Gone without a Trace

by Patricia Bradley

  “Maybe he sees her the way his mother was when he was young.” Livy shook her head. “Trying to figure it out is enough to drive a sane person crazy.”

  “Yeah.” He’d lost his taste for cocoa and took the cup to the sink. A cross-stitch hanging caught his eye. For I know the plans I have for you. Plans for good . . . He gripped the sink. He’d sure like to know God’s plan right now. Because he didn’t have one.

  “Alex.” Livy’s soft voice was right behind him. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

  He turned around, and her blue eyes were wet.

  “I think you could use a hug,” she said and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Thanks.” Alex whispered the word against her hair and gently pulled her closer. She fit so perfectly in his arms. His heart thumped against his chest, and he knew she felt it, probably heard it. He’d never felt this way before. With his luck, she didn’t feel the same way. He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes, and they were round and huge.

  “You’re amazing.” He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head until his lips met hers. A soft sigh escaped her mouth as she reached up and slipped her hands behind his head. Her lips, soft and yielding, responded to his. They broke apart, and he trailed his finger down her jaw. “I think I might just be falling for you.”

  “You think?” she teased.

  “Would it be a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked, but before she could answer, he claimed her lips again.

  When he released her, Livy rested her head on his chest. “Hmm. A good thing, I think.”

  “You think?”

  “You are incorrigible.”

  “I believe I’ve heard that before,” he said against her hair.

  “From a female?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  She leaned back, and lifted an eyebrow.

  He brushed a strand of her blonde hair back. “She was at least forty years older, and I was in the third grade.”

  “That’s better, because I think I might be falling for you too.”

  Right now, Alex could dance without touching the floor. Then reality set in. Tomorrow the woman he was falling in love with was going to use herself as bait. And he had to get to Nashville and check out the lead on Samantha Jo’s wallet and get back to Logan Point before she did.

  It was still dark when Alex eased the door to the Impala open. With any luck, he would be finished in Nashville and be back in Logan Point by one, but when he turned the ignition, all he heard was a grinding sound. No! He tried again and was rewarded with a series of clicks. Either the battery was gone or the solenoid switch. He rubbed his forehead. Maybe Livy could run him to the airport, and he could call the car rental and have another car delivered to the airport.

  Alex pulled his phone out and hesitated. He really hated getting Livy out of bed before six, but the sooner he made it to Nashville, the sooner he would get back. He punched in her number, and she answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “I hate to wake you, but could you run me to the airport? The Impala won’t start.”

  “Alex? What time is it?”

  “A little after five.”

  She groaned.

  “If it weren’t important—”

  “No, no, that’s okay. Be right down.”

  He made Livy a cup of coffee while he waited in the warmth of the kitchen for her to come down.

  “You owe me,” she said when she came through the door.

  “Wow. Ten minutes. And you’re beautiful at five thirty in the morning.” And she was. No makeup, hair barely combed, but her blue eyes sparkled, and even more, when she looked at him, he felt like she truly “got” him.

  “I’m up. You can stop with the flattery. You still owe me.” She spied the coffee. “But not quite as much as it could be.” She snagged the cup and took a sip. “Oh, that’s good.”

  “I aim to please.”

  She rolled her eyes and then jingled her keys. “Ready?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  At the airport, she insisted on walking to the hangar with him, even though he told her it wasn’t necessary. “Go home and get more shut-eye.”

  “I’m awake now. Might as well see you off.”

  That she wanted to be with him warmed him more than his down coat. He never expected to feel this way about anyone, not after seeing his parents’ marriage disintegrate into a shouting match. He stopped and pulled her close and looked into eyes the color of an October sky. “You’re pretty amazing.”

  Livy slipped her arms around his neck. “I know,” she said with a twinkle in those blue eyes. “And so are you. And one day maybe I’ll let you teach me how to fly.”

  “I’d like nothing better. But right now, I better get this plane checked out and get to Nashville.”

  As Alex went through his preflight inspection, images of her dad doing the same thing ran through Livy’s mind. She hadn’t heard another word from him since the email saying he planned to come, but that wasn’t surprising. She wasn’t that important to her father. She shook the memories off as Sam arrived and Alex fueled up.

  “Thanks for hanging around,” he said.

  “Nothing to thank me for—it’ll go on the tab you’re running up, right next to getting me up at five thirty.”

  He laughed and kissed her lightly on the lips before jogging to his airplane.

  “Nice guy,” Sam said. “Oh, your dad called me. He—”

  “Logan Point Tower, Cessna F6548 Juliet 10 miles Northwest, at 2000 feet, landing Logan Point airport.”

  Livy glanced at Sam. “A plane coming this early?”

  “That’s what I was trying to tell you—it’s your dad.”

  Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. Sam hurried to the terminal building, and Livy trailed him. By the time she entered the building, Sam was responding to the pilot, then he radioed Alex, asking him to delay his takeoff until after the plane landed.

  “Are you saying the plane coming in is my dad?”

  “Yep. Should be dropping in within five minutes. Said he’d only be here long enough to refuel, though, so it’s a lucky thing you’re here.”

  She stepped back. Her dad. Here? Today? Why didn’t he let them know? “He’s only stopping to refuel?”

  “That’s what he said when he called.” Sam turned as once again a voice came over the speaker. “Cessna F6548Juliet, midfield, right downwind for runway 18.”

  Livy stared at the radio as Sam cleared him to land. The voice held the barest hint of her dad. He had time to call Sam but not his family? He hadn’t intended for them to know he was here. How many times had he done this in the past? Just breeze through and never call? She started for the door.

  “Aren’t you going to wait and see your dad?”

  She hesitated. If she left now, Sam would duly report it all over town. “Just going after something in the car. But I guess it can wait.” Besides, she looked forward to seeing the expression on her dad’s face when he saw her.

  “Let’s watch from outside,” Sam said. “He’ll come from the northwest.”

  She stepped outside the terminal building with him.

  “There he is,” Sam said.

  With a south wind whipping her body, she scanned the predawn skies. A tiny dot appeared in the distance and grew larger until it banked north and approached the runway into the wind.

  “Nice plane,” Sam said as he picked up a pair of chocks and walked out to the tarmac.

  She supposed. All twin-engine planes looked the same to her. Alex’s plane roared to life, and she waved to him as he taxied to the runway. With a shiver, she stepped back through the glass door to the terminal to wait for her dad to come to her.

  The cabin door opened, and a man too young and too short to be her dad climbed out. He hurried inside, nodding as he passed her. A minute later Jeremy Reynolds emerged from the cockpit and hopped off the wing. Sam stuck out his hand, but her dad grabbed him in a bear hug, pounding him on the back.

  Li
vy pressed her lips in a thin line. Didn’t he know how much he was missed in Logan Point? Sam said something to her dad, and his face lit up. He turned toward the building, and when he saw her standing just inside the door, he jogged over and came inside.

  “Olivia, what are you doing here? Never mind. I don’t care why you’re here, just that you are.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I would have let you know, but I didn’t think you would be up. Sorry I can’t stay any longer than to refuel.”

  Like a flashpoint, seeing him in the flesh triggered all the anger she’d stored up, and the words spilled out. “What’s so important that you can’t spend the day? It’s been five years since I’ve seen you. You didn’t call on my birthday, not even a card. You didn’t come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

  He dropped his arm and stepped back, his face a dark cloud. “That highway goes both ways, Little Bit. Why didn’t you email me back when I let you know I was coming? And it’s not like you can’t afford airfare to Alaska.”

  Maybe she didn’t email because she didn’t expect him to follow through. “I’ve been busy with a case. Besides, I’m not the one who left.”

  “So it’s okay for you to be busy, but not me? Why did you bother to come out here? To read me the riot act? Well, I don’t need that. I already know I’m a miserable excuse for a father, but—” He broke the words off and spun around. “Just forget it.”

  “I didn’t come out here to see you,” she yelled at his back. Then she looked for Alex and realized he’d already taken off, and she hadn’t even watched.

  Her dad waved her off without looking back and stalked through the door, hurrying to where the plane was being refueled.

  “Fine,” she muttered. She whirled around right into the other pilot. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to block the door.”

  “Quite all right. I couldn’t help overhear, and—”

  Her cheeks blazed. “I really am sorry about that.”

  “Well, you might want to cut him some slack. We really can’t stay any longer than to refuel.”

  “What could be that important?”

  “We’re transporting a donor kidney from Alaska. It’s for a kid with a rare blood type. I do think he planned to stop overnight when we returned.”

  A kidney? The words seared her conscience, and Livy winced. She wanted to slink away and find a hole to bury herself in, or just crawl under the faux Persian rug on the floor—she’d certainly have no trouble fitting under it. She glanced toward the plane where her dad stood next to Sam as he refueled. Why didn’t he tell her he planned to stop on the way back? Maybe because she hadn’t given him a chance?

  Livy rubbed the side of her face. She hated that she was always so ornery around her dad, almost looking for something to find fault with. This time he had barely gotten into the building when she lowered the boom. She glanced out toward the plane. Well, this was one time she wasn’t going to apologize.

  By the time she had her seat belt fastened, her conscience needled her. She gripped the steering wheel. Why did she always have to be the one to apologize? Always? Well, not always, but still . . .

  Go apologize. She blew out a breath. The hurt she’d seen in his eyes tightened her throat. She couldn’t let him leave without apologizing. She scrambled out of the SUV. He was climbing into the cabin when she burst from the terminal. “Wait!”

  He turned to his copilot. “Give me a second.”

  Livy rubbed her hands on her pants. “I, ah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped all over you.”

  She forced herself not to look away from his steady gaze, but she couldn’t keep her face from flushing.

  “No, you shouldn’t have.” A crooked grin slid across his lips, and he held out his arms. “Come here, baby.”

  She took a step, and he met her, enveloping her in his arms.

  “I’m sorry too. I should’ve called last night. It just happened so fast, this kidney, and we’ve flown straight from Anchorage, stopping only long enough to refuel so we could get it to Jackson, Mississippi, in time to help the boy. If it hadn’t been for the strong headwinds and then the thunderstorms in Oklahoma, I wouldn’t be refueling here now.”

  Livy stepped back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s a good thing, what you do.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know. We’ll talk about it when I stop by on my way to Alaska.”

  “Do you know—”

  “Tomorrow or the next day. I’ll call you.”

  Skepticism must have shown on her face.

  “No. I promise. I’ll call you.” He glanced at the plane. “Look, we have to leave, but I want you to know I love you. I’m just not real good at showing it.”

  “I know,” she said and hugged him again. “Be safe.”

  “You too.”

  He climbed into the cabin and closed the door. Livy backed away, then turned and walked to the terminal. She hoped he would call, but she wouldn’t bet on it.

  20

  At six fifteen, the alarm on Robyn’s phone went off. She rolled over and turned it off, then lay in bed, listening to the sounds of the house like she had every morning until she’d married Chase.

  Water pipes knocked as someone ran water. Her mother, making breakfast for Abby, probably. Her daughter had stayed the night. That was why Robyn had set her alarm. She wanted to see for herself that Abby was okay after what had happened to her dad.

  A picture of Chase in the pickup filled her mind. He’d been so pale and still. He hadn’t looked much better a few hours later after the doctors had removed the bullet. At least no vital organs had been hit, but if she hadn’t come back to Logan Point, he would not have been shot. For the hundredth time, she asked herself if she’d made a mistake coming home. Would it have been better for everyone to go on believing she’d just run off?

  A board creaked on the stairs, and Robyn smiled. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Her mother was coming upstairs to wake Abby just like she had years ago when she had four girls to get up. Her footsteps stopped just on the other side of Robyn’s room, and a soft knock followed before the door to Abby’s room creaked open. Robyn listened to the muffled voice.

  “Abby. Time to get up.”

  “I’m awake, Nana. Do you know how my daddy is?”

  “He was sleeping when I called earlier. We’ll call again before you leave for school. Do you have your clothes ready?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  It was decided last night that Abby would go to school as usual, and then one of the grandmothers would take her to the hospital. Chase should be sitting up by then, and hopefully looking much better than he had last night.

  Robyn swung her feet over the side of the bed. If she wanted the bathroom, she’d better get in there before Abby did. She turned on the lamp, and the soft glow dispelled the darkness. A quiet knock at her door startled her, and she reached for her robe, but it was draped across the chair. Her pajamas would have to do. “Come in.”

  The door opened, and her mom stuck her head through the doorway. For a second, Kate stiffened and her eyes widened, then she smiled. “For a minute, I—” She shook her head. “Never mind. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “No, I have several things to do today, so I set my alarm.” How in the world did her mother manage to look so put together this early in the morning? She’d French braided her hair and appeared to have a smidgen of makeup on. Not that she needed any with her olive skin and thick lashes that fringed her dark eyes. Why couldn’t she have gotten her mother’s coloring instead of her dad’s Irish fairness?

  “How are you this morning?” Real concern echoed in her voice.

  “Sad about what happened to Chase.” She eased off the bed. “I want to go see him this morning.”

  “If you need a car, you can borrow mine. I’ll be working in the pottery room all day.”

  “Livy is going, and I’ll ride with her.” It was so hard, being in the same room and talking
to her mom like she was a stranger. Robyn had finally convinced Ben that they needed to tell her mother the truth, but he’d wanted her to wait until this morning when he could be present. It was all she could do not to blurt it out.

  She hadn’t been able to talk him into letting anyone else in on her identity . . . unless something happened at the hospital, and it became necessary to tell Chase. She both dreaded and looked forward to seeing her husband. Last night before he was shot, they’d made a connection, and she’d seen admiration in his eyes when they talked about college. Would they find common ground again once he knew who she really was?

  “Does Ben have any leads on the shooter?”

  Robyn hesitated. Ben was coming to the house at eight, and he and Livy were going to lay out their plan. “He’s working on it.”

  Her mom nodded. “I won’t hinder you any longer. Breakfast is almost ready.”

  After the door closed, Robyn heard her mother knock on Abby’s door again. She smiled as her daughter responded that she was getting up.

  Robyn made it downstairs and had a cup of coffee before Abby bounded into the kitchen. The desire to hug her daughter clogged her throat.

  “Oh, good, you’re up. Can you tell me what happened last night? Nobody else will. Why did someone shoot my daddy?”

  Robyn glanced at Kate.

  “No one knows yet, honey.” Kate set a bowl of steaming oatmeal on the table. “Eat your breakfast, and then we’ll call the hospital. If your dad’s awake, you can talk to him.”

  “I hope he is.”

  Robyn did too. But more than that, she hoped they caught the monster who shot him. She was so tired of living in this barren never-land. But at least Abby seemed to be handling her father’s shooting pretty well. “Do you have a busy day?”

  She crossed her eyes. “We have tests. It’s not fair to have tests on Monday and especially during the week of Valentine’s.”

  Valentine’s Day was this week? “What day is it?”

  “Friday.”

  “Are you having a party?”

  “Mm-huh. And TJ Logan said he was going to give me a box of candy. But I’m not going to take it. Boys are icky.”