Matter Point

by GG Shalton

  “This is ridiculous.” He finally stopped typing and gave me his attention. “I will leave after my meeting, but I’m sending her back to boarding school. I don’t want to hear anything else about it.”

  He hung up, and I could feel the fury in my chest. I didn’t understand him sometimes. When I found out he had a daughter, I thought that it would be so much fun to be part of her life. Knowing she had lived abroad for several years had perplexed me. Joseph was so loving and good to my boys, I assumed he was the same way with his daughter. I had even prepared myself to be a little jealous. But instead, I felt sorry for her. He ignored her, which was almost worse than being mean. When he’d told me she was too busy to come to our wedding, I was hurt. But now I wanted to fight for her. She had no one else to do it. How could he not see what a wonderful young lady she was? How would he be with our baby?

  “Mom?” Robbie’s voice held concern as he walked through the door. “Her car is there, and I looked inside it, but it’s empty.”

  I looked down as he shuffled his feet. “What’s wrong?”

  “I have a confession.” He could barely look at me as he took a deep breath.

  “What do you mean?” I motioned toward the breakfast room.

  He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as he sat down, unable to make eye contact. His hesitation worried me. What could be so bad?

  “I—I took Ariel to see Jaxon. It didn’t go well.”

  I closed my eyes as a rush of apprehension went through me and my heart pounded a little faster. “What do you mean?”

  “He didn’t want to see her. She was so upset and crying. He told her he had a girlfriend and they were over.”

  My heart broke. “How did you get there?”

  Robbie shook his head. “I asked a friend. After we left, she was, like, in shock and asked me to take her home. We took a cab. I was worried about her.”

  I was dizzy with worry. This wasn’t good at all. “I think we should call her friends. I’ll make some calls to some of their parents. If we don’t find her soon, we should call the police.”

  Robbie bit his nail and nodded. “I’ll make some calls too.”

  I went upstairs to my bedroom and made several calls, but none of our friends knew where Ariel could be. Apparently, she hadn’t been hanging out with the cheerleaders for a while and had stopped taking their calls. Ariel’s phone was going straight to voicemail. Pacing, I kept looking at the bedroom door, waiting for Joseph to come home. His attitude only made me angrier. This was his daughter, his flesh and blood. It was like he didn’t care.

  “Amanda?” Joseph called at the bottom of the stairs, and I went out to the hallway. I was so frantic with worry that I didn’t even answer as I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs. “There you are. Why didn’t you answer me?”

  I didn’t like his tone. In fact, I didn’t like him at all right now. I held out my phone. “I was calling my friends trying to find your daughter. I think we may need to call the police.”

  “The police? Stop being so dramatic. She’s just acting out and being impossible. It was a mistake to bring her here.”

  “How can you say that?” I stared at him, trying to figure out if I knew the man in front of me at all.

  “I listened to you when you told me that I needed to bring her here. That you always wanted a daughter and you thought we could be a family.”

  “Let’s talk in the bedroom,” I said, not wanting Ritchie or Robbie to hear us.

  He followed me inside and shut the door. After untucking his shirt, he took off his shoes.

  “Joseph, we are a family. It’s like you don’t like your own daughter.”

  His shoulder slumped slightly as he turned away from me.

  “Joseph?” He didn’t answer as I stared at his back. “Please tell me that you love your daughter.” The silence was deafening as I tried to understand why the man I loved was being so distant when it came to his daughter. “Joseph, answer me.”

  He turned around. “I don’t want to talk about this. If you want to go to the police, then go ahead. I’ll be in my study.”

  As he went to the door, I felt my composure fall. I wasn’t even sure I knew who this person was anymore. “Don’t you dare leave this room.”

  He stopped and slowly turned toward me. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.” I lifted my chin as I stared at the man I had married. A man I felt was intelligent, kind, and a good person. He had wined and dined me, welcomed me into his home, and treated my boys well. It wasn’t until I saw the way he treated his daughter that I had doubts about who he was. “I won’t pretend to understand your relationship with your daughter. A stranger would treat her better. But I will not tolerate your indifference any longer. She is a child, and my responsibility since I asked for her to come live with us. Therefore, I’m asking you to call Trent. I think she’s in serious trouble.”

  He tilted his head. “She’s probably with that boy.”

  “I don’t think so. Robbie said he broke up with her and she was destroyed. I’m hoping she didn’t hurt herself. This could be serious.”

  His forehead creased as he stared into space. His eyes met mine, then he walked to the edge of the bed and sat on the corner. Putting his head into his hands, he said nothing. I couldn’t see his face, and his odd behavior had me at a loss of words.

  Awkwardness filled the air until he finally shifted and lifted his face. “It’s complicated.”

  “What’s complicated?”

  “Come here.” He held out his hand, and I walked over to the bed, took his hand, and sat beside him. He laid a warm kiss on my hand. “The truth is that I can barely look at her.”

  “Joseph,” I whispered, unable to understand how he could say such a horrible thing.

  “I’m not proud of that and have never admitted it to anyone. I’ve tried, since she was a little girl, to be a father. Trust me, I know how this sounds, and I’m ashamed of myself.” He let go of my hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “My mother used to yell at me for not spending more time with her. Ariel always wanted to be around me. I barely knew what to do with a child.”

  He stopped talking, seemingly deep in thought. “My mother took care of her. I even hired a nanny to give my mom a break. I would have paid anything for someone else to give her what she needed. I do care for my child, Amanda. It just breaks me every time I see her.”

  “Breaks you?” This is absurd. Poor Ariel.

  He nodded. “She’s my child and of course I will always look out for her. But to see her is to see her mother. She’s the spitting image of Amy.”

  “Joseph… Ariel is not Amy. She’s nothing like her.”

  “I loved Amy more than anything else in this world until I met you. I allowed her to treat me horribly, and she manipulated my whole family. When she got pregnant, I was so ecstatic because I honestly thought it would seal her to me. She was always such a free spirit, and I worried constantly that she would leave me. I was young and naïve and believed that she loved me. But she didn’t. She took so much from me and tried to use Ariel to get money from my mom too. I didn’t believe anyone’s warnings about her until I caught her with my best friend.”

  “Joseph, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want anyone to know about my humiliation. I later found out she’d also slept with the help and my other friends. It was common knowledge that she had an affair with the gardener. My mother had a DNA test done on Ariel, and Amy tried to use that to her advantage. My mother paid her off and threatened legal action if she ever came near Ariel. “

  “Did she ever try to see her?”

  “Nah. She wasn’t interest in Ariel.”

  “Neither were you.”

  He opened and closed his mouth as recognition sparked in his eyes. “I’m not proud of my behavior. But all those feelings of betrayal are on t
he surface.”

  “She can’t help how she looks. Have you ever tried to understand how this must feel for her? The only family she has is you. She loves you and wants you to love her back. Children need to feel accepted.”

  Joseph closed his eyes as I touched his shoulder. Worry swept across his face. He took my hand and held it against him. “I don’t know what to do.” His tone had changed, and he sounded defeated.

  “It’s okay to not know.” I rubbed his shoulder and noticed his hard swallow. I have never seen him this emotional before. “All you need to do is love her and let her know that you do.”

  “She’s my daughter. Of course, I care for her,” he snapped then caught himself. “We need to find her.”

  I patted his shoulder. “We will, but when you find her, you need to tell her how you feel. She can feel your resentment toward her mother, only she doesn’t understand it and thinks it’s because you hate her. She adored her grandmother and was devastated when she died. She was the only mother Ariel ever knew. Her own mother rejected her, and her only other relative avoids her at all costs. She feels all alone in this world.”

  His body sagged and his jaw flexed. “Does she think I hate her?”

  “I don’t know.” I rubbed his hand with my thumb. “She doesn’t know the man that I do. I think Jaxon made her feel wanted and loved and losing him meant more than just losing a boyfriend. It was losing the only person she feels cares about her. It breaks my heart. I’m really worried about her.”

  He squeezed my hand. “I’ll call Trent and make some other phone calls. I have to find her.” He kissed my cheek. “I don’t want you to worry and put stress on the baby. You need to rest.”

  I waved dismissively. “I’m fine. We need to find Ariel.”

  Chapter 34

  Jaxon

  “Did you see Tyson’s Mustang at the track? That thing can’t be legal.” Jake was talking to his friend Marty. I could feel a bet coming on. The more Jake talked up Tyson’s pile of junk, the more he could bring up the stakes when Marty bet against it.

  The track was a dirt pile that cars raced on once a month. The property was owned by some old farmers who used to use the field for baseball games but found out they could make more money racing cars. Some nights they even raced BMX bikes on the dirt hills. It was a good time, and the cops mostly stayed away because it was private property.

  “Tyson is racing next Friday,” Marty said, smoke coming out of his mouth as he held his cigarette. Betting against him was like taking candy from a baby. He was for sure going to bet on Tyson.

  I shook my head but kept my mouth closed.

  Jake looked at me. “You about done with that tire? You’ve been working on the same one all day.”

  “This is my third one today.” I saw him smirk and knew he was giving me crap. “Anyway, I am taking off early.”

  “Oh?” Marty flipped his cigarette after taking a slow drag. “Got a hot date?”

  “Nah, just hanging with Bryce.”

  “I wouldn’t hang with that dude. He’s always getting in trouble.” Jake stood up, looking out into the parking lot.

  Marty whistled, and I turned around. A brand-new BMW pulled up, and everyone in the shop paused to watch it park near the office. Narrowing my eyes, I saw the man who stepped out of it and my blood boiled.

  I glanced at Jake as Marty laughed and said, “He must be lost.”

  “I know him,” I said. The guys looked at me as I put my tools on the bench. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  I walked to the entrance of the garage, hearing the guys whisper behind me. A couple other mechanics were working in the back on a transmission. Jake followed me, and Marty hung back.

  “Mr. Martin?” Mr. Burns said as he took off his expensive sunglasses and lifted the corner of his mouth in a cocky smile. “I apologize for interrupting you at work. May I have a moment?”

  I looked back at Jake. I wanted a witness to whatever crap he was going to pull. “This is my brother Jake. You can speak with both of us. We have no secrets.”

  He studied Jake then shrugged. “Very well. I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

  I snorted. “I’m sure I don’t. What do you want, Mr. Burns? I’m very busy.”

  He took a moment to try to read me as I stayed stoic. I’d played this game with many authority figures. Clearing his throat, he rubbed his lips together. “Mr. Martin, my daughter has been missing for over a week. I wanted to know if she had contacted you?”

  My heart squeezed as I took a moment to digest what he said. Looking at Jake, I noticed his hard stare soften.

  “What do you mean she’s missing?” Jake asked for me.

  “My wife dropped her off at school a week ago, but she never went to class. The school cameras show her going around the side of the school, then she disappeared. She told her stepbrother she didn’t feel well and was going home. Supposedly she took a cab, but the driver says he dropped her off at the bus station in Creston. There are no camera images of her there, and the cab driver has been cleared. The police are convinced she ran away and are not really helping. I hired a private detective yesterday but wanted to check with you as well.”

  My mind was racing. How can she be missing? “I haven’t heard from her at all. But I blocked her number.”

  He looked at the ground and nodded. “She doesn’t have her phone. The detective tracked it and found it in a field on the side of the highway. If you hear from her, can you let me know?” He took his business card from his suit jacket and held it out for me.

  I looked at his hand before reaching for it. “I stayed away from her like you asked me to. Perhaps she wasn’t better off.”

  His jaw clenched as his eyes bored into me. “Mr. Martin. Thank you for your time.”

  He turned to leave, and I waited a second before speaking. “Did you get my package?”

  He stopped and turned back around. “I did. Apparently, you didn’t want the scholarship. Ripping it up was not necessary.”

  I shook my head. “Oh, I wanted the scholarship. The price was too high.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I would never let Ariel go for money. And now that she’s run away from you, perhaps I shouldn’t have let her go at all.”

  He snorted and shook his head. “Goodbye, Jaxon.”

  I watched him walk back to his car before I looked back at Jake. “Do you know where she is?” He whispered.

  “Maybe.” I thought before making my next move. “I may regret this.”

  “What?” Jake asked.

  “Give me a minute.” Running after Mr. Burns, I hoped my feeling was right. “Mr. Burns?”

  He stopped in front of his car door and glanced back.

  “I think I may know where she is.”

  His forehead creased. “Where?” He sounded edgy. “Where is my daughter?”

  “It’s just a hunch, but I have an idea.”

  “Tell me.”

  I hesitated for a second thinking about my options. “I will tell you—on one condition.”

  “Pardon?” He smoothed his jacket as he narrowed his eyes at me. “What condition?”

  “You have to take me with you.” I know it was a gamble, but if he’d come out to see me, then he had to be desperate. “If you agree to that, then I’ll tell you.”

  He let out a frustrated breath. “No way.”

  “Fine. Have it your way.” I took a few steps and glanced back. Mr. Burns hadn’t moved. “But I’m still going to find her on my own.”

  He watched me for a second, seemingly judging to see if I was serious. “Fine. You win. Tell me where she is.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Let me change, then we can talk.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”

  I ran up the stairs and threw on a
change of clothes. I didn’t have time to take a shower, but I washed my face and grabbed my wallet and headphones. When I ran back down the stairs, he was still standing outside, but Jake had gone back into the shop.

  “Can I drive your car?” I said half-jokingly as I walked up to Mr. Burns.

  “Not on your life.” He scowled and got into the car.

  I walked around it and saw Jake in the doorway. “Jake, I’ll call you later.”

  He nodded as he looked suspiciously at Mr. Burns. “Be careful, Jax.”

  I nodded and opened the car door. Glancing back, I waved at Jake from the window before I turned toward Mr. Burns.

  He peeled out of the parking lot and then glanced at me. “So, where are we going?” He sounded as though he was losing his patience, but no way was I giving up where I thought she was quite yet.

  “Drive toward the Creston Bridge.”

  “Really? You think she’s near the Creston Bridge?”

  “Nope.”

  He shook his head and drove toward the edge of town. His music was old school and I was tempted to put on my headphones. However, I refrained until we got closer to the bridge. I wanted to get us closer to St. Louis, which was probably where she was. That was where she’d grown up. The car slowed as I saw the bridge.

  “Now where?” Mr. Burns said, looking at me.

  A smile slid across my face. “St. Louis.”

  He stopped the car and put it in park. “You think she’s in St. Louis?”

  “Yep.”

  “How would we find her?”

  “Once we’re there, I’ll tell you where.”

  He let out an irritated sigh. “That’s at least three hours from here.”

  “Then you better keep driving.”

  He took off fast and rounded the corners with a squeal. I just grinned because if he wanted to ruin his tires, that was on him. I leaned back and closed my eyes, falling asleep.

  A few hours later, he woke me as we pulled into a gas station. “Hey, Justin, if you want to use the men’s room, do it now.”

  I rubbed my eyes. “It’s Jaxon.”