Final Mend Read Online Free PDF Page B

and she’s with her mom, she’s fine. Otherwise, she’s probably already dead.”
    • • •
    Shock reeled through Jake. Not at what she said. He didn’t deny that possibility. But at the fact she didn’t mince words. He liked that about her and could understand why so many PIs had told him she was his best bet. If she’d take that fervor to the field and search for the little girl who meant the world to him, she’d find her. Jake knew it without a doubt. She’d find Amy whether she was dead or alive, and Jake had to know.
    “Maybe she is dead,” Jake said. “But at this point I don’t know that. Even if you do find her dead body, at least I can rest knowing I did everything I could to find her. Give her a proper burial.”
    Winona, who had continued to load the feed in bins, straightened and faced him. “You think you mean it now. But now, there’s a chance she’s still alive. If you lose that hope, if I were to destroy that hope, you won’t rest any easier.”
    “So you think I should spend the rest of my life wondering? Knowing I didn’t try hard enough? Have you ever known what it’s like not to know if someone you love is dead or alive?”
    Her eyes darkened, the center of her forehead furrowing. He’d forgotten about her search for her brother.
    “Yeah, I can relate,” she said, her tone icy.
    “What if you hadn’t tried hard enough to find Chayton? You wouldn’t be here now, would you? You would never have found your brother.”
    “That’s different.”
    “How is that different? Chayton’s life wasn’t at stake. Amy’s is. She’s a little girl. She’s all I have. Please.”
    Winona took a hard, obvious swallow and glanced at the feed bin. Her shoulders hunched. Jake saw her weakening. He didn’t know what had led her to quit investigating and it didn’t matter to him. He grieved too much to feel compassion for anybody else’s circumstances.
    “Let’s get together and talk later. Bring me everything you know about Amy and her mother, including pictures. Bring everything you know about what happened leading up to her disappearance. But you’ll have to give me time to make a decision.”
    “I don’t have time.”
    “I’ll do what I can to find others who can help, and I’ll contact the police to see what they’re doing and what they know. We need leads before we know where to search. But as far as getting out there and searching for her, I don’t know that I can do that.”
    • • •
    Jake roamed the outdoor market through waves of fresh fruit and vegetables. The smell of citrus and mint and mango infused the ambiance, and colorful swatches of squash and cucumber and tomato offered a perfect blend of summer. Jake bypassed the fish market and, a bag of fresh fruits and veggies in hand, entered the store in search for the rest of what he needed to make tonight’s meal.
    He and Winona were to meet at his hotel later that evening, but he planned to surprise her at her condo and cook his special dinner for her.
    He didn’t care if she didn’t like it. He needed an excuse to cook, and he was going to make her listen to him. He couldn’t stand to be in his B&B a minute longer, and her place would offer the place he needed to cook. He was pretty sure his boldness would pay off when she tasted his meal. Chicken baked in a creamy mushroom and onion sauce with squash, potatoes, and green beans. A bottle of sweet white wine to counteract the spice of the meal for her, and sparkling apple juice for him. A loaf of fresh jalapeno bread would top off a perfect meal. And a fresh cherry cheesecake for dessert.
    His mouth watered. He couldn’t wait. It’d been weeks since he’d enjoyed the stress relief of cooking a nice meal in a real kitchen.
    The thought of cooking made him feel like himself again, and he planned to be himself without all the grief wrapped around him. He’d charm, entice, and endear Winona instead of letting his fear and anger take over. Earlier, he’d taken a