by Barb Han
“Okay then.” She must’ve picked up on the tension between him and Faith because she shot another contemptuous look toward Faith.
“We might not want it for the same reasons, but we all want the same thing. To find Nicholas and bring him home safely,” Ryder said. “It doesn’t matter why.”
Celeste nodded. Her shoulders slumped forward and she looked completely wrung out. “I didn’t sleep last night from worry. At first I thought he found a girl and ran off.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Faith said a little too intensely.
“How would you know?” Celeste said with disdain.
Faith suddenly became interested in the tabletop. “I know my brother.”
A noise tore from Celeste’s throat. “You don’t know fifteen-year-old boys.”
“Nicholas isn’t like that,” Faith said, her defenses rattled. Her reaction was putting Celeste on edge, and that wasn’t going to get them what they wanted: her cooperation.
“I can remember a few times when I did stupid stuff at that age. Hormones and a still-developing brain don’t exactly make the best combination,” Ryder intervened with a warning look toward Faith.
Celeste angled her body toward him, effectively closing Faith out of the conversation. “My point exactly. He’s a good boy but that don’t mean nothing when it comes to teenage hormones. That’s what I thought three days ago. Now, I don’t know. It ain’t like him not to call. He’s never done that before.”
“What about his actions in the days leading up to his...” He didn’t want to say the word disappearance. “Had he been staying out later than usual?” Ryder hoped to cash in on her conspiratorial feelings.
“Not that I know of,” she said with a tentative glance toward Faith. “I work nights but he’s always there by the time I get home the next morning.”
“What time is that usually?” Ryder asked, nodding his head. Celeste was holding something back. What?
“There’s no set time,” she said.
“Bar closes at two o’clock,” Faith said, scorn in her tone. “Nicholas said she doesn’t come home until the next morning and sometimes until lunch.”
Ryder shot her one of his you’re-not-helping looks and then refocused on Celeste.
“Was he hanging out with any new people or had his behavior at school changed recently?” Ryder pressed. “Any notes or calls from the counselor?”
“None. No new people, either. At least none that I know of, but then boys don’t exactly tell their mothers every little detail,” she said after a thoughtful pause and a long hard look at Faith.
“What about his cell phone?” he asked. “I’m sure you’ve tried calling. Texting? I’m guessing there’s been no response.”
“None. And I haven’t seen or heard it since he left. Figured he took it with him. That thing goes everywhere with him, including the bathroom.”
“Did you search his bedroom for it?” Faith asked, looking determined to get her two cents in. Ryder had never been able to control her, and maybe that was the point. Maybe she was showing him that she was the one who should be in charge. Or maybe it was genuine concern for her little brother, a brother who’d been abandoned by her side of the family and who needed her help. Either way, her talking wasn’t a good thing. If he’d known her presence would cause this much of a stir with Celeste, he would’ve come alone.
He took a sip of his black coffee while Celeste shot Faith a sour look.
Celeste fished out her cell phone, entered a password onto the screen and pulled up her message history. “Look, he makes me text him every night to make sure I got in my car safe. No one’s ever done that for me before. Plus, he hasn’t tried to get a hold of me using anyone else’s phone, either.” She flashed her eyes at Faith. “I know my Nicholas is a good boy but even the nice ones get mixed up in the wrong crowd sometimes. That’s what I figured happened when he didn’t respond to my text three nights ago. It’s not like him to stay away this long, and that has me figuring he’s done something he shouldn’t. Something real ba—”
“He wouldn’t—” Faith started to say, but Ryder shushed her.
“Let her finish,” he said with a look that said this would all be over if she kept pressing her agenda. Nicholas’s mother was talking to them, and Faith needed to cool it.
Celeste pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and flattened it on the table.
“Look there. Doesn’t seem like you know Nicholas as much as you claim to.” She fired the accusation directly at Faith.
It was a note from Nicholas, saying that it was his mother’s turn to wait up for him and wonder where he was for a change.
Faith’s face went blank.
“Can I see that?” Faith asked.
Celeste didn’t immediately move.
“Please. Just for a second,” Faith said, softer this time.
The woman relented.
Faith took the paper and then studied the words as she traced her finger around the shapes.
“Nicholas didn’t write that.” She folded her arms with that indignant look on her face again. Before Ryder could remind her that she wasn’t helping, she scooted back in her seat.
“Well, it has his name right there.” Celeste pointed to his signature.
“I don’t care what it says. I’ve done homework with him a thousand times and that’s not his handwriting,” Faith said matter-of-factly. The shaming quality to her tone wasn’t going to help matters.
“When have you been here to help Nicholas with anything?” Celeste leaned back in her chair, got another sour look on her face like she’d just sucked on a pickle.
“All the time,” Faith shot back, ignoring the warning look Ryder was giving her.
“That’s it. I’m done here.” Celeste pushed off the table and stood.
Ryder popped to his feet, too.
“Don’t leave. I’m just worried about Nicholas,” Faith defended.
That was all it took for Celeste to snatch her keys out of her purse and then head for the door.
The waitress appeared as Ryder took off after the distraught woman.
Faith made a move to follow.
“Don’t you dare get up. Order food. I’ll try to clean up your mess,” he barked.
Celeste revved the engine, one hand gripping the steering wheel as she craned her neck to check for clearance. She was ready to gun it and get the heck out of there as Ryder jogged up to her window, hoping he could perform some major damage control.
“She doesn’t mean to come off that way,” he said, startling her.
“I don’t need no one judging my life and especially one of Hollister’s snot-nosed kids. She doesn’t know what me and Nicholas have gone through because her SOB of a father wouldn’t support us,” Celeste said through a sneer.
“No, she doesn’t. And you’re one hundred percent right about Hollister McCabe. I can’t stand that family personally,” Ryder agreed. “There’s no excuse for him abandoning you and Nicholas.”
“Then what are you doing with one of ’em?” She put the car in Park but didn’t take her foot off the brake.
“I was honest before. She came to me asking for my help,” he said. “Before you think I’m some Good Samaritan, I turned her down.”
“How come you showed up here anyway?”
“I believed her when she said Nicholas was a good boy. I won’t try to convince you that she’s better than her family, but I know you’ll understand that because of who her father is she had nowhere else to turn but me.”
Celeste stared out her windshield, didn’t move. That was a good sign.
“She’s been sneaking Nicholas money for years, even though getting caught would end her relationship with her father. Hollister McCabe doesn’t care if someone’s flesh and blood if they cross hi
m, as I’m sure I don’t have to tell you,” he said.
“Now that she’s turned up I figured it had to be her giving my Nicholas money all these years,” she admitted.
“It’s money out of her pocket. Her father doesn’t know,” he said. “And she needs to keep it that way.”
“I don’t give two hoots about her family problems,” Celeste said, searching out a pack of cigarettes from the dashboard. She pulled out a smoke and lit it. “You want one?”
Ryder shook his head.
“I’m not saying she’s perfect, believe me. She cares about Nicholas, though. And if he is in trouble, he can use all the help he can get no matter whose last name is attached. Don’t you think?”
That seemed to strike a chord. She twisted the cigarette around her fingers.
“If you know anything that can help find your son, I’d appreciate you telling me. I understand why you don’t like Faith and I won’t argue against your points, but I’m not the enemy. I’m only here because Nicholas could be in trouble, and if that’s the case we need to work together.”
“You don’t think he’s with a girl? Now that I think about it, that Swanson chick was hanging around our place an awful lot before he took off,” Celeste said, taking a long drag. A smoke cloud broke around her face as she blew twin plumes out of her nostrils.
“Maybe. If he’s as good a kid as the two of you say he’d let you know where he is. Has he ever stayed away overnight?”
“No. Never. He worries too much about me. He won’t even sleep over anyone’s house because he wants to be home for me.” Celeste took another drag off her smoke and stared out the windshield. A few tears trickled down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away and took another pull. “I didn’t come home the other night. I thought maybe that’s why he took off. Then I found the letter. He’s been threatening me with that one for years so I guess I had it coming.”
“You haven’t reported him missing?” Ryder asked, noting that if someone had kidnapped Nicholas they didn’t want to raise suspicion right away. Another bad sign as far as Ryder was concerned. This must’ve been targeted and someone was buying time. Ryder wouldn’t allow himself to go down the road that said they were already too late.
She shook her head.
“Then let me help you find him.”
Celeste flicked her cigarette out the window, taking care to miss Ryder. He crushed the butt under the heel of his boot.
“I’ll stop by the sheriff’s office and see what he says,” she relented.
“That’s a good start. Ask him about an Amber Alert and see if he’s willing to go there. What about friends?” Ryder pressed.
“He kept to himself mostly.” She shrugged. “There was one boy who always came around. His name’s Kyle. He’s the Sangers’ boy.”
“You have his address?”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I’m not too good with writing stuff like that down. Nicholas said he lives in the pink siding house two streets over.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find it,” he offered, thinking there couldn’t be too many houses with pink siding in the neighborhood.
“I never did catch your name,” Celeste said.
“Ryder O’Brien.”
Her eyes widened at hearing his last name. It was a common reaction and usually benefited Ryder.
“Nicholas is a good kid. Can you bring him home?” she asked.
“That’s the goal.”
“He ain’t never been in trouble.” A desperate sigh slipped out before Celeste could quash it and regain her composure. She looked like the kind of person who hadn’t had many breaks in life. She obviously cared about her son, and Ryder couldn’t help but feel sorry for the situation McCabe had put her in.
“I know she’s going about it all wrong, but Faith cares a lot about Nicholas,” Ryder said, testing the water. Maybe he could smooth things over a little between her and Faith. Convince Faith that it would be better for Nicholas if she made an effort with his mother. Besides, Faith seemed to have genuine feelings for her half brother, and she would need all the family she could rally around her when her parents learned that she was carrying his child. He’d almost like to be a fly on the wall of that conversation just to see Hollister McCabe’s reaction. And even if Faith wasn’t worried about losing the support of her father, Ryder knew her well enough to realize that she wouldn’t want to alienate her mother. Faith had always felt protective of her mother, and especially since the woman had started depending on so many pills to get her through the day.
“My boy is none of her business.” Celeste’s lips turned into a sneer, a chilly response.
“Understood. I just wanted you to know she has just as many issues with her father as you and she’s carrying a secret that will cause him to turn his back on her, too,” Ryder added.
“That’s impossible on both counts,” Celeste said, her tone flat. “I want nothing to do with him or his family.”
“He’s no friend of mine, either,” Ryder said. “I’m on your side.”
“I appreciate your help but I don’t have no money—”
“None’s necessary,” he cut her off. “This is for Nicholas. If something happened to him, we’ll figure it out and bring him home.”
Celeste wiped a stray tear.
“You have a pen? I want to give you my number in case he makes contact.” Ryder pulled out the business card of his family’s lawyer, wishing he’d thought to have some of his own printed.
Celeste searched around in her car and in the glove box. “Afraid not.”
“Hold on. I’ll grab one from inside,” he said.
She nodded.
He jogged into the restaurant and to the counter. He still had a long way to go to gain Celeste’s trust but he’d made progress. “There a pen I can borrow?”
“Sure thing. Should be one right over there.” The waitress motioned toward the register.
Ryder thanked her as he located the blue Bic pen. He scribbled his name and number on the back of the card before turning toward the all-glass door. He stopped and issued a frustrated grunt.
Celeste was gone.
Chapter Four
“I can’t keep running interference between you and Nicholas’s mother,” Ryder said, taking his seat at the table. Anger stewed behind his dark eyes and he wore a disgusted expression. “Finish breakfast and I’ll take you home.”
“I’m sorry.” Faith meant it, too.
Ryder’s shoulders were bunched. The muscle in his jaw ticked. He was done.
She really hadn’t intended to insult Nicholas’s mother even though the woman needed a few stern lessons in parenting. Hormones were hell. “Meeting her had an unexpected effect on me and I promise not to let my emotions take over next time.”
He gave her the glare that left no room for doubt that there wouldn’t be a repeat because she was on her own.
“Ryder, please. I’m begging. I’ll handle people however you tell me to if you’ll give me another chance.”
“Where was this attitude ten minutes ago when it would’ve made a difference?” he shot back, but the hard lines on his forehead were already softening.
“Not where it should’ve been. I admit.” She’d gained a little ground, but he wasn’t exactly happy with her yet.
He picked up his fork and stabbed it into his eggs. Another good sign.
“Well, keep it in check next time because we need her and you probably just pushed her away.” The bite didn’t make it into his mouth before he continued, “No. You know what. You asked me here and then made it next to impossible to gain her cooperation.”
“That’s not entirely true. I didn’t ask you to bring me to her. I already told you that she can’t help us. Or won’t.” As soon as the tart words left her mout
h, she regretted them. She put her hands up in the surrender position. “I didn’t mean that, either. I don’t know what’s wrong with me except that every single emotion I’ve ever had is at full tilt these past few months.” She didn’t even want to talk about the crazy changes going on inside her body, changes that weren’t visible to others and yet she was keenly aware of her hips starting to expand and her belly having a little pooch. Then, there were the hormones.
“Take it easy.” His tone was meant to calm her down. His look of pity made her feel even more frustrated at how fragile she must seem. That didn’t go over well. Concern was one thing. Pity was something altogether different. Faith wasn’t helpless.
“I want to reassure you that I can have an adult conversation without putting people off. That woman... Nicholas’s mother...gets under my skin. I mean Nicholas had it tough enough without a father around and then she adds to his stress and...confusion by making him responsible for her. He’s just a kid and he doesn’t deserve any of this battle going on between people who are supposed to be grown adults.”
Ryder caught her gaze and held it as he folded his hands and placed them against the edge of the table.
“You make a lot of good points about her situation and I can’t help but see the similarities to ours,” he said. “We’re going to need to learn to work together so our differences don’t affect our child.”
Faith took in a breath.
“And you might not like what I have to say but you need to hear it anyway. As far as I can see, she’s the only parent the boy has who loves him. Some kids don’t even get that much and he’s damn lucky to have someone in his life who cares about him. Which leads to my second point. Nicholas has two.”
Faith knew Ryder well enough to know better than to argue his points, and especially because they stung. The hard truth had a way of doing that when someone was being too stubborn to see it. And Faith could admit to being at fault there.
Besides, Ryder would’ve seen the damage firsthand that neglected children deal with and could probably recite the statistics on what happened to them because of his and his mother’s generous work with children’s charities. He’d said that she’d been the inspiration for him and his brothers to become more involved in the community. Ryder might like to push the boundaries in his personal life, but he also was smart enough to appreciate the privileges he’d been given growing up an O’Brien and he was decent enough to want to help others.
