AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was trying. Though days like today made the task easier said than done.
Still, sending up the bat signal for Nana’s help was being a responsible parent, not an overprotective one. At least, that’s what Willow told herself as she removed the thermometer from the bathroom medicine cabinet.
Everything she’d done since August was aimed toward walking that tightrope between smother and support. She’d enrolled both children in activities that encouraged independence and self-reliance. Swimming, T-ball, karate—hadn’t Emma looked too cute in a gi? But organized activities needed to be balanced with free play and exploration. Lake in the Clouds offered that opportunity.
She hoped exploration hadn’t taken Drew somewhere he shouldn’t be playing.
Stepping cautiously, Willow entered her daughter’s roomand approached the bed. She carefully placed the thermometer close enough to Emma’s forehead to get a reading. Normal. Thank heavens. Her poor ear had been giving Emma fits with a series of infections. On this last visit, the pediatrician warned Willow that tubes were likely in her daughter’s future.
Well, that’s a worry for another day, Willow told herself as she successfully exited Emma’s room without waking the girl. Now she could focus all her fretting on her son.
More than likely, Drew’s adventure today was simply that—an adventure. Willow needed to celebrate it, not rush to secure his safety.
Something else that was easier said than done, especially for Andy Eldridge’s widow. The echo of her husband’s voice floated through her head.Life isn’t safe! It isn’t meant to be safe. It’s meant to be lived.
The man had undoubtedly done more than his fair share of “living.” Right up until the moment he crashed his car and died.
And almost took their son to the grave with him.
Her phone rang again, the generic ringtone rather than one she’d assigned to a contact. Hoping for news about Drew rather than wedding-related business, Willow rushed to pick it up. An unfamiliar number showed on the screen. Ordinarily, she would ignore the call. Today, she answered it immediately. “Hello?”
“Willow Eldridge?”
“Yes.”
“I have your son. He’s lucky to be alive. You need to come get him.”
Willow’s grip crushed her cell phone, and she closed her eyes, catapulted into the past and another call. Thewords hadn’t been quite the same, but close enough. Close enough.
That’s all it took. In her mind’s eye, Willow saw red-and-blue flashing lights. She heard sirens. She rushed through automatic doors and into a crowded room where she knocked over a Christmas tree when she turned toward a reception desk.
In her ear now, a stern voice said, “I’m sending you an address pin. Here, talk to him.”
“Mommy?”
Sweet Jesus, thank you.The panic flooding through Willow eased at the sound of her son’s voice. To some extent, anyway. “Drew Bear, where are you? Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt. I don’t know where I am. The sign said ‘Santa’s Workshop,’ but that was a big fat lie. Mom, you have to come and get me. He won’t let me leave.”
“What? Who is he?”Please, God. Keep my baby safe.
“He’s not Santa Claus.”
“Give me the phone, kid.” The deep voice sounded hard and harsh. “Your kid trespassed on my property. You need to come get him. I won’t let him go back the way he came because I don’t want to be responsible if he falls through the ice.”
“Ice? What ice?” Willow’s voice rose an octave.
“Come now. I’ll send you the address.”
“Is he okay?” Willow demanded. “Is my son all right? Who are you?”
The stranger disconnected the call without further response.
Even as she stared in shock down at her device, Willow received a text from the stranger’s number showing an address. Her hand shook so badly she could hardly read thescreen.This is what I get for letting go and encouraging independence. This is what I get for landing the damned helicopter.
Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of what she saw. The pinned location was nowhere near Raindrop Lodge.
“Oh, wait.” She zoomed out. Okay. This wasn’t far from the lodge, after all. If you went over a mountain and walked on a frozen waterway. “Andrew John Eldridge, I’m going to skin your hide.”
