voice was childlike and musical. "Cell phones don't work for beans out here, so she probably just hasn't been able to call."
"You hear that?" Tess said to Caitlin. "I'll bet Ms. Hughes knows what she's talking about." Over Caitlin's head, she gave Lydia a grateful smile.
"Are you hungry?" Lydia asked. "We had pizza earlier, but there's some left in the fridge."
"I snarfed a Big Mac on the way, but thanks for the offer. We should get out of your hair now. I can't thank you enough for watching Caitlin until I could get here."
"Oh, she's a little angel. It was no trouble." She waved off Tess's thanks, but she looked pleased by the appreciation and sincere as she said, "I'm glad to help. What will you do now?"
Good question. Between racing to get here and expecting to find Tori waiting when she arrived, Tess hadn't thought much further. Now she looked blankly between Lydia and Caitlin.
"Are we going to your house or mine?" Caitlin asked.
"Well, my house is in New York and I don't know where yours is."
Lydia said, "It's not far from here. I can give you directions."
It hit her then, really hit her. Tori wasn't home yet. Whether or not she would stroll up tomorrow remained to be seen, but right now, tonight, Tori was missing. Outside, dark pressed against the windows and seeped into the corners of the room. It had been easy to rehash her anger at past escapades when deep down she'd been certain Tori would be home before Tess's airplane even landed. But now...
"Or if you'd feel more comfortable staying somewhere else," Lydia went on, "I own a bed and breakfast in town. This time of year the coffee shop is the only part of it that I keep open, so I have plenty of room." She made a bitter sound. "Honestly, any time of the year I have more vacancies than I care to claim. I swear, the only thing keeping this town from shriveling up and blowing away are the rocks."
"Why can't we just go to my house?" Caitlin interrupted. "If Mommy comes home and I'm not there, she'll be worried."
Tess swallowed thickly, trying not to think about how worried she and Caitlin would be waiting for Tori to walk through the door.
"I know, Caitlin, but for one we don't have keys and for two—"
Caitlin jumped off Tess's lap, reached a hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a key. She set it on the table. It made a hollow, clicking sound against the wood.
"Oh, you have a key," Tess said, strangely uneasy.
Caitlin nodded. "Mommy gave it to me. She said I should give it to you when you got here. She said if something happened, you would come."
Chapter Five
Tori's house was just around the corner from Craig Weston's. Their backyards shared a fence, or so Lydia had told Tess, though several acres of open pasture divided the two homes from sight of one another. Clouds had blotted out the moonlight and stars, leaving the night beyond her headlights basement black and alive with unseen movement. She'd been driving awhile and still she hadn't seen the side street Lydia described.
Tess took her eyes from the road for a moment to glance at her niece. Since she'd pulled the key from her pocket, Caitlin had been quiet and withdrawn. Reaching over, Tess patted her leg.
"Caity?" she said, choosing her words with utmost care. "When your mom gave you the key, did she think something was going to happen? Was she worried that you'd need me to come?"
"I don't know. She didn't say."
"Did she mention that she might go someplace today?"
Caitlin shook her head. Tears filled her eyes. "She said she'd see me after school."
"Did she give you the key this morning?"
"No, awhile ago. I don't remember when."
"Did she say why I would be coming?"
She looked down at her swinging feet. "She said just in case."
Her words settled in the stillness of the car. "In case what?"
She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. Tess licked her lips and tried not to look tense, but it didn't work. Caitlin pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She
"You hear that?" Tess said to Caitlin. "I'll bet Ms. Hughes knows what she's talking about." Over Caitlin's head, she gave Lydia a grateful smile.
"Are you hungry?" Lydia asked. "We had pizza earlier, but there's some left in the fridge."
"I snarfed a Big Mac on the way, but thanks for the offer. We should get out of your hair now. I can't thank you enough for watching Caitlin until I could get here."
"Oh, she's a little angel. It was no trouble." She waved off Tess's thanks, but she looked pleased by the appreciation and sincere as she said, "I'm glad to help. What will you do now?"
Good question. Between racing to get here and expecting to find Tori waiting when she arrived, Tess hadn't thought much further. Now she looked blankly between Lydia and Caitlin.
"Are we going to your house or mine?" Caitlin asked.
"Well, my house is in New York and I don't know where yours is."
Lydia said, "It's not far from here. I can give you directions."
It hit her then, really hit her. Tori wasn't home yet. Whether or not she would stroll up tomorrow remained to be seen, but right now, tonight, Tori was missing. Outside, dark pressed against the windows and seeped into the corners of the room. It had been easy to rehash her anger at past escapades when deep down she'd been certain Tori would be home before Tess's airplane even landed. But now...
"Or if you'd feel more comfortable staying somewhere else," Lydia went on, "I own a bed and breakfast in town. This time of year the coffee shop is the only part of it that I keep open, so I have plenty of room." She made a bitter sound. "Honestly, any time of the year I have more vacancies than I care to claim. I swear, the only thing keeping this town from shriveling up and blowing away are the rocks."
"Why can't we just go to my house?" Caitlin interrupted. "If Mommy comes home and I'm not there, she'll be worried."
Tess swallowed thickly, trying not to think about how worried she and Caitlin would be waiting for Tori to walk through the door.
"I know, Caitlin, but for one we don't have keys and for two—"
Caitlin jumped off Tess's lap, reached a hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a key. She set it on the table. It made a hollow, clicking sound against the wood.
"Oh, you have a key," Tess said, strangely uneasy.
Caitlin nodded. "Mommy gave it to me. She said I should give it to you when you got here. She said if something happened, you would come."
Chapter Five
Tori's house was just around the corner from Craig Weston's. Their backyards shared a fence, or so Lydia had told Tess, though several acres of open pasture divided the two homes from sight of one another. Clouds had blotted out the moonlight and stars, leaving the night beyond her headlights basement black and alive with unseen movement. She'd been driving awhile and still she hadn't seen the side street Lydia described.
Tess took her eyes from the road for a moment to glance at her niece. Since she'd pulled the key from her pocket, Caitlin had been quiet and withdrawn. Reaching over, Tess patted her leg.
"Caity?" she said, choosing her words with utmost care. "When your mom gave you the key, did she think something was going to happen? Was she worried that you'd need me to come?"
"I don't know. She didn't say."
"Did she mention that she might go someplace today?"
Caitlin shook her head. Tears filled her eyes. "She said she'd see me after school."
"Did she give you the key this morning?"
"No, awhile ago. I don't remember when."
"Did she say why I would be coming?"
She looked down at her swinging feet. "She said just in case."
Her words settled in the stillness of the car. "In case what?"
She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. Tess licked her lips and tried not to look tense, but it didn't work. Caitlin pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She
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