A Family Forever (Contemporary Romance Novella)

by Taylor, Helen Scott

  Had Harry got up and gone downstairs while he was in the shower? Frowning, he glanced around the room. The clothes his son had worn yesterday weren't there, and his camera was missing. But his bag still rested on the stand.

  Normally Harry would come into the bathroom when he woke. He definitely hadn't done so while Adam showered. He'd have heard him.

  A shiver of foreboding ran down Adam's spine. He buttoned his shirt, pocketed his phone and key, and ran down the stairs.

  Tim was already in the cozy, beamed dining room with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. He glanced up with a smile. "Morning."

  "Is Harry down here?" Adam said, in answer to Tim's greeting.

  "No. Isn't he with you?"

  Adam shook his head. "I'm not sure if he was in the room when I woke up. I didn't turn on the lights before I got in the shower. I thought I was leaving Harry to sleep." He ran a hand back through his hair and glanced around the empty pub, hoping his son would appear.

  "Do you think he's likely to be out taking photos?"

  "Lord, I don't know. It's possible. Let's go and check."

  The two men headed out of the building. "You go that way." Adam pointed along the riverbank where Harry had taken photos when they arrived. "I'll check up the main street. Listen for your phone. I'll call if I find him and you do the same."

  He paced along the edge of the road, glancing down alleyways between the stores and over fences into the front gardens of the country cottages. Harry couldn't have gone far. He had to be around here somewhere.

  Adam longed to see his son with his beloved camera up to his eye, snapping pictures. But in his heart, he knew Harry wouldn't be up and out this early unless he was purposely sneaking away.

  A chill crept across Adam's skin. He remembered doing something similar himself. When his parents went on one of their trips, leaving him behind, he'd run away, hoping they would return to find him.

  It hadn't worked. The police had been the ones to come after him. His parents hadn't even come home to check he was all right, but he'd had his pocket money stopped, television privileges removed, and been grounded for what felt like an eternity.

  Harry had no reason to run away to get Adam's attention. They were together most of the time. He mulled over the previous day's conversation with Harry about going to Spain. He'd meant to return to the subject later. Victoria had been on his mind after their kiss, and he'd forgotten.

  If Harry had run away, there were only two places he would go. And Adam was about to arrive at the one at the top of the list.

  Adam turned up the narrow road lined with tiny cottages where Victoria lived. Apprehension knotted in his chest as he went up the path to Prickly Ball Cottage and knocked on the door.

  Sophie answered, wearing her dark green school uniform. She frowned at him and turned away. "Mum," she bellowed at the top of her voice, heading for the stairs.

  "Hang on, Sophie. Have you seen Harry this morning?"

  "No. Mum's in the bathroom. I'll get her."

  Adam's heart dropped. He rested a hand on the door frame and hung his head, gathering his strength. He'd been so sure Harry would be here.

  With a sigh, Adam shut the front door and wandered through to the kitchen.

  A few minutes later, Victoria entered wearing a skirt, lacy blouse, and high-heeled shoes. He vaguely realized that he'd never seen her in a skirt before and her legs looked fantastic, but the thought came and went in an instant, his mind occupied with worrying about Harry.

  "Harry's missing," he blurted.

  "What do you mean, missing?"

  Adam paced back and forth in the tiny room, rubbing his forehead. "He wasn't in our room when I woke up. I can't find him."

  "Oh, Adam, I'm sure he hasn't gone far."

  "He must be on foot, so I guess you're right. I hoped he might be here."

  "We haven't seen him. Did you check Larchfield?"

  "Not yet. That was the second place on my list."

  "I have to take Soph to the bus stop, then I'll come up to the hall and help you search."

  "Aren't you teaching today?"

  "Finding Harry is far more important. I'll call and tell the college I can't make it today. You go to Larchfield. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."

  "Thanks."

  She touched his arm as he turned to leave. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be fine."

  "I hope so."

  Chapter Eight

  Fear burned in Adam's gut as he jogged back to the pub's car park where he'd left his car. What if someone had taken Harry? No, that was crazy. Nobody could have come into their room at the Plume of Feathers without him noticing. Harry must have left of his own accord. But Adam couldn't shake the terrible dread that something bad had happened to his son.

  He dashed up to his room, desperately hoping Harry would miraculously be there, but he wasn't. He grabbed his car keys and bumped into Tim on his way down. "Any luck?"

  The tutor shook his head. "I walked all the way to the edge of the village and back. No sign of him."

  Adam called his office and left a voice mail for his personal assistant so she'd get it when she arrived at work, telling her what had happened and instructing her to cancel their flights.

  "Let's go to Larchfield and search."

  He spoke to Felicity on the way out and asked her to call his mobile phone if Harry came back to the pub.

  The car tires squealed as Adam backed up and turned. He hit the gas as he drove the two miles to the manor house, but slowed and went carefully up the drive, peering into the overgrown shrubs.

  He parked beside the dry fountain. He and Tim searched the old Victorian house from top to bottom, opening every cupboard door, looking behind every dusty, faded curtain. The contractors had already started work and the hall was a building site with equipment and materials stacked in corners. It was no place for a child to hide out now.

  Fifty minutes later, Adam's hopes had dwindled. He stepped outside, a chill of foreboding spreading through him like ice water in his veins. Ten acres of wild grounds filled with trees, overgrown bushes, and tumbledown outbuildings offered numerous hiding places. It would be difficult and time-consuming to search it all.

  Tim and Adam started at the house and worked their way towards the boundary fences, calling Harry's name. Adam's throat grew hoarse from shouting so much.

  Victoria arrived and joined him, her voice echoing through the undergrowth with his. Still his son didn't show himself.

  "Would he come out if he heard you call?" Victoria asked, resting a comforting hand on his back.

  "Yesterday I would have said yes, but then I never dreamed he'd run away."

  "I know you must feel like he's been missing for ages, but it's still only a few hours, Adam. We'll find him."

  Victoria met his gaze, hers steady and sure, giving him strength. He thought of himself as cool and calm. Yet if it wasn't for her right now, he might lose his sanity. He took her hand and squeezed, needing the connection. "You're right. I know you are. We’ll keep searching."

  Hand in hand they scoured the grounds of Larchfield Hall, crawling under hedges and bushes, checking inside a hollow tree and in the ancient ruins of stone buildings that had originally been built centuries ago when an abbey stood on the site.

  The contractors working on the house arrived, and Adam roped them in to help with the search. By lunchtime they had covered the whole ten acres, and unless Harry was invisible, he was not here.

  Adam raised his hands and let them fall, a wash of despair passing through him. "I don't know where else to look."

  "What about the field? He's walked through it with Soph."

  "The field. Okay." It was his last hope. He sent Tim to the pub so he was there if Harry returned, then he and Victoria walked the footpath across Farmer Andrews's field to the back of Prickly Ball Cottage, all the time scanning the grassy area.

  "I'm going to have to call the police," Adam said, his voice laced with despair.

  "Befo
re you do, come in for a few minutes. We'll think it through once more."

  They climbed over the garden fence and headed to the cottage. Adam glanced in the hedgehog shed as he passed and opened the door to the lean-to that housed the lawn mower. "Nothing." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the splintery door.

  Victoria's hand settled warm against his arm. "I checked out here before I came up to Larchfield."

  Adam followed Victoria through her back door. He slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs and rested his head in his hands while she made some tea.

  Her arm slid around his shoulders as she placed a cup in front of him. "I can imagine how you must feel, Adam. A missing child is a parent's worst nightmare, but he can't have gone far. Hang in there."

  "I must call the police. There's nothing else to do." He'd wanted to avoid making it official. It was a scary thing for a kid to be tracked down and brought home by officers of the law. He knew from firsthand experience.

  He turned his head towards Victoria and breathed in the soft floral fragrance that was uniquely hers, drawing a measure of comfort from her touch and presence. He'd thought his life was under control, that he had everything worked out. He'd thought he and Harry had a solid foundation of trust and love that nothing could shake. How could it be so fragile and easily shattered?

  ***

  Victoria stood beside Adam's chair, wrapped both arms around him, and pressed her lips to the top of his head, willing her love and optimism into him. Until now he'd appeared so strong and capable. It shocked her to see him distressed. Not that she'd fare much better if Sophie ran away, but she hadn't expected a man like Adam to be so emotional.

  A bang sounded in the room above the kitchen. Adam tensed within Victoria's embrace. She lifted her head to listen, heart thumping. Could Harry be upstairs? Had he been in her cottage all along? Hope raced through her, tempered with apprehension at Adam's reaction.

  "What was that?" he said.

  "I don't know. Soph's room is above us."

  He glanced at her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "I thought she was at school."

  "She is, but she was up before me. If Harry knocked on the door early, she might have let him in."

  "Lord, if he's been here all the time…" Adam shot out of his chair and dashed off. Victoria hurried after him as he took the stairs two at a time. "Watch your head," she shouted just in time for him to duck under the low beam halfway up.

  When he reached the top, he threw open the door to Sophie's bedroom. Victoria squeezed in beside him. Harry sat at Sophie's desk, a book and his camera in front of him. He turned wide deer-in-the-headlights eyes on them.

  For a few breaths Adam just stared at his son, then he was around the bed and dragging the boy up into a hug. "Thank God," he whispered. "I've been so worried about you."

  Victoria hung back, letting them have their moment.

  After a short while, Harry wriggled out of Adam’s grip and dropped back onto the desk chair.

  Adam kept his hand on Harry's shoulder as if he couldn't bear to let him go so soon. "What were you thinking, disappearing like that without a word? You took ten years off my life this morning."

  "I didn't do anything," Harry complained. "I just came to stay with Soph and Victoria while you're in Spain. I told you I didn't want to go."

  Adam sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his forehead. "Did you really think I'd wake up, find you gone, and think 'Harry's missing, but never mind, I'll go to Spain anyway'?"

  Harry looked confused. "Yes."

  "You expected me to leave not knowing where you were or if you were safe?"

  "I'm safe here," Harry said, as if his father was being stupid.

  "Yes, but I didn't know you were here, Harry, did I?"

  Harry stared blankly at his dad. "I thought you'd guess."

  "I did. This is the first place I looked. Victoria told me you weren't here because she didn't know."

  Harry glanced down and fiddled with his camera strap. "I asked Soph not to say anything to her mum in case you found me and made me go with you."

  Pain crumpled Adam's face and he struggled to hide it. A little piece of Victoria's heart broke at the sight. In less than a week, she'd come to care for this man so much. Seeing him hurt cut her to the core.

  It was a few moments before he spoke again and when he did his voice cracked. "Why don't you want to come with me, pal?"

  "I want to stay here. I'm fed up with travelling. I want to go to school like other kids and live in a home like this."

  "Isn't us being together what's most important? You know I love having you with me."

  Harry just stared sullenly at Adam and tears pricked Victoria's eyes. She understood how Harry felt but could see Adam's point of view as well.

  Adam sighed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I've cancelled our trip to Spain. We won't go if you don't want to. Come back to the pub with me. We need to let Victoria get going."

  She wanted to say, "It's okay. Stay here as long as you like. Let me help." But she knew she mustn't interfere in Adam's relationship with his son.

  "Soph said I could stay here," Harry replied.

  Now Victoria did speak up. "She had no right to do that, Harry. She didn't ask me. If she had, you know I'd have told you to ask your dad for permission."

  Harry kicked the leg of the desk.

  Victoria expected Adam to demand Harry get up and leave, instead he turned to her. "Are you planning to go to work now?"

  "No. It's too late."

  "Do you mind if we stay awhile? I need someone to talk to."

  "Of course. You're welcome." A warm sensation bubbled up inside. He needed her, even if just for a short while.

  With a wince, Adam rubbed his neck and returned his attention to his son. "Have you had anything to eat, pal?"

  Harry picked up a giant cookie wrapper. "Soph left me this."

  "I'll make sandwiches," Victoria said, eager to do something useful, rather than stand there feeling helpless. She headed downstairs and busied herself buttering bread and slicing cheese.

  Adam and Harry came into the kitchen and she pulled open the back door. "Might as well sit out in the sun while it's shining." Adam rested a hand on his son's shoulder and they went outside.

  Victoria set the sandwiches on a tray with some cans of soda and a fresh pot of tea and followed. Adam was sitting in a lawn chair staring at his son, who wandered around snapping pictures with his camera.

  "Back to normal, I see," she said, joining him.

  "No." He turned his bleak gaze on her. "I don't think I'll ever get back to normal again."

  ***

  As Harry wandered around the sunny garden, photographing spiders and insects, Adam could hardly take his eyes off him. He was so grateful to have his son back safely.

  But his relief was tempered with a sense of confusion. How could Harry believe he would leave for Spain without knowing he was safe? This made Adam question their whole relationship and how he'd raised him. Somewhere along the line, he must have screwed up badly.

  "You and Harry will sort this out," Victoria said softly, pressing her hand over his.

  Logically he knew she was right, but inside his world had tilted on its axis. How could he have been so wrong about what was best for Harry? "I've obviously messed up."

  "Being a parent is hard. We can't get everything right all the time. It seems to me like you've done a lot of things well. Harry's a great kid. He's bright and well balanced."

  "And so happy with me that he's just run away."

  Victoria ignored his comment, which was probably a good thing. He needed to pull himself together and work out what to do to make Harry happy, not wallow in self-pity.

  "What about Harry's mum, does he ever see her?"

  "Occasionally. We divorced when he was three. She's married to a Canadian guy now and lives in Vancouver with her two little girls." And Harry seeing more of his mother wasn't going to happen. Heather might hav
e given birth to him but she'd left him behind when she walked out on Adam and moved across the Atlantic.

  Adam flipped his hand and gripped Victoria's slim fingers. His normally quick brain finally recovered from the numb shock and started to process.

  "Harry obviously thinks differently from me. For me, home is more about who you're with than where you are."

  "That's why you take Harry with you when you travel. I understand."

  But Adam could tell from her tone she didn't think he was right. "You disagree?"

  She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Children need a nest like a hedgehog."

  Despite his melancholy mood, he couldn't help but laugh.

  She smiled. "I guess I'm obsessed with hedgehogs. But you know what I mean. Kids need stability and a safe place where they have their own things."

  "Harry's safe with me and he has plenty of gadgets he takes when we travel."

  "I'm sure he does. But he needs a comfortable home as well."

  "And to mix with other kids," Adam added. The fact Harry had no friends his own age and mainly socialized with adults had worried Adam for a while. He'd chosen to push it to the back of his mind rather than face the fact that Harry needed to go to school.

  "I think that's a given, isn't it?" Victoria said.

  Adam released her hand and massaged the tight, achy muscles in his neck. The worry of Harry disappearing on top of everything else had left him stressed out, and his painkillers were at the pub.

  Victoria rose to her feet and moved behind him "I'm not surprised you're wound up after this morning. Let me." She kneaded the muscles in his shoulders and neck and he dropped his head forward with a groan.

  "That's good. Don't stop."

  "I wasn't going to."

  "My doctor says I should slow down and take some time off, but it's difficult when I'm busy. I hate to miss a good opportunity."

  "You need to make the time. Maybe it's not only Harry who needs some home comforts."

  Adam's eyelids drifted down at the blissful sensation as her fingers worked his muscles. He could easily get used to this.

  The tension and pain leaked away and he fell into a trance. An image of a country house with a pretty garden drifted into his mind, the smell of baking and freshly brewed coffee, the sound of Harry and Sophie laughing together as they played. And Victoria stepping into his arms, linking her hands behind his neck, kissing him. Yes, home comforts like that would work wonders.