by Stacy Finz
“Bundle up, honey.” She helped with Hope’s coat, hat and gloves. At least Idaho had prepared her for the cold Nugget winters. While packing, Emily had noticed that she had plenty of warm clothes. After Christmas, they’d go to Reno and get some more.
Drew had never been here before and when they got off the plane he took in his surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. “So this is it, huh?” He ruffled Hope’s hair. “What do you think, Harper?”
She shrugged. Leaving Morton had been difficult. According to everyone they’d met, Hope had a big group of friends, participated in lots of activities, and was a popular student there. Here, she’d have to start over again.
She noticed Clay separated himself from them, busying himself with post-landing procedures. Since Drew had arrived in Morton, Clay had been standoffish. She presumed he was trying to give them space to reunite with Hope but she missed him. She missed their closeness.
“The truck’s in the lot if you want to get in and turn on the heater,” he said, and tossed Drew the keys. “I’ll be along in a few minutes. I have to sign in.”
Drew grabbed a few of Hope’s bags and the two of them walked to the truck. Emily hung back with Paige.
“Everything okay?” she asked Clay.
“Everything’s great.” He winked. “She’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
She nodded. “I meant is everything okay with you . . . with us? You seem quiet.”
He let out a breath. “I’m just trying not to get in the way. Drew’s her father.”
“You’re her stepfather. Just like I’m the boys’ stepmother.”
“This is a little more complicated.” He pulled her in for a hug. “I love you and I love Hope. Loved her the minute I laid eyes on her. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m just trying to give you room to reconnect.”
“I miss you.”
“I’m right here, baby. Right by your side.”
“You think the boys will love her?”
“I know the boys will love her. They’ve got two sisters now.”
“Are you bugged that Drew’s here?” This was the first minute she’d gotten to talk to him alone since they’d left Morton.
“No. I want what’s good for Hope. And right now, she needs the both of you. Truth of it is, I was worried you’d want to have Christmas with just the three of you. This is pretty monumental, Em. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“Not without you, Justin, Cody and Paige. Never.”
He tugged her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then took the baby carrier from her. “I’ve got Paige. Let’s go home.”
“Sounds good.”
Drew had loaded Hope’s luggage into the bed of Clay’s Ford and had belted her in the back of the dual cab, next to Paige’s car seat. Emily let Drew have the front passenger seat so she could sit with her two girls.
“It’s less than ten minutes to the ranch,” Clay said, and pulled out onto the highway.
From the berms of snow on the side of the road, Emily could tell that a county plow had come through. Hope stared at the scenery from her window. Emily wondered what she was thinking. Drew, too, seemed mesmerized by the view. Rows of big, flocked pines, the rushing Feather River and the majestic Sierra mountains. It was enough to take your breath away.
When they got to the turn off to Nugget, Drew read the sign. “Pride of the West, huh?”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The place still awed her. “What do you think, Harper?”
She didn’t respond, just continued to peer out the window.
“Well, would you look at that?” Clay pointed as they drove through the city limits at a giant red-and-green balloon archway that crossed the road and a sign that said, “Welcome home, Harper.” Crowds of people stood on the side, waving streamers in the air.
Clay tooted his horn and Drew rolled down his window and waved, a big smile on his face. “Quite the welcome party, huh, Harper?”
Even solemn Hope seemed surprised. “They don’t even know me.”
“They know how much you mean to your mom and dad.” Clay winked in his rearview mirror, while Hope watched outside her window.
“There’s Donna and the Baker’s Dozen,” Emily said, and waved.
“Do you know them all?” Hope asked.
“They’re our neighbors and friends. It’s not so different from Morton. Soon you’ll know everyone, too.”
Caught up in the spirit, Hope smiled at the crowd while Clay kept honking his horn. Drew clearly got a kick out of the spectacle. Or perhaps it was seeing how the gesture had warmed Hope. Having their daughter back had mended a gaping hole in their hearts but seeing her light up was like heaven.
“You see the boys out there?” Emily asked Clay, who she suspected had been in on the surprise.
“Nah. Justin texted me. They wanted to be home when Harper got there . . . welcome her in private.”
“Looks like a great town,” Drew said as he watched the Harper celebration grow smaller in the distance.
So far, the media hadn’t descended but Emily knew it was just a matter of time. As long as reporters gave her the holidays with her daughter, Emily would give them a statement. First, to show families of missing children that they should never give up, and second, to thank the press for publicizing her daughter’s kidnapping. Sadly, even with the media’s relentless spotlight on Hope’s disappearance, no one in Morton had been suspicious. She had to hand it to Maureen and Duke, they’d pulled off the crime of the century. Her feelings about them were so mixed that they had her tied up like a pretzel inside. On one hand, she hated them with every fiber of her being and on the other, she was thankful that for all these years they’d kept her daughter safe—and happy. From all outward appearances, Hope had had a very good life with the Lanes.
Oddly, at the tender age of fifteen, Justin had called it. “Maybe someone desperate for a kid took her and is really nice. Well, obviously not that nice, because they stole her from you. But you know what I mean?” he’d said.
At the time, his optimistic theory had given her succor. That day, three years ago, he’d wormed his way into her heart. Both he and his little brother had become her lifeblood, even if they weren’t biologically hers. And now they would be meeting Hope for the first time and she was so worried they wouldn’t like each other.
As they pulled onto McCreedy Road and drove through the ranch, Clay motioned at various points of interest. The land had been in his family since the Gold Rush and he was proud of the cattle operation they’d built. Drew was duly impressed. Either that or he was putting on a good show to be polite. Born and raised in San Francisco, he’d complained that Palo Alto was too suburban. This made the Silicon Valley city seem downright metropolitan.
Clay stopped where two McCreedy horses were grazing near a split-rail fence and turned to Hope, who’d gone back to being withdrawn. “You know how to ride, Harper?”
She glanced at the horses with complete disinterest. “No.”
“We’ll teach you and you can pick out one you want.” It was a working ranch and Clay would want Hope to be involved some way. While Emily had never taken to horseback riding, she often cooked for the ranch hands and had taken over the responsibility of the chickens. At one time, she’d been scared to death of them. “How does that sound?”
Before she could respond Drew said, “Horses aren’t for everyone, right Harper?”
Emily sucked in a breath. Here we go. The first chance she got she’d pull Drew aside and tell him that Clay was just trying to be inclusive.
As they approached the house, Hope actually deigned to look. “It’s big,” was all she said.
Clay parked the truck and the dogs began their ritual of crowding the doors and barking. “They won’t hurt you.”
But Hope’s eyes grew round and terrified. Luckily, the boys came bounding over and shooed them away. Emily was disappointed when Drew got out and came around to Hope’s side. She’d wanted Justin and Cody to escort Hope up the
stairs, onto the porch of her new home. Instead, they stood awkwardly to the side, like if they came too close she’d break.
“This is Harper,” Clay said, and made the introductions.
“Nice to meet you.” Cody stiffly stuck his hand out. Hope just looked at it and nodded.
“Welcome, Harper.” Justin, a little less formal, smiled. Hope moved closer to Drew.
“Hi guys, I’m Drew, Harper’s father.”
“Hello, Mr. Mathews,” they said in unison, and Emily felt like she’d just entered Clay’s alma mater, West Point. Someone had replaced her sons with rigid cadets.
“It’s good to be home.” She kissed both boys, hoping to break the ice. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.”
At least the boys had remembered to turn on the Christmas lights. The big white farmhouse looked so bright, cheery, and festive that she prayed it lightened the mood. Justin took Paige’s carrier and bent over it so he could rub the baby’s nose with his. Hope watched but stayed guarded. Cody and Clay grabbed some of the luggage and said they’d come out for the rest.
Emily opened the front door and ushered Hope and Drew in. Either the housekeepers had come early or someone had been there and cleaned. Everything was picked up and the scent of lemon polish filled the air. She’d never seen it this immaculate. Assuming the boys weren’t responsible, she figured Maddy or Donna had done it, bless their hearts.
“Great place,” Drew said, and peeked through the foyer to the living room.
“Go in, make yourself at home. The tree is from our property . . . we cut it down ourselves.” She wanted Hope to see her baby-picture ornaments. Emily had made one every Christmas until Hope went missing. The last one was of Hope in a yellow dress for her sixth birthday. She, Clay and the boys hung them every year.
“That’s some tree.” Drew walked around the large pine, trying to engage Hope. She sat on the couch, staring at her lap.
Justin put Paige in the porta crib and went out to help his father and brother with the rest of the luggage. She had so hoped they would all immediately fall in love with one another and sit in the living room like an instant family. Pretty unrealistic this soon, but she still felt discouraged.
“Would you like to see your bedroom, Harper?” She and Clay had decided to give her the guest room upstairs, next to their bedroom.
“I guess.”
She started to lead Hope to the second story and Drew followed. Wanting time alone with her, Emily would’ve preferred him to stay in the living room. But she supposed he had a right to see where his daughter would sleep.
“After Christmas, we’ll decorate it any way you like,” she told Hope.
“I liked my old room.”
It felt like a knife through her chest but Emily said, “Then we’ll do it just like that.”
“My old furniture is coming, right?”
“Uh-huh. Do you still like yellow? It used to be your favorite color.”
“Really? Because I hate yellow.”
Clay came up behind them with two of Hope’s suitcases and placed them next to the bed. “I’m guessing you’ll want to unpack and make yourself at home.”
“Here”—Emily started to open one of the valises—“let me help you.”
“I can do it.” Hope tugged it away.
The boys came in with the remaining luggage and stood by the door, clearly uncomfortable. Emily didn’t think it could get any worse until Kristy showed up.
Chapter 11
Little memories were starting to float back. They were fuzzy and sometimes Harper didn’t know if she’d made them up in her head or had seen them in a movie and were mistaking them for real life. But from the minute she’d met Emily there was something familiar about her. The way she smelled and talked and the way she first called Harper, Hope. There was just this strange overpowering connection. Drew too.
She’d lied and said she didn’t remember them because she was afraid. And angry. She didn’t know why she was angry with them because they’d been nothing but nice. But she had this weird feeling that they had somehow let her down. Plus, she missed her mother, even if she had been a kidnapper and a criminal. It was all so confusing that it made her stomach hurt. She wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. But Emily was always fussing over her and Drew acted like she was his little buddy. Emily’s husband was okay, she guessed. At least he didn’t suffocate her. Justin and Cody probably thought she was a pathetic orphan and hated her.
The house was big and fancy. Mary Beth Wallace had one sort of like it, except hers was like a museum and Harper was always afraid she’d break something when she went over there. Her mama used to say that the Wallaces were filthy rich and Harper wondered if Emily and her husband were. They had horses and only rich people had horses. She didn’t want to be rich. She just wanted to be like she used to be.
“You want some hot cocoa, Harper? The boys are having some.” Emily motioned for her to follow her into the kitchen.
At least Drew and his wife, Kristy, went off somewhere. Kristy made Harper feel like a freak. Not because she was mean but because she treated Harper like she was two, calling her “sweetie” and “lamb.” It was as if Harper was some kind of charity case.
“Hey, Harper,” Justin said, and pulled out a chair for her at the table. “You want some of these cookies?”
“Okay.” She was kind of hungry. Since her mom died she hadn’t eaten much and had only played with her food at supper. “Thanks.”
“Would you like a sandwich?” Emily asked.
“This is fine.”
“I’ll take one,” Cody said. “The French kind you make with the ham and cheese.”
Emily smiled at him. “Coming right up. You want one, Justin?”
“Nah, I’m still full from dinner. You should have one, Harper. Emily makes killer sandwiches.”
“She makes killer everything,” Cody added, and shoved one of the cookies in his mouth. He sure ate a lot.
Emily had said he was fourteen but to Harper he looked older. Justin was like a full-grown man. He at least treated her normal. Didn’t talk to her like she was some kind of a victim.
“It’s snowing again,” he said, looking out the window.
Harper loved the snow. When her dad was alive they used to make snow angels. She wished she could go outside but it was dark and she didn’t know her way around.
Clay came in and grabbed one of the cookies off the table and sat next to her. “Drew and Kristy liked the barn. I got the heat going for them and brought over some firewood.”
“Thank you,” Emily said, and they looked at each other for a long time. “I’d like to do some Christmas shopping tomorrow. What do you say we all go?”
“We can do that,” Clay said, and bobbed his head at Justin and Cody.
She didn’t want to go Christmas shopping. She didn’t even want to have Christmas, not without her mother. And not in a strange town she’d never been before.
“Are Drew and Kristy going too?” Cody asked, giving her the impression that he hoped not. “Kristy’s kind of weird.”
Harper started to laugh but stopped when Clay made a mean face at Cody. Justin looked at Harper and winked.
“I think she’s just nervous,” Emily said. “She doesn’t know us well and she wants Harper to like her.”
Why should she care? Harper wondered but didn’t say anything. That was the thing, everyone treated her like she was made out of glass and would shatter at any minute. Especially Kristy.
“Should we sit around the tree for a little while?” Clay asked.
“I’ll bring your sandwich out, Cody,” Emily said.
Justin and Cody got up and headed to the living room but Harper could tell that they wished they could be anywhere else but here. They were putting on a good show so Clay wouldn’t get mad at them.
“I just want to go to bed,” she blurted.
Clay looked at the clock on the wall. It reminded Harper of the one at the Morton Diner, except
this one was bright yellow. “I guess it’s been a long day.”
“Let me just finish the sandwich and I’ll go up with you.”
“I’ll get it,” Clay told Emily. He moved in front of the stove and took the spatula from her.
Harper wanted to go by herself. All these people were smothering her and making her feel like they thought she was pitiful. But instead of objecting, she followed Emily up the long staircase to the room she’d be using. Just go with the flow. That’s what her dad would’ve told her if he were still alive.
“We’ll unpack you tomorrow.” Emily opened Harper’s suitcase and searched through it until she found a pair of pajamas. “These good?”
Harper nodded. She could’ve done it herself, she wasn’t a baby.
“Why don’t you go brush your teeth while I turn down the bed?”
Harper went in the bathroom, the one she had all to herself. At home, there’d only been one. She hadn’t had time to count, but there were probably five or six of them here. When she came out Emily had folded the covers down and was sitting on the edge of the bed. Harper just wanted her to leave, give her some space before she choked to death.
She patted the mattress for Harper to get in. “I know this seems difficult and strange. But it’ll get better, I promise. I missed you so much, Ho . . . Harper . . . sometimes I didn’t know how I’d get through another day without you.”
Emily was crying and Harper didn’t know what to say so she got in bed and faced the wall until the lights went out and she heard the door close.
* * *
“She asleep?” The moment Emily came into the living room Clay knew she’d been crying. He supposed it was going to take a while for the shock to wear off and to figure out how to deal with all the emotions flowing through her.
“I don’t think so but she needed space. Where are the boys?”
“Justin went to call Cynthia.” He rolled his eyes. “And Cody wolfed down his sandwich and rushed off to play a video game.”
“I know this has got to be a strain on them.” She sat next to him on the couch. “And I know it’s shaking up their Christmas.”
