“Hello, Steel residence.”
“Daphne?” Evie’s voice was breathy.
“Yeah, hi, Evie.”
“Daphne, are the boys home yet?”
“Not yet. I haven’t seen the bus come by. Soon, though.”
“Call me when they get home.”
“Sure. Why?”
“The most terrible thing, Daphne. Luke has disappeared.”
“Luke Walker? Your nephew?”
“Yeah. He never came in from recess after lunch. Vicki and Chase have been with the police all afternoon.”
My stomach lurched, and I felt my uterus contract. I breathed in and exhaled. Braxton-Hicks contractions. That was all it was. Just Braxton-Hicks. I’d had them before. Nothing to worry about.
“Maybe he cut school.”
“Luke wouldn’t cut school.”
“He might if the bullies—” I stopped. Evie was worried about her nephew. She didn’t need to be reminded of his problems with bullies.
I wished, at that moment, that I’d taken him to Disneyland with my sons and Bryce.
I wished it hard.
Evie went on, “We’ve been through all that. The bullies are all accounted for, and they all swear they had nothing to do with Luke’s disappearance. I haven’t been able to get hold of Tom to tell him, either. He loves that boy.”
“Where’s Tom?”
“Out of town again.”
“That law firm keeps him busy.”
“I know. I miss him.”
“I understand.” More than she knew. “I’m so sorry, Evie. Is there anything I can do?”
“That’s why I’m calling. When the boys get home, can you ask them if they saw anything? The police haven’t questioned any of the kids yet.”
“Of course. I’ll call you after I talk to them.”
The boys weren’t close to Luke, but finding out he’d disappeared haunted them. They decided to be junior detectives, which gave them something to focus on but scared the hell out of me. I didn’t want them going anywhere near what might have happened.
I finally calmed down, though, until one day, about a week later, when my Braxton-Hicks contractions started up again.
The school bus picked the boys up and dropped them off at the edge of our long driveway. The rural kids had a forty-minute drive to and from Snow Creek School each day. If Brad or I were going into town, we drove them, but most days they rode the bus.
I hastily checked my watch. Hmm. They should be home by now. I walked out the front door and down to the end of the driveway, rubbing my arms. The October day had turned a little brisk. I should have grabbed a jacket.
Where was the bus?
I heaved a sigh of relief when I finally saw the orange bus coming toward our driveway.
“Thank God,” I said aloud.
The bus meandered down the country road, seeming to go in slow motion, but when it finally halted in front of me, it seemed giant.
The door opened, and Jonah walked off.
I waited for Talon and Ryan.
“Where are your brothers?” I asked.
“They stayed in town. Tal wanted to look for Luke Walker.”
“What?” My eyes nearly popped out of my head, and my heart began to thunder.
“Mom, they’ve stayed in town before. I figured—”
“Why in hell didn’t you go with them?”
“I didn’t want to.”
“Damn it, Joe. They’re your brothers! Luke is missing! And they went looking. Did you really think for a minute your two little brothers would be safe out there?”
“It’s Snow Creek, Mom. Luke hasn’t been gone for that long—”
“Damn it!” My oldest son was as tall as I was now, and no doubt twice as strong. Still, I grabbed his shoulders and shook him, my adrenaline going crazy inside me. “A week is a long time for any child to be missing. If anything happens to your brothers, it’s on you, Joe. On you!”
My uterus clenched then, and I doubled over.
“Mom!” Jonah grabbed me and walked me into the living room. “Here. Lie down on the couch.”
I stretched out supine. “Talon, Ryan. I just want them home.”
“They’ll be fine,” Jonah soothed. “Is Dad home?”
“Of course not,” I said, not in a nice tone.
“All right. Just relax. I’m going to get Grandma, and we’re going to call your doctor, okay?”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. Just get my boys— Aaauuugh!” My uterus cramped up.
This one I felt. It didn’t hurt so much as scared me.
My adrenaline. Needed to control my adrenaline.
“Mom!”
“Don’t leave me, Joe. Please.”
“I’ve got to get Grandma. She’ll know what to do.”
Yes, Mazie knew who my doctor in the city was. She’d take care of it. But I couldn’t bear the thought of being left alone here on the couch.
“Don’t leave me, baby,” I said. “Please. I’m sorry for what I said. Nothing’s your fault. I’m just…”
“Pregnant,” he finished for me. “I get it.”
I smiled and closed my eyes, willing my uterus to relax. The baby gave me a swift kick. Thank God. She was okay.
Mazie ran in then. “What’s going on? Daphne, I heard you cry out!”
“It’s a contraction or something,” Joe said. “Can you call her doctor?”
“Mazie, it’s just a Braxton-Hicks. She kicked me. Everything’s okay.”