Glancing up, she caught the concern in his eyes. And … was that distress?
“Need help carrying that?”
Instinctively, she pulled the cake back. “No, I’m good. I’m fine.”
He moved to clear the aisle, landing smack dab in front of the sketch of Maddie as a child at her teddy bear and doll tea party. His eyes lingered on the picture, then lifted to catch her gaze. Not so long ago, she would have grinned, shared the moment. Now all she could do was scurry away. If she stayed a moment longer the tears clogging her throat would escape.
Presenting the cake, she mouthed the words to “Happy Birthday,” as they all sang, hoping no one would notice. She wanted to be far away, hidden from prying eyes. She had no doubt that Sam would carry out her promise and talk to J.C. if she didn’t. The possibility made her nearly faint with humiliation.
Maddie had tried to follow Sam’s line of reasoning. Yes, it made sense that J.C. had never shown himself to be the same kind of person as Owen. But the silences, the avoidance. They weren’t coincidental.
A huge part of her wanted to never broach the subject, like a child hiding beneath the covers on a stormy night. If she didn’t ask, maybe it wouldn’t happen. Equally childish.
Chrissy clapped when Lexi opened her present, the pink and silver cloisonné locket. Chrissy looked so happy, so content. And Maddie’s resolve dissolved like ice on a hot summer’s day. Chrissy deserved the best, everything she could possibly have in her future. She had already lost far more than any child should.
Maddie knew it was wrong for her to hope the building wouldn’t sell. Jay had inherited the Wagner Hill from his parents. And although his printing business had done all right, it hadn’t made a lot of money. Their home was saddled with a mortgage that about equaled its value.
Fran and Jay had an insurance policy, but nothing compared to what Owen was offering for the building. And who knew what would happen in the next eight years? Would there be enough money for Chrissy’s education?
J.C. had poured a lot of cash into creating the Tea Cart. That must have dented his savings considerably. Guilt leached from every pore. While she’d worried about her future, her feelings, she hadn’t really considered all the angles. Regardless of Owen’s motives, his offer could change Chrissy’s future. That was all that really mattered.
More giggles erupted from the children’s corner. She would do whatever it took. And her heart would have to fend for itself.
Waiting through dinner seemed interminable. Chrissy was consumed with retelling every detail of Lexi’s party. Her light chatter and Lillian’s observations were all that could be heard. Each moment, Maddie wondered if J.C. might finally come home in time for dinner. But when they finished dessert, there was still no sign of him.
Chrissy helped her clear the table and load the dishwasher. Lillian was more than ready to retire by then. Although she had enjoyed watching the girls at the party, it had tired her. And she was more forgetful.
“Maddie, where do I sleep?”
“In your room, Mom. Just like always.”
Lillian’s eyes were vague. “Is this your house?”
“It’s ours,” she explained with a pang.
“I don’t see my armoire.” No, it had been too large to fit comfortably in the apartment, so it was in storage.
“I have your gown and robe.” Maddie held them up.
“Good,” Lillian murmured.
Maddie prayed that Lillian’s worsening symptoms were temporary, only a result of fatigue, not signs of another small stroke. Casually, she reached for her mother’s hand, clasping her wrist so that she could take her pulse. Thankfully, it was normal. Still, she uncapped the aspirin bottle and took out two pills. J.C. had told her if she suspected a stroke or heart attack, to give her mother two aspirins rather than one.
Scrutinizing her mother’s moves, she saw that Lillian lifted her feet when she walked, a good sign. When it was a stroke, the person tended to drag their feet, unable to lift them properly.
“Mom, do you have a headache?”
“No, honey, I’m just tired.”
Another good sign. Still, Maddie knew she had to call J.C. to be sure. She couldn’t risk her mother’s health.
Just then she heard footsteps in the hall. “Be right back, Mom.” Dashing from her mother’s room, she sped through the apartment, catching J.C. just before he entered his own place. “J.C.”
He turned, looking surprised.
“It’s probably nothing, but could you have a look at Mom? She’s a little disoriented.”
“Sure.” Not making any small talk, he followed her back to Lillian’s side.
He took her pulse and blood pressure, then checked her eyes with a pin light. “How are you feeling, Mrs. Carter?”
“Fine.”
“Mom!”
“A little tired. Maddie’s such a tattletale.”
“She worries about you.”
“That’s because she’s a good daughter.” Lillian smiled tiredly at Maddie.
J.C. didn’t reply, instead glancing at the pill case on the night stand. “Maddie, did you give her this morning’s medicine?”
“Of course. I always …” The party, all the questions whirling in her thoughts … “I’m not sure.”
He picked up the plastic container. “Today’s meds are still here.”
Maddie bit her lips. What a dumb trick. “I thought I had.” She rubbed Lillian’s back. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Can I go to sleep now?”
“Of course.” Maddie pulled the blanket up the way her mother liked. “All tucked in, snug as a bug in a rug.” Kissing her forehead, Maddie inwardly thanked the Lord for watching over them, for not letting her mistake hurt her mother.
Maddie left the door ajar when they left the room so she could hear if her mother needed anything, then walked with J.C. to the living room. “A few minutes ago I gave Mom two aspirins.”
“She missed a dose of her blood thinner so that won’t be a problem.”
Rubbing her forehead, Maddie still couldn’t believe she’d been so careless. “Thanks for checking on her.”
“I suppose Chrissy’s already asleep here.”
Maddie hesitated. “When I didn’t hear from you, I thought it was best.”
“I was in surgery until late, then I tried to call but some of the lines must be down from the storm.”
Blinking, Maddie realized that J.C.’s hair was wet, that some of the rain still dripped from his forehead, creasing his cheeks. She had been so concerned about her mother that she hadn’t noticed anything else. “Storm?”
“Pretty wicked one. My coat’s drenched.” He wiped at the moisture on his bag. “Along with everything else.”
“I haven’t listened to the news. Didn’t realize it’s storming.”
J.C. shrugged. “Not a good night to be out. Flash flood warnings are out for the whole area. Heard that on the car radio.” He turned to leave just as a bolt of thunder hit close by.
“Um, speaking of news …”
He turned back, waiting.
Maddie fiddled with her hands, uncertain how to begin.
“News?” he prompted.
She swallowed. “Yours. News, I mean.”
J.C. shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I should have asked you when I spoke with Owen …” Glancing up, she saw J.C.’s jaw tighten, his eyes hardening. She took a deep breath. “He told me about the plans for the building, this building.”
“Plans?” J.C.’s voice was dangerously tight.
“Yes, that he offered you a lot of money for it, that you plan to sell.”
“It’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Me?” Outraged, disbelieving, she wanted to shake him. “Of course. That’s why I’ve worked myself to death, spent every penny I had to open the shop. Now you’re pulling the rug out from under us. Or didn’t it occur to you that when you sold the Wagner Hill you were also selling my home, m
y business?” She heard a small clatter, but before she could turn to look, J.C. grabbed her arm.
“Your home? What about my home?”
Baffled, hurt, overwhelmed, she stared at him. “I figured you must have plans for another home since you’re selling this one to Owen.”
“Says who?”
“Well … Owen.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying you didn’t talk to him about selling the Wagner Hill?”
“I talked to him.”
Maddie glowered, pain filling her very core.
“But I didn’t agree to sell the building.”
“But he said—”
“I don’t get it, Maddie. You’re engaged to the man. His interests are yours.”
“Engaged?” She flung her hands upward. “Years ago, when we were in college.”
“You’re not engaged now?”
She stared at him in amazement. “How can you even ask that? What engaged couple goes years without seeing each other?”
“How was I supposed to know that?”
“The fact that he never came around should have given you a clue.”
J.C. stared into her eyes as though trying to read every particle of her thoughts. “I’ve seen you with him.”
Frowning, Maddie tried to think. “He came to the shop on Chrissy’s birthday.”
“And you looked pretty cozy out on the sidewalk, and then again at the restaurant that Sunday.”
“Cozy? Did you really say cozy?”
His lips were tight. “It sure looked that way.”
“Then you’re half blind. I hadn’t seen Owen since we broke up. Then out of nowhere, he got all hot and bothered because I opened the Tea Cart.”
“Without any encouragement?”
Anger joined her pain and her chest heaved with suppressed fury. “I’ve never cross-examined your personal life.”
“Not interested?”
“You don’t get off that easily. I’ve given you room, respected what you want to keep private even when I …” Abruptly she halted before she could spill all of her feelings for him.
“When you what?”
Her breathing escalated, her stomach pitched. “Nothing.”
J.C. took her hands. “Now you expect to get off that easily?”
“No, this can’t happen.”
“Maddie?” Lillian’s fatigued voice barely reached the living room.
“I have to …”
J.C. gently squeezed her fingers. “We’re not done.”
Maddie sped to her mother’s room. “What is it, Mom?”
“Chrissy. Find Chrissy.”
“Mom, she’s asleep in my room.”
Lillian flopped her head from side to side, not lifting it from her pillow.
“I’ll check on her real quick and be right back.” Dying to finish her talk with J.C., Maddie was tempted to step out in the hall, then immediately return to her mother. But they’d never indulged in even small lies. Quietly, she entered her bedroom. Her own bed was still neatly made. She glanced at the other side of the room where Chrissy’s bed was situated. It was empty. Apparently, she was in another room. Moving quickly, she checked out the bathroom connected to her room. Empty. She moved on to the second one. Also empty.
Chrissy must have wanted a snack, Maddie told herself. The light above the stove was on in the kitchen, but she didn’t see anyone. Flipping on the overhead fixture, the light blared into every corner. Every empty corner. Maddie’s breathing halted. The door from the kitchen that led to the outside hall was ajar.
J.C. followed the sound of her running from the rear of the apartment to the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”
“Chrissy’s not here, not in bed or any of the rooms.” She pointed to the open door.
“She must have gone to her own room in our place.” J.C. took the shortcut through the kitchen to the hall and into his apartment. Maddie was only steps behind him. Splitting up, they searched every room. Chrissy wasn’t in any of them.
“Of course,” Maddie exclaimed. “The leftover party favors are in the shop. She must be down there.”
In sync, they rushed downstairs, turning on every light, but no giggling child emerged from the kitchen or the storeroom.
“J.C., where can she be?” A flash of lightning, followed by a boom of thunder emphasized her words. “You don’t think she’s outside? In this storm?”
Striding to the front door, he grasped the doorknob and it turned easily. “Unlocked.”
“She can’t have gone far.” Another flash of lightning illuminated the dark night sky.
J.C.’s face was grim. “She’s a small child in a very large storm.”
Maddie sucked in her breath. “We have to find her.”
He flipped open his cell phone. “Tucker? J. C. Mueller. Chrissy’s out in the storm somewhere. We’re leaving now to look.”
“The sheriff?” Maddie asked in a strangled voice.
“The more people looking means we find her faster.” J.C. pulled open the door, Maddie on his heels. “You need to stay here with your mother.”
“Give me your phone.”
He obliged.
Maddie punched in Sam’s phone number, filled her in quickly, then handed him back the phone. “She’s on her way over and Seth will call volunteers to help look for Chrissy.” She grabbed a coat from the rack by the door.
Stepping out onto the sidewalk, they were immediately assaulted by a lash of stinging rain. The gutters on Main Street were overflowing, rainwater rushing downhill, spilling over. The wind whipped the rain and hail into sideways slashes.
“Where would she go?” Maddie shouted.
J.C. turned his head, looking first up the street, then down. “Lexi’s?”
Piling into his car, they drove as fast as the severely reduced visibility allowed. Lexi’s father answered the door. They hadn’t seen Chrissy but checked Lexi’s room just in case. He and Lexi’s mother offered to call the parents of other children in their class.
“Where now?” Maddie asked. Picturing Chrissy floating away in a massive surge of water, she bit back a sob. Not knowing when Chrissy left the apartment, they didn’t know how far she could have traveled.
“Back to Main Street. She’s on foot.” He reversed the car and sped back to the center of town. The stores, bakery and café were all closed. A light was on at the bed and breakfast, but it wasn’t a place Chrissy would go for refuge.
Refuge? Had Chrissy overheard them? Horrified, Maddie stiffened. “J.C, when you came upstairs, was the door from the kitchen to the hall open?”
“No.”
Maddie closed her eyes. “She must have heard us.”
“You said she was asleep.”
Rain pounded on the car, hard, heavy, loud. “The storm. It must have woken her.”
J.C. slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “She thinks we’re taking her home away, that things will be the same as they were before …”
Their eyes met.
Before they had come together as a family.
“Oh, J.C., we have to find her!”
He stared into the ominous night. Then he jerked the car back into gear, driving down Main Street.
Maddie didn’t know where he was headed, but she had faith in him. She placed her ultimate faith in the Lord’s hands, beseeching Him to watch over Chrissy, to allow them to find her, to bring her safely home. To their home.
J.C. turned, driving in a sharp, short burst. Screeching to a sudden stop, J.C. put the car in Park and yanked up the emergency brake.
Maddie jumped from the car, barely able to see where they were. Recognizing the town cemetery, she gasped.
J.C. didn’t hesitate, striding past the front gate. Maddie kept even with his pace. Sure-footed, he cut through the rows, heading for what must be familiar. Because the rain was pounding relentlessly, obscuring their vision, rendering everything to a seemingly different state, nothing looked as it should.
Not ceasing her prayers, Maddie dogged his
lead, afraid she’d lose sight of him, more afraid that they wouldn’t find Chrissy.
Reaching one of the outer sections, J.C. finally stopped. Maddie took another step so she could stand even with him.
Huddled against the Mueller family headstone, Chrissy clung to the engravings of her parents’ names on the stone, sobbing.
J.C. reached her first, scooping Chrissy up into his arms, pressing her against his chest, shielding her as best as he could from the relentless downpour. “What are you doing here?”
Chrissy sobbed even harder.
Maddie wiped at the water that drenched her small face, her sodden clothing. “Oh, sweetheart, we were so worried.”
Unable to speak, Chrissy flung her head from side to side in denial.
“I love you, Pinker Belle,” J.C. told her.
“Me, too,” Maddie added, wishing she could take back every thing the child had heard, return her hard-won security.
Rain pelted the child’s stricken face. “Then why is everyone leaving?”
J.C. met Maddie’s gaze. “No one’s going anywhere.”
“I heard you!” Chrissy accused, raw pain filling each word.
“I’m not selling the building,” J.C. reassured her. “We’re still going to live in our apartment.”
“What about Maddie?”
Again J.C. caught her gaze. “That’s up to Maddie.”
Chrissy fixed her imploring gaze on Maddie.
“Sweetheart, you’re part of my life, Mrs. Lillian’s life.” Praying her words would be true, she touched Chrissy’s cheek. “That’s not going to change.”
J.C. caught Maddie’s eyes, locking them in a challenge, a promise.
“Let’s get you home,” he told his niece. “Home.”
Chapter Nineteen
With the same sure direction, J.C. took them back through the cemetery, depositing Chrissy in the backseat of his SUV. He grabbed a blanket from the rear and draped it over her trembling body. Turning on the heater, he drove quickly but not frantically back home.
As soon as they were inside, Maddie took over, guiding Chrissy into a warm bath, then getting her dressed in warm flannel pajamas. While she did, J.C. made hot cocoa. Maddie arched her eyebrows when she saw that he had.
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