Page 12 of Stand

Cairo skittered over to them from the corner he’d been snoozing in. “Sam,” Cat began.

Sam rounded on her. “What? What good am I here? I need to do something useful.”

“I wasn’t going to—! Never mind. Go.”

Chapter 4

Thus dismissed, again, from Cat’s presence, Sam left the house and walked Cairo blindly down the road. No direction in mind, no notion of what was around her. She knew all of this town. She would find their way home. Eventually.

She walked so fast that she was through the center of town and onto the streets around Ty’s house before she knew it.Coincidence.But she knew which house was his. His car was still in the driveway.

What could she do? She didn’t know, but she knocked on the door anyway.

Ty opened it. His hair was disheveled and his lips pulled tight. There was a haunted look in his eyes, as if he knew she was bad news whatever she said. “What”—he looked behind her—“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “Have you heard anything?”

“I’m waiting. The police are in touch with the airport. But if she decides to drive…”

Sam hitched her weight to one foot. Cairo gave the mildest of whimpers, his request to greet the human he didn’t know yet.

The distraction helped Ty break out of his stupor. “Hey, buddy,” he said and crouched down to Cai’s level. Cai didn’t need more invitation than that, though Sam knew he would back off the moment she ordered him. She didn’t like out-of-control dogs. Or situations.

Ty scratched Cai’s neck and behind his ears, and Sam couldn’t think of one single thing to say.

From his crouched position, he said in a voice that almost didn’t carry, “Alyssa’s graduating from middle school tomorrow, for God’s sake.”

“Is she really going to take them to Florida?”

Still talking as if to Cairo, he said, “My ex, she… she doesn’t understand consequences. Once when they were seven and five, she left them at a diner for two hours while she went to find a motel, caught sight of a park, and decided to explore it so she could take them there. By the time Matt remembered my phone number, Alyssa was hysterical. And then when Julia came back this time, she did itagain.”

“Jesus. I’m sorry, Ty.”

“Yeah.”

A chiming came from his cell phone. He let go of Cairo and looked at it. “Alyssa,” he breathed and had to swipe the screen twice, his hands had begun shaking so badly. Sam froze.

“Alyssa, honey, thank God. Where are you? …I know, it’s okay, hon. Don’t be sorry, I understand… Where are you? Okay, well, we’ll have the police there in two minutes. Which gate? Uh-huh. It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart; we’ll have you home in a… I know you didn’t; it’s not your fault. I know she scared you. I’m sorry, Lyss. Okay, let me call security over there. Just stay with Matt. I love you, too.”

He didn’t hang up, just dropped his hand to his side with the phone still on. “Where are they?” Sam said.

“Logan,” he said. “The plane leaves in thirty-five minutes. She took Matt’s phone, but she forgot Alyssa got one for her thirteenth birthday.” His whole body began shaking. “Alyssa finally got her to let her go to the bathroom.”

“Do you want me to call the airport?” He was obviously beside himself.

“No, I…” But he seemed to have forgotten how to use the phone. She took it out of his hand and hung up, then hit the last number dialed button. When they answered, she handed it to him. In short, jerky sentences, he gave them the information he had, listened for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’ll be there as quick as I—” and hung up without finishing the sentence.

Ty didn’t say anything more to her. He disappeared into the house, came back out with his keys, slammed the door, and walked the few steps to his car. But he was visibly shaking, and guilt or responsibility or pity made Sam follow him.

She watched him get into his SUV and waited ten or fifteen seconds while he tried to get the keys in the ignition. Then she strode over and opened the door. “Move over,” she said, intentionally making her voice authoritative, cutting through his panic. “I’ll take you.”

“No,” he said at once.

“Let me drive you.” She looked at his handsome face, now marred by eyes darkened with fear.

“I can ask my mom to do it.” But his voice was faded, as though the steps necessary to even talk to his mother were beyond him. He looked at the key in his hand as though he’d forgotten what it did.

“Please,” she said. “Let me help.”

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