I walk into Benny’s Feed and Tackle the following morning and head straight to the woman behind the counter.

“Hi there,” she says brightly. “What can I help you find?”

“I’m looking for Benny. Is he here today? I’m an old friend.”

She gives me a once-over. “You must mean Benny Jr., as Benny Sr. has passed. Can I ask what business you have with him?”

I get out of my head long enough to realize the subtext to her question. My biggest hints are the dangerous gleam in her brown eyes and the diamond on her ring finger. She’s a few years older than me, pretty and rosy-cheeked, and noticeably pregnant.

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I’m being so rude. My name is Eden Sumner. Benny was a few years ahead of me in high school. We were good friends.” After a pause, I add softly, “But that’s all we were.”

I’ve hit the mark with my last statement; the worry leaves her brown eyes. “Eden Sumner?” she asks with a hint of recognition. “Pretty sure Benny told me about you. Were you the one who stuck up for him all those times?”

I shrug. “Kids are assholes. I just did what anyone would do.”

This time, her smile is genuine. “As Benny tells it, you did what no one else would do.” She picks up a cordless phone. “Let me ring his office. He’s back there doing paperwork.”

“Thanks.”

I wander an aisle nearest the registers, not really seeing much, until the woman calls in my direction, “He’ll be right out!”

Less than a minute later, a handsome, bearded man turns into my aisle. Not until he grins do I recognize him. Same dimples. Same eyes.

“Is that you, Eden?” he asks, laughing. “You a movie star yet?”

I gape at him. “Never mind me! Good God, Benny, you look like a different person.”

Chuckling, he grabs me in a spine-cracking hug. “Blame my wife, Jenny. You met her up front. She finally convinced me to start taking care of myself so I don’t go out the way Dad did.” He slaps his flat stomach. “Lost over a hundred and fifty pounds.”

“I’ll say! You look great. I was sorry to hear about your dad.”

“Thanks,” he says, old grief clouding his eyes. “Heart attack a few years ago. Business is doing pretty good, though. Hope he’s proud.”

“I know he is.” My warmth is unfeigned; from our many conversations after school, I know he and his father had a close relationship. “Congrats on the beautiful wife. A baby on the way, too?”

His smile is beatific. “Yep. Thanks, Eden. So what brings a big-shot city girl such as yourself back to nowhere?”

I laugh. My desire to get out of Philomath was no secret when we were younger. Even with Corvallis nearby and Portland not too far north, my sights had stayed fixed on bigger, more exotic fish. To my everlasting regret.

“Just a quick trip to see my parents,” I tell Benny. “But I wanted to stop by and say hello.” Here goes nothing. “I have a weird question I wanted to ask you, too.”

His brows lift. “Sure, what’s up?”

“Does your family still own that land out near Eddyville?”

“Yeah, we still got it. Market’s so bad right now it’s cheaper to keep it. Old house has seen better days—needs to be torn down.” He frowns. “Why on earth are you asking?”

The chances of anyone connecting Benny and me as friends is slim to none. Not unless someone digs up old detention rosters. In spite of my near-perfect academic record, I’d had a habit of punching bullies. Unfortunately for Benny, he was often caught in the crossfire and punished alongside me.

I take a deep breath. Luck saved Elizabeth and me once upon a time. Maybe it will be on my side again.

“I need a favor.”

* * *

That night in bed, I stare at the shadowed ceiling of my childhood bedroom, sleepless despite an afternoon of back-breaking work in the actual middle of nowhere.

I’ve been second-guessing my decision nonstop for the last hour. I should have looked at what was on the flash drive. I should have made ten copies and sent them all over the country. What if someone finds it? What if they tear the house down?

What if what if what if?

But for better or worse, it’s done. Tomorrow night after dinner, I’m sneaking out of my bedroom window like I’ve only done once before during a short-lived attempt at rebellion.

I’m catching a bus to Eugene, where I’ll follow in my mother’s footsteps and find a cheap used car. I don’t have a fake ID, but I’m banking on greed to cut the red tape.

Everyone loves cash, right?