by Judy Duarte
Her mom sat up straighter, yet her expression remained the same—cornered and distraught. “To be honest? I’m not even sure who I am anymore. Or what’s in my heart. Only that I love my family, and I feel it falling apart at the seams.”
“Then maybe it’s time you found out who you are.”
They sat in silence as the truth hovered around them, just out of reach.
Finally, her mom asked, “What about you, Shana. What’s in your heart?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” But she had an idea.
Running into Ramon at the park had taught her something. The handsome boy-turned-man still held a very precious place in her heart.
She’d like to date him, if he was the least bit interested. And if he wasn’t?
Then she’d head back to Australia and try to play catch-up with her studies. Either way, she definitely had some thinking to do.
Before either could respond, the doorbell rang.
Shana pushed her chair away from the table. “I’ll get it.”
Unable to help herself, she glanced over her shoulder as she was leaving the kitchen and saw her mom crumble when she thought no one was looking.
She didn’t want to see her mother sad or hurt, but she couldn’t continue to live a façade of the life she was meant to have.
Be strong, Shana told herself. Break the cycle. It wasn’t about her parents, it was about her. About her life, her dreams, her sense of right and wrong.
She proceeded to the foyer and answered the door. She wasn’t sure who she’d been expecting, but certainly not the bearded man she’d talked to in the park.
His hair was damp from the light rain that had begun to fall. He held up a purse in one hand and offered a smile. “I’m looking for Cassandra Delacourt. Is she here?”
“Yes, she is.” Shana glanced over her shoulder and called for her mother. While she waited for her to arrive, she gripped the edge of the door as though she could hold off the storm from battering her home.
Her mother stepped into the entry. “What is it?”
Shana moved aside, allowing the door to open all the way.
Again, the man lifted the handbag he held. “I found something that belongs to you.”
She eased forward and took it from him. “Where did you find it?”
“In a parking lot behind the shopping center on Elm.”
Cassandra reached into the purse and filed through the contents.
“It’s all there,” he said.
“It sure looks that way.” She opened her wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and handed it to him. “Thank you for your honesty.”
“I didn’t bring this back looking for a reward.”
“Still, it’ll make me feel better if you take this.” She pressed the money into his hand.
“If you’re looking for ways to pay it forward, why not donate your time at the soup kitchen? Dawn and Joe Randolph can always use help.”
“Actually,” she said, “I already support the church and that particular charity, among others.”
The man slipped the hundred-dollar bill into his pocket. “Donations are fine and needed sometimes. But sometimes you need to do some actual foot washing rather than offer to pay for someone’s pedicure.”
Cassandra stiffened. “What are you getting at?”
“Sometimes you need to do more than write a check. You need to give of yourself to be truly blessed.”
Cassandra was speechless, and so was Shana.
Who was that man?
They watched him stride down the walk and onto the street. He walked past each of the cars parked along the curb of their exclusive neighborhood, continuing on foot as rain pelted his hair and clothes.
“I’m going to offer him a ride,” Shana said.
“You can’t do that, honey. He’s a complete stranger. What if he’s a drug addict or a serial killer or something awful?”
“I doubt it. He didn’t steal anything out of your purse, so he can’t be all bad.” As Shana started after the man, her mother grabbed her arm. “I won’t let you go alone with him. Wait a minute. I’ll get your father, and we’ll both ride with you.”
Shana offered her mom a smile. “Nothing like a little hands-on charity work, huh?”
“He made it sound as though I wrote checks to absolve my conscience, and I don’t want him to think I’m heartless. I just hope your father understands what we’re doing and why.”
“Tell him that we’re going on a family adventure.”
Cassandra smiled wryly. “This is certainly a first for us, that’s for sure.”
Shana nodded toward the man. “I’ll ask him to wait.”
As her mom returned to the kitchen, Shana jogged to the street, calling out to the man. “Mister?”
He turned. “Yes?”
“If you don’t mind hanging out for a minute or two, we’ll give you a ride.”
“I’m not going far. Just to the corner of Fourth and Elm.”
Shana had spotted some new apartments near there. “Is that where you live?”
“No, that’s the bus stop.” He blessed her with a bright-eyed smile. “I thought I’d go to Debbie’s Diner for a cup of soup or something to eat.”
“We’ll give you a ride to the diner. And then we’ll treat you to a hot meal.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I know,” Shana said. “But humor us, okay? Our family is trying to put our lives back in order again, and we could use a new focus.”
And if he had some more advice to share, then so be it.
Renee trekked through the canyon, her feet picking up mud and grit along the path that led to the backyards of the houses on Sugar Plum Lane. She was going to work early today. With the clouds gathering, she was afraid she’d get caught in a downpour if she didn’t.
She wondered if Kristy had an umbrella she could borrow.
The boys had been great about stocking the tree house with necessities, but no one had planned for a day like this. And tonight was bound to be worse.
The roof of the tree house was sure to leak, and she was going to be wet, cold, and miserable.
She wondered if it would be out of line for her to ask Kristy if she could spend the night tonight. She could tell her that her place was being fumigated. Or that the heater wasn’t working.
Kristy was pretty cool and would probably offer to let Renee sleep on the couch.
If she didn’t, maybe Renee could take the bus to a motel. Tonight was definitely a good time to splurge on a real room.
She continued her trek, the soles of her sandals picking up more and more muck as she went. By the time she reached Kristy’s front yard, the light sprinkles overhead had intensified. In a few minutes, the rain would be coming down steadily, and she couldn’t wait to get inside. Her toes were cold, and so were her hands.
When she reached the front porch, she knocked on the door.
Kristy answered, but she wasn’t smiling. And she didn’t welcome her in.
She crossed her arms like a sentry. “We have a problem, Renee. Some of my things are missing.”
Renee wrinkled her brow. “What things?”
“I won’t beat around the bush. I’m missing a lot of money. It was in a music box that used to be in the top drawer of my nightstand, but that’s gone, too.”
Did she think Renee had taken it?
She drew her hands into the long sleeves of her sweat shirt, wishing her whole body could do the same thing. But she stood tall. “I would never steal from you or from anyone, Kristy. I hope you know that.”
A frown suggested she didn’t.
“That music box was hand-carved,” Kristy said. “And it had a false bottom. It plays “The Blue Danube Waltz.” Have you seen it?”
Renee was torn between wanting to clear her name and protecting her secret.
Jason had thought the baby would like the music box, so he’d given it to Renee for that reason.
If she insisted it was a gi
ft, Jason would be questioned. And maybe he’d spill the beans about her, about her situation.
Maybe she wouldn’t need much of an explanation if she just returned it. “I know where it is. I’ll go and get it.”
“What about the money?”
Kristy had said the box had a false bottom, so it might still be inside. “It appeared to be empty, but the money might be right where you left it.”
“It had better be. If not, I’ll call the police.”
More than anything, Renee wanted to tell Kristy that she hadn’t taken anything, but she didn’t want to get Jason in trouble for going into the canyon and for taking things from his house. “Wait here, Kristy. I’ll run home and bring it back.”
“So you did take it.” Anger flared in Kristy’s eyes, yet it was tempered by disappointment. “Why would you steal from me? I trusted you.”
“But I … didn’t …” It was a gift, she wanted to say. Jason must have taken it without permission, but she couldn’t rat on him. She’d sworn the boys to secrecy, and if she told on him, he would probably reveal everything he knew about her to save his own butt. And she couldn’t blame him if he did. If she had a mom like Kristy, she wouldn’t want to upset her, either.
“If you needed the money or wanted the box, why didn’t you just ask me?” Kristy asked, clearly feeling betrayed.
She considered her options. How much was she willing to admit?
That she was young and pregnant and living in a tree?
That she wasn’t prepared to bring a baby into this world, no matter how much she meant to love and protect it?
Tears stung her eyes, and emotion clawed her throat. “I’ll be right back. Okay? Please don’t call the police.”
“If all the money is still inside when you return it, I won’t report you. But if you kept any of the money …”
Who knew what had happened to it.
What if it wasn’t in the bottom?
What if Jason left the box lying around and someone else had already taken it before he’d even given it to her?
“Wait here,” Renee said. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Oh, God, she thought, as she turned and dashed down the wet walkway to the street. Please let it all be there.
It was more of a desperate wish than a prayer.
As she cut between two houses to the path that led to the canyon, the rain poured down on her head, and her feet slogged through the wet dirt that was fast turning to mud.
She hurried toward the tree house. Faster, faster.
Wet strands of hair slapped against her cheeks, and her breaths came out in short, ragged shards that clawed at her chest. She forced herself to run faster, but her steps slowed as big globs of mud stuck to her sandals.
By the time she spotted the tree house in the distance, she was soaking wet and chilled to the bone. But mostly she felt dirty, like she’d done something horrible.
It was so unfair. All she’d wanted to do was stay out of trouble and to keep her baby safe.
Once she returned the music box, she would tell the boys to take back everything they’d ever given her. No way did she want to risk something like this happening again—especially with Kristy, who she’d really begun to like.
As she neared her tree, the wind kicked up, and the sky darkened from both sunset and the storm. She picked up her pace, hoping that a hard run wouldn’t hurt the baby.
She couldn’t believe this was happening to her—just when she was beginning to think that Fairbrook was all Jesse had said it was, that she’d actually found a place where she fit in. She’d even told Dawn she would meet her at church on Sunday morning and check out the services. And not just because Dawn had said they served donuts and coffee afterward. She’d agreed because Dawn was so nice to her, and she’d wanted to spend time with her and Joe—away from the soup kitchen.
Tears blinded her, and the rain blasted her face. When she finally reached the tree, she began the climb up the wooden slats that had been nailed on the trunk.
Up, up, she went.
As she neared the top, she reached for the edge of the wooden flooring in the doorway, but before she could get a good grip, her foot slipped. Her wet fingers clawed at the wood, but to no avail.
She slipped and fell.
“Oh, God,” she cried out loud, just as her back and head slammed onto the ground with a thud.
Upon impact, the wind was knocked right out of her, and she couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t yell.
Lightning flashed, and thunder roared in anger.
What had she ever done to deserve this?
When she thought she would surely die from lack of oxygen, she finally gasped. Slowly, her ability to breathe returned, but it seemed that she was sucking in more water than air.
Finally, she yelled for help. But she feared no one would hear her, no one would come.
Her back and head ached something awful, but that wasn’t her biggest fear.
It was searing pain low in her belly that scared her the most. The stabbing pain that sliced like a knife across her womb.
Her tears mingled with the rain.
“Oh, God,” she prayed, realizing He was her only option and hoping He was really up there. “I don’t care about me, but please don’t let my baby die.”
In the cozy warmth of the old Victorian house, Kristy waited for Renee to return. She paced the living room, wondering if she’d made a mistake in letting the girl go off alone.
What if she never came back? What if the money was gone for good and she couldn’t pay for the new furnace?
Her only peace of mind came from the fact that the boys, at least Danny, knew where Renee lived. So Kristy would have an address for the police report.
She blew out a ragged sigh and raked a hand through her hair. She was sick about this. Not just the theft, but also the fact that she couldn’t trust Renee now and once again would need to find another sitter.
There wasn’t much left in Gram’s savings account, so the money that had appeared out of nowhere had also given Kristy the tiniest glimpse of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
A whisper of guilt blew over her, as her conscience reared its head, reminding her that the money had actually belonged to Gram’s husband. And with his death, ownership had fallen to Gram.
Kristy knew Gram wouldn’t mind her using that money to repair the furnace, but she’d also pondered plans to use the leftover on college—all without mentioning her find or seeking Gram’s approval.
Even though she didn’t think Gram would care one way or the other, she couldn’t seem to shuck the uneasiness about her own actions.
“Hey,” Jason said, as he entered the living room. “I thought I heard Renee’s voice a while ago. Where did she go?”
“She went to get the music box she stole from our house.”
Jason bit down on his bottom lip and scrunched his face. “What music box?”
“The pretty one made out of wood, the one I put in a drawer in my room.”
“You wanted that?”
Renee had said she didn’t steal the box, and it didn’t take Kristy long to start filling in the blanks. “Did you take it out of the drawer in my bedroom?”
“Yeah. I didn’t think you wanted it. How come you didn’t put it out for everyone to see? That’s what you do with all the other junk you like.”
“Because I’d hidden some money inside of it, and I tried to hide it.”
“It was empty when I found it.”
She explained how a false bottom worked, yet her heart grew heavy from the assumptions and the unfounded accusations she’d made. She could still see the desperation in Renee’s eyes, still hear the fear in her voice. And at that very moment she appeared young, all alone, and backed into a corner.
It hadn’t been all that long ago when Kristy had found herself up against a hard wall with no one to turn to, no one to help.
She ran a hand through her hair again, wondering what she should say to the g
irl. She definitely owed her an apology.
“Don’t be mad at us,” Jason said. “Renee will give it back.”
“I know. That’s what she went to do.”
Jason strode to the living room window and peered out into the yard. “Did she walk? She’s going to get super wet and cold.”
Great. As if Kristy needed to feel any guiltier than she already did. She glanced at the clock. Renee had said she’d be right back.
“How far away does she live?” she asked.
Jason turned from the window. “Not too far.”
“Maybe I should drive to her house and pick her up.”
“You can’t drive there, Mom.”
“Why not?”
He bit down on his bottom lip again and scrunched his face.
Kristy crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re hiding something?”
Instead of answering, he seemed to ponder a response. When his gaze finally met hers, he said, “I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I promised. Something bad could happen if anyone finds out.”
Kristy uncrossed her arms and stepped closer to him. “We’ve had this talk before, Jason. If someone tells you to keep a secret from your mom, that’s your first clue that the secret needs to be shared with me. So you can tell me this one, and I promise to do whatever I can to make sure something bad doesn’t happen.”
He cocked his head to one side, his eyes brightening. “You’d help her?”
“Yes, if I can.”
“But do you promise not to tell anyone else?”
Did she dare make an agreement like that? When she didn’t have all the details?
“First you’ll have to tell me what the secret is. And I promise not to tell anyone without talking it over with you and explaining why we’d need to do that.”
“But someone might take away her baby.”
Kristy’s heart dropped. “She has a baby? Where is it?”
“In her stomach. But she’s afraid someone will take it away if they think she can’t take care of it.”
“Why would someone do that?”
“Because she’s kind of young to be a mother. And because she doesn’t live in a real house or have a car or lots of money.”
Kristy had thought that the ID she’d flashed had looked phony. “Where does she live?”
