'Tis the Season: A Collection of Mimi's Christmas Books (58 page)

“Is your husband’s parents alive?”

“No. He lost them some time ago in a car accident. He has a twin brother who’s been unwell and who we don’t see very much.”

Belle wiped the continuing stream of tears and blew her nose for the umpteenth time. She sensed a new direction to his questions and couldn’t stop herself from asking. “Have you gotten a lead?”

“Nothing concrete, I’m sorry to say. But we’re following every tip that comes our way. Many times, folks come forward once they hear the news and that information helps solve many cases.”

“I’m praying that’ll happen for Layla.”

Officer Todd stood and walked around the desk. He reached out with his right hand and helped Belle to her feet. “I’m sorry we had to meet under such frightening circumstances, Mrs. Foster. But let me assure you that our office is doing everything in our power to get your little girl back. If you’ll step into the waiting room again while I make a few calls, I’ll get back to you soon. Please.”

Belle limped out of his office and found the ladies room where she tried to make herself look presentable. The unkind mirror presented her blotchy face, limp hair that stuck out everywhere it shouldn’t and haunted eyes with no hint of sparkling green anywhere. Just grey misery.

She held cold water-soaked paper towels to her face and tried the deep-breathing technique, forcing in the first profound breath she’d experienced since she’d looked around only to find Yaya missing.

Within minutes, she entered the waiting area only to find Jesse hadn’t yet returned. Missing his common sense, his strong conviction that Layla would be found and the warmth of his nearness, Belle sunk into a chair. She checked her phone once again in case she’d somehow missed a call. Nothing!

A scream from the other side of the room caught her attention. A young woman dressed in cheap revealing clothes, swore at the cops like a hooker in an R-rated movie. It seems she took offense to the fact that they were charging her with a crime. Struggling, she put up a heck of a fight before they led her through double-doors that made Belle think of the entrance to hell.

Time passed slowly and her stomach let her know it hadn’t fully healed. Pain radiated from her chest to her lower tummy, the same symptoms that had made her rush more than once to the nearest bathroom. Finally, dehydrated from fluids and emotion, she collapsed in the chair once again.

A movement to her right caught her attention. From a distance she watched a man approached, carrying a bundle wrapped in brown over his shoulder. The package hid his face.

Her heartbeats picked up and almost choked her. There was something in the way he moved that made her bolt upright. Once he got closer, she could see the fuzzy blanket looked to be sheltering the form of a child. The man seen through the glassed-in walls could be Jesse. The sob caught in her throat while a prayer formed in her heart.
Please….

As he approached the entrance to her area, the man swung the child to his other side, and smiled directly at her. Now Belle was sure.

Sometime later, she swore her scream of joy must have blown out everyone’s eardrums, but Jesse defused her of that worry. He said that even though her mouth had been open, she hadn’t actually uttered a sound.

Chapter Twenty

Back in Kim’s apartment with Yaya still sleeping, snuggled up on her lap, Belle couldn’t believe the amount of time that had passed from when they’d left the apartment earlier to now.

She glanced around at the warmth of the room; the twinkling Christmas ornaments and the cats who’d somehow sensed her turmoil and were now resting on the floor near her feet. Being spoilt, Sam the pup whined and begged to be picked up by Jesse who’d just entered from the kitchen.

“Jesse, honestly, it seems like days have gone by since this morning. I mean nightmarish days where I couldn’t let my mind wander because it wanted to take me to horrors where I knew I shouldn’t go.”

Jesse stroked Layla’s hair one more time as he lowered the mug of hot chocolate and a platter of chicken salad in front of Belle. “Let me take her so you can put something in your stomach and get rid of the chills. I promise to pass her back as soon as you finish eating.”

“No, I can do both. It’ll be days before I can let her out of my arms.”

“Not such a good idea, Belle. I don’t think Jack scared her, not really. But you would if you start acting strange. He seemed to have handled her quite well if the shape he was in is any indication. When we arrived, he looked like a soldier should, all spruced up in his uniform, hair cut short and shoes shiny.”

“I don’t want to talk about that animal. I wish you’d have told me he’d taken her at the police station so I could charge him with kidnapping. How could he have done such a thing?”

“I didn’t tell you on purpose. And I gave the information to Officer Todd under duress. Even then, I only passed on my friend Phil’s number so they’d have to deal through the Army with him as Jack’s advocate.”

“Why?” Belle had finally set Layla down on the sofa next to her so that the child’s head lay on her knee. She picked up her plate of food to nibble. “You were the one who wanted to take Jack apart when he attacked me the other night. Now you’re standing up for him? I don’t understand.”

“Belle, you’re angry at what he did and I don’t blame you. But the man is desperately sick and needs a lot of help. If he’d have come home with cancer, I have no doubt you’d have been nursing him. Well, PTSD is just another form of a debilitating sickness. Fortunately, Phil understands these men and with help might be able to get Jack back to where you’ll be able to recognize him as Terry’s brother, the man you used to care about.”

Belle stared at Jesse and let the emotions rampage inside her at his words. Hate had built up for the individual who had taken Yaya, hate and an incredible desire to hurt the animal.

When she’d learned the truth, the hate had faded only to be replaced by an all-consuming, fierce anger. An anger that made her want to lash out, to hurt back.

Listening to Jesse’s words while caressing her baby’s unruly golden curls, Belle stopped to think about what he’d just said. She glanced down at the flushed baby cheeks of the child who had stolen her heart from the first moment they’d met in the delivery room.

Long eyelashes, surprisingly quite dark, fanned against the tiny wrinkles of pudginess. Overwhelming love whooshed around the same place where Belle’s devotion existed.

The nurse, called in by the police earlier, had assured Belle that Yaya would wake up in the morning totally refreshed. The deep sleep, though not normal wouldn’t harm her in any way. Still, Belle begrudged that Yaya had had to go through the trauma at all. And not hearing her speak more than a mumble, added to her worry.

On the other hand, Jack hadn’t hurt Yaya, or at least, she didn’t think so. If that were true, maybe she could forgive him eventually. For her husband Terry’s sake, a man who loved his brother and was loved back, she had to at least try.

Jesse softly whistled to get her attention. Her mind had wandered and she hadn’t spoken since Jesse had sensitively defended Jack’s actions. “I’m glad he’ll get the help he needs, Jesse. I have to admit to feeling badly because I couldn’t help him myself and he is family. Guilt has eaten away at me for months but the Celiac got there first and I hardly had the strength to care for myself and Yaya. I guess I couldn’t cope with two sicknesses at the same time.”

“No one could expect you to. But now Jack’s in a good place where they understand what he’s gone through. They’ll be able to help him make the adjustments he needs to get healthy. There’s a range of medications that they’ll introduce him to which will most likely work to give him back his life.”

“Aw Jesse, you’re forcing me to remember that I used to love him before he frightened me, before he threatened me. That he’s still the same man hidden inside his broken mind.”

“He is, Belle.”

“You want me to forgive him.”

“Not so much!” Jesse stroked the sleeping pup sprawled over his lap. “I want you to forgive yourself.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Jesse woke to the delightful sound of Layla’s chatter, rolled over in his warm but empty bed, and soaked in the child’s delight at being with her mom.

Since he’d purposely left his door ajar the night before in case Layla awoke frightened from her experience, he overheard their conversation.

“Mama, while I waited for you to come and get me at Uncle Jack’s he colored pictures with me and made me a peanut butter sandwich. Then when I got tired, he wead me lots of stowies. Uncle Jack’s a nice man, isn’t he?”

“I guess he is. Though, he should never have taken you away from mommy because it scared me when I couldn’t find you. Layla Foster, look at me. You must never leave me again without asking me first. Do you understand?”

Jesse pictured Layla’s big eyes working her mother and knew Belle would melt from the child’s endearing habit.

“Yes, Mama. Even if Jack tells me we have to buy you a surprise pwesent, I
pwomise
I won’t go away.”

Now Jesse imagined a big puddle of mommy-madness melting off Belle. Sure enough, when he heard her chuckle he knew she’d twisted up inside the same way he felt his own innards reacting to Layla’s words. Little monkey knew just how to play them both.

Not wanting to stay away from his girls any longer than he needed to, Jesse started to throw the covers back and stopped dead.
His girls?
He fell back on the bed. Where the hell had that come from?

Uncomfortable ideas escalated. Visions of a built-in family—wife, child.

Oh oh, time to clear his head, which he soon found wasn’t easy. All through showering and getting dressed, he contemplated where his subconscious had taken him and the more he revisited it the happier he began to feel.

No doubt about it. Layla had crept into his heart, made a warm little nest there and never ‘as in forever’ could he imagine evicting her. Thinking about that little cherub lightened his outlook on everything he considered important.

Belle was a different matter. Every time he contemplated romance, his mind jumped to the past. He veered away from letting sentiments, other than pure lust, get anywhere near him.

Being a healthy male, he’d certainly hooked up with women from time to time to satisfy his needs. However, other than Mari, no one had ever gotten past those inner barricades.

Was it time to lower those walls? Did he want to? Nerves attacked his stomach, almost bending him in half. Was he crazy to think of taking another chance? Before he even realized what he was doing, he found himself striding back and forth across his room while fantasies of a life as a husband and a father grabbed hold.

Once they got out of hand, he stopped in front of the wall mirror.

Just let things evolve naturally. Stop being a jackass about the future and live for today.

Okay, got it. He’d go out there and enjoy the company.

Chapter Twenty-two

“After breakfast, we’ll gather our stuff and move back into our apartment.” Belle made the announcement while Jesse was teasing Yaya about sliding in the non-existent snow. She watched his eyes narrow and come close to glaring his reaction.