Chapter Twelve
What on earth was Ben’s niece doing walking down the side of the road all by herself?
Jenna slowed down, careful not to spook the little girl, and pulled her car over. Rachel’s tear-stained face broke out in relief at the sight of her. She ran into Jenna’s outstretched arms. Jenna gave the little girl a tight hug then a quick head-to-toe inspection. Other than a skinned knee and some dirt stains on her previously pristine white socks, Rachel seemed to be all right.
“Are you hurt?” Jenna asked.
Rachel silently shook her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Where’s your uncle?” Could there have been an accident along another road that she wasn’t aware of? Was Ben hurt? Please God, don’t let him be hurt.
“He’s…he… Grandma and him left to go to work.”
Work? “And Greta? Where is she? Is she all right?”
“Greta is taking elfies.”
“Elfies?”
“You know, with her phone.” Rachel imitated someone taking their own pictu
re.
“You mean, selfies? Sweetheart, I’m confused. What happened after you left the preschool?”
“Daddy and Grandma left. And Greta and me…we were getting burgers and we were waiting and she pulled out her phone and began doing the elfie, and I wanted her to do one of me, but she…she said I was too ugly for an elfie.”
Jenna saw stars. Good thing Greta wasn’t around right now or she’d be seeing stars, too, because she’d be halfway to the moon after Jenna got through with her. “I see.” Although, no, she didn’t really see at all.
“We were gonna get burgers and shakes and bring them back to Uncle Ben’s house to eat. But then, I got mad when she said I was ugly.”
“Of course you got mad! I would be mad, too. Then what happened?”
“I know it was bad of me, but I just wanted to go home.”
“So you left the restaurant?”
Rachel nodded.
“All by yourself? Without telling Greta or another adult?”
Rachel hung her head. “I told you, I was bad.”
“Oh, sweetie, you aren’t bad. And this isn’t your fault. But you can’t go wandering off by yourself, no matter how upset you might be. Promise me?”
“Okay,” Rachel said, still sounding pitiful. “Do you think Uncle Ben is going to get rid of me?”
Jenna felt her blood go cold. “Get rid of you? Why on earth would you say that?”
“Once, when I was bad, my mommy and daddy left me with Grandma for a long time before they came back for me. Maybe Uncle Ben will do that too.”
Shock combined with anger made Jenna’s eye twitch. Had Rachel been neglected in the past? She didn’t think so, but then, something here was all wrong.
She should call Ben and let him know that Rachel was all right, but she didn’t trust herself to speak to him just yet. Plus, she didn’t have his number.
“Rachel, I’m sure your Uncle Ben is really worried about you. I’d like to take you back to his house so that he knows that you’re okay. Will you let me do that?”
Rachel nodded.