She shook her head. “He helped me move out of my dorm. Promised we’d get married soon and took me to a hotel.” Her cheeks turned a bright red. “You can, uh, guess what happened, I’m sure. After a few days, he took me back to his house, and that’s when I met Maddie and Kyle.”
He wrinkled his forehead. “How did you meet them?”
“Jared's their father.”
His brain tried to wrap around this information, but it stuck there. Maddie and Rachel almost seemed the same age, although he knew Maddie was younger than most guessed, only twenty-four years old.
Rachel looked away, staring somewhere out the window. “All was not well in paradise. Jared was a drunk, and a mean one. I won’t bore you with the details, but one day, I had enough. He beat me so bad I could barely make it to the phone. I called my mom, and when she got there, she helped me call child protective services while the kids were at school and Jared was on some drinking binge. I went home and eventually gave my life to Jesus, for good and for real that time. I never knew what happened to Maddie until a few years ago.”
He reached over and covered her hands with his large one, praying he wasn’t being too forward. His goal right now wasn’t even romantic, just to offer comfort. “You’ve both come a long way.”
She didn’t pull away from his touch, but instead, tilted her head toward him and looked him in the eyes again. “Thanks. It hasn’t been an easy road, but God’s been teaching me true redemption can only happen when someone needs to be redeemed. And I certainly did.”
“We all do.”
They sat for a moment, time feeling like it’d come to a standstill. Like an invisible cord stretched between them, surged with an electric charge threatening to explode.
But Cameron determined not to push her. Even though every inch of him desired to lean over the console and taste those adorable pink lips.
She laid her head back on the seat, her eyes not moving from his. “I have to apologize.”
He wiggled his fingers to unclamp her hands and put her palm in his. To his utter delight, she clung tight. “What for?”
“Judging you. From the moment I first saw you, I wanted to punch you and slam the door in your face.”
“You were definitely not happy to see me.”
“In my defense, you’d interrupted my wall project. I just finished the living room last night, by the way.”
“I’d love to see it sometime.”
“I’ll have everyone over once I’m done with all my remodeling.” She tried to withdraw her hand, but he held tight. “But anyway, it wasn’t that. You reminded me of everything in life I wanted to avoid.”
That made no sense. He’d barely said a word to her. “How so?”
She pulled at her hand again, and this time he let her go. For now. “Maddie’s dad doesn’t look a bit like her. She obviously got a lot of her looks from her mom’s side of the family. You, however, do. A little anyway.”
Cameron scrunched his forehead. “Let me get this straight. I…remind you of Maddie’s father?”
“He was very tall, and I decided I’d never be around a man who towered over me again. I’d never give them that control. And he had bright red hair. I guess somewhere in my head, I equated red hair with a bad temper and…yeah…Jared Buckner had a wicked temper, let’s just leave it at that.”
Blood pounded in his fist. He would give anything to be in a room alone with the man right about then. He wasn’t much of a fighting guy, but he’d gladly put all his weight-lifting to use on that poor excuse for a man. “So I bring back bad memories?”
She turned her head away, her voice soft and sad. “Just looking at you reminds me of everything I’ve tried for years to forget.”
Fear threaded itself around his belly. Would God allow the perfect woman for him to come into his life, only for her to be reminded of a terrible person every time she set eyes on him?
Ye of little faith.
“My clumsy attempts at making it right probably didn’t help.”
She looked back, a calm he hadn’t expected invading her eyes. “Yeah, they didn’t. But God reminded me the other day that He’s redeemed my past. It can’t hurt me unless I let it hold me back and influence my choices today.”
Did she mean…?
Not being able to resist it, he lifted his hand and trailed a finger along the curve of her cheek. She shuddered under his touch, but leaned away. “I’m not—I’m not ready for that.”
“What about—a date? Just to see where it could lead?”
Rachel cocked her head to the side, her tempting hair spilling over her shoulder. “I guess that'd be okay.”
“It’ll be nice and simple. Dinner and a movie.”
Her lips tipped into an adorable, oh-so-kissable smile. “That sounds amazing.”
He laughed and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “No, it doesn’t. Kissing you breathless right now sounds amazing. But I’ll take my time and settle for a first date.”
Her gaze lowered a few inches to his lips then back again. This woman made it so much harder to be the polite gentleman he had to be.
A little song filled the steamy air.
Rachel reached to grab her purse from the passenger side floorboard, her arm brushing his leg. “Uh, my phone. I—”
He snatched up the purse and handed it to her with a wink. “Better answer it.”
She nodded, her hands fumbling to retrieve the device from her purse. She slid her trembling finger across the screen, and he smiled at her breathless, “Hello?”
But a moment later, her heady look turned to confusion, then a frown. “What? Where all did you look?”
Cameron glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even five-o’clock yet.
“Are you sure? That doesn’t make any sense. They have to be there.”
Alarm pierced through him like a jagged knife. “Rachel, what’s wrong?”
She held up a finger, telling him to wait. “Keep looking. I’ll call the police and then Reuben. I’m sure it’s fine. They’re probably just being goofy. But better safe than sorry.”
She hung up the phone and immediately dialed 911.
His heart slammed in his chest. He wanted to shake the information out of her. “Rachel, tell me what’s going on.”
“Yes, this is Rachel Carter from the Center of Youth Development. We have two young boys missing. The group leader has searched and hasn’t been able to locate them. They’re over near the Indian Springs shopping center.”
Sean and Kyle immediately flashed in his head. But that would be crazy. They were good kids and wouldn’t do something like run away. Some of the other boys though….
Rachel finished the call and looked at him, her eyes wild with fear. “It’s Kyle and Sean. Cam, they’re missing.”
Ten
After alerting the two downtown groups and calling Reuben and Serena, Rachel and Cameron switched to his car and drove to where the boys had last been seen.
Rachel tried to stuff down every bad scenario in her head, but they still came.
What if the boys had run away? Even though she’d only met with him once, from Melissa’s notes, Sean had been making progress in counseling but still had a lot of unresolved issues. But Kyle— he’d been doing so much better lately. He’d given his life to God and was really showing a lot of growth. Still, he was a teenage boy. Who knew?
Then again, they could have gotten it in their heads to just walk further than the original plan. Maybe they weren’t really missing. Surely they’d have shown up by the time she got there.
If they hadn’t…
She didn’t want to think about the consequences.
This could not be happening. Ten minutes ago, she’d thought her biggest problem was keeping Cameron at arms’ length until she got to know him better. Now, she’d give anything for him to wrap his arms around her and tell her it was all okay.
When they pulled into the Indian Springs parking lot, her breath refused to escape her lungs. Squad cars we
re everywhere.
Scanning the area, she spotted Reuben with his arm around a sobbing Maddie, talking to a police officer. Cameron parked as close as the crowd would let him. Rachel flung open the door and ran over to them. “What’s the news?”
The officer frowned. “No sign of them at this point. We’re still canvassing the area but there’s a witness saying they saw them get into the backseat of a blue older model sedan.”
The world seemed to tilt, but strong arms came around her and held her upright. The low voice, one she equated with nails on a chalkboard just days ago, now stilled her. “It’ll be okay, Rach. We’ll find them.”
Cameron couldn’t promise that. But to hear him so sure, so confident, was what she needed. It’d do no one any good for her to fall apart. She thrived when she was in problem solving mode. Yes. That’s what she had to do. Think of this as a problem to solve, not a disaster. It was the only way she’d be able to keep standing. “Do they…do they know what kind of car it is? What the driver looked like?”
The officer folded his arms over his chest, his expression grave. “They think maybe a Ford Taurus but the witness can’t remember for sure. They couldn’t see the driver well but thought it was a male. We don’t even know it was them. We don’t have a positive ID and only a similar description. The only encouraging thing is, they didn’t seem to be under duress when entering the vehicle.”
Would the boys have run off, maybe with an older teen who could drive?
That seemed just crazy. They were both excited about today. Maybe a friend had stopped by, offering them a ride? Were they stupid enough to leave without telling Sean’s mom?
None of it made any sense.
The officer excused himself. Rachel turned and allowed Cameron to hold her for a moment. She only came up to his chest, but it was perfect to bury her head into him, digging her hands into his back, wishing she could just stay in this cocoon of safety forever. But there were two boys out there, probably scared out of their minds, and they had to do something. Standing around wasn’t helping a thing.
She pushed away as Sean’s mom approached, her face red with tears, her arms hugging her body.
Rachel’s counselor mode kicked into gear, and she rushed over to the crushed woman and held her. “It’s okay, Lisa. We’ll find him.” The same thing Cameron had said to her. But she had to be positive. Failure wasn’t an option.
Lisa shuddered in her arms, sobbing. “It’s all my fault. I—I shouldn’t have left them. But they are such good kids. Said they’d be able to handle this area while I took the other boys over toward Plano and Walmart to hit a few places. This is just—I can’t believe it. They’d never just leave. I don’t care what those policemen say.”
Rachel rubbed her back and held her tight, trying to offer comfort she didn’t feel. “I know. You’re a good mom. I probably would have done the same thing.” And if she were honest with herself, if it hadn’t been for wanting a chance to apologize to Cameron alone, she would have gone with them so they could have safely split up. Cameron could have manned the meeting point by himself. Or even gone with one of the other groups.
Guilt ate at her like termites devouring wood.
Lisa pushed away and wiped her tears on her sleeves. “The other parents have already picked up the rest of the kids. I just—I don’t even know what to do anymore. I have to do something.”
Reuben stepped next to Lisa, his face grim. “The police are issuing an Amber Alert. Maybe we could split up and go looking. Maddie and I will start from here and go west toward Somonauk. Cameron, you and Rachel keep going toward Plano. Lisa, I think it’s best for you to stay here with the police in case they find something. Maybe an officer can take you home, just in case Kyle goes there. I’ve already talked to my mom. She’s headed to our house to be on the lookout there.”
Cameron nodded. “I agree. But first, I think we should all take a minute to pray.”
Prayer.
Yes, that was exactly what they needed to do. Rachel had been so focused on figuring out how to fix this, she’d neglected the One who had the power to do so.
Cameron’s strong grip took her right hand, and Maddie’s trembling hand grasped her left.
They all formed a circle, linked by hands, and bowed their heads. Cameron’s voice rose above the chaos of the parking lot. “God, we need your help. Two amazing young men are missing, and we beg you to keep them safe and bring them home. Give the officers wisdom and clarity, Lord. Be with Maddie and Reuben and Rachel and I as we go out looking for them. Surround Lisa with your powerful arms and let her know you’re here in our midst. You’ve not left us or turned your back. We believe and trust you to guide our steps, Lord, and have faith you hear our prayers and will answer. In Jesus’ name we pray.”
Rachel added her Amen to the chorus, not caring that tears streamed down her face.
Cameron didn’t let her hand go as he led her back to his car. He opened her door, but before letting her get inside, he pulled her in for a hug.
His arms felt safe. Exactly what she needed.
He leaned back and covered her cheeks with his hands and bent down, his lips brushing her forehead. “God’s got this, Rachel.”
She knew the truth in her head, but her heart couldn’t stop worrying. “Let’s go.”
They headed toward Plano, backtracking at times through side roads, and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Just minutes after leaving, their phones both sounded with the Amber Alert.
They stopped off at Walmart and searched the parking lot slowly, looking for a car that matched the description. Cameron stopped a few employees and asked if they’d seen the boys.
No one had.
The night seemed to drag on, with no clues surfacing. Could this really be happening? It was like watching one of those 20/20 specials about an unsolved mystery case, except this time, she was in it. Living it.
Cameron turned back onto the main street and headed toward Plano again, then reached over and grabbed her hand. His fingers were warm and strong and steady. “We’ll find them, Rach.”
The question she’d refused to ask rolled off her tongue. “What if we don’t?” The thought of their little pictures hanging up on the Missing Children’s board at Walmart made her want to vomit. No. They had to find them.
“You have to have faith.”
She shook her head. “I have faith in God, but Jesus himself said rain falls on the saints and sinners alike. He never promised everything would be perfect.”
He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed tight. “He said we could trust him, though. I’m asking God to help us find those two boys and having faith He’ll do it. It’s what God has called us to do. After that, well, guess it’s up to God.”
Rachel leaned back and looked out the window, dusk settling on the trees and fields as they blurred by. Faith was a funny thing. She believed in God. She’d gone through the steps of “asking Jesus into her heart” when she was a little girl, but honestly? She hadn’t understood it. The Sunday school teacher had said do it, so she had. But she’d had to grow up and hit her bottom before she gave her life completely to God.
But bad things still happened. Most of the Apostles had been persecuted and died horrendous deaths for the cause of Christ. Followers of Jesus weren’t immune from bad things happening.
How faith played into reality was confusing. A concept she hadn’t completely grasped yet.
Then again, maybe it was something she wasn’t meant to understand. If there was one thing she’d learned these past few years, it was that God was bigger than her mind could comprehend. That’s where her faith kicked in. Even when she couldn’t grasp the fullness and greatness of God, she leaned on Him.
It was a terrifying thought at times, but making the choice to trust had brought a peace she desperately needed.
What about with Cameron?
Okay, fine. Maybe she hadn’t done a fantastic job of trusting God with everything. But she’d been working on it. Eve
n agreed to a date. That had to count for something.
Trust Me now.
She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. Yes. That’s what she needed to do. Forget about all the clichés and all the things she didn’t understand, and just trust God to figure it all out.
Squeezing Cameron’s hand, she turned to him and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s keep looking.”
They searched for another three hours, scouring the streets of Plano, asking strangers on the street if they’d seen or heard anything. She even let herself smile for a moment when she saw an advertisement for The Emporium, remembering the “inside” town joke she’d heard the other day, referring to the two neighboring towns as a plain ol’ (or Plano) bologna Sandwich.
Deciding they were getting nowhere, they headed back toward Sandwich. She called Maddie. They’d had no luck either, and the police hadn’t found any traces either.
The boys had vanished.
The clock on the dashboard read two in the morning when Cameron finally pulled into Rachel’s driveway. She blinked, trying to stay awake, but her eyelids felt like they were pumped with steel, unable to stay open for more than a second.
“You need to get some sleep.”
She shook her head. “We have to keep looking. Plus, my car's back at Art’s.”
“We’re no good to anyone if we’re walking zombies. Set an alarm for six. We’ll get a good four hours sleep, then start again. I’ll come down and pick you up. The police will be looking all night.”
Every inch of her heart wanted to protest, but common sense told her he was right. She wasn’t sure if her blurred eyes would recognize anything helpful even if it were dangled in front of her face right now.
She nodded and let herself out of the car. Her legs wobbled underneath her, their normal stamina drained from hours of sitting. She held the car for a minute until they stopped trembling, then gasped as Cameron appeared before her in the dark. In her daze, she hadn’t even heard him get out of the car.
He linked arms with her and together, they walked to her front porch.
For a second time, he leaned down and brushed his lips against the top of her head, then wrapped her in those strong arms of his. She snuggled against his broad chest, hearing the thump of his strong heartbeat. He smelled like a mixture of soap and a hint of cologne. Odd. She’d never smelled it on him before.
A Side of Faith, Hope and Love: The Sandwich Romance Novella Collection Page 7