Sanctuary

ferry to see if the screen came in, saw Ned on Shell Road and gave him a lift. That would make it, oh, about fifty minutes, give or take.”
    “Ned’s slowing down.”
    “Well, he’s getting up in age, you know. Be eighty-two come September. Doc Kirby’s a fine woman,” Giff added. “Don’t know anybody on the island doesn’t think high of her. Or you, Bri.”
    “We’ve spent a few evenings together,” Brian muttered and crouched down to rub the nozzle tip with a rag. “People shouldn’t start smelling orange blossoms.”
    Giff lifted a brow. “Didn’t say they were.”
    “We’re just seeing each other some.”
    “Okay.”
    “Nobody’s thinking about making it a permanent relationship, or tangling it up with strings.”
    Giff waited a moment. “You trying to convince me, Bri, or is somebody else here?”
    “I’m just saying—” Brian caught himself, lifting his hands as if to signal himself to call a halt. He straightened again and tried not to be irritated by the bland and innocent smile on Giff’s face. “Did you come by here just to congratulate me on sleeping with Kirby, or is there something else on your mind?”
    Giff’s smile faded. “Ginny.”
    Brian sighed, discovered that the tension balled dead center at the back of his neck couldn’t be rubbed away. “The cops called here this morning. I guess they talked to you, too.”
    “Didn’t have squat to say. I don’t think they’d have bothered to call if I hadn’t been hassling them. Damn it, Brian, you know they’re not looking for her. They’re barely going through the motions.”
    “I wish I could tell you different.”
    “They said we could make up flyers, hand them out around in Savannah. What the hell good is that?”
    “Next to none. Giff, I wish I knew what to say to you. But you know, Ginny’s twenty-six years old and free to come and go as she pleases. That’s how the cops look at it.”
    “That’s the wrong way to look at it. Ginny has family here, she has a home and friends. No way she’d have taken off without a word to anyone.”
    “Sometimes,” Brian said slowly, “people do things you never expect they would do. Never believe they could do. But they do them just the same.”
    “Ginny’s not your mama, Brian. I’m sorry this brings back a bad time for you and your family. But this is now. This is Ginny. It’s not the same.”
    “No, it’s not.” Brian forced himself to keep his voice and his temper even. “Ginny didn’t have a husband and three children. If she decided to shake the sand out of her shoes, she wasn’t leaving lives broken behind her. Now I’ll keep talking to the police, I’ll see they’re called at least once a week to keep Ginny in their heads. We’ll make up the flyers for you in the office. I just can’t do any more than that, Giff. I’m not having my life turned inside out a second time.”
    “That’s fine.” Giff nodded stiffly. “That’s fine, then. I’ll get out of your way so you can go about your business.”
    Fury lengthened his stride as he stalked back to the truck. He climbed in, slammed the door behind him. Then just lowered his head onto the steering wheel.
    He’d been wrong. All the way wrong. Sniping at Brian that way, going stiff and snooty on him. It wasn’t Brian’s fault or his responsibility. And it wasn’t right, Giff added, as he sat back and closed his eyes, for a friend to cut into another that way. He’d just give himself a moment to calm and to settle, then he’d go back and apologize.
    Lexy sauntered out of the house. She’d streaked down the inside stairs, nearly breaking her neck in her hurry to be sure Giff didn’t drive off before she could taunt him with what he couldn’t have. And her heart was still racing. But she moved slowly now, one hand trailing along the banister, a distant smile on her face.
    She moseyed up to the truck and, forgetting that her hands smelled of vinegar, propped them on the bottom of the open window. “Why, hello there, Giff. I was about to take a little walk in the woods to cool off, and saw your truck.”
    He opened his eyes, looked into hers. “Go on then, Lexy,” he murmured and leaned over to turn the key.
    “What is it?” The misery in his eyes was a balm for her soul. “You feeling poorly, Giff? Maybe you’re feeling blue.” She trailed a fingertip up his arm. “Maybe you’re wishing you knew how to apologize to me so you wouldn’t be so lonely these days.”
    His eyes