Husband by Choice

Running because Caleb had seen her? Or running because someone was after her?

He was elated—surely it hadn’t been a coincidence that she’d been at the beach during their regularly scheduled family time. And he was also more worried than ever—she’d been running from something.

“Did he see where she went? Who she was with? Did he talk to her?”

Chantel sat on the edge of the sofa that Meri had picked out and, with her fingers lightly threaded together said, “He asked her if she was okay, she said she was, and ran off to catch the bus.”

So she’d been running for the bus? Not running from something?

“Which bus? Where was it headed?”

She named the street.

“That’s downtown. Only six or seven miles from here....” Santa Raquel wasn’t that big. “It means that she’s close,” he said, taking the seat next to Chantel, turning to look at her as his mind raced in various directions. “She’s never stayed close before when she ran. Does that mean Steve’s not after her? Or that he has her and is holding her someplace close by?”

“She was alone when the cop saw her. Got on the bus alone.”

“Steve could have been watching.”

“Not likely. Why would he let her get on a bus by herself? She could have alerted anyone. Gotten off at any stop.”

“Maybe he was already on the bus.”

“Then why would she get on it? Why not alert the cop when she tripped and he stopped to help her?”

He couldn’t answer that.

“You told me Sunday night that you were at the beach that afternoon,” Chantel said slowly, watching him. “You said Caleb saw her.”

“That’s right. And obviously he did. She knows we go to that beach every Sunday. It was her idea to begin with. She was there to see us, Chantel, I’m sure of it.”

“Then why not wait and say hello?”

“Because Steve had to have been with her. Someplace. He had to have been watching her. Or she was afraid he was.”

“Or maybe she just wanted to make sure that you two were getting along fine without her as she moves on with her life. It’s clear that she loved the two of you, Max. Even if leaving is the right thing to do for her, it still has to be hard. I understand how difficult this is for you, too, Max, but maybe you have to face that it’s you she didn’t want to see.”

“You said she was running for the bus.”

“Yeah.”

“What woman does that unless she’s either late for an appointment or afraid?”

“She was afraid you were going to see her, to force her into a conversation she isn’t ready to have. Or maybe she’d seen what she’d come to see and didn’t want to have to wait around for the next bus.”

Her words made him angry, even while Max knew that she was just doing what he’d asked her to do. Find Meri. Find the truth.

“You don’t know her.”

“Has it occurred to you that you might not know her as well as you thought you did, either?”

Hell, yes, it had occurred to him. Every day since she’d disappeared on him without a word. After promising that she’d do everything she could not to break his heart....

And then he’d climb into their bed at night, smell her perfume on their sheets, her shampoo on her pillow, and careful not to touch either, so they didn’t lose that scent, he’d lie there next to her space and know that whatever Meri was doing, it was because she loved him.

Steve had to have threatened her somehow. He didn’t know how. When. Where. And sure as hell couldn’t explain why she hadn’t wanted him or Caleb to see her. Unless, as he’d thought before, she thought she was somehow protecting them. It didn’t really make sense, not when he knew—and had told her often enough—that his police connections would keep them all safe.

“You have to find her, Chantel,” he said now, more certain than he’d been since Meri had disappeared that she needed him. “She’s in trouble. I know she is.”