running through the store, weaving around the merchandise tables. The proprietress of the boutique still held the tape from a box she’d been unpacking. “Kate, what happened?” she asked. “Oh, look!” She frowned at the mess of smashed pumpkin.
Kate blinked, and the child across the street disappeared into the crowd of passersby. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what happened.” She got on her knees and began to pick up the biggest pieces, fumbling with the slippery mess.
“Well, let me get the mop,” Dorothy said.
Kate carried the pumpkin pieces to a trash can. When she came back to the window, she gazed across the street for a few moments, as if she could bring the child back again. Of course it wasn’t Laura. It only looked like her.
“Here,” Dorothy said, thrusting the mop at her. “If you ask me, Kaitlyn Emerson, you are a woman in need of a vacation. You’ve been so edgy these past few days.”
“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Kate admitted. “I’m having nightmares.”
Dorothy’s brown eyes rounded with concern. “You poor thing,” she said. “Are you eating right? If you eat the wrong thing, it can have a negative effect on your brain.”
“Oh, Dorothy,” Kate sighed, stepping down from the display to carry the mop back to the supply room. “Who would believe we’re the same age? You sound like my superstitious old grandmother.”
“But you do look tired, Kate,” Dorothy insisted.“Why don’t you take the afternoon off? Things are a little slow today, anyway.”
“Dorothy, I don’t know if—”
But her boss was cutting her off with a quick wave of her hands. “Oh, I know,” Dorothy said. “Borgman’s Craft Emporium has received the most adorable collection of costume patterns. Have you made the boys their Halloween outfits yet?”
“No, I haven’t,” Kate said.
“Then go on over there and take a look at their selection,” Dorothy said. “Maybe concentrating on getting the boys ready for Halloween will put whatever other problems you have out of your mind.”
Kate stared at her. God, how she wished it were that easy. But Dorothy was right. She’d been a nervous wreck all day, and she wasn’t much help to Dorothy at all.
And if I make them something special, it will help them forget the scare I gave them the other night.
Kate went into the back room and pulled her coat off an antique wooden rack. Slipping her arms into it as she walked to the front, she said, “Thanks, Dorothy.”
“You’re welcome,” Dorothy said, opening the door for her. Soft notes blew into the store from seashell chimes. “Just stop over at Stephen’s Vegetable Mart and get me a new pumpkin.”
Kate laughed. She strolled along State Street, looking everywhere for a sign of the little girl. She again thought of the possibility she had only looked like Laura, but only for a moment. She knew her own child, and that little girl across the street had been Laura. Maybe not Laura in the flesh, but an image sent to her as a cry for help. If only she could communicate with her . . . Somehow, something was preventing Laura from sending her complete messages.
When she reached Borgman’s, she forced herself to stop thinking of Laura for a moment. She had two other children at home whom she loved dearly, and she couldn’t let her dedication to finding her daughterget in the way of her obligation to Chris and Joey. She paused to admire the craft shop’s window, where child mannequins had been dressed as witches, scarecrows, and mice. Inside, Kate went to a chest-high table laden with pattern books. Choosing one, she flipped open the huge tome to the costume section and tried to find one that would work for both her boys.
Laura wanted to be a bunny on her last Halloween.
Kate shook her head abruptly and realized she had been staring at a picture of a little girl with dark hair and eyes, wearing a bunny costume and looking very much like Laura. She quickly turned the
Kate blinked, and the child across the street disappeared into the crowd of passersby. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what happened.” She got on her knees and began to pick up the biggest pieces, fumbling with the slippery mess.
“Well, let me get the mop,” Dorothy said.
Kate carried the pumpkin pieces to a trash can. When she came back to the window, she gazed across the street for a few moments, as if she could bring the child back again. Of course it wasn’t Laura. It only looked like her.
“Here,” Dorothy said, thrusting the mop at her. “If you ask me, Kaitlyn Emerson, you are a woman in need of a vacation. You’ve been so edgy these past few days.”
“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Kate admitted. “I’m having nightmares.”
Dorothy’s brown eyes rounded with concern. “You poor thing,” she said. “Are you eating right? If you eat the wrong thing, it can have a negative effect on your brain.”
“Oh, Dorothy,” Kate sighed, stepping down from the display to carry the mop back to the supply room. “Who would believe we’re the same age? You sound like my superstitious old grandmother.”
“But you do look tired, Kate,” Dorothy insisted.“Why don’t you take the afternoon off? Things are a little slow today, anyway.”
“Dorothy, I don’t know if—”
But her boss was cutting her off with a quick wave of her hands. “Oh, I know,” Dorothy said. “Borgman’s Craft Emporium has received the most adorable collection of costume patterns. Have you made the boys their Halloween outfits yet?”
“No, I haven’t,” Kate said.
“Then go on over there and take a look at their selection,” Dorothy said. “Maybe concentrating on getting the boys ready for Halloween will put whatever other problems you have out of your mind.”
Kate stared at her. God, how she wished it were that easy. But Dorothy was right. She’d been a nervous wreck all day, and she wasn’t much help to Dorothy at all.
And if I make them something special, it will help them forget the scare I gave them the other night.
Kate went into the back room and pulled her coat off an antique wooden rack. Slipping her arms into it as she walked to the front, she said, “Thanks, Dorothy.”
“You’re welcome,” Dorothy said, opening the door for her. Soft notes blew into the store from seashell chimes. “Just stop over at Stephen’s Vegetable Mart and get me a new pumpkin.”
Kate laughed. She strolled along State Street, looking everywhere for a sign of the little girl. She again thought of the possibility she had only looked like Laura, but only for a moment. She knew her own child, and that little girl across the street had been Laura. Maybe not Laura in the flesh, but an image sent to her as a cry for help. If only she could communicate with her . . . Somehow, something was preventing Laura from sending her complete messages.
When she reached Borgman’s, she forced herself to stop thinking of Laura for a moment. She had two other children at home whom she loved dearly, and she couldn’t let her dedication to finding her daughterget in the way of her obligation to Chris and Joey. She paused to admire the craft shop’s window, where child mannequins had been dressed as witches, scarecrows, and mice. Inside, Kate went to a chest-high table laden with pattern books. Choosing one, she flipped open the huge tome to the costume section and tried to find one that would work for both her boys.
Laura wanted to be a bunny on her last Halloween.
Kate shook her head abruptly and realized she had been staring at a picture of a little girl with dark hair and eyes, wearing a bunny costume and looking very much like Laura. She quickly turned the
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