Finding kate, p.7
Finding Kate, page 7
“Don’t push yourself.”
“We’ll play it by ear.” He blended onto the highway, and we headed for Texas, headed home.
July 1984
Beth-
* * *
I can’t believe your little guy is crawling already. He’ll be a busy one!
Great news about Patrick’s promotion. Tell him congrats!
Sticks stopped by the other day. He had his baby girl with him. She’s beautiful, so tiny. Looks like him a little, too.
Don’t bother lecturing. He didn’t come to see me, only to pick up Scooter. They went for burgers. It’s really hard not to tell Scooter the truth now that he has a sister. Oh, and it was silly to worry that Sticks would forget about showing up. He’s made it to almost every one of Scooter’s baseball games, they play catch any chance they get. Sticks has made a point of carving out time for Scooter.
For a while, I couldn’t figure out why Sticks spent so much time with Scooter, but I think I know. We both know that Sticks isn’t a noble soul fulfilling his duty to his son. He doesn’t even want people to know they’re related. I think Sticks likes the way it makes him feel to have Scooter looking up to him, proud of him.
Just like it was when we were in college. It wasn’t about how I felt. It was all about how I made him feel. I just hope he continues to like the way it feels to have Scooter love him for a long, long time, because that kid is really attached. If Sticks ever quits coming around, Scooter will be crushed.
I wonder what he tells his wife about why he leaves. I’m envious of her. I know that sounds like a horrible thing to say, but she has everything I wanted.
-M
September 1984
Beth-
* * *
Remember how I said she had everything I wanted? Well “her” husband keeps showing up at my door, long after Scooter has gone to bed. His wife has to know, not that it’s me . . . just that he’s seeing someone else, spending half his nights away from home. Does she notice that he comes home smelling of perfume? I started wearing it again when he began coming around.
I slept alone only twice last week. That little girl is the only reason he stays with his wife. I just know it. I’m not envious of his wife anymore. I don’t know if I could handle being cheated on repeatedly and living like nothing was wrong.
I need to tell him that he’s welcome to see Scooter, but I can’t continue like this. Sleeping with someone else’s husband isn’t what I wanted either.
There’s a new guy at work. He’s nice—the kind of guy you want to take home to Thanksgiving dinner. Why can’t I find someone like that?
-M
Chapter 6
Alex
January 22 – 4:12 pm
Alex negotiated traffic, not daring to take his eyes off the road. He couldn’t wait to get Kate settled in Texas. He looked forward to showing her around San Antonio and the Hill Country; to strolling the Riverwalk and watching her reaction to the music, color, and food; and to watching movies with her—just being a normal dating couple, not chased by anyone.
“You like movies?”
“Yeah, and popcorn.” She laid her phone on the center console. “With butter.”
“I got to ask your friends questions. What would you ask DJ and Becca about me?”
“What do you mean ‘would I’? I already asked Becca.”
Alex raised an eyebrow but didn’t have a chance to respond because Kate’s phone beeped a text notification.
“LeAnn wants us to stop by Jeff’s before we leave. Says it’s important.”
They hadn’t even left the Denver city limits. “Tell me where to go.” He didn’t have to ask if Kate was concerned; her furrowed brow left little doubt.
She wrung her hands as she directed him to the apartment. She’d texted LeAnn back but hadn’t gotten a response. Thirty-five minutes later, when he turned into the complex, Kate gasped. Two police cars and an ambulance blocked the spaces near Jeff’s door. Kate started to open the door before Alex had even stopped the truck.
“Let me park before you jump out.” He found a place where he could pull out of the way, then jumped out and nearly had to run to keep up with her.
She stopped when a gurney rolled out of the apartment. “LeAnn?” Kate bolted toward the commotion.
Alex stepped up beside her as she reached LeAnn, who waved at the medic and asked for two minutes alone with Kate and Alex. The medic hesitated but walked away holding up two fingers.
LeAnn winced as she shifted. “Oh, Kate.”
“What happened?” Kate choked out the question.
“They took Jeff. You can’t tell the police, though. They think someone broke in when I was at Jeff’s alone. You can’t tell them what happened.” LeAnn stifled a sob. “Promise?”
“Just tell me, LeAnn.”
“Not until you promise.”
“Okay. I won’t tell them.” Kate shot Alex a sideways glance when he nudged her in the side.
“That guy . . . I mean . . . trying to find you. He said it was your fault. He hit Jeff so hard. I finally talked, told him what he wanted to know. If he doesn’t find you there, they’ll kill him. Please, no police.”
“What did he want to know?” Alex leaned over, his fists clenched.
“Where Kate was headed.”
The medic walked up, unwilling to waver on the agreed upon two minutes. “Time for her to go.”
“I need him.” LeAnn wiped at tears as they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance. “I need him safe.”
Kate ran back to the truck at a full sprint. She was already buckled in, her face as white as a slice of sandwich bread, when Alex climbed in behind the wheel.
“We are calling the police.” He slammed his door and reached for his phone. How can this be happening again?
“We can’t.” She grabbed his arm, her eyes pleading with him not to make the call. “They’ll kill him. At least wait until we know more.”
He started the engine and drove out of the lot, fuming.
Deep breath. Calm down.
A mile down the road, he finally gave voice to his fears. “Did you miss the part where she said, ‘If he doesn’t find you’?” It took all the willpower he could muster not to raise his voice. “Someone willing to kidnap and kill is after you.”
At those words, she erupted into tears.
Watching her cry like that was a special kind of torture. He spied a lot where he could park the truck and trailer. Once he stopped, he reached over the console and stroked her hair. “Kate, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” After unbuckling, he leaned over, wishing he had a bench seat so he could pull her into his arms. “I just want to keep you safe. If Jeff’s life wasn’t on the line, I’d be driving the opposite direction and keeping you out of Texas until I knew the coast was clear.”
She didn’t answer. Her shoulders shook, her face still buried in her hands.
“I hate seeing you this upset.” He pulled out tissues and handed them to her. Helpless to fix the situation, he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I should start driving.”
She grabbed his arm. “Can we give it until we get back to Texas? Right now, I’m not even sure what to report.”
“But when we get back—”
“We’ll involve the police.” She blew her nose, then chuckled, but there wasn’t a hint of happiness in it. “Apparently, I attract trouble. It would’ve been easier for you if you hadn’t answered when I knocked.”
“Kate, don’t.” He wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb and kissed her hand. “All I care about is keeping you safe.”
Exhaustion evident on her face, she leaned back against the headrest. Already tired, the stress had drained her of what little energy she had left.
He reached into the backseat and grabbed a pillow. “Try and sleep.”
She gathered the pillow into her arms. “Alex—” Her voice cracked, and she shook her head before dropping it onto the pillow and squeezing her eyes closed.
They were well out of Denver before she relaxed enough to sleep, and her breathing fell into a restful rhythm.
South of Colorado Springs, traffic lightened. He rested a hand on Kate’s head, stroking her curls. Dealing with the threat had been much easier for the walled-off Alex. Danger was a short brunette, and he could no longer imagine life without her. He didn’t want to.
He shifted in his seat, ready for a break to stretch his legs. Kate stirred. The radio turned down low, he’d tried to let her rest without interruption, but a stop was necessary. He glanced in the rearview mirror for about the one-hundredth time. No one followed behind them, hanging back or keeping pace. He exited the highway, and, as he slowed down, Kate’s head popped up off the pillow.
“We stopping?” She rubbed her eyes.
“Need fuel and a bathroom.”
“It’s dark. I slept hard.”
“You needed it.”
When he pulled up to the pump, Kate reached for the door handle, and his heart raced. You haven’t seen anyone following you. Surely it’s safe.
“Want me to grab you anything?” She slung her purse over her shoulder.
“Please be careful.” He slid out of the truck and swiped his card at the pump. “I’ll be in as soon as I finish.”
She surveyed the parking lot but didn’t take a step. “Never mind.” She shook her head and walked around the truck. Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back. “I’ll just wait for you.”
He twisted around until she was in his arms, facing him. Leaning down, he dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head. She can read your mind.
Inside, Alex stood near a shelf, not far from the ladies’ room door, trying not to look like a creepy stalker. Once he laid eyes on her again, his heartbeat would resume.
She flashed a weary smile as she stepped out. “Watching out for me?”
“That’s what bodyguards do.”
In the store, she stayed close, watching anyone who wandered within a few feet of her. Glad for her naturally cautious tendencies, he managed to breathe a little easier but still kept a watchful eye.
Fifteen minutes later, they were back on the road with drinks and sandwiches from the hot food counter. No headlights followed them out of the lot.
“Did you learn anything about Emma’s family when you searched?”
“A little. I found parents’ names.”
“Confirm the siblings?”
“Randall, Elizabeth, and . . . Justin.”
“So you do have an uncle Justin. We still don’t know for sure the guy that called was him, though. Figure out anything else?”
“My search got . . . I haven’t finished researching.”
“Did you talk to Travis today?”
“Earlier. I missed a call, too. Justin Carson left a message asking me to call him back.”
“More of the so excited that you’re back?”
“Pretty much. I texted Travis after Justin called the other day. Travis messaged back and asked me to wait until after I got settled in Texas to call or message Justin. There’s a story I need to hear, apparently.” She sighed. “Again.”
Hours later, the moon far above the horizon, two state lines lay between them and Denver.
Kate yawned. “How are you? Tired?”
“We’re about an hour out of Amarillo. I’ll see how I feel when we get there. It’s getting pretty late, and we jumped ahead an hour crossing back into Central time.”
“Tell me about your siblings. Where do they live?”
He didn’t even flinch at the random change of topic. Her efforts to keep him awake and talking were welcome. “My brothers are in the Virginia area, not far from DC. One sister is in California, the other in Austin.”
“How often do you see them?”
“Not often. I haven’t seen the three of them since the funeral. I see Marisa more often. We try to get together before the holidays and make tamales.”
“Tamales?”
“Ever had them?” Alex stifled a yawn.
“Yes. Love them.”
“It was a family affair before Mom and Dad died.”
“I want to learn how to make them.” Kate reached into the backseat and shuffled through the snack bag.
His heart danced a little. Her interest in his family traditions added more plusses in her perfect-for-him column. “Music to my ears.”
She opened a bag of bacon jerky and set it where Alex could reach. “Are any of them married?”
“No. Not last I heard. One brother is engaged.”
“Were you close growing up?”
“We were. And after my parents died, I worked at keeping it that way, but then . . .”
“I’d like to meet them.”
Alex took his eyes off the road for a moment. “Tell me more about you and Meg.”
“What haven’t I told you? Meg was easy to get along with as long as I followed her advice.”
“But you weren’t close.”
“We drew closer after Dad died. When he died, it felt like the ship sank, and we just clung to each other to stay afloat.”
“She was already in Texas when it happened?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure how this will all work out. Our conversation didn’t end well.”
Before he hit the outskirts of Amarillo, he knew he needed to stop for the night. All the stress and chaos finally caught up with him, leaving him wiped out.
Kate didn’t miss the cues. “Can we please stop soon? I’m exhausted, and you must be, too.”
He nodded and yawned. “Yeah.” Two miles down the highway, he exited and pulled into the nearest hotel. “Kate, when we stopped before . . .” He cleared his throat. “Will you please share a room with me? I’m not asking you to sleep with me.”
She stared out the window, her cheeks a shade darker than before. He guessed her hesitation was prompted by the intimacy and heat generated when they were close. And the memory of the shower surely deepened her tint.
“Please. I’ll sleep on a chair, or even on the floor.” He opened his hand, hoping she’d take it.
She tangled her fingers with his but didn’t look at him. “All right.”
He grabbed the luggage, and they stepped into the quiet lobby. A minute later, a clerk appeared at the front desk.
“Hi. How can I help you?” He looked much too well-dressed for the late hour.
“We need a room.” Alex clutched Kate’s hand hoping they had at least one room available. He’d pushed himself, and driving farther wasn’t a safe option.
“Just for tonight?”
“Yes.”
The clerk tapped the keyboard. “We have one room left. A double queen.”
“We’ll take it.” Alex pulled out his wallet.
Kate laid a credit card on the counter. “Let me.”
“No.” Alex picked up the card and handed it back to her. “I want to.”
“I’m costing you too much.”
Alex passed his card to the clerk. “Please let me pay, Kate.”
“Thank you.” She slipped her card back into her purse.
October 1984
Beth-
* * *
I’ve been struggling with breaking it off with Sticks. I want to, but when he’s with me, my nerve withers. Suffice it to say, he’s been on my mind a lot.
Please don’t lecture me when I tell you what I did.
I dropped Scooter off to spend the night with Dad. Curiosity got the best of me. Instead of leaving via Flat Rock Road like I always do, I drove into town and passed by Sticks’ house. I saw his wife.
Never thought I’d be the other woman. I knew he was married this whole time, but now that I’ve seen her, I feel awful. There she was, swaying on the porch holding the baby. Her face is branded in my brain. What frustrates me is that she looks familiar. I think I know her from somewhere. I haven’t been able to place her, but it’ll come to me.
-M
Chapter 7
January 23 – 4:30 am
I’d woken several times in the night, a common occurrence when I slept in hotels. Just as I lulled back to sleep, Alex startled me.
“Kate! Rainy!”
I bolted upright.
He thrashed in the sheets, reaching toward the ceiling. “Where are you?” Panic reverberated his words.
The expression on his face, the worry in his voice begged to be settled.
I slipped out of bed and shivered as the cold air nipped at me. Clutching his hands, I put them to my face. “Shhh. I’m okay.”
A relieved smile spread across his face. He grabbed me and hugged me to his chest. “You’re okay.”
He’s not even awake.
“I’m fine.” I extricated myself from his sleepy embrace. Sleeping in his arms would be warmer and more soothing, but I climbed back into my bed. After tossing and turning, I finally drifted back to sleep.
When I opened my eyes hours later, the sun poured light on the world outside. The running water in the bathroom clued me in to where Alex was. I checked my phone hoping for news about LeAnn, then pulled out clean clothes. When he walked out of the bathroom, I was sitting on the bed texting with Becca.
“Morning.” He strolled across the room and leaned toward me. His eyes glinted as he kissed me. “How’d you sleep?”
“I never sleep well in hotel rooms.”
“Hope my snoring didn’t keep you up.”
“You’re really worried about me. Aren’t you?” I hadn’t intended to sound so direct.
He sat down on his bed and stared at me. “What did I say in my sleep?”
I walked over and stood between his knees. My hands on his clean-shaven cheeks, I kissed him. “You called my name. From the way you sounded, it was quite a nightmare.”
