The Return of the Rebel

Nausea rolled through her stomach, one wave after the other. She grabbed for the crutches, fumbling and knocking one to the ground. She cursed under her breath. With jerky movements, she struggled to reach it.

Should she hide? Yes, that was a good idea. Her head swung around the kitchen, looking for a hiding spot. She moved to the living room, but it was an open floor plan. But in the entranceway was a coat closet. She’d just opened the door when she heard the distant wail of a siren. Thank God they were close by.

Minutes later, Jax returned and she was never so glad to see someone as she was him. He rushed over and held her in his strong arms.

“Everything’s okay now,” he murmured.

After a reassuring hug, she pulled back. “Was it ape man?”

Jax nodded. “I was able to give the police a description and they’re tracking him down. Hopefully this will be over s

oon.”

“I’m not holding my breath. That guy seems to slip away at every turn.”

“Everyone’s luck runs out eventually. He’s bound to make a mistake and they’ll be waiting for him.”

Her gaze met his. “I was so worried about you. You shouldn’t have gone after him.”

Jax shot her a reassuring smile that lit up his eyes. “You’re talking to a man who fought cancer and won the first round. Chasing down a thug is nothing compared to that.”

She hugged him close, knowing they still had to talk but this wasn’t the time. Right now, she just wanted to appreciate what they had at this moment. The future would be here soon enough.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE TIME HAD come to keep her promise.

The following day, Cleo sat down in the family room. The cell phone sat atop the sketch pad. She reached out but then pulled back. She was making too big a deal of this. If Jax was brave enough to chase after ape man, surely she could find the courage to call her mother. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

Her mother could simply hang up. Tell her that she didn’t love her. Tell her that—

Cleo halted her rambling thoughts. If she was going to fill her mind with doom and gloom, she might as well experience the reality. It couldn’t be as horrible as she was imagining. Right?

After all, Jax and Kurt both thought that it was for the best. They wouldn’t intentionally set her up to get hurt. But she worried that they based their opinions on wishful thinking. Drawing in a deep breath, she dialed the number. Her hands grew damp and her fingers were ice-cold. Maybe her mother wouldn’t be home. Maybe she’d be out visiting—

“Hello?” The warm, easy strains of her mother’s voice sounded the same as ever.

Suddenly the words Cleo had planned to say balled up in the back of her throat.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

Drawing together her scattered thoughts, Cleo swallowed hard. “Mom, it’s Cleo.”

She waited for the phone to be slammed down, but there was no click. In fact, there were no sounds at all. Had the connection dropped?

“Mom, are you there?”

“I’m here.” Her mother’s voice took on a weary tone. “I’ve been praying that I hadn’t run you off for good. You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to call you.”

Cleo’s chest swelled with hope. Did this mean that they could bury the past and move forward? She wanted to ask but didn’t want to jump ahead. Slow and steady wins the race, her grandfather used to say.

After a deep breath, Cleo asked, “Why didn’t you call?”

A noticeable pause ensued.

“Because I...I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me after what happened. I knew you were right. I’d overstepped in your life too many times. I had to give you this chance to decide if you still wanted to return to this family that isn’t always perfect.”

“I do,” Cleo choked out past the ginormous lump lodged in her throat. “I miss you.”