Page 82 of Nothing to This
“What doesn’t?”
Stepping forward, she should really check on her children with their aunt and grandmother.“My wish list,” she said.“I can’t have what I want this year.”
JD had other ideas and caught her shoulders to push her back against the tree.“You can,” he said.“That’s why I wanted to talk.I’ve been thinking and I need to tell you, you can have what you want.”
Dread bled into her tone in an elongating drawl.“J…”
He smiled and sank both hands into her hair.“It makes sense.It makes so much sense.Brenna said something and I’ve been thinking about it since.In the interests of fairness, I want you to know that I’ve come to a decision.”
“A decision?What decision?”she asked, then gasped.“Are you leaving us?”It would be her own fault.She’d told him to be honest if he wanted to split, so if he did, it was on her head.“Are you?Because you have to tell me.A business trip to California for a couple of weeks, I can handle, if you’re leaving us permanently—”
“No,” he said, holding her cheeks, bowing to kiss the end of her nose.“My decision is that I want us to be together.I’ve decided to find a way to make this work, no matter what.”
First Baxter and now JD, something about her kids’ birthday fired everyone’s aspirations.
“We talked about this, JD.I value you too much to—”
“We’re going to work it out and we’re going to take our time.”JD’s calmer nature was a welcome contrast to Baxter’s mania.He smiled and rubbed her arms again.One spot took her back in an automatic flinch and his smile fell.“Siren?”Examining her arm, holding her elbow, he raised it a little.“Where did you get the marks?”
She could lie and say they came from a ride, though carousel horses weren’t exactly known for being violent.
“I—”
“Jamison!”
Recognizing the urgency in Brenna’s voice, she pushed past JD.Brenna never used her brother’s name like that.Never.
The moment her friend came into view, she wished for the previous bliss.Something had happened.Something bad.What?
Hurrying toward Brenna, she grabbed her the minute she was within reach.“What?”she demanded.“What is it?”
Brenna tore her eyes away to look over her head at her brother who clutched her shoulders, sandwiching her between the siblings.
Her friend swallowed hard.“We can’t find Sky.”
For a moment, the planet disappeared.In freefall into nothingness, life became—her body weakened and her knees almost gave.A spear of numbing terror shot through her so fast JD had to hold her up.
“What do you mean?”JD asked.“Where was she?Who was she with?”
With his arm around her, he started moving, pulling her along between him and Brenna, keeping quick pace.
“They wanted burgers and to go on the carousel again.I went to get the burgers, Mom and Lotta stayed with them when they went on the horses.When I got back, Mom was talking to the people running the ride.Lotta was with Kye who fell on the metal platform.His knee was bleeding, I asked where Sky was and… she was gone.”
The word rushed bile to her throat.The lights and music that appealed before now seemed sickening, taunting.It all faded away in the hubbub of panicked people gathering around the brightly painted horses.
The crowds broke apart to gawk at her group.Whatever.Let them.All she could feel was the agony of her red-faced son wailing in the arms of his grandmother.Breaking into a run to get to him, his distress fueled her pace.She had to be there.Now.Fast.Faster.Marjorie didn’t hesitate to give him up when she snatched him close, squeezing him to her.
A fresh set of tears streamed from Kye’s eyes.She clutched his head close to her mouth and rocked with him.
“I’ve got you, baby,” she whispered against him.“Momma’s here.Momma’s here.”
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Kye howled.
Angling his face to her throat, she drove her fingers into his hair, kissing and soothing him.“You did nothing wrong, my sweet prince, nothing.”
All around, nothing registered yet she absorbed everything.Her daughter was the only person she wanted to see, but it wouldn’t happen.Something in her just knew.The sheer number of people now aware of what was going on meant the vicinity was guaranteed to be Sky-free.
“I want everything shut down,” a stern voice called from behind her: JD.“Search everywhere.The cops are on their way and security is holding everyone here.No car leaves the lot.”
