“Let’s stop back at Santa’s village,” he said, praying that maybe there would be news there. Of course Trish had promised to call if Josh turned up, but Nick was starting to run out of ideas except for the kind that didn’t bear thinking about. He’d have to start considering those possibilities soon enough.
“Sure, whatever you think,” Amy agreed, once again sounding defeated.
Nick didn’t even try to dream up some lie just to bolster her spirits. She obviously knew as well as he did that the longer Josh was missing, the more danger he might be in. Besides, he was fresh out of good cheer and he wasn’t sure he could fake it. He was almost as worried as Amy must be by now.
A minute later as they approached Santa’s workshop, Trish spotted them and met them before they could get too close and cause a stir. Her worried gaze shifted from him to Amy, then back again.
“Nothing?” Trish asked.
“Not yet,” Nick admitted.
Trish turned to Amy. “I am so sorry about the false alarm. You must have been heartbroken. Would you like to go freshen up or anything? Get something to drink or eat? You could get off your feet for a few minutes in my office, while Nicky continues the search for Josh.”
“I’m okay,” Amy insisted. “I have to keep looking.” She faced Nick. “But shouldn’t you go back to work? Santa’s been missing a long time now. The kids must be losing patience and driving their parents nuts.”
“I’ll go back, but not until we’ve found your son,” he said.
“But all those kids.” She gestured toward the line that still snaked down the mall’s main corridor. “They’re going to be so disappointed.”
“They’ll survive,” he insisted. He gave his sister a speculative look. “But with some extra padding, Trish, you could probably pull off the Santa thing yourself.”
Amy chuckled at his outrageous suggestion, which was what he’d hoped for.
The sound made his spirits lift fractionally. He grinned at her. “I wasn’t kidding.”
Trish frowned at him. “Well, it’s not going to happen, big brother, so get over that idea. You’re going to find Josh any second, then get right back into Santa mode. If I didn’t know for a fact that Amy really does have a son and it’s obvious that she’s worried sick about him, I’d suspect you of putting her up to this just to help you sneak away from Santa duty.”
Amy’s eyes widened. “Would he do that?”
“In a heartbeat,” Trish confirmed. “I could tell you stories about my brother—”
Nick decided these two had bonded enough. “Amy doesn’t have time to listen to you go on and on about how badly I’ve mistreated you and how I’ve misbehaved through the years,” he said. “Her son’s missing, remember?”
Amy’s intrigued expression immediately faded, but she cast a last glance over her shoulder as Nick led her away. “Later,” she told Trish. “I want to hear everything.”
“That’s a promise,” his traitorous sister replied.
Nick shook his head. If he had his way, these two wouldn’t spend five minutes alone together. It was a toss-up whether his sister would sell him out…or just try to sell him. He’d seen that matchmaking glint in her eyes a few other times over the years, beginning way back with Jenny Davis. It never boded well.
CHAPTER 5
Nick tucked his hand under Amy’s elbow and started away from Santa’s village, then hesitated. As much as he hated it, there was something that had to be done. He’d waited too long as it was. To wait any longer would be totally irresponsible. He could only imagine what his bosses would have to say if this whole search blew up in his face because he’d been trying to prove something to himself. He had to stop thinking about his shattered ego and do what was best for the boy.
“Wait here a sec, okay?” he told Amy, as he held Emma out to Amy. “There’s something I forgot to tell Trish.”
“Sure,” she said, taking the protesting Emma from him.
Warmed by the baby’s reaction to parting with him, he slipped back through the crowd and found his sister. En route, his good spirits had given way to grim reality. Trish apparently sensed his mood.
“What’s up?” she asked, regarding him with concern.
“I didn’t want to say this in front of Amy, but I think it’s time to call in the police,” he told her. “I don’t like the fact that we haven’t had any sightings of the boy at all. I’d think even on a day as crazy as today someone would have noticed a kid alone and stopped a security guard.”
Trish’s worry turned to dismay. “You don’t think…?”
Nick cut her off before she could voice the thought. “I’m trying not to jump to any conclusions. Maybe Josh is just a self-possessed kid who isn’t the least bit afraid to wander around in a strange place alone, but it’s not likely. Most kids start to worry when their mom’s been out of sight for this long. I don’t want to upset Amy any more than she is already, but I’d feel better if there were some more professional cops on the scene or at least watching things in the parking lot to see if anything looks suspicious out there.”
“You’re absolutely right. I’ll call nine-one-one,” Trish said at once, clearly grasping the urgency.
“Tell the dispatcher I’m on the scene in an unofficial capacity and that I need some backup over here.”
His sister nodded and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
Nick felt awful for Trish. He knew how important this job was to her and that a Christmas Eve story with an unhappy ending was the last thing she needed, but he didn’t have a choice. Josh’s safety came first. If they did everything right, there was still hope that the ending would be the happy one they all wished for.
“I know this is exactly what you were hoping to avoid, Trish, but I don’t want to take chances. I hope you understand that.”
“Of course I do,” she said readily. “Without a doubt, finding Josh is far more important than the mall’s PR. I’d never forgive myself if something were to happen to that boy and we hadn’t done everything we could to find him.”
“Tell me about it,” Nick agreed grimly.
She gave him a penetrating look. “You holding up okay, Nicky? I know this can’t be easy for you and I’m sorry I put you in this position. Maybe when your backup gets here, you can walk away and let them handle this.”
“No way,” he said tersely. “Amy’s counting on me.”
“That’s what worries me,” Trish said gently. “I know how you’ll react if you think you’ve let her down.”
“I’ll be fine,” Nick insisted. “Or I will be, as long as we find that boy safe and sound.”
* * *
Amy bounced Emma in her arms and tried not to lose her patience as she waited for Nick to return. She kept consoling herself that they weren’t the only ones searching for Josh, but she needed to be doing something, not just standing idly by while others looked for her son.
“Sorry that took so long,” Nick apologized as he joined her. “Let’s try this corridor over here on the left. We didn’t go this way earlier.”
“Your sister must be tearing her hair out over having Santa disappear on the busiest day of the season,” Amy said. “I could look by myself.”
“I thought we’d settled that. I still think we’ll have a better chance of finding him if I’m with you. Do you have another picture of Josh in your wallet? I think we should start showing it to some of the shop employees. Maybe they’ve spotted him if he’s been doing some shopping. A kid that age on his own would definitely leave an impression.”
“I really don’t think he has the money to shop,” she said, though Nick’s plan was probably as good as anything else they’d tried.
“No telling what a kid might have saved up for Christmas,” Nick countered. “Is he a thoughtful boy?”
Amy
recalled the breakfast he’d tried to make her for Mother’s Day and the brightly painted lump of clay with an imprint of his hand he’d given her for her birthday. “He tries to be.”
“Then he might have spotted something he wanted to buy for you,” Nick said. “Have you mentioned anything in particular you want?”
Amy shook her head.
“Nothing?” he asked as if it were impossible for a woman not to want something.
“I’ve been totally focused on getting settled in our new place,” she said with a shrug. “And I’ve never much cared about accumulating things.”
“You haven’t spotted a sweater in a newspaper ad or some earrings you might have mentioned around Josh?”
She glanced down at her comfortable, well-worn jeans and the warm red sweater she’d owned for four years at least. “I’ve never exactly been a fashion plate,” she told Nick. “I dress better than this for work, but my wardrobe’s not fancy. Just some suits and blouses. I can’t imagine Josh shopping for those.”
Nick surveyed her with an appreciative once-over that heated her cheeks. “You look good to me,” he said, his gaze lingering on the soft red wool clinging to her chest. Then he jerked his gaze away. “Okay, then,” he said, his voice a little choked. “If not clothes, what about candy? Do you have a weakness for chocolate?”
Amy laughed. “Do you know a woman who doesn’t? But I’m happy with a bag of mini candy bars from the grocery store. I don’t crave the gourmet stuff. It’s definitely not in our budget.”
“Still, a kid might spot those big gold boxes of chocolates and check them out,” he said, turning into a candy boutique.
Amy reluctantly followed him inside, where she was immediately assailed by the rich scent of fine chocolate. She couldn’t help staring at the selection of truffles in the glass case, the piles of elegantly wrapped holiday boxes on the display tables. Her mouth watered despite her claim that ordinary candy satisfied her cravings. The last time she’d indulged in anything this decadent had been before her marriage when Ned brought one of the small boxes for her as a Valentine’s Day gift. It was one of those rare thoughtful gestures that had convinced her he was the right one for her.
She was so absorbed in reading the labels on the trays of individual candies that she was barely aware of Nick chatting with the salesclerk, then showing the woman a picture of Josh. Only when they were back outside did she notice the small gold bag in his hand.
“Here,” he said. “You need to keep your strength up.”
Startled, she met his gaze. “But I told you I don’t have to have the decadent kind of chocolate.”
He grinned. “Maybe not, but you were practically drooling all over the case. I had to buy something.”
She was too tempted by the decadent scent of that chocolate to turn him down. She opened the bag and found four different candies inside. She took a deep breath just to savor the aroma.
He watched her with amusement. “I hear they’re even better when you actually eat them.”
She held out the bag. “Would you like one?” she asked politely.
Chuckling, he replied, “I am not risking life and limb by trying to take one of those away from you.”
“I offered,” she said, though she drew the bag back.
“But the look in your eyes is daring me to accept,” he teased.
Embarrassed, she held out the bag again. “No, really. Have one.”
“Watching you enjoy them will be treat enough for me,” he said.
She couldn’t totally hide her relief. She reached in the bag, drew out one with a dark chocolate coating. If she remembered correctly, it had a chocolate raspberry filling. Very slowly she bit into it, then closed her eyes as the flavors burst on her tongue.
“Oh, my,” she murmured.
When she opened her eyes again, Nick was regarding her with an odd expression. In fact, he looked a little dazed.
“What?” she asked.
“Just thinking what it would be like,” he began, then cut himself off. “Never mind. We need to keep looking for Josh.”
“Nick?”
He grabbed her hand. “Come on, Amy. There are a lot of stores left to cover.”
He moved so quickly, she practically had to run to keep up with him. Emma jiggled in his arms, giggling happily at the unexpected adventure. He whipped in and out of half a dozen stores before he finally slowed down again.
Amy regarded him wearily. “I feel as if we’re just spinning our wheels. Josh could be anywhere.”
“What have you told him to do if he ever gets lost like this?” Nick asked.
“To look for a security guard or policeman, then stay put and wait for me to find him.”
“Do you think the lesson took? Has he ever gotten lost before?”
“No, he’s usually very good about sticking close to me.”
“Would he talk to strangers?”
“Not unless it’s a policeman or somebody like that. I know he’s listened to me and his dad about that. He never answers the door unless he knows who it is. And he absolutely wouldn’t get in a car with anyone he doesn’t know. He even asks for permission before he’ll accept a ride home with a friend’s parent.”
Nick nodded. “That’s good. Would he kick up a fuss if someone approached him that he didn’t know?”
“Absolutely,” she said with confidence. It was the one thing she was sure of. No one would snatch Josh from the mall without someone noticing a struggle of some kind. Outlining all the safety measures they’d taught Josh reassured her.
“You know, I’m beginning to think you’re right about him shopping,” she told Nick, clinging to her newfound conviction. “He probably doesn’t even think he’s lost and he’s probably completely forgotten about the time. I’ll bet something in some store caught his attention and off he went without a second thought. Maybe it’s not even me he’s shopping for, but Emma. I saw a baby store somewhere. And there was a toy store when we first came in the mall.”
Nick gave her an encouraging smile. “Let’s hope you’re right. We’ll work our way back to those. If what you say is true, if he’s just gotten distracted, he could still find his way over to Santa’s village very soon.”
“Yes,” she said eagerly, ready to seize on the slim hope. “I’ll bet that’s exactly what will happen.”
They went into another half-dozen stores with no luck, then started down the other side of the corridor. The canned Christmas music, barely discernible over the hum of conversation, seemed to mock their somber mission.
“How did you end up in Charlotte?” Nick asked as they walked past a wall of display windows for a department store.
Amy regretted more than ever that Josh wasn’t with them as she glimpsed the elaborate displays of snow-covered villages and mechanical elves and reindeer. She dragged her gaze away and concentrated on answering Nick.
“Things were pretty bad after my divorce,” she told him. “I’d been working for a bank that has headquarters here. My boss knew what I’d been going through and asked if I’d be interested in a transfer. I grabbed at the chance.”
“Was Josh happy about the move?”
“No,” she admitted. “He misses his dad. I’ve tried not to let him know how I feel about my ex, because I don’t think it’s fair for a kid to be caught in the middle between parents.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Nick said with feeling. “You’d be surprised how many times I see parents using their children as weapons in their grown-up wars. It’s always the kids who suffer most.” He studied her intently. “I’m a little surprised, though, that your ex-husband agreed to let you bring the kids this far away.”
“I never said he deserved the love Josh has for him,” she said wryly. “He was reasonably attentive when Josh was underfoot. The same with Emma
. But he’s remarried and he has another baby on the way. Our kids are extraneous to his new life. I figured in the long run Josh and Emma would be better off in North Carolina, than they would be in Michigan where they’d experience their dad’s growing disinterest on a daily basis.”
“He sounds like a real jewel, this ex of yours,” Nick said with evident disgust.
“He was that and worse,” Amy confirmed. “But he gave me two great kids, so I can’t hate him completely.” She met his gaze. “Why were you so worried earlier that my ex-husband might be involved in Josh’s disappearance?”
“It happens sometimes in divorces,” he said. “Custody might be settled in a courtroom, but parents don’t always agree with the decision. Then the noncustodial parent decides to do something about it.”
His answer was too pat and the way he avoided meeting Amy’s gaze told her there was more to it. “Have you handled some of these custody battles?”
“From time to time,” he affirmed, his expression more strained than ever.
“How ugly have they gotten?” she pressed.
“Pretty damn ugly,” he said. “Let’s not go there, okay? Your ex is back in Michigan, so that’s one less thing for us to worry about.”
Amy recognized that he’d closed down the subject, but that only made her want to pursue it more. Before she could, Nick deftly changed the subject.
“It must be hard being in a new place at Christmas,” he suggested. “Especially with kids.”
Amy gave him a knowing look, but decided to let him get away with it.
“I don’t think I realized until today how hard it would be,” she admitted. “The Santa thing was a big tradition with us, at least for Josh. And we always went to church on Christmas Eve to the children’s service, then went home and had hot chocolate, put out cookies and milk for Santa, and watched Christmas movies till Josh fell asleep. Then Ned would carry him upstairs and we’d put all the presents under the tree, then eat the cookies.”
Nick smiled. “You didn’t drink the milk?”
Amy wrinkled her nose. “Warm milk? Yuck. We dumped it out and left the glass sitting there with the empty cookie plate.” She sighed suddenly. “I wonder what traditions we’ll have now.”
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