clan. Why kidnap her little Timmy? Scott’s brothers were the wealthy ones; they followed their father into the banking business. Why hadn’t they taken one of their kids?
She sat up and buried her face in her hands. What was she saying? She didn’t want that either. She loved Colt and Timmy’s cousins.
She soon discovered she had at least a few more tears as she heard a car pulling into the driveway.
20
As Scott turned the corner onto his street, his stomach involuntarily cringed. He’d skipped lunch, but it wasn’t that. “Please let the boys be here,” he said aloud. He looked down the road and picked out their place, just in time to see Gina walk inside the front door.
She was alone.
A few moments later, he pulled into the driveway. He sat in the car, staring at the house, not sure what to think or what to do. A man was supposed to protect his wife and children. It was his job. No, it was more than that; being the protector was part of a man’s calling, something ordained by God. His father had always said that.
But Gina had made it impossible.
He got out of the car and walked toward the house. He’d just have to face whatever came and make the best of it. After opening the door, the first thing he noticed was the sound of Gina crying.
Not good.
She was sitting on the edge of the sofa, her head buried in her hands. As soon as she saw him, she stood and ran into his arms. “Oh, Scott . . .” was all she managed to get out before she collapsed into his chest and sobbed even harder.
He put his arms around her and held her tight. It was the first time they had touched this way in almost a year. He stroked her head gently and patted her back. Was she releasing some pent-up anxiety that had built up over the day, or was there some terrible new development? When appropriate, he asked, “What’s wrong, Gina? Is there any news?”
She pulled back and looked up at him. Total heartbreak in her eyes. Before she spoke, he braced for something awful.
“He’s gone, Scott,” she blurted out. “Timmy’s gone. Somebody took him. A strange man stole him and took him away on a bus.” Tears flowed down her face again.
For a moment, her words did not penetrate. Scott was still mostly focused on comforting her. But when he realized what she said, his legs became weak.
About ten minutes later, Scott and Gina were sitting beside each other on the couch. Scott had a need to know everything she had learned so far, and she had a need to say it. But neither one wanted to utter the words. They were just too awful.
Scott decided to take the lead. First, he blew his nose. He had done some crying too. He couldn’t stop it. “So Colt is definitely fine?”
Gina nodded. “He should be here with the FBI agents in about thirty minutes.”
“These are the same agents you’ve already talked to?”
“I only talked to one of them,” she said. “His name was Hammer or Hamilton. I don’t remember.”
“And they’re the ones who found Colt?”
“No. I don’t think anyone found him.” She explained the rest of the story, as much as she knew.
“Colt knows better than to leave Timmy by himself. What was he thinking?”
“Don’t go there, Scott. The FBI agent said he already feels terrible about all this. You’re only going to make it worse if you start down that road.”
Scott stood up and began to pace. “But it’s his fault, Gina. You don’t think Timmy came up with this scheme, do you?”
“Of course I don’t.”
“So who else should get the blame, if not Colt?”
“Well,” she said, “for starters, how about you?”
“Me?”
“And me,” she added quickly. “Both of us. We’re equally to blame.”
He stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What are you talking about? How are we to blame? If Colt and Timmy had simply stayed in school this morning, like they were supposed to, none of this would have happened.”
“That’s true. But I’ve been thinking. Why did they feel they
She sat up and buried her face in her hands. What was she saying? She didn’t want that either. She loved Colt and Timmy’s cousins.
She soon discovered she had at least a few more tears as she heard a car pulling into the driveway.
20
As Scott turned the corner onto his street, his stomach involuntarily cringed. He’d skipped lunch, but it wasn’t that. “Please let the boys be here,” he said aloud. He looked down the road and picked out their place, just in time to see Gina walk inside the front door.
She was alone.
A few moments later, he pulled into the driveway. He sat in the car, staring at the house, not sure what to think or what to do. A man was supposed to protect his wife and children. It was his job. No, it was more than that; being the protector was part of a man’s calling, something ordained by God. His father had always said that.
But Gina had made it impossible.
He got out of the car and walked toward the house. He’d just have to face whatever came and make the best of it. After opening the door, the first thing he noticed was the sound of Gina crying.
Not good.
She was sitting on the edge of the sofa, her head buried in her hands. As soon as she saw him, she stood and ran into his arms. “Oh, Scott . . .” was all she managed to get out before she collapsed into his chest and sobbed even harder.
He put his arms around her and held her tight. It was the first time they had touched this way in almost a year. He stroked her head gently and patted her back. Was she releasing some pent-up anxiety that had built up over the day, or was there some terrible new development? When appropriate, he asked, “What’s wrong, Gina? Is there any news?”
She pulled back and looked up at him. Total heartbreak in her eyes. Before she spoke, he braced for something awful.
“He’s gone, Scott,” she blurted out. “Timmy’s gone. Somebody took him. A strange man stole him and took him away on a bus.” Tears flowed down her face again.
For a moment, her words did not penetrate. Scott was still mostly focused on comforting her. But when he realized what she said, his legs became weak.
About ten minutes later, Scott and Gina were sitting beside each other on the couch. Scott had a need to know everything she had learned so far, and she had a need to say it. But neither one wanted to utter the words. They were just too awful.
Scott decided to take the lead. First, he blew his nose. He had done some crying too. He couldn’t stop it. “So Colt is definitely fine?”
Gina nodded. “He should be here with the FBI agents in about thirty minutes.”
“These are the same agents you’ve already talked to?”
“I only talked to one of them,” she said. “His name was Hammer or Hamilton. I don’t remember.”
“And they’re the ones who found Colt?”
“No. I don’t think anyone found him.” She explained the rest of the story, as much as she knew.
“Colt knows better than to leave Timmy by himself. What was he thinking?”
“Don’t go there, Scott. The FBI agent said he already feels terrible about all this. You’re only going to make it worse if you start down that road.”
Scott stood up and began to pace. “But it’s his fault, Gina. You don’t think Timmy came up with this scheme, do you?”
“Of course I don’t.”
“So who else should get the blame, if not Colt?”
“Well,” she said, “for starters, how about you?”
“Me?”
“And me,” she added quickly. “Both of us. We’re equally to blame.”
He stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What are you talking about? How are we to blame? If Colt and Timmy had simply stayed in school this morning, like they were supposed to, none of this would have happened.”
“That’s true. But I’ve been thinking. Why did they feel they
Similar Books
