“I know you’re freaked out, Jen, but I need you to try and explain to me again what happened because I didn’t get it all the first time.”
Sam’s usual gruff demeanor was nowhere to be found, his calming voice almost taking the edge off her panic.
Almost.
Jenessa held Cade against her chest, his warm body heavy in her arms where she stood in the middle of the sunroom. Violet’s pattering footsteps clattered through the house as she ran through the place, excited to be here and heedless of the seriousness of her sister’s disappearance.
She paced the length of the room. “I went to find Lucas, but I found the kids in the cottage. They said their dad had gone out—again. Apparently he’s been doing that most nights. He left them alone and they got it into their heads to run away and come here and . . .”
And the moment she’d seen them, she’d dropped to the floor of the cottage, gathered them into her arms. If she just could’ve stayed there, if she hadn’t forced herself to do what she’d known she had to do.
Through tears in her eyes, she’d told Colie they had to call her dad.
“I would give anything to keep you here, but I can’t. Not unless your dad says it’s okay.”
Colie had refused to give her Dustin’s phone number, so she’d ushered the kids through the crowded garden and into the house and called Carmen. But she’d made the mistake of walking into a different room to make the call.
And when she’d returned, Colie was gone.
Somehow she made it through the explanation in less than a minute, bouncing Cade against her hip as she spoke. Sam knew the rest. She’d come rushing out to the gala, hoping to find Colie among the crowd.
But that was fifteen minutes ago and she still hadn’t been found.
“I can’t just stay in here waiting, Sam.”
“Violet and Cade need you to be with them. We’re going to find her any minute, Jen. She can’t have gone far in this short of a time. And if Dustin Hollis or the social worker shows up—”
“Jen!” Lucas burst into the room. “What’s going on?”
She spun to face him, Cade’s weight heavy in her arms. “You’d know if you’d been here.” It was her fear spewing the unhelpful words, forming hot tears in her eyes. “The kids came back to the cottage, which is where I thought you were.”
Sam touched her shoulder. “Let’s focus on Colie now. Can you think of any spots where she might go? Even any hiding spots here in the house where she could be? I know you looked already but—”
“Ross, we’ve got something.” The voice came over Sam’s walkie-talkie.
Eyeing Jenessa, he lifted it to his mouth. Lucas took Sam’s place at her side, but his hand on her back felt cold.
“Whatcha got?” Sam spoke.
“Looks like there was a hit and run over on Beach Street. I think it’s the Hollis girl.”
The last of her courage drained from her as her whole body went cold.
21
Lucas would give anything to be what Jenessa needed right now—a hero in the middle of a crisis.
But all he could do was stand helplessly at her side as the doctor spoke.
“Our immediate concern is the splenic rupture caused by one of the broken ribs. We’ve already done an ultrasound to determine internal bleeding, and she’s being prepped for surgery now.” The doctor looked around the gathered crowd as if not entirely certain who to address as the main family representative.
His confusion was warranted considering the packed room. Dustin Hollis had just arrived minutes ago, but he stood alone several feet away from Carmen Rodriguez. Violet was hooked to Jen’s side and Lucas held Cade, his free arm around Jen. Sam was here, and Mara and Marshall had texted that they were on their way.
“Splenic rupture . . . that’s a ruptured spleen?” Jen asked, allowing the doctor’s attention to settle on her. He nodded. “So . . . what? Are you removing it or—”
The doctor interrupted. “It’ll be one of our surgeons, Dr. Henson, completing the operation. He’s reviewing the ultrasound now, and I’m sure he’ll come out to speak with you before he begins. But it does appear to be a small tear, so he may be able to repair it without removing the organ.”
Lucas tried to pay attention as the doctor explained what would happen with the other injuries—the two broken ribs, the cracked wrist. But the words were fuzzy in his head, the heaviness of the past hour cloaking him in fear and exhaustion.
“But again, our main concern is stopping the internal bleeding as soon as possible.” The doctor attempted a reassuring expression. “With that under control, chances for a full recovery are very good.”
Full recovery. Very good.
There. Those were the four words he’d focus on. Jen and the others asked a few more questions, and soon the doctor was turning and disappearing down the hallway. He felt Jen’s ragged exhale under his palm and pulled her to him, her head landing against his chest near Cade and Violet’s arm curling around his knee.
“A full recovery,” he murmured against her hair. “She’s going to be okay.”
“She has to make it through the surgery. They have to stop the bleeding.”
“They will.”
Her tears were hot through his cotton shirt, but he was glad to feel them. They were better than her stone-cold shock of earlier. Her frozen silence on the way here. They hadn’t even been able to leave for the hospital right away, not without car seats for the kids. Jenessa hadn’t wanted to leave Violet and Cade behind.
Thankfully, someone from the gala had offered up a vehicle already outfitted with car seats.
“Violet, would you like to sit with me?”
Lucas looked up to see Dustin Hollis standing nearby. The man’s face was haggard with worry. He might’ve left the kids alone tonight, but at least he’d come here as quickly as possible.
Violet shook her head. Dustin’s shoulders dropped.
Jenessa slowly pulled away from Lucas. “Um, if you’d like to take Cade . . .”
It had to have cost her to say the words, and his already bruised heart pulled with pain for her—for all of them. Lucas handed Cade to Dustin as Jenessa knelt to hug Violet. “I think we’re going to have a long night, kiddo. Should we try to get you comfy?”
They spent the next few minutes arranging two chairs into a makeshift bed, spreading a blanket and helping Violet settle. Mara and Marshall arrived right as Violet’s eyes began drifting closed.
All it took was a look toward Marshall and he picked up on Lucas’s silent communication. “If you two want to stretch your legs, grab something at the vending machines or whatever, we can stay with Vi.”
Jen gave a slow nod and relief flooded Lucas when she took his hand. They were barely out of earshot of the others when he spoke. “I should’ve been there. I was with Noah. I was worried about him. But I should’ve—”
She squeezed his hand. “No, Luke. I was scared. I didn’t mean what I said.”
They slowed as they neared the vending machines. The fluorescent lights overhead highlighted Jen’s ashen pallor, and the poor woman was still wearing her dress. If they were anywhere else, if this were any other circumstance, he’d take the opportunity to tell her how beautiful it looked on her. Instead, he shrugged out of his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders.