“I only found out about it recently. I love my father, Miss Jackie. I don’t want him to die. He’s all I have.”
Jackie and Annie were too deeply wrapped up in their conversation to notice Lovie approaching until she was standing right in front of them. “They’re moving Mack up to the ICU on the fourth floor.”
Jackie moved her bag out of the chair she’d been saving next to her. Gripping the arms of the chair, Lovie lowered herself to the seat. She seemed to have aged ten years in the past twelve hours.
“How is Mack, Mom?”
“He’s going to be just fine. I was relieved to hear him ask the doctor how long before he could go fishing again.”
Jackie laughed and Annie covered her mouth to hide her smile. She turned toward her mother. “We need to figure out our plans. I assume you want to stay here with him.”
“I don’t think Mack should be alone,” Lovie said.
“I agree.” Jackie squeezed her mother’s arm. “We need to prepare for an extended stay, five or six days according to Bill. I suggest we go home, pack our things, and come straight back. It won’t take us more than a few hours. We won’t need to stay in a hotel. My carriage house is only a couple of blocks over from here. We can take turns sitting with Mack.”
“You would do that for me?” Lovie asked with a sigh of relief.
“I’ve already cleared it with Bill and the boys. They will have it no other way.”
Lovie clutched her bag. “Let’s go, then. Where’s Sam?”
“She—” Annie began, but Jackie shut her up with a warning glare.
“Sam had some business she needed to take care of,” Jackie said. “She may or may not be riding home with us.”
Too preoccupied to question this explanation, Lovie nodded. “I need to go to the restroom before we leave.”
Jackie stood and helped her to her feet. “We’ll wait right here for you.”
Once Lovie had exited the waiting room, Annie said, “We’re not just going to leave Sam here, are we? She needs to talk to Jamie. He’s gotta get tested, to see if he’s a match for a liver transplant. I haven’t seen my dad in a week. He’s gotten so much worse. We need to do something soon.”
Jackie removed her phone from her bag and clicked on Sam’s number. Her call went straight to voice mail. “You don’t know Sam like I know Sam. She’s gone into hiding. She’ll come out eventually, but only when she’s ready.
“How’s she gonna get home?” Annie asked, her lip trembling.
“Don’t worry,” Jackie brushed a stray strand of hair off the girl’s cheek. “Sam is resourceful. She’ll come home when she’s ready.”
As much as she hated the idea of leaving her sister alone and vulnerable in Charleston, Jackie knew she must put their mother’s needs first. “We can always send one of the boys back to pick her up if necessary.”
That seemed to appease Annie, but Jackie knew the rest of her family wouldn’t be so easy to convince.
Twenty
Faith
Faith felt another whopper migraine coming on. As the company’s accountant, her primary duties included balancing the books and paying the bills. Sam made juggling the rest of the operations look easy. But Faith had quickly become overwhelmed with the burden of it all. The credit card machine wasn’t working properly. One of the refrigerator units was making a strange noise. And it was nearing one o’clock but the wine distributor who arrived like clockwork every Friday morning had yet to show up.
Mike had dropped Bitsy off an hour ago on his way to work. They’d spent the morning together at the hardware store buying supplies for their weekend project—a backyard playhouse for Bitsy. They’d eaten an early lunch at the Sonic Drive-In and gone to Sandy’s for an ice cream cone afterward. Mike reported that Bitsy had been in a great mood all morning, but her spirits plummeted once she arrived at Sweeney’s and discovered Annie was not there. Faith had put her daughter to work refilling the bins on the vegetable carts, but every five minutes or so, Bitsy tugged on the hem of Faith’s shorts and whined about wanting to see Annie. As much as she wanted to be the calming influence her daughter needed, her patience was quickly growing thin.
Faith finished up with a customer and nudged Jamie who was working the fish counter, standing by patiently while a lady decided between grouper and salmon. “Keep an eye on Bitsy for me,” Faith whispered. “I need to get some Advil out of the back.”
While searching the desk for the office supply of Advil, she stumbled upon Sam’s black-leather card file that housed all the contact information for their business associates. She swallowed three Advil with the cold coffee from the mug on her desk and took the card file back to the front.
She waited for Jamie to finish ringing up his fish lady. “Does your mom usually call in an order to the wine supplier, or does he come automatically? We’re running low on several varieties. We’ll be out completely by the end of the weekend if he doesn’t restock today.”
Jamie thought about it for a minute. “I’m not sure. He’s usually here by now. Why don’t you call her?”
“I’ve been trying all morning. She hasn’t returned any of my calls or texts.”
“Let me try.” Jamie pulled out his phone and held it to his ear. “That’s weird. The call went straight to voice mail. Mom never turns off her phone.”
“I’m beginning to get worried. We haven’t heard anything from anyone in Charleston about Mack.” Faith removed her phone from her apron. “I’ll call Jackie.”
Faith could barely hear her sister when she answered. “Why are you whispering?” she asked.
“Because Mom and Annie are asleep in the backseat,” Jackie said.
“Why haven’t you called us? How’s Mack?” Faith retreated to the corner of the showroom, away from a cluster of noisy customers.
Jackie gave her a brief update on Mack’s condition. “We’re on our way home to get some clothes. Mom and I are going back to Charleston for a few days so we can help Mack through the worst.”
“I have a couple of fires here that I need to put out. Sam’s not answering her phone. Can I speak to her?”
Jackie groaned. “Brace yourself, Faith. I have some unpleasant news.”
Faith listened, a finger stuffed in one ear and the phone pressed close to the other, as her sister recounted the latest development in the mysterious phenomenon named Annie Dawn.
“That actually explains a lot about Annie,” she said, more to herself than her sister. Faith’s skepticism of Annie began to make sense. Her comment to Bitsy about them becoming cousins. Her knowledge of fishing she’d obviously learned from Allen. Her resourcefulness—all the things she innately knew how to do were talents she’d developed over a lifetime of taking care of herself.
“Including but not limited to her untimely appearance in Prospect,” Jackie said.
“I knew there was something off about that girl.” Faith cast a nervous glance across the showroom at her daughter. How would Bitsy react when she found out that her teenage idol was a liar who had manipulated everyone in the family to get close to Jamie, her stepbrother whose liver she needed to save their father’s life? The same father who had abandoned Jamie before he was even born. Faith rubbed her throbbing temples. “And you have no idea where Sam is?”
“None. She’s been missing since around five this morning.”
“So you just left her in Charleston? I’m sure that went over well with Mom.”
“She’s too preoccupied with Mack’s situation to care. I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do, Faith.”
“You did the right thing.” Staring at the floor, Faith paced in small circles. “Poor Sam. She’s toughed it out as a single parent all these years only to find out that Allen has been this perfect father for his other child.”
“I’ve heard Annie’s side of the story, Faith, and I would hardly call her life perfect. Her mother abandoned her when she was a baby.”
“What goes around comes around, I guess.” Anothe
r throng of customers entered the market. “Listen, I need to get back to work. We’re swamped. We could use Annie’s help, but I’m not sure she should be around Jamie. I’d hate for her to say anything about their father to upset him until we find Sam.”
“I don’t think you need to worry,” Jackie said. “I talked to Annie. She understands the seriousness of the situation, and she knows Sam should be the one to tell Jamie about Allen.”
“What am I supposed to tell Jamie about his mother’s whereabouts?”
Jackie sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. We need to let the situation unfold on its own. My main priority right now is getting Mom back to Charleston.”
Faith watched her nephew working through the line of customers at the checkout. She loved Jamie like her own son. She sensed big trouble on the horizon. Sam and Jamie would need help, more than she or Jackie could provide.
“And my priority is to call Moses, first chance I get.”
When Jackie dropped her off at the market twenty minutes later, Annie went immediately to work restocking the display cases. Thrilled to have her playmate back, Bitsy jumped in to help. She handed plastic containers of seafood salad and cold soups from the rolling cart to Annie, who then stacked them neatly on the shelves.
Faith kept one eye and ear on Annie while she waited on customers, and saw Jamie corner her the first chance he got. “Where’s my mom? Why isn’t she with you?”
“She stayed in Charleston.” Avoiding his gaze, Annie removed a notepad from her pocket and began jotting down a list of items that needed replenishing.
“What about Gran and Aunt Jackie? Did they come back with you?”
“Yes, but only to get some clothes. They’re going right back to Charleston.” Annie tucked the notepad under her arm and began pushing the cart toward the back. Jamie stepped in front of her.
“Wait a minute, Annie. I’m worried about my mom. When is she coming home, and why isn’t she answering her phone?”
Annie looked past Jamie to Faith, who shook her head no, warning the girl not to say too much. “Something happened that upset her, and she took off. We haven’t seen her since this morning. That’s all I can say.” Annie wheeled the cart around him.
Jamie crossed the showroom to Faith. “I don’t understand any of this. You talked to Aunt Jackie. Did she mention anything about my mom?”
“We didn’t have much time to talk,” Faith said, willing herself to sound calm.
“It probably has something to do with Eli.” Phone in hand, Jamie stepped outside the market.
“I don’t like lying to my nephew,” Faith said the moment Annie returned to the showroom. When the girl avoided her gaze, Faith grabbed her by the arm. “You dropped this bomb on my family. Now you need to help us sort it out. I’m concerned about my sister.”
Bitsy tugged at Faith’s apron. “Why are you being mean to Annie, Mama?”
Faith released Annie’s arm and stroked her daughter’s hair. “We’re having a little adult talk, honey. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“I didn’t plan for any of this to happen, Miss Faith,” Annie said, tears puddling in her doe-brown eyes. “My dad is getting worse by the day. I’m sorry Sam is so upset, but if she doesn’t show up soon, I’m gonna tell Jamie.”
Jamie came back inside, bringing with him a surge of hot air. “Tell me what?”
“Tell you that Annie’s coming to my house tonight for pizza,” Bitsy said, pulling on his arm. “And you’re invited too.”
Faith and Annie exchanged a look of relief.
Jamie scooped Bitsy up. “Hey squirt, I think you’d better ask your mama before you go inviting everyone over for dinner.”
Bitsy’s tiny fingers brushed a lock of hair off Jamie’s forehead. “I thought since Aunt Jackie and Aunt Sam are gone, we could all eat supper together. Besides, you haven’t been to my new house yet.”
“You have a point there, kiddo.” Jamie blew a raspberry on Bitsy’s neck before putting her back down.
Faith winked at Jamie. “Let’s get through the day before we worry about supper.” She gave her daughter a nudge toward the kitchen. “Bitsy honey, why don’t you and Annie finish the restocking before we get busy again?”
Annie wheeled the cart off with Bitsy skipping alongside her.
“Eli hasn’t heard from Mom,” Jamie said as soon as they were gone. “I’m worried, Aunt Faith. Should we call Moses?”
“I’ve already left messages on his cell and with his receptionist.”
“So you’re worried too?”
“A little. It’s not like your mom to disappear without checking in. Especially since you and I are the only ones manning the shop today. But we have to remember that your mom is a very strong, capable woman who can take care of herself. I’m sure she just needed a little time to herself. She has a lot on her mind with her breakup with Eli.”
“A lot on her mind? You saw her the other night. She was wrecked. If this breakup is really what she wants, she wouldn’t be drinking herself blind. Did you hear he might be moving to New York?”
“Eli?” Her eyebrows shot up. “No!”
“Yep. He’s been offered a job with the police force up there. He has until Monday to decide if he wants the job or not. You know we’ll never see him again if he moves. We can’t let that happen! I know deep down my mom wants to be with Eli.”
“I can try to talk some sense into her, but she rarely listens to me.”
Jamie leaned across the counter toward her. “I’ve never told anyone this, but I know I can trust you. I’ve always had this weird empty feeling inside of me, like I’m missing one of my vital organs or something. Uncle Bill was always good about including me in father/son kind of stuff, but it was hard watching Cooper and Sean go home with him afterward when I had to go home alone. Eli and I are more like friends than father and son, but I still love him like a dad. And I think he loves me like a son. And our relationship makes sense because he doesn’t have kids and I don’t have a father. If he moves to New York, I would have to deal with that empty feeling all over again. I don’t want to lose him, Aunt Faith.”
Faith saw the gleam of tears and rubbed his arm. “I understand, honey. Everyone knows that Sam and Eli belong together. Everyone except your mama. Her head is harder than most, but maybe, if we work real hard, we can come up with a way to prove it to her.”
Sniffling, Jamie pulled away and swiped at his eyes. “But first we need to find her.”
“She’ll show up eventually. She loves us too much, and she loves this business. You know Sam. She’s a hands-on kind of gal. She won’t be able to stay away but for so long.”
“What if something happened to her, if someone tried to hurt her or something?”
Faith pointed her finger at him. “Don’t even go there, Jamie.” She squeezed his shoulder. “You need to keep the faith.”
Another wave of customers entered the showroom, and the rest of the afternoon passed in a flurry of activity. Faith was grateful for the distraction, but, judging from Jamie’s pinched expression and the faraway look in his eyes, he was having a hard time thinking about anything but his mom.
When Eli and Moses came through the front door together a few minutes before six, Faith figured they’d been out in the parking lot contemplating how best to help the dysfunctional Sweeney sisters out of their latest crisis.
Jamie rushed to their side. “Have you heard anything from Mom?”
Moses shook his head. “She’s not answering my calls. We were hoping she’d gotten in touch with one of you.”
Faith joined them. “Jackie texted a little while ago when she got back to Charleston, but there was no sign of Sam at the hospital. I’m worried. We need to do something.”
Eli rested his hand on the revolver at his waist. “Technically, we can’t file a report until a person has been missing for twenty-four hours. But I have a couple of buddies on the force in Charleston. I spoke to them earlier. They are on the lookout.”
An
nie and Bitsy came out from the back office where they’d been playing Old Maid for the past hour. “Can we go home now, Mama? I’m tired of being here.”
“Sure, honey.” Faith picked up her daughter, and Bitsy hid her face in her neck.
“I can’t sit around here doing nothing.” Jamie removed the Jeep keys from his pocket. “I’m going to Charleston to look for her.”
“Wait, Jamie, don’t go.” Annie placed a hand on his arm. “There’s something I need to tell you first.”
Moses’s phone vibrated in his hand. “Hold that thought, Annie. I got a text from Sam.” Everyone stared at Big Mo as he silently read the text. He looked up from the phone. “She’s in trouble.”
Twenty-One
Sam
Sam sat bolt upright in bed. Where the hell was she? Was she in someone’s house? The homey decor—four poster bed, lace curtains, and ornamental rugs—didn’t look like any hotel she’d ever stayed in. Last thing she remembered… Ugh. What was the last thing she remembered? She fell back against the mountain of pillows. Peeking under the covers, she was relieved to find she was still wearing her bra and panties. The door to the adjoining bathroom was open. As best she could tell she was alone. Not that she was in the habit of picking up strange men. But she hadn’t felt like herself lately. Nothing surprised her about her own behavior anymore. She seriously needed to get a grip.
The last thing she clearly remembered, she was drinking shots of whiskey at Halo. But that was early this morning, at breakfast. If the clock beside the bed was right, it was almost time for dinner. Which left a lot of unaccounted for hours in between. She covered her face with a pillow, the dense down muffling her anguished shriek. “Aargh!” So this is what rock bottom feels like. She pulled the pillow away from her face and hurled it across the room, knocking a lamp off the chest of drawers. “Fuck you, Rock Bottom,” she yelled. “And fuck you, Allen.”
She sat up slowly, waiting for the dizziness to pass before trying to stand up. She found a terry cloth robe on the back of the bathroom door and went outside to the balcony adjacent her room. Down below, people meandered on the sidewalks on the other side of the iron fence that surrounded the property. From her second-floor piazza, Sam spotted a street sign—the corner of Ashley Avenue and Bee Street. She felt some comfort in knowing she was still in Charleston.
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