kids interrupted the discussion. They were headed down, ready for the show. Ashley felt like running out the back door and finding her favorite spot. The rock by the stream at the far side of their property.
The last thing she wanted was to spend the afternoon with Landon. Not when he was so mad at her. What had she even done? She lowered her voice. “I want to be honest here, Landon. I’m sorry. I’m not . . . trying to hurt you.”
He studied her, clearly still upset. “We can talk about it later.” A quick turn and he left, headed toward the stairs. “Let’s go.” He switched to a pleasant tone as he called for the kids. “We need to leave.”
Ashley stared at the floor. How did this happen? They should still have been standing here laughing about the incident with the canoe. Kissing and teasing and flirting. The way they were before.
Instead they were in the saddest, most rare place. Stuck in the middle of a fight. And the craziest thing was even now, even still, Ashley wanted only to do one thing. The thing she absolutely couldn’t do. Not until she and Landon were on the same page.
Contact Brady Bradshaw.
• • •
ASHLEY’S STOMACH HURT. The distance between Landon and her as their family arrived to the play still weighed on her. Landon had all his attention on the kids. He and Ashley hadn’t even made eye contact since they left the house.
Once they found their seats Ashley spotted Bailey Flanigan Paul talking to another theater parent in the main aisle, several rows away. She needed a diversion so she got up. “Excuse me.”
Landon stood and let her pass. But he didn’t say a word.
A sigh worked its way through Ashley’s troubled heart. She walked up the aisle and waited for Bailey to be free.
“Ashley!” Bailey hugged her. “I can’t believe it’s opening night!”
