“Your number’s on Prince’s collar.”
Oh, thank God.
“You have Prince?”
“Yes, he came with me. Dad was mad, but he said we didn’t have time so he let me take him.”
I will kill this man. He took Toni and my dog.
“Okay, alright. We will come and get you. I need to find where you are, but when I do, I’ll come to you. Stay on the phone.”
I run out of the bathroom and wave my hands frantically. I fill them all in, in a hushed whisper.
“Toni. Sweetheart, listen to Uncle Miguel. Do you see any signs nearby?” Miguel says, his voice all serious. It makes my heart do a crazy little beat in my chest. He loves this little girl, and I love him for that.
I love him.
Oh my God.
I love him?
“Yes,” she whispers. “Remember that taco place you said you hated?”
He gives everyone a sheepish look. “Taco Bell.”
Of course.
Madison’s eyes go wide. “I know where she is.”
All eyes swivel to her. “Dirty river. There’s that Dirty River Run by the Charles, remember? They do it on Mother’s Day, they’re advertising for it now.”
“And there’s a Taco Bell across from the park! Brilliant.” I beam at them. I was starting to wonder if all the smoothies and yoga had dulled our detective skills.
The police officer makes a few calls. “Mr. Santiago, we’ll need you to come with us, sir.”
“And me?”
The officer shakes his head. “It’s better if you stay here for now, ma’am. Unfortunately, you’re not family.”
Miguel opens his mouth to protest, and a part of me wonders if he’ll have his way like he always seems to manage, but Allie puts her hand on my arm.
“Stay here with us, babe. Let them do this.” She leans in and whispers in my ear. “We have a few things to discuss.”
They’re already gone.
He didn’t look back at me. He didn’t even kiss me on the cheek.
Why does his going feel so… final?
Maybe I’m just tired.
Maybe I’m just overwrought.
But when I turn to look at Madison, something in her eyes tells me… it’s more than that.
Chapter 20
Miguel
My phone lights up with another text from Raul, just as the cruiser’s about to pull onto Storrow Drive, taking us to the Charles.
Raul: Everything’s in place now, boss
I frown, looking at the text.
Me: What is?
Raul: Breaking news, you’ll see tonight. I did it. You wanted me to get them evicted? Done. They were, like you said, in violation of multiple regulations.
Wait, what?
Me: What did you do? I don’t want them to leave. I like them there. I gave that idea up.
And I’ve got more pressing issues at the moment.
Raul: Oh, and your brother came today. I told him where Toni was, and what was going down. Turns out you were being manipulated for your money. But we can work this to our advantage. We needed a ploy for you, and now this is perfect.
Me: Raul, NO. None of this is perfect.
Raul: It is, though. So we take over the business next door, like you wanted to do. And just as the news of your being the catalyst for a gleeful reunion between Toni and her father breaks, we open up the new business. BOOM. Publicity. Shining in the public eye. DONE.
Me: That’s not going to go down. I don’t want any of that.
Raul: We can make it work. We have to!
Me: No we fucking do not.
Detectives are swarming the place. I put the phone down and shut it off. I can’t think of any of this bullshit now. Did Raul find my brother just to make this all a fucking publicity stunt?
Maybe I should’ve been more transparent with him and told him how I feel about Samantha.
How do I feel about Samantha?
I can’t believe he still thought I wanted them out of there.
“There’s the Taco Bell,” the officer mutters, looking over at a row of basement-level apartments across from the string of fast-food restaurants. Where is she? I will kill him. Kill him.
Sometimes, it isn’t until we’re on the cusp of losing something monumental that we realize how much something… or someone… means to us.
I didn’t know what Samantha meant to me until now.
I didn’t know what Toni meant to me.
I want the three of us to stay together… as the family unit we’re meant to be. No matter what that takes.
That little girl doesn’t deserve a half-assed father and a mother who cares more about herself than she does her daughter. I remember the stricken look on Sam’s face when Toni called, the way her eyes welled with tears when we got the news. Toni deserves to be cherished and loved and adored… just like Sam.
They both do.
I’ve been alone for years, never knowing the joy and pleasure of family, of coming home at night to the companionship of a woman… a woman who loves me.
Does she love me?