Lost Girl

by Melinda Colt

  Finn was outraged. She yanked her hand out of his.

  “If I hadn’t done that, Maddie and the boys would still be out in the cold, with no chance for a better life. I got a bollocking from the chief for not following protocol, but I never expected one from you.”

  Bryan huffed out a breath, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He’d draped his suit jacket on the back of his chair, and his white shirt was crumpled and sweat-stained.

  “I’m sorry, Finn. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just… I needed to blame someone. I know you did what you thought was best. And yes, you sped up the solving of this case. It’s just hard to handle the cost.”

  Finn watched him, tongue-in-cheek. She was still mad, but his words weren’t that different from those the chief had used, and they had a point.

  “I’m going to be fine. I don’t regret my actions, Bryan. Waiting any longer might have been too late to save those kids. A million things could have happened to them. They could’ve caught pneumonia and died. They could’ve tried to run away, and Fraser might’ve killed them. He could’ve gotten fed up with the small return and opted to put them into the sex trade for more money. Shall I go on?”

  Bryan shook his head, his lips colorless. “I’d rather you didn’t. It’s your job and, like I’ve always told you, I respect it. It’s just not easy to see your fiancée a bloody mess, that’s all.”

  Pressing her lips together, she was caught between tears and laughter. The drugs made her relaxed and somehow remote.

  She reached for Bryan’s hand. “I know, and I’m sorry. But you do know this was an exception. My job isn’t really that dangerous. This was a fluke.”

  She moistened her cracked lips, released his hand, and reached for the glass of water on the nightstand. Bryan helped her take a few sips. The plain, cool water was liquid heaven to her dry throat.

  “Where are the kids?” she asked, after Bryan had put the glass back down.

  “They’re in a shelter. They haven’t split them up yet, but the social workers are trying hard to find foster families for them as quickly as possible. They’ll be starting therapy, too. The police are working on tracking down the Roma children’s parents. It’s doubtful they’ll return to their homes, unless the children themselves request it.”

  “God, I hope they won’t go back, and that they’ll find decent families here.” Finn sighed, shifting herself slowly onto her right side to face Bryan. “We need to apply to become Maddie’s foster parents asap. The process takes months.” She gazed at the clean floor, feeling her eyes well up. “There’s no chance I can fulfill Maddie’s wish and give her the family that she wants in time for Christmas. Who knows where she’ll be spending her holidays…”

  “Don’t give up.” For the first time, Bryan smiled. “You know I have some pull around the city. I’ll manage to have Maddie with us by Christmas. I promise.”

  Finn gaped at him. “But… you can’t. It takes months, interviews, evaluations…”

  “I know, and we will do all that—we’ll just do it faster and more efficiently. I only hope Maddie will want us to be her foster parents.”

  Finn smiled back. “I think she will, but first, we need to find a new place to live.”

  Bryan raked his fingers through his hair. “Actually, I’ve been looking into that for some time—ever since I bought the ring—in case you said yes,” he added, sheepishly. “I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of possibilities, both with affordable mortgages. As soon as you’re up to it, we can go visit them.”

  Finn’s heart overflowed with love for her man. “You’ve been busy. Buying rings, looking at houses… Are you sure there’s room for me in all your plans and decisions?”

  Bryan gazed into her eyes. “Every plan and every decision I make is with you in mind, Finn. I will never make a big decision without talking it over with you. I hope you know that.”

  “I do, but it’s good to hear. Thank you. I can’t wait for us to start our new life—the three of us.”

  “Neither can I. Tomorrow, I’ll start making calls and set the wheels into motion. We need to bring our daughter home.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Three days later, Finn was discharged from the hospital—prematurely, according to the doctor who’d gotten tired of fighting with his stubborn patient. She assured him she would be very careful. On sick leave, her left arm in a cast for the next three weeks, there wouldn’t be much that she could do—something she found increasingly frustrating. Bryan had to help her with everything.

  After buckling her seatbelt, he drove home to their flat, making light conversation along the way. Finn was relieved to see there was no trace of the incident in the hallway, which smelled of lemon-scented cleaning products rather than the blood and cordite she recalled. Still, she was anxious to move, to get away from the memories, and asked Bryan to arrange for them to see the houses he’d mentioned that day.

  With Bryan’s help, she took a shower, then he dried her hair and helped her dress. Her shoulder throbbed, and so did her jaw from being constantly clenched. Despair overwhelmed her at times. How could she care for a child in this condition? It was temporary, true, but at this moment her life seemed gloomier than ever.

  “I went to see Maddie again this morning,” Bryan said as he cut her eggs and bacon into small pieces for her. “She can’t wait to see you.”

  That brought a ray of light into Finn’s soul. She desperately hung onto the thought that soon they would start their new life and be a family like the one in the commercial Maddie loved so much.

  As he’d promised, Bryan had started the process for becoming Maddie’s foster parents. The first thing he’d done was visit Maddie, introduce himself, and ask her if she would like to live with him and Finn. Maddie’s answer had been an exuberant yes. She didn’t know Finn well and Bryan not at all, but the child had been through enough to realize her options were limited. Finn had treated her kindly and then had saved her and the boys.

  To Maddie, Finn was her guardian angel, and by association, so was Bryan. She couldn’t be happier than to have them become her new parents. Finn wanted to adopt her, but Bryan reminded her they could only foster her until her parents were legally out of the picture, and that might take more time.

  “I can’t wait to see her either. Is she okay? Does she need anything?” Finn asked, forking a bite of eggs. They were Bryan’s best dish.

  “She’s fine.” Bryan reached for another slice of bread. “Both she and the boys are well taken care of. I even talked to them a little, although their English is limited. Maddie taught them some. Slowly, they’re starting to accept that the nightmare is over, but they’re still mistrustful.”

  “Understandably so. They probably thought Fraser had saved them from a terrible life, and look how that turned out. It may take years for them to trust anyone again.”

  “Yeah. Maddie is different though. She seems so open, so… happy when she sees me. I know it’s because she trusts you. I don’t know, this sounds cheesy, but you two gals have a special connection. She talks about you as if she’s known you for years, not just days.”

  Finn smiled, dreamily gazing out the window. It wasn’t cheesy at all. She felt the same way. It was as though Maddie had been sent to her at a crucial time to help her and Bryan get their lives back on track after losing their baby.

  “She’s our rainbow child,” she said. “And, on some level, I think she knows it.”

  “She’s frightfully perceptive.” Bryan smiled. “We need to be careful, or this little girl will wrap us around her little finger and make slaves of us. When I look into those baby blues, I can’t say no to her.”

  They both laughed. Anticipation boiled in their blood. The promise of a new beginning was so close, it made their fingers itch.

  Finn was still hungry but pushed her plate away, anxious to get out of here.

  “Shall we go? I can’t wait to see those houses.”

  Bryan bundled her up, and they walked along the
sidewalk toward his SUV. It was a darkish day, the sky a milky gray, the air crisp and cold—the kind of day when a family should snuggle together in front of a fireplace, watch movies, and munch popcorn.

  Finn’s arm hurt even more in the cold. She’d taken another painkiller when Bryan hadn’t been looking, knowing he would postpone the house hunting if she was in pain. Nothing would deter her from this quest.

  The first house was a disappointment, although Finn tried to hide it. It was new, modern, and too white. The furniture, the appliances, the fluffy carpets, and even the pristine sofa in the living room were white. The place would be impossible to keep clean, especially with a child in the house, even if that child were as well-behaved as they came. Keeping this place as it was would be a time-consuming, energy-draining nightmare for two working parents.

  She didn’t say anything out loud in front of the realtor, but she had to be honest with Bryan. To her dismay, he smiled, not in the least phased.

  “I thought of all that, too, which is why we have option number two. There aren’t many houses on the market right now, so I wanted you to see number one as well. I didn’t really expect you to like it.”

  “Do you like it?” she asked, holding her breath in case he said yes.

  “Not really, but I’m not fussy. To me, what’s important is that you love it.”

  The second house was located near the historical center, which surprised Finn. House prices in this area were exorbitant.

  “Um… You only looked at properties we can afford, right?” She climbed out of the car.

  Bryan laughed. “Yeah, I stayed within that range.”

  Finn looked at the house. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. However, the closer she got, the more she saw its potential. The bungalow had character, a personality of its own. She could picture herself, Bryan, and Maddie living there, looking out through the windows bordered in ivy. The slender, graceful branches were now winter bare; come summer, they would look stunning and frame the well-preserved, wooden shutters. The walls were gray, the roof red, the front steps cracked here and there. The house needed a bit of work, but Finn could see it shaping up nicely in her mind.

  She barely listened to the realtor as she walked from room to room, admiring the high ceilings and imagining the right furniture. The master bedroom was large, while the other three bedrooms were roomy enough to make comfortable spaces for children. Bryan could have an office here, and they could add their own gym to the roomy basement. This house definitely had potential.

  Finn’s eyes bulged and she gulped when the realtor mentioned the price, but Bryan didn’t so much as blink. As he started to enumerate the repairs needed and point out the descending curve in the real estate market, Finn knew they would get a considerable discount if they made an offer quickly. The realtor was gracious enough to leave the room to allow them a few minutes to discuss the matter on their own, claiming she had some calls to make.

  Once she was out of hearing, Bryan turned to her.

  “What do you think?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.

  “I want it,” she whispered. “But I don’t think we can afford it, not even with the discount she’s offered. We’ll need money for furniture, repairs…” She sighed, looking beyond the cobwebs to her dream home.

  Bryan framed her face between his warm palms. “Yes, we can. We’ll buy the house now, and do the rest in time. I’ll work extra hours and take on any crappy cases that may come my way. We’ll find a way to afford it.”

  Finn gazed into his beautiful, kind eyes. He would do anything for her, just as she would do anything for him. How perfect was that?

  “I can ask my parents for a loan to cover the cost of furniture,” she said, pressing her palm over his. “The price really is good for this area.”

  “I know. We can do this.” He smiled down at her. “Should we make her day?” he asked, hitching his chin toward the kitchen where the realtor had disappeared.

  Finn bit her lip, grinned, and ignored the butterflies in her stomach. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”

  Epilogue

  On Christmas Eve, Finn looked around the house, unable to believe how much they’d accomplished in a single month. Her parents and Bryan had mobilized forces and worked like maniacs to make the place habitable, while she’d sat around like a one-winged chicken, cursing her shoulder, and giving orders, feeling helpless and frustrated. After frantic cleaning, measuring, sketching, and shopping, the living room, kitchen, and two of the bedrooms were furnished. The rest would come in time.

  The walls still needed painting in the spring, but for now, she could live with the dirty beige. When it bothered her, she looked at the new, massive sofa dominating the living area, the equally large flatscreen television, and the colorful Afremov painting she’d always wanted but had never bought because it hadn’t seemed practical in a small flat. The house might still be a bit of a mess, but the people living in it made it a home. A happy home, filled with happy people.

  At the moment, they sat cuddled together on the sofa under a fluffy blanket. Finn gazed at Bryan and Maddie, curled up together next to her. They were watching the end of Zootopia. She had to admit, Officer Hops did have a lot in common with her.

  A large Christmas tree stood in front of the French doors leading to the back yard. Her cast had come off days ago, but Finn had let Maddie and Bryan decorate the tree. She remembered the joy she derived from that ritual as a child, especially when her daddy had lifted her up to hang ornaments wherever she wanted to. It had been the same with Bryan and Maddie.

  Finn reached out and stroked the two blond heads huddled together next to her, receiving twin smiles. Maddie had lost a tooth the previous week, so she was even cuter when she grinned. Finn had been right. Her heart was big enough to handle loving both her future husband and this child. She still couldn’t believe Bryan had managed to arrange for them to become foster parents to Maddie so quickly. It was nothing short of a miracle—but then, her life was full of miracles right now.

  “Why are you crying, Finn?” Maddie asked, gazing innocently up at her with large, worried eyes.

  Finn smiled, shuffling her hair. “I’m not. My eyes hurt a bit from the TV. I’m not used to this big screen yet.”

  “I love it,” Maddie declared. Then she sat up like a meerkat, looking around. “I want a snack.”

  “What do you want me to get you?” Bryan asked, pushing the blanket away.

  “Nothing. I’ll go get some Oreos,” Maddie said, climbing off the sofa and padding into the kitchen in her new, red, fluffy socks with Santa faces on them.

  They let her go, watching her affectionately. Finn and Bryan wanted Maddie to feel at home here, so they’d decided their parenting style should be loving and relaxed for now, rather than stifling. If Maddie wanted Oreos, she could get Oreos. She’d been deprived of the small joys in life long enough.

  Finn moved closer to Bryan and wrapped her hands around him. Her shoulder still bothered her, but she was making progress every day. She did her exercises diligently since she wanted to get back to work when Maddie started school.

  “Thank you,” she said, lifting her lips to her lover’s.

  He kissed her deeply, running a quick hand over her breasts under the blanket.

  “I’m not sure why, but you’re most welcome.”

  Finn laughed. “You know very well why. For Maddie. For making this happen. For being the most awesome dad in the world.”

  “And soon to be most awesome husband, don’t forget.” He winked. “I had a lot of favors to collect. I waited for the right time to call them in. This was the right time. Sometimes it pays off to be a lawyer.”

  “Yeah, it does come in pretty handy. It surely did when you explained to… the people who gave birth to Maddie what would happen if they didn’t give up custody willingly.”

  Bryan’s eyes hardened. “It’s amazing what some people will do to shave off a couple of years in jail. An outsider might think it doesn’t matter, but when y
ou’re on the inside… every day counts.”

  “I’ll say. You can be pretty intimidating when you want to.”

  The trials were ongoing. The one in Ireland dealt with Seamus Fraser—who’d made a miraculous recovery—and all of his accomplices, charged of human trafficking and attempted murder of a police officer. The evidence against them was overwhelming. Maddie had testified, with Finn and Bryan there to support her, and the child’s eloquence had brought the entire courtroom to tears. Even the judge’s eyes were shiny by the time she’d finished recounting her sordid experience.

  The second trial was taking place in the UK and involved Maddie’s biological parents. Finn knew the ropes, knew they would try to cut deals and shift blame, but in the end, she trusted the system. They would be punished. However, there were millions of predators like them all over the world, preying on and exploiting the innocent.

  Finn was no fool. Maddie was one of the few lucky ones, and for that she would take partial responsibility. The chief inspector had certainly acknowledged her efforts, and she was now Detective Sergeant Finola McGregor. If only her blasted shoulder would heal, she’d be able to get back to work, looking to trap the next scumbag she came across.

  Maddie returned with a small bag of Oreos, crunching one on the side of her mouth to avoid the gap from her missing tooth. She walked over to the Christmas tree and stared up at the twinkling lights, her gaze shiny and fascinated. She had done that several times since the tree had been decorated. She just stood next to the tree and admired it, an angelic smile on her beautiful face. She eyed the presents under the tree.

  “If Santa comes into our house when we’re asleep, isn’t that called breaking and entering, like on TV?” she asked thoughtfully.

  Finn and Bryan looked at each other, fighting for all they were worth not to burst out laughing.

  “No, there are special laws for Santa,” Finn said.

  Lord, parenting was hard work! How could a seven-year-old ask such inventive questions? And how did a mother know the right answer? As a cop, she knew any creep could dress up as Santa, but she didn’t want her child not to trust in the jolly old elf’s kindness.