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“Ben thought I was completely out of my mind, but finally agreed. In the past sixteen years, every time he and I would disagree, Ben would remind me that itwas his money and his powerthat gave me custody of Sean.”
Noah ran an angry hand through his dark hair and uttered an oath under his breath. Sheila knew she was witnessing a rare side of him. As she watched the cruel emotions tighten his jaw, she understood that she was learning things about him that he kept hidden from the rest of the world. He was letting her become closer to him, divulging his innermost secrets. She leaned her head against his shoulder and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“Ben even has the stubborn pride to think that he saved me from an unhappy marriage . . . Maybe he did. Who can say? The point is that he’s held it over my head for sixteen years. Finally, I’ve paid him back in full.” He spat the words out with a vehemence that sent a shiver skittering down Sheila’s spine.
“Because you’ve taken over the business while he’s been recuperating in Mexico?”
“That’s right. It took me this long to get out of the old man’s debt.” Sheila could see the emotional scars of pain etched on Noah’s broad forehead; she could read the agony in his blue eyes.
Her voice caught as she began to speak. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s over.”
“It bothers you.”
“I said, it’s over.” He shifted on the hammock and seemed to notice the darkness for the first time. His eyes searched the hillside. “The kids should be home.”
Sheila, too, had been caught up in the complexity of his story. Panic began to take hold of her as she realized that night had descended and Emily was missing. “Oh, my God,” she whispered, clasping a hand over her mouth. “Where could they be?”
“You tell me. Do you have any flashlights?”
She nodded, and was on her way to the house before he could tell her to get them. She fumbled with the light switch in the kitchen in her hurry. Within two minutes she was back outside, listening for a response to Noah’s shout. Nothing interrupted the stillness of the night.
“Damn,” Noah muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should have listened when you wanted to search for them earlier.”
“You didn’t know they wouldn’t come home.”
“But you did;” He turned to look at her as they followed the bobbing circles of lights flashing on the ground before them. “Why were you worried—is it part of being a mother?”
“Emily’s never late,” Sheila asserted breathlessly. They were climbing the hill at a near run.
“Next time I’ll pay more attention when you begin to worry.”
“A lot of good that does us now,” Sheila snapped back. She knew she was being short with Noah and that it was unfair, but her concern for her daughter made her irritable.
Noah stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth to call Sean’s name. From somewhere in the distance they heard his answering shout. Sean’s voice sounded rough and frightened.
“Oh, my God,” Sheila whispered, listening for Emily’s voice and hearing nothing. “Something’s happened.” Fear took a stranglehold on her throat, and she started running up the path, jumping to conclusions and imagining scenarios of life without her daughter.
She stumbled once on an exposed root. Noah reached for her, but couldn’t break the fall that tore her jeans and scraped her knee. Wincing in pain, she continued to race up the hill, mindless of the blood that was oozing from the wound.
Sean’s shouts were louder, and within minutes his anxious face came into range of the flashlights. Sheila choked back a scream as she saw Emily in his arms. The child was dripping wet, her face was covered with mud and there were several scratches on her cheeks.
“Mommy . . .” Emily reached her arms out to her mother and tears formed in Sheila’s eyes as Emily clung, sobbing to her.
“Hush . . . Emily, it’s all right. Mommy’s here.” Emily burrowed her nose into Sheila’s shoulder. The girl was visibly shaking and her teeth were chattering. Noah took off his shirt and placed it on Emily’s small shoulders. “Shhh . . . Sweetheart, are you all right . . . Are you hurt?”
“It’s her ankle,” Sean interrupted. His face was ashen as he looked down at Emily.
“Let’s take a look at that.” Noah took the flashlight and illuminated Emily’s right ankle. Gently he touched the swollen joint. Emily wailed in pain.
“Shhh . . . Em, Noah’s just seeing how bad it is,” Sheila whispered into Emily’s bedraggled curls. Sheila’s eyes drove into Noah’s with a message that he had better be careful with her daughter.
“I don’t think it’s broken . . . but I can’t really tell,” Noah said softly. “Here, Emily, let me carry you back to the house. We’ll call a doctor when we get there.”
“No! Mommy, you hold me.Please.” Emily clung to Sheila’s neck as if holding on for dear life.
“Emily,” Noah’s voice was firm as he talked to the little girl.
