A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

Author:Emilie Richards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2019-04-18T13:05:23+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Convincing Holly and Noelle that a weekend at my parents’ house would be fun was surprisingly easy. Wednesday evening Mom had called and asked their opinions on what kinds of Christmas cookies they should make together. When she promised they might have to climb a ladder to help decorate the top of her tree, she had them in the palm of her hand. The smaller tree and simpler decorations we bought and set up on Thursday felt like a warm-up. With all the fun at my parents’ house, I might never be able to wrestle them back to Wendy’s town house again.

I debated whether to bring Bismarck to Delray Beach with me, but on Friday after school, I dropped him off with the girls. Since the shopping trip, Bismarck sported a red bow on his collar complete with jingle bells. Luckily, he’s a good sport. Despite the humiliation, he still carried his head high.

“This will do your father good,” Mom said, as I lingered on her doorstep before heading to my car. The girls were somewhere in the house giggling loudly, and I could hear Dad’s booming baritone followed by a recording of “Jingle Bells.” “He’s worried about your sister.”

My father has good sense. He also has a heart that’s healing from major surgery. The two don’t mix well. “Maybe she’ll call him soon,” I said.

“We have every kind of resource to help her. Whatever is going on. Please be sure to remind her.”

Wendy had been missing in action for almost two weeks, but it probably seemed longer to my parents. There wasn’t a darned thing I could do about that except continue trying to find her.

On the way back to the town house, I thought about the other parties who should be crumbling under the weight of Wendy’s disappearance. But while Noelle often asked about her mother, Holly never did. And when I explained that Wendy would be home as soon as possible, Holly’s expression seesawed between skeptical and furious.

Holly did ask about her father, though, so when I got home and checked voice mail, I was sorry the girls had missed a call from their dad. I wasn’t sorry when I listened to it.

Bryce’s message hadn’t been meant for them. His voice was scratchy and distorted, and while I knew he wasn’t calling from under the water, he might as well have been. I had to listen twice. But I finally pieced words together. First he complained that my sister wasn’t answering her cell phone. Then he continued.

“Wendy, why haven’t you signed the papers the way we agreed? This has to be settled.”

After that there was so much distortion that I wasn’t positive, but I thought he said that she wouldn’t be able to reach him. In the meantime she was to move forward and soon.

I was sorry I hadn’t been here. Except what would I have said? Sorry, Bryce, but Wendy’s off God knows where, and I’m taking care of your daughters, who I hardly know.

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