A Home for Her Daughter

by Jill Weatherholt

  Thankfully, the farther she traveled along the road, the more the rain seemed to let up. Moments later, she had passed through the downpour and had reached dry pavement. There was no sign of the monsoon she’d just experienced.

  Within minutes, Janie arrived at the parking lot located at the base of the trail. She looked around for the camp’s van. Her shoulders relaxed for a brief moment when she spotted the vehicle at the far side of the parking lot. There was no sign of Randy’s car or the vehicle Drew had described traveling down her driveway, but Randy could be driving a different rental. Had she overreacted in racing over here? But she had to be sure Riley was okay, so she stowed her purse in the back, out of sight, and locked the car. She sucked in a breath and headed toward the trail, hoping she’d find her daughter.

  Fifteen minutes later, Janie slowed her pace. With no people around, she started to feel a little uneasy being out on an isolated trail alone. Not the smartest move. She whirled around at the sound of brush rustling behind her. Janie laughed at the two squirrels chasing each other before they scampered up a nearby oak tree. Come on, Janie. You’re scared of a couple little critters. She shook off her fear and continued along the path. Sticks and leaves crunched underneath her tennis shoes. Drew wouldn’t approve of her footwear.

  A rumble of thunder in the distance sounded. Then seconds later, her blood turned cold when she heard Drew call out. She stopped in her tracks. Riley. Why was he calling for her daughter?

  Janie sprinted up the path, losing her balance when her foot stubbed on a tree root. Her arms flailed as she gasped for a breath. She hit the ground hard, her wrist twisting under her weight, but she pushed through the pain. Back on her feet, she ran at top speed toward Drew’s voice. Riley. Where was she?

  Seconds later, she spotted Drew moving slowly down the path. The children trailed behind. Janie searched the group and her heart sank.

  “Drew!” The ground beneath her feet spun. “Where is Riley?”

  His shoulders slumped. He avoided eye contact.

  Piercing pains shot through her chest. “Where is she?” Janie gripped Drew’s forearms. She shook him, pleading for an answer.

  Drew slowly raised his head before dropping to his knees. He dug his fingertips into the ground before he looked up to Janie with bloodshot eyes, his face painted blotchy red. “She’s missing.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Beads of sweat trickled down Drew’s neck as he rose to his feet. His tongue twisted. Riley was missing. How did he allow this to happen? He’d been responsible for her safety. Just like the accident. He’d failed to save his family and now he’d failed Janie.

  “When did you last see Riley, Drew?” Janie’s voice quivered.

  “It’s been thirty minutes, or so.” His voice shook as he raked both hands through his hair, his mind reeling. “Jonathan fell. I was treating the cut and when I finished, she was gone. Julia said she’d chased after a rabbit. I tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up.” A tear seeped out of the corner of his eye. “I’m so sorry, Janie. This is my fault. Riley was my responsibility.”

  The rumbling of engines reached them.

  Drew took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “Mark and a few guys from town have organized a search party. They’re out on their four-wheelers. The sheriff’s department is looking for her, too. They’re going to put out an Amber Alert. They’ll find her.” Drew tried to reassure Janie. But he struggled to believe his own words.

  “I think Randy might have taken her,” Janie croaked.

  Drew’s chest tightened. “Has he contacted you again?”

  She nodded. “He emailed me earlier. He said he had a right to see her.” She paused to catch her breath. “And he planned to exercise the right. I should never have ignored him.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, Janie. This is my fault. Riley was under my watch today.” Drew prayed silently for Riley’s safety before turning his attention back to Janie. “We need to get a picture of Randy over to the sheriff right away.”

  “But, I—I don’t have any photographs of him.” She tipped her head to the ground.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Janie rolled her shoulders. “I burned all of the pictures when I left him.” She hesitated. “Riley has one on her dresser, though.”

  “I’ll call Mark and tell him we’re heading over to your house to get the photo. I’ll have Deputy Jacobs meet us at the farm. Laura Marie just got to the parking lot. She’ll take the children.” Drew slipped his phone from his pocket.

  Five minutes later, inside his truck, Drew stole glances in Janie’s direction. Her eyes closed and her lips moved. Drew didn’t have to hear her words to know she was asking God to bring her daughter home. The guilt caused his stomach to churn. What if they couldn’t find her?

  Janie leaned her head against the back of the seat before turning to Drew. “After everything you’ve been through, I know what you’re thinking, Drew, but please, don’t blame yourself. Children wander off—it’s what they do.” Her voice was unsteady. “I know how Riley can react when she sees an animal.”

  Drew gripped the steering wheel as he rounded a curve, touched by Janie’s words—her daughter was missing and she was trying to comfort him. “I love that little girl so much.” He sucked in a breath. “If anything happens to Riley, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  During the remainder of the trip the couple rode in silence. The clock was ticking. The more time that passed without Riley being found, the more Drew’s guilt festered.

  Gravel crunched underneath the tires of Drew’s truck as they neared Janie’s house.

  “Look!” she shouted, pointing at the sheriff’s car parked in the driveway. “They’re already here.”

  Drew’s tension eased. “I’m not surprised. The first responders in Whispering Slopes are top-notch.” He ground his teeth back and forth. Of course, he couldn’t say the same about himself. Drew thought he’d come to terms with the accident, but Riley going missing while he was responsible for her had once again sent him down the road of guilt and blame.

  Drew jumped from the truck. He rounded the other side to open the door for Janie but she was quick. After springing from the vehicle, she raced up the walkway toward the two deputies who stood on the porch.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly,” Janie said.

  An older deputy stepped forward and reached for Janie’s forearm. “We’re going to find Riley. Don’t worry.”

  Drew looked at the older gentleman. “Janie, this is Deputy Williamson.”

  “Please, call me Charlie.” He turned to his partner. “This is Deputy Harper, but you can call him Joel. We’re all family in this town.”

  Drew watched as the tension seemed to ease from Janie’s face. “Let’s head inside and get these fellas that photograph.”

  Gathered around the kitchen table, Janie explained to the deputies the issues surrounding her divorce and the emails she’d been receiving from Randy. She also mentioned possibly seeing him at the fair and Drew spotting the strange vehicle on her driveway before it made an abrupt U-turn. She’d powered on her laptop to show them the emails from Randy.

  “At the start of my career, I worked in New York City. We handled these kinds of cases all of the time,” the older deputy said after studying the messages. “Of course, here in Whispering Slopes, it’s rare, but I’d say Riley is with your ex-husband. This is a good thing given the fact that he’s never harmed her in the past. The tone of his emails sounds to me like a man who has a lot of regrets and he wants to right the situation, but he’s not quite sure how. He mentioned he’s been seeing a therapist for the last ten months, so that’s a good sign.”

  Drew appreciated Charlie’s take on the situation. He tried to ease Janie’s worries, but it didn’t take away from the facts. Riley was missing because of him. Drew’s shoulders were laden with burden. He knew the truth. He’d ful
filled Mrs. Applegate’s last wishes. Janie and Riley had a home and a potentially thriving business. Their future was bright. Drew couldn’t risk ruining that for the two people who mattered most in the world to him. He had to protect Janie and her daughter. With a heavy heart, he knew what he had to do. Terminating his partnership with Janie and closing the door on the dream of owning an outdoor sports center was the only way to make this wrong right again.

  * * *

  Hunkered down in the kitchen, Janie poured a fresh cup of coffee for the deputies and passed each a steaming beverage. Since they’d scanned the photo of Randy on her printer and emailed it to their headquarters, the men had been on their phones nonstop.

  Charlie took a sip. “The photo has been distributed all over the valley.” He reached for Janie’s hand. “Relax. It’s only a matter of time.”

  Janie prayed this was true. She turned toward the front window where Drew had planted himself for the past thirty minutes. Her heart ached for him. Drew felt responsible for Riley. But how could she help him?

  Slowly, Janie approached Drew and joined him. “Can I get you some coffee?”

  He shook his head and kept a close eye on the outside, like a lighthouse keeper with a strong nor’easter in the forecast.

  “Talk to me, Drew. What’s going through your mind?” Janie pleaded.

  He turned and reached for both of her hands. “I’m going to dissolve our partnership for the center. I can give you the money to go forward on your own, or we can let it go. I should have never gotten you involved in this.”

  Janie knew he was distraught over Riley’s disappearance, but this? She never imagined he’d give up on their plan. “But it’s your dream. We were going to make it come true together, as a team.” Her eyes moistened.

  “I’m better off on my own. I’m no good for you.”

  Janie’s heart sank right along with the future she’d seen so clearly. The future she’d prayed for.

  Charlie entered the room and stepped toward the couple. “Excuse me, but we just got a call on a reported sighting. A man fitting Randy’s description, along with a child, left a restaurant in Lexington about an hour ago. This is good news, Janie.” Charlie placed his hand on her arm. “He’s staying in the area. I have a feeling he plans to bring her home.”

  Janie pushed Drew’s decision out of her mind. She had to keep her thoughts on what was most important...Riley. After grabbing a cup of coffee, she headed down the hall to her bedroom to pray.

  Over the next half an hour, Janie sat in her reading chair and asked God to return her daughter home safe. She prayed Drew would rely on His strength to sustain him and that He would provide the wisdom to realize that their lives were not their own. Everything happening around them, both the good and the bad, was working together for a greater good. She knew this to be true. Finally, she prayed for Randy.

  The wall clock clicked, counting the hours Riley had been missing. Janie pulled the angora blanket from the back of the chair, and wrapped it tight around her shoulders. The house was still with the exception of occasional murmurs by the deputies. Seconds later, Janie heard the front door open.

  “Mommy! Mommy! I’m home!”

  Janie sprang from the seat, her heart rate tripling in speed. She took off down the hall, never moving so fast in her life. Her prayers had been answered. Rounding the corner, she broke into tears at the sight of her sweet little girl’s face.

  With her arms wide-open, Riley ran to Janie. “Mommy! I had the best time in the world with Daddy!”

  Janie held on to her daughter with everything she had. She was safe and that was all that mattered. With her face buried into Riley’s pixie-cut hair, she glanced up to catch the back side of Drew before he slipped out the front door. Numb, she heard the car engine start outside then fade into the distance, taking her heart along with it. Had she lost him forever?

  Following an hour of discussion with the deputies and Randy, Janie decided not to press charges against her ex-husband.

  “I handled everything wrong today, Janie. I should have done this properly, through our attorneys. I’ve been in counseling and I know I have a lot more work to do, but I realize the way I treated you during our marriage was totally unacceptable. I’m ashamed of myself. I know God has forgiven me, but it’s taking me a little longer to forgive myself. And today, I should have never taken Riley without your permission, but I had to see her. I couldn’t wait for the attorneys to draw up an agreement. Being with her today has made everything clear. I want to be a part of her life and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.” A stray tear slipped down Randy’s cheek.

  Throughout their marriage, Janie had never seen her husband cry. Randy had grown up in an abusive household. She’d always assumed he’d used up all of his tears. Sitting across from him, watching him confess his wrongs, she felt sorry for him.

  Riley slipped into the kitchen where the adults were gathered around the table. Tiptoeing toward her mother, she tugged on her arm. “Don’t be mad at Daddy. He just wanted to spend some time with me. He’s sorry he didn’t ask for permission,” Riley pleaded, her eyes red with tears. “Mrs. Buser told me that God says we should love everyone, even those who’ve done wrong things. He says to pray for people who mistreat us. Can’t we just pray for Daddy and not be angry?”

  In awe of the child’s words, the grown-ups sat speechless.

  Janie straightened her shoulders. She’d never been prouder of her daughter. Scooping her up into her arms, she smothered Riley with kisses. “You’re right, sweetie.”

  Two hours and many tears later, Janie and Randy had discussed their past and what would happen moving forward. Janie insisted if Randy wanted to spend time with Riley, he must first undergo a psychological evaluation and then the court could appoint a supervisor for visitation. He agreed and was willing to do whatever was necessary to have a relationship with Riley. They planned to contact their attorneys to get the process started.

  Janie watched out the window as Riley wiped away the tears before giving her father a hug goodbye. Riley’s feet stayed planted as he drove up the driveway and the deputies got into their vehicles. Janie prayed that one day Riley would understand her mother had to do what was best for her daughter. There were consequences to Randy’s actions. Janie felt at peace to allow the court to make the decision regarding visitation.

  Her thoughts drifted to Drew and the pain she’d seen in his eyes when he told her Riley was missing. She knew what she had to do.

  For the next hour, Janie sent a brief email to her divorce attorney to explain what had transpired. She cleared away the coffee cups and wiped down the kitchen countertops. Finally, she rounded up Riley. As they headed outside to her vehicle, Janie explained where they were going.

  Behind the wheel of the car, Janie glanced at her rearview mirror, watching Randy and the deputies talking in the driveway. As she moved away from her past, she had to trust that she and Riley were moving toward a bright future.

  “Is Mr. Drew mad at me, Mommy?” Riley peered out the backseat window.

  Janie eyed her daughter in the mirror. “No, sweetie, he was worried about you—that’s all.” She had to believe this. Janie had to trust that everything would be okay between her and Drew. It had to be. She loved him and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him. And in that moment, she knew what she had to do. It was time for her to step out of her comfort zone and take control of her life.

  When they arrived at Drew’s cabin, Janie’s emotions were like a hummingbird flitting from flower to flower in search of the sweetest nectar. Though excited to share her feelings with him, she was concerned he wanted to pull away from her and their business venture. Their outdoor adventure company she could live without, but a life without Drew would be impossible.

  Janie exhaled a lungful of air and knocked on the front door. You can do this.

&n
bsp; Footsteps sounded on the other side of the cedar door before it slowly opened. “Janie?” Drew’s brow knitted together.

  In that second, it dawned on her, she’d never been to his home. Of course he’d be surprised to see her. “Can we come in, Drew?” Her heart pounded an erratic rhythm. Dressed in black sweat shorts that brushed his knees and a Washington Nationals baseball jersey that accentuated his muscular arms, he looked gorgeous.

  “Sure, come on in.” He opened the door a little wider before looking down at Riley. “Hey, munchkin.”

  Janie observed Riley’s abnormal behavior. Usually in Drew’s presence she’d get excited, but now, she seemed timid as she cowered behind her mother.

  Drew turned to Janie. “What’s wrong?”

  “Riley thinks you’re upset with her since she didn’t tell you she was going to have lunch with her father,” Janie explained.

  Drew bent down in front of the little girl, taking her hands into his own. “I was concerned about your safety, munchkin. No way in the world would I be mad at you...you’re my BFF.”

  Riley giggled, throwing her arms around him. “You’re my best friend forever too, Mr. Drew!”

  “I’m just relieved you’re okay.” Drew poked Riley’s tummy before standing. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I thought the three of you needed some time alone.”

  “We had a good talk. Riley knows to never leave with anyone when she’s under someone else’s supervision. Randy and I agreed to a visitation schedule, so he won’t be sneaking around,” Janie explained.

  Drew nodded and lowered his gaze, but his silence lingered.

  Janie realized he still harbored guilt from Riley’s disappearance. How could she make him understand it wasn’t his fault? Then she remembered a time she’d felt the same way. “You know, when we lived in Maryland, Riley and I had gone to the mall to do a little back-to-school shopping. The place was packed. I’d run into an old friend and while we were chatting at the cosmetic counter Riley had spotted her girlfriend out in the mall and wandered away. Just like you, I was frantic. How could a mother allow her child to just disappear? What kind of mother was I? Thankfully, I found her safe and I learned that sometimes, no matter how hard we try to protect our children, we’re only human and we’re going to make mistakes.” She reached out, gently touching his arm.