He cupped her cheek in his hand. “It’s not life. By its very nature, life involves loss. If we stop taking chances, stop living our lives, we might as well crawl in the grave and let someone kick the dirt over us. Real life is worth the risk.”
She nodded. “I know that now. But just know even though I realize my thinking is wrong, I might take one step toward you and two steps back.”
“I have more patience than you give me credit for.” He pulled her head down for a proper kiss, and she seemed happy to oblige.
* * *
Dinosaurs loomed everywhere she looked.
Torie watched Hailey, who grinned widely as she dashed from exhibit to exhibit inside the big tent of the Jurassic World show. They’d made the hour drive to Jacksonville right after reporting the attack to the Navy and the state police. Joe had made sure Simon returned to the enclosure, and they’d grabbed lunch on the way.
Torie hadn’t expected such fun animatronics. Children of all ages flocked around the T-Rex exhibit. Joe kept being drawn to the real bones and teeth in glass cabinets, but Hailey couldn’t be bothered with anything that mundane. She wanted to see the raptors.
“They don’t look anything like in the movies,” Hailey said. “They’re so small, and they have feathers. I had nightmares after watching the movie, but these guys don’t seem all that scary.”
Joe frowned. “When did you watch the movie? The violence isn’t appropriate for your age.”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “Dad, I’m eight years old. I’m not a kid. I just hid my eyes when they ate a guy.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“I don’t remember. A playdate sometime.” Hailey waved madly, then dashed to join a friend and her family at the display of megalodon and prehistoric ocean creatures. “Millie!” The two little girls embraced and chattered excitedly.
“That kid will be the death of me,” Joe muttered.
Torie could hardly take her gaze off the megalodon’s triangular serrated teeth. “Glad we don’t see sharks like that anymore. Especially today. Our flimsy piece of metal wouldn’t have dented its hide.”
Joe, looking impossibly handsome in shorts and a red tee, handed her an iced tea. “I was thinking the same thing. You doing okay? You’ve been quiet. I know this morning was terrifying.”
It was now or never. She didn’t want him to hear about her identity from a rumor. “I . . . um. Well, I have something I need to tell you, and I’m not sure how.”
His green-eyed gaze sharpened. “What is it? Have you found out something about Lisbeth’s death?”
“No, it’s not that.” She wet her lips and forced herself to hold his gaze. She wanted to track every flicker of his eyelids and every turn of his mouth for clues to how he took her news. “It’s about my name.”
His forehead furrowed. “Your name? I don’t understand.”
“My full name is Victoria. Victoria Bergstrom. I’m Anton’s daughter.”
His jaw sagged. “You’re not serious.” She held his gaze. “You are serious. Why would you show up here pretending to be an employee?”
“I thought I could learn more about Lisbeth’s death if no one knew I was a Bergstrom.” She clenched her hands together. “You don’t know what it’s like to grow up with a famous name. People watch what they say. They make assumptions about you based on nothing more than something they read in a magazine or watched on TV. I knew everyone would clam up if they thought they were talking out of school, and I didn’t want that.”
“So even though I was helping you try to discover the truth, you didn’t think I needed to know your real identity?”
“I was afraid it would get out to everyone.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “So not only did you not trust me enough with your real name, but you thought I was a gossip.”
This was quickly going south. She touched his forearm. “I didn’t know you well enough to make that kind of judgment. I don’t open up easily to people. I’m awkward and inept in relationships. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away. I didn’t know you, Joe. Surely you can understand that.”
“I took you at face value.”
“No you didn’t. You were suspicious right from the beginning. You know you were.”
He exhaled. “Maybe so. But we’ve come a ways in the past few days.” His mouth softened. “Is that why you’re telling me now?”
She wished she could tell him it was true, but another lie would make things worse. “No. I had to tell my aunt last night, and she’s already blabbed it to the world.”
He took a step back. “So you’re only telling me because you got caught and knew I’d hear about it somewhere else?”
“I wanted to tell you before this, but there hasn’t been a good time.”
“You could have told me after we got on the boat this morning. There have been plenty of opportunities to open up and be honest.”
“I know. I wish I could do things differently, but I can’t.”
His lips flattened, and she could see him physically pull away from her in his stance and the way he avoided her gaze. She had expected this, but she’d hoped it would go better.
To distance herself from the confrontation, she glanced over to see what Hailey was doing, but there was no sign of her red hair. The girl she’d run over to talk to was listening to the audio exhibit about ancient sea life.
“Where’s Hailey?”
Joe turned to look too. “She was right here a minute ago.”
Torie wasn’t worried, not yet. She turned and searched through the groups of children in case Hailey had found another friend, but she didn’t see the little girl.
Joe strode to Millie and her family with Torie on his heels. “Did you see where Hailey went?”
Millie, a cute blonde in a blue-and-white sundress, shook her head. “One of the employees told her she’d won a megalodon tooth, and she went with him. The employee was dressed like a dinosaur so I couldn’t tell you if it was a man or a woman.”
Torie gasped and clutched at Joe’s arm. “Which direction?” she asked the girl.
The mother answered and pointed to the exit. “They went out of the tent.”
Dread curled through Torie’s spine, and she couldn’t breathe. It might be nothing, but her gut said little Hailey was in danger.
Chapter 22
She had to be here somewhere.
Calling Hailey’s name, Joe ran outside with Torie behind him and looked around the tents and buildings scattered across the fairgrounds. People strolled the various walkways, gazing at the dinosaur exhibits. Still shouting her name, he searched for his little girl among the patrons and the staff dressed like dinosaurs. Nothing.
His chest compressed. Stay calm. Panic won’t help you find Hailey. He needed a clear head.
Torie touched his arm. “The sign points to information. Maybe that’s where they went if she won something.”
He hurried toward the building. “Maybe it’s a teenager inside the costume who didn’t realize how problematic it would be to take a child away without the parent’s knowledge.”