Hidden Charm

by Jill Sanders

  Chapter 17

  There was so much JT wanted to say to Emma, but he held everything in instead. They sat on the wall he and Rowan had built until it was too dark to see. He pulled a flashlight from his jacket when he heard a sound.

  “There she is.” He nodded to the glowing eyes. They had left Bo in the house so they wouldn’t spook the cat away.

  “Oh, look.” Emma gripped his hand. “There are two. A mom and dad.”

  “It appears so. According to you, we’ll have a full family running around the island soon. Looks like I need to get some cat food next time I’m in town.”

  As they walked back to the house, they heard Bo barking incessantly. Pulling out his cell phone, he checked the app. When he spotted that two cameras had gone black, he hit the alarm and every floodlight on his land lit up.

  Suddenly, the pathway to the house was brightly lit. He saw a dark shadow dart behind a bush.

  “Stay here,” he called back to Emma as he took off.

  “JT!” she screamed, but he was already heading down towards the beach. The dark figure disappeared once again, just feet away from him.

  By the time he hit the sand on the beach, he had lost track of the figure. He stopped and held his breath, listening for any kind of sound.

  Just then, he heard barking once again and listened as Bo growled. Taking off, he followed the sound and stopped at the foot of a large tree. Bo was jumping at the trunk of the tree.

  Emma came running up from the pathway that led to the house. She was breathless as she shined the flashlight at the tree.

  “You might as well come on down,” JT said, holding Bo by the collar. “Hold Bo.” He handed the dog over to Emma, who took his collar with her free hand.

  “Bo, sit,” she said softly, holding the light steady as the dark figure shimmied down the tree.

  JT was surprised at the size of the person. The small size, to be exact.

  Then the figure removed the dark hood and a pool of bright red hair fell around the young girl’s shoulders. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen. There was dirt on her face, as if she’d been rolling around in the dirt. Her clothes looked new, but covered in dirt.

  “Who are you? Why are you on my island?” JT asked when she was safely on the ground.

  The girl’s eyes darted between him and Emma, then her chin rose and there was something familiar about the move.

  “I’m your sister,” the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  He laughed. “Tell me another story.” He sighed and pulled out his cell phone.

  “I’m Cora Thomas. My father… our father married my mother, Pam, after he divorced yours.”

  JT froze, his hand on the girl’s upper arm. His eyes scanned the girl, ran over her hair and her eyes, and he knew she wasn’t lying. She reminded him instantly of Lori.

  “What are you doing here?” Emma asked. “Sneaking around?”

  “I… I just wanted to meet…” He could tell instantly that she was lying.

  “The truth,” he growled out.

  “You wouldn’t help my father out, so…” She threw her chin up again.

  “So, you’re here to what? Steal from me? Force me to give him money he doesn’t deserve?”

  “He’s dying,” she blurted out. “Or at least I think he is. He won’t tell me.”

  “So?” He started walking towards the house, tucking his phone in his back pocket as he moved. Emma and Bo followed behind more slowly. “What’s it to me? He left us long ago.” Then he stopped and looked down at the girl. “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen.” She threw her chin up again, a move he’d seen on both Lori and Kayla many times.

  His chest hurt suddenly. “Paul Thomas is your biological father?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes moved to the ground.

  “How long? How long were your parents having an affair before he left my mother?”

  Cora shrugged. “They met two years before I was born.”

  JT closed his eyes on the pain, then he jerked her arm again and continued walking towards the house.

  “JT?” Emma caught up with him. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to go in and call Blake.” They entered the clearing and he glanced down at his half sister. “How’d you disable my cameras?”

  She laughed. “All I had to do was download the app and guess your password.” His eyes narrowed. “It took less than five tries.” She smiled.

  “The police can add that to your charges.” He continued into the house, making a mental note to change all of his passwords with secure ones from here out. “Sit.” He shoved lightly and Cora fell into the chair at the table.

  Walking over, he pulled out a beer as he thought about his next step.

  “JT?” Emma said, shutting the back door after Bo rushed in behind her. “She’s only eighteen.”

  “And apparently already an expert at disabling alarm systems.” He turned and saw the look on Emma’s face. “How’d you get onto the island anyway?” He set his beer down and ran his eyes over the girl.

  Her long red hair fell below her shoulders. Her skin was a lot like he remembered Lori’s being: pale, freckled, and flawless. Her eyes were a deep emerald green instead of pale blue like his, Kayla’s, and Lori’s were. Still, the structure of her face and build were identical to his sister’s.

  “I borrowed a rowboat.” She shrugged.

  “You rowed out here from the mainland?” Emma broke in, sitting down across from Cora. “You could have gotten lost or capsized and drowned.”

  Cora shrugged again. “It was better than…”

  “What?” He leaned against the table, his face inches from hers. “What has you so scared you’d come all this way? Don’t give me the bullshit line about needing money because our old man is sick. I’ve checked, he’s not. A picture of perfect health.”

  Cora was silent for a while. “My mom’s missing,” she finally said, her eyes turning sad.

  “Missing?” Emma asked.

  “After Dad called you last, she disappeared.”

  He thought back to the last time his old man had called asking for money, yelling at him and telling him JT owed him for putting up with him for eighteen years. Once again, JT had denied him and after hanging up on him, had immediately changed his phone number.

  “They got into a huge fight.”

  “What does your dad say?” he asked, not wanting to call the man his father anymore after finding out that he’d been cheating on his mother for almost a decade before divorcing her.

  “He says that she’s just taking a break.”

  “You don’t believe him?” Emma asked.

  “No.” The girl looked down at her hands again and JT knew that she was telling the truth. “They went for a drive and Dad returned on his own. Her car is still in the garage.” She sat forward a little more.

  “So… you come here for… what? My help?” JT asked. “Why sneak around?”

  “I… wasn’t sure about you at first. I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to call the cops or my dad. I didn’t have anyone else.” She closed her eyes. “Dad won’t talk about it and he’s… changed.” She shrugged.

  “Changed?” JT asked.

  “You probably know this better than I do, but Paul Thomas isn’t quality parent material. Nor is my mother for that matter, but she’s been a better role model than he has. Especially since I don’t really remember him being around much until after I turned eight.”

  “Where are you staying?” he asked finally.

  She shrugged. “I was staying in your boathouse, until…”

  “I installed the cameras.” He sighed. “How long have you been on the island?”

  “Two days.”

  JT thought about the note that had been left in Emma’s room.

  “Before that?” he asked.

  “I got into Silver Cove three days ago.” She sighed. “I hitchhiked down, then took the boat.”

  “What did y
ou do with the boat?” Emma asked.

  “I forgot to tie it up and when I went back… I guess it floated away. I was going to leave, but…”

  “You got stranded,” Emma answered for the girl. Cora nodded. “What have you been eating?”

  “I packed enough food. I have a backpack.” She glanced towards the door. “I had. I guess your dog got into it the other night. He ate all my trail mix.”

  “Were there almonds in it?” JT asked, remembering what the vet had told him about his dog getting sick.

  “Yes, that and peanut butter crackers,” Cora answered.

  “What have you been eating since then?” Emma asked. When Cora just shrugged, Emma jumped up and started moving around the kitchen.

  “What are you doing?” he asked her.

  “Cooking.” Emma glanced over at him. “Your sister just admitted she hasn’t eaten in a full day. You can’t tell me you don’t care if she starves.”

  “She’s not going to starve.” He sighed, but caved in when Emma’s eyes heated. “Go ahead.” He motioned for her to continue.

  Emma sat across from JT’s half sister and watched the girl devour the grilled turkey and cheese sandwich she’d made for her. JT leaned against the counter and frowned into his beer.

  “Where do you think your mother would have gone?” Emma asked.

  “She has no one. Nowhere to go.” Cora looked at her. “She didn’t leave on her own.”

  “Do you think your father did something to her?” Emma asked after a moment.

  The girl’s eyes moved down to the empty plate. “I don’t know. All I know is that I couldn’t stay home, waiting, alone.”

  “Have you tried going to the police?” JT asked from across the room.

  Cora shook her head. “I’m eighteen. They wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Why not?” Emma asked. “If you’re concerned…”

  “I’ve had a few run-ins with the law.” She closed her eyes. “Breaking and entering, staying out past curfew.” She shrugged. “Drinking. They wouldn’t believe me. My father would convince them that she was just taking a break.”

  “Sounds like he hasn’t changed much,” JT added.

  “JT, why don’t we allow Cora to stay the night, at least until you decide what to do with her. She can take my room.” She gave JT a pleading look.

  She was a little surprised when he agreed so quickly, as if he’d been thinking about it already.

  JT moved to the fridge. “If you’re still hungry, there are plenty of leftovers.” He set a container of cold steak on the counter. “Help yourself.” He nodded to Emma. “Can I talk to you, outside?”

  She stood. “I’ll be right back,” she said to Cora, then followed JT outside.

  “Are you okay?” JT asked her once they were far enough away from the house.

  “Me? You’re the one that just met your sister and found out about your dad.” She reached for his hand, then walked into his arms when he opened them for her.

  He kissed the top of her head and then rested his chin lightly there. She felt his chest rise and fall. “I’m going to head to the office and make a few calls. I knew about him, about his new wife and that he had a kid. I didn’t look into it too much. I should have.” He wrapped his arms around her tighter.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly into his chest. “What are you going to do?”

  “Look for her mother, I suppose,” he said after a moment.

  “Do you think your father had anything to do with her disappearance?”

  JT was silent. “Go in, get some rest. We’ll leave early to take you to the airport.”

  She leaned back and looked up at him. “You don’t…”

  He stopped her by placing his lips over hers. “Stay in the guest room with me. I’ll drag the mattress up there in a while so we don’t have to sleep on that damn air mattress tonight.” He kissed her again. “I’ll be back soon.”

  She watched him disappear down the trail and turned back around to see Cora standing in the doorway, Bo sitting at her feet, no doubt waiting for a piece of the steak sandwich she was eating to drop. “So, are you two an item?”

  By the look of curiosity in the young girl’s eyes, she knew it was going to be a very long night.

  Cora hounded her with questions about her and JT. Most of her questions were about her brother. To Emma, it didn’t seem like the girl cared that her brother had money. She was more interested in him as a person. She even asked questions about Kayla and their mother.

  Since Emma hadn’t officially met JT and Kayla’s mother yet, she couldn’t tell her a lot about the woman.

  Emma wondered why the woman cancelled every time they had arranged for them to meet. Kayla had explained that her mother was a recluse, so she had just assumed shyness was the reason.

  That night she got less than three hours of sleep, which weighed heavy on her the following day. Of course, several of those hours she’d spent with JT doing what she wanted and needed with him before leaving the island for good.

  She’d finally fallen asleep in his arms, just to have the alarm clock go off what felt like moments later.

  They were silent as JT took her to the airport in his brother-in-law’s borrowed truck. Bo and Cora had stayed behind on the island.

  Emma had noticed the uncertain look Cora had given JT when he suggested she stay behind. She’d looked around like she’d been given the key to Disneyland instead of being made to stay somewhere she had no escape from.

  Telling JT goodbye was one of the hardest things she’d had to do in a long time. But she held it together until she was sitting in first class and the airplane was flying over the beautiful landscape.

  Emma ate lunch at one of the airport restaurants during her layover in Atlanta, then fell asleep on her second flight. When she woke, they were landing in LA.

  She had expected the photographers at the airport, she’d even dressed for the occasion. What she hadn’t planned for was seeing Mark standing there next to them with a bundle of roses.

  Chapter 18

  By the time JT made it back to the island, he had figured out what he was going to do with Cora. Seeing Kayla standing on the dock waiting for him shook his plans a little.

  “I’m going,” Kayla said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “How did you…” He sighed and shook his head. “Emma?”

  “She texted me before her flight took off. I would have liked to say goodbye to her.” Kayla shrugged. “But, something tells me I’ll be seeing her again.” His sister smiled. “Rowan has CJ for the day, so, let’s go.” She jumped into his boat.

  “Kayla, it’s…” One look from his sister and he shut his mouth.

  They rode to the island in silence. “When are you going to LA?”

  “I’m scheduled to arrive three days before the premiere. There are… parties.” He sighed when he remembered the full schedule he’d have once he arrived. The only consolation was that Emma would be there as well.”

  “You love her.” Kayla smiled as they pulled into the boathouse.

  “What?” He jerked the wheel and almost sent the boat into the sea wall. Correcting the move quickly, Kayla laughed.

  “You didn’t even know it yet.” She shook her head. “Why is it that men are always clueless with this kind of stuff.”

  JT’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t see you…” He thought quickly about how Kayla and Rowan had both fended love off, but shut his mouth instead. “Leave it,” he said as he jumped onto the dock and tied the boat up.

  When he turned around, Cora and Bo were standing on the dock, looking at Kayla. Cora looked pale and her eyes were huge. He assumed it was because she was meeting her sister for the first time.

  “You must be Cora, ” Kayla said as JT helped her onto the docks. She surprised them both by rushing forward and hugging Cora. “I’m Kayla, we’re sisters.”

  JT was shocked to see tears fill Cora’s eyes and then the girl burst out, “Someone was in the house.�
��

  “What?” He went on guard. “Bo bit them.” The young girl bent down and hugged the dog. “It was a man. He tried…” She closed her eyes.

  “Stay here.” JT quickly walked past the pair.

  “He’s gone. I locked myself in the laundry room,” she said at his back. “JT…” She called after him.

  “Stay here. Kayla, if I don’t come back in ten minutes, head to the mainland.”

  Kayla nodded and put her hands on Cora.

  He made his way to the house and checked every room as he logged into the system on his phone. He stopped in the kitchen and watched the screen on his phone.

  Cora came down the stairs and had pulled out a carton of eggs. Bo was sitting at her feet, begging, as she made scrambled eggs.

  He sped up the images and watched as she moved around his house, cleaning up her mess in the kitchen. Then she went into the living room and browsed his bookshelves. Taking one of his books off the shelves, she sat down and read for a while.

  Then the pair of them went outside and walked the island. He was a little shocked to see that she had taken some milk and eggs from breakfast out to the cats. They both came immediately up to her and sat on her lap, even with Bo sitting beside her.

  When they went back in the house, he watched in horror as a dark figure entered the back door, hovering behind the door, waiting. As they entered, the man pounced, grabbing her from behind.

  JT had to admit, his half sister knew how to fight. But it was Bo who had finally caused the man to drop his arms from Cora. The dog sank his teeth into the figure’s leg.

  He watched as Cora fled to the laundry room and barred the door as Bo fought. When the man ran out the back door, he followed him on the screen until he disappeared beyond a small woodshed near the cliff side of the island.

  “Is everything okay?” Kayla asked from the doorway.

  “Damn it, I told you to…” He stopped when he noticed both of them standing at the door, Bo by their side. “Yeah, the one place I didn’t put cameras up.” He groaned as he showed them the screen. “How did he know?”