Jason was silent for several minutes. “What are you saying?”
I let out a sigh. “It’s not just the environment that did this. You were in foster care, I’m sure you saw a lot of kids fall prey to making the wrong decisions, but I bet you saw many who made the right ones. It’s called life and we should all be so lucky to live it.”
I had no idea why, but my heart was pounding.
“I know you’re right, but it’s hard to reconcile why I got out, and my sister didn’t.”
“You’re not being an ass just because your life turned out differently than hers. I understand that my life was a little different than most kids, but I can’t apologize for it. I can only try to make a difference where I’m at in life at this particular moment, and I think that’s all you can do too. And you’ve already been doing that.”
Rather than hop on the highway, Jason began driving down the narrow road that surrounded the town. Every so often he’d make a left or right down a road that led to nowhere. We were driving ten miles under the speed limit as we searched the area for any sign of a woman who was wandering or camping out, but I knew deep in my heart she wasn’t here any longer. She had moved on, and I think Jason knew that too, but he just didn’t want to tear himself from this town quite yet.
We passed by a beautiful, old home with pastures out front and several horses grazing. It was picture perfect.
“Check that out,” Jason said.
“They’re beautiful.”
Jason kept driving, and we wound up on a dead-end with several trailers on one piece of property. There was a huge swing set in the yard, a couple of bikes, and a pink tricycle.
“It’s really driving me crazy about that guy. I hope he returns your call soon,” I said, glancing at Jason. “I swear if there’s anything you want to tell me…”
That brought a smile to Jason’s lips, and I felt immensely better for being able to lift his spirits, if only for a few minutes.
“Not a thing,” he laughed, and turned the car around.
“Well, I’ve always dreamed of having lots of kids.”
“Is that so?” Jason’s eyebrow lifted.
“Lots of ‘em.” I nodded. “Does that freak you out?”
Jason shook his head. “Not at all.”
“We should probably get started soon…”
“I agree with you on that one.” He glanced at the clock on the dash and grinned, pressing on the accelerator.
“Nice to see you’re on board.”
“Hey, I’m known for being a team player.” He flashed me a devious grin and my world lit up.
“In all seriousness, I do kind of dream of when that might happen someday. I think it would be so awesome to have a little Jason running around.”
“Learning how to ride dirt bikes?”
“Of course. In between learning how to play golf, swim, tennis, build forts, canoe…”
“Whoa. Is he going to have any spare time?” Jason laughed.
“Probably not,” I laughed.
We hopped back on the highway, heading for Nashville as I leaned my head on the seat. An incredible wave of exhaustion hit me, and I wasn’t sure what in particular was causing it. I picked up my cell and texted Lily and Brandy. I told them I was in Nashville, but I didn’t elaborate.
Lily texted back.
Everything going okay?
I smiled and responded.
Better than okay. I’m finally getting the answers I deserve.
This time Brandy added her two cents.
I’m happy to hear that, girl. I didn’t want to have to sic your brother on him.
I giggled and Jason looked over as I texted quickly.
Screw that! Have you not seen what your own brother can do, Brandy? No need to resort to violence, but I love you for offering up your man. We’ll fill you in when we see you next. xoxo
“The girls were getting really suspicious of you,” I said to Jason.
Jason grimaced and shook his head. “Sorry about that. Besides making it up to you, something tells me I’d be remiss if I didn’t include them too.”
“Your instinct is right in that department, buddy. Did you know on our holiday trip that I had to hold them both back from coming unglued on you?”
“I had an idea, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I thought I was doing a good job.”
I laughed. “Yeah. You were doing a great job of hiding things. Hanging up the cell when I walked in, sneaking off to take calls…none of it would raise a red flag or anything.”
“Point made,” Jason laughed.
Jason’s cell rang and my heart jumped. I grabbed it from the console and looked at the number.
“It’s Aaron. Want me to answer it?” I asked.
“Nah. Let it go to voicemail.” He gave me a sideways glance. “You won’t tell him, right?”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“I wonder what she was doing in Alabama,” Jason said.
“I looked the town up on my phone. There are only a couple thousand people who live there. Do you think that’s where she could be?”
Jason shrugged. “Beats me. It’s something I’m going to have the PI look at. We can always drive there if anything comes up.”
I nodded and looked out the window at the green canvas of trees that looked as if they went on forever.
“Have you tried the sweet tea?” I asked.
He grinned. “I did. Ordered it on accident, and I thought my tongue was going to fall off. I can’t imagine how much sugar is in it.”
“I bet it’s really refreshing in the summer,” I said. “But it’s definitely more sweet than I’m used to. Brandy would love it. You know those sugar cubes?”
Jason nodded.
“Brandy always had a box of them in college. She’d just sit there and suck on them while she was studying. I don’t even know where she got them. I never saw them at the store.”
As we got closer to Nashville, freeway interchanges and taller buildings came into view. The mood in the car wasn’t as upbeat as it had been on our way out of town this morning. Jason was a realist, but I think he held onto a bit of hope that we’d somehow find her. Neither of us really understood how small of a community it was until we went there. If she’d been wandering around, someone would’ve seen her. Pete had already started that effort a week ago.
“You want to hear the voicemail from my brother now?” I asked, as Jason’s phone vibrated.
“Wanna play it for me?” he asked.
“Sure.” I hit the button and pressed speaker.
“Hey, man. Hope your trip’s going well. I know my sister’s with you. Take good care of her. She was looking a bit tired when we were in Vegas. When you get a chance, give me a buzz. I’ve got some things I want to talk to you about. I need someone objective.” The message ended, and I glanced at Jason.
“I wonder what that’s about. I’m intrigued,” I said.
“I bet you are,” he laughed, pulling into Nashville headed toward our hotel. It was late afternoon, and we had some time to unwind before we were to have dinner with the PI. “You mind dialing that guy’s number again. I want to call him.”
“Sure.” I scrolled through Jason’s recent calls and pressed on the number.
The phone rang and rang, but this time it didn’t go to voicemail. A man answered, “Stanley Young speaking.”
My heart dropped to my stomach as Jason began to speak. I had no idea what I was expecting, but I was a nervous wreck.
“This is Jason Baines. My girlfriend gave me your card.”
“You’re back in town?” The man stated more than asked.
“No. Still in Tennessee. She flew out and mentioned you called,” Jason didn’t continue speaking. He just waited.
“Well, Mr. Baines. I’m actually acting as a liaison between agencies, but apparently you’ve been difficult to find.”
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Jason said, completely frustrated. We’d made it to our hotel
room with just as many questions as we’d left with. Stanley Young refused to give Jason any information over the phone. He said it was policy to meet in person to discuss the matters at hand. What matters those were neither of us knew.
“You know how government agencies are. Everything is by the book,” I said, rubbing his back.
We were sitting on the couch trying to make sense of the nonsensical call. Jason wiped his hands over his face. He leaned back and stretched out to relieve the pent-up anger and frustration.
“I can’t believe I had to make an appointment with him when he knows very well what he wants to discuss.”
“I often think it’s a power thing with some of those people. A way to remind us who has control,” I offered, knowing whatever I said wasn’t going to help the situation.
“That’s how it felt when I was a kid. Shoved from one place to another with no explanation. They’d always give me phone numbers to call in case I needed anything. I don’t think I ever had a call returned, and I can tell you I needed lots of things.”
“Well, what I find odd is that if he’s a liaison, then why on earth won’t he give us the information to contact who ever initiated everything.”
“Exactly my thoughts,” Jason replied.
I curled my legs underneath me and watched the television flash different news stories on the screen, so many problems in the world and so few solutions. I thought about the timing of everything and wondered what we were overlooking.
“You’re certain that this doesn’t relate to you directly,” I stated more than asked.
“As far as I know,” Jason said, stretching his legs on the ottoman. His shirt crept higher as he stretched his torso back against the couch. I stared at the ceiling to distract myself.
“What if it has to do with your sister? Maybe we’re in the right place. Maybe we won’t have to bother with what’s-his-face if we can track down the right person here. Assuming that it has anything to do with your sister. It would only take a couple calls.”
“I like how you think.” Jason smiled.
It made complete sense to me. If Stanley wanted to drag everything out, we’d try to circumvent as much as we could and hopefully find some answers before we met with him on Monday.
“So how old is your sister?” I asked.
“From what the PI found out, she’s nineteen.”
My heart stopped. I knew she had to be young, but I didn’t guess this young. But at nineteen, she most likely wouldn’t fall under any CPS jurisdiction either, which had me wondering. The more I considered it, the less I thought it had anything to with his sister after all.
“Her name?” I asked.
“Bethany Ann Hill.”
“Hill?” I asked.
“It’s her father’s name or at least the name listed on the birth certificate, but the PI couldn’t find any other information about him, so who knows.”
“Huh.” I thought back to Stanley’s statement about Jason being hard to find. “Is your last name really Baines?”
“Since I was eighteen,” Jason replied, pressing his lips together. “It was Carter, but the moment I was allowed to change it, I did. Got all the paperwork right before I joined the marines. I wanted to obliterate anything that had to do with where I came from. Anytime I heard the name Carter, my mind immediately went to my parents. For obvious reasons, that wasn’t the best place to go.”
I nodded as the news settled in. “Well, I like Baines. A lot.”
“That’s good.” He winked at me and laughed.
I grabbed my phone and looked up the Tennessee Child Protective Service number.
“They call it the Department of Child Services here,” I said, more to myself than to Jason.
Jason narrowed the distance between us as I wrote down the number and handed Jason the paper. “Let’s start here.”
He took the paper and walked over to the French doors. Opening them he stepped outside to the balcony. I stayed on the couch and watched him take a seat on a chair and begin dialing a number.
I hoped it would be as simple as him making this call. I could tell the stress was taking its toll on him. I saw Jason talking to someone on the phone, and he turned to look at me through the glass and mouthed that he was on hold now.
I grabbed my phone and texted Brandy.
Was what you found out dealing with someone named Bethany Ann Hill?
My phone buzzed immediately.
Yes. He is paying for an apartment for whoever that is
I typed back quickly.
And you were able to find that out how?
She responded.
I excel at databases. It’s what I do. Research. Research. Research.
I watched as Jason ran his fingers through his hair, continuing to get the runaround. Frustration etched his features.
I texted Brandy for a favor.
I don’t even know where you would start to look, but could you see if you can find anything on Bethany. Any recent criminal activity or anything like that? Probably sounds weird, but we’re trying to track her or anyone associated with her.
I knew Jason wouldn’t mind. Brandy was discreet, and we needed all the help we could get. I typed Brandy a quick thank you, and she informed me she’d start right after class. It felt nice to be able to lean on my friends again, and my hope was that Jason would learn to do so as well.
Jason came back inside after about fifteen minutes and his gaze held determination.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t have to do with Tennessee,” he said, taking a seat on the couch.
“Positive?”
“Totally.”
“We only have about forty minutes before dinner,” I said, grabbing a stick of gum, and that’s when I remembered the receipt.
“Let’s try Alabama,” I said, quickly typing it into the phone. I scanned the results and found CPS under Department of Human Resources. I wrote the phone number on the notepad again and handed it to Jason. “Maybe this time it will lead to something.”
“Thanks. Leading to nothing is still something.” He snatched the paper out of my hand and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I wish I’d included you a lot sooner.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” I replied.
He smiled and rather than going out to the balcony, he dialed the number from his spot on the couch.
Hearing Jason explain who and what information he was looking for literally created a hole in my heart. I could hear the nuances in his voice, the slight desperation that edged his tone, and the pain pushing his words out.
God, I hoped whatever information he found out would be positive.
Jason went silent as he was placed on hold again, and I put my hand on his knee. He held it with his free hand and smiled at me. This was what he’d been missing all those times he took the calls by himself, finding out devastating news about a sister he never knew he had. It tore at my heart to think of what Jason had been hiding—going through—without me.
Jason began explaining again to whoever he landed on the phone with, but his posture quickly changed. He grabbed a pen and began scribbling information.
“Yes. That would be great. Thank you,” he told the person on the phone. He waited on hold in silence as I glanced at the pad of paper. There was a woman’s name and phone number. That was more than we’d had all day.
Jason began speaking into the phone and that’s when I realized he was leaving a message.
Damn it! So close.
He hung up the phone and placed it next to the pad. He looked at me and his eyes held a brightness I recognized. Hope.
“Stanley was contacted by a case worker in Alabama. I left a message for her. We did it.” He grinned. “You did it.”
“Patience has never been my strong point,” I laughed, spitting my gum into a napkin. “I’m so relieved we’re getting somewhere.”
“I’d be absolutely miserable right now if you hadn’t been here,” Jason confessed.
“I can’t tell you h
ow happy your miserableness makes me.” I stood up and stretched before sitting on Jason’s lap. “Now, if you don’t mind I think I’m going to hop in the shower before we meet our guests for dinner.”
Jason placed a soft kiss along my neck, and I couldn’t help but stay for a second longer as his lips brushed against mine. His body began to relax as our kisses became intense, and the world we’d been investigating slowly drifted away.
My cell buzzed and Jason blindly reached for it and jammed it into my hand.
“Guess now’s not the time anyhow,” I laughed, standing up and glancing at my cell.
It was a message from Brandy telling me she was at her mom’s office and would begin her research.
I glanced back at Jason who was watching me walk to the shower, and I felt that pull to him once again. There was something about the way he’d look at me that was out of this world.
“I asked Brandy to maybe research a little bit about your sister, using the law databases or whatever it is she has.”
“Thanks. That’s nice of her to do it,” he said smiling.
“I think she loves doing that kind of thing.” I slipped out of my clothes and put my hair in a ponytail before I stepped into the shower. It was more of a rinse-off session, but after being cooped up in the car this morning, I wanted to freshen up. Plus, I hoped the hot water would wake me up. Unfortunately, it was only making me sleepier. I turned off the shower and quickly dried off and heard Jason on the phone. Aaron’s voice came over the speaker, and I laughed as Aaron was making some wisecrack at Jason’s expense. It would only be a matter of time before Jason reciprocated.
I put my clothes back on and pulled my hair out of the ponytail, running my fingers through the strands to fluff it up a bit. I walked into the sitting room as Jason hung up the phone from my brother.
“You’re never going to believe this,” Jason said, shaking his head.
“Do I really want to know?” I teased.
“I bet you do…but maybe I should wait until after dinner to tell you.”
Beyond Intent Page 9
