exposure was never a good thing. Hadn’t that almost destroyed the winery all those years ago? A cold hand of anxiety gripped her in a tight hold. “There’s really nothing to say at this point.”
“Why do you think Ms. Debarros got cold feet and ran away before her wedding?” the reporter asked.
How the fuck was she supposed to answer that? Kendall took a breath and said, “I have no comment about this.” She carefully hung up the phone. She met Dedra’s concerned gaze and sighed.
“Now the news has gotten hold of this,” she said, forcing a smile. She put both her hands to her warm cheeks and rubbed. “Just what we need. If we get any more calls, tell them no comment.”
“Yes. Of course.”
Old memories swirled, reporters hounding her and Kevin after their parents’ death, as if they hadn’t had enough to deal with, and then even years later when the winery was struggling, the media had had quite a blast taking them apart. Kendall’s stomach tightened.
The front door of the tasting room opened and they both turned to greet whoever walked in, but Kendall’s stomach swooped at seeing Jason and Detective Janko again. She took a step toward Jason, anxiety clutching her in cold hands. Why were they back already?
Chapter Five
“What is it?” Kendall asked without even greeting them.
Jason gave a small shake of his head. “We don’t have anything new to tell you,” he said quietly. “But we need to see Kevin again.”
Something must have happened, if they needed to see him again already. Her insides tightened.
“I’ll go find him.”
She hurried through the door into the back, found Kevin in his office. “The police are here again,” she told him. “They have more questions for you.”
He looked up. “They haven’t found her?”
“Apparently not.”
“Shit.” He stood, rubbed his mouth and followed Kendall back to the tasting room. “We can go into my office,” he told the police. Kendall sought his eyes as they turned to leave. She should go with him.
But he turned his back on her, and her stomach knotted as they all disappeared into Kevin’s office. She took a long slow breath. He was an adult.
She caught Dedra’s worried glance. Dedra too knew Natalia, a fellow student at UCLC. They were almost the same age. They had a lot in common. The entire campus was in shock about Natalia’s disappearance, and the university had even offered a reward for information about her.
“What are you going to do?” Dedra asked. “The wedding is in four days.”
“I know.” Kendall took a deep breath. “I know. I’m not sure how long we can leave it before canceling. Natalia’s parents are coming tomorrow. They weren’t going to come until Thursday, but now they’re coming early.”
“I don’t blame them.”
“Yes.” She’d talked to them on the phone several times, and they were becoming more and more distraught about their daughter’s disappearance. Kendall’s heart ached for them. She wasn’t a particularly religious person, but she kept offering up a prayer to please, please bring Natalia back safe and sound. Even if she’d changed her mind about getting married. That would devastate Kevin, but not as much as if… Kendall’s mind balked at that thought and she closed her eyes briefly before glancing again at the office where the police were talking to Kevin.
She tried to focus on work, but her thoughts kept jumping around all over the place, her nerves on alert, waiting. Finally the police emerged.
Detective Janko once again left, leaving Jason to speak to her. “Is everything okay?” she asked, trying to keep her hands relaxed.
He didn’t reply directly to that. “Were Kevin and Natalia getting along okay recently?”
She frowned. “Of course. Why would you ask that? They’re in love. They’re getting married.”
“Weddings can cause a lot of stress for people.”
Kendall rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. But I don’t think those two were all
“Why do you think Ms. Debarros got cold feet and ran away before her wedding?” the reporter asked.
How the fuck was she supposed to answer that? Kendall took a breath and said, “I have no comment about this.” She carefully hung up the phone. She met Dedra’s concerned gaze and sighed.
“Now the news has gotten hold of this,” she said, forcing a smile. She put both her hands to her warm cheeks and rubbed. “Just what we need. If we get any more calls, tell them no comment.”
“Yes. Of course.”
Old memories swirled, reporters hounding her and Kevin after their parents’ death, as if they hadn’t had enough to deal with, and then even years later when the winery was struggling, the media had had quite a blast taking them apart. Kendall’s stomach tightened.
The front door of the tasting room opened and they both turned to greet whoever walked in, but Kendall’s stomach swooped at seeing Jason and Detective Janko again. She took a step toward Jason, anxiety clutching her in cold hands. Why were they back already?
Chapter Five
“What is it?” Kendall asked without even greeting them.
Jason gave a small shake of his head. “We don’t have anything new to tell you,” he said quietly. “But we need to see Kevin again.”
Something must have happened, if they needed to see him again already. Her insides tightened.
“I’ll go find him.”
She hurried through the door into the back, found Kevin in his office. “The police are here again,” she told him. “They have more questions for you.”
He looked up. “They haven’t found her?”
“Apparently not.”
“Shit.” He stood, rubbed his mouth and followed Kendall back to the tasting room. “We can go into my office,” he told the police. Kendall sought his eyes as they turned to leave. She should go with him.
But he turned his back on her, and her stomach knotted as they all disappeared into Kevin’s office. She took a long slow breath. He was an adult.
She caught Dedra’s worried glance. Dedra too knew Natalia, a fellow student at UCLC. They were almost the same age. They had a lot in common. The entire campus was in shock about Natalia’s disappearance, and the university had even offered a reward for information about her.
“What are you going to do?” Dedra asked. “The wedding is in four days.”
“I know.” Kendall took a deep breath. “I know. I’m not sure how long we can leave it before canceling. Natalia’s parents are coming tomorrow. They weren’t going to come until Thursday, but now they’re coming early.”
“I don’t blame them.”
“Yes.” She’d talked to them on the phone several times, and they were becoming more and more distraught about their daughter’s disappearance. Kendall’s heart ached for them. She wasn’t a particularly religious person, but she kept offering up a prayer to please, please bring Natalia back safe and sound. Even if she’d changed her mind about getting married. That would devastate Kevin, but not as much as if… Kendall’s mind balked at that thought and she closed her eyes briefly before glancing again at the office where the police were talking to Kevin.
She tried to focus on work, but her thoughts kept jumping around all over the place, her nerves on alert, waiting. Finally the police emerged.
Detective Janko once again left, leaving Jason to speak to her. “Is everything okay?” she asked, trying to keep her hands relaxed.
He didn’t reply directly to that. “Were Kevin and Natalia getting along okay recently?”
She frowned. “Of course. Why would you ask that? They’re in love. They’re getting married.”
“Weddings can cause a lot of stress for people.”
Kendall rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. But I don’t think those two were all
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