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“I have to go,” I tell Jess. She’s sitting up in bed, hugging the sheet to her body. “I’ve been called out on a search and rescue for a missing father and son.”
“How long will you be gone?” Jess scoots to the edge of the bed.
“Maybe a few hours. Maybe longer.”
She knows my brothers and I are part of the search and rescue organization. This isn’t the first time I’ve been called away for a few days because of it. But this is the first time I’ve been at her house when the call came in.
I phone Garrett. “Did Sheldon call you?”
“He did. I’m getting ready to leave now.”
“Can you do me a favor and pick up my gear and come get me? I’m at Jess’s.”
“Sure.” He doesn’t ask why I need him to pick me up when I have my truck. It’s not the first time my brothers and I have driven to a search and rescue together instead of going separately.
I end the call. “I’m leaving my truck with you,” I tell Jess. “Garrett’s picking me up. Can you drop Butterscotch off with my neighbor?” I text her Katherine’s address. Katherine usually looks after Butterscotch whenever I get called away.
I shove my legs into my jeans and pull them up. “Maybe you should stay with Zara or Emily while I’m gone. We have no idea if someone broke into your house yesterday, and I don’t feel right leaving you alone.”
Jess pales, and I mentally curse whoever stole her sense of security.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Bailey will look after me.” The confidence in her voice is a tattered flag, and I wish I didn’t have to leave her like this. “And I can look after Butterscotch if you want,” she adds. “I’m sure Bailey would love that.”
“Thank you. I’m sure Butterscotch would also love that.” I want to argue her reason for not calling the cops, but she hasn’t given me one, other than there was nothing missing and no signs of a break-in beyond the disturbed piece of tape on her back door. Maybe once I return, I’ll talk to Noah and see what he thinks.
“I can make you some food to take with you,” she says, hugging the sheet tighter to her chest.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have time.” I press my mouth to hers in a brief kiss. “Garrett will be here any minute. I’ll call you once I’m finished. With any luck, I’ll be back in a few hours.” I kiss her again, this time longer and deeper.
And then I walk out the bedroom door.
55
JESSICA
June, Present Day
Maple Ridge
Troy leavesmy bedroom to join the search for the missing father and son.
As soon as the front door clicks shut behind him, I remove Amelia’s photos from the nightstand. I never expected Troy to find them. Never expected him to open the drawer they were in.
I sit on the bed and study Amelia’s baby picture. Then close my eyes and see in my mind the blue fall sky from that day. Amelia’s father was on duty, so it was just the two of us sitting in the backyard, enjoying our short freedom from his anger and mean words. She was nine months old at the time.
“I promise you,” I’d told her. “I promise we’ll get away from him. Far,faraway. Somehow. Where he’ll never find us. Where would you like to go? A magical kingdom? A place where fairies will protect us?” It all sounded amazing. A dream that would never become our reality.
Amelia was twenty months old in the next photo. She’s holding a floppy puppy that Granny had given her when she was a baby. Amelia was happy, unaware of what would soon be coming. Neither of us had been prepared for what would happen.
The last picture is the photo I never took. Amelia looks so happy and so beautiful. It’s two years old, but it’s still precious to me. All three photos are precious to me.
I lay them out on the bed and touch my daughter in each image, as if that’s enough to make her materialize in the room. An emptiness gnaws at me, and my chest shrinks in on itself with each ragged breath I take.
Tears sting my eyes, burn a trail on my skin.
I wish I could just hold her one more time, kiss her sweet cheek, hear her laugh, see her smile.
Hear her call me Mommy.
