I ran to her.
“Mom, what’s the matter?”
Her tearstained face looked up at me. Mascara streaks ran down her cheeks. “He’s gone.”
“Who’s gone, Mom?”
“Dillon.”
“What do you mean, he’s gone?”
“I can’t find him. I’ve looked everywhere, even in the beginnings of the woods behind the tents. He doesn’t answer.” A fresh set of tears ran down the tracks already on her face.
“He has to be here somewhere, Mom. I’ll find him.”
Rob was at my side. He grabbed my hand and we searched the tent, the house, the garage, the cars, everywhere. I ran upstairs to grab my car keys from my purse. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit all the fabric of my dress into the small Infinity coupe, but I knew I had to start driving around the neighborhood. My first thought was to head toward the airport; it’s where he was going the last time he disappeared.
As I reached for my purse on Rob’s old desk, I glanced out the window. Two thin legs stuck out of the oval doorway to the rocket ship clubhouse. I put my purse back on the desk and walked downstairs to the backyard.
“Did you find him?” Rob asked with exasperation.
“I think I know where he is.” I winked and used my head to indicate the clubhouse. Rob realized what my thought was and smiled with relief. “I’ll go tell your mother.”
Knocking on the side of the clubhouse, I asked Dillon if I could come in. “Permission to come aboard, Captain.”
“Manny. Plane.”
“No, Dill. This is a rocket ship. You fly into space with it. You could go to the moon, or Mars, or Jupiter, any of the planets. Do you want to go to a planet?”
He sat on the small bench and looked straight ahead.
“You can come and play in this rocket ship any time you want to, but you have to ask me or Mom to bring you here. You can’t just walk away from us. Okay?”
“Kay.”
“Dillon,” I turned to look in his eyes. “I’m going to live in Rob’s house now. You need to take care of Mom. She loves you and needs you to keep her happy, okay?”
“Kay.”
“Wanna go have a sleepover at Grandma’s hotel room?”
“Ma.”
“Yeah, you’re going to have a sleepover with Grandma. She told me they have a swimming pool, and she has cookies for you.”
He stood up like a robot. Before he left, he hugged me. It was rare that he showed affection. It was wonderful, and I didn’t want to ever let go. I felt the warmth of a tear slide down my face. Then he climbed out of the clubhouse, and I watched him walk to my mother and grandmother who had been waiting a few feet away.
They waved to me. Mom blew a kiss and they walked away.
Rob stepped inside and sat next to me inside the clubhouse. “It was cramped in here before. Now, with this dress, there really isn’t any room.”
“I could take it off, if you’d like.”
By the look in his eyes, I could tell he liked my train of thought.
Chapter Twenty-One
As Rob and I said good-bye to the last of our guests, there was an unexpected tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Mrs. Dalton standing behind me. How’d she get in? She wasn’t invited. The scowl on her face told me she no longer liked me. I supposed all those years of Jimmy being friends with my brother, having a place to eat and sleep over, a family who embraced her son without question or judgment, none of it mattered to her now since I didn’t let her son rape me. I didn’t care.
“I’m only here as a favor to my Jimmy.”
My body went rigid. Rob held my hand and stood very close to me.
“He wants me to give you this note.” She handed me a crisp, white envelope.
I opened it and pulled out the folded slip of paper to read it.
Dear Mandy,
I want you to know that I’m happy for you. You’ve waited so long to have what you wanted. I’m sorry I tried to take that away from you. Know that I will always love you, even if I cannot be with you. Rob will take good care of you; he loves you, too. Best of luck.
Jimmy
I bent over and kissed Mrs. Dalton on the cheek. “Please give that to Jimmy for me.”
She turned without saying anything and walked out of my house.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The caterers dismantled the tents and folded the dance floor, as the band put their instruments in the cases. Inside, several packages of tin foil lined the refrigerator with food that was left over.
Rob locked the door after everyone had gone. He moved our packed luggage to the front hall so we wouldn’t have to move them in the morning, and placed the airplane tickets on the kitchen counter. I was on the couch in the family room with my shoes off and my feet up. Rob sat next to me. He put my feet in his lap and massaged them.
“Mmm, that feels nice. Is that one of your husbandly duties?”
“I’ll do anything you ask; I’m at your disposal.”
“Anything?” An eyebrow arched on my forehead.
“Anything,” he repeated.
I pulled my feet back and kissed his nose. Then I stood up and walked toward the stairs. It took a moment for him to realize I wasn’t coming back.
I was halfway up the stairs when he asked, “Where are you going?” He stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking very handsome in his tuxedo.
“I’m going to take this dress off before it gets wrinkled.” I took one more step and stopped again. I turned halfway. “You know what the best part of this dress is?”
He smiled. “The special underwear you have to wear under it?”
I nodded.
His dimple was present as he raced up the stairs. At the top of the landing, he swept me off my feet and carried me over the threshold of the master bedroom.
Epilogue
Dear Jimmy:
I hope you are doing well. Your mother said you’re a model prisoner.
Thank you for being patient with me. I’ve needed time to think about all that has happened. Gina, my rape counselor, has helped me sort out and understand a lot of what has happened.
College has kept me busy for the past four years. My professors say I have a lot of promise, and they hope to have me as a colleague working alongside them in the hospital one day. I’m learning a lot at my job on campus in the psychology department.
Bryan and Jennifer are doing well. They had a baby girl. Her name is Cassandra. She just turned three. She has Bryan’s hair, but Jennifer’s eyes. She’s really beautiful.
Ever since my father’s affair was brought out into the open, my parents have been trying to work out their problems in therapy. I’m surprised, but Dad is really trying. Dillon is doing great all around. He’s putting three words together in sentences now, and he doesn’t flip out when his eggs touch the second piece of toast.
Being married has been a wonderful experience. Rob and I are very happy. We’re due to celebrate our four-year wedding anniversary next week. I plan to take him to the creek where we were married to tell him the baby I’m carrying is really a set of triplets.
Please know that I wish you the best, and I appreciate how much you have always cared for me. I look forward to your next letter.
Mandy
Acknowledgement
When you love what you do it never seems like work. I am so appreciative to everyone in my life, particularly my understanding husband, my two incredible sons, and my mother, who support everything I do.
My friends have been more than people who listen and help me with my writing; they are my extended family. Thank you Jan, Jill, Gina, May, Blake, Maryanne, Olivia, Sara, Connor, Kenny, Howie, Leidra, and Cheryl. Thank you for all of your support and good advices. A special thank you to the members of my focus group – Melissa L, Joanne A., and Melissa B. A deep sense of gratitude to my beta readers: Kayla R., Becky J., Rachel S., Sue G., Terry, and D. Matthews. I appreciate all of the positive feedback and confirmations. I thank everyone who read
Fractured and liked it enough to keep reading Mandy’s story.
Lastly, I owe everything to Jennifer and Jessica at Limitless Publications, who enjoyed my stories enough to share with all of you. I can never thank them enough for taking a chance on me.
About the Author
Holleigh James spent most of her time living in Queens, New York before moving to Long Island. She has a full-time job, just like the rest of the world, but disappears into her imagination in the evenings and on weekends, when she writes. When reality sets in and she must pretend to be a responsible adult, she enjoys being the wife of her first and only love, and the mother of two wonderful young men and three cuddly dogs.
Renewed (The Fractured Series Book 3) Page 11
