This Time Forever (31 page)

“How much she got?”

“Five hundred, six tops. She really needs this car. You know I wouldn’t ask if she didn’t. I wouldn’t mind tossing in a bit more if we keep it between us.”

“We don’t carry things that cheap here.”

“You’ve already sold me on the Lexus,” Damon reminded him. “Come on. You have to know somebody who can find what she needs.”

“My brother may have some on his lot. Let me see what I can come up with. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Terrific. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Damon hung up, feeling pleased with himself. He wondered what her response would be when he told her about the nice little car she could get for the six hundred he would give her. Would her stormy eyes flash with excitement and gratitude as they once had in anger? He could hardly wait until to find out.

* * * * *

Barely half an hour had passed since Damon had talked to Mickelle. When his office line rang, he picked it up quickly, expecting Kirk to be calling about the car. He knew the man would be anxious to find Mickelle a car so that Damon would hurry in to purchase the Lexus.

To his surprise, it was Rebekka. He could tell she was upset because her usually faint accent had become noticeable.

“Belle’s gone again!” she announced.

“Oh, you’re kidding!” But he knew she wouldn’t tease about something like this.

“We’ve searched the school and the grounds. Should I call the police again?”

“Let me check with Bri first. I wouldn’t put it past Belle to try that hiding stunt again. This time, I swear, she won’t escape a spanking!”

He disconnected and called Brionney, hastily explaining the situation. “She didn’t come home with the girls,” Brionney said. “Savannah had a project that was too big to carry all the way home, so I picked the girls up today. Belle wasn’t with them. Of course, she knows the way and could have come by herself. Hold on a minute, and I’ll look for her. If she’s here, my girls are in big trouble.”

While he was waiting for Brionney to return, a call came through on his cell phone. This time it was Kirk. “What’s the news?” Damon’s voice was strained, but Kirk didn’t appear to notice.

“I didn’t expect to find anything so soon, but my brother has a nice little car on his lot. A Geo Metro. Old by your standards, but in surprisingly good condition. My brother gave ’em three thousand for it in a trade-in, so we can’t go any lower than that.”

“No? I’m sure you can do something,” Damon prodded.

“You trading in the Mercedes?”

“Uh, no. I guess not. I like it, too.”

“Well then, since you’re buying the Lexus outright, I could probably manage to get you the Geo for twenty-five hundred.”

Damon tapped his fingers on the other receiver he held to his ear.
What is taking Bri so long?
Maybe the delay meant she had found Belle. “I’ll think about it,” he told Kirk.

“What?” Brionney’s voice said on his office line.

“I might go as low as two thou,” Kirk said. “But that’s the bottom line.”

Damon spoke into his office phone. “Hold on a sec, Bri. I’m on the cell, too.” Then he spoke to Kirk. “Look, I apologize, Kirk, but I’m a little busy here. My daughter has disappeared, and I need to find her. I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.” Without waiting for a reply, he hung up and said to Brionney, “I’m back. Sorry about that. I answered my cell because I thought it might be about Belle. What did you find out?”

“She’s definitely not here, and she didn’t tell the girls anything. But I’m sure she’s okay. Belle’s a smart little girl.”

“She’s going to be a smart little girl with a burning butt,” Damon said, letting his anger cover the fear that was eating at him. Belle was a beautiful child and trusting of strangers. She could have been kidnapped. “I think I’d better call the police.”

“I’ll start calling the other girls in her class,” Brionney said. “Maybe they know something.”

“Thanks.”

Damon dialed the American Fork police, and was explaining his dilemma when his cell rang again. Kirk! “Please excuse me just a second,” he told the police officer.

“What!” he barked into the cell phone.

“Uh, hi,” replied a hesitant voice. “Is this Damon Wolfe? This is Mickelle Hansen.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said. “I thought you were someone else. My daughter’s missing, and I’m a little impatient right now.”

“That’s what I’m calling about. Your daughter.”

“You know where she is?”

“She’s here. She followed my son home.”

Damon’s relief was so intense that he nearly dropped the phone. “Can you hold on a minute? I’ve got the police on another line.”

With more than a little embarrassment, Damon told the woman on the phone that his daughter had been found and then apologized for taking her time. “Better safe than sorry,” she quipped.

“Okay, I’m back,” he said to Mickelle. “Now, how did Belle get there?”

“Well, it seems she followed Jeremy and his friends home from school. He claims he didn’t see her until they were almost home, and then they walked the rest of the way together. I tried to call you as soon as they arrived, but you didn’t answer. I left a voice-mail.”

“I’ll be right there to get her,” Damon said. “Don’t let her leave.”

“Don’t worry. She’s at the piano now. I think that’s the reason she came—she wanted me to teach her some more of the song. And you know, I really think she’s got talent. You might want to consider giving her lessons.” She paused, as though considering her words carefully. “It might relieve her boredom.”

Damon was amazed. “Her boredom? She’s only five years old! How can she be bored?”

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.” Mickelle’s voice had grown stiff and polite.

“You haven’t. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling really inadequate as a parent right now.” He took a deep, calming breath. “I’d love to hear what you have to say when I get there. But I hope it includes a good spanking!”

She laughed, and the warm sound seemed to offset his inadequacies, or at least forgive him for them. “We’ll be right here waiting.”

On the way to Mickelle’s home, Damon rehearsed what he would say to Belle. She had to stop this nonsense. But why was she acting out? Was she still worried about Rebekka leaving her? Did she hate Rebekka so much that she couldn’t stand the idea of his going out with her? Or was it all just a ploy to gain his attention?

She’s only five years old,
he kept thinking.
She’s too young for this kind of thing. What’ll she put me through when she’s a teenager?

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Mickelle had fun teaching Belle another few bars of “The Entertainer.” Her tiny fingers seemed to remember the correct place on the keys of their own accord.

“Wow, it’s like magic!” Jeremy said. “I can’t believe she can play that. She’s so little.”

“Am not.” Belle’s lower lip poked out. “I can do anything you can do.”

Jeremy didn’t take up the challenge. “Maybe you’re like that girl in
Ella Enchanted
. It’s a book my teacher’s reading to us at school. When someone tells her something, she has to obey ’cause she has a curse on her. So it’s like you’re her, and Mom told you to play, so you can. Cool.”

“I read that book,” Belle said. “I have it at home. It was great!”

Jeremy’s brow wrinkled. “You’re only in first grade. You can’t read that big of a book.”

“Can too.” Belle lifted her chin stubbornly in the air. “And even bigger books. Want me to show you?”

“Hey, maybe someone ordered you to read big books, so you have to!” Jeremy said, looking pleased. “Just like Ella.”

Belle giggled. “I hope someone doesn’t tell me to like Rebekka.”

“I could always order you to hate her again,” Jeremy declared. The two laughed until their eyes watered.

Mickelle smiled, but she was curious about Belle’s apparent aversion to Rebekka. “Why don’t you like Rebekka?”

Belle shrugged. “Just don’t.” Her eyes darted to the piano. “But Rebekka can play the piano really well. Sometimes Bear and I sit on the stairs and listen. She never sees me at all.”

“From what I hear from Brionney, Rebekka is a very nice person,” Mickelle offered.

“I guess. I just don’t want her to live with us. I don’t want her to go out with my dad.” Belle’s eyes were troubled, but Mickelle didn’t know how to fix the worry there. Maybe she should talk to Damon.
Like it’s any of your business,
she thought. But she had heard so much about the family from Brionney that Mickelle did care. Besides, the resemblance between Belle and that girl in her dream was uncanny.

“How about a game of soccer?” she asked, opting for distraction. “Do you know how to play, Belle?”

“I could order her to play well,” Jeremy said, bursting into another fit of giggles.

Mickelle tickled him, and he laughed even harder. “How about me against both of you?”

“No fair!” Jeremy shouted. “I’ll get Bryan to help.”

“Sorry, he’s at a friend’s.”

“We can beat her!” Belle exclaimed.

They ran through the kitchen and out to the backyard, where Jeremy insisted on a two-goal lead to begin the game. “And we get the ball first.” He set the ball on the ground and looked at Belle, a bright smile dancing on his thin face. “I order you to score a goal. Go!”

It was all Mickelle could do not to collapse on the ground and laugh herself silly at their efforts. Belle might be a piano prodigy, but she wasn’t wired for soccer. She fell down more times than Jeremy, who had never been as coordinated as his older brother. Mickelle had to try hard not to win by too many goals.

In her pen, Sasha barked loudly, as though wanting to join the game. Normally, Mickelle would have let her out to join the game but didn’t think it was a good idea until Belle became more accustomed to the dog.

Damon arrived as they began a second game, this time the children starting with five goals. His face was flushed and his mouth tense, and his eyes were hard as he focused on his daughter. Belle’s smile vanished as she saw him, and she stared at the ground. Jeremy watched them warily, his mouth slightly open. Mickelle recognized the expression, although she hadn’t seen it on his face since Riley’s death. He was worried about Damon’s reaction and was getting ready to make himself scarce.

“Hi.” Mickelle smiled at Damon. He glanced her way, and she saw the frustration beneath his anger. “We’re just going to play another game, but these kids are too much for me alone. Want to play?”

He stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Got a moment to kick a ball?” She looked at his suit. “I know you’re not dressed for it, but kicking a ball always clears my mind.” She knew he would refuse. That’s what Riley would have done. Riley would have erupted and told her to stop being childish, but at least his anger would have been redirected toward her and not at the children.

“I—I . . .” Damon trailed off. His eyes shifted toward the ball, almost in longing. “Okay,” he said. “The Wolfes against the Hansens.”

“Yay!” Jeremy shouted. “That’s your goal over there.” He pointed to the far fence. “Between those little trees.” Damon ran for the ball, but in a moment of never-before-seen dexterity, Jeremy kicked it out from under Damon’s foot and shot it toward Mickelle. “Go, Mom!”

* * * * *

Damon watched as Mickelle dribbled the ball across the lawn. He recovered from his miss and ran in front of her, but she darted around him and scored. Wow! That woman could really play. Of course, it didn’t help that he had been spending so much time at work behind a desk.

“You are good,” Damon said in admiration. “But now it’s my turn.” He took off down the lawn with the ball, but Mickelle stole it away. She passed it to Jeremy, who lost it to Belle. He stole it back and passed it to Mickelle again. She made another score.

Damon took off his jacket. “Come on, Daddy,” urged Belle. “We have to get at least one goal!”

They did, but it was their only one for the entire game. In the last play, Damon and Belle both kicked the ball at the same time and lost it to Jeremy, who made his first goal of the game.

“We won!” the boy shouted with such glee that Damon was glad he and Belle had lost.

Damon fell to the grass with Belle. “We give up!”

Belle laughed and hugged him. “You were good, Daddy, but Mickelle is much better. Maybe she can teach you how to play.”

His eyebrows drew together as he remembered why he was there. He made his voice stern. “I’m still upset with you, young lady.”

She gazed up at him earnestly. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“I don’t think you are. This is the second time you’ve done it. If you’d been truly sorry, you wouldn’t have done it again.”

“I didn’t hide. I just wanted to play with Mickelle again. And Jeremy.”

“Why didn’t you ask? Don’t you know what it does to me when they call and tell me you’re missing? And to Bekka? She was so upset.”

Belle’s lower lip protruded. “She doesn’t care.”

“She does care. If you’d only give her a chance, she’d show you that she does.”

“I hate her!”

Damon regarded his daughter silently for a long moment. He noticed Mickelle and Jeremy had disappeared into the house, allowing them privacy. “Isn’t it time we tell each other the truth? We both know why you really came over here, don’t we?”

Belle hesitated before nodding once, quickly.

“You know, I was so mad at what you did that I was ready to spank you so hard that you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week!”

“You wouldn’t do that!”

“No, but I wanted to. Thanks to Mickelle and Jeremy, I’ve calmed down. I no longer want to spank you, but I do need to be sure you won’t do this again without permission. There has to be a punishment, and it’s going to be a hard one.”

“What?” she asked in a timorous voice.

“You tell me. What do you think fits the crime?”

“I’m grounded from my friends?” She sounded almost hopeful.

“Nope. Too easy. Besides, you were grounded last weekend, and that didn’t work. You need something more.”

“I can’t go swimming?”