“One hundred. Do I have 110?”
Jesse blinked, realizing she’d better bid on her doll before someone else got it. She wanted to give it to Cindy as a birthday present. She waved her hand and the auctioneer saw her bid.
“We’ve got 110. How about 120, folks? This is a genuine Jesse doll. We all know how much work goes into it.”
Nick held up his hand.
“One-twenty. Do I hear 130?”
Jesse pressed her lips together and nodded.
“One-forty?”
“One thousand,” Nick said, folding his arms across his chest.
The audience gasped. Jesse glared at Nick, but he kept his gaze trained on the auctioneer. The man turned to her. She shook her head.
“I have one thousand. Once. Twice.” The auctioneer paused and scanned the audience in the rec hall. “Sold to Mr. Blackburn for one thousand dollars.”
As Beth brought the next item up for bidding, the people around Jesse began to whisper among themselves. Nick strode toward the table where he could pick up the doll and pay for it. Several parishioners stared at her, watching her reaction to his taking her doll. She knew everyone knew about their little fight the day before. Two patches of heat scored her cheeks. The walls seemed to be closing in on her.
She spun around and hurried toward the door. As she escaped, she heard Cindy bid five dollars on her doll. She should stay, but she’d had enough of being the object of people’s gossiping. She sought the quiet of the garden and the stone bench in the middle.
Shutting her eyes, she listened to the silence that was occasionally broken by a bird’s chirping or a car passing on the road in front. She wanted her life to return to normal. She didn’t want Nick angry at her.
She heard footsteps approaching. She opened her eyes and saw Nick come to an abrupt stop when he spied her sitting on the bench. He started to turn to leave.
“Don’t go.”
He froze, his back to her.
“Did Cindy get her doll?”
Slowly he faced her, a cold expression in his eyes. “Yes.”
She sighed. “Oh, good. I wasn’t sure if ten dollars would be enough.”
“What do you mean ten dollars? I paid another thousand for it.”
“Do you think money is the answer to all problems?”
The only sign of his own feelings were in the clenching and unclenching of his hands. “It sure can help, especially when you are hungry and need a place to sleep.”
“Throwing money at a problem isn’t a lasting solution.”
“As I understand the object of the auction is to raise money for your outreach projects. So why are you upset? Is it because I outbid you for your doll?”
She shot to her feet, feeling at a disadvantage looking up at him from the bench. “No, that is not it. Cindy was excited about bidding on her doll. She wanted to win it. You took that away from her.”
“She wanted her doll that she made. I got it for her. Simple.”
“Life isn’t always that simple.”
“You’ve got that right—at least not here in Sweetwater. But in Chicago I know the rules. Cindy and I will be leaving early to return home.”
“We are?” Cindy asked, hugging her baby doll to her chest.
CHAPTER TEN
Nick closed his eyes for a few seconds, then turned toward his daughter. “I think it’s time for us to go home.”
Cindy’s bottom lip quivered. Her teeth dug into it. “But we aren’t supposed to leave until the end of July.”
“Something’s come up.”
“What?” She clutched her doll tighter to her.
“I need to get back to work.”
“But, Daddy, you promised.” Tears welled in the child’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, princess.”
Jesse heard the desperate ring in Nick’s voice and wanted to ease the strain between father and daughter. She took a step toward the child.
“You broke your promise.” Cindy whirled around and ran from the garden.
The rigid set to his shoulders sagged forward. He dropped his head for a long moment, and if he believed in the power of prayer, Jesse would have thought he was offering up one to the Lord. The fact that he wasn’t saddened her. God could help in times of trouble.
“I can talk with Cindy if you want.”
He stiffened. “I should never have left Chicago. I know what to expect there.”
“But would that have been the best thing for Cindy? Obviously you thought at one time it would be good for you two to get away to really get to know each other. Has that happened? Have you become closer to Cindy?”
He waved his hand toward the area where his daughter had stood a few minutes before. “I would have said yes five minutes ago. Now I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t say it any plainer than that. I was wrong to try to fix you up without your knowledge.”
Combing his hand through his dark hair, he released a long breath. “What you did made me realize I don’t belong here.”
“How?”
“Sweetwater is different from Chicago, and I don’t mean small town versus big city. It’s more than that.”
“We care.”
“There are people in Chicago who care.” Again he ran his hand through his hair, frustration in every line of his body. “I don’t know if I can put it into words.” He scanned the area as if looking for a way to escape. “I need to find Cindy.”
He disappeared quickly, and Jesse collapsed down on the stone bench, wanting to continue their conversation, to explore what was troubling him. She suspected he felt out of his element, therefore not in complete control. And that bothered him—more than he probably would even admit to himself.
* * *
The next morning Nate glanced around, then climbed the ladder to the tree house in the large maple tree in the corner of his yard. He scrambled inside, past the sign that read No Girls Alowed, with a big pink X through it. He remembered the day last week when he’d let Cindy change the sign. She’d been laughing as she made the big pink X with a marker. She wasn’t laughing now. She was huddled in the corner with her knees drawn up against her chest and her arms clasped about her legs.
“I got your note.” Nate sat cross-legged on the wooden planks in front of Cindy.
“I don’t wanna leave. Help me.”
Nate hated seeing the tears streaming down Cindy’s cheeks. They made him sad. “Maybe your dad would let you stay with us. We have an extra bedroom.”
She shook her head. “I want him and Boswell to stay, too.”
Tilting his head to the side, Nate pulled on his left ear and thought. “You know I saw a movie once where the little boy ran away to keep his parents from getting a divorce and his dad leaving. You could do that.”
Cindy’s eyes grew wide. “By myself?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out the big hole that served as a window in the tree house. “Well…well, I guess I could come with you and protect you.”
“You would!”
He nodded.
“When? Daddy is talking about leaving soon—maybe even tomorrow.”
Nate shifted, rolling his shoulders. “I guess we could today. Right now. I know a place we can hide.”
Cindy unclasped her legs and stretched them out in front of her. “I’m kinda hungry. What will we do about food?”
“Go home and get whatever you think you’ll need. I’ll get some food and meet you back here in half an hour.”
Cindy scooted toward the opening that led to the ladder. “Do you think we’ll be gone long?”
“Nah. In the movie when the father and mother searched for the little boy, they realized they didn’t want a divorce.”
“How long did it take?”
“Half a day. So everything will work out and we’ll be home by dark.”
Cindy went down the ladder first. “Bring a lot of food. I’m really getting hungry.”
* * *
Jesse put the finishing touch
es to a doll that depicted a young Colonial girl. She held it up, pleased at how it had turned out. Her curly dark hair reminded Jesse a lot of Cindy. Where were Nate and Cindy? Nate had run in here a while ago and was gone before she had completed dressing the new doll.
The doorbell rang.
Jesse pushed back her chair and went to answer the front door. Surprised to find Nick standing on her porch, she stepped aside to allow him into her house. He stayed where he was, a scowl emphasizing how displeased he must still be with her.
“May I help you?” she asked, leaning against the door, her hand tightly clasped about the knob.
“Have you seen Cindy?”
“Not lately.”
“How about Nate?”
“About half an hour ago. Why?”
“I can’t find them.” He drew in a deep breath, the hard lines of his face deepening even more. “And Cindy’s new dolls are gone as well as Oreo.”
“Have you checked the tree house? They were up there earlier.”
“Yes. No sign of them.”
“I’m sure they’re around here some place. Let me see if Gramps knows where they went. Come in.”
He hesitated, scanning the area before making his way inside.
Jesse closed the door, aware of the level of tension in the small entry hall skyrocketing. She quickly went in search of her grandfather, feeling the scorch of Nick’s gaze on her back as though she had done something to cause the kids to disappear.
Jesse found Gramps in the kitchen, rummaging in the refrigerator for something to eat. “Have you seen Nate or Cindy?”
“Nope. Not lately. Where is the ham you had and the sodas? In fact, there were some grapes here a while ago. Where are they?”
Jesse walked to the refrigerator while Gramps moved to the side to allow her to look inside. “That’s strange. They were there after breakfast when I put the food up. I was going to make ham sandwiches for lunch.” She checked her watch. “In another hour.”
“Well, someone took them. And I suspect that someone is Nate.” Gramps stepped in front and began searching for something else to eat. “Did he say anything about going on a hike or a picnic with Cindy?”
Jesse shook her head, then because her grandfather was still peering into the refrigerator said, “No. And if he was, he knows he has to get an okay from me.”
“Well, there’s quite a bit of food missing. Half a loaf of bread is gone, too.”
Jesse spun around and headed back to the entry hall, not happy with what she was beginning to think happened. “Gramps doesn’t know where the kids are. Was Cindy still upset about leaving earlier than you’d planned?”
He looked away. “I said something about leaving soon at breakfast. She ran off. That’s why I was trying to find her to talk to her.”
Her stomach muscles twisted into a huge knot. She had a bad feeling about this. “I think maybe our children have decided to run away.”
“Why do you think that?”
“She took her favorite things. Nate took some food. I bet if I look in his room some of his favorite objects will be gone, too.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because Cindy doesn’t want to leave Sweetwater.”
“We’re just leaving a few weeks earlier than we would have. She knew we were only going to be here for a short time.”
“Cindy has found a home here.” Even if you haven’t, Jesse silently added.
“Chicago is our home.”
Nick said the sentence with such force that Jesse stepped back. “I’m only stating what I see. I know she was looking forward to celebrating her birthday here. She said something to me about it. She has met some children at church she wanted to invite to a party.”
“We can have a party in Chicago.”
Jesse was beginning to hate the word Chicago, especially when Nick said it. “Does she have a lot of friends there?”
“I—” He raked both hands through his hair. “I don’t know. Surely she does.”
“You don’t know?”
“With the wreck everything has been turned upside down. I’ve been in and out of the hospital. Nothing has been normal. I’m sure she does from school.”
“Did she ever bring any friends home?”
He shook his head. “Not for a long time.”
“I know you’re mad at me, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay until the end of July.”
His mouth hardened into a grim line. “Let’s just find the children.”
“You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
He closed the distance between them, invading her personal space. “Yes, I’m afraid something might happen to Cindy. I would never forgive myself.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know. But I don’t want to get into what you were talking about. My focus is on Cindy.”
“Nate knows the area and wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” She finally moved away from him before she tried to smooth away the frown lines on his face. She was sure the children weren’t far—they were just hiding, waiting for them to come after them. “I’ll tell Gramps. He can help look as well as Boswell. There are a few places we should start with. Some of Nate’s favorite hangouts.”
Nick watched Jesse leave the entry hall, his body taut, his breathing shallow. He’d come so close to telling her yes he was afraid. Afraid of the feelings he was experiencing toward her. Afraid of what the town of Sweetwater was doing to him, to his family. Afraid of believing again—of giving control of his life over to God.
He’d fought so hard to maintain some kind of control in his life only to have it snatched away in a blink of his eye. One moment he and Brenda had been on the highway, the next they were heading for a large oak tree. In one second his whole life had changed. He’d almost died, nearly lost the use of his leg. Most of all the years he’d thought he had some control over his life had been wiped away with the wreck.
And now his daughter had run away. He couldn’t lose Cindy, too. He hadn’t yet made up for all the years he’d been too busy working to be the kind of father she deserved.
Lord, if You’re listening, please watch over Cindy and help me to find her safe. I know I haven’t prayed in years but Cindy is an innocent. She doesn’t deserve something bad happening to her. She’s already lost her mother. Please protect her and bring her home safe.
The words of his prayer filled his mind and heart with hope. He would find Cindy and she would be all right.
* * *
The sun started its descent toward the line of trees to the west. Sweat drenched Jesse’s clothes and cloaked her face. She wiped her brow then her neck and looked toward the sun beginning to set.
“It’ll be dark in an hour or so,” she said, stopping by a tree and leaning against it while she removed her sneaker to dislodge a pebble.
Nick walked a few paces, then stopped when he saw she had. “And we haven’t found the children. We should have by now.” His cell phone rang and he answered it. When he flipped it closed, he said, “That was Boswell. Nothing.”
Jesse’s phone went off not a minute later. “Yes?”
“Sorry, Susan and I haven’t found them yet. We’ll keep looking around the downtown area. I saw Darcy and Joshua and they are searching the eastern part of the lake as well as Zoey and Beth and some others from church. We’ll find them, honey.”
When Jesse hung up, she didn’t look toward Nick for a long moment while she tried to compose herself. She’d been so sure they would find the children in the first hour of searching. They hadn’t and now it had been almost eight hours. A tightness in her chest was expanding to encompass her whole body. She felt as though she would shatter any second.
Finally she peered at Nick. “That was Gramps. They’ve found nothing, but everyone is still looking. We’ll find them before dark.”
“What if they are hurt? What if—”
“Nick, don’t go there. Please, I can’t deal—”
She couldn’t finis
h her sentence. Emotions swelled into her throat, closing it. She tried to draw air into her lungs but couldn’t seem to get a decent breath. She grasped the tree to steady herself, but the land tilted and spun before her eyes. Squeezing them shut, she continued to inhale until she had forced some fresh air into her lungs.
Nick wound his arms about her and brought her flat against his chest. The rapid beat of his heart mirrored hers. She clung to him. With a light touch he stroked the length of her back over and over.
“We’re going to find them, Jesse. I promise you.”
She leaned back to stare up into his face. A smile flirted about the corners of her mouth but she couldn’t maintain it. “I think we’ve traded roles.”
His mouth lifted in a grin that instantly vanished. “Your optimistic outlook has finally rubbed off on me. Come on. Let’s go back to the house and get some flashlights so we can keep going when it gets dark. I won’t stop until we find them.”
“Knowing the people of Sweetwater, they won’t, either. We’ll find them. You’re right.”
He put his arm around Jesse and started back along the lake toward their houses. “That’s one of the appealing things about Sweetwater. You aren’t alone.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing you say that.”
“I can respect certain things, but that doesn’t mean it is for me. I’m a loner. Have been most of my life.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to be all your life. I can’t imagine not having people around me who care what happens to me. I know if I have a problem I have a lot of people I can go to for help. That’s comforting.”
“The only person I can depend on is myself.”
“How about Boswell?”
Nick frowned. “Boswell is an employee. I have good employees who do their job well.”
“So if you stopped paying Boswell, he wouldn’t care about you or Cindy?”
He was silent for a long moment. “That’s a question for Boswell.”
“You’re ducking the question.”
“I don’t know the answer.”
“I’ve seen you two interact and you’re friends as well as employer and employee.” Jesse stepped over a log as they neared her property. She saw her house through the trees. “I have some energy bars. We should get something to eat and drink. It may be a long night.”
A Mother for Cindy Page 14