by Sherry Kyle
Susan sighed into the phone. “No, and I doubt I will. He’s made his choice, and it’s not his family.”
“I’m sorry, sis.” Bryan stood from his place on the couch and walked to the window. He peered out. Nothing but grass, trees, and the cracked paved road. Where was Madi?
“Me, too. Honestly, I don’t know what I could’ve done differently …”
Now was not the time to get into the details of why Susan’s marriage failed. Who was he to give advice on how to fix the situation? And at the moment, he was more concerned about Madison’s whereabouts, and he didn’t doubt Susan was, too. “I’m going out. There’s one more place I need to look—”
“Where?”
“I’ll let you know if I find her. Sit tight.” Bryan left it at that. Why worry his sister more than necessary?
He tucked his phone in his pocket, grabbed his keys off the kitchen table, and raced out the door.
Just as he’d hoped, Bryan found Madi at the bus station. The teenager sat huddled on a bench, her arms wrapped around bent knees. Thank goodness she hadn’t left yet. If his hunch was correct, she was bound to Las Vegas to find her father.
Madi spotted him. Was she going to bolt? He hurried his pace in case she took off. Instead, her shoulders drooped, and she hung her head.
He sat beside her, his words soft. “I’m glad I found you before it was too late.” Now was not the time for a scolding.
Madi nodded. She worked her lower lip with her upper teeth, a sure sign she was nervous.
“We’ll talk later. Ready to go home?” He’d figure out what type of consequence she’d receive after discussing it with Susan.
Madi gazed up at him, her expression pensive.
“Tanner will be happy to have you back. He’s been waiting for you in your room.”
“My room? I thought he wasn’t allowed.” Madi grabbed her duffle bag and followed Bryan to the car.
“I changed my mind. Seems like the pair of you are good for each other. Plus, if he’s not lonely, maybe he won’t make a mess during the night.”
“I know the feeling …” Madi muttered under her breath.
They buckled their seatbelts and headed home.
“Mom doesn’t have to know I snuck out, does she?”
“Madi, your mom already knows. I called her when I discovered you weren’t in your bed—”
“You called her?” Madi’s sour attitude returned.
Couldn’t she go ten minutes without turning on him? “Your mom has a right to know. You left in the middle of the night, and I couldn’t find you. I called your mom to see if you went home or if she had an idea where you might’ve gone.”
“She doesn’t care about me. If she did, she wouldn’t have let my dad leave—”
“You’re not being fair. What’s happening with your parents has nothing to do with you. Your parents love you and would never want you to run away—or make you feel like you have to pick sides.”
Madi crossed her arms. “If my mom loved me, she wouldn’t have made me live with you!”
Ouch! Those words hurt. “Believe me. Having you live with me wasn’t my first choice either.”
“I knew it! I knew you didn’t want me.”
“Madi, it’s not that. I’m a bachelor. I’m not used to taking care of a fifteen-year-old girl.”
“That’s obvious.” Madi stared out the side window.
He’d better get a handle on the conversation before it totally got away from him. Bryan relaxed his shoulders and loosened his death grip on the steering wheel. “I’m doing my best. You’ve got to give me some credit. I haven’t been doing this parenting thing long … and you haven’t been the easiest teenager.”
She shrugged a shoulder.
He needed to get through to her before they got out of the car. “I promise I’ll be more understanding if you promise me you won’t run away again. But you need to tell me what’s going on. No more secrets.”
Madi hesitated.
Would he ever know why his niece behaved the way she did? Doubtful.
“I want to live with Ashley.” Her blunt outburst broke the silence.
You and me both.
“Madi, please. What’s got you so worked up? Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” He lifted his foot slightly off the gas pedal and slowed down the car. He’d take the long way home if Madi would open up.
“Can we stop at a convenience store?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“It’s personal.”
His neck heated. “No problem.”
“Can I have twenty bucks?”
“All right.”
“And can you stay in the car while I go in the store?”
He pressed his lips together. Did he trust her? He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. By the way her hands fidgeted in her lap, she was as uncomfortable as he was. “I’ll wait five minutes. Then I’m coming in.”
“It’ll take less than five. I know exactly where it is.”
It meaning something to take care of her monthly needs, he assumed. “Okay, Magpie. I’ll wait here.” He pulled to a stop in front of the store.
Please don’t disappoint me.
“Thanks, Uncle Bryan. I’ll be right back.”
The minute she walked into the store, he pulled out his cell phone and called his sister to let her know Madi was all right. He called Ashley next.
She answered on the first ring.
18
Kayla zipped her messenger bag, her medical books tucked neatly inside. She had one hour to go to the library and study her notes one last time before taking the microbiology exam. Jeremy promised to meet her with coffee in hand to quiz her, but after the last time they met, she wouldn’t doubt it if he stood her up.
True to his word, Jeremy was sprawled on the bench with two steaming cups by his side, his head bent over a small book.
She walked up to him, and he glanced up.
“Nice pedicure. Not that I notice that kind of thing.” He grinned.
Kayla smiled back. “If I fail the test, at least I have nice-looking toes. Thanks for meeting me.” She had to get a good grade if she had any hope of passing Microbiology.
He moved his books in a neat pile and handed her a coffee. “You’re not going to fail. In fact, I expect you to get a high score, not as high as mine, of course—”
“Okay, wise guy. That’s enough. Going through the notes once more will help.” She sat beside him and sipped her coffee. “Vanilla latte, my favorite. Thanks.”
“I’m sure you’ve gone over your notes a hundred times. What you need to do is relax.” He crossed an ankle over his knee and rested an arm behind her on the bench without making contact. Jeremy was naturally a physical person and was purposefully holding back, a change since last time.
But it was better this way.
After finals and the semester ended, she doubted she’d see much of Jeremy over the summer. He’d be busy working to pay for tuition, and she’d be doing the usual stuff: sewing, shopping, dining out, and hanging out with her friends—things she did every summer. Her parents had wanted her to take a summer class, but she’d convinced them she needed a break. A break from all things medically related.
She set her coffee on the bench, accidentally knocking her unlatched purse to the ground. The contents sprawled across the sidewalk.
“Here, let me help.” Jeremy bent over and picked up her small Coach bag then gathered her stuff. “How did you fit everything in here?”
Kayla joined him. “No making fun of a woman’s necessities.”
“Honestly, Kay, you don’t need makeup to be beautiful.”
“Spoken like a true friend.” Kayla shot him a grin. “But, yes, I do.”
“Hey, what’s this?” Jeremy picked up a piece of paper—or rather, the address for Ashley’s parents’ home. “Who do you know in Soquel?”
She had wanted to tell him about Ashley but not until exams were over or she had closed that chapter of her life.
As it stood, she was still in limbo about whether or not to pursue meeting her biological sister face-to-face.
“Well?” Jeremy handed her the scribbled note. She’d written it in a hurry and her penmanship lacked its usual flare.
Kayla slid the paper into her purse. “You don’t have to know everything, do you?” Her teasing tone backfired.
Jeremy’s brows jutted together. “Are you seeing someone? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because there’s nothing to tell.” She placed the last remaining things—lip gloss and a couple of pens—back into her purse. “And no, I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Then what is it?”
True to her promise, Lauren hadn’t called lately, allowing Kayla to focus on her schoolwork. Maybe that was a sign to leave things alone. “Can we please just go over our notes one more time?”
“Only if you promise to tell me who the address belongs to.”
“I will after we take the test.” She whipped out flashcards from her backpack.
He studied her face. “Kayla, what’s going on? You haven’t been yourself lately.”
“Let’s just say it has thrown me for a loop. And it’s not wrapped up in a pretty bow.” Her attempt to make a joke and lighten the mood fell flat.
He cupped his hand around her shoulder then. “Should I be worried?”
The contact sent a warm jolt through her. She liked how attentive Jeremy could be. “No, not at all. But I appreciate your concern.”
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Okay, then hand me those flashcards. We’ve got forty-five minutes until class.
Forty-five minutes until she’d face her hardest exam. If she failed, she’d have to take the class over. And according to her parents, failure wasn’t an option.
She handed him the flashcards. “Jeremy, how do you do it? How are you so confident?”
He picked up the small book he had in his hands when she’d first arrived. “Can I share something with you? It’s from Philippians 4:13.”
He read her the verse from his Bible.
Could she really do all things through Christ? Did he really give her strength?
Jeremy pressed the pocket-sized book into her hands. “You keep it. I have another one at home.” His smile lifted her mood. “Read it, Kayla. Your life will never be the same.”
Was it Jeremy’s smile that made her feel lighter? Or was it the words he read?
Ashley huddled against the sofa’s corner cushion in the waiting room, her legs tucked underneath her as she and her mom waited for Drew and Tori to receive baby Max’s test results. She distracted herself by replaying her recent conversation with Bryan in her head. What a relief to know he’d found his niece. However, she might not have answered the call so quickly if she knew he was going to ask if Madi could move in with her. Would her grandma approve?
Instead she had expected the call to be from Lauren. The more Ashley thought about her sister’s suspicious behavior the other night, the more she wanted to know the real reason she had been up in the attic. Could she have been looking for the photo? Impossible. How could she have known the picture was in the trunk?
Drew burst into the room. “Praise God! The doctor thinks Max is going to be all right.”
“Halleluiah.” Mom tipped her head back, her hands clutched together in a prayerful pose. “So he’s okay? No long-term effects?”
“Max had some cardiac arrhythmia during the cooling process, but it’s resolved now that he’s re-warmed.” Drew sat in the chair opposite them. “The EEG looks within the normal range, but we won’t know the full scope of his oxygen loss until he starts to develop. For now, we’re thankful for the good news.”
“That’s awesome.” Ashley swung her legs around and brought her feet to the floor.
“What’s next?” Mom asked. “Can Tori feed him?”
“He still needs to be monitored, but after he’s re-warmed for 24 hours, they’ll feed him a small amount. They’ll do a swallow study to make sure it’s safe to breastfeed. In the meantime, Tori’s sitting next to him in the NICU. I’d love for the two of you to hold him, but unfortunately we’re supposed to keep interruptions to a minimum.”
“In other words, we won’t get to meet him today.” Mom’s disappointment was tangible.
“Mom, want to come with me to Tori’s house? Dad can bring you back in a little while. I’ll keep an eye on the girls until this afternoon when I need to go to work.”
“Dad and I should take the girls to our house so you can get some sleep. If you’re as tired as I am—” Mom covered a yawn.
Every inch of Ashley’s body ached. Her eyes felt like sandpaper, and she had a hard time holding her head up. “I would like to go home and take a nap.”
“I appreciate you two hanging out with me. I’ve never been so scared. And that’s hard for a man like me to admit.” Drew gave them a sheepish grin.
“No problem. That’s what family’s for.” Mom patted his shoulder then turned toward Ashley. “Ready to go.”
“I’ll get the car and text you when I’m out front.”
“Thank you, dear. I’d like to speak with Tori for a few minutes. Drew, do you mind wheeling her out of the NICU for me?”
“Not at all—if I can pry her away from Max.”
On the way to the car, Ashley punched in Lauren’s number on her cell phone. It was unusual for her sister not to be the first at the hospital, being the family-oriented person she was. As she walked out of the hospital’s lobby and into the crisp morning air, she nearly bumped into Lauren.
“Ashley!”
“Lauren, I’ve been trying to reach you.” Ashley slid her phone into her pocket.
“You and everyone else in the family. How’s Tori? The baby?” Her sister’s voice wobbled.
“Tori had a C-section. She’s fine, but little Max was oxygen deprived at birth. They cooled him down, and he appears to be doing okay. Time will tell.”
“I can’t believe I forgot to charge my phone. When I plugged it in this morning, I had a ton of messages.”
“Did you get the one from me?”
“Not yet. What’s up?”
“Maybe now’s not the right time.”
“What’s going on?” Lauren glanced at the hospital’s swinging door.
“Oh, no. Everything’s going to be fine with Tori and the baby—”
“Then what?”
Ashley let out a deep breath, opened her purse, and pulled out the photo. She handed it to Lauren. “Do you know who the little girl is?”
“Looks like you.” Lauren’s tone was steady.
“The other one, the toddler sitting beside me. Who is she?” Ashley studied Lauren’s face. If she was looking for the photo the other night, she wasn’t giving anything away now.
“I bet I can find out for you. Do you mind if I keep this for a while?”
Maybe she’d misjudged Lauren.
Ashley heart rate accelerated. “You’d do that for me?”
“You know me, Ash. I’d do anything for my family.” Lauren tucked the photo inside her jacket pocket.
“Whatever you do, don’t show Mom or mention it to Tori. I’ve already asked them—”
“You showed Mom? How’d she react?”
“Not good. Said she’s never seen the photo before. Honestly, she seemed threatened by the idea that I want to find her.”
Lauren’s brow twitched. “Do you really want to meet her?”
“More than anything.”
It appeared Lauren was about to say something more when Mom walked out of the hospital, interrupting their conversation. “There you are. I’ve been waiting for your text—”
“Oh, sorry. Look who I ran into.” Ashley bumped her sister’s shoulder.
Mom hugged Lauren. “Good to see you, honey, but you might as well turn around and go home. They’re not taking visitors right now.”
Lauren lifted a hand. “I was on my way to work when I finally got the message.”
“You l
ook nice.” Mom changed the subject. “Is that a new outfit?”
“Thanks.” Lauren grinned. “The blouse and jacket are new, but not the pants or shoes.”
After being awake all night, Ashley needed a hot shower and a few hours’ sleep. And she still had to call Bryan back and give him an answer. The only way she could say yes to Madi living with her at the beach rental was if her grandmother approved. “Ready, Mom?”
“Definitely. I sure hope your father got some sleep, because I won’t be a good babysitter the way I feel.”
“Lauren, will you get back to me soon?” Ashley asked. “I’d love to talk with you some more …”
Her sister nodded. “I’m going to the hospital gift shop. I’ll see you two later.”
On the way to the car, Ashley’s mind whirled. She should have scanned the photo before giving it to Lauren. Would her sister be able to find the girl in the photo? And did Lauren know more than she was letting on?
19
The sound of barking dogs rubbed Ashley’s nerves raw.
She loved her job, but not today. Must be the lack of sleep. By the time she had settled under June’s handmade quilt on her grandmother’s king-sized bed, she was afraid she’d oversleep and be late to work, forcing her to forego her nap altogether. She couldn’t relax. And now she—or rather the animals—paid the price.
She cleaned kennels, filled bowls with food and water, and walked dogs around the block, her mind never far from the little girl in the photo.
A sharp squeal pierced the air.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. I didn’t mean to step on your paw.”
The tan Chihuahua sat on her hind end and wagged her tail.
“That’s what I love about you.” Ashley bent down and patted the pooch’s head. “You forgive and forget right away.” She picked up Lucy, carried her back to the shelter, and opened the door to the back entryway.
“There you are.” Jasmine, her co-worker, came up beside her. “There’s someone here looking for a Chihuahua, and I thought Lucy would be the perfect dog for her.”
“I hope she’s not looking for a purebred, because Lucy has a little Terrier in her, too.”
“She wouldn’t come to the shelter if she wanted a purebred,” Jasmine said. “The main thing is Lucy’s small and looks like a Chihuahua—”