“You aren’t trying to break up with him?” Wade asked.
“No, but I might have to.”
Frustration fired through Wade. “You should be talking to him instead of giving him the runaround. How do you think it’ll look in my report? Girlfriend communicates by refusing to communicate.”
“Don’t make me out to be the bad guy!”
“I’ll just present the facts, ma’am,” he said with a trace of irony. “But if it’s any consolation, Bruce must be fairly smitten to go to all this trouble.”
“All the trouble of harassing me?” She took his irony and doubled it.
She’s as stubborn as Bruce. What a couple. “If you care about someone, don’t play games. Instead, establish boundaries. When you see him again, tell him that if he doesn’t respect your privacy, you’ll be gone permanently. Set specific limits on how often he can call. Make him earn his way back into your life.”
Renée’s mouth tightened as if she were about to argue. Then she clicked her tongue. “Well, well. Who’d have figured Bruce’s grandson had so much insight?”
“I assure you, I don’t...” His phone vibrated in its dashboard holder. He’d secured the device because California banned using a handheld phone while driving. With an impatient breath, Wade glanced at the readout.
Why was Adrienne calling on Christmas Eve? Puzzled, he excused himself from Renée, pressed the phone icon and spoke over his wireless connection.
“What’s up?” In the background over the phone, he heard the clattering and buzzing typical of a hospital. But she was supposed to have the night off.
“Reggie’s missing.” She was breathing hard, close to hyperventilating.
“What do you mean, missing?” Wade had been picturing the pair cozily ensconced at home. “Where are you?”
“Stacy went into labor with the triplets and the doctor on duty couldn’t handle it all,” Adrienne answered shakily. “I left Reggie with Harper and Peter for a few hours. He seemed fine.”
In the passenger seat, Renée’s expression grew concerned. Well, Wade couldn’t keep his private life out of this. Nothing mattered now except his son’s safety.
The story tumbled out of Adrienne. “Reg was playing with Mia and went to the bathroom. When no one was watching, he sneaked out of the house. Harper and Peter tried to reach me, but I was in surgery.”
Wade’s brain raced. “Have you tried calling him? Or if his phone’s on vibrate, the police can locate his cell. Did you notify them?”
“Harper did.” That was good, he registered. “They found Reg’s phone near the bus stop. He must have dropped it.”
The bus driver had noticed a little boy climbing on board alone, she explained. When Reg calmly announced that he was going to visit his father, the driver hadn’t found that suspicious.
Why didn’t he call me to pick him up? But Reg must have figured Wade would only tell him to stay with Harper until Adrienne came home. And I probably would have. “Did he reach my motel?” There was a bus stop on the corner.
“He must have been confused. He got off several blocks too soon, according to the driver, and the police can’t find any sign of him,” Adrienne said tearfully. “Peter went to your complex and talked to the manager, and he’s staying there to watch for him. Harper and Mia are at my house in case he goes there, but...I just got out of surgery. I called you as soon as I heard.”
“They should have told me right away.”
“Harper didn’t have your number.”
He squelched the impulse to blame. Adrienne hadn’t done anything wrong. Well, rejecting Wade, maybe, but his hurt feelings were immaterial. “I’ll cruise the area around the motel. Exactly where did he get off?”
After filling him in, Adrienne was about to hang up when Wade recalled the reason she’d gone to work. “How’s Stacy?”
“Came through with flying colors,” she said, a little more calmly.
“And the triplets?”
“Two boys and a girl. Healthy weights, and their vitals checked out fine. They’re under observation in neonatal intermediate care, but they should be able to go home in a few weeks.”
“I’m glad. Call me if you hear anything.” He also took down phone numbers for Harper and Peter.
“Of course.”
Wade struggled to think clearly. While there’d been no indication of foul play, the image of his son wandering around lost in the darkness terrified him.
“What’s wrong?” Renée demanded.
Wade had almost forgotten about her. “I’ll take care of it,” he said tightly. “I need you to leave now.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” she said. “I want to help. So will Lock and your bullheaded grandfather.”
She was right. The more people searching, the better their chances of finding his son quickly.
Wade sketched the situation and sent her a picture of Reggie from his phone. “I’m on it,” Renée said, and left.
As he put the car into gear, Wade reflected that he liked this new lady in Bruce’s life. Then he steered a course across town, his adrenaline pumping.
* * *
TALKING TO WADE, knowing that he’d be searching for Reggie, eased Adrienne’s fear, but only marginally. Why hadn’t she paid closer attention to her little boy and his determination to be with his dad?
She’d give anything, do anything, to keep him from harm. If he really wanted to be with Wade, then that was the way it had to be. Just let us find him safe.
Embarrassed, she discovered that tears were pouring down her cheeks. Paige, who’d kept a discreet distance in the doctors’ lounge, hurried over with a box of tissues. “I called Mike,” the redhead informed her. “He plans to pack our baby in the car and drive around the harbor and along the beach just in case Reggie wound up there.”
“Thanks.” Adrienne blew her nose. “I should go.”
“Don’t drive until you’re in better shape,” Paige advised.
“I can’t just sit around.”
Paige’s phone rang. “Dr. Brennan,” she answered, and listened for a moment. “How far along is she?”
It must be the charge nurse, Adrienne thought. Someone else had come in. Did they have enough physicians to handle everyone?
“Yes, keep Dr. Rayburn here and call in... Who’s next on the list? Dr. Franco?” That was Paige’s partner, Nora, who must be at home with her husband and preschooler. “Una’s her patient. She’ll come.” Paige ended the call.
Una Barker, pregnant with twins, was only a few weeks ahead of due date. Still, if the hospital really needed more hands, Adrienne had to pull herself together. “I’ll stay.”
Paige frowned. “As soon as we make sure Nora’s available, you’re leaving, if I have to arrange for Mike to drive you home himself.”
Not Mike... Wade. The two of them ought to join forces. They’d be more effective that way, Adrienne thought. No matter how angry he was at her, surely he’d work with her today.
“I have a better idea,” she told her friend, and took out her phone.
Chapter Seventeen
While he drove, Wade called the police watch commander, who remembered him from his stint there. No, they hadn’t found Reggie or anyone who recalled seeing him after he got off the bus. They’d put out a BOLO bulletin—Be On the Lookout—and officers were cruising the school and other spots that might be familiar to him. They’d also requested a bloodhound from another agency but hadn’t secured one yet.
Calls to Peter and Adrienne turned up nothing new. Wade dismissed their apologies. This wasn’t their fault.
Two months ago Wade’s son had been little more than a photograph and a vague idea of a boy. Since then he’d become a unique and unforgettable individual. Wade didn’t love him just because of their connection or because of h
is paternal instincts. He also loved his son for his own sake, as an incredible person who would grow up to be a wonderful man.
He had to admire Reggie for seizing the initiative. All along, the boy had shown an eagerness to jump into adult responsibilities, along with a tendency to overestimate his readiness. Unfortunately, that attitude had backfired on them all today.
Waiting for a red light, Wade got another call from Adrienne. Hoping for good news, he answered quickly. “Any word?”
“No, but would you mind picking me up at the hospital?” she asked. “I’d like to help search. I mean, if it’s not out of your way.”
“Of course not.” The only other person in the world who loved Reggie as much as he did would understand Wade’s feelings, anchor him and possibly spark ideas about where to search. Besides, he’d prefer not to have Adrienne behind the wheel when she was upset. While Wade might be distressed, too, he had experience driving under difficult circumstances. “Where should I meet you?”
“I’ll be out front.”
“See you in ten minutes.” The hospital was only a couple miles away, but he was driving slowly, scanning sidewalks and passing cars. Just in case.
He’d barely clicked off when the phone rang again. To his surprise, he saw his father’s name on the readout. “Dad?”
“The old man called me,” Daryl said. “Families have to stick together at times like this.”
It was on the tip of Wade’s tongue to remind his father of his refusal even to meet Reggie. But that would accomplish nothing. “You’re offering to search?”
“When you were nine or ten, you took it into your head to vamoose.” His father spoke clearly, without slurring. “I found you.”
“Where?”
“The shooting range I’d shown you. We gave you a toy gun for your birthday and you were determined to try it out.”
Wade dredged up the incident from among his long-buried memories. Mainly, he recalled his disappointment when the range manager had refused to let him into the building. “Reggie was heading for the Harbor Suites, where I’m staying, but he got off the bus too soon.”
“I presume you’re already searching that area. Where else might he have gone?”
Wade cited a few spots, adding, “I gave that information to the police.”
“Yeah, well, I might have a few brain cells smarter than theirs,” Daryl said.
There was a painful question Wade had to ask, despite his father’s apparent alertness. “Are you sure you’re sober enough to drive?” He braced for an angry response.
There was a beat of silence. Then he heard, “Yes, son, I am.”
“Dad...”
“You’re wondering if I’m lying.” His father stated that as a fact rather than an argument. “I don’t blame you. I’d think the same thing.”
“Maybe you should stay home.” That was hard to say but necessary.
“I downed a couple beers earlier today, but by now my blood alcohol level should be well below the legal minimum,” was the response. “I had some major repairs to do and needed a clear head. Quite honestly, I was about to start the serious drinking when I heard about your boy. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m asking you to trust me, because my grandson’s too important for me to put him in any more danger.”
Wade couldn’t rush over there and physically prevent his father from driving. And Daryl had always taken care to avoid racking up drunk-driving arrests. “In that case, I’m grateful for your help.”
The area around the six-story medical center lay subdued in the growing darkness, Wade noted when he reached it. Few other cars were moving, and in the absence of headlamps, the white lights on bushes and buildings glimmered brightly. As for the curving patient wings, many of the windows were dark. Only the most urgent cases would be in the hospital on Christmas Eve.
In front of the lobby doors, a familiar figure paced, her hair pulled back and her hands shoved into the pockets of her heavy jacket. Adrienne’s face lit up with relief when she saw him.
As she slid into the car, Wade reached for her. Without hesitation her arms encircled him, and they clung to each other like shipwreck victims on a lonely raft.
She belonged with him, Wade thought. Maybe after tonight, she’d see that.
* * *
DESPITE HER KNOT of anxiety, Adrienne’s spirits rose as she held on to Wade. She found refuge in his powerful grip, the late-day roughness of his cheek and his heartfelt welcome.
“You okay?” he murmured.
“Better now.” Reluctantly sitting back, she said, “It’s lucky I came out through the lobby. They were about to close the desk and lock the front doors. Just imagine if Reg showed up and there was no one here.”
“He might be there already,” Wade pointed out.
She’d thought of that. “Security searched the place, and I asked them to do it again.” She’d emphasized the places her nephew was most likely to go, including the day-care center, where he’d stayed occasionally.
“Good.” He frowned. “If the front door’s locked, how do patients get in?”
“There’s a separate entrance for labor and delivery patients. Visitors can use it, too, on a night like this.” Adrienne fastened her seat belt as the car edged forward. “The moms-to-be tour the hospital in advance, so they’re informed.”
“What if Reg does show up?” Wade asked.
“The woman at the desk called one of our most dedicated volunteers, and she’s coming in.” A shadow moved to her right, and Adrienne gave a start. It was only a cat.
His gaze continuing to sweep their surroundings, Wade said, “Her name wouldn’t be Renée Green, would it?”
“That’s right.” He must know Renée from working with Lock, Adrienne thought. “She’s a treasure. And she’s bringing her boyfriend. Apparently he has some sort of police background and he’ll search the grounds.”
“It’s my grandfather.”
“What?” Wade had mentioned being on the outs with the man and that he’d founded the detective agency, but nothing about Renée. “How did you know...? I mean, when...?”
“Long story. Let’s save it for another day.” Wade stared ahead. “I want to check Harbor Suites again. Then if Peter will hang in there, we’ll drive the neighborhood in a grid pattern.”
“Good idea.” Thank heaven he knew what to do. And I know what I have to do. Steeling herself, Adrienne said, “Wade, he really wants to be with you. I’m sorry if I’ve stood in your way.”
“You’re not in anyone’s way.” He shot her a startled glance. “Reggie wants his family. Both of us. Not just me.”
Tears smarted in her eyes again. His family. Both of us. Wade was including her, but she still hadn’t told him the truth.
In the passing glow of streetlamps, his profile had a chiseled strength. Adrienne drew courage from that as they entered the motel parking lot.
* * *
DID ADRIENNE SERIOUSLY believe that Reggie would prefer living alone with him? Wade knew better. But her willingness to sacrifice what she loved most in order to make her nephew happy touched him deeply.
Why did she refuse to see them as a family? Every glance, every touch confirmed his belief that she cared about him as much as he cared about her. Well, maybe not quite. But if she’d give him a chance...
Or are you conning yourself with wishful thinking? That was, he’d learned, not unusual among people who grew up in alcoholic households.
At the motel, they encountered Peter pacing the walkway outside Wade’s unit. Ushering him in from the cold, Wade assured him that Reggie’s decamping wasn’t his fault. “My son has a mind of his own.”
“We should have watched more closely.” Peter turned to Adrienne. “I heard Stacy went into labor. Is she okay?”
She told him about the s
uccessful birth. “Cole’s floating a couple inches off the floor.”
“That’s fantastic.” The teacher, whose muscular build testified to his extracurricular position as a wrestling coach, gave them a wry smile. “Remember my sister Betty from Maryland?”
“She’s due in January,” Adrienne said. How typical of an obstetrician to focus on that fact.
“She delivered a healthy little girl tonight.” Peter shook his head. “I associate babies with New Year’s Eve, not Christmas, but we’re thrilled.”
“Congratulations.” Wade couldn’t spare any further energy on small talk. “If you’ll stand watch here, we’ll cruise the area. Let’s stay off our phones unless there’s news, in case Reggie reaches a phone and tries to contact us.”
“Understood.”
Although Wade’s voice mail showed no messages, he wished he hadn’t had to make so many calls earlier. And he chose not to mention that every passing hour increased the risk. They were all worried enough as it was.
“Thanks, Peter.” In the flat lighting of an overhead fixture, dark circles underscored Adrienne’s eyes.
Wade guided her outside, steadying her with a hand at her waist. They had to find Reggie. And we will.
As they reached the car, he mentally plotted a route. Having patrolled this area years ago, he pictured the cul-de-sac and twisty streets into which a little boy might stray.
Tonight as he drove, the town seemed slightly distorted, like a warped photograph. What a bizarre contrast between their fears for Reggie and the cheery illuminated lawn decorations. Wade forced himself to screen out the distracting flashes and focus on any dark shape that might be a child.
Adrienne stared out her window with equal intensity. After a few blocks, she said, “Wade, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Although tempted to point out that this was hardly the moment for a heart-to-heart, he checked that impulse. Talking might relieve her tension. And if there was a reason for her behavior toward him, he’d like to hear it.
The Surprise Holiday Dad Page 18