Kaegan paused and then turned around, wondering why Ray thought he would care. “Did she?”

“Yes.”

“And how do you know that?”

“She wasn’t at the café this morning.”

Kaegan didn’t say anything. He’d deliberately stayed away from the café this week as much as he could. At least until he could figure out why he was hell-bent on lusting after the woman who’d betrayed him. “And?”

“And I asked Mrs. Witherspoon where she was, in case she was sick or something. She assured me Bryce was okay.”

Kaegan nodded. “That’s nice.” And because he figured Ray would know, he asked, “So where did she go?”

“To California to attend a wedding. Some guy she went to college with who also grew up in this town. I understand his parents used to own a pharmacy here.”

Kaegan almost choked on his coffee.

“Hey, man, you okay over there?” Ray asked with concern.

“Yes, I’m okay.”

He placed the coffee cup down, not believing what Ray had said. Samuel Abbott, the guy she’d betrayed him with, was getting married and she’d gone to the wedding? He’d heard the Abbotts had moved to California. Bryce and Samuel must have remained pretty good friends after they split. He was suddenly filled with anger at the mere thought. “When is she coming back?”

Ray glanced over at him. He must have heard the anger in his voice. “Why do you want to know, Kaegan?”

Kaegan met his gaze. “So now you want to get quiet on me?”

Ray shook his head. “No, I want to know why you want to know when Bryce is coming back. Especially with the tone of your voice. And please choose your words carefully.”

Kaegan rolled his eyes. “I guess the next thing you’ll be saying is that you intend to beat the crap out of me if I don’t.”

Ray nodded. “That thought has crossed my mind a number of times, to do just that when I see how you handle Bryce, but Sawyer wouldn’t let me.”

“Whatever.” Kaegan leaned against a desk. “So are you going to tell me or not?” This time he tried asking in a calmer voice.

“I guess I will. She’s coming back Monday, sometime before noon.”

Kaegan nodded as he took another sip of his coffee, satisfied he had the information he wanted. He intended to see Bryce for himself on Monday. There was one question he had to ask and then for him there would finally be closure with her. He’d always wondered why she and Samuel Abbott broke up all those years ago.

“Bryce is a wonderful woman. Not sure what problems the two of you had to break up, but I hope they can get worked out,” Ray said, breaking into Kaegan’s thoughts.

“Nothing can get worked out between me and Bryce. It would take a miracle,” Kaegan said. Then he tossed his empty coffee cup into the trash can.

Ray shrugged. “Considering how close I came to death that time and what has happened in my life the four years since, I happen to believe in miracles, Kaegan. Maybe you should, too.”