"Willy-nilly?" he asked.

"It's a phrase," Preston protested.

"If you're fifty," Sean said.

"I think my grandmother uses it," I put in.

Preston crossed her arms over her chest. "You two think you're funny."

As much as we teased, "willy-nilly" had been as apt a description as any to describe the way Meaghan had dropped her news and hustled away.

Sean had found Preston and me a few minutes later, still staring at the empty doorway. He would have made it in sooner, but he'd been waylaid by my grandmother and encouraged (he really had no choice) to track down Mac Gladstone.

"What I can't understand is why Tristan Rourke would have gone to Walpole," Preston said.

Technically, Walpole State Prison had changed its name back in the eighties to Cedar Junction. However, locals still called it Walpole for the most part-a fact that continued to rankle the town's residents. It was one of Massachusetts's highest-security prisons-for the state's worst offenders.

I didn't understand, either. "He was seventeen when he was arrested. He should have gone to juvie or even been sentenced to just probation."

"Something's not adding up." Sean sat in front of my computer, typed. A second later the screen was filled with hits on Tristan Rourke.

Preston leaned in close, reading over my shoulder. "Attempted murder?"

I scanned an archived article from the Boston Globe. Tristan had been arrested at seventeen for attempting to strangle his foster father with a coat hanger. Because of Tristan's prior history (he apparently had a knack for stealing) and lack of remorse, he'd been tried as an adult. The trial had been brief, and Tristan was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

"Check the Herald." I preferred its gossipy nature.

We pored over archived articles. The pieces featured quotes from Rourke's foster parents, Anthony and Mary Ellen Spero, and from previous foster kids of the family. The gist of the case was that after Tristan had been bailed out of juvie (by Mrs. Spero) and when Mr. Spero had told him about Meaghan's suicide attempt-but not where she was or how she was doing-Tristan had gone ballistic.

The cops were called, Tristan was arrested on new charges, and the judge threw the book at him to teach him a lesson.

"I think I might have gone apeshit, too," Preston said. "It doesn't seem like anyone took into account the kids' feelings for each other."

I completely agreed with Preston-for a change. A first love was imprinted in a heart forever because of its power. It seemed cruel and unusual to keep Tristan in the dark regarding Meaghan's condition or whereabouts.

As Preston started humming Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," Sean typed in the Web address for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He searched the inmate locator for Tristan Rourke.

I tapped the screen. "He was let out three years ago. Time served."

"He's twenty-five years old now. Plenty of time to build an identity," Sean said.

I followed his reasoning. If Tristan had been released from prison recently, then he wouldn't own property or have credit cards or even a permanent address. Finding him would be incredibly difficult. But since he'd been out for a while, there would be a trail.

"This story is more Romeo and Juliet than Meaghan let on," Preston said, taking notes.

Sean said to me, "Someone I know would wax poetic about true love knowing no bounds. Not distance, or money, or time. That reuniting these two is what love is all about."

"But you?" I asked, amused by his tone. He wasn't quite mocking me, but there had been a teasing lilt.

"I say we need to be careful with this case."

The pinch of foreboding turned to a nudge. This case wasn't what I'd imagined when Lost Loves was created. But I still wanted to help. My Love Conquers All syndrome was hard at work. "Maybe Tristan is now an upstanding citizen. We shouldn't judge so soon."

"Right, right," Preston intoned. "Because zebras often change their stripes."

I noticed that Sean's shoulders stiffened and his superhero jaw jutted, but he didn't say anything. After a second, he relaxed and it was as though he'd never tensed at all. Preston apparently hadn't even noticed, since she was so busy fussing with her heel. Sean caught me watching him and looked away.

"What's with you and the sayings?" I asked her, wondering at his reaction.

"I don't know! Maybe I'm spending too much time with your grandmother."

Hear, hear! I'd second that. "Maybe you should take some time off?" That way she might not pursue her line of questioning about the curse.

Her eyebrows snapped downward. "No."

It had been worth a try.

"Tristan Rourke shouldn't be too hard to find," Sean said. "I'll do a search this afternoon."

"Well, I'm free tonight to go see him when you get an address," Preston said, standing. She tested her weight on her broken heel.

I glanced at Sean. We had plans for the night that involved watching The Princess Bride with a big bowl of popcorn. By the look in his eye, I predicted we wouldn't see much of the movie.

"I think tomorrow is soon enough," I suggested.

"Besides," Sean said, "I told Dovie I'd get started on the Gladstone case."

Preston tipped sideways, grabbed onto a chair back for balance. "I don't suppose you'd let me come along?"

Sean shook his head.

"I didn't think so." She frowned at her boot. "Do you think Suz has any glue?"

"Suz has everything," I said.

As soon as Preston wobbled out, Sean pulled me down into his lap and kissed me. His fingers threaded into my hair, and I could feel the steady thump of his heart against my chest. He drew back, whispered, "I saw you eyeing my thigh."

I smiled. "You think you know me so well."

His hands slid down my shoulders, my arms, stopped just short of my hands. Even still, I felt the electricity jumping along my palms. I still hadn't figured out why I saw images of us together in the future when we touched hands. Pictures of our future. Those were the images I loved best, but I often avoided holding hands for fear that one day I might see something I didn't like. Or that I might see nothing at all.

"Did you find an apartment?" I asked, holding my breath as I waited for the answer.

"Nothing's quite right."

I felt the relief down to my toes. "You can-"

I almost did it. Almost said he could move in with me.

What had come over me? It had to be Dovie's (bad) influence. Mum's. Why else would I take such a risk?

You love him.

Right. But wasn't that exactly why he shouldn't move in?

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"You sure it's nothing, Lucy?"

My insides melted like chocolate on a hot day. It was the way he said my name. Filled with love and tenderness, heat and passion. He looked into my eyes. I was lost in his pearly gray gaze.

I realized just how much I wanted him to move in. "No. Yes. No." Panic warred with euphoria.

He smiled. "That's clear."

A warning buzzed at the back of my head. "No."

"No, it's not clear?"

I nudged him with my shoulder. "No. I'm sure it's nothing. What's that look?"

"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

"You don't want to know."

He tightened his hold on me. "I think I do."

"Trust me, you don't. It's chaos in here."

He laughed and kissed me. I threw myself into the heat of his lips, the lazy sweep of his tongue, as if he had all day to sample me and was looking forward to every minute.

"Well, well, well," a voice interrupted.

We pulled apart and I was giddy when Sean whispered in my ear, "Later."

My mother stood beaming in the doorway. "I hate to interrupt, but could I have a moment, LucyD?"

Sean said, "I'll go."

"No, no," Mum said, pulling a chair up next to us. "Stay. It's okay."

"What's wrong?" I asked. She was acting strangely.

"I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

She cleared her throat. "There was a time I wasn't so happy with your father."

"Most of my childhood?"

She ignored my jibe. "As you know, I stopped wearing my wedding band and engagement ring a long time ago. Here's the thing. I can find my wedding band but not the engagement ring. I thought they were together in my jewelry chest, but there was only the band."

In my mind's eye, I could picture her engagement ring with its glittering princess-cut diamond set into a band of glowing rubies. I'd loved that ring, the color, the sentiment-my father had chosen rubies because they matched my mother's aura.

"I've looked everywhere, LucyD. Can you help me find it?"

"Defin- Wait. Why?"

Her hand flew to her throat, where a blush was rising. "What do you mean why?"

"Why now?"

"I don't kn-"

I jumped up. "No, no, no."

"Now, Lucy..."

Sean said, "What's going on?"

"She's dating my father!"

Sean's gaze whipped to my mother. "True?"

Mum stood. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

Although they'd been separated just shy of forever, they remained close friends. Sometimes lovers. But I'd never seen Mum this gaga over him. I didn't know how I felt about it. My parents had been happily separated for over twenty-five years, content to lead their own lives. Without each other.

Often with other people.

Hence, Cutter's existence.

"I thought Dad was seeing Sabrina?" Mum's news had tipped my world a little, sending emotional baggage tumbling. Sean was wisely keeping quiet.

Fussing with the cowl of her sweater, she said, "That ended almost as soon as it began."

Sabrina McCutchan and Dad had rekindled an old flame right around the time Cutter's true paternity had been revealed.

"But thank you for bringing her up, Debbie Downer." Mum pursed her lips.

I immediately thought of Preston. She'd be using the phrase in no time. "I'm sorry, but you know how Dad is."

For decades Dad's playboy status had been kept quiet-until the day he had a heart attack during a rendezvous with a paramour. The Herald caught wind of the affair, and the gossip was just now settling. But the fact that my father was-is-a playboy remained.

"How long have you two been dating?" I recognized how silly the question sounded. My parents were still legally married. "It must be really serious if you're asking about your engagement ring."