“I think he just needed some space. I’m sorry he took your jewelry box. I don’t think he’ll damage it or anything. I hope there was nothing too valuable inside.”
She waved his words away. “I’m not worried about that. Do you really think it was the actual one his mom had? He seemed pretty sure …”
“Yes. I don’t think he was making any of that up. Maria must have sold it to the antique store.”
She nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. I want him to have the box, Luke.”
“That’s sweet of you, Joanna, but you don’t need to do that. It belongs to you now.”
“No. I want to. You can see how much it means to him.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“Well, what do you say we wash up the supper dishes while we wait for Mateo to come back?”
“Luke, you don’t have to do that.”
“Listen, I’m no dummy.” That ornery spark came to his eyes. “You think I’m going to forfeit this chance to spend some extra time with you.”
She paused, letting his meaning soak in, her heart lifting as it did. “By all means, then. Push up your sleeves.” She did the same and led the way to the sink.
CHAPTER 39
THAT SHOULD DO IT.” JOANNA gave the counter one last swipe with the dishrag and turned to survey the tidy kitchen.
Luke had dried dishes while she washed and now everything was put away in the cupboards. “Now see, that wasn’t so difficult.”
Jo wrapped the dishrag in the damp dish towel Luke had used and headed for the laundry room. “Let me go put these in the laundry. Be right back.”
But when she returned a moment later, Luke’s brow was furrowed. “Is that clock right?”
“It is.” It was after eight o’clock and the light in the house was fading quickly. “Mateo’s not back yet?”
“No. He might have just gone to the truck. But I’d better go check.”
He didn’t protest when Jo followed him to his truck. But Mateo wasn’t there. And there was no sign of him as far as they could see in any direction.
“Maybe he did try to walk back to town?” She made it a question.
“I don’t think he would do that. But I didn’t think he’d be gone this long either.”
Jo was thankful Mateo had gone in the direction of the road, and not toward the river. The water wasn’t deep, and Mateo could probably swim, but still … The mere possibility made her shudder.
Luke cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered for Mateo. They both stood stock still, listening for a reply.
Nothing.
“I’m going to drive up the lane and out on the road a little ways and see if he’s there. Do you mind waiting here in case he shows up? I don’t want him to think I left without him.”
“Of course.”
Luke went to the truck and crept up the lane in a zigzag, pointing his headlights into the woods on either side of the lane. His truck disappeared around the curve and Jo stood in the middle of the lane, turning to look in all directions. But dusk blanketed the landscape in gray and it was hard to see anything.
She heard Luke’s engine as he turned onto Poplar Brook Road and then it faded into nothingness. But five minutes later, he was back, his worried frown answering her question before he even climbed out of the truck.
As he approached her in the middle of the lane Jo looked up toward the stairway cut in the side of the hill. “Do you think he might have gone back up to the clearing? He seemed to really like it up there.”
“Good idea.” Despite the darkening sky, he shaded his eyes as if it might help him see up into the wooded edge of the clearing. “I’ll go check.”
“I’d come with you if it wasn’t for this stupid boot.”
“No, you stay here. I’m sorry to keep you.”
“Don’t even think about it, Luke. I’ll wait here. Look back down this way when you get to the stairs. If he’s down here, you might be able to spot him from there.”
“Do you mind if I turn on the lights once I get up there?”
“Not at all. You remember where the switches are, right?”
Luke nodded wordlessly and sprinted to the stairway, taking the wide planked steps two at a time.
A few seconds later, she saw the lights twinkling through the trees like so many fireflies. Good. That would help. Luke’s voice echoed down the hill, calling Mateo’s name over and over.
It was almost dark now and she hobbled into the house for a flashlight. Her ankle throbbed and she knew she’d pay tomorrow for overdoing it. When she came back outside again, Luke was standing in the middle of the lane, hands on hips.
“He didn’t show up?” Alarm made his voice thready.
“No. I just ran in for a flashlight.” She held it up as if needing to prove she’d spoken the truth.
He blew out a thick breath. “He was up there. At least he has been.”
“How do you know?”
He held up a straight strand of beads. The necklace that matched Luke’s. “These were lying on the steps. The clasp is broken. But maybe he lost it when he was up there earlier.”
“No. I remember he had it on when he was playing with Melvin. I noticed when he put the cat treats in his pocket.”
“Okay. So he has been up there since he stormed out of your house. I have a feeling he’s still there.” There was an edge to his voice, but Joanna thought it held more fear than anger. “Just waiting us out maybe. Trying to give us both heart attacks.”
“Well, it’s working. You don’t think he’ll come down once it’s dark?”
Luke shook his head. “It’s pretty dark up there already. I thought about leaving the lights on.”
“Do! Please. I don’t want him to get hurt up there. Or be scared—if he’s still up there.” She was scared enough for both of them. If anything happened to Mateo she would never forgive herself.
“I think I will go turn those lights back on and check one more time.”
She held out a hand, motioning toward the beads he still held. “Maybe I can fix those.”
He dropped the strand into her open hand. “Are there any hiding places up there I should know about?”
“Not adult-size hiding places, but he could probably hide in the underbrush or behind some of the logs Quinn felled up there. Melvin got lost up there this spring. We searched for that stupid cat half the night and—Hey …” An idea formed. “Do you think if you took Melvin up there, it might lure Mateo out of hiding? He’s pretty crazy about that cat.”
Luke cocked his head, but he looked hopeful. “It’s worth a try. But I don’t want to lose your cat.”
“No, Melvin would find his way back down. That’s where he ended up the night he got lost—back at the cottage while we all went crazy up there looking for him.”
“Okay. Let’s give it a try. Will Melvin let me carry him though?”
She nodded. “He’s pretty cuddly. But hold him tight so he doesn’t think he has the option of getting down.”
“Okay.”
She went to retrieve the cat, who was purring peacefully on the sofa. She scooped him up and nuzzled his soft fur with her chin. “Melvin, I need you to be cuter and more persuasive than you have ever been in your life. And don’t you get lost too. Do you hear me?”
Melvin squeaked out a meow that didn’t engender confidence.
“Dear Lord,” she whispered, “please help us find Mateo. I don’t want him to have to spend the night out there.” Not for the first time tonight, she felt a deep compassion for the boy Luke loved like his own.
Luke tucked the flashlight Jo had given him under one arm and gingerly took the monstrous tuxedo cat from her. He was not a cat person, wasn’t even sure of the proper way to hold a cat. Melvin twisted and turned, and for a minute Luke thought the animal would escape, but Jo spoke softly and stroked the black-and-white head, while the cat settled into his arms.
“Just go kind
of slow,” Jo said. “And talk to him. If he struggles like he wants to get down, just let him go. You might not want to yell too loud. That might scare him. Melvin, I mean.”
“Okay. What do you say, Melvin?” He looked down at the feline, feeling foolish talking to a dumb cat. “Let’s see if we can coax that boy out.”
“Is your phone on?”
“Yes. I’ll call you if we find him. Wish me luck.”
“I’m praying. Hard.”
“Even better.”
He crossed the lane slowly, but picked up speed when he could tell the cat wasn’t going to bolt. At the top of the stairs, he found the light switches again and turned them on. He spoke softly to Melvin, then a bit louder, testing the cat’s tolerance. When Melvin seemed calm, Luke called softly. “Mateo? I’ve got Melvin here. You need to come out. This cat … wants to see you.”
He walked to the center of the clearing, staying in the dim pools of light the string lights cast. He repeated the whole spiel again, louder, then stopped to listen.
Melvin shifted in the cradle of Luke’s arms and pointed his whiskers in various directions, but he stayed put. Luke called once more, louder this time. He thought he heard a twig crack, but the clearing was probably teeming with wildlife. It could be anything. For the first time, he considered that something terrible might actually have happened to Mateo.
He called his name more urgently, yet still trying to strike a balance between urgent and furious—which he was fast becoming.
“Mateo? Are you there? You need to come out, buddy. Let’s talk about this. We can work things—”
Melvin struggled in his arms, pushing off with back feet and legs that were surprisingly powerful. “Melvin! Come back here!”
But the cat shot to one side of the clearing, like a soldier on a mission. A rat, no doubt. Or a skunk. Please no, Lord.
He started in the direction the cat had gone, but hearing a different sound, he stopped again to listen.
The distinct noise of muffled laughter floated across the clearing.
“Here, kitty, kitty.” Mateo called the cat the way Jo had shown him earlier tonight. “Melvin! What are you doing up here, kitty?”
The rush of sheer relief that came over Luke surprised him. Mateo was here. He was fine. Luke tapped out a quick text to Jo: Found him. Well, Melvin did. All is well. Give us a few minutes.
He stood motionless, straining to hear what Mateo was saying even though he couldn’t see boy or cat in the dim glow of the string lights.
“Hey, Melvin.” Mateo’s voice pierced the night. “What’re you up to? What’re you looking for, huh?” Low laughter, and then he spoke just above a whisper. “You crazy cat, how’d you know those were in my pocket? You’re a pretty smart one, aren’t you?”
Crazy cat was right. Luke smiled and slowly moved closer, straining to hear. Melvin must have smelled the treats Mateo had squirreled away in his pocket. Well, thank the Lord for small miracles. He could hardly wait to tell Jo.
He let Mateo talk to Melvin for a while, the boy’s words indistinct but earnest. Probably the best counselor he could have asked for.
Finally, worrying that Jo would wonder what was going on, he spoke Mateo’s name again.
A long pause. Then, “I’m over here.” Mateo rose from behind a fallen log. But Melvin jumped up on top of the log, stretching his front legs up on Mateo’s chest, pawing at his pocket, then licking his chin.
Giggling like a girl, Mateo gathered the cat into his arms. “Sorry, pal, I’m all out.”
“Come here, buddy.” Luke tried to make his voice gentle and stern at the same time. “And bring Melvin with you. Jo’s going to be worried about us.”
Mateo started across the clearing, cat in his arms, then caught his breath and turned back. Still clutching Melvin in one arm, Mateo rummaged under the log he’d been hiding behind and retrieved Joanna’s jewelry box. Clutching it to his chest like he had back at the house, he started back toward Luke, but kept his eyes to the ground.
When he reached the center of the clearing where Luke was waiting, he finally glanced up and forced his gaze to meet Luke’s. “Sorry.”
Luke squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
CHAPTER 40
THE LIGHTS UP IN THE clearing flickered, then went out. Finally. They were coming down. Jo’s knees went weak with relief. She would never admit to Luke the horrific possibilities she’d entertained as she waited, helpless, down here while Luke searched in the dim light of the clearing. But it amplified her relief that Mateo had been found safely.
Standing in the middle of the lane in front of the cottage, she squeezed the coil of brown beads Luke had placed in her hand. While she waited, she’d managed to fix the bent clasp by the light of her phone. She wondered if Mateo had realized yet that he’d lost it. Thank the Lord he had lost it, or they might not have persevered in searching the clearing.
The breeze carried the sound of shoes crunching leaves and gravel. A low meow preceded them, and Melvin trotted up the lane to her. She picked him up and hugged him. “Good job, buddy. There will be more treats in store for you tonight.”
She hurried back to deposit the cat inside the cottage. By the time she stepped outside again, Luke and a subdued Mateo were waiting. He clung to the mother-of-pearl box, which looked none the worse for the wear.
She forced a smile. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”
Luke gave the boy a gentle push toward her. “What do you tell Joanna?”
“I’m sorry I took Mama’s … your jewelry box.” He held it out to her.
Overwhelmed with sorrow for all this boy had lost, Joanna took a risk and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Mateo … I wonder if your mom sold this box to the antique store. To Annie Laurie’s. And that’s why it was there the day I bought it.”
“But she loved that box. Why would she do that?”
Luke moved to stand behind Mateo, catching Jo’s eye over the boy’s head with a look she read as gratitude. “Maybe she needed the money, buddy. You know things were always kind of tight with her money.”
Jo patted Mateo’s hand over the box. “I don’t know for sure how the box got there, but I want you to have it. I know your mom would have liked that. It would be a pretty cool place to keep baseball cards and stuff like that, don’t you think?”
He nodded. And after a long moment, he looked up at her. “I can really have it?”
“Yes. It’s yours. If you can get that clasp undone for me, I’ll just take my stuff out first. To make room for your treasures. Oh!” She reached into her breast pocket and drew out his beads. “Speaking of clasps, I fixed this one.”
Mateo looked down at the beads, then grasped at his bare throat with one hand, obviously unaware he’d lost the necklace. “How’d you get—”
“I found them on the steps,” Luke said. “They must have fallen off when you were climbing up to the clearing. It’s how we knew you were up there. It was Joanna’s idea to bring Melvin up.”
“He’s pretty smart.” Mateo grinned at Jo. “He figured out I still had treats in my pocket.”
“He is pretty smart. For a cat.” She winked at Luke, then shifted her feet, wincing when she put weight on the booted ankle. But recovering quickly, she stretched the necklace out, gripping opposite ends of the clasp. She held the string up to Mateo’s neck. “Turn around and I’ll fasten it for you.”
He turned his back to her and let her put the beads around his neck. He pivoted to face her, cradling the box to his chest again. “You’re sure I can have this?”
“Of course.”
He worked the clasp on the box and spilled the contents into Jo’s cupped hands.
“What do you say, Mateo?” Luke’s eyes, still shiny with gratitude, met Jo’s.
“Thank you.” The shy smile the boy gave her was worth every penny of that thirty-six dollars.
Luke spread the quilt over Mateo’s bed, folding back the corner in the ce
rtain way that had become their nightly bedtime ritual. “Okay, hop in here, bud. And no complaining when that alarm goes off in the morning, you hear?”
“I won’t.”
“So, except for that last hike up to the clearing, did you have fun tonight?” They’d already discussed an appropriate punishment for the trouble Mateo had caused by running away: he was grounded from video games for the foreseeable future. But Luke didn’t want to end the night on a sour note. Not with tomorrow being the first day of school.
“It was pretty fun. Up until then.” Mateo started to get into bed, then looked at the box on his nightstand. A faraway look came to his eyes. “Luke?”
“What, buddy?”
“Do you think Miss Joanna is mad at me now?”
“Because of the trinket box, you mean?” They’d decided to call it a trinket box since it didn’t seem like boys were all that big on owning jewelry boxes.
“Uh-huh. That and me causing all that trouble. Running away.”
“I guarantee Miss Joanna is not mad at you.”
“But what if she is?”
He’d said a hasty goodbye to Joanna after making Mateo thank her for the box. He’d offer to pay for it next time he saw her.
Luke stifled a sigh. He would make his own apologies to Joanna later. Even though he feared this might be the last straw for her. Still, he’d been beyond encouraged by the way she handled Mateo’s outburst—and accusations—tonight. He’d been embarrassed. But that was his problem. Right now, Mateo needed reassuring.
“You know what I think?” Luke slid to the floor and sat cross-legged, leaning against the side of Mateo’s bed. He patted the floor beside him. “Park it here for a minute.”
Mateo slid down to the floor, his knee touching Luke’s thigh.
“If you remember your mama like I do, I think you know that she would think it was pretty stinkin’ cool that her jewelry box found its way back to you. And even cooler that the woman who liked it enough to pay for it just happened to be Miss Joanna. Joanna paid a pretty big chunk of change for that, by the way, and she—”
Chasing Dreams Page 27
