“Damn. And I missed the whole fire drill, because of Sarah.”
Kelly waited for him to elaborate on that meeting, but when he didn’t jump right in, she shrugged and took his hand. “Well, you’re here now, and that means a lot to me. Up here, there’s nothing to do but worry.”
“Let’s hope when we touch down there’ll be good news waiting for us.”
“I’ve got all my fingers crossed,” Kelly agreed. She studied Mike’s face, then reached over and ran a finger lightly across his cheek. It appeared redder than normal.
Mike answered her unspoken question with a lopsided smile. “Yeah, Sarah and I had a little chat, and she wasn’t too happy about my side of the conversation.”
“Oh? So she’s not married anymore?” She felt a brief sting of jealousy, rapidly replaced by mounting anger. How dare that bitch come waltzing back, expecting Mike to welcome her with open arms?
“No. Well, I’m not sure if she’s actually divorced or merely separated, but her marriage is definitely over. She’s a mess, Kel. Hooked on drugs, thin as a rail and, I don’t know, different.” He touched the mark of her palm on his cheek.
Unable to squash the niggling doubt that his old love might still have a hold on his heart, Kelly had to ask. “What did she want?”
“Me. She figured I’d support her while she was in rehab and then we’d just pick up where we’d left off six years ago.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “When I told her I was in love with someone else and there was no chance of that ever happening, she belted me, called me a very unflattering name, and stormed off.”
One knot in Kelly’s gut unraveled, and she took her first deep breath since the fateful phone call.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me, Kel. But, in a way, I’m glad I had a chance to see Sarah again. It made me realize how young and stupid I was back then, and what the pain from our breakup almost cost me. I’ll thank God every day that you hung in there until I came to my senses.”
She put her head on his shoulder. No matter what awaited her in Naples, Mike’s support would help get her through it.
A few minutes later, Sky came over with a bag full of sandwiches, snacks and drinks. “Who knows when we’ll get a chance to eat, once we land, so take your pick of what Mom packed for us. I’ll go up front and see if Owen and Jack want anything.”
Kelly took a bottle of water and a sandwich, which she didn’t really feel like eating. She nibbled at it half-heartedly until Mike finished it.
“What’s the plan when we land?”
Kelly shrugged. “I guess we’ll go to Harbor House first, and find out if they’ve found her. I have the phone number for the Silver Alert hotline, so if she’s still missing, I’ll try that next. If they don’t have anything, we can check in with Luke McBain at Casa Blanca to see if any of his people have news.”
She wanted to get out on the streets and search for her mother herself but had no idea where to start. One thing was certain, though. She would find out how her mother escaped and decide if Harbor House was where her mother should stay, if—no, when—they found her.
~~~
It was dark when they landed, which added a whole new level of anxiety to Kelly’s already frazzled nerves. The only saving grace was that the temperature was predicted to stay in the seventies overnight, thus lessening the possibility of hypothermia.
The group split up, Kelly and Mike going to Harbor House and Sky and AJ taking Owen and Jack to the townhouse. AJ would call Luke to see if there had been any sightings they could follow up on.
The administrator of Harbor House, Rosalind Galloway, met them at the front door and led the way to her office. “I am so sorry to tell you, Ms. Singer, that your mother is still missing. We have all of our off-duty employees out canvassing the neighborhood for her. Naturally, we have also spent a good deal of effort discovering how she was able to leave.”
“And?” Kelly said. “Let’s not waste any time, Mrs. Galloway. I’m anxious to join the search teams, so skip the pleasantries.”
“Of course. Your mother left through the gate in the back garden. One of our newer employees had left it unlocked after a clandestine meeting with her boyfriend. She has been terminated and her actions reported to the police in the event that any harm comes to your mother due to her negligence. She is devastated and will remain available if you wish to speak with her. Although her oversight allowed your mother to leave the premises, she did not actually witness her escape, so we are not sure exactly what time she left.”
“Do you know what she was wearing?” Mike asked.
“She had on navy blue slacks and a print blouse at breakfast. We aren’t sure if she took a sweater or jacket when she left. Perhaps you can go through the clothes in her closet and see what might be missing. She had black athletic shoes on. Her purse also appears to be missing.”
Kelly stood. “I’ll go to her room and see if I can tell what’s gone.”
The administrator rose with her. “Nothing like this has ever happened here, Ms. Singer. We prided ourselves on our security measures in the past. This event will precipitate a complete review of those procedures. I only ask that you hold off on making decisions about your mother’s future until we meet again.”
“Right now, my priority is finding her, Mrs. Galloway. I pray nothing has happened to her.” Kelly’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of her mother, alone, outside in the dark and completely defenseless.
Mike wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll find her, Kel. We’ll find her.”
She gave him a watery smile. “Right. Let’s go check her room.”
Chapter Eleven
It was nine o’clock before they finally got a break.
She and Mike had returned to the townhouse, after stopping at Wal-Mart to buy flashlights and spare batteries. They finished the food Kathryn had packed for them and changed clothes. Kelly barely recognized the pale-faced woman, with dark circles under tired eyes, who stared back at her from the bathroom mirror. She was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the past forty-eight hours, and only Mike’s determined optimism kept her from dissolving into tears.
When the call from the Silver Alert hotline came through, Mike answered, jotted down the details and briefed them on the good news.
“A woman named,” he read his notes, “Ava Berryman called the hotline a few minutes ago. She’d just seen the alert because she’d been out shopping all day. She said she met a woman matching your mom’s description at the bookstore in the mall around lunchtime. Ava said she had no idea the woman had Alzheimer’s, because she sounded perfectly lucid. They chatted while in the checkout line, and your mom asked her if she knew which bus to take to get to the beach, because she wanted to collect some shells as gifts. Ava didn’t know but offered to drive her over. Your mother asked her to drop her off at the beautiful resort on the beach. She couldn’t remember the name, but Ava knew there was only one resort on Mimosa Key, so she took her to Casa Blanca. The woman thanked her and said she’d take a cab back to Naples when she finished finding shells.” Mike grinned at Kelly as the others cheered. “So, she’s here on the island, which narrows down the search. Owen, call Harbor House and tell them to get all of their search teams over here ASAP.”
“On it.”
“AJ, do you think Luke would let us see the security camera footage from the Casa Blanca lobby?”
“I’m sure he would. I’ll call right away.”
“Okay, we’ll scan the tapes and start from there. Don’t forget your flashlights.”
They piled into two cars and sped toward Casa Blanca. Luke McBain met them in the lobby and ushered them to the security offices at the back end of the property. The first tape from the lobby cameras was on the screen, time-stamped 12 p.m. They fast-forwarded it until Kelly said, “Stop. Back up a minute. Hold it.” She nodded. “That’s her.” She pointed to her mother, who looked chic in her navy slacks and pink silk blouse. She carr
ied a bag with the bookstore’s logo on it and crossed the lobby to exit toward the beach. Kelly frowned as Luke queued the tape from the deck outside Junonia to follow her. “She’s got something in that bag already. I wonder how she paid for it? I’m sure I took all of her credit cards away when I closed those accounts.”
“Here she is coming out of the lobby,” Luke said. Everyone watched as she slowly made her way to the water’s edge, then turned north until she was out of the camera’s range. “Okay, folks, I’m going to check some other tapes and see if I can find her coming back.” He handed an intercom to Mike and one to AJ. “If I see her later in the day, I’ll call you with her last location.”
They rushed outside, hope giving them new energy.
“I think we should split up,” Kelly said. “If she got tired, she might have found a place to sit down and rest. Owen and Jack, could you two take the path that leads to the private villas? Check out their decks if they’re accessible from the beach, but try not to disturb the guests.”
“You guys go north. AJ and I will start in the other direction,” Sky said.
“Right. I’ll stay closer to the water; you stay about fifteen feet or so to my right,” Mike directed. “We’ll cover more ground faster that way.”
Flashlight beams slashed through the darkness as they made their way slowly up the beach. Come on, Mom. I know you’re out here somewhere…
Half an hour later, they reached the fence at the north end of the Casa Blanca property. A few moments later, Owen and Jack joined them, shaking their heads. “No luck by the villas.”
“Or on the beach,” Mike confirmed. “Let’s head south.”
Her hopes fading again, Kelly slid an arm around Mike for moral support. “Really, my mom always seems so fragile to me. I can’t imagine how she had the stamina to get to the mall, buy something at Barnes & Noble, find a ride here and vanish on the beach, in front of dozens of tourists.”
“Maybe she talked someone into giving her a ride back to Naples,” Jack suggested.
“Oh, God, don’t even think that. Where would she tell someone to drop her off over there?” Kelly shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about her being alone at night somewhere in Naples.”
Mike’s intercom crackled, and AJ’s excited voice came through loud and clear. “Guys! We found her! Did you hear me? We’ve got your mom, Kelly. She’s fine.”
Lightheaded with relief, Kelly chanted, “Oh, God! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She hugged Mike, who swung her in a circle, laughing. “Stop, you idiot,” she gasped, catching her breath. “AJ, where are you?”
“Right outside Casa Blanca. Your mom was fast asleep on a lounge inside one of the cabanas. She must have gone in there to rest after the staff checked it.”
“We’re headed your way now,” Mike said, and the four pelted down the sand toward two waving flashlight beams.
AJ radioed Luke, Owen called the Silver Alert hotline, and Mike spoke to Mrs. Galloway at Harbor House.
Kelly sat next to her mother on the lounge, her arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders. “Mom, you scared us to death. What were you thinking?”
Elizabeth squinted a bit in the light from the tiki torches. “I don’t know what all this fuss was for. I had some Christmas shopping to do, that’s all. My heavens, you’d think I’d robbed a bank.”
“You were Christmas shopping?” Sky said.
“I don’t know who you two girls are, but everyone knows you start your Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving,” Elizabeth explained. Her tone clearly indicated Kelly and Sky were way behind the times. “I bought what I wanted, then I had to find some shells to go with it, so I came to the beach.”
“Naturally,” Sky said. They shared a smile, and Kelly rolled her eyes.
“Do you mind if I see what you bought?” Kelly asked, picking up the bag.
“Of course not, dear. I haven’t had a chance to wrap it yet, so go ahead.”
Kelly gently pushed back the tissue paper and retrieved the book. It was a beautifully illustrated compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. A collector’s edition.
“It’s lovely,” Sky exclaimed.
Kelly’s eyes filled, and she pressed her lips together to keep a sob from escaping.
Sky looked at her in alarm. “What’s wrong, Kel?”
She merely shook her head, unable to speak.
Elizabeth beamed. “It is, isn’t it? My daughter will love this. The Lord of the Rings is her favorite book. And, see, I found these beautiful shells to tie to the bow.” She dug in the pocket of her slacks and held out her hand.
Sky sorted through the handful. “Elizabeth! You found a junonia. Congratulations. These are pretty and very rare.” Not sure what to do about the fact that tears ran unchecked down Kelly’s cheeks, she offered her the book. “Have you seen this, Kel? The illustrations are gorgeous.”
“I know,” Kelly replied, her voice cracking. “I have a copy just like it. My mother gave it to me for Christmas when I was seventeen.”
Sky’s eyes widened in amazement. “Really?”
Kelly could only nod.
Unaware of the emotions her purchase had stirred in Kelly, Elizabeth said softly, “Well, she must love you very much, dear. This is a very expensive book.” Elizabeth took it back and began to wrap the tissue paper around it.
“Yes,” Kelly agreed. She wiped her face and tried to regain her composure. “I wondered how you paid for it.”
“Why, with cash, dear,” Elizabeth murmured. “Years ago, Ed gave me a hundred-dollar bill and told me I should never leave the house without money. ” She winked at Kelly. “He was right, and I’ve always kept it.”
~~~
Mike slid under the covers and spooned against Kelly’s back. She murmured something unintelligible and scooted her derriere more firmly against him, then sighed. While the movement served only to make his erection stiffer, he refrained from escalating things, and settled for kissing the tender spot behind her ear. The day had been long and stressful and he wanted her to rest. Maybe in the morning, he promised his dick.
Elizabeth was safely ensconced back at Harbor House. She’d been examined by the doctor on staff there and declared none the worse for her adventure. The consensus was that she would be better off in more familiar surroundings, so Kelly’s suggestion that she stay at the townhouse was tabled for the time being. He’d called his parents and given them the good news, then arranged for flowers to be delivered to Ava Berryman tomorrow.
By the time they’d made their way back here, it was past midnight. With Owen and Jack in the downstairs guest room, Sky and AJ in her bedroom, and he and Kelly together in hers, the house settled into silence.
There would be a lot to do tomorrow. He’d already been informed that he’d be setting up a Christmas tree downstairs. Sky was not to be denied her month of Christmas spirit. Which was just fine with him.
He’d stopped at the jeweler’s while Dad, Sky and Kelly were tree shopping. The miner’s-cut diamond was flanked by two smaller trillion-cut gems in a simple gold setting. When the jeweler told him it came from an estate sale and was a rare antique cut seldom found in modern engagement rings, he knew it was perfect for Kelly, the rare and beautiful love of his life.
He had no more doubts about his love for Kelly, even before Sarah had come to see him. In fact, he’d almost professed his love and proposed this morning when he met her in the upstairs hall before breakfast. He didn’t want to wait any longer to become a couple. He’d held back, though, thinking that the perfect time would be tonight after the Christmas tree was up and the twinkling lights added even more sparkle to the ring he’d give her.
Fate stepped in and screwed with his plans, and his gut still turned to ice when he thought about how close he’d come to missing the flight back here. Kelly might not have blamed him, but he’d have never forgiven himself if he hadn’t been with her to search for her mom.
He nuzzled Kelly’s neck again, inhaling the
sweet, sexy, fragrance that was distinctly hers. Tomorrow, after they’d put up the tree, he and Kelly would go to Harbor House and visit Elizabeth. It would be the first of many visits they’d make as a couple. While they were there, even though Elizabeth may not know who they were, Mike would profess his love and propose to Kelly in front of her mother. He hoped Elizabeth might have a few moments of clarity to understand and remember the event, but he doubted that would be the case. Still, Kelly would know he’d tried to include her, and that was what really mattered.
At peace with Kelly snuggled against him, he slept.
~~~
“Oh, it’s perfect!” Sky clasped her hands and walked around the tree, examining it from all angles.
“Of course it is. You made me hold up twenty of them before you found one to suit you,” Mike grumbled. “Although, to be fair, it’s a lot nicer tree shopping down here where the temperature is seventy-eight degrees. No frost-bitten fingers while you made up your mind.”
Kelly came up and slipped her arm around his waist. “Your Scrooge imitation isn’t fooling anybody, you know,” she said, kissing him on his cheek.
“Bah. Humbug!” He pulled her against him for a proper kiss. He could tell she was just as enthused as Sky over the seven-foot beauty that now graced the great room. Too bad there was no fireplace, though. Christmas just wouldn’t seem complete without the snap and sputter of a roaring fire. At least they’d be up north for the actual holiday, cuddling in front of the fireplace at his parents’ house on Christmas eve.
At Sky’s exclamation, AJ came out of the guest bedroom he’d appropriated for an office. He nodded. “Very nice. You sure know how to pick ’em, sweetheart.”
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