Longing for Home (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

K
ate didn’t have time to wonder why Alex’s vehicle wasn’t parked in its usual spot by the garage—because Grace Eversea was just getting out of hers.

I don’t think I can do this right now, Lord!

The caseworker gave Logan and Tori a warm smile as she approached.

“Hey, you two. I thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.”

The children must have sensed it was more than that because Logan stared at his feet and Tori wilted against Kate’s side.

“They went to the scavenger hunt at church this morning,” she explained.

“I saw that in the bulletin. Was it fun?”

Logan shrugged. “I guess so.”

It was all he could talk about on the way back to the inn but Kate saw no point in mentioning that.

“Would you like a glass of lemonade, Grace?”

“Thank you. That sounds wonderful.”

They walked up the cobblestone path in silence. Mulligan ambled up to greet them, a tennis ball clamped in his jaws.

“Can I throw the ball for him, Kate?” Logan asked.

“Sure, but don’t go down by the water.”

“Okay.” With a wary glance at Grace, he took his sister firmly by the hand and led her away.

“I’ll wait on the deck so I can keep an eye on them,” Grace offered.

Kate opened the fridge and saw the plastic container of cookie dough.

Alex’s homemade truth serum.

He’d been so sweet that night. Kate had totally let her guard down. Confided in him.

Don’t think about it now
.

Kate’s hands shook as she collected the pitcher and glasses and stepped onto the deck.

Grace brushed a strand of sable hair off her cheek and smiled wryly when Kate set the tray down. “You used to at least
pretend
to be happy to see me.”

“I’m sorry.” Kate handed her a glass. “I am glad to see you. I just wish it were under different circumstances.”

“So do I.” Grace lowered her voice as the children ran under the deck, Mulligan in hot pursuit. “But I have to do my job.”

“You talked to their aunt?”

“An hour ago.”

“She’s coming to Mirror Lake, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” Grace said simply.

“When will she be here?”

“She called me from her cell phone. She’s on her way.”

“Now?”

“She’ll be arriving later this afternoon.” Grace sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, Kate, but she’s Tori and Logan’s closest relative.”

“A relative who hasn’t seen them for years!”

“I had a lengthy conversation with her and Jake ran a thorough background check. She is willing to stay with the children and there’s no reason why I shouldn’t let her.”

Kate could think of several, but none that would convince Grace to change her mind.

“Will you leave them with me until she gets here?”

“When I explained the situation, Jenna asked if she could stay here for a night or two if you have a room available. That way, the children will get to know her and the transition will be easier.”

Kate felt weight on her chest ease. “That’s a good idea.”

“Let me know after you check with Alex.” Grace rose to her feet. “I have an appointment in a few minutes, but I’ll be back with Jenna. There are some things she and I need to talk about.”

Mulligan trotted up the steps and dropped the ball at their feet.

“Where did your playmates go?” Grace bent down to scratch the dog’s ear.

Kate walked to the edge of the deck. “Logan? Tori? Miss Eversea has to leave now.”

“I just heard them a few minutes ago.” Grace slung her purse over her shoulder.

“They like to play hide and seek in the garden.” Kate started down the steps and followed one of the paths that wound through the flower beds to the gazebo.

Grace followed, the heels of her cowboy boots clicking against the flagstone. “I don’t see them.”

Kate tried not to panic. “They have to be close by. Why don’t you go down to the boathouse and see if they’re with Jeremy and Cody? I’ll check inside.”

“All right.” Grace turned and walked swiftly back the way they had come.

Kate hurried through the lodge, calling their names, but there was no response.

“I can’t find them,” Grace panted as they met on the deck a few minutes later. “Is it possible they went into one of the cabins?”

“Logan has a thing about strangers,” Kate said. “He won’t let Tori even
talk
to someone he doesn’t know…”

Their eyes met as both women came to the same disturbing conclusion.

“Do you think they overheard us talking about their aunt?”

Kate hoped not.

Because Logan was fiercely protective of his little sister. And relative or not, Jenna Gardner was a stranger.

Alex parked the Viper next to a hunter-green Blazer marked by an official state license plate. He hopped out of the car and strode up to the main lodge.

“Mr. Porter!” Jeremy and Cody rounded the corner and intercepted him at the door.

“Sorry, guys. I have to talk to Kate.”

“She’s not here,” Jeremy panted. “She and Miss Eversea are looking for Tori and Logan.”

“What do you mean, ‘looking for them’? Where did they go?”

“We’re not sure,” Cody said. “The last we saw them, they were playing in the garden. Miss Eversea was talking to Kate on the deck for a while and when it was time for her to leave they were gone.”

Gone.

“How long ago?”

The boys looked at each other.

“Half an hour,” Cody finally guessed.

Alex stared at the lake. He knew the children had strict instructions not to play near the water without an adult, but would they disregard that rule if something had upset them?

“Miss Eversea walked up the trail to see if Logan and Tori went to the chapel. We would have gone with her but Kate asked us to stay here in case they came back.”

“What about Kate?”

“She was going to check the fort,” Jeremy said. “We took Logan to see it a few days ago, but it’s off the trail so I’m not sure if he’d remember the way.”

“I’ll see if I can find her.” Alex forced a smile. “Do what Kate said and stick close to the lodge, okay? We need you here.”

“Okay.” The boys exchanged worried looks but didn’t argue.

Alex jogged toward an opening in the trees on legs that felt as if they were filled with wet sand.

“Kate?” Alex shouted her name as he scaled a fallen log.

He made his way deeper into the woods, retracing the route he’d taken the day he tracked Kate to the tree fort.

Kate was already dealing with the fallout from the devastation he’d created. If anything happened to Logan and his sister…

God, You know where they are. Help us find them.

He paused, trying to get his bearings, and saw a flash of yellow through the trees.

Tori had been wearing Kate’s straw hat that morning at breakfast.

He called her name and heard a faint chirp of alarm.

They were running
away
from him.

The skeletal frame of the tree fort was just up ahead and he saw Kate zigzagging through the trees. He caught up to her in no time.

Relief skimmed through her eyes—and then she looked away.

“Did Grace tell you?”

“Jeremy and Cody.” Alex took her arm as they waded through the brush. “I just saw them.”

“So did I. They’re almost to the property line.”

“Can you call the owner?”

Kate shook her head. “No one lives there. It’s been abandoned for years.”

Alex wanted to ask Kate to forgive him but knew it wasn’t the right time. They would have time to talk when Tori and Logan were back at the lodge, safe and sound.

“What happened?”

“They overhead Grace and me talking. Their aunt is coming to Mirror Lake this afternoon.”

Alex saw Kate’s throat convulse and knew she was fighting back tears.

“We’ll find them,” he promised.

Moments later, the trees thinned out. They waded through a patch of knee-high weeds scattered with auto parts.

“There’s the cabin. I hope they didn’t go inside.” Kate pointed to a dilapidated structure jutting over the water on weathered, bow-legged stilts.

Alex caught a glimpse of Logan as he dived into the front seat of a rusted out vehicle parked under a willow tree.

“They’re hiding in that car.”

Kate stumbled and Alex automatically reached out to steady her. She spun away from him.

No less than he deserved…

But Kate wasn’t looking at him. Her gaze remained fixed on the car, every speck of color draining from her face.

“Kate? What is it?”

Her lips formed a single word.

Bees.

She lurched forward, arms and legs churning like windmills as she cut through the knee-length grass.

Alex followed, panic expanding inside his chest and crowding the breath from his lungs when he saw a dark cloud of insects exit through a hole in the broken windshield like a spray of buckshot.

“Don’t…” Alex snagged Kate’s hand but she shook him off.

“The lake,” she gasped. “We’ve got to get them to the lake.”

“
No!
You stay here. I’ve got them.” Alex prayed Kate would listen as he surged ahead of her. The children’s muffled screams pierced the air as he raced across the yard and wrenched the car door open.

Logan was curled up on the shredded upholstery, red welts rising on both arms as he swatted the bees away from his sister.

“Come on!” Alex felt the first sting, a hot needle stabbing into his hand, and hauled Logan out of the car where Kate was waiting to transport him to the lake.

The angry hum, rising in intensity, drowned out Tori’s sobs. Alex reached in, ignoring the multiple stab wounds the bees were inflicting, and scooped her up. Her arms locked around his neck as he pulled her to safety.

The bees followed.

Tori buried her face against his chest as Alex carried her toward the water. Halfway there, the ground began to shift beneath him.

Alex stumbled and felt Tori slide from his grip. She tried to cling to him, but he set her down and gave her a nudge toward the lake.

“Run to Kate,” he muttered, the words sticking in his throat.

Tori broke away from him, shrieking.

Alex’s vision blurred and he pitched forward into the sun-scorched grass, his cheek colliding with the ground.

What was happening to him?

He tried to push himself up but it took too much effort.

“Alex.”

Dragging in a breath, he saw Kate’s face shimmering above him. Felt her hands touching him. Watched her beautiful green eyes darken with alarm—and then fear.

There was so much Alex wanted to say but panic jumbled his thoughts, distilling them down to one thing.

“Forgive—” His throat closed around the word and Alex wasn’t sure if it had even made it past his lips.

“I’m calling for help,” he heard Kate say. At least he thought it was Kate. What he heard was a thin, shaky echo of the familiar lilting voice.

A thick gray curtain began to slide between them.

He couldn’t see Kate anymore. Couldn’t feel her.

Couldn’t breathe.

Kate could hear the bees.

Hundreds—no,
thousands
—of them. Descending on the lake, coming straight toward them in a moving cloud. Descending on Alex…

She jolted upright in the chair, her heart practically beating its way out of her chest. It took a moment for her to realize she had dozed off in the hospital waiting room.

The steady hum came from the air-conditioning unit pumping cool air into the room. At the moment, the only threat to her safety was the vending machine full of cream-filled snack cakes.

Kate closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing.

That only managed to piece together a disturbing, all-too-real image of Alex’s face when he
couldn’t
.

A shudder ripped through her. Kate would never forget watching his color change to gray, seeing his eyes close.

She’d been so angry with him. And angry with herself, for falling in love with an exasperating man who thought he knew what was best for everyone but had no idea what was best for himself.

But years of talking to God—and listening to His answer—had brought her around. She claimed that God didn’t make mistakes. She knew He was never taken by surprise.

Kate had no idea how to move forward but she knew that God was right there with her.

“Kate?”