“What do you think?” Charlie asked, his voice breaking through her troubled thoughts.
Marion looked up from her plate, which contained her barely eaten lunch, realizing she hadn’t heard a word Charlie said.
Anger bubbled up inside her. Heather had only been back in their lives for a couple of hours and already she was affecting them.
And if the charges against her were dropped, and she got hold of a lawyer, things would only get worse.
Much worse. The temptation to pack up their belongings and simply disappear, leaving no trace, was almost too tempting.
But Marion knew running away was not the answer.
Because if she did, that might lead to her losing Charlie for good.
“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Marion asked, forcing herself back to focus on the present and the young boy who meant the world to her.
“I said that Daisy has a beehive in her backyard and she said I could go and look at it,” Charlie repeated as he picked up his grilled cheese sandwich and took a bite.
“A beehive, huh?” Marion asked, trying to summon enthusiasm. They had been so lucky to have made friends so fast in Bear Creek. Everyone had been so welcoming. Anger simmered to the surface once more, but she pushed it down.
She didn’t want Charlie to see her like this. Didn’t want him to feel unsafe.
“Is something wrong?” Charlie asked, staring straight at her.
She could lie to him, but she wouldn’t. Because lies tended to come back and bite you in the ass.
From the determined look on Heather’s face, it seemed she was not going to simply walk away. Which meant there was every chance Heather suddenly came by again or met them in the street. No, she was going to be open and honest with Charlie so that he was forewarned.
She set down her glass and folded her hands. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
His eyes sharpened, wary now. He knew how to read moods better than most adults. It was the cost of learning to read the room as a form of survival when he was under Razor’s roof.
“Your mom is in town,” Marion began.
His face lit up, which broke her heart. Even after everything, Charlie still loved his mom.
“She’s here in Bear Creek?” he asked, leaning forward, his grilled cheese sandwich forgotten.
“Yes, she knocked on the door early this morning,” Marion explained.
“On our door?” he asked, his expression confused. “This morning?”
“Yes, you were still asleep,” Marion explained gently.
“You should have woken me up,” Charlie said, his face petulant as he kicked his foot against the chair leg.
Marion’s heart sank as unease swept over her. Everything they had built, all the progress they had made, was about to be torn apart. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. She felt so powerless.
She’d failed him. Despite everything, she had made things worse.
“I...” She didn’t have an answer. How could she explain she was trying to protect him from his own mother? That she was scared she might lose him. That if he went back to Heather, she might not see him again. Or worse, that something terrible might happen to him.
“Why?” Charlie demanded.
Marion took a deep breath. “I didn’t wake you because I wanted to talk to her first. I needed to understand why she was here.”
The truth was, Marion had never wanted to be the person who kept Charlie from his mother.
Despite everything that had happened, she’d always hoped that someday Heather might change.
That once she was free of Razor’s influence and got the help she needed, Charlie could have the relationship with his mom that he deserved. A healthy one. A safe one.
“Does she want to see me?” Charlie asked, his voice small but hopeful.
“Yes, she does,” Marion admitted. “But there are some things we need to figure out first. The court said…”
“I don’t care what the court said!” Charlie’s voice rose suddenly. “She’s my mom!”
“I know that, sweetheart. And I’m not trying to…”
But Charlie wasn’t listening. Instead, he pushed away from the table and slid off his chair.
“Charlie,” Marion reached for him, but he shrugged her off.
“I’m going to look at the bugs!” He grabbed the insect book and magnifying glass Alfie had given him and stomped off outside, letting the screen door slam behind him.
Marion sighed, watching him go. She’d seen him like this enough times to know he needed time to cool off. The fact that he was going to check on his bugs rather than hiding under his bed was actually progress, even if it didn’t feel like it right now.
With her appetite now gone, Marion started clearing their plates, stacking them carefully in the sink, trying to keep her hands busy while her thoughts raced.
What was the right thing to do? How could she protect Charlie without making him resent her?
And what would happen if the courts decided to send him back to Heather?
Was it possible that Heather had changed? Marion dared not hope. And dared not risk Charlie going back to his mom unless she could prove she had changed.
Her phone buzzed on the windowsill. Heather.
Marion’s stomach flipped. She debated ignoring it, but something told her it was better to hear whatever Heather had to say now, rather than risk her showing up on the doorstep again.
She answered with a sharp, “Hello?”
“Don’t hang up, Marion,” Heather said, not even giving her a chance to breathe. “You know you can’t ignore me. He’s my son.”
“You made your choices, Heather. You chose Razor, remember?” Marion replied, trying to keep calm as anger burned inside her.
“I made a mistake,” Heather said.
“A mistake?” Marion’s voice cracked. “Do you know what Charlie went through while you were off chasing after that loser? The neglect? The nights he cried himself to sleep?”
“I’m still his mother!” Heather insisted.
“That doesn’t mean you’re what’s best for him!” Marion replied sharply.
“I’ll get my life together,” Heather snapped. “I’ve got a place lined up, and...”
“Charlie is happy here, Heather. He’s got friends and stability, and you want to take that away from him?” Marion asked.
“I can give him all those things,” Heather said.
“Heather, for once, think about what is best for Charlie.” Marion moved to the back door, casting a glance out into the yard, needing to see the little boy who deserved the best in life.
Empty.
She stepped onto the porch, eyes sweeping the garden. “Charlie?” she called. The only reply was the rustle of leaves. Panic flared inside her and she had to force air into her lungs.
“Heather,” she said slowly, trying to keep her voice even. “What did you do?”
“What do you mean, what did I do?” Heather asked.
“Charlie!” Marion called, but no answer came.
“Marion, what’s happening?” Heather demanded.
“Do you expect me to believe it’s a coincidence that Charlie disappears the same day you arrive in town?” Marion snapped. “Just tell me what you did!”
“Nothing! I haven’t seen him!” Heather replied.
“Then why is he gone?” Marion’s voice rose as panic consumed her. “He’s not in the garden. He’s not here!”
“Don’t blame me...” Heather said.
Marion hung up and rushed down the porch steps, her blood pounding in her ears. “Charlie!” she called again, louder this time. She checked around the lavender bush first, then behind the shed, growing more frantic with each passing moment.
He couldn’t have gone far. She’d only been on the phone for a minute or two. Unless...had he been planning this? Had he slipped away while she was clearing the dishes, determined to find his mother on his own?
“Charlie!” she shouted, hysteria taking hold as she finally accepted the truth. Charlie was gone...
Panic clawed at her throat as she looked at her phone, the screen a blur through her tears. Swiping them away, she tapped the screen and dialed Alfie’s number. Her fingers trembled so much she nearly dropped the phone but at last, it began to ring.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey there…”
“He’s gone,” she said, not even bothering with hello. “Charlie. I told him about Heather, and then she called, and now he’s gone.”
“Stay put,” Alfie said. His voice was calm, steady, and already focused. “I’m coming right now.”
Marion didn’t even nod. She ended the call and circled the yard once more, checking every possible hiding spot, even places too small for a boy his size. But she knew he was gone. She could feel it. The emptiness…
She stifled a sob as a car door slammed out front. Marion ran around the side of the house to find Heather standing in the driveway, out of breath and defensive.
“I swear I had nothing to do with this,” Heather said, holding up her hands. “I came as soon as you hung up.”
“We were doing just fine until you showed up,” Marion snapped, fury and fear making her voice shake. “He was happy here. He was healing.”
“Where is my son?” Heather demanded, her face flushing with anger.
“I don’t know!” Marion shouted, gesturing wildly at the empty yard. “He was right here, and then he was gone!”
“You probably staged this whole thing,” Heather accused, stepping closer. “To keep me from seeing him. What did you do, hide him at a neighbor’s?”
“I would never do that,” Marion said, her voice breaking. “Never.”
Something in her tone must have reached through Heather’s anger because her sister’s face suddenly crumpled. “This is all my fault,” Heather sobbed. “Everything is always my fault. I’ve let him down again and again, and now he’s run away because of me.”
Despite everything, Marion couldn’t bear to see her sister in such pain. She sat down beside Heather, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll find him,” she promised. “He can’t have gone far.”
Heather looked up, mascara streaking down her cheeks. “I’ve made such a mess of everything, haven’t I? I always thought I’d have time to fix things, to be better, but...”
The sound of tires on gravel interrupted her. Alfie’s truck skidded to a stop in the driveway, and he was out and running toward them before the engine had fully quieted.
“Any sign of him?” he asked, his eyes scanning the yard even as he spoke.
Marion shook her head, rising to her feet. “Nothing. I’ve looked everywhere.”
As Alfie approached, Marion wasn’t sure what scared her more, what Charlie might have overheard, or how deep she knew his pain must run to disappear this way. She only knew one thing…he couldn’t have gone far. Not without someone knowing.
And if anyone could find him, it was Alfie.