by Sherry Kyle
“Then why don’t the two of you go now, and I’ll come when the girls wake up.”
“Really, Dad? You don’t mind waiting?”
“Like I have a choice.” Dad crossed his arms, a smug grin on his face.
Ashley wasn’t going to argue. “Thank you.” She grabbed her purse from the table by the door. “C’mon, Mom. Let’s go.”
She couldn’t have timed her parents’ visit more perfectly. Now she could drive her mom to the hospital and find out firsthand what the problem was before alarming anyone.
“Oh, wait a minute. My cell’s ringing.” Mom riffled through her oversized bag on the way to the car. “Where is that thing?”
It took all Ashley’s effort not to grab the purse away and find the phone herself, if only to speed things up.
“Oh, here it is.” Mom brought the cell phone to her ear. “Hello?”
Ashley pinched her brows together. “Is it Drew?”
Mom shook her head. “No need to apologize. Here, I’ll let you talk with her. She’s right here.” She handed the phone to Ashley. “It’s Bryan.”
Bryan? She’d tried calling him a short time ago, and he hadn’t pick up. “Hello?”
“Where are you, Ash? I texted you earlier—”
“Tori had her baby tonight, and I needed to be here with the kids. What’s going on?”
“When I didn’t see your car, I didn’t know who else to call—”
“You drove to my house?”
“I thought Madi might be there.”
“You’re not making sense. Why would Madi be at my house?”
“She wanted to talk with you tonight.” Bryan heaved a sigh into the phone. “When I let Tanner into her room, Madi was gone.”
A problem at the hospital and now this? “Does your sister know she’s missing?”
“I’m going there now, but I don’t want to go alone. Wish you’d go with me.”
“Don’t worry. Madi probably went to a friend’s house.” As much as she wanted to help Bryan find Madi, her sister’s situation pulled her toward the hospital. “I want to be there for you, but I’m about to drive Mom to the hospital … to see Tori’s new baby.”
Mom stepped closer, concern evident on her face. “Does Bryan need you—”
Ashley stopped her with a hand. Could she put him off for a short time without sounding heartless? Bryan would agree with her decision once he understood her predicament. Her first priority was to make sure Tori and the baby were all right. “I’ll call you as soon as I can, okay?”
“That’s what I said to Susan the last time Madi ran away and ended up with that teenaged boy.” Frustration laced Bryan’s tone.
Knowing what she did about Madi, Ashley hated to admit Bryan might be right.
“I wish I knew where that kid lived,” Bryan continued. “I’d tell him a thing or two.”
Ashley switched gears. “Dad’s watching the girls ’til morning then bringing them to the hospital. Once he arrives, I’ll be free to meet up with you to find Madi.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask. Was it a boy or girl?”
“It’s a boy, but I don’t know any more details. Sounded hectic when Drew called. Mom and I are hoping to get the scoop when we get there.”
“Don’t forget to call me. I’ll need the encouragement. Susan will be upset with me when she finds out I lost her daughter.”
“You didn’t lose her.” Ashley’s voice softened. “She took off. There’s a difference.”
“I don’t know if Susan will see it that way.”
“I’ll say a prayer for you on my way to the hospital. And for Madi, too.”
Once they disconnected the call, Ashley handed the phone back to her mom.
“If you’d rather I wait and go with Dad so you can be with Bryan, just say the word.” Mom tucked the phone in her bag.
“No. I need to go to the hospital. To make sure Tori and the baby are all right.” There. She’d said it.
“What?” Mom sent her a quizzical look and got in the car.
Ashley hesitated, buckling her seatbelt and starting the car’s engine. She took a deep breath. “When I was talking with Drew, he said something was wrong. He hung up on me, and that’s the last I heard from him.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Panic laced Mom’s tone.
“Because I didn’t want to alarm you, and I don’t know anything else. What should we do now? Tell Dad?”
Mom glanced at Tori’s house then back at Ashley. “No. Let’s go. Dad’s been so busy with work. A couple of hours of sleep will do him good. Drew’s probably just experiencing parenthood jitters.”
Ashley pulled away from the curb. “I hope you’re right.”
Bryan leaned his head against the headrest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath as he sat in his sister’s driveway. He wasn’t doing Madi any good by wasting time, but it was going to take all his strength to tell Susan she was gone.
Why’d he ever consider being the guardian of a rebellious fifteen-year-old girl? He could barely keep a plant alive let alone someone’s kid. And he was pulling double duty taking care of Ashley’s dog.
Something had to give.
A few hours ago, he’d thought he wanted to give Tanner back, but now he was sure it was Madison who had to go. The last couple of weeks had been challenging, almost downright unbearable at times. Sure, the dog calmed his niece down some, but she rarely carried on a conversation, at least not with him. Tonight, it became clear she needed a woman to confide in. In hindsight, he should have called Susan hours ago when Madi couldn’t get in touch with Ashley, something he had promised to do if he couldn’t cope.
But now it’s too late.
He glanced up at his niece’s bedroom window, the curtains drawn and dark.
Maybe she came back home and is asleep in her bed. But just as the optimistic thought flitted through, reality set in. Madison was no closer to rejoining her family than he was to proposing to Ashley.
Bryan got out of his car and walked up the sidewalk to the front porch. Instead of knocking on the door, he sat on the porch swing and punched in his sister’s phone number.
On the fifth ring, Susan, her voice groggy, came on the line.
He didn’t waste words. What was the point? Susan was going to be upset whether he prolonged the conversation or not.
“Honestly Bryan, I don’t expect her to act any differently at your house than mine. Remember, she took off before. I’m just shocked that she’d leave in the middle of the night.” Concern and frustration laced Susan’s voice.
“Madi wanted to talk with Ashley, but she couldn’t get a hold of her. Then, the next time I checked she was gone—”
“Yesterday, I was snooping in Madi’s things and found Brandon’s address. You know, the guy I found her with last time. She’s probably at his house. Wait a minute, and I’ll give it to you.”
A few minutes later, Susan rattled off an address across town. “I’d go, but the boys are sleeping. If you want to stay with them, I’ll get dressed.”
“No. Let me go. I’m already up and awake.”
Susan nodded. “If you drive there now, you might be able to catch her. I’ll wait for your call in case she comes home.”
“I’ll keep in touch.” Bryan jammed his cell phone into his coat pocket and strode to his car.
If he couldn’t find Madi, then what? She wasn’t solely his responsibility. Bryan’s neck heated. No, once he found her, he’d help her collect her things and drive her home where she belonged. Like it or not, Susan would need to learn how to be a single parent to all her kids, not just the ones she thought she could handle.
When it came down to it, Paul was at fault for walking away from his family, for the way Susan was acting, for Madi running away. Most of all, Bryan held Paul responsible for stopping him from getting on with his own life and proposing to Ashley.
Or was he shifting the blame?
Fifteen minutes later, Bryan stood at the thres
hold of a ranch-style house and pounded on the oak door. He didn’t care if he woke the whole house. He had to know if Madi was there. If he knew where to locate the boy’s room, he would skip the confrontation and tap on the kid’s window.
Several minutes later, the porch light flicked on and the door swung open. A middle-aged man wearing ratty sweat pants and an oversized T-shirt stood in front of him with a stern look on his face and a bat in his hand. “Who are you, and what do you want?”
“Do you have a son named Brandon?” Bryan asked, his voice strong and steady.
“Yeah, what’d he do this time?”
This time? Apparently, the boy wasn’t a stranger to trouble. “I need to know if he’s home.” Bryan swallowed hard. “And if my niece is with him.”
“That’s his car in the driveway. He’s been asleep for hours.”
Bryan didn’t believe him. The man’s eyes were shifty. “You sure? Mind checking?”
“Listen, mister, we don’t allow girls in his room. I’m not the best parent, but I draw the line.”
A change of tactic was in order. “Look, not long ago, Madison and Brandon skipped school. Spent the day downtown. I just need to know if she’s here.”
The man’s mouth twitched. “So I’m not the only one who has a difficult time keeping track of my kid.”
“She’s my niece. I’m helping my sister …”
“Okay, I get it.” He passed Bryan a knowing look. “It’s cold out. Want to step inside while I check?”
Bryan stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll wait right here.”
“Suit yourself.” The door closed.
Bryan leaned against the worn siding, hoping Brandon’s father wouldn’t take too long. Thinking back on their conversation, it sounded as if the teenagers had the same tendency for making bad choices. Bryan hoped they hadn’t crossed the line physically, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they had. Madison was searching for attention, and Brandon was the type of guy to give it to her.
The creak of the front door startled him, and he stood erect.
Brandon’s father poked his head out. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your niece isn’t here.”
“You sure?” Bryan’s voice rose. “You’ve looked everywhere?”
“Brandon’s asleep. I’ve got to go to work in a couple of hours, and I’d like to go back to bed. You’ll need to look elsewhere.”
Bryan hung his head. “Sorry to bother you. I appreciate—”
The door slammed, cutting off his words. Fine. He deserved it after waking the man up and accusing his son of doing who-knows-what with Madi. And she wasn’t even here.
Now what was he going to tell his sister? He shook his head and marched to his truck. He kicked the back tire. For all he knew, Madi could have slipped inside the open window of his guest room and was sleeping now. Had he left it open?
He couldn’t remember.
16
Ashley pulled into the hospital parking lot, her stomach in knots. The sight of the four-story white building affected her the same way every time she drove past, today included. Too many painful memories here.
“Now I know why you didn’t want to mention anything.” Mom’s voice shook as they exited the car. “The whole way here I’ve been concocting all sorts of ideas on what may be wrong—and none of them have a good outcome.”
“Like you’ve said many times before, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Ashley said, trying to convince herself more than anyone. She locked the car doors then tucked her hand in the crook of her mom’s arm. They clung to each other as they entered Dominican Hospital.
The scent of bleach hit Ashley’s senses, and a wave of nausea threatened to take over, but she quickly tamped it down. She always thought she didn’t like hospitals because of her cancer, but now …
“The labor and delivery ward is to the left.” Mom tugged her in that direction.
The words she’d held in the whole way to the hospital slipped out. “Do you think Tori’s all right?”
“I don’t know, Ashley. Let’s find out.”
The nurse at the station directed them down the hall to room 2112.
Mom peeked her head in first then motioned for Ashley to follow her inside. The lights were dimmed. Tori’s eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, but there was no sign of Drew or the baby. “I don’t want to wake her,” Mom whispered.
“She looks good, don’t you think?” Ashley whispered back.
“A few days ago, Tori told me that she hasn’t been sleeping well. Said she’s been so busy with work and the girls, and that she’s been having a hard time keeping up with everything at home.”
Ashley shifted her stance. “Why didn’t she call me? I could’ve helped.”
“Tori knows you have a full life—”
“But family is important. I’d do anything for my sisters.”
“I know you would, sweetie.” Mom smiled. “Come on. Let’s find Drew and my new grandson.”
Looking down at her sister’s sleeping form, Ashley had the urge to stroke her hair but held back. The baby must be fine. Otherwise, Tori wouldn’t have fallen asleep, right? Ashley bit back the question and slipped out of the room behind her mom.
They found Drew staring through the NICU window. His arms were tightly folded across his chest, and a worried expression lined his face. Once they got his attention, he enveloped them in a weary embrace.
Mom laid a hand on his shoulder. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
“The doctor said his oxygen saturation is low. That he might have been deprived during birth. They need to keep him here for observation.”
Mom hugged him once more. “And Tori? She’s asleep now, but …”
“She’s exhausted. She wanted to give birth naturally, but the baby wouldn’t cooperate. They gave her pain medication during the C-section. I told her I’d keep an eye on Max and that it was okay to fall asleep.”
Max.
Mom patted his arm. “You’re a good husband, Drew.”
Ashley listened to the pair and wanted to make everything better—or at least find the right words to say to her brother-in-law. From what she could assume, little Max might be brain damaged from the lack of oxygen.
She peered through the window at the small infant, who was bare except for the diaper and the small tubes and wires attached to his tiny frame.
“He’s beautiful,” Mom said. “He has his grandpa’s cleft chin. And look at those long toes!”
“The doctor said if Max’s brain can be cooled down below normal body temperature within the first six hours after birth, the cooling effect may interrupt critical neurological damage.” Drew sounded as though he’d memorized the doctor’s words. “See that blanket he’s lying on? It helps with the cooling process. The nurse keeps checking his vitals.”
“He’s in good hands,” Mom said.
“They told me it’s important for Max to rest the entire treatment and to keep interruptions to a minimum.”
Please, Lord, let him be okay. Ashley rested her hands against the glass. “Must be hard for you and Tori not to hold him.”
“It is.” His voice hitched. “I’m hoping by the time Tori wakes up the doctor will say our boy is fine.”
Mom rubbed Drew’s shoulder. “Why don’t you rest, too? I’ll stay here.”
Drew shook his head. “I don’t think I could sleep, but I’d like the company.”
“You’ve got it.” Mom hugged her purse to her chest. The two of them stared through the window at Max’s still form.
Ashley’s heart rate accelerated. The image of the small girl going down the hospital corridor buzzed through her mind as if she were three years old again and watching the scene unfold. If she could relive the moment, she’d stop them from taking her away. She’d scream, cry, and tear the wires and tubes away from her body so she could chase down the little girl who shared her past. Why, Lord? Why would You take her away from me?
“Will you do that, Ashley?” Mom’s question brought her back to the present.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Please call Dad and tell him what’s going on. I’d like him to keep the girls at home until we know more.”
Her dad’s existing high blood pressure couldn’t take the news. If only she could wait until the six hours were up and Max was declared healthy. Then again, Dad was a spiritual giant and had a direct line to God when it came to prayer.
“And if you could stop at the cafeteria and get us something to drink. Drew, what would you like? Coffee? Juice?” Mom dug in her purse and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Ashley.
“Coffee sounds good.” Drew smiled weakly.
Mom nodded. “I’d like one, too. Ashley, grab yourself a cup of whatever you’d like.”
Ashley was glad to help. At least she was doing something—something that wouldn’t change Max’s outcome but was helpful nonetheless.
If only she felt the same about the girl in the photo.
Who was she? And how could Ashley find out?
17
Daylight shone through the hall skylight and crept through the slits in the curtains. No Madison. Not at his house, not at the mall, and not with any of her friends. Bryan had called them all. Where could that girl be?
“I’m sorry, Susan. I failed you in a big way.” Bryan stroked Tanner beside him on the leather sofa, the phone clutched between his shoulder and ear. Even the dog’s soft fur couldn’t console him. “Where do we look now?”
“I called the police, and they told me to sit tight in case she comes home. But I don’t know if I can do that. I’m having a hard time—”
“I feel the same way. I want to be here in case she walks through that door, and yet I feel helpless.” Bryan slouched lower on the couch. “I wish she would answer her cell phone—” Oh, yeah, I took it away from her.
“Or call home,” Susan added.
A moment of silence passed between them.
“Have you heard from Paul?” Bryan squeezed his eyes shut, not knowing if now was a good time to bring up his wayward brother-in-law.