by Rachel Cross
Asher winked.
Once in the car, she caught Asher sneaking glances. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you what he recommended.”
“Oh, the nurses were very forthcoming about the typical treatments for your condition.”
“Stop calling it that. Seriously, Asher, its rheumatoid arthritis. Not ‘my disease’ or ‘my condition.’ And I’ll do what the doctor suggested; I’m no masochist.”
“Good.”
“Stop butting in though. I mean it.”
“Okay.” He sounded duly chastened, but he was smiling.
She smothered an answering grin.
• • •
The next morning, after walking Ella to the bus stop, Maddy put on her blue swimsuit, a piece so old and dry rotted it was almost transparent. She studied herself in the mirror ruefully. No, not almost transparent … actually transparent. Had it been that long since she’d been swimming? Yikes. This thing was indecent. It was time to order a new suit with rush delivery.
She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, wrapped herself in one of Asher’s many white guest robes and made her way downstairs.
The water was steaming, and it was a chilly fall morning. Her feet were freezing, and after she took off the robe and threw it in a lounge chair, the rest of her was, too. She gave a brief longing look at the hot tub, then entered the pool water. Not warm enough. She stood uncertainly, halfway down the steps of the long rectangular pool and trailed her fingers in the water, dreading the moment she would have to immerse herself. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she glanced up to the window of the master suite, Asher’s room.
There he was in the huge window, staring down, wearing what appeared to be a towel wrapped around his hips. His eyes were locked on her, not moving. She dropped her gaze, then remembered her transparent suit and plunged the rest of the way down the steps to start her laps, her mind racing. Why had he been standing there, staring?
• • •
After dinner, she approached her room to find, hanging on the doorknob, a bag from a sporting goods store. She unhooked the purchase and brought it into her bedroom, bemused. She shut the door and reached in, retrieving a pair of goggles and an orange rubber swim cap. That was thoughtful of him. The paper still hung heavy in her hand — she peeked inside and grabbed the silky black material lying at the bottom. Huh. A swimsuit. She checked the tags. Her size. She held it up, flipped it around and cocked her head. The style could politely be called matronly. Once on, it would cover most of her chest and back and all of her hips. It was not flattering, not in the slightest. It wasn’t like she had plans to buy a bikini — she was swimming for exercise after all — but this thing was hideous. The memory of him standing motionless in the window and wearing only a towel popped into her head.
Chapter 7
“Uncle Asher? Where are those people going with those dogs?”
Distracted from his Saturday morning mission to obtain the latest gaming device, he looked up from his smartphone. “Hmmm? Oh, there’s a pet shop in here somewhere.”
“A pet shop?” Ella’s eyes lit up. “Can I go there?”
He glanced at her, tugging on his hand. “Yeah. Sure,” he murmured absently. “But I need to get this console. You’ll like it, Ella.” Or he hoped she would. Maddy had suggested it might be a good thing to bond over. He wasn’t a video gamer. Not that he hadn’t battled friends in the Rock God guitar game to kill time on the road. But dancing? Bowling? Tennis? He shuddered. Still, if Maddy thought it would help, he was willing to try.
He also needed to get Ella a bike with training wheels. Maddy had been full of suggestions for strengthening their relationship after the therapist told him she’d like to see more of a connection between him and his niece.
He pulled her into the electronics store and caught the wistful look she cast over her shoulder.
“Ella, I’m here to buy a game console for you,” he said, mildly exasperated.
“Yeah, but I’d really like to have a cat,” she said, peering up with sad, brown eyes.
Just as he made it to the right section of the store, his phone rang. Justin. He let go of Ella’s hand to answer. “Yeah?”
“Asher. Peter Shay called twice this morning. Something about studio time? He hates to bug you, but he’s not able to resolve it.”
When would he learn that no good deed goes unpunished?
He had an interest in a few fledgling bands with talent and tried to help them up through the ranks. Getting studio time in any city without much money or clout was always problematic.
“I don’t suppose you — ”
Justin sighed. “I can try, but you know how they are in Philly. Whereas one call from you — ”
“Yeah, yeah. Send me the particulars. I’ll try to get it done.” He reached the right aisle, tucked the phone away and turned to ask his niece which games she preferred.
No Ella.
He scanned his immediate area. No sign of her.
Annoyed, he walked over to a man outfitted in the store’s hallmark blue and orange shirts.
“Did you see a little girl?”
The man stared, his mouth opened.
Fuck. He knew that expression, the “hey, aren’t you … ” pause.
“Never mind,” Asher said.
His long strides chewed up the aisles as a chill went up his spine. Where was she?
Within five minutes, he’d been through the whole store at an Indianapolis 500 pace. Irritation was replaced by panic and fear. His hands shook.
My God.
He approached a male employee a few feet away.
“Where’s your manager?” he barked.
The sullen kid pointed in the direction of the televisions lining the wall.
Halting, he pulled out his phone and dialed with trembling fingers.
“Maddy?”
“Hey.”
“I’ve lost Ella.”
“What? Where?”
“I’m in Fry’s, the electronics store.”
“Okay. How long has she been gone?”
“About five minutes.”
“And you’ve searched the store?”
“Yeah. She’s not here.”
“Don’t those stores have a guy at the front who verifies purchases?”
“Brilliant, Maddy.” He hung up on her and charged to the front.
“Hey.” He grabbed the bored employee standing at the exit doors by the arm. “Did you see a little girl come by here?”
The man pulled away, astonishment at being touched warring with irritation on his young, acned face. “Yeah. A few minutes ago.”
“Where’d she go?”
“She asked me how to get to the pet store.”
Asher’s eyes bore into the man, fear giving way to terror. She’d left the store?
His phone rang.
“Which way is it?”
The man pointed east. Asher dug his cell out of his pocket.
“Yeah?”
Justin started to speak.
“Later,” Asher barked, hanging up.
His heart raced. The phone rang again in his hand before he had a chance to tuck it back into his pocket.
Maddy. He answered as he broke into a run down the sidewalk of the strip mall. That massive pet store was two, or was it three doors down?
“Did you find her?”
“Not yet, but I think she went into Pet Smart — it’s at the other end.”
“Call me back when you know something. I’m scared, Asher.”
“Me too.” He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket as he entered the store. What was Ella wearing? He racked his brain. Pink, of course. Probably purple as well.He couldn’t for the life of him remember what, but she al
ways wore only those two colors. He needed to talk to Maddy about changing up her attire. It wasn’t normal for a kid to be that limited. Even if Maddy thought they were good colors on Ella, would it kill her to add a little blue or green to the child’s wardrobe?
He spotted an older man in a white shirt with a gold nametag talking with a cashier at an empty checkout lane.
“Excuse me. My niece came in here alone, and I need help finding her.”
“Of course, sir.” The two men came over to his side of the register.
The man with thinning hair and a gold nameplate proclaiming “Jerry: Manager” studied him. “How old is she?”
“Five.”
He nodded. “Her name?”
“Ella.”
“What’s she wearing?”
“Pink and purple.”
The man grinned. “Oh, I remember my own going through that phase.”
Asher stared, uncomprehending.
“Dave, go stand by the front door. No one leaves the store with a young child until we find her. Just ask them to wait. Okay?” Without waiting for an answer, Jerry continued to take charge. “I’ll take this side. You take the other.”
Asher was already hustling toward the aisles.
He spotted her in the third row. Relief made him lightheaded, and he rested his hands on his thighs. Anger overpowered relief. His fists clenched. How could she do this to him? He didn’t trust himself not to yell, so he stayed a few feet away, watching.
She was on tiptoe, leaning over a partition, expression rapt.
The manager approached from the other side of the store and halted when Asher pointed a finger at Ella.
The man nodded and came over to stand next to him.
“It’s always the kittens or the puppies.”
Asher raised a trembling hand to his sweaty brow. “Why would she just take off like that?”
The man cocked his head. “You know their impulse control at this age isn’t the greatest.”
No, this was the first he’d heard of that.
“I had four of my own.” He patted Asher on the back. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
Asher groaned. “I’m new to this,” he admitted. “I never thought she’d take off.”
“Well, the allure of the kitten … ”
Asher half-laughed. “I was next door trying to buy her a Wii.”
“A pet is better than a Wii, not that you can’t have both.”
Asher froze. “Oh, no. No animals.”
“Why not?”
Memory stirred. He couldn’t have been much older than Ella when he had begged his father for a cat, a dog — anything. Too messy, Sterling had said, and far too inconvenient. As he got older, he stopped wishing for a pet and started playing guitar, then electric guitar. They weren’t messy or inconvenient. Just loud.
Maybe the best thing for Ella would be something to love and care for in the wake of her mom’s death.
The manger glanced over. “Uh oh,” he said, with a smile.
“Maybe a puppy … ”
“My advice?”
The guy had raised four kids and ran a pet store. That must make him some kind of expert.
“We have some rescue cats. Much lower maintenance than dogs, and with adult cats you pretty much know what kind of personality you get. We have a few sweethearts who are desperate for a good home. Not a puppy or a dog if you’re still new to the parenting thing. Not if you,” he glanced meaningfully at Asher, “travel a lot.”
So much for the ball cap and sunglasses.
Asher reached out to shake his hand. “Asher Lowe.”
“Jerry Grodin. Big fan. Let’s get you set up, shall we?”
Moments later, Asher texted Maddy to let her know all was well. It was too late. They were picking out supplies when Maddy dashed in, wearing sweat pants, her hair yanked back in a messy ponytail.
He smiled and walked over.
She cast a worried glance at Ella, who was debating the various attributes of cat trees with the manager.
“What happened?”
He sighed and ran through the story, watching her body stiffen.
“And she just walked away? And you didn’t notice?”
Asher shuffled his feet. “Justin called about something. I was distracted, just for a few minutes — ”
“Asher!”
“I know. I know.”
“We need to talk to her about this.”
“Already done.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as Ella help Jerry pull a litter box from the shelf.
“What’s going on?”
“We thought a cat — ”
She shook her head. “No, no, no.”
“Hear me out.”
“No, Asher, no.”
He took her upper arm. “Are you allergic? Is it a problem with your disease?” He hadn’t even considered that. Stupid.
“No. But cats require care and — ”
“I’ll take care of it. I’ll find a reliable pet sitter. You’ll see. I think having something to love,” grief welled within him, “might help.” His voice hoarsened and Maddy had that look in her eyes again, compassion mixed with pity.
“All right,” she said, softly. “Maybe we could use a pet in our lives. Not a kitten, right?”
“Right. They have some cats in the back that Jerry says,” she looked confused and he pointed at the manager, now picking out a pink and purple collar set, “might work well for our family.”
Our family. He froze. Had he just said “our family”?
Maddy nodded, she hadn’t noticed.
“Do you want to go to the back and check them out while we finish up here?”
“Sure,” she said, ruffling Ella’s hair as she walked by.
“Maddy!” Ella grabbed her in an ungentle hug. “We’re getting a cat!”
Maddy grinned down at his niece and his heart flipped.
Chapter 8
“I don’t know why we’re going to his house. River never plays with me at school,” Ella said.
Maddy steered the big, burgundy Mercedes down the palm tree-lined street, past all the enormous houses, the immaculately manicured lawns and, of course, the giant gates. Ah, there it was, three one three.
“What, honey?” Maddy asked absently, with a brief look in the rear-view mirror at Ella. Ella’s arms were folded across her chest, her lower lip stuck out mutinously.
Maddy sighed as she pulled in the driveway. It was going to be that kind of day, was it? She rolled down the window and pushed the intercom buzzer.
“Hello?” A tinny voice sang out.
“Hi … uh … it’s Maddy and Ella.”
“Who?” Annoyance laced with impatience came through the speaker.
“Maddy and Ella. From school. We have a play date with River.”
“Just a moment.”
Maddy tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and kept her foot firmly on the brake.
“Why are we even here? I don’t like River.”
Maddy put the car in park and half turned in her seat. “You don’t?”
“No, he doesn’t — ”
“He? I thought River was a girl.”
Ella frowned and then giggled. “Maddyyy, River’s a boy!”
She tilted her head. “Then why are we here?” Not that Ella couldn’t have a play date with a boy, but at this age, obsessed as she was with princess-play and ponies, it was doubtful she and River would have much common ground. She bit back a groan. Turning back to the black intercom Maddy pushed the button. “Hello? Hello?”
They waited for five more minutes. She pulled two Barbie’s from her cavernous purse and handed them back to Ella.
“Maddy, let’s go hooome,” Ella whined. “I’d rather play with you.”
The therapist had advised as much socialization as possible. Being the new girl at a school where nearly all the children had attended preschool together couldn’t be easy for Ella. Play dates and parties were top of the therapist’s list for helping children assimilate. Maddy pressed the button again and again, holding it down. She glanced at her watch; it had been nearly ten minutes.
“Hellooo?” the same voice sang out.
“We’re still here.”
“Oh, yeah. Mrs. Reed is still … er … indisposed. Just a moment.”
“Can you buzz us in?”
“Uh … I’m not sure. Mrs. Reed is very careful — ”
Maddy scowled. “I have a five-year-old child here. Mrs. Reed set up the play date. Just buzz us in.”
“I have to pee,” came a small the voice from the back seat.
Maddy’s eyes widened.
“Now.”
She pressed the intercom buzzer. No response.
Damn it!
Unbuckling her seat belt, she grabbed the wipes from her purse.
She cast a glance up and down the street. Barely a bush to use as cover. The whole place was wall-to-wall gates and fences.
Ella’s eyes were round brown pools of concern.
Maddy forced a smile. “Hey, Ella. Dogs do it outside. Even adults go outside when they go camping. Don’t worry.”
“Outside? What if someone sees me?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Adults go outside?”
“Sure. When they’re camping. I’ll hide you.” She silently rained curses down on Mrs. Reed as she helped Ella pull off her leggings, underwear, and shoes, leading her over to the tiny bush along the wall. A car passed, and slowed, then another.
“Maddy,” she hissed, tearfully.
The coast was clear. “Okay. Okay.” She helped Ella squat in the grass next to the sidewalk and held her dress up high enough that it wouldn’t get wet, and wouldn’t expose her. Success. Or close enough.
Maddy helped her back into her clothes and Ella viewed the mess, wide-eyed. “Are we just going to leave it there?”