A Time for Secrets by Julie Britton

Author:Julie Britton [Britton, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Heather Press
Published: 2020-01-07T16:00:00+00:00

Daylight was fading, and clouds obscured the last remaining rays of the sun as it dipped behind the house. Neighbors came and went, offering sympathy. The police officers parading through her house were nothing more than a blur. A van with the local television station's logo on the side was parked in front of the house, and twice, reporters had tried to gain entry to get the full story. Denise had sent them on their way, in no uncertain terms.

Amanda tried to remain positive, tried to believe the words of reassurance. But as the hours went by without any news and night brought a light misty rain, Amanda's spirits plummeted.

She was alone. The officer assigned to stay with her had finished his shift two hours before and every other available officer was out searching for Kristi. Even Denise had gone home to tuck her children into bed.

Amanda wandered through the house, her nerves ready to shatter. She knew she should eat something to keep up her strength, but even the thought of food made her nauseous. All she could manage was a few sips of the cold tea one of the neighbors had brewed at some point during the evening.

How could this happen? The question tumbled through her mind over and over again. There were almost a hundred children in that schoolyard. How could someone just walk out with a child and nobody noticed?

Amanda's gaze landed on the clock on the mantle as it chimed ten o'clock. Her little girl should be sound asleep by now, warm and safe in her own bed. Instead, she was out there...somewhere...

Try as she might to stop them, the horrific stories she'd heard over the years of children being abducted and never seen again kept bobbing to the surface of her mind.

Full-blown hysteria threatened to engulf her, and she had to force herself to think positive thoughts. Josh would find her. He just had to.

Her resolution lasted only a few minutes. Slumping into the sofa, she wrapped her arms around the cushion and let the tears fall. Deep racking sobs that felt as if they would never stop. An unrelenting ache filled her.

How long she sat there, she didn't know. Time had no meaning.

Her heart leaped into her throat when she heard the sound of a car door slamming and footsteps coming up the porch steps.

Anxious, yet terrified at the same time, she jumped up and opened the door.

Josh stood on the porch.

Alone.

Raindrops clung to his hair and trickled down his face. His T-shirt was plastered to his skin, and his jeans hung, sodden, on his legs. Water puddled at his feet.

The emptiness in his dark eyes was what frightened Amanda the most. And the panic she had been trying so hard to control overwhelmed her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't suck in enough air. Her heart was racing erratically, and she felt herself break out in a cold sweat.

She didn't remember moving, or taking the step outside and into his open arms. But she felt them close around her, her eyes meeting his as she blinked away her tears.

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