by Aspen Drake
“Are you okay, Carly?” Noah looks at me with worry. “You look flushed… Is it the food?”
“No. No. The food is wonderful. I’m sorry…just carried away with my thoughts.”
“Ahh.” Max wipes his mouth with his napkin then turns to face me. “What is the beautiful Carly thinking about that is pulling her away from us?”
I want so badly to tell them, but without knowing yet, I can’t chance ruining what we have if it turns out not to be true.
“Just thinking about work. You know, the usual.” I try to cover my distraction and take another piece of meat off my fork with my lips.
“Busy days at the salon?” Noah asks, cutting into the beef on his plate. “I’d imagine your job can be pretty exciting with all the different people you see every day.”
“It can be. Sometimes, it can be outright crazy and other times, very sad.”
“What do you mean?” Max asks between bites. It’s odd to be talking about work with the guys. Usually, we discuss the club they own, but rarely do we talk about cutting hair. It doesn’t seem to be a topic they care much about.
“Well, Olivia had this poor guy come in the other day that had been to one of the discount salons inside the mall. I’m not sure what they did to him, but his hair was so chopped and uneven, Olivia had to work carefully to not remove too much more hair while keeping it as even as possible.”
“How did he look when she was finished?”
“Good, but she couldn’t save much of his hair and get a nice style for him. He left with a very short, military style look after he told her to just go ahead and shave it down. He’d been letting it grow for years to change his hairstyle into something he could fix in different ways.”
“That bad, huh.” Noah looks at me, trying to stifle a laugh.
“It’s not funny,” I say, trying not to laugh along with him. “The kid must have been around eighteen and was nearly in tears.”
Noah dips his head as I give him a cross look. “Sorry,” he mumbles and Max just chuckles.
“We can cut Noah’s hair and let him see what it’s like,” Max says.
“No, thank you,” Noah replies quickly. “You stay away from me.”
Max waggles his eyebrows, making no promises, and I just stare between my two guys. Leave it to these two to make me feel more at ease. If there was ever a doubt in my mind that the three of us belong together, it is long gone now that we’re back together.
Chapter Fourteen
Beth
“Ready?” Mason is standing in the living room talking to Nate when I come down the stairwell.
I nod my head as I step off the last stair. Amy comes from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn for the kids. Isla comes running up to me and grabs me around the waist.
“Be good for Aunt Amy, okay?”
“I will, Mommy.”
“And play nice with Natey.”
“We’ll be fine,” Amy says, shooing us out the door. Nate heads out with us, saying goodbye as he runs to the salon to deal with an alarm that was set off. Mason opens his passenger door and helps me into his Jeep.
Once we are on the road, I finally ask where we’re going.
“It’s a surprise.” Mason turns to me with a wicked grin. I settle back and enjoy the ride, which becomes very familiar after several miles.
When we pull into the parking lot of the Junior Museum and Zoo in Palo Alto, I squeal in delight. “The zoo!”
“Is that okay?” Mason’s eyes dance as he watches my excitement build.
“I haven’t been to a zoo in forever. I’ve been meaning to bring Isla, but haven’t thought about it recently.”
“Well, we can check it out and bring her next time” he says with a grin.
I hop out of the passenger’s seat, excited like a small child. Mason comes around and takes my hand, leading me to the front gates where he gives a donation to the zoo for entrance and we walk inside.
The afternoon is a whirl of sites as we walk through the various exhibits. I’m like the kids who are around us as I explore the Buzzzz area, looking at the different bugs on exhibit and reading off all the information associated with each. Except for the spiders, which I absolutely hate, the entire display is amazing.
Mason buys us each a Coke and we sit on a park bench, watching the families milling about in the sunny afternoon weather. “So what do you think?”
“About?” I look around to see what he’s referring to.
“Bringing Isla next time.”
“She’ll love it,” I say enthusiastically.
“Maybe she’ll handle the spiders better,” he says, nudging me in the side.
“Hey, that one was staring right at me. I think he had it out for me.”
Mason breaks out in a hearty laugh. “He was probably just as afraid of you.”
“I doubt that.”
My phone rings, disturbing the playful moment between us. Pulling it out of my purse, I flip it over and see a picture of Amy I snapped one afternoon. She didn’t think I was being serious and stuck her tongue out. The memory brings a smile to my face every time she calls.
“Hello.”
“Beth!” The tone of her voice sends a shiver down my spine.
“What’s wrong?”
“You need to come home, right now. Hurry.”
“Amy, what’s going on?”
“Just get here.” The phone goes silent and panic takes over.
“What is it?” Mason asks, concern in his voice.
“Something’s happened. We have to go.” I stand up and Mason is right behind me, following close as we exit the zoo and jog to his Jeep. We speed down the highway, making our way back to Nate and Amy’s place in less than fifteen minutes.
The sight we arrive to causes my stomach to drop. Several patrol cars are in the drive as we pull up. I jump from the car before Mason even puts it in park.
Running to the front door, I burst inside, frantically searching for my sister. “Amy?”
Amy comes running out of the kitchen followed by Nate and a guy with dark hair and dark blue eyes. His features are similar to Nate’s but I don’t ask them about it. I grab Amy as she gives me a hug.
“Oh, Beth. I’m so sorry.”
“Where’s Isla?” I pull away from Amy and look around for my daughter. Where the fuck is she?
“Beth, this is my brother Roman.” Nate points to the guy standing with them.
“Where’s Isla?” I demand.
Roman steps forward, attempting to calm me. “Beth, we are having trouble finding her. She’s not here.”
“JR.” My voice cracks as I utter his name. “What happened? Amy?”
“I was in the living room with the kids and had to go pee. Natey says they wanted to go outside to play on the swings. When they opened the back door, he said a man grabbed Isla and took her with him.”
“Oh, god. No.” My knees go weak and I collapse to the ground. Mason catches me before I completely pass out and carries me to the couch.
My body is shaking as Mason wraps an arm around me. This can’t be happening. This has to be another nightmare. Why am I not waking up?
“We’ve got patrols out looking right now. Turns out, JR is wanted for some drug related activity.”
My eyes widen in fright.
Roman holds up a hand to calm me. “It’s okay. We’re setting up an Amber alert and everyone knows to use caution when approaching him. We’ll do everything we can to get Isla home safely.”
His phone sounds, and he looks at the screen. “Excuse me.” Roman steps out of the room to take the call.
“Oh, Beth. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” I stare at a box of crayons on the coffee table. “JR is a bastard. I knew he was going to try something. I just wanted to believe it wouldn’t happen.”
Tears start to cascade down my cheeks. Mason pulls me tighter against his chest, and I bury my face into his neck.
“I should have known he’d find us
.”
“We’ll find her,” Mason says softly, kissing me on the crown of my head. “Don’t worry… We’ll find her.”
Roman steps back into the room, clipping his phone onto the holder hanging on his belt. “That was the captain. They may have a lead on where he’s headed.”
I’m on my feet quickly. “Where? Let’s go.”
“Now hold on. You need to leave that to us,” Roman says, holding a hand up toward me. “We don’t want to cause him to make any rash moves. Just leave it to us.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?” My voice is irritated now, wondering when or if I’ll ever see my baby again.
“Wait here and stay near your phone. We’ll call you as soon as we have her.”
I look around the room, from Amy’s crying eyes to Nate’s firmly set jaw and the frightened boy holding his arm.
“Roman,” Mason says. “Where do you think he’s going?”
Roman looks cautiously between us all. I nod my head. “Where?”
“We think he’s headed toward Mexico. The drug cartel we’ve tied him too through his car sales lot is based there. We think he’s going to cross the border and set up business there with some of his allies.”
“You can’t let him take her across the border.” I’m nearly hysterical again. “You can’t.”
“We won’t,” Roman says. “I promise.”
Chapter Fifteen
Mason
Hours pass at a snail’s pace as we sit at Amy and Nate’s home. I feel helpless, unable to do anything to bring an ounce of comfort to Beth. She’s restless, sitting down and then standing up to pace the room.
“Beth,” I start, but lose the words I want to say. Nothing I can think of could possibly make her feel any better. Her little girl is gone and all we can do is sit around and wait.
Beth walks over to me, and I stand up from my seat in the chair I’ve occupied for the past several hours. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in tight.
“Mason, I…”
“I know. I know. They’ll find her. She’ll be home soon.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.” I hate making her promises that are outside of my control to keep, but I can’t remind her that every passing second takes her daughter farther away from the chance of ever coming home. All I can do is lie and pull her tightly against me, kissing her head.
Amy walks in the den, coming down the stairs after putting Natey to bed early. As she steps over toward us, Nate enters the room and turns on the television. “Roman called. The Amber alert is finally online.”
We all turn toward the screen, watching as Nate turns to a local station. A picture of an angry looking man comes on the screen. He must be JR.
“Police are on the lookout for a man accused of kidnapping his daughter…” The voice of the reporter fades out of my mind as the picture of JR makes me sick to my stomach.
“I’ve seen him,” I say, suddenly irritated that I didn’t pay closer attention to the strange man watching me last weekend at Creamy’s. I remember the odd looks he gave me that morning and suddenly it all makes sense. He was checking me out and sizing me up. Must have seen me with Beth at some point.
“You have?” Beth turns to me with shock in her voice.
“He was in the bakery last weekend. The morning we went to lunch, actually.”
“Oh, god. He saw us together?”
“He’s been following us. Watching our every move.” A chill runs down my spine as Beth starts to shake again. “Waiting in the shadows and planning his move.”
The reporter’s voice comes back into focus. “If you have any information or have seen this man, please call the police hotline―”
Nate turns off the screen, cutting off the rest of the message. We sit in silence for the rest of the evening, all waiting for the same thing.
For a phone to ring with news that they’ve caught JR and Isla is safe.
~**~
I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I awake with a blanket covering me on the couch and Beth nestled next to me.
Looking over to the nearby chair, Nate is sitting and reading the paper. “What time is it?” I whisper, trying not to wake Beth.
“Almost seven.” Nate folds the paper over and sets it on the side table. I carefully maneuver around Beth, leaving her laying on the couch. Streaks of leftover tears carve lines down her face. The last thing I recall is her falling asleep while crying in my arms.
Nate motions for me to follow him into the kitchen and he begins preparing a pot of coffee. “I can’t believe this, man.”
I look to Nate as he pulls two cups from the cabinet near the sink.
“Yeah. I know what you mean. I worked so hard to keep her safe.” There is an expression of sadness in his face that I’ve never seen before.
“You can’t blame yourself. None of us can. No one could have known that JR would show up and kidnap Isla.”
Nate shakes his head. “We knew. Beth kept having dreams about it. I should have been here. Shouldn’t have left Amy alone.”
“If I hadn’t taken Beth out… Well, I guess it’s really my fault.”
Nate plants both hands on the counter and drops his head. “No. You’re right. Blaming ourselves won’t fix the problem.”
I sigh, accepting the cup of coffee Nate eventually pours for me. “Have you heard anything else from Roman?”
“He sent a text around midnight. Was going to get some shut eye and promised to call first thing this morning when he gets more news.”
“I hope we hear from him soon. I don’t like seeing Beth like this. Isla’s her whole world. Watching her suffer… Well, I just want it to end.”
Nate looks at me from over his coffee mug as he sips the fresh brew. “I see one of the Collins girls has gotten under your skin too…” Nate’s voice drifts off in a chuckle.
I throw my hand up behind my head, running it through my hair and looking back toward the den where Beth is still sleeping. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened, but she just stole my heart.”
“I know what you mean, brother. I know what you mean.”
Nate walks over to the fridge, looking for something to make for breakfast. “Let me.” I move past him and grab the milk from the fridge. He nods, walking over to the other side of the island and taking a seat. I pull out the ingredient I need and whip up some pancakes for everyone.
When I’ve got the second batch cooking, Natey comes running into the kitchen followed by a sleepy looking Amy. Natey sits down at the table and I place a pancake on a plate and give it to him. He devours it quickly and holds out a plate for another.
With another batch on the griddle, I hand Amy a plate. She starts to turn it down, but I cock an eyebrow. “It’s for the baby.”
She smiles wearily and takes the plate from me. Nate moves over to her and helps her into a chair at the table.
“That’s right. Eat.” He pats her on the shoulder.
Nate’s phone rings and he answers it. The whole kitchen goes silent as we listen to Nate’s end of the conversation.
After several moments he closes his eyes and throws his head back. “They’ve got her.”
Amy makes a sobbing sound and he rushes to her side, wrapping an arm around her. He meets my questioning gaze. “They’ve got her. Roman’s on his way here with Isla now.”
I flip the burner off and race into the den, where Beth is still resting. “Beth.” I give her shoulder a small nudge. “Beth.”
“JR… No.” She wakes from her dream with a look of fright.
“Beth, it’s me.” It takes a moment for her to focus on me and when she does, a brief look of relief crosses her face. It doesn’t last long before her mouth begins to tremble with the remembrance of yesterday’s events. “They found her.”
Beth’s widening eyes brim with tears. “They…”
“She’s okay. Roman’s bringing her here now.”
Beth throws her arms around me, and I pull her into a
standing position. “Oh, thank god.” Tears continue to flow, but these are tears of joy.
Pulling her lips to mine, I give her a kiss. “I’m so glad she’s okay.”
“Mason, you didn’t have to stay.”
“I wouldn’t leave you when you were going through all this.”
“But none of this is your problem and―”
I don’t let Beth finish her statement. “Beth, I care about you.”
Her features soften as she looks at me. “You do?”
“I’m falling in love with you.”
Beth’s mouth drops open at my admission. “I think I’m falling in love with you too.” I press my lips on hers again and pull her close.
“Now go freshen up.” I kiss her forehead and pull back. “Your baby will be here soon.”
Beth’s beautiful smile beams at me as she races upstairs to get changed.
Beth comes back down just as Roman is pulling up in the drive. He comes to the front door, holding Isla’s little hand in his.
“Mommy!” She releases Roman’s hand and runs up the steps to the front door and into Beth’s arms. Beth falls to her knees and pulls her daughter to her.
“Isla. Oh, baby.” I step up behind them as she holds Isla tight. My heart swells seeing them reunited. “Are you okay, baby?”
“I’m okay.” Isla steps back from her mom and hugs my legs. “Hi, Mr. Mason.”
“Hey, sweet girl.” I pick her up and hold her against my chest then pull Beth to me as well. I grip these two girls as though finding my whole world at my fingertips.
“We have to go,” Beth says. “He’ll be coming back for her.” The look of fear in her eyes makes my heart drop.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Roman looks at Beth and then me. “Maybe Amy could take the kids in the other room for just a moment?”
Beth grips me and Isla tighter, but I give her words of comfort as Roman meets my gaze. “I think you want to hear this, Beth. Amy will take good care of them.”
She nods slightly before releasing me and letting Amy pull Isla into her arms. “Hey, sweetheart,” she says as Isla gives Amy a big hug. They walk into the kitchen where I hear Amy ask Isla if she wants some pancakes for breakfast.
