Chapter 19

19

F orty minutes later, every inch of Dean’s body screamed to turn the truck around, gather Elsie in his arms, and take her back to his bed. A bone deep satisfaction settled in his soul unlike anything he’d ever felt. Being with Elsie had been magical. Had opened his eyes to what he’d been missing, and all he wanted to do was continue that magic over and over.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. Not when Jimmy and Elsie’s parents waited for them at the park.

Sliding his truck into a spot between two cars, Dean shut off the engine and hurried out to open Elsie’s door. He didn’t want to be away from her. Not even for the few seconds it’d take for her to unbuckle her seatbelt and meet him outside.

Nestling her palm into his hand, she smirked and accepted his assistance down. “My, my. What a gentleman.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he teased. “I have to be on my best behavior in front of your parents. Once I get you back to my place, I plan on being very, very bad for as long as you let me.”

She laughed and slapped at his chest with her free hand. “Sounds like I freed a little bit of a beast.”

He grinned. “You have no idea.” He tugged her closer and placed a kiss on her cheek. “But don’t worry, the beast will be in check until the right time.”

“Elsie! Dean!”

Jimmy’s delighted squeal, followed by Boo’s excited bark, broke into the intimate moment.

Dean could have stared at the pretty blush that crept up Elsie’s cheeks all day, but instead braced himself seconds before Jimmy slammed against him and Elsie, his little arms extending to wrap around their legs.

“Make sure to watch out for cars.” Mrs. Sweet darted down the wood-chip filled path that led to the play equipment, hurrying to catch up to Jimmy.

Mr. Sweet strode beside her. He gripped Boo’s leash in his large hand, keeping the dog directly by his side despite Boo’s attempts to lunge forward.

Laughing, Elsie dropped Dean’s hand to crouch and gather Jimmy in her arms. “Hey little man. I’m so happy to see you.”

Jimmy buried his head in the crook of Elsie’s neck. “I missed you. Did you find Mama?”

Dean’s heart couldn’t have hurt more if someone ripped it from his chest and stomped on it.

Mr. and Mrs. Sweet stopped beside Elsie with matching worried expressions, Boo straining to get to Dean.

“Not yet buddy,” Elsie said, voice cracking.

Jimmy clung tighter to Elsie and tears streamed over her face.

“Hey, bud,” Dean said, cutting in before things got even worse. “Did you take good care of my friend?”

Sniffing, Jimmy squirmed away from Elsie and a tiny smile poked through his sadness. “I sure did. I fed him and brushed him and he even slept in the bed with me. Grandpa wasn’t sure if he should, but Nana talked him into it.”

“That’s usually the way things go. I’m a big softie, though. Especially where my favorite grandson’s concerned.” Mr. Sweet gave an exaggerated eye roll and held out a hand for Dean to shake then passed over the leash. “I’m John. Nice to meet you.”

“Dean. Nice to meet you, too. Thanks for taking care of Boo.” He couldn’t ignore Boo’s wagging tail and lolling tongue another second. “Hi, big guy. Were you a good houseguest?”

Boo barked and jumped up to rest his paws on Dean’s chest.

Dean pet the big dog’s head then took a step back to make Boo’s paws drop on the ground. “I hope you had better manners last night.”

“He was perfect. A great addition to our little slumber party,” Mrs. Sweet said.

Boo’s tail never stopped moving as he sat and shifted his gaze to stare at Jimmy.

“Did you have fun with Nana and Grandpa?” Elsie stood and kept Jimmy’s hand clutched in hers. “I bet they gave you lots of chocolate.”

Jimmy grinned, showing off a missing tooth. “I helped Grandpa build a fire so we could make s’mores and I got ice cream. Nana said I was bouncing of the walls.”

Dean chuckled, imaging Jimmy pinging around like a bouncy rubber ball. “I’m surprised they got you to sleep at all.”

“We kept him busy until he dropped in bed like a rock.” Mr. Sweet rustled the top of Jimmy’s head. “I’m going to make him run laps around the playground to get all of his energy out before we head home.”

Jimmy frowned and sank against Elsie’s legs. “I want to go to my house with Elsie. When Mama comes home, she’ll want to see me.”

The tortured expression on Elsie’s face pierced Dean like a dagger. He scrambled to think of a reason for Jimmy not to leave the park with him and Elsie, so she didn’t have to be the bearer of more bad news. “Buddy, Elsie and I need to visit a friend when we leave here, and I can’t take Boo with me. It’d be a big help if you stay with your grandparents again tonight and watch Boo for me. I don’t trust many people with Boo, but I know I can trust you.”

“Okay.” Jimmy’s little chest puffed out. “I take good care of him. Don’t I, Nana?”

“You sure do, honey. But why are we standing around talking in the parking lot when there’s a swing set over there to play on? Want to race?” Mrs. Sweet asked.

Jimmy beamed. “No way you can beat me.”

“She’s faster than she looks,” Elsie said. “But even if you can run faster than her, you can’t run faster than me.”

“Wanna bet?”

Dean winced at his innocent choice of words as gambling tables and poker chips flashed in his mind.

Jimmy took off like a rocket, Elsie, and Mrs. Sweet on his heels.

Mr. Sweet hung back and studied Dean’s face. “What was that look?”

“What Jimmy said.” Dean scratched the back of his neck as his stomach tied in knots. “Hit a little too close to home.”

“What do you mean?” Mr. Sweet stared in the direction of his family, giggling as they leapt onto the swings and catapulted themselves in the air.

Dean debated how much to say, but if he were in the other man’s shoes, he’d want to know every piece of information uncovered. “We think Mila somehow stumbled upon a man who’s involved in an illegal gambling ring—high stakes poker. Saw something she shouldn’t.”

“Sonofabitch,” Mr. Sweet said, letting his eyes fall shut for a second. “That lovely girl. She’s been through so much in her life. She doesn’t deserve more pain.”

Boo whined and tugged at the leash, leading Dean toward the play area.

Mr. Sweet walked beside him, his hands shoved in the pockets of his fleece jacket. “Is there anything at all you can tell me? Not knowing is eating me alive. I thought losing my son was the worst kind of pain, but as much of a nightmare as hearing about that car accident was, at least we knew he wasn’t suffering. But with Mila…” The older man’s voice cracked and he stopped, hanging his head.

Dean rested a hand on Mr. Sweet’s shoulder. “I wish I had more to tell you. I really do. All I can say is we’re doing everything we can. Tracking every lead.”

“And still no idea where Mila is?”

“No, sir.” Dean shook his head. “Elsie and I even drove out to Cooper County this morning to speak with the main suspect’s mother. We hoped she’d have some idea of where her son may be hiding, but we came up empty.”

Mr. Sweet let out a long sigh. “Dear God, I hope no one took her out that way. We’d never find her.”

“Why do you say that?”

“That’s mining country. Lots of land. Lots of shut-down mines. Lots of places to hide…”

Mr. Sweet didn’t have to finish his sentence for Dean to understand his fear. If someone took Mila to a labyrinth of old mines, they might never find her body.

Elsie gripped the linked chains of the swing and pumped her legs back and forth. If she closed her eyes and focused on the cool breeze on her face and the sound of Jimmy’s laughter, she could almost pretend today was an ordinary day.

But soon the tears would come back along with the crushing pain of leaving Jimmy, not knowing if they’d ever make his world right again.

“Elsie, will you push me? Please!” Jimmy’s innocent little voice sang out.

“Sure.” She dragged the toes of her tennis shoes against the mulch to slow herself, then hopped off. “Mom, do you need me to push you, too?”

Her mom chuckled and kept her steady motion on the swing beside Jimmy. “I think I’m fine but thanks.”

Elsie gently pushed against the small of Jimmy’s back, lifting him a little higher in the air.

He kicked his legs and giggled. “Higher. I want to go higher!”

“Any higher and you’d go over the top of the swing set.” Her mom clicked her tongue, somehow managing to keep her voice stern and serious.

“That’s not true,” Jimmy said. “But I want to do something else anyway. Watch me jump.”

Elsie slowed his momentum enough so she wouldn’t have a heart attack when he catapulted himself into the air and landed on his feet.

He took off running toward the twisty slide.

“Wait,” Elsie said. “Something fell out of your pocket.” She jogged to the red, plastic whistle he’d left behind. Picking it up, she aimed arched brows at her mom. “S’mores, a dog in his bed, and whistles? He really did get spoiled yesterday. Unless you and Dad now enjoy loud, piercing noises that blow out your eardrums.”

Her mom slowed to a stop and offered a sad smile. “Anything to make him happy. Go ahead and place that in my purse. It’s over there on the bench.” She nodded toward a wooden bench at the end of the playground, shadowed by large trees.

She flipped the whistle between her fingers. She loved her parents so darn much. Always so selfless and full of love. She hoped one day she found a partner who exuded the same qualities her mom and dad lived by.

Maybe she already had.

Glancing over her shoulder, she spied Dean and her dad walking Boo around the perimeter of the play area. Both their heads were ducked as Boo kept his ears perked and eyes on alert.

“Is that serious?” Her mom asked, the side of her mouth ticked up.

“Could be,” she admitted, unable to stop her smile. “Maybe. We’ve found something beautiful in this mess, and I hope it can grow once we’re out of the weeds. He makes me feel treasured, special. Like I’m worthy of all the love in the world.”

“My darling girl, you are all those things. And if he makes you see that, makes you feel it, then don’t ever let him go.”

Her face fell. “I want to tell Mila all about him. I hope I get the chance, but I’m scared that’s not going to happen. Every hour that passes my hope diminishes. I can’t imagine a life without her. A life Jimmy would have without his mom.” A lump formed in the base of throat, stealing the rest of her words.

“If the worst happens, we’ll be there for him in every way we can. You’ll make sure you raise him the way Mila would want—to love him the way Mila would. We all will.”

Her mom’s confidence in her made the lump in her throat swell, and she nodded.

Jimmy waited his turn behind a line of children at the top of the slide. When it was his turn, he yelled, “Elsie! Come catch me!”

“Coming buddy.” She wiped the moisture from her eyes and shoved the whistle in her coat pocket. She arrived at the base of the slide just as Jimmy shot out the end, crashing into her. She fell to the ground with Jimmy landing on top of her.

“Ouch, my knee.” Jimmy cried and rolled to sit on his butt. He scootched his knees to his chest. His joggers were torn, and red scratches marred his skin. “I’m bleeding.” He sniffed back tears but couldn’t stop the high whine of his voice.

“Let me see. Okay, it’s just a little scrape. You’re okay.” Understanding that Jimmy was more sensitive now than usual, she made sure to remain upbeat and positive. Any wrong tone or words would send him into a tailspin.

“But there’s blood everywhere. ”

She fought not to laugh at his exaggeration.

Her mom rushed over, her purse now slung over her shoulder. “Nana’s here, baby. Let me take a look at it.”

Elsie stood and wiped her dirty palms on her jeans. “He’s fine. A little bump won’t bring you down, will it?”

Tears hovered above his dark lashes. “It hurts, Nana.”

“I’m sure it does,” her mom said, kneeling beside him. “How about we go into the bathroom and get you washed off?”

Jimmy nodded and struggled to his feet. He hobbled to the cement building on the other side of the play set that housed the restrooms and a pavilion filled with picnic tables.

Dean appeared by her side. “Is everything all right?”

“He fell and scraped his knee. Not a big deal, and nothing that would usually affect him. All his emotions are right on the surface today.” Boo nudged her hand with his wet nose, and she rested her palm on the top of his head.

Her dad draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a quick side hug. “Understandably. This is hard for all of us, but most of all for Jimmy. The boy’s allowed to shed a few tears over a minor bump.”

“I agree,” she said, wishing she could do more to take away Jimmy’s fear. Unfortunately, she didn’t have that power.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to find a text from her mom.

Jimmy’s really upset. Can you come help?

She sighed and shoved her phone back in her pocket. “That’s Mom. She needs me to help with Jimmy. I’ll be right back.”

She weaved around the play set to avoid the crush of children enjoying the evening, mulch crunching under her tennis shoes. The sun still hung in the sky, although it had started to dip toward the mountain peaks. A subtle wind rustled through the leaves. Hopefully she could help calm Jimmy so they could squeeze out more fun before heading home.

Turning the corner of the building toward the restroom, a flash of movement caught her attention.

A man shot out from the shadows. His hair was shaggy, and face covered in a few days’ worth of scruff. Mud stained his jeans and black hoodie. He grabbed her bicep and pulled her close to his side, shoving the barrel of a gun against her ribs. “Don’t try anything stupid. I’d hate to kill you in front of your family.”