Beyond the Deep by Kristen M Fraser

Author:Kristen M Fraser [Fraser, Kristen M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

The golden light of the afternoon faded to grey, and Connor remained unmoving with one foot in the past and one foot trying to move forward into an unknown future. What was the point of trying to move on when there was a reminder of his loss everywhere he turned? He’d had everything once, and now nothing remained but ashes. How could he rebuild his life from the ruins?

A faint cry sounded in the distance, breaking through his fog of despondency.

“Zeke! Zeke!”

Alecia’s shouts snapped Connor to attention. Rubbing a hand over his face, he flicked on the light in the living room and headed towards the back deck. Long shadows stretched across the back lawn and Zeus lay on the grass, licking a paw, oblivious to the noise.

“Zeke!” Alecia’s frantic cry drifted across the hedge dividing the two yards.

“Alecia! What’s wrong?” Connor strode across the lawn and up the side of her house where he almost barreled her over. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her before they both tumbled to the ground.

“I can’t find Zeke,” she cried, running a hand through her flyaway hair. “He came home with me, but after I went to the bathroom, I couldn’t find him. I called for him but he hasn’t answered. I thought he might have come back here.”

“He’s not inside?”

“No,” she replied. “I’ve looked everywhere. Even in his usual hiding spots.” With hands on her hips, she stepped out of Connor’s grasp. “This is what I worry about all the time. He has no sense of boundaries. He’ll just wander off without any regard for his own safety. I’ve drilled stranger danger into him so many times, but he just doesn’t get it.” Her voice pitched with each word. Connor grabbed both her arms, running his thumbs across her skin as he attempted to calm her down.

“We’ll find him.” The firmness in his voice belied the knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. A sense of déjà vu swept over him. He knew the desperation she felt. The sheer terror of not knowing where your child was. He just hoped Zeke could be found. Unharmed. Alive. If he were a praying man, he’d be praying. But he didn’t trust God. He just hoped Zeke wouldn’t be taken away from Alecia like James had been taken from him.

With her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt, Alecia’s eyes fluttered closed. “I need to pray. I always worry first and pray later, and I shouldn’t.”

Connor’s released the grip on her arms and she clutched both her hands to her chest. He watched her brow furrow and her mouth move, silently uttering words he had no idea about. It was a sacred moment, one that caused a sharp intake of breath and flutters to sweep through his chest.

Turning away, he darted a glance around the yard. The hedge separated their properties and a fence ran along the back of Alecia’s yard and down the other side. Beyond that was a nature reserve before another housing estate.

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