Al stuck both hands in his back pockets. “You took that money from Edie all on yer own, man.”
Yes. He had. And he’d been paying for it ever since.
If Al hadn’t told Sienna about prison, she wouldn’t have ignored his texts that night. He wouldn’t have gone over there the next morning. He wouldn’t have seen all the things she’d written about people. One tiny pebble in the pond, and all the ripples spread.
Before he knew it, Mike took Al’s shirt in his fist. He bent close enough to see the gap in Al’s greasy smile and smell his terrible breath. “Why’d you tell her?” His fist tightened, and the fabric bunched around Al’s neck. “Why’d you tell Sienna about me serving time?”
Al wriggled in his grasp and struggled for breath, but Mike didn’t let go or loosen his grip. “It didn’t have anything to do with you. You should’ve minded your own business.” Al’s eyes bulged in his face, and finally Mike dropped his hand. The Reuben and the beer churned in his stomach. “Get the fuck out of here. You make me sick.”
He turned to go, but Al must be stupider than Mike remembered, because he punched Mike in the kidney as he went to unlock his truck. Pain shot through his back, and he staggered against the truck. “What the fu—” Another punch. This one took Mike almost to his knees.
With a roar, he spun. Red blurred his vision, and he swung out with both fists. You ruined everything, he thought as he made contact. Once. Then again. Then a third time. Bone splintered and drops of blood sprayed both their shirtfronts. Someone shouted from across the parking lot, and Mike backpedaled as his senses returned. Al crouched on the pavement, holding his face. Blood poured from between his fingers.
What the hell did I do?
Mike looked up to see Mac and Damian standing in the parking lot, wide-eyed. He grabbed Al’s arm and pulled him to his feet. “Get out of here. You tell anyone I beat the piss outta you, and I’ll send the cops to wherever you are so fast you won’t have time to hide your stash.” His hands trembled. In the blink of an eye, he’d returned to the punk he’d been years ago, fighting, cursing, letting someone else get the better of his temper. He swallowed back bile and hated himself.
Al staggered away without another word.
Mike drove straight home and took a long shower. He didn’t want to be that person anymore. He’d come to town wanting to leave that guy far behind him. He closed his eyes and rinsed under the spray. Tiny spots of Al’s blood covered one wrist, and he rubbed them until the skin went raw. You have to be a better person.
He toweled off and walked naked to his bedroom. He’d started to become a better person, first when he returned to Pine Point and then when he opened Springer Fitness. He’d learned from the past and left it behind him. He hadn’t realized the missing part of his life until Sienna came to town. She’d changed him, her and her students. He stretched out on his bed and flipped on the TV. He wanted to be better. He wanted to be proud of the way he spent his days. Most of all, he wanted the feeling of deep-down happiness he’d discovered over the last three months.
But he had no idea had to get it back.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Miss Cruz, look!” Caleb pointed at the Silver Valley Panthers pitchers warming up in the bullpen. The boy stopped and stared. Two young men, one a head taller than the other, wound up and let the ball fly in a steady rhythm Sienna knew fascinated Caleb to no end. The catchers squatted at the opposite end of the bullpen, returning the pitches and pounding their fists into their gloves.
“Keep moving, son,” Caleb’s father said with a pat on his son’s shoulder. “We have to find our seats before the game starts.”
Sienna held Silas by one hand and Bailey by the other. Billy walked beside Caleb’s father with Dawn behind them. Every few feet, Sienna glanced over her shoulder to make sure Dawn hadn’t disappeared. The sun beat down on the back of her neck, and a bright blue sky spread above them. Beautiful weather for opening day. She squeezed away her wish that Mike had come with them and relegated it to the place in her heart with other wishes, like I wish we hadn’t fought and I wish I’d explained things better and I wish we could get past all this. Sometimes her whole body ached with wishing.
At the front gate, Sienna wrestled Bailey’s sweaty hand from hers and dug into her purse for the tickets. Silas clutched his baseball glove in one hand, his eyes the size of saucers as he looked at the stadium.
“You excited, buddy?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Dawn, please come over here.” The girl had wandered over to a kiosk selling programs, hats, and giant foam fingers. The guy behind the counter leaned down and asked her something, but she only stared and pinched her hands together. He frowned, made a comment, and then turned away. Dawn’s face fell. Sienna walked over as the girl’s bottom lip pushed out. She wanted to tell the idiot behind the counter he didn’t have to be rude. Instead, she hugged Dawn for a half second before the girl ducked away and walked over to Caleb.
“Come on, come on,” Billy called, almost delirious with excitement. They walked inside the gate, and he pointed at the enormous red signs hanging overhead. “We’re in Row F,” he shouted, and was about to dart away before Caleb’s father plucked him by the sleeve.
“You’ve got your hands full, don’t you?” he said to Sienna.
“You have no idea.”
Together, they managed to find their seats along the first-base line—not behind home plate as Caleb had hoped, but in the third tier up. Still, they had a decent view, and if a foul ball made it this far, Silas might even have a chance at catching it. The crowd settled in around them, and soon the players trotted out for introductions.
Sienna sat on one end of the row with Caleb’s father on the other. In between, the five students sat rapt with wonder. From the opening pitch to the third out of the fourth inning, they remained silent, only cheering when the Panthers scored two runs in the third. Caleb pressed his hand against her leg every so often, leaning forward in his seat to watch each play. Silas had his glove positioned against his chest, his gaze on every foul ball. Sometime in the fifth inning, Sienna finally relaxed. She’d spent two sleepless nights worrying about taking the students out of their familiar environment. Turned out she didn’t need to. They looked like they were having the time of their lives.
This was a good idea. The sun warmed her face, and she slipped on her sunglasses. She tried not to dwell on the fact that it had been Mike’s idea, and they wouldn’t be here at all if he hadn’t suggested it. The field, the players, the calls of strikes and balls faded. I miss him.
“Miss Cruz?” Caleb’s father called down the row. “I’m going to take these two to the bathroom.” He motioned to the twins squirming in their seats.
“Okay, sure.”
“Want anything? Popcorn? Peanuts?”
Caleb jumped up and down. “Yes, please! Peanuts.”
“Silas has a peanut allergy, so, no,” she said as she sat him back down. “But some popcorn would be nice, thanks.”
The man nodded and directed the twins ahead of him up the stairs. Sienna leaned over to ask Dawn if she needed to use the bathroom too, but at a loud crack from the field, a roar swept over the crowd. Everyone around them leaped to their feet. A Panther had hit a grand slam, and four players made their way around the bases, pumping their fists and waving to the crowd as they crossed home plate. Six—zero, read the flashing neon sign behind the outfield.
“Miss Cruz, did you see that?” Caleb asked, his cheeks flushed with excitement. “A grand slam is very uncommon in a minor league game. Last year the Panthers only had two, and they were both at away games.”
“I did see it, and it was very exciting,” she answered. She slipped up her sunglasses and scanned the row. Silas bounced on his tiptoes, the glove still cradled to his chest. Billy and Bailey were climbing back down the stairs with Caleb’s father behind them. And Dawn—<
br />
Sienna’s gaze lighted on the empty seat beside Silas. Oh God. Oh, no. She’d looked away for thirty seconds. Not even thirty. Her entire body went cold. “Caleb, did you see Dawn leave?”
He shook his head.
“Silas? Do you know where Dawn went?”
His face furrowed for a moment, and then he turned and pointed to a sign that read “Restrooms.”
“Oh, God.” Sienna pushed her way down the row. “You boys stay right here. Don’t move.” She grabbed Caleb’s father’s arm. “Did you see Dawn up there?”
He shook his head. “She’s gone?”
Sienna nodded as panic closed her throat. “Maybe she just went to the bathroom.” She tried to push away all the horrible news stories about abducted children and predators who waited outside public restrooms for children. This is my worst nightmare. She stumbled up the stairs. A stadium filled with two thousand fans and a little girl who didn’t speak vanished among them. If anything happened to Dawn, Sienna would never forgive herself. Ever.
* * * * *
Mike parked at the far end of the lot and rolled down his window. At first, he’d thought Sienna might not take the kids to the game, but on his way to work, he’d passed the elementary school and watched them all climb into a small yellow bus. Silas held a baseball glove. Caleb wore a Yankees shirt. And against his better judgment, Mike had followed them over the mountain to the ballpark. The crowd inside the stadium erupted in cheers, and he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Wish I could see their faces. He pictured Caleb zeroing in on the pitchers’ strategies, Silas arching up to reach for a foul ball, the twins wriggling in their seats. He wondered about Dawn’s reaction, what she’d think of it all.
Probably be a little overwhelming for a kid like her.
He didn’t get out of the truck. Instead, he rested his head against the seat and drank in the early spring day. A fuzz of green covered the ground and most of the trees, promising another rich, hot summer. Funny how spring could sneak up on you like that. Just when you thought winter would last forever, the sun came out and everything bloomed. Mike looked around the parking lot. He hadn’t been to a game here in years. Looked like the place was about three-quarters full, not bad for early afternoon.
The wind shifted, and he could hear the umpire’s call and the occasional crack of bat meeting ball. More applause. Then a groan. Then a crackle of the PA system.
“…little girl named Dawn Watson, please report…”
Mike sat straight up.
“Again, if there’s a girl named Dawn Watson in the stadium, your teacher is asking you to please come to the concession stand behind the—”
He didn’t hear the rest of the announcement. A knot lodged in his throat as he jumped from his truck and strode across the parking lot. She’s disappeared again. She’s gotta be terrified. And Sienna’s probably out of her mind with worry. Halfway to the stadium, he broke into a run.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Physical description?” asked a heavy-jowled security guard.
Sienna twisted her fingers in the hem of her shirt. “She’s about four feet tall, blond hair in braids. She was wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans.”
“Anything else we should know?”
Tears filled Sienna’s eyes. She’d been up and down every floor of the stadium, in and out of every women’s room. It was as if Dawn had virtually vanished. “She probably won’t talk to whoever finds her.”
His pen stopped moving on his notepad. “I’m sorry?”
“She’s selectively mute. She doesn’t usually talk.”
He scratched the back of his thick neck. “Ah, okay.” He shoved his notepad into his back pocket and repeated Dawn’s description on his radio. “I’m going to notify the local police too.”
Sienna nodded.
“I’ve got four men here. They’ll scour the place.” He patted Sienna on the arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her. She’s probably just looking at stuffed animals in the souvenir shop.”
Sienna tried to draw a full breath and failed. She’d already been through the souvenir shop twice. She glanced at her other students, who still sat and watched the game. Caleb’s father looked up and caught her eye, but she shook her head at his questioning gaze.
I’m a failure. I lost a child.
She’d also ruined a relationship, hurt a good guy’s feelings, and probably screwed up her research. Talk about striking out.
“Why don’t you wait by concession stand in case she shows up?” the guard suggested.
Sienna nodded. What would she tell Dawn’s foster parents? Or the principal, or the other students? Worse, what would she tell Dawn if they found her and she’d gotten hurt or scared and Sienna hadn’t protected her the way she’d promised to? Her throat hitched. She laced her hands around the back of her neck and willed the ugly sobs to stay silent. Don’t get hysterical. You won’t be any good to anyone if you can’t hold it together.
On wooden legs, she walked to the first-floor concession stand, the air ripe with the scents of popcorn and hot dogs and cotton candy. “Dawn!” She cupped her hands around her mouth and called until she was hoarse. She circled the entire stadium, checking every nook where a small, anxious girl might hide. Nothing. Back to the concession stand, where a lanky security guard shook his head with a grim expression when she asked.
“We’ll find her, ma’am,” he said.
She turned away without answering.
“Sienna?” Darryl Cobalt, the head custodian from work, walked over carrying a paper tray of hot dogs and fries.
“You’re not at school?”
He winked. “I always take off opening day. Sixteen years and running.” He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She pressed her lips together. “One of my students is missing.”
He handed his food to a friend and took her in his arms for a quick, hard hug. “I heard the announcement. Didn’t know that was one of yours.”
Sienna nodded into his shirtfront.
“Let me help,” he asked. “Where have you already looked?”
“I, ah…” She sniffled. “I’ve looked everywhere.”
He patted her arm. “Gary,” he called over his shoulder to a burly man in the beer line. “Come on over here.”
Gary ambled over. “What’s up?”
Darryl filled him in, and within minutes, a handful of other men had joined them. Darryl divided up his buddies, pointing each to a different section of the stadium and the grounds outside. “You want to stay here?” he asked Sienna. “In case she shows up?”
Sienna gulped. “I guess so.”
A dark-haired woman with a snake tattoo covering one arm approached her. “Honey, you the one lost the little girl?”
“I hope I haven’t lost her.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant.” The woman reached into a giant patchwork bag hanging from her shoulder and pulled out a bottle of water. “Here. You look a little peaked.”
Sienna felt a little peaked, to be honest. “Thank you.”
“Don’t you worry. Kids wander off all the time. I got three of my own, half the time I don’t even know where they are.”
Sienna reserved judgment on that and instead drank more water.
“You want me to wait with you?” The woman pulled out a tube of bright pink lipstick and slathered it on. “I’m not a big fan of baseball. I’m only here ’cause my boyfriend loves it.” She waved at an overweight guy wearing a Panthers T-shirt with cut-off sleeves. A matching snake tattoo covered his arm as well. “Dougie, this woman here is the one whose little girl wandered off.”
“Aw, sorry to hear that.” Dougie stifled a burp. “They just made another announcement about her. She ain’t back yet?”
Sienna shook her head.
“You know what, hang on a minute.” He grabbed his cell ph
one off the holster on his hip and sent a text. “My buddy’s one of the assistant managers. I’ll tell him to look down on the field too, and around the dugouts. Ya never know about kids, they can show up in the weirdest places.”
“Oh, well, thanks.” She felt a little overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness.
“Sure, no problem.” He patted her arm. “You want help looking around?”
“I think there’s a lot of people already searching, but—”
“You got a picture of her?” Dougie’s girlfriend asked. “Maybe they could put that up on the scoreboard.”
Sienna flipped through the pictures on her phone. “I don’t know.” Once or twice last month, she’d snapped a few of them on the playground with Mike. She hadn’t looked at them since. Seeing his smile now seared her heart all over again. “Here.” Finally, she found one of Dawn standing next to the slides, eyes big, hands folded.
“Text it to me,” Dougie directed. He gave her his number and then nodded as his phone pinged with the picture. “I’ll have my buddy get it up on the screen. Picture’s worth a thousand words, ain’t it?”
Sienna nodded. Especially when it came to a mute child. That picture would be the only words.
“All right, honey, you hang in there,” the woman said as she and Dougie turned for the hot dog line. “What’s her name? Dawn? I’ll see if I can’t turn her up.”
“Thank you so much.” Sienna finished the last of her water. grateful down to her toes. She couldn’t believe so many total strangers were trying to help her. She looked around for a place to sit. Her legs weren’t going to hold her much longer.
Mike materialized from nowhere. “Where’s the last place you saw her?” His blue eyes bored into hers. “Before she disappeared?”
She almost slipped right down to the ground. “What are you doing here?” Relief and want and sadness at the way he kept his distance washed over her in equal measures. “Row F.” She pointed. “Third tier.”
Spring Secrets: Pine Point, Book 3 Page 20
