Authors: Dawn Atkins
“I’m not mad that you hung up on me. It was because your mom
would be mad about the phone, right?”
She nodded slowly.
“So we won’t tell her. How’s that?” He put a finger to his
lips.
“Okay.” Her heart was beating so fast it hurt.
“You got scratched.” He pointed at her arms.
Beth Ann looked at the bloody marks. She was so upset she
hadn’t even felt Louis claw her trying to get away.
“That’s the trouble with a feral cat. They’re always wild
inside. They’ll turn on you like that.” He snapped his fingers, the noise sharp
as a gunshot.
She jumped.
“Serena told me you made friends with it. You’re a kind person
to do that. You’ve always been kind.” He peered at her so closely her cheeks got
hot.
“How did you find me?” Her throat was dry and scratchy.
“Serena said you lived in a diner near the highway. We called
around and found out about the lucky buns and I saw you on TV.”
“You did?” This
was
all her fault.
She felt sick.
“We’d better keep that secret, too, huh? Let’s tell your mother
that Grandma Warner was at Canyon Ranch—that’s a famous health spa near
Tucson—and saw the news.”
Beth Ann nodded. He was helping her get out of trouble with her
mom. That was nice of him. He seemed to know what was in her mind.
“It’s so good to see you.” He smiled the warm way she
remembered. She used to jump into his arms and wrap her legs around him and he
would squeeze her tight and say how much he loved her.
That good memory mixed her up so much. She was scared and
worried, but also glad.
“I bet you don’t know what to think, do you? Your mom said some
bad things about me, I bet. But that’s in the past. I’m a better person now.
Once she sees that, she’ll take it all back, don’t worry.”
His words sounded kind and relaxed, but his body seemed tense,
like how she was with Louis at first, trying to pet him without scaring him. Her
dad was treating her like
she
was a feral cat.
“In prison, I found out I have a condition that makes me get
angry. There’s a pill that fixes it, so now I’m fine.”
He was pulling her in with his eyes like he used to do. It had
made her feel special and important.
“When I got out of prison, I was so excited to see you that I
filled my car with flowers and presents and drove straight to Grandma Price’s
house, but she told me you’d run away. You were so scared of me you ran.” He
sighed and hung his head.
Beth Ann felt bad for him and embarrassed, too.
“You know what I did? I got back into my car with balloons
bobbing every which way and I cried like a baby. That’s how sad I was.”
She felt even worse.
“Can you imagine how glad I was when Serena’s mom told me you’d
called Serena? I told Serena to talk more to you, but her mother threw away her
phone. Can you believe that?” He shook his head. “I found you after all, so
that’s old news.” He smiled like he’d won a prize. “It wasn’t your fault your
mom made you run, Bethie. She didn’t realize that I’m better. I’m not mad about
prison either because the judge saw the mistake and let me out. So that’s all
over and we’ll start fresh.”
He made it sound okay, and she felt a little less scared. Her
arm began to sting from the scratches. Her body wasn’t so shocked now.
“Feel better?” he asked.
She nodded. He could see her fears and feelings so easily.
“I wrote you a lot of letters in prison, but your mom kept them
from you.”
She didn’t know about any letters.
“I was afraid of that,” he said, reading her face. His eyes got
angry, but he smiled at her. “But it’s okay now. I can say it all in person now.
The first thing—and I didn’t put this in my letters because it’s just between
us—is about the night of the accident.”
She sucked in a breath, scared of what he would say.
“You left the door unlocked for me when you went next door so I
could talk to your mom and we could have Family Night at Carcher’s. Do you
remember that?”
She nodded, her heart jumping into her throat.
“Except your mom wouldn’t listen to me and she fell and bumped
her head.” He looked hard at Beth Ann. “Did you tell your mom that you let me in
the house?”
She shook her head.
“Because you were afraid she’d be mad, that she’d blame you for
the accident, right?”
“Yes,” she whispered, feeling dizzy and nervous and scared.
“She might blame you, but
I
don’t.
You did what I asked you to do to help our family. So don’t give that one more
thought.”
“Really?” It was like he’d gotten into her brain and saw the
blackness about The Terrible Thing and washed it all away. Tears made it hard to
see.
“You poor thing. I want to hug you, but I bet you need more
time to get used to me.” He sounded so sad, but he was right.
He even understood
that.
“We’ll just keep this our little secret, okay? Mommy can be
unforgiving at times. So, that’s two secrets I’m keeping for you, isn’t it?”
There was a funny look in his eyes, like he’d cheated and seen
her poker hand and knew he could beat her. That made her uneasy.
“How about you pay me back a little? Can you do that?”
“I guess.” What did he want?
“All I need you to do is help me to talk to your mom, let her
know that you trust me and want us to be a family again. She’ll be jumpy at
first, you know, but if you show her everything’s fine that will help all of
us.”
“I’ll try,” she said, taking a jerky breath. Maybe it would be
okay once her mom knew about the pills and how her dad wasn’t mad about
prison.
“Good. Because I have so many great plans for us. I found us a
new house. It’s not quite ready, so we’ll stay with your grandmother until
then.”
“We’re going to Grandma Price’s?” That would be amazing.
“Grandma
Warner’s.
Grandma Price’s
house is too…well, small.”
“Oh.” Her heart sank. She didn’t like Grandma Warner. She had
mean eyes and made
suggestions
that made Beth Ann
feel small and stupid and clumsy. Maybe they wouldn’t stay there long.
“Is the new house near Grandma Price? Can I go to my old
school?”
“No, no. It’s in Sacramento.”
“Oh.”
“But you’ll love it. And you can pick out your furniture and
decide what colors to paint your room. Won’t that be nice?”
She nodded, looking down.
Her dad was silent for a moment. “Would that make you happy? To
live in Barstow? Go to your old school?”
She raised her eyes to him.
“Maybe I’ll see if there’s a house there we might like.”
“That would be great!” It made her want to sing. She’d have her
old life back, but in her own house with her mom
and
her dad.
Then she thought of something else. “Can I bring Louis? The
cat?” That would make it almost perfect.
He hesitated. His eyes went back and forth, but he said, “If it
makes my little girl happy, it makes me happy, too.”
“That’s so great.” She almost wanted to hug him now. She’d have
Louis and Serena and her old school and a new house with furniture she picked
out and they’d never have to run again.
“And tonight, we’ll stay in a resort with a water slide. You
still like water parks, don’t you? You’re so big. I miss the little girl you
were.” He looked so sad that her stomach jumped.
“I like water parks a lot!” She used to ride on his shoulders
as he walked into the deeper part, so she felt like she was flying over the
water.
“Good.” He looked at his watch. “Okay. The diner closes in an
hour. Your mom should be back around then. Here’s the rest of how you’ll help
me. You can tell time, right?”
She nodded.
“We want the cook and dishwashers gone, so let’s make it four
o’clock. I’ll be waiting on the porch at four for you to come get me and we’ll
go up and surprise your mother.”
“Surprise her?” Her mother might freak out.
“Don’t say a word now. You keep my secret and I’ll keep
yours.”
“Okay.” She swallowed over a dry throat.
“That’s my big girl. Are you all packed to go?”
“Not yet.”
“Get to it before your mom gets here. And don’t forget your
swimsuit.”
Beth Ann climbed down from the tree and went to the café, a
fluttery feeling in her stomach. He’d made it sound so easy, but it didn’t feel
easy.
How did he know when her mom would be back? And that they were
packing to leave? Her fluttery stomach turned upside down.
She wanted to lock the café and never let her father inside.
Keep my secret and I’ll keep yours.
She had to
do what he said.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
E
VAN
WAS
WAITING
for Cara at the
café delivery door when she got back from her wasted trip to Tucson. He handed
her the keys and took off for his shift at the bowling alley.
Inside, she saw he’d left buns to be bagged and a messy
kitchen.
She blew out a breath, irritated all over again. She’d wasted
an entire afternoon on a fool’s errand. Commercial Kitchens leased kitchen
space, period, the leasing agent told her. He seemed honestly puzzled by the
claim that someone had told her they wanted to sell her pastries. If someone had
scammed her, it wasn’t him.
Since she was there, he gave her a tour of the facility and she
talked to a woman who rented space to make fruit tarts she sold wholesale. The
idea had gotten Cara thinking. She’d need a business loan, but someday she might
try to sell her good-luck buns herself.
That would have to be down the line. Right now she needed to
pack before Jonah and Rosie returned in a couple of hours. She trudged up the
stairs, dreading the goodbye supper she’d promised Jonah. She should have said
no, but there’d been this look on his face, as if when he returned he would have
figured out how she could be safe and they could be together.
Which was impossible and they both knew it. She wasn’t sure she
had the stamina for another goodbye. She already felt raw and lost and alone
without him.
Up in the apartment, she put the café keys on the kitchen
table, then removed Rosie’s apartment key from her keychain. Her fingers
tightened around the bear Jonah had whittled. It was always warm to the touch,
as if he’d embedded his love into its very grain. It had a calming effect on
her. So did the rocking chair. If the bear was Jonah’s protective spirit in her
hand, the rocking chair was his loving arms wrapped around her.
They would load it into the trailer tonight and in the morning,
she’d drive away from this place and the people she’d grown to love forever.
Cara ate a green jelly bean for luck. She would need it. She
went down the hall to check on Beth Ann. Her daughter jumped up from the bed
like she’d been caught doing something wrong.
“What’s the matter?” Cara asked.
“Nothing. I’m all packed.” She looked feverish.
Cara touched her forehead. Clammy. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m going to watch a show, then go out and get Louis and be
right back.”
“Okay…” What had gotten into her? She’d been sad about the
move, not jumpy like this.
Rosie’s chicken-shaped kitchen timer was clucking on Beth Ann’s
nightstand, set to go off in fifteen minutes. Cara looked at her watch. What
would happen at four o’clock? Maybe the show Beth Ann watched?
Very weird.
She noticed a plastic sack next to the clock. Inside, Bunny sat
on top of the comic books Rosie had given Beth Ann. Bunny was back, signaling
Beth Ann’s need for comfort.
It couldn’t be helped. Cara would make it up to her once they
got to Phoenix. As she left, she noticed the peace-sign night-light.
That might help.
Bending to get it, she saw Beth Ann’s
puzzle box in the wastepaper basket. Why had she tossed it? The box rattled, so
she clicked the secret buttons, opened it and found…
a cell
phone and power cord.
Beth Ann had a phone?
Why? And why
didn’t Cara know about it? Her heart racing, Cara powered it on and scrolled the
calls, finding Serena’s number more than once.
Beth Ann had
talked to Serena.
Furious, Cara took the phone into the living room to confront
Beth Ann, but she wasn’t watching television. Cara went downstairs after her.
She was heading for the café door when she heard voices. Through the glass, she
was horrified to see Beth Ann looking up at
Barrett,
who was holding her hand.
Cara’s heart lurched in her chest and her legs turned to
liquid. She shoved the phone into her pocket just as they entered.
“Cara!” Barrett said. “You spoiled our surprise.”
“What are you doing here?” she choked out.
“I came for my family,” he said cheerfully.
He’d aged dramatically. His hair was gray, his face gaunt and
lined, his eyes sunken. He was thinner, but she could see huge biceps under the
half sleeves of the silk shirt he wore.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Beth Ann said. “He takes pills so he can’t
get mad. And he forgives us and everything.”
Barrett gave a false chuckle. “Let’s not blurt out all our news
at once, Bethie. How about we sit?” He motioned toward a booth. Hearing him use
that nickname made Cara feel ill.
“Go on upstairs, Beth Ann,” she said in as steady a voice as
she could manage. “So your father and I can talk.”
“She needs to be part of this,” Barrett said, steel lining his
words. “She’s been left out too long.” He led Beth Ann to a booth and she
scooted in. Barrett motioned for Cara to sit opposite her, his smile as bright
as the polka dots of the new upholstery, but cold as ice. His gesture caused the
hem of his shirt to snag on something.
A handgun in a holster.
She gasped.
Barrett noticed and adjusted his shirt, looking to be sure Beth
Ann hadn’t seen. “You can’t be too careful these days,” he murmured to Cara.
“Please…sit.”
Cara crossed in front of him, her blood slowing to sludge. She
was in a nightmare trying to run in quicksand. She sat down and Barrett hemmed
her in, an arm across the back of the bench.
“Now isn’t this better?” He squeezed her shoulder, a gesture
that he meant to appear affectionate but was intended to show her his power over
her.
Cara’s head felt as though it floated six inches above her
neck. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt her ribs. The rest of her had gone
numb.
She forced herself to think, to analyze escape options that
wouldn’t frighten Beth Ann. She had the phone in her pocket. She could call for
help.
For now, she would go along with Barrett. As long as they
didn’t cross him he should remain calm.
“Don’t be mad, Mom,” Beth Ann said in a small voice, looking at
her with worried eyes. “Please.”
Cara managed a smile. “I’m not mad. Just shocked.”
“We expected that, didn’t we, Bethie?” Barrett shifted his body
so he could look straight at Cara. “On the other hand, I was disappointed to
learn that you hid my letters to my daughter.” He made a tsk sound. “Not kind.
Not kind at all. She was frightened of me.”
Cara didn’t speak. Didn’t dare. She needed to orient herself,
prepare for what came next.
“But I forgive you,” Barrett declared smugly. “For all of
it—for prison, for never writing back, even for running away. You’re breaking
the law, you know, keeping my daughter from me. I could have you arrested.”
“No!” Beth Ann’s eyes went huge. “Please!”
“I’m just making a point,” Barrett said. “As I said, it’s all
forgiven now.”
He was manipulating Beth Ann to control Cara. It was
outrageous, but she forced herself to speak calmly. “Isn’t it risky for you to
leave California while you’re on parole?”
His face went very still, like it had before he slapped her the
first time. Had she gone too far?
He closed his eyes, then opened them. They burned with rage,
but he smiled. The effect was chilling. “I appreciate your concern, but I
obtained permission to travel to Arizona to assess a business opportunity. It
was for you, as a matter of fact. I’m investigating ways for you to sell your
famous rolls.”
“It was you? You set up the meeting?”
To get her away while he talked to Beth
Ann.
He was cunning. She knew that. How could she ever outsmart
him?
“That’s how we found you. Your lucky rolls.” He babbled on
about how his mother had been at a spa and seen the news, but he was clearly
lying. She realized Barrett had probably lied constantly when they were married,
but Cara had been too naive to see. At least she’d matured that much.
“Kudos on your success,” he continued. “I want you to know that
I can support you in your little hobby, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our
family.”
She could hardly believe this was happening. Barrett sounded
like they’d had a minor spat and would go on as before.
He no doubt wanted to take them with him. If she could delay
until Jonah and Rosie got here, there should be enough confusion to allow her to
get Beth Ann away from him.
“I’ve changed, Cara. That’s what you need to understand....” He
kept talking, his voice hypnotic, explaining that he had a condition that made
him lose his temper, but he had mental techniques and pills that corrected
it.
She didn’t buy one word. She’d seen the malevolent predator
behind the charming facade, like a dark figure passing a lit window. She would
not be fooled again.
“Now he can’t get mad,” Beth Ann threw in.
Barrett chuckled. “Not quite, Bethie, but close. I also
discovered what you have, Cara. I had lots of time to read in prison, as you can
imagine.” He paused and fury flashed like lightning in his eyes. “You have
histrionic personality disorder, characterized by excessive emotionality,
hysteria and paranoia. That’s why you see danger where none exists. It wouldn’t
be fair to blame you. Just like you can’t blame me for my condition.”
“He can’t help it, Mom. But he fixed it.”
Barrett smiled. “Very good, Bethie. And Cara, I will pay for
your therapy and the medicine you need to manage it. All’s well that ends
well.”
Meaning he would drug her into submission.
Despite the horror she felt, Cara kept a neutral face while
Barrett spun his twisted tale. If anything, he’d become more dangerous,
pretending forgiveness when what he had to want was revenge. Her poor daughter
didn’t have the tools to realize that. For her sake, Cara had to placate the
armed monster at her side.
She flashed on a memory of Jonah’s eyes, full of warmth and
kindness. So different from Barrett. How had she ever compared the two men?
Her time with Barrett had made her doubt her own instincts.
Jonah had helped her see her strengths.
“Beth Ann and I want us to be a family again,” Barrett said. “I
know that’s what you want, too. So, will you give us a fresh start?” He gave her
that sunny smile she couldn’t believe she’d ever fallen for.
She had to buy more time. “This is a lot to think about. How
about I fix us some supper? We can catch up while we eat.”
“I’m afraid we don’t have time.” He glanced at his watch. “In
fact, your mother’s waiting for us just outside town in a rental car.”
“My mother’s here?”
“Certainly. She missed you both terribly.”
Cara’s blood ran cold. The ground seemed to tilt beneath her.
Barrett had an accomplice—her own mother.
“We get to stay at a hotel with a water park,” Beth Ann said,
her voice high. “Daddy remembered how much I liked water parks.”
Cara sucked in a breath. “That sounds lovely, but we can’t
leave this minute. We need to pack.”
“Cara,” Barrett said in a disapproving tone. “Beth Ann told me
you’re packed and now so is she.”
“Daddy said to leave a note for Jonah and Rosie,” Beth Ann
chimed in.
Cara’s heart sank. Beth Ann had told him too much. Barrett
wanted no witnesses to their kidnapping.
“And I can bring Louis. We’re getting a new house near Grandma
Price.”
“In Barstow?” she asked Barrett.
“I said we’d see. Otherwise, I’ve found a lovely home in
Sacramento.” He winked at her. He’d lied for Beth Ann’s benefit.
“I get to pick my furniture,” Beth Ann said in a hollow
voice.
“So, let’s get your bags and go,” Barrett said. “If we’re late
for check-in we’ll lose the lovely casita I booked for us. Bethie, lead the
way.”
Beth Ann scooted out of the booth and headed for the stairs,
looking back at them nervously. Barrett held Cara by the waist, so they walked
side by side, the gun digging into her hip.
Despair washed through her. He’d planned carefully. How could
she best him?
You’re strong and brave and
relentless,
Jonah had said.
You gave me hell
from the day you walked in here.
Jonah had held up a mirror and
showed her what she’d become.
Dazzling.
He’d called
her
dazzling.
She’d survived a coma, made a life for Beth Ann, managed her
difficult mother, started school again and gotten help when they needed to run.
She’d found work and a home when their car failed, she’d renovated a café and
convinced a scared and stubborn woman to get treated for cancer.
She could beat Barrett Warner at his own game.
She had to. Their lives depended on it.
In twenty minutes they were on the road in Cara’s car minus the
trailer—too much trouble to load, according to Barrett. Cara was driving,
Barrett at her side, Beth Ann sobbing quietly in the backseat.
“Hey, hey, no more tears.” Barrett turned to look at her. “I
promise we’ll get the cat shipped to us.” Beth Ann hadn’t been able to find
Louis fast enough to suit Barrett. “Crybabies don’t get to stay in resorts with
water slides, now do they?”
Beth Ann wiped her face, gulping for air, her shoulders
heaving.
“You’ve spoiled her,” Barrett muttered to Cara. “We’ll have to
correct that.” She hated his superior smirk, the way he’d lied to Beth Ann about
moving to Barstow, about the cat, about himself.
Cara wanted to slam the brakes and put him through the
windshield, but she didn’t dare. Not with the gun at his waist. She would bide
her time, watch for her chance to make a call. She had the phone in her pocket
and had managed to slip the puzzle box into the sack with the comic books and
Bunny, so she had the cord.
Barrett had dictated a note about hating long goodbyes. She
hoped to hell Jonah wouldn’t take it at face value. Surely Jonah knew her better
than that. Barrett had even insisted she include a smiley face like she used to
do in high school.