“Yeah.” She cleared her throat and turned over a card. The Nine of Pentacles. “Um, no horses, but lots of grapes.”
“Grapes? Huh. I was thinking of buying a vineyard.” His voice shifted to a sober tone when he added, “But I changed my mind.”
Did he sound sad? Did the vineyard remind him of her? Or was she just imagining it because of her own misery? A new rush of tears poured out.
“You okay, Lumina?”
Casey grabbed a card and steadied her voice. “Uh. The Magician.”
Before she had a chance to look up its meaning on Natalie’s notes, Drew said, “Magician’s Trick! That’s one of the thoroughbreds slotted for tomorrow’s race.”
At this point Casey was crying so hard she couldn’t speak at all. What is wrong with me? I hardly know this guy.
“Lumina? You looking at more cards or something?”
Choking with tears, she coughed and blew her nose.
“You better have some hot tea with lemon.”
“Right.”
“Well, good luck with your business. Maybe I’ll call you some time.”
“Good-bye,” she murmured.
The phone went silent. She pressed END. Sobbing out her heartache, Casey packed the phone into a paper bag with the cards and notes. Time to return them to Natalie.
Her stint as Madame Lumina was finished.
Her relationship with Drew Byrne was finished.
And in three weeks the North Cove Dance Academy would also be finished.
Chapter 22
“I can’t believe you bet against my Storm Chaser. And came up with a win.”
Drew patted Harry Von Alston on the back. “Don’t take it personally. I got a hot tip yesterday on Magician’s Trick.”
Julia’s nostrils flared. “From a jockey?” She and Drew both glanced at Amber, who made a bad attempt at looking like she didn’t notice.
“Nope. A tarot reader. I don’t know any jockeys,” Drew said, even though Amber’s compact, bow-legged lover did in fact offer him inside advice. But testing out Madame Lumina was more fun.
Andrew Sr. zeroed in. “Tarot reader? Like a gypsy? Where’s her shop?” He snickered and elbowed Harry. “With that pile of cash he just raked in maybe we ought to go see her.”
“Sorry. She’s not local.”
Julia gave him a searching look. “I didn’t know you went in for that sort of thing.”
Drew’s phone rang, and he checked it quickly, a part of him still hoping for Casey to come crying back to him when Taz acted like the asshole he was. He saw the phone number of his ex-wife’s house. “Excuse me. It’s my son.”
He walked off to a quiet area as he answered the call. “Hey, Josh. What’s up?”
“It’s not Josh,” Heather said. “I was hoping he might be at your place.”
“I’m not in Southampton.”
“Where are you?” Instead of her usual snide, scolding or nagging tone, Drew heard a panicky quiver in her voice that put him instantly on alert.
“Saratoga Springs. What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I think Josh ran away. He went to the schoolyard to shoot baskets four hours ago and hasn’t come back. That isn’t like him.”
Drew felt as if a giant hand squeezed his heart. “Did you go there to look for him?”
“Of course. I’m not an idiot. I talked to the other kids. None of them even saw Josh today. He either didn’t go there or never made it.” Her voice broke. “I searched other places he might be, but there’s no sign of him.”
A cold shiver rippled through Drew’s body. The worst case scenario immediately came to mind. An abduction. Why the hell did I let myself do that damn TV show telling the world who I was? Mr. Trucking Mogul. “Did you call the police?”
“Filed a full report. Gave them three photos. They’re looking.”
“What about tracking his GPS?”
“He didn’t take his phone.”
“That’s not like him.”
“Needless to say, the police want to speak with you, too.”
“I’ll get on a plane right away.”
Drew jogged back to the Von Alstons. “Harry, can your pilot run me home?”
“When?”
“As soon as possible.”
Amber stepped in. “What is it, Drew?”
“My son’s in trouble.”
She turned to her parents. “You guys relax. I’ll call Peter and get Drew to the Cessna.”
Andrew Sr. pulled Drew aside asking what this was about. When he explained what Heather told him his dad said, “Hell, that’s no emergency. I used to run all over town when I was his age. Got myself into all kinds of trouble. You’re raising that kid to be a pansy.”
Drew scowled at his father with a venom that made the old boy take a step back. Then he turned away and headed home to find his son. Praying he wasn’t too late.
***
After talking with an officer at the Southold Police Department, Drew hightailed it over to Heather’s place, fuming over something the cops told him.
“Nate got transferred to Germany? You’re moving at the end of the month and you waited until now to tell Josh? And me?”
It still amazed Drew that he’d actually married Heather. He couldn’t stand the woman or the way she did things. Right now she perched on the edge of a leather club chair, her chin lifted, her eyes shooting annoyed glances at the kitchen doorway with every clinking sound her husband made. Poor guy must have been ordered not to interfere by this domineering shrew. Nate Wentoff was usually pretty good to Josh and no doubt would want to be involved.
Heather puffed out a frustrated sigh. “If I had told Josh earlier, he would have told you. And you would’ve given me a lot of grief over it. I didn’t want to have to put up with your criticism any longer than necessary.”
“Well, you gave him plenty of reason to run away.”
She straightened her shoulders. “Let’s just hope it was that, rather than Josh being abducted by someone after your money.”
“Agreed. But my gut tells me it’s about this little surprise you pulled on him. Really lousy.”
“As if your child rearing skills are so great.”
“You’re taking away his chance to dance on the TV show. That’s really important to him.”
She gaped at his words. “You’ve changed your tune after trying to stop him from dancing at all. Well, in Berlin he’ll get training that’s way better than what’s out here in the rural North Fork.”
“What he does or doesn’t get in Germany is irrelevant. Josh had his heart set on doing that Got Moves performance.”
An eyebrow lifted. “I think it’s more than the tacky TV show that upset Josh. I doubt he was too pleased to find out something was going on between you and his dance teacher.”
Drew snapped to attention, glaring at Heather, whose acid look made it clear she did not approve. “That’s ridiculous.”
His son had seemed elated when Drew told him he was dating Casey and he made that plan for the three of them to go to the Shinnecock Powwow. Josh couldn’t possibly know that Casey had broken up with him. And Drew had never revealed to Josh about the studio being in jeopardy or that he’d been searching for a new one with her.
“Really, Drew, I know you find it difficult to keep it in your pants, but couldn’t you at least have ruled women in your son’s environment off-limits?”
“I can’t go into all this. We’re wasting time. Have you checked at the dance studio to see if he’s there?”
“Casey would call if he showed up. But I did leave my number on her school’s tape. Didn’t want to say anymore. It would embarrass both Josh and me if others at the school heard about this.”
“That’s the least of our worries.” Drew ran a hand through his hair. “Tell me everywhere you searched so far.”
Heather named the friends she had contacted and then listed the streets, the parks, movie theaters, video game parlors and shopping malls she’d checked and men
tioned to the police. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“I’ve got a few ideas.” Drew turned for the door.
Heather stood. “I’ll go with you.”
“No. You should stay here in case he comes back or decides to call somehow.”
“Or, God forbid, we get a call from his abductors.”
“Let’s not go there.”
Drew hurried down the front walk. Normally the August sun wouldn’t set till around eight. It was only 5:12, but a heavy summer storm made it look like dusk. By the time he slipped into his Range Rover his shirt and hair were wet.
Banking on his guess that Josh ran away because of his anger over having to move, Drew barreled down Route 48 to North Cove, racing to get to the dance studio while Casey was still there. He knew on Fridays she only had one class that ended at five thirty. Heather was right; Casey would call them if Josh showed up. But that wasn’t enough for Drew. He needed to tell her face-to-face, to see the concern in her eyes. He craved her soothing warmth to help him get through this.
And he hated himself for that. Would she see this as him crawling back to her? How ruthless was it for Casey to dump him for Taz Ravage and the studio that rock star weasel gave her?
I don’t care. I need her.
And something in him believed she could help him find his son. He wasn’t sure why he thought this. Maybe because he saw her as a kind of bridge to Josh. Someone who’d reached the boy in a way that neither he nor Heather could.
He drove through the pouring rain, scanning the streets, wracking his mind for where his nine-year-old might go in weather like this. And prayed his little boy wasn’t in the hands of some evil bastard.
When Drew reached North Cove he parked on the street outside the dance academy and stepped into the lobby. A lump formed in his throat when he saw Casey standing near the mirrors in front of her class, moving her arms and legs around as she gave instructions to the group of twelve girls and one boy.
The sight of her tight muscled body in a purple unitard definitely made his groin react. But that wasn’t what gave her this strange power over him. It was the thing that always happened when he was near Casey. She filled an emptiness inside him that no one else ever had. He cursed himself for being such a needy sap.
Too bad. Time to put pride aside. Because he had a hunch that if anyone could guess where Josh might have gone it would be Casey.
***
Casey felt someone watching her and glanced at the tall figure near the door of the studio. Drew. What was he doing here? Did he think he could sweet-talk her into believing his lies again?
When she glanced at him, trying not to let his magnificent face and frame take her breath away, another surprise hit her. The look of raw pain in his eyes.
She refused to be taken in by it. He’d put her through a crying jag that still wasn’t completely over. So now he was hurt because his throwaway girl-toy told him she wasn’t available to be played with anymore? Too bad. She frowned at Drew and turned to her students, hoping he would just leave.
But he didn’t. In fact, as soon as class ended, he pushed through the milling students and marched right to her. “Casey, have you seen or heard from Josh? He’s been gone since this morning and can’t be found.”
Her hands flew to her mouth. She recovered quickly and called to her students. “Before you go I need to know if any of you have seen Josh Byrne today? Or maybe gotten a phone call or text from him?”
None had. Casey quickly checked her studio phone, her cell, and talked with Jiao. Nothing.
“Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’m pretty sure he hasn’t been kidnapped. Especially since the police are leaning toward the runaway theory.” Drew explained about Nate Wentoff’s transfer to Germany and how Heather had handled it.
Casey thought her heart would break for the boy. “Poor Josh. Dancing on Got Moves meant so much to him. He’s worked so hard for it.”
“And frankly your dance academy gave him a sense of belonging that I don’t think he ever felt anywhere else.” His jaw tightened. “I’m going to find Josh. And once I do, I’m going to arrange to keep him here in the States as long as possible.”
Between the sincerity in Drew’s voice and the secret she hadn’t yet told—that her school would be closing at the end of the month—guilt assailed her. Casey pictured Josh’s sad and angry face when he’d told her that his father always cancelled on him, letting him down. And now I’ll be doing it, too. “How can I help?”
“The police are already working on this thing. But I’m going out now to search as many places as I can. You know this area better than I do. Come with me.”
She resisted that magnetic pull he had over her. “I’ll take my own car and go looking.”
“I need you with me, Casey.”
She’d longed to hear him say those words, but certainly not for this upsetting reason. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him, to assure him they’d find Josh tonight. But as much as she cared about the boy, Casey wasn’t about to let Drew wreak havoc on her heart again.
He read her mind. “Don’t worry. We won’t talk about us.”
“Let’s not. We’ll just look for Josh.”
Casey sped up the stairs and changed into jeans and sneakers. She didn’t bother fixing her lipstick or hair. Just raced back down, hustled the last student out the door, grabbed her flashlight, mace, a rain poncho and the studio’s first aid kit. “Should I bring a blanket in case he’s stuck outdoors somewhere?”
“Got one in my SUV. Along with a few other supplies.”
As they drove through lightning, thunder, and rain so heavy the car’s roof sounded like a drum overhead, Drew filled Casey in on what possibilities had already been covered. “I just hope he didn’t sneak into Arshamonaque Preserve. There’s a swampy lake there that…”
“Did you ask the police about that?”
“They said someone from the forest service would take a look. How thorough on a night like tonight…” He shook his head. “So much of the land up here is either farms or open woods. He could be anywhere.”
Casey had never seen him so upset. “So let’s pull over every few miles or so and look.”
“It seems so random.”
“Worth a try.”
They stopped here and there and trudged through wet trees, branches waving in the harsh winds, mucky foliage beneath their feet. They called Josh’s name, the beams of their flashlights skimming the shadows. On the road they visited every pizza parlor or drug store that was open, showing Josh’s picture. They wandered through parking lots and checked a couple abandoned buildings.
Casey could feel Drew’s eyes lingering on her. She pushed away the urge to turn to him and kiss away his pain. Or to scream at him and demand an explanation of why he’d led her on while he was involved with another woman. She forced herself just to focus on dear little Josh and the emergency at hand. “Could he have taken the train to New York City?”
“God, I hope not. But Heather said the police did send scanned photos of him to the missing children departments in the city.”
“Let’s try the beaches.”
“Beaches? Where is there to go except the restrooms?”
“Oh, you’d be surprised. I work with an animal rescue group and we find cats and dogs living in—wait a sec. I remember talking to Josh about places around Kenney’s Beach and Peconic Dunes where animals take refuge in small cove-like spaces formed in the rocks and grasses.”
“Gotta be pretty small.”
“Most are, but Josh isn’t exactly a big kid. And he’s thin and flexible.”
Drew gave her a skeptical look. “Sounds really uncomfortable.”
“Hey, I know it’s a long shot, but so is everything else. And I distinctly remember Josh saying he thought it sounded like a great place to hide out.”
“He said that?”
She nodded.
“We’re on our way. And now that you mention it, I think he went to camp at Peconic
a couple years ago. So he’d know how to get there.”
On the way, Casey noticed a market along the road, one of those old country stores that looked more like a house. “That looks open. How about we make a pit stop? We can show Josh’s photo, and I can grab a takeout coffee to warm my bones.” The rain hadn’t let up, and she was soaked and shivering.
Once inside, Casey felt how really cold and wet she was, her hair and poncho dripping, her sneakers waterlogged. She wrapped her shaky, stiff hands around the warm paper coffee cup. When she reached the counter she saw a slightly balding middle-aged man nodding at the photo Drew gave him.
“He was here.”
Drew practically leaped over the counter. “You’ve seen him?”
The man nodded again. “About three o’clock he came in.”
“Did he say anything about where he was going? Tell me everything. Please. It’s very important. He’s a runaway, and I’m his father.”
“He looks like you,” the man said as he handed Drew the photo. “He didn’t talk. But I remember wondering what a kid would be up to buying himself ten candles.”
“Candles? He bought candles? What else?”
“Let me check my log.” He worked some keys on his register. “Here it is. He bought two quarts of orange juice, ten candles, three boxes of matches, a flashlight, and eight bags of potato chips.”
Casey couldn’t help smiling at Josh’s choice of staple foods. Or noticing how sexy Drew looked with his drenched shirt stuck to his chest and his wet bangs plastered on his forehead.
“Did you see where he went? He was alone, right? I mean, he didn’t get into anyone’s car, did he?”
“He was by himself. I did look out the door because he left with three bulky bags and I wondered if someone would come out of their car to help him carry it. But there was no car. He just walked down the road alone.”
“Which way?”
The man gestured. Drew thanked him over and over, handed him a fifty-dollar bill, and wrote down his cell number. “Please call me if you see him again. Or if you remember anything else.”
He also thanked Casey when they returned to the car. “I knew you’d help me find him.”
Spring Into Love Page 163