The sheets were cool, but soon warmed by her body. The softness of the bed eased her aches. She fell asleep and dreamed of the time before, when Sully was still Johnny, and life was good.

* * *

Up just after daybreak, Melissa was getting ready for the big day ahead of her and excited she was spending part of it with Sully. She was trying not to dwell on how attached she was becoming to his presence. There was no guarantee that any of the attraction they were feeling toward each other would go anywhere but in and out of bed. But she was thinking about it.

With a little bit of mascara and choosing what to wear with an eye on comfort and style, she’d picked a yellow cotton-knit pullover to go with straight-legged jeans, and reminded herself that her next hair appointment would also be the day for a touch-up on the color. She’d already had all the breakfast she wanted and had a to-do list. All she needed now was her ride.

* * *

Sully woke up to a text from Marilyn, telling him she had reached a dead end on the search, but if he had any more leads to let her know and she’d run them down. It was a disappointing message, but he sent her a text with a thank-you and a reminder for her to invoice him what he owed her, then went to shower and shave.

Spending the morning with Melissa was way more fun than going through microfiche all day. If he was honest with himself, there was no need to choose between Melissa and a task that went nowhere. She was a draw all on her own. Even if he never found Janie, he’d found someone from his past who once meant the world to him. The attraction between them was still there, and he was hoping for more.

He was feeling good about the day as he went down for breakfast. The three little old women were still there, but there were bags in the lobby. They must be leaving today.

“Morning, Sully. What’s going on today? More hunting?” Rachel asked.

“Not for a while. I’ve reached a dead end, and so has my researcher. I’m not happy about it, but I didn’t expect it to be easy. However, I’m going to be Melissa’s driver for the morning, so that’s a plus.”

Rachel smiled. “Enjoy the day. There are buckwheat pancakes on the buffet, along with maple-flavored sausage links and scrambled eggs cooked with a little Gruyère cheese grated into them.”

“Sounds great,” Sully said, and went to the buffet as Rachel filled the coffee cup at his table and moved on.

A short while later, he left the B and B with his car keys in hand, thinking about the way Melissa’s eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed. Yep, she was under his skin, and it was a comfortable fit.

As he drove to get her, he passed the house where the old man with dementia lived, and wondered how they were faring. He thought back to how quickly Melissa had reacted, and how anxious for her he’d been when she jumped out and ran. It was hard to believe all those years were between what they’d been and who they were now, because it felt as if he’d known her forever.