The Runaway

by Jennifer Bernard

  Mark climbed out of the Buttercup and stalked down the ramp toward the office.

  What was he going to do about the marina? Dwayne, the vet with PTSD issues, was doing a lot better these days. Mark had even spotted him chatting at the gas pumps without breaking a sweat. But would putting him in charge create too much stress? What about the high school students? If he put together all three of them, he might get one solid worker. He could ask one of the fishermen, maybe Dutch, to keep an eye on things. Until there was a big run of yellowfin, then they’d all take off like a flash.

  Only one choice made any sense.

  “You say this is for Gracie?” Dwayne gave a wink. “If it’s for Gracie, I guess I better think about it.”

  “It’s not just for Gracie, it’s also for me, and to keep the marina from falling into the ocean.”

  “Well, shit, if you put it that way. Sure, Mark. I’ll do it.”

  “I’ll have my cell phone with me at all times. Any trouble, you call. If it’s too much, you call, and I’ll figure something out.”

  “Okay. Got it. Don’t worry, I’m almost feeling like my old self. Now how are you going to find Gracie?”

  He stared at Dwayne blankly. “No idea.”

  “She drivin’ that little Jetta?”

  “Yeah, probably.”

  “There you go. She’s got a bad habit of running on empty. She’s gonna have to fill up.”

  And as a marina owner, he kept a list of all the gas stations and fuel distributors from here to LA. Oh, the irony if a gas station wound up helping him locate Gracie.

  He was still going through his list of instructions for Dwayne when Sophie walked in. She’d put new highlights in her hair and carried an expensive hot-pink leather handbag he’d never seen before.

  “Hello, heartbreak,” she greeted him breezily, displaying the handbag. “Meet the silver lining. Isn’t it adorbs?”

  Dwayne whistled. “Sweet. How much did that baby cost?”

  “What does it matter, compared to the price of a broken heart?”

  Dwayne looked from one to the other of them. “Y’all broke up?” He swung around to check the Helly Hansen calendar on the wall behind the counter. “Damn, I missed it by two days.”

  He threw up a hand to block Mark’s thunderous glare. “You can’t fire me. You just put me in charge.”

  Mark closed the binder that held all the key phone numbers, account numbers, schedules and other information that Dwayne would need. He shoved it across the counter to him.

  “In charge? What’s going on? You’re leaving?” Sophie shoved her sunglasses on top of her head. “You never leave.”

  “Gracie’s gone, and she might be in trouble,” said Dwayne. He shrugged when Mark shot him another glare. That shrug had “can’t fire me” written all over it.

  Mark picked up his overnight duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s talk outside, Soph. I need to hit the road.”

  She followed him out of the office. “So that’s what it takes for you to leave the marina. A damsel in distress.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Then what’s it like?”

  He let out a silent sigh of frustration. All he could think about was picking up Gracie’s trail. If she got too far before he caught up, he might be unable to track her. His relationship with Sophie felt almost like a different lifetime. So much had changed in the short amount of time since she’d dumped him.

  “Why does it matter? Remember when you dumped me and treated yourself to a new bag?”

  “But there’s a small chance I might have made a mistake.”

  “You didn’t.” He headed toward the back of the building where he and the staff parked. “You’re a great person and a hottie, and you’re going to marry a CEO or become a CEO and barely remember me. Breaking up is the right thing.”

  “But how do you know?”

  On fire with impatience, he turned to face her. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Sophie.”

  “Here we go. This again?”

  “For instance, you don’t know that I was kidnapped when I was six, or that I still have monthly therapy to deal with it.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Wow. Okay. Wow.”

  “And Gracie—turns out she was kidnapped, too, by the same man, and now she’s off hunting for him. So yeah, I’m leaving, and I’m sorry, but I need to get on the road right now.”

  “That’s…yeah, better go. That’s a lot of information right there.” She dropped her sunglasses back over her eyes. “Just one word of advice.”

  He opened the door of his truck and tossed his bag inside. “What’s that?”

  “Let her in,” she said softly. “Gracie, I mean.”

  “It’s not like—”

  “Oh, stop. I know a thing or two, you know. I’m not just a party girl.”

  He laughed. “I know you aren’t.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help? I mean that sincerely.”

  The back door opened, and Dwayne strolled out, followed by Mellow, who darted to Mark’s side.

  “Yeah, there is. Bring this cat some food now and then.” He bent down and scratched Mellow’s head.

  “But you don’t like pets.”

  “Dogs,” he corrected. He’d never explained to her why he didn’t like dogs, and wasn’t going to now. On impulse, he dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Bye, Soph. Take care of yourself.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll find a man for that.”

  Laughing, he got into his pickup and backed out of the parking lot. With a last glance in his rearview mirror, he saw Sophie flirting with Dwayne, who was probably asking her out. Playing the wounded vet card. And maybe the Idris Elba lookalike card, too.

  Would Dwayne forget about the marina? Would the two of them drive off into the sunset and leave Ocean Shores unattended?

  Turned out, he didn’t care as much as he thought he would.

  16

  Gracie had always loved the schizophrenic nature of early spring at Rocky Peak Lodge. One day, the first grape hyacinths would unfurl their petals, the next a blizzard would drop two feet of snow. The unpredictability confirmed her basic sense that everything was always changing.

  Now that she knew a bit more about her history, she wondered if that was where that feeling came from. One minute you were riding in a car with your mother, the next your life changed completely and your safety depended on a six-year-old. Even if she hadn’t remembered any of that, her subconscious probably did.

  At any rate, the morning she returned to Rocky Peak held a shy kind of warmth, as if spring was sticking a toe in the water. The sky was the color of a bluebird’s wings, and tender green peeked from the birch trees near the lodge. The sprawling, rambling Chalet-style structure brought a rush of intense emotion. This was home, the only home she’d ever known.

  And yet, was it?

  As she drove up, she noticed amazing changes wrought by the construction crew. The lodge had been closed for the winter to complete some desperately needed renovations, which were financed by a silent angel investor.

  That investor had turned out to be Lyle Guero, who was now engaged to her sister Isabelle. Good thing he had plenty of money. The lodge no longer looked as if it might collapse into the forest at the first storm. The guesthouses had been freshly painted, and the fire station’s west wall had new siding.

  A new structure sat in the meadow beyond it, positioned for the best possible southern exposure. It must be Serena’s studio. Her second-oldest brother Griffin’s fiancée was a successful portrait artist and volunteer police sketch artist. She’d left San Francisco to live here with Griffin while he launched his Reach Your Peak Foundation. As a former pro motocross racer, Griffin’s new passion was working with kids with disabilities that prevented them from enjoying sports.

  Gracie was just wondering where his offices were going to be located when she saw him walk toward the studio with a pile of boxes. She’d recognize his dark hair and powe
rful form anywhere.

  Studio and foundation headquarters? Why not?

  She parked her Jetta and ran toward him. “Griffin! I’m back!”

  He dropped the boxes onto the ground and turned to her with wide-open arms. She flew into them, soaking in the familiar feeling of her big brother’s hug. Strong, solid, comforting, the embrace of a man who didn’t quite know his own strength.

  As he held her close, one of her worries vanished. No matter what, Griffin would always be her brother. Some things weren’t going to change.

  But some were.

  “We need a family meeting,” she told him when he finally set her back down on the ground.

  “Right now?”

  “Right now. I really can’t wait any longer.”

  “Any longer? You just got here.”

  “Yes, but there’s something big that I’ve been needing to tell you all since after New Year’s. But I need everyone together. Especially Nicole, because I don’t know how Max is going to react.”

  Nicole had first come to Rocky Peak as a home health aide for Max. Now she was engaged to Kai and pregnant with the first Rockwell grandchild. But she still kept a close eye on Max. Then again, Izzy did, too, and she was a trauma surgeon. And Kai was a rescue paramedic, so all in all, Max would probably be fine.

  “Okay. Let’s make it happen.”

  That was Griffin for you. He didn’t pester you with questions; he just took care of things.

  By the time everyone had gathered in the glass solarium, where they always held their family meetings, Gracie was a nervous wreck. Everyone had been thrilled to see her, especially Max, which just about broke her heart.

  Was he ready for the grenade she was about to drop?

  “Mad Max,” as his children called him, sat in his favorite leather armchair, white beard fluttering as he chomped on his cigar. Nicole stood next to him in a loose knit sweater that clung to the gentle swell of her belly. Her heart-shaped face was prettier than ever with the extra weight caused by her pregnancy.

  Even with Nicole nearby, Gracie still worried about Max’s reaction. She motioned for Isabelle to inch even closer to their father. Her sister’s fierce green eyes shot questions at her, but she went along with it.

  Lyle leaned against the wall, arms folded across his big chest. He probably still didn’t feel like part of the Rockwells yet, and right now, Gracie sympathized. Of all the people in this room, her situation most closely matched his. His presence reassured her.

  Everyone else sat around the long table where they’d conducted so many important discussions about the lodge and its future. Griffin held hands with the flame-haired Serena, who blew Gracie a “welcome back” kiss.

  Jake, Isabelle’s twin and the easygoing “rock” of the family, lounged in a chair with one ankle propped on a knee.

  Kai, with his restless manner and tumbled brown hair, kept a close eye on his pregnant fiancée.

  Her family. She hoped.

  “Let me start this meeting by saying that I love you all, and I really missed you while I was gone.”

  “We missed you, too.” Jake cocked his head at her. “Seems like you grew up while you were gone. Then again, maybe it’s the new tan.”

  “No, you’re right. Being on my own was a real growth experience, especially when I was living in my car. Even when I moved onto the boat, come to think of it. Yes, I definitely grew up a lot.”

  An explosion of voices followed. Typical Rockwells, everyone talking over each other. She waved her hand for silence.

  “I’m fine. Obviously. Can we talk about my suntan again?” She preened, even though the long drive had caused her tan to fade a bit. “Don’t I look amazing, like I’ve been on a cruise?”

  “Jesus, Gracie, you can’t just drop a bomb like that and expect us not to react,” said Kai. “You were living in your car?”

  “I had my knife.”

  Isabelle nodded approvingly. She’d bought the knife for Gracie as a birthday present. “Did you ever have to use it?”

  “It came in very handy when it came to cans of cat food,” Gracie told her. “Though a can opener would have been easier. But the one time I needed my knife…” She thought of Druggie Lowlife, and Mark coming to her rescue. “Never mind all that. There’s something else I need to talk about. It’s very important and it affects all of us.”

  “Climate change?” said Jake. “Spring came earlier than ever this year.”

  “No, nothing like that—”

  “The price of coffee beans,” said Serena. “It’s a crisis waiting to happen.”

  Oh my God, Serena was just as bad as the family she was marrying into.

  “It’s nothing financial—”

  “Something physical? Wildfire danger? We just beefed up our fire and rescue gear, we’re as ready as we can be.” Kai gave a satisfied smile. The fire station—really a remote outpost to lend wilderness support to the local fire crews—was his baby.

  “Is it a health issue, Gracie?” Nicole said softly.

  Isabelle shook her head. “No, she would have told me if it was anything like that. Right, Gracie?”

  From the back, Lyle spoke up in his deep voice. “Maybe if you all gave her a chance to—”

  “Shit, Gracie, is it about all the wedding plans?” Griffin leaned forward on his elbows. “We can change those up if you—”

  “I’m not a Rockwell!” she burst out. “That’s the thing. Jeez!”

  Stunned silence followed.

  “Mom didn’t give birth to me. She found me in the woods. Ask Dad. He knows. He never told me…but he knows.”

  All eyes turned to Max.

  He looked frozen. Even his unruly white beard suddenly looked as if it had been turned to marble. He uttered a sound somewhere between a choke and growl, then fell silent.

  Nicole put a hand on his shoulder, probably secretly checking his pulse. This was exactly what Gracie hadn’t wanted—to upset Max when he had a heart condition. But he was going to have this condition for the rest of his life. So where did that leave her?

  Gentle. Keep it gentle.

  She kept her gaze on him as she spoke in a soft voice. “I wanted to know the truth, Dad, that’s why I left. I followed a trail of clues, starting with that bassinet Tigger was sleeping in.”

  Lyle stepped away from the wall to stand just behind Isabelle. The two of them had come to the rescue of the baby called Tigger and taken care of him until Christmas. He opened his mouth, then closed it again—probably deciding that this was a moment for the Rockwell family.

  Which didn’t really include her. Except—of course it did. Didn’t it?

  A wave of anxiety washed through her. Why weren’t any of her brothers or sister saying anything?

  Isabelle pushed her chair back and stood up, her dark hair tumbling out of the fleece ski headband she wore. She hurried to Gracie’s side and threw her arms around her. “Get that worried look off your face, baby sister. I don’t care if you came from the woods or a giant owl dropped you off. You’re my sister, and you always will be.”

  Enclosed in the tight hug of her fierce, brave, adventurous older sister, Gracie felt something dissolve inside her, as if a frozen lump of ice had just melted under the sunshine of Isabelle’s personality. “Okay.” She buried a sob in Isabelle’s ski sweater. “Okay. Thank you.”

  “Jeez, Gracie, I just realized something.” Isabelle drew back, still gripping her shoulders. “That’s the secret Mom was referring to in her journals. That’s what she and Frank were investigating!” She whirled toward Max. “Isn’t that right, Dad?”

  Max passed a hand across his eyes. The gnarled, arthritic shape of it sent a pang shooting through Gracie. She didn’t want to hurt the only father she’d ever known—or might ever know.

  But she also wanted the truth, so she stayed where she was, sheltered under Isabelle’s arm.

  “Yeah,” Max muttered. “I didn’t know she was looking. She didn’t tell me because I didn’t want her to stir t
hings up. But I’ve been reading her journals, and I think that’s what she was doing.”

  “Why, Dad?” Gracie cried, the question she’d kept bottled up so long bursting out of her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  A hunted look came over his face. “It didn’t matter where you came from. You were our child. Didn’t want you to doubt that.”

  Okay, that was nice, but…so much of this didn’t make sense. “Then why was Mom looking for my real parents?”

  His knuckles tightened on his cane. “I told her not to. Ordered her. We fought about it. But she kept having dreams that someone was looking for you. It hurt her to think that some other mother was missing her child. She just couldn’t let it go. It…well, I guess it haunted her.”

  Kai spoke up for the first time. His usual restless energy was dimmed, his forehead creased in confusion. “I don’t even understand this. Why wouldn’t we know that Gracie wasn’t born here? I was ten, I think I would have known! What the hell?”

  “Remember when your mother kept going to her father’s to help him through his surgery?”

  “I guess.” Griffin and Kai glanced at each other, both shrugging. “Not really,” Kai admitted.

  “She used those trips to fudge the dates. When she first found you, Gracie, she took you to the same hospital where her father was getting his operation. You needed treatment for dehydration and a virus. I handled the local police. I searched for reports of missing babies, but nothing checked out. In the meantime…she fell in love with you, Gracie. She didn’t want you to go into the foster care system. She wanted to keep you. When Amanda wanted something, she was hard to stop. I…” He cleared his throat. “I got you a birth certificate. Don’t ask how. Then I came back home and told you all that Amanda was expecting a baby, and that it was a bit of a surprise, and she was going to give birth prematurely.”

  “That’s why we all thought Gracie was a preemie,” said Jake. Shadows darkened his heather-green eyes. Gracie had always had a special connection with Jake, and she knew this must be especially strange for him.

  “Yes. Luckily, she was a small baby. And you were all so young, you didn’t question it. You boys were the oldest, but you knew nothing about pregnancy or babies. None of you blinked, you were just happy to get another sister. Especially one like Gracie. Gracie, you were—” He broke off, swallowing convulsively a few times. “Cute,” he finally managed.