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Six years after I left Ashford, I ran into Brett Delgado in the airport nursing room.
He was mixing formula for a little girl, his hands far more practiced than they used to be.
We looked at each other for a few seconds before he spoke first. "Long time no see."
I smiled too. "Long time no see."
Six years ago he'd said he was going to meet an informant to gather evidence, and he never came back.
Everyone told me to accept it, said I was too stubborn, that I was the reason he'd been pushed somewhere dangerous.
I looked after his paralyzed father in his place, and it wasn't until the old man was dying that the truth slipped out.
Brett had taken my stepsister down south a long time ago.
The little girl tugged at his sleeve. "Daddy, who is she?"
He looked at me, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
I answered for him. "A lady who mistook me for someone else."
...
Brett pulled the little girl behind him.
"Sara, let me explain." He'd dropped his voice.
"No need." I looked at him. "You mix it pretty well."
"That case ran too deep." His tone turned suddenly grave.
"They ordered me to go under. I didn't have a choice."
"This child is the informant's orphan. I had to take responsibility for her."
He looked into my eyes.
"I always meant to come back for you once things settled down, but it stayed complicated the whole time."
If Brett's father hadn't burned up with fever at the end, grabbing my hand and crying out the truth,
I probably really would have believed this righteous little speech of his.
"Brett, is the formula ready?"
The nursing room door pushed open, and a woman walked in.
It was Elisa Fox, my stepsister, only half a year younger than me.
When she saw me, her steps jerked to a halt, and the color drained from her face in an instant.
"S-Sara?" Elisa instinctively shrank behind Brett.
Brett moved with her, stepping in front to shield her.
"Elisa is a key witness in the case too." He said it to me without a flicker of change on his face.
"To protect her, I had no choice but to keep her with me."
"Sara, you're a reasonable person. You of all people can understand how little say I had in this."
I looked at the six-figure Bvlgari necklace at Elisa's throat.
Then at the limited-edition flats on her feet.
So this was what he meant by living under a false name to protect a witness.
I glanced down at my own coat, the cuffs washed pale.
Old clothes I'd worn for four years to save money for the imported specialty drugs for Brett's father.
"Mm, I understand." I nodded.
Brett seemed to let out a breath.
"I knew it. You always understand me best."
He reached out, meaning to pat my head.
"Your father passed last month." I looked into his eyes.
Brett's pupils shrank all at once, and his body swayed.
"He went peacefully. He didn't suffer much." I added.
"Sara, I'm sorry." His voice trembled faintly and his eyes reddened.
"These six years have been hard on you."
"Once I finish the last of what I'm handling, I'll bring Elisa back."
"I'll marry you the right way, give you everything I owe you."
Behind him, Elisa gave the hem of his shirt a small tug, biting her lower lip, saying nothing.
Brett reached back and patted the back of Elisa's hand, telling her not to worry.
"You don't need to feel you owe me anything." I looked at their overlapping hands.
"The medical bills and the funeral costs, I covered them with the rent from that old house in your father's name."
"The rest of the money, I transferred to your old card."
Brett frowned.
"Sara, why are you settling accounts with me like this?"
"What's mine is yours. Just take it and use it."
"No need." I turned and pushed open the nursing room door.
"Don't contact me again. Let's just say we never met."
"Sara Simmons!" He called my name behind me.
"You really have to throw a fit at me at a time like this?"
"I told you, I'll come back once the mission's over. Can't you be a little sensible?"
I didn't look back. I walked straight into the airport crowd.
Over the speakers, they were announcing that the flight to Riverton had begun boarding.
I touched the one-way ticket in my pocket.
Ashford. I would never come back.
