by Candis Terry
Several minutes later, when Alex still hadn’t come to the table, Kelly walked into the hall to call for him again. Princess and Poppy followed, whining, and tapping their little dog toenails on the hardwood floor. Alex’s bedroom door was open, and she poked her head inside the neat and tidy room.
“Alex?”
No Alex.
She looked down at the four brown eyes looking up at her then continued down the hall to James’s room and opened the door.
Empty.
Shit.
She ran to the bathroom, almost tripping over the dogs, and knocked on the closed door.
No answer.
Shit. Shit.
She ran back through the house, looked pointlessly out the front door, then ran out into the backyard. Her eyes darted from corner to corner of the yard.
No Alex.
She scrambled across the grass to the garage and yanked open the side door.
No. Alex.
Shit.
Somehow when she hadn’t been looking, Alex had disappeared.
Kelly sank to her knees on the concrete. Surrounded by power tools, power machines, and all things male, the little dogs perched their front paws on her thighs. She looked down at them through teary eyes and whispered, “Where did he go, girls?”
Their tailless little butts did not wag. That’s when Kelly knew she was really in trouble.
An hour and a half later, Kelly stopped at the corner of Little Deer and Buckhorn to allow a very slow bandana-adorned goat to cross the road. Why the animals in this town wore articles of clothing was anyone’s guess. Any other day she’d be amused.
She’d searched everywhere for Alex. Covered all the places she and James had checked the night before to no avail. He didn’t have a car, which meant he couldn’t have gone far. Desperate, she’d even called out to her mother to see if she could use her powers from beyond to find him. But her mother had not heeded the call, and Alex was still MIA.
She’d tried everything she could think of. Now she had no choice but to ask the help of the experts.
She had to find Alex . . . before James came home.
When the goat finally trotted to the other side, Kelly hit the gas on the old Buick and drove straight to the sheriff’s station.
The parking lot of the old cinder-block building was nearly empty as Kelly swung the Buick into a space. She grabbed the keys from the ignition and ran toward the entrance. Just as she pushed open the glass door, Matt walked up to the woman behind the front desk. He looked up as Kelly came inside.
“I was just about to call you.”
Kelly tried to calm her erratic heartbeat. “Why?”
“I solved your missing-person’s case.”
“How did you know he was missing?”
Her brother-in-law’s dark brows lifted. “Because I found him?”
The urge to drop to her knees with relief rolled over her. “I’m sorry. I know that sounded dumb.”
Matt smiled. “Nothing sounds dumb when you’re in a panic. You want to see him?”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Is he . . . locked up?”
“Not yet.”
A rush of air pushed from her lungs. “Thank god.”
“Come on. He’s in my office.”
Matt came around from behind the counter, and Kelly followed him, thanking whomever it was upstairs that had made Alex findable and in good health. Although she just might have to kill him herself for all the worry he’d put her through.
“Where’d you find him?” she asked.
“I think I’m going to let him explain that one himself.” Matt reached for the knob on his office door. “Although in about five minutes he’s going to have company to either corroborate his story or tear it apart.”
Great. Didn’t that just sound ominous as hell.
Kelly entered the room behind Matt and sighed with relief when she saw for herself that Alex was in one piece. While she expected defiance to be marring his young face, instead she found remorse.
She headed toward him, and he stood. She looked up into his dark eyes. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, those eyes searching her face as if to gauge her intent. Then she just grabbed him into a hug and held on, even though his rigid body language said he wasn’t exactly comfortable with her open display. “You scared the hell out of me, Alex. I was so worried.”
His shoulders lifted with a sigh, and then his arms came around her in a shaky embrace. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
He leaned back and looked at her. “You do?”
She nodded. “Where did you go?”
He glanced away, and then his eyes went to Matt’s. “That phone call I got? I just needed to see someone. And I knew you would tell me I couldn’t go.”
“Maybe if you’d talked to me about it we could have worked something out.”
He looked at her like the idea was completely foreign to him.
“Communication, Alex. Believe it or not, it actually works.”
He gave her a timid smile, as though he didn’t actually believe her.
The front desk attendant buzzed Matt, and he told them to send the individuals to his office. Within seconds Chelsea Winkle and a man Kelly guessed to be her father entered the room.
“Chelsea?” Kelly glanced between the two teenagers. Guilt was graffitied across their faces. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, Kelly. I know you said I should leave him alone, but . . .” Chelsea looked at Alex with warmth and affection in her eyes. Alex looked at Chelsea in the same way.
A little shiver tickled the pit of Kelly’s stomach. If it’s meant to happen it will, she’d told the young girl. Looked like although it might be meant to happen, Chelsea was more than willing to give it a little push.
“. . . I just couldn’t,” Chelsea continued. “I called him and told him I wanted to see him. So he agreed to meet me at the park.”
“That’s where I found them and called Sheriff Ryan,” Chelsea’s father said. Resentment tightened the corners of the man’s mouth. “When she ran out the door without any explanation, I jumped in my car to go after her. It took me a while to track her down.”
He’d done a better job of it than she had, Kelly thought.
“And then I found her with him.”
“And what were they doing when you found them, Mr. Winkle?” Kelly asked.
“We weren’t doing anything.” Alex jumped to defend Chelsea. “We were just talking.”
Kelly held up her hand and went into lawyer mode. “What infraction did Alex perpetrate to compel you to call the authorities, Mr. Winkle?”
“He . . . uh . . .”
“I’m sorry,” Kelly said. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Yes, Mr. Winkle.” Matt sat down behind his desk, reached into a drawer and pulled out some papers. “I need to know the charges, so I can fill out the forms.”
Chelsea looked up at her father. “Dad. You know you can trust me.”
“But I can’t trust him.”
“Yes, you can, Mr. Winkle,” Alex said. “I promise I’d never do anything to hurt Chelsea. I know she’s a nice girl.”
Kelly’s chest puffed out with pride. “If you intend to press charges,” Kelly said, “you need to supply us with the offenses.”
Mr. Winkle’s gaze darted around the room and landed on Alex, where it held. “I’m just trying to protect my daughter.”
Alex gave a quick nod. “I understand, sir. And for what it’s worth, I’m on your side.”
When Alex extended his hand to Chelsea’s father, Kelly smiled. And melted. The older man looked at that outstretched offering of peace for a long breath before he reciprocated the gesture.
Matt shoved the papers back in his drawer and stood. “Are we good here?”
Mr. Winkle nodded and placed his hand at Chelsea’s back to escort her from the office. She did not leave without a backward glance and a warm smile to Al
ex.
Though everything had been settled amicably in Matt’s office, Kelly knew as soon as James came home the caca would hit the proverbial fan.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kelly had no knowledge of parenting, and while she steered the Buick toward James’s house her intent was as far from adolescent-rearing as possible.
“Thank you,” Alex said, staring out the side window.
Kelly studied him for a moment and sighed. “Alex, it’s none of my business what happens between you and your brother, but I want you to know if you ever need to talk to anyone, I’m here.”
He nodded slowly. “I can’t believe you’re not yelling at me.”
“I’m not much of a yeller.” She laughed. “That’s my sister’s job. I’m more of the give-an-individual-the-stink-eye-and-they’ll-break-down-like-a-house-of-cards kind of person.”
He chuckled. “You’re awfully short to be so intimidating.”
“Yeah? You ever hear about the mouse who roared?” She smiled. For a few minutes nothing but silence passed between them. “So . . . Chelsea, huh? You know you have to earn the respect of a girl like her.”
“Yeah. She’s pretty great.”
“So are you, Alex.”
“Could you try to convince James of that?”
“Uh-uh. That’s your job.”
“Never gonna happen. After mom got sick, he got stuck with me. That’s why he’s always pissed off.”
“I don’t think he sees it that way.”
“Oh yeah. He does. Half the time he ignores me. The other half he’s yelling at me.”
“I know what it’s like to be ignored, Alex. I had a big brother who was the golden boy and could do no wrong. And I had a baby sister who rebelled loudly about everything. Between the two of them I got lost in the shuffle. So I had to find my way. Find who I was and who I wanted to be. Because at the end of the day when the world is quiet and you have nothing but your own conscience, you have to be a person who can hold your head high and know you’ve done the very best you can.”
“So then why did you leave your career to come back here?”
“Somewhere along the way I started wanting something different.” Kelly shrugged. “I want someone to notice me for more than who I am in the courtroom. For more than how many criminals I can put away in a year. I just want to find someone who will love me. Unconditionally.”
“Yeah.” Alex sighed. “Me too.”
Kelly reached across the seat and patted his hand. “I guess the need to be loved is a pretty strong force, isn’t it?”
Alex nodded. “Can make you act pretty stupid, too.”
“Give James a chance, Alex. Because even though he might get a little lost in translation, he loves you. Very much.”
“You know, he used to be my big brother. I thought he was awesome. He used to take me hiking and fishing . . . and we’d talk about everything from baseball to girls.” His voice trailed off as he gazed out the window. “Now all he does is yell.”
“You might try starting a conversation instead of acting out. More talking usually equals less yelling. I think James is trying to be a parent. And he’s not sure how it all works.”
Alex turned his head and looked at her with those soulful dark eyes. “I just want my big brother back.”
Late afternoon, James pulled the truck into his driveway. He turned off the ignition, sat back, and looked at the house. A huge breath of frustration pushed from his lungs. After sitting in the witness chair for hours, he’d finally been able to leave the courtroom. As soon as he checked his texts, he saw the one from Matt about Alex’s newest episode. Much to his surprise he’d received nothing from Kelly. He’d tried to call her. When she didn’t answer he’d left her a message. He’d texted her, but she still didn’t return his call.
The long drive home had been prolonged due to road construction at the West Fork Bridge. In the duration of the drive he’d run a gamut of emotions from pissed off, to worried, to frustrated. Eventually he’d done a three-sixty and ended up pissed off again.
After a few more moments of inner grumbling, he grabbed his cell phone and equipment bag off the seat and headed toward the house. When he opened the front door, Poppy and Princess greeted him with yips and wiggles like he’d been gone forever. The house looked spotless, like Mrs. Clean had come in and doused the place with a fire hose. Alex sat on the sofa, arms folded, scowl firmly in place. Kelly came out of the kitchen wiping her hands with a towel, looking like it was just any other day.
Sans smile, she looked up at him with those deep-green eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi?” He tossed his phone on the table, and, before he could get a handle on all the emotions that had built up like a Yellowstone geyser, he opened his big mouth. “That’s it? Alex disappears, and I get no phone call from you?”
She folded her arms. “Well, I—”
“What the hell happened?”
“It’s kind of a long story,” she said. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we can all talk about it.”
“I don’t want to sit down. I want to know what the hell happened.” He looked at Alex, who now stared up at him with defiance burning in his eyes. “What the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay put.”
“You can’t lock him up forever, James. In case you haven’t noticed, that doesn’t work.”
James shot his gaze back to Kelly. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Wow.” At the force of his words, she took a step backward. “Okay, I realize you’re upset—”
“Upset?”
Alex came up off the sofa and took a step. “Don’t yell at her.”
Kelly rushed to intervene with a hand on his brother’s chest. “It’s okay, Alex.”
His brother was defending her? What the hell?
“Go to your room, Alex. And don’t come out until I tell you to.” James pointed a finger at Alex and waited until he stormed from the living room. Then he turned back to Kelly. “How could you let this happen?”
“Are you blaming me?”
“You promised nothing would happen while I was gone today.”
“I didn’t plan for—”
“You know what? Maybe you should just go. I think you’ve interfered enough for one day.” Those weren’t the words James intended to use, but they leaped from his mouth before he could corral the emotion wound tight in his chest. What he really needed was some time to process everything.
“Interfered?” Kelly shook her head. “Is that what I’ve done here? If so, I apologize. But if you didn’t want me to interfere you shouldn’t have left me in charge, James. Because that’s what I do. It’s what I’ve done for a living for the past seven years. I weigh the evidence and I take charge. Right or wrong. When Alex disappeared I did what I felt I needed to do. I saw no reason to send you into a panic with a voice message when you were stuck in court and had a long, arduous drive home.”
“I called you and left a message. I sent a text. You couldn’t at least return my call?”
“I didn’t get a message or a text.”
James grabbed up his phone to prove her wrong. That was when he saw the red exclamation mark next to the text he thought he’d sent. Indicators that his message hadn’t gone through. “Shit.” He tossed the phone down. There was a section with bad reception in a long stretch of the canyon. That must have been when he’d tried to reach her.
“If I hadn’t found him,” Kelly said, “or if a real emergency had occurred, I would have called you immediately. Alex didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“How do you know? You think after just a few hours you know him better than I do?”
“Of course not. I know because I talked to him. Based on that, I don’t think this is a situation that should bring about more yelling or more bad feelings. You have to choose your battles, James. Define your role in his life. Who are you to him? His brother? His parent? His watchdog? If you don’t know, then how is he supposed to know?”
Everything in
James’s gut tightened and twisted. His emotions were getting in the way of what he really wanted to say, but he couldn’t seem to get a handle on them and just express the relief he’d felt when he’d learned his brother was safe. He’d entrusted Alex into her care, and he felt she’d let him down. And now she was telling him what to do? “I know how to handle my brother.”
“I don’t think so.” Her beautiful mouth flattened. Her eyes narrowed. “I think you still see yourself as that fifteen-year-old boy who walked away when Alex was a baby. Kids want and need rules. Guidelines. Even if they break them once in a while. I think you’re so afraid of doing the wrong thing with him, you won’t do anything at all.”
“I don’t do anything?” he barked. The dogs barked back. “You have no idea what I do or don’t do.”
“I have a pretty good idea. Look, we all fail at things. Sometimes it helps to admit when you’ve failed, admit you’re human. It really comes down to what you do with the lesson you learned that counts.”
“Fine. I get it.” James’s head spun. It was easy for her to come in and save the day, to point out his failures. She was a temporary fixture in Alex’s life. Hell, she was temporary in his life for all he knew. He’d asked her to stay, but she’d never committed. And that bothered the hell out of him more than he wanted to admit. What would he do when she went back to Chicago? She wouldn’t be around to help him fix things. Then again, it wasn’t her responsibility to rescue him from his own errors in judgment. But that didn’t make the finger she pointed in his direction feel any better.
“What about you?” he jabbed back. “Did you learn from your failures in the courtroom?”
“Nice attempt at redirecting the message.” She gave him a tight smile. “But since you asked . . . Yes, I have. I learned that failure can make you stronger. If you’ll let it.”
“Then maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve failed at doing anything for him because I’ve been spending too much time with you.” He shoved his hands through his hair, realizing it might be easier to push her away now than for him to bawl like a baby if she walked on her own. “Shit. I knew better than to take you on.”