Finding Bailey: A Lake Tahoe Romantic Suspense Novel

by Dana Mason

  “That’s understandable.” He took a deep breath and held back telling her he was afraid, too. How could he tell her he was jealous of these people he had never met before? What if they lured her away from him? What if they became more important to her than him? He hadn’t had to worry about that with Helen. With Helen, it was like they were all family, but these people didn’t know him. Why should they care?

  * * *

  Bailey listened to Ryan sleep for at least a half hour, her mind circling everything that had happened since losing her mother. Her life was so different now. Everything had changed, and while there were many things she wouldn’t change for anything in the world, she missed the simplicity of life before—before finding out she wasn’t who she thought she was.

  No matter how much her friends tried to convince her this was a non-issue, ‘of course, they’ll love you’ nonsense, she wasn’t so sure it would be that easy. They were different. She already knew that much. Even though she wasn’t sure what to expect, she was sure they’d be nothing like her. She’d had six solid months to research them, and while she didn’t pay attention to the information released by the press, she managed to get plenty on her own.

  Bailey had grown up an only child. But her siblings had grown up together…and all these years with a missing sister. What could that have been like? Bailey thought about all the books she’d read by kidnap victims, all the movies she’d seen. The outcomes had all been vastly different. Some came home; some had not. While Bailey was ultimately a kidnap victim, she didn’t feel like one. She wasn’t raised by awful people who had mistreated her. She’d been adopted into a loving family, a loving family that always seemed to fit her perfectly, even with the differences. Bailey closed her eyes, her uncertainty stronger than ever. That was it, in a nutshell. She knew this family wouldn’t fit her because she had already fit perfectly with the family she’d grown up with, small as it was.

  Ryan rolled toward her and groaned. “Good morning.”

  She grinned. “Hi.”

  He poked his head up to look at her. “What time is it?”

  “Almost eight.”

  “Shit. Bet my dad’s looking for me. Wish he could sleep in for once in his—”

  Ryan’s cell phone rang before he could finish his sentence. He twisted and grabbed his jeans to retrieve the phone from his pocket. “Hey, what’s up?” He rolled his eyes. “We just woke up. Yeah, I know. Hold on.” He pulled the phone from his ear and looked at Bailey. “Can you be ready by nine?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  Ryan winked at her. “Yeah, nine is fine. We’ll meet in the lobby.”

  He ended the call, then hovered over her. “You were supposed to say no so we could stay in bed a little longer.”

  “Sorry,” she muttered. Butterflies attacked her stomach, but it wasn’t because of Ryan. The realization of what she had to do hit her like a smack to the face. She felt queasy all of a sudden.

  He cupped her cheek until her eyes focused on his again. “It’ll be okay. I won’t leave your side.”

  She nodded. “I’ll shower first.”

  Ryan’s eyes darted around the room for a moment. “Wait. First, I have something for you.”

  Bailey wasn’t sure what to say. She grinned. “What something? What is it?”

  He held up a finger and reached for his jeans again. After a moment of shuffling through pockets, he pulled out a linen pouch. Bailey recognized the pouch as one of Mae’s. She used them to store her jewelry designs when they were finished.

  Ryan flipped back around to face her and held it up. “I asked for Mae’s help with this. I knew I could trust her to make it special.”

  She grinned. “Are you giving me jewelry?”

  Ryan nodded, but he wasn’t smiling. He looked a little nervous. “It’s different, though. More than just jewelry.” He shrugged and muttered, “Here goes.”

  He turned the pouch upside down and emptied the contents into his hand. It was a series of coils, or what looked like coils. Guitar strings? No. She lifted the item and held the string of coils in her hand then sat up quickly.

  “Ryan…is this…are they piano strings?”

  He nodded, and one side of his mouth went up. “Yeah. They’re from your mom’s piano. I hope that’s okay.” He shrugged nervously. “Mae made them into a bracelet. I thought you might like to carry her with you, especially today.”

  Bailey closed her hands over the bracelet for a moment and held it to her chest, keeping her eyes closed tight for a moment. Ryan sat quietly, and she hoped he didn’t get the wrong idea. When she knew she could speak without crying, she opened her eyes to his nervous face.

  She lifted the bracelet and took a closer look. The piano strings were woven together in an everlasting infinity knot, layers crossing over then coming together at the clasp. The clasp was magnetic, and from it hung three small charms. Love. Family. Friendship.

  “I’m…speechless.” She looked into his eyes then down at the bracelet. “It’s incredible. Beautiful…so…”

  “So you like it?” he asked, gesturing toward her. His hand held a little tremor.

  “It’s incredible. I absolutely love it,” she whispered and tried to place it on her wrist. When her hands started shaking, they both laughed. Ryan reached out and twisted it around her wrist until the two magnetic ends came together. It fit beautifully. Not too bulky or too large on her tiny wrists.

  “I thought of it when I had the piano repaired. I was afraid it would make you sad, but then I thought, even if it did at first, one day you’d appreciate it.”

  “No, it’s incredibly thoughtful. I love it…truly.” She fiddled with the three charms, and Ryan touched them, too.

  “That was Mae’s idea. She did that on her own, but I like it, too. Very fitting, considering the circumstances.”

  “It’s really perfect. Thank you.” She smiled wide. “Thank you so much.”

  He finally smiled, a real Ryan smile, and the twinkle in his eyes got her heart pumping again.

  He lifted up and said, “Well, we better get up, or we’re going to be late.” He kissed her and got out of bed. “I’ll heat the water for your shower.”

  Bailey watched him walk across the room naked and felt stirrings so strong, she almost considered canceling this meeting with her lost family. If it weren’t for the fact he’d promised not to leave her side, she would have, but she knew, as long as she had Ryan, everything else would work itself out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  The five of them went to breakfast, but Bailey couldn’t eat. They were watching her, waiting for something to happen. They all must have thought she was going to break down and change her mind. Everyone tried to act normal. They cracked jokes, told stories, anything they thought might put her at ease, but nothing worked. The tension in her shoulders was so tight, it gave her a headache, and at the same time, the smell of the food, eggs, bacon, even the smell of coffee made her nauseous.

  It was a strange juxtaposition—relief she had found out who she was, and was now meeting her new family, but also a sense of disconnection with the family she’d known all her life. She wished she could share this moment with her mother. Doing this with her blessing would have made it that much more special and unique. Helen and Ernie Morton had been everything to her growing up. She didn’t want to disrespect their memory by embracing another family.

  “Bailey?” Mae said, touching her hand.

  “Yeah.” She jerked her head up. “Sorry. What did you say?”

  “Are you ready?”

  Bailey looked around to find everyone standing next to the table, waiting for her. She nodded and slowly stood, trying to find her balance. She turned to follow them out, and Ryan stepped to the back of the group to walk with her. He smiled at her, but it was an apprehensive smile.

  Bailey waved him off. “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”

  “We talked about this. Don’t brush me off unless you mean it.”

  She nodd
ed. “Sorry. I’m fine. I don’t want you to worry, but I’m a little uneasy.”

  Ryan snorted a laugh. “Yeah, I bet. Uneasy has to be an understatement.”

  She looked up at him from the corner of her eye and whispered, “What if they don’t like me?”

  “That’s not a legitimate concern. Everyone who meets you likes you.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  “Don’t waste your time thinking about that, Bay. They’ll love you.”

  “I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared.” Once she said it, she couldn’t shake it off, as if admitting it had made it truer.

  When the group exited the restaurant, Ryan grabbed her hand and pulled her back, keeping the closed door between them and Vince, Mae, and Lucas. He pulled her toward him and stood nose to nose. “It’s okay to be scared. Take a deep breath.”

  She did as he said, watching his eyes the entire time.

  “Now think about this. If you’re scared, how do you think they feel?”

  He was right. Her father, Alexander Spatz, had to be just as scared and uneasy as she was. For a brief moment, she thought about a room full of extremely tense people, feeding off each other, making each other more anxious and uneasy. Who would follow whose lead? She took another deep breath and rolled her shoulders.

  “You’re right. You’re so right.” She nodded and forced a smile. “I’m better.” She couldn’t erase the stress, but she could try to contain it and not let it control her.

  “You ready?”

  She nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.”

  * * *

  Bailey’s stomach flipped over and over as she rode the elevator up to the suite Sharpe had secured for her meeting with Alex Spatz. She felt exhausted. It wasn’t even noon yet, and the sleepless night she’d had before was really affecting her now. In addition to being tired, she couldn’t stop sweating. She’d never been the type of person to sweat profusely, but her nerves were getting the best of her. The elevator was so full of people: two FBI agents, Ryan, Vince, Mae, and Lucas. Bailey felt like a child standing between all the tall men. Even Mae had some inches on her. She shook out her hand to relieve the pressure from her clenched fist, then wiped the sweat off on her jeans. Ryan reached out and took her hand, linking his fingers with hers.

  “It’s okay, Bay.” His whisper brushed her ear, and she took a deep breath. At the same time, light filled the elevator as the doors split open. She let Ryan lead her away, following the two FBI agents. Bailey kept her eyes on the floor. The blue and gray paisley carpet drifted by as they rounded one corner then another. The mixed scent of lemon cleaning supplies and fresh flowers twisted her stomach more than breakfast had. When they stopped, she looked up to a suite door being opened. They all stood back and let her walk in first. She held her breath, not sure what to expect, but when she entered, the room was empty.

  She turned and met Agent Sharpe’s eyes. “They’ll be here very soon. Make yourself at home. Would you like some water?”

  Bailey nodded and wandered the large suite. It had a sitting room that faced the Sacramento River. The modern furniture didn’t look very comfortable, but the coffee-brown color of the wood and trim with the soft blue walls helped her relax. She wished she could hide. Admitting that she was a coward wasn’t difficult. She’d never pretended to be brave, and why, really? Anyone else in her shoes would be lying if they said they weren’t scared of what they were about to face, although some might be more excited than scared. Honestly, she might have felt differently if the circumstances were different, if it weren’t for Dex and what he’d done.

  It was crazy, really. What an ordinary life she’d led until this point. And now…now she felt like she was living inside a cheap B-movie, or at best an afterschool special.

  She took a seat in the armchair farthest from the door. Once seated, she was surprised to find it perfectly comfortable. Maybe she’d misjudged the room. Maybe this was a good sign. Maybe she’d misjudged the situation, too. Or maybe she should have just picked the chair closest to the door for a quick escape. She rested her head in her hands and tried to take another deep breath. She wasn’t making any sense. She couldn’t think clearly. When a cool hand rested on her knee, she jumped.

  “It’s okay, Bailey.”

  She looked into Ryan’s eyes and gripped his hand, fighting to smile.

  “Are you going to be all right?”

  She nodded. “I think so.”

  Agent Sharpe set down a bottle of water for her and one for Ryan, then sat down opposite Ryan. “How’re you feeling, Bailey?”

  Bailey shrugged. “I’m all right. Just a little nervous.” She rubbed her hands up and down her thighs and asked, “Why the hotel suite and secrecy?”

  “Just a precaution to avoid the press. Now that they’ve finally let the story die, we don’t want to give them another reason to bother you or the Spatz family.”

  “Oh, right. That makes sense. Thank you. It’s not easy to have a normal life with cameras always following me around.”

  Sharpe looked at his phone then back up at her. “They’re on their way up now.”

  “They?” Bailey asked.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Spatz, accompanied by Agent Scofield.”

  Bailey nodded, and, at the same time, she heard the door to the suite open. She kept her eyes on the bottle of water in front of her and lifted it to her mouth to drink. She suddenly felt incredibly dehydrated. Her heart beat like a drum, and, for a brief second, she thought she might have a heart attack. She closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, nearly choking on the floral scent that overpowered the room. She tried again, inhaling but holding it this time before slowly releasing it.

  When she opened her eyes and lifted her gaze, it was into the face of a woman so beautiful, it made her blush. She was tall with long, blond hair and eyes so blue and bright, Bailey couldn’t look away.

  “You must be Bailey?” She smiled and held her hand out.

  Bailey stood and took it.

  “I’m Linda Spatz. It’s so lovely to see you.”

  Bailey cleared her throat, not sure her voice would work. “Hello.” She didn’t mean to whisper, but that’s how it came out. She looked around Linda as a tall, older man approached her with his arms outstretched. Before she could do anything else, he embraced her. “Marianne, I can’t believe it.” He was crying, and she had to fight not to push him away.

  “Alex, honey, give her a minute to get her bearings,” Linda said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  Bailey squirmed a little, and he released her quickly. When he did, she gripped Ryan’s arm, wanting to feel grounded again, to cling to the familiar and shrink away from the unknown.

  Alex quickly wiped his face and stepped back. Linda took his hand and held it in both of hers with a tight squeeze, her eyes wet with tears. “Alex, look at her. She’s beautiful.”

  He nodded and smiled. That’s when Bailey saw a little of herself. They had similar smiles, and the shape of his eyes was like hers, too.

  “She looks exactly like Theresa.” His mouth pointed down into a frown, and he turned away for a moment.

  Bailey had no idea what to do next. She felt like an idiot on display with everyone looking at her expectantly.

  Vince raised his hand. “Hello, I’m Vincent Walker. This is my son, Ryan Walker. We’re close friends of Bailey’s.”

  He turned to introduce Mae and Lucas, and Bailey knew he was trying to give her a minute to get her feet under her before she had to talk. Ryan didn’t release her hand, and for that, she was incredibly grateful.

  After Vince introduced everyone, Alex turned back, his face clear of tears and his smile genuine. He looked Bailey up and down, but his gaze stopped at the hand clutched in Ryan’s.

  “It’s good to meet you, Marianne.” His eyes met hers, and she couldn’t stop the next sentence before it blurted from her mouth.

  “My name is Bailey.”

  He nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. You’ve just always been
Marianne to me. Your mother gave you the name, after her and my mother.”

  That confused Bailey, and he must have recognized the look.

  “Your mother was Theresa Anne, and my mother was Mary.”

  Bailey nodded, trying to set it all to memory. “Bailey Grace,” she said, trying to smile. “It’s good to meet you, too.” She held out her hand to shake his. He took it in both of his, and the warmth was comforting.

  He looked from her hand in his and again at her other hand in Ryan’s. “Is this your husband?”

  Bailey was taken aback by the question. They knew she’d had a relationship with Dex. Did they believe she was married and had cheated on her husband? “I’m not married,” she said, trying to make a point, but also trying not to come off as offended by the questions. “This is Ryan Walker. He’s my best friend—boyfriend,” she corrected.

  Ryan released her to shake her father’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Spatz.”

  “Please, call me Alex, and may I call you Ryan?”

  Ryan smiled, and his face lit up, making Bailey’s heart skip a beat. “Yes, of course.”

  “We’ve known Bailey since she was a small child. We were close with the Mortons,” Vince explained.

  Alex nodded, but when she and Ryan reached for each other’s hands once more, it caught his attention again. As much as Bailey wanted to excuse Alex’s questions and behavior as nerves, she wasn’t so sure, but also aware that she may have been overly sensitive.

  Bailey looked around and realized the two FBI agents had retreated to the other side of the suite, obviously trying to give them some privacy. This was a relief. Bailey didn’t want to be gawked at like a circus animal.

  “Oh,” Alex said, leaning down and peering into a tote bag on the floor next to his chair. He pulled out a large filigree-framed photo. “Here, I brought this for you.” He handed the frame to her.

  At first, Bailey was stunned by the photo. It took her a few seconds to realize it wasn’t her. The woman in the photo had a mane of thick dark hair that waved around her face, exactly like Bailey’s, but without the bangs. Everything else was almost identical. She traced the photo with her finger and suddenly felt like her lungs couldn’t get enough air. She swallowed and blinked, praying her tears would dry up before they dropped from her eyes.