Echoes (33 page)

"You're killing me, Rese. Say it before my mind runs off with the wrong idea."

"I kissed him."

His heart thumped. "You kissed Brad or the other way around?"

"It got . . . mutual. Then he realized he didn't want to, and I hadn't wanted to anyway, so—"

"You didn't want to but you did?"

"I had to know he only wanted a business partnership, since mixing business and personal with you had been a big mistake." She looked into his face. "Brad thought you should know."

"He did?"

"He said it was the kind of thing that could come out someday and cause problems."

Lance tipped his head. "If not for that, were you ever going to tell me?"

"I'd forgotten about it."

He raised his brows, doubting by half she'd done anything of the kind.

"I mean it, Lance. I'd learned what I needed to, and his kiss did not burrow into my heart and soul and thoughts and take over everything like yours do. That's all there was to it."

"Not much of a kisser, huh?"

She glared. "It just didn't mean anything."

He slid his fingers into the soft, short hair at her nape. "Thanks for telling me."

"So, you're okay?"

"I'll be reestablishing my territory."

She flushed. "I'm sure you will."

But before he could, his phone rang. He gave serious thought to throwing it out the window, but it was the home number, so he answered. "What's up?"

Star said, "Where are you guys?"

"Just finishing. Why?"

"Annie's gone back to her miserable parents."

"How's Sofie taking it?"

Star's pause didn't sound good. "She's gone."

His heart hit his ribs like a hammer. "What?"

"Carly called her, and she went to New York."

"When?"

"Earlier. She went with Matt."

"With Matt? Are you sure?"

"I gave his supervisor the message."

"Thanks, Star. We're on our way." He hung up, tension knotting his spine as he told Rese what had happened. "I have to—"

"No." She crossed her arms.

"Rese." She hadn't even heard him yet.

"Matt's there."

"Yeah, but Matt—"

"I'm sorry, Lance. But if you go back to solve another family crisis, then stay there."

His gut clenched. "Rese, don't do this."

"
You
don't do it. Because I can't. Not again." Her hands clenched. "I know you think I'm being unreasonable."

He shook his head. "I don't think that." The last time he'd put his family first it had almost destroyed their future. The fact that she'd been willing to try again meant more than he could express, but still. He saw her need in her eyes. She wouldn't express it that way, but she'd been wounded. Badly.

Lord
. Fear for Sofie formed a dull throb, but he'd have to trust someone else to step up for her, someone who didn't even know God was there.
You know what you're asking? Of course you do
. He dropped his forehead to Rese's. "Okay."

Her breath made a sharp escape. "Okay?"

"I'm not going to do something you ask me not to." Her disbelief revealed the damage still there. Her chest rose and fell with emotion, and he drew her into his arms. She'd been tense already over the thing with Brad. Now was not the time to press her—if there ever was a time.

"Come on." He exerted the effort it took not to try to change her mind. "Let's go home."

————

The cab stopped outside the two-story house in the upscale neighborhood north of the Bronx. A light illuminated the porch, but the rest of the house was dark like its neighbors. Sofie sagged. "She's asleep."

He considered their options, but it was Sofie's call. "You want to wake her?"

She pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I don't know for sure that Carly's grandma has her."

They'd come an awfully long way on that assumption, east through three time zones and not a few air miles, but maybe morning would be a better time to find out what was happening. Sofie gave the driver a different address.

They left the suburb and headed south past the botanical gardens through some less-than-prime real estate to an urban neighborhood. When the cab stopped once more, Matt climbed out in front of a four-story building, brick with white decorative elements. The sunken first floor appeared to hold a restaurant, but a sign in the window said Closed Indefinitely.

Sofie joined him on the sidewalk as the cabbie set their two bags down. She paid the fare, and Matt picked up their bags, checking both ways over his shoulders. This was her place? A street he wouldn't like to walk in the dark? Not what he'd pictured.

Sofie touched his arm. "If Momma wakes up, don't mention Carly."

"What's the cover story?"

"I'll figure that out if we have to."

The building was quiet as she unlocked the door and entered the long hallway.

He followed curiously. "Neat old place. Got a cellar?"

She smiled. "Yes. But it only holds an ancient furnace and a sump pump."

They climbed two flights of dim stairs and stopped in the hall, where two doors stood opposite one another near the front of the building. "I'll see if you can stay with Chaz and Rico tonight." She tapped one of the doors. "My apartment's across the hall, but if I let you have Nonna's room, Momma will have a heart attack."

"Not a good first impression." He had certainly not planned to meet her family at this point. But he hadn't intended any of this. With Cassinia still out, his supervisor was not enthusiastic over his emergency departure. But he'd been rethinking his career and every other element of his life. Were the decisions he'd made still valid? This break might be as much for him as Sofie. But then he watched her biting her lip and admitted it was all about Sofie.

The door opened and a tall black man with a generous smile welcomed them. "Hello, Sofie." He wore a tuxedo, and in response to Matt's curiosity said, "I only just got home from work."

Matt nodded. An upscale restaurant, he'd guess.

"Chaz, this is Matt Hammond."

"Hello."

Matt shook a hand equal to his in size.

Sofie said, "I was wondering if he could stay the night with you and Rico."

"Rico has moved into Lance's room, but there is a bed available in mine." He turned his warm gaze on him. "You are welcome to it." Then to Sofie, "Momma will be glad to see you."

She went inside. "How are you, Chaz?"

"Well. Always well. And you?"

She gave him a half-hearted smile, not hiding from this gentle giant whose accent Matt put somewhere in the Caribbean.

The apartment had a long front room with a small kitchenette, two bedrooms, and a bath at the back. Musical equipment took up much of the main room. Someone could do some serious jamming with all that.

"Rico's out running sound for a show. He'll be late." Chaz turned. "Would you like something to drink? Some tea?"

"That would be nice," Sofie said.

Chaz put a kettle on the hot plate. "So." He motioned them to the table by the front window, filled with speckled city night. "To what do we owe this visit? Or are you back now?"

She looked into his face. "I'm here for Carly."

So the cover story didn't apply to Chaz. Matt watched the interplay as she told him about the phone call from Carly and her certainty that something was wrong.

Chaz listened with a focused sympathy, then said, "Maybe she had an argument with her father."

Matt sat back. He'd suggested the same, but Sofie shook her head now as she had then. "She wouldn't argue with Eric. That's not . . ." Tears welled in her eyes. "Something's wrong. I heard it in her voice."

She seemed to have an uncanny link to the child. Or else she wished she had. The situation with Annie could have heightened the effect of Carly's call in a way that not even the child intended. But that's what they needed to find out. He had come to support Sofie, but it went deeper than that. She might believe Eric harmless, but something in his gut said otherwise.

————

Sofie opened her eyes in the apartment she'd shared with Nonna since she had begun the road back from the brink of death. Carly was part of before, and the doctors would strongly caution her. But she would not ignore the child's cry. A tenuous connection had been reestablished, and not by her. She had no choice but to respond.

She rose and showered and went across the hall. Matt was awake, Chaz informed her from the table where he sat with his Bible open.

"In the shower," he added.

She sat down by him to wait, playing yesterday's call over and over in her head. Carly had said her dad was the trouble, but what did that mean? Eric would never raise a hand to her. She was the outward projection of himself, and he protected himself at all cost. So why did Carly's call leave such an awful foreboding?

"Would you like to pray?"

She raised her eyes to Chaz, realizing she'd chewed her lip raw. "Yes."

Chaz reached over and took her hands. "Heavenly Father, all things are in your control. Let us be instruments of your will."

She swallowed. "Please protect Carly wherever she is, and . . . please let me see her. Don't punish us further for my mistakes."

Chaz tightened his hold. "In your mercy grant us all we ask. Amen."

She opened her eyes. Matt stood behind Chaz in khakis and a black cotton sweater with a cautious but respectful expression. Chaz offered them tea, but she stood up. "We'll get coffee out."

Matt preferred it. She hoped he had slept better than she, but his eyes suggested not. Espresso sounded good.

As they headed for the door, Rico came in. Having run sound for a show, he'd probably also torn down and loaded the equipment—and partied. He seemed relatively sober and highly energized.

"
¿Quetal?
Sofie." He looked both surprised and pleased.

"Hi, Rico. This is Matt." Matt towered over the wiry Puerto Rican with black hair that hung past his shoulders and rings in both ears. She could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. This was the prophet's best friend?

But Matt had laid off the sarcasm. He'd seemed more open and less antagonistic to their faith lately, maybe due to his growing feelings. Still, what kind of man would drop everything to help her find Carly?

Eric had controlled every part of their lives—his, hers, Carly's—but every part eventually came back to him. Matt had the capacity to put her first, and she wasn't sure what to do with that.

She looked up. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Sure."

Sofie touched Chaz's shoulder. "If Momma asks, will you let her know I've borrowed her car? I'll explain everything later."

Chaz raised his brows. "She will want to see you."

"She will." It was a minor miracle that they'd gotten this far without Momma's knowledge. But explanations would be painful. One mention of Carly would send Momma spinning, and there was no point until she saw whether something could come of the situation.

If she had overreacted—but her heart said no. God would not torture her with possibilities. Not this possibility. Maybe it was for exactly this that He'd allowed her to hang on.

They stopped and bought coffee and hazelnut biscotti. Mary Cavalla beamed as she passed the cups over the counter. "Nice to see you, Sofie." She sent Matt a curious stare.

"Thank you." Sofie didn't satisfy her curiosity. If it got back to Momma that others had been introduced before her, she'd be heartbroken. Besides, she didn't know what to say. Matt wanted a relationship. He'd made that clear. Until Carly's call, she'd felt herself opening to him in healthy and wonderful ways. Now she didn't know what would happen.

They headed north to Beth Malden's house. No telling what Carly's grandma had been led to believe about her, but it didn't matter, because Carly was there.
Please, God
.

"Worried?" Matt's voice sounded calm, but he was feeling out the situation.

She nodded. "Carly said no one at the school would believe her. That Eric tells them she lies. Why would he do that?"

"To keep her from saying anything." His mouth drew down. "Or maybe she does lie. This whole thing could be a manipulation—"

No way. Her little girl was light and sunshine. "She's not like that."

"You said the same about Eric."

"I said he wasn't violent."

"Not even when he's angry?"

"He's never lifted a hand against her. I've never heard him raise his voice." But his ice-cold anger had sent dread coursing through. He could punish her with a glance. Or make her never want to hurt him again.

"Why are we here if he's no threat?"

A valid question. She came to a stop in the light traffic heading away from the city. "Because Carly needs me."

Matt shook his head. "You can't have it both ways."

She sighed. "I need to do this for her. Whether or not Eric is in the wrong, Carly asked for my help. That's all."

"Okay. But I'm not just along for the ride. If I see trouble, I won't step back."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

They passed the Bronx Zoo and the botanical gardens. "We visited Grandma Beth so often after going to the zoo that Carly thought the animals were hers." She smiled at the memory. "Beth was so tickled she didn't correct the misunderstanding. She'd say, 'How did you like my giraffes today?' "

"Would you say she was domineering? Overbearing?"

Sofie shook her head. If he was looking there for an answer to Eric's issues, he was wrong. She turned into the neighborhood. "She didn't like us being together unmarried, but neither did Momma. Sometimes I thought—"

She rounded the corner and gasped. Where the house had been silent the night before, police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance now blocked the driveway and clogged the street. She veered the Fiat to the curb and flung the door open, running.
No
. Tears stung her eyes.

She rushed up to an officer. "What is it? What happened?"

"Resident was attacked, house burgled."

"What about the child?"

"Don't think there were any kids."

There had to be. Unless Eric had taken Carly before emergency teams arrived. Everything seemed to slow around her. Her own words and motions. "Please, I have to go inside and look."