Page 44 of The Lovely and the Lost

“You have to be wondering,” I said, turning the tables on Jude and stealing a look at him out of the corner of my eye. “About Cady’s past. About what it means for you.”

Jude gave me a long, considering look. “I asked Mom about my father once.” He paused. “Justonce. It was right before you came to live with us. I had formed theories, you see, mostly involving astronauts, but also the occasional space alien taking on humanoid form.”

I could see a teeny tiny Jude saying exactly that.

“She told me that she’d loved my father, and that he’d loved her, and that she knew for a fact that he would have loved me. And that was it. She neither confirmed nor denied his astronaut status, but that night, when I went to get a glass of water from the kitchen, I saw her. She was crying—not sobbing, exactly. It was more like her eyes were malfunctioning—leaking. I remember thinking that the leak might never stop.”

Even as a child, Jude would have eaten his own hand to keep from seeing Cady like that again. He never asked for more than you could give.

“I’ve been keeping secrets from you.” The admission slipped across my lips.

“I know,” Jude replied airily.

That was all it took for the secrets to come pouring out. I told him about Gabriel’s maps and notes, aboutkidnappingandassault. I almost told him about the conversation I’d had with Cady the night before, but I hesitated.That might not be my secret to tell.

“I think Cady would answer your question now,” I said instead. “If you asked her who your father was.”

“And that,” Jude said, “isexactlywhy I won’t ask. She’d answer, but it would cost her. And for what?” He tweaked the end of my ponytail. “I have all the family I need.”

Up ahead, NATO dropped to his belly, pushing his head under an old log and letting out a joyful bark.

“Methinks he doth found something,” Jude said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Or rather, someone.”

“Get off of me,” Free said, shoving NATO gently as she pulled herself out from her hiding place. “You big, slobbery mess,” she crooned, pouncing on him as she made it to her feet. “You clever, clever boy.”

Unlike Saskia, NATO wasn’t trained to loop back. He worked primarily on a lead, and Jude was never far behind, so he just kept barking until Jude and I caught up.

“Well done, my good man!” Jude said, adopting a very poor British accent. NATO leapt up to press his front paws to Jude’s thighs, to which Jude replied, almost immediately, “Shall we waltz?”

The sight of Jude taking NATO’s paws in hand and beginning the world’s most awkward ballroom dance jarred a laugh out of me. Eventually, Jude let go of NATO’s paws and whirled gracefully back to Free and me. “Who’s next?”

“For dancing?” I asked, wrinkling my nose. “Or Extreme Hide-and-Seek?”

Jude kept right on waltzing. “Dealer’s choice!”

“I’ll double back for Duchess.” Free brushed the dirt off her jeans, very deliberately not mentioningdancingat all. “She could use some cheering up, too. You up for hiding this round, K?”

We’d played this game a million times before. At one point, Cady had banned it, because Extreme Hide-and-Seek had gotten a littletooextreme. Duct tape, rappelling equipment, and paintball guns were now permanently outlawed from game play.

“Cut Saskia loose if she’s getting antsy,” I told the others. “And let Duchess know she can bring it on.” I hesitated, then nudged Jude in the side. “You can tell Free what I told you,” I said softly. “About Gabriel.”

He nudged me back, and a split second later, I took off running. The three of us needed this as much as the dogs did. The longer and faster I ran, the easier it was to push the events of the past couple of days out of my mind. I didn’t have to think about what I’d seen in Gabriel’s cabin. I didn’t have to think about missing persons reports, or hold the image of that flyer with Bella Anthony’s picture in my mind.

I didn’t have to think about the blanket.

I didn’t have to think about Girl.

I just ran. I dodged through the trees. I pulled myself up into one, allowing the branches to hide my body from the naked eye. I sat there, and I waited, freer than I’d felt in days.

And then I caught sight of another figure moving through the forest—lean and lithe.

So much for not thinking about Gabriel Cortez.

I willed myself to stay where I was. Gabriel passed under my tree, and I realized that he was wearing a pack and carrying a flashlight.

It’s still light outside. Without even thinking about it, I dropped down from the tree, landing silently in a crouch. I watched Gabriel hop the fence at the back of the property.

I watched him hang a right.