by Nicola Marsh
Fear tightened her chest as Cilla gripped the cell in her hand. There was one other person she could call other than Jake, the only other person in town she trusted aside from her nephew.
Bryce had a level head; he’d know what to do. He could help her search without making a fuss that could potentially scar Jake and Olly for life.
Without hesitation, she called him. He answered on the second ring, thank goodness.
“Cilla, thanks for calling me back—”
“I need your help.”
“Anything,” he said, without question, and if he were in front of her at that moment she would’ve kissed him in gratitude.
“I can’t find Olly this morning. I’ve looked everywhere. Jake’s in town and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily so I was wondering if you could help me search. It’s probably nothing and he’s just gone off for a stroll but I’m worried—”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said, and hung up.
Cilla slipped the cell back into her pocket with a shaky hand. Bryce had come to her aid, no questions asked. A man of action. She should be grateful, but one thought pierced her worry.
Was I too hasty in giving him up?
While she waited for Bryce, Cilla retraced her steps, once again searching every inch of her house and its surroundings. She yelled out Olly’s name until her throat ached. She checked every hiding place a boy would find tempting.
When Bryce arrived, he’d barely stepped from the car before she flung herself into his arms.
“I can’t find him anywhere. Should I call the police?” She sniffled into his chest, finding the familiarity of his aftershave comforting, before she realized what she was doing and disengaged.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he said, his expression grim despite his eyes seeming to eat her up and come back for seconds. “When did you last see him?”
“About half an hour ago. He was in bed so I popped my head in to say good morning before heading downstairs to make breakfast.” She dragged in a deep breath to stop the quiver in her voice. “He seemed perfectly normal. Sleep-tousled but happy.”
“So nothing happened? No argument?”
She shook her head. “I heard Jake say good morning to Olly a few minutes after I did and that was it.”
“In that case, if you saw him thirty minutes ago, he couldn’t have gone far.” He glanced at her car. “I’d suggest we split up and drive a five-mile radius, but Olly doesn’t know me and if I found him, he’d be more likely to bolt than come back with me.”
“You really think he ran away?” Cilla’s heart ached at the thought of that sweet little boy feeling so dejected that he had to abandon the only home he knew for now.
“No point speculating. Let’s go find him.” Bryce walked around his car and held open the passenger door, staring at her with a raised eyebrow when she hesitated.
But not for the reasons he thought. Being in the car alone with Bryce didn’t terrify her as much as the thought of not finding Olly or, worse, discovering a tragedy had befallen him.
“I didn’t call Jake because I didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily. Do you think I should?”
Bryce’s frown deepened. “Thirty minutes isn’t long enough for little legs to get very far, so let’s do a quick drive around and if we don’t find him, we’ll call Jake, okay?”
Cilla nodded, glad of Bryce’s decisiveness. She’d done the right thing in calling him.
She slipped into the passenger side of his luxury vehicle, belted up and prayed. She prayed harder than she’d prayed for years, as they cruised the country lanes surrounding her house, working outward.
“Do you know what he’s wearing?” Bryce glanced at her, taking his eyes off the road for a brief second, and the concern she glimpsed exacerbated her fear.
“Jeans and a red T, I think.”
At that moment, Cilla spotted a flash of crimson in the vineyard on their left.
“There. I spotted something,” she said, almost flinging the door open in her haste.
“Whoa. Hold on.” Bryce pulled over and she was out of the car before it had come to a complete stop.
Bryce wasn’t far behind. “Don’t scare him,” he said, laying a hand on her arm, the contact jolting her and making her panic in a different way: the way her body reacted when he touched her made her feel more alive than she had in years. Despite all her self-talk to ignore her attraction to this charming man, all he had to do was touch her and he bamboozled her all over again, her body humming to life in a way it never had before.
She could blame her body’s reaction on her freak-out over Olly, on the fact that adrenalin was already flooding her system and maybe Bryce’s touch had set it off, but she knew better, dammit.
“Come on, we’re wasting time,” she said, shrugging off his hand and running into the vineyard.
But she took Bryce’s advice, not calling out to Olly. Instead, she pointed at the red flash weaving in and out of the vines. Bryce nodded and accelerated, his long strides meaning she had to jog to keep up with him.
When they got closer, Cilla’s knees almost buckled in relief as she spotted a mop of dark curls above the red.
“That’s Olly,” she said, swallowing a sob that threatened to spill out.
“It’ll be okay.” Bryce snagged her hand and squeezed it before releasing, the brief contact less surprising this time and more welcome.
They picked up the pace and when they were close enough, Cilla held up her hand so Bryce would stop and she could move forward alone.
He nodded, his eyes filled with concern and understanding and compassion.
He really was a spectacular man.
But Cilla didn’t have time to ponder her foolishness in letting him go. Not when she had a young boy who deserved her full attention.
She continued following Olly for a few paces, before her shadow fell across his and he spun around, letting rip a bloodcurdling scream.
“Olly, it’s me,” she said, crouching down to his level and holding his shoulders in case he decided to bolt. Her legs had turned to jelly in relief and she couldn’t possibly have chased him at this point even if she tried. “Are you lost, sweetheart?”
Olly’s lips compressed into a thin, mutinous line as he shook his head. Cilla’s heart sank. Her earlier suspicions had been confirmed. Olly hadn’t taken a morning stroll and lost his way.
He’d run away.
“Come home with me and we’ll talk over a mug of hot chocolate.” She squeezed his shoulders in reassurance. “With extra marshmallows, for energy.” She glanced around. “You’ve walked a long way from home.”
“Your house isn’t my home,” he blurted, tears filling his eyes. “I don’t have a home. Mom doesn’t want me anymore, Uncle Jake won’t want me soon because I saw him kissing Sara and they’ll get married and have their own kids, and you’re sad all the time because I’m around.”
He started sobbing and Cilla’s heart fractured, and shattered into a million pieces.
This poor, poor child.
“None of that’s true,” she said, slipping her arms around him, relieved when he didn’t pull away.
He sniffled into her shoulder. “It is true. I saw Uncle Jake and Sara kissing last night from my bedroom window.”
For the first time this morning, Cilla felt like smiling.
“Sometimes grownups kiss because they like each other, not because they’re going to get married.”
He pulled away, indignation scrunching his cute face. “So they can’t have kids if they’re not married?”
That was a talk she’d save for another day, like in five years or so. For now, Cilla had to show Olly he was loved and that no one was going to abandon him again.
“How about we go get that hot chocolate and I’ll answer all your questions, okay?”
Olly glared at her, his hands still clutching her top. “Okay. But Uncle Jake’s going to be real mad I ran away.”
“Why don’t you let m
e handle Uncle Jake?”
Olly’s frown cleared. “That sounds good.”
“But Olly, you need to promise me something. You’ll never run away again. And that if you’re feeling sad or worried, you’ll talk to me. Deal?” She eyeballed him, hoping he’d understand the gravity of the situation without being petrified.
After what seemed like an eternity, he nodded. “Deal. Can I get those extra marshmallows now? Because my legs are mighty sore from all the walking. And I’m feeling kinda sick in my tummy because I skipped breakfast.”
“Let’s go.” Cilla took hold of Olly’s hand and headed toward Bryce, his relieved expression making her want to tear up all over again. “Olly, this is my friend, Bryce.”
“Hi.” Olly raised his free hand. “I’m hungry.”
“Me too, champ.” Bryce fell into step beside them. “Can I join you for breakfast?”
Cilla’s eyes narrowed. Sneaky.
When she glanced at Bryce, his guileless grin didn’t fool her for a second.
“Sure,” Olly said, oblivious to the sudden tension arcing over his head. “Aunt Cilla makes the best food. Totally yummy.”
“I look forward to trying it,” Bryce said, his deep voice yummier than anything she could concoct in the kitchen.
Ah hell.
“Wow, is that your car?” Olly tore his hand from Cilla’s and ran toward it. “It’s awesome.”
“I like it too,” Bryce said, and Cilla gladly tuned out as the two males made car talk all the way home.
Olly had ridden shotgun, giving her time to study Bryce’s profile. Like that helped the turmoil churning her gut.
He was an amazing man. Beyond the kindness and the gorgeous exterior, his dependability drew her to him in a way she’d never thought it could.
After the way she’d treated him, he’d still come through for her in a crisis. No questions asked. No judgment.
As she stared at him, his straight nose, his strong jaw, the hint of a dimple as he chatted with Olly, she knew she’d never found him sexier than at that moment.
When they pulled up outside her house ten minutes later, Olly ran inside to wash up for breakfast. The poor kid really must be starving.
It gave her time to thank Bryce.
Before sending him on his way.
Her attraction to him hadn’t dimmed one iota and she’d be damned if she turned into a masochist over this man.
Seeing him again, observing the kind of man he was firsthand, only served to make her want him more.
And that wasn’t possible.
He opened the back door for her and she stepped out of the car, momentarily blinded by the sun.
“Thanks for helping me—”
Bryce’s mouth locked onto hers, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Stealing her breath. Her sanity. For she kissed him back. Without hesitation. Without reservation.
Until she couldn’t breathe and wrenched her mouth away, gasping for air.
They stared at each other in wide-eyed shock, their connection was that powerful.
But it couldn’t be. Cilla had only let Bryce kiss her out of gratitude. Yeah, that had to be it. She couldn’t contemplate any other explanation.
“You need to talk to Olly alone now. I get that,” he said, cupping her cheek. “But I’ll be at Don’s Diner, waiting for that breakfast you’re going to shout me.”
“You’ll be waiting a long time,” Cilla said, her defiance tempered with a smile.
Even now, he was still thinking of her, knowing she wouldn’t see him at his place, choosing a public place to put her at ease.
“Haven’t I already told you? You’re worth waiting for.”
This time, his kiss was soft, gentle and all too brief.
She watched his car until she couldn’t spot it any longer, her head a mess, her heart not far behind.
Bryce confounded her in a way she’d never expected. She’d spent the last twenty years as a happy widow enjoying her independence. She didn’t need anyone for validation and she certainly didn’t need some hot male barging into her life and turning it upside down.
But that’s exactly what Bryce had done and, despite her shabby treatment, he’d been there in a heartbeat when she’d needed him most. That kind of dependability wasn’t lost on her. She admired it. Respected it. So she’d shout him breakfast, be polite and end things between them on a more civilized note. It’s the least she could do after the way she’d overreacted at his place.
Mind made up, Cilla trudged inside, steeling herself for the upcoming conversation with Olly. She’d been lousy with this stuff in the past. Tam had always clammed up when she’d tried to get her to talk and Cilla would be left floundering, trying to fill awkward gaps in conversation with meaningless trivia.
Their relationship now was testament to her failure as a mother, so if she’d made a mess of things with Tam, what could she do with a boy like Olly who had serious abandonment issues?
She had to talk to him before Jake did, though. Had to get more of an insight into Olly’s thought processes before she told Jake everything. He was due back from town any second and she needed all the facts first.
Olly sat at the kitchen table, the picture of innocence. He held up his hands. “All washed and ready for breakfast. And that hot chocolate you promised.”
“You can eat in a second,” she said, sitting next to him. “But first we need to talk about why you ran away.”
Olly sighed so loudly she had to stifle a smile. “I already told you. Nobody wants me.”
“That’s not true, sweetheart. We all love you and want you.”
“Mom doesn’t. I heard Uncle Jake talking to her last night. He said it’d be good for me to stay here, which means she doesn’t want me anymore.”
Oh boy.
“Olly, sometimes we only hear snippets of a conversation. Little bits that don’t make much sense unless we hear everything. Maybe your uncle was suggesting your mom come here too when she’s better, because you like it here so much?”
Olly’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think of that.”
“As for listening in on other people’s conversations, it’s not very polite.”
His face fell. “Yeah, I know. But I’d left Teddy downstairs and needed him to sleep.”
“Fair enough.”
So far so good. “As for me being sad, that has nothing to do with you being here. I love having you stay.”
Olly brightened. “Yeah, that’s right. You said I was family, not a guest.”
Cilla nodded. “Exactly. Grownups can be sad for a variety of reasons but you could never make me sad. Unless you run away again,” she threw in for good measure.
His solemnity made her heart swell. “Okay, I won’t do it again. But do you think Uncle Jake and Sara like each other? Maybe they will get married and have kids and then they won’t want to see me anymore—”
“Olly, your uncle loves you very much. And Sara adores you. Whether they have a relationship or not won’t change that. Your uncle brought you here so you could have fun while your mom gets better. And even when you go home, he’ll still be around. He’ll always be around. As I will be.”
Olly clapped his hands. “You mean it? You’ll come to visit me when I’m back in the city?”
Cilla abhorred big cities and avoided New York City at all costs. The hustle and bustle scared her, one of the reasons she hadn’t visited Tam. But Olly needed reassurance at a time like this, so she nodded.
“We’ll always stay in touch.” She leaned across to hug him. “We all love you, Olly. Don’t ever forget that.”
He hugged her back and as they eased apart, his stomach gave an almighty rumble.
Cilla laughed. “One hot chocolate and a bowl of porridge coming right up.”
Jake entered the kitchen at that moment, arms laden with produce bags. “Thought I could teach Olly how to whip up a Mexican feast tonight.”
Since they’d arrived, Olly had taken an interest in cooking. He was always h
anging around the kitchen, measuring sugar or flour if she was baking, or wanting to stir the pot. The fact Jake wanted to do this with Olly was the best reassurance he could’ve given his nephew, even if he didn’t know it yet.
“That would be awesome.” Olly leapt from his chair and rushed over to help Jake unpack. “I’m so glad I didn’t run away for long.”
Jake stilled, his gaze flying to Cilla’s. She gave a small shake of her head and thankfully, Jake didn’t push. Instead, he worked alongside Olly, unpacking the groceries while she reheated the porridge, dished it up and made hot chocolate.
When Cilla glanced at her watch for the fifth time, Jake’s eyebrow rose.
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“I’m going out for breakfast,” she said, glad that Olly was engrossed in eating and couldn’t pipe up with his version of what he thought might be going on with her and Bryce.
“I’ll walk you out then,” Jake said, obviously keen to hear her version of Olly’s running away caper.
Jake waited until they were outside at her car, sufficiently far from the house. “What the hell’s going on? Olly ran away?”
Cilla nodded. “This morning. He didn’t come down for breakfast and when I looked for him, he wasn’t anywhere.”
“Damn.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry ’til I figured out whether he’d gone for a walk and got lost, or had actually run away.”
“What happened?”
“I called Bryce. He helped me look. It had only been thirty minutes since I’d seen Olly so we figured he hadn’t gone far.”
Jake slumped, a picture of dejection. “Do you know why he did it?”
“Because he thought no one wants him. Apparently he saw you and Sara kissing last night and thought you’d get married, have kids and wouldn’t want him around.”
Jake startled. “What?”
“In his mind, his mom’s abandoned him. He’s living with an old lady he didn’t know before he got here.” She patted his arm. “You’re the only constant in his life since Rose went into rehab, so when he thought you were getting close to Sara and could potentially leave him too . . .” She shook her head. “He’s a darling boy but kids tend to build elaborate scenarios in their heads that make them do crazy things.”
