Undefeated (Unexpected Book 5) (37 page)

“Even if,” AJ confirms. “But don’t close yourself off to the possibilities.”

I stare at the list that Thea gave me last week. Calling a couple of those therapists was easy. Unfortunately, the hours they had available are during the mid-morning. Their times after lunch are full and there’s a waiting list for when they open. But I need to find someone to help all of us. Things are getting worse, like today. Harper is having a terrible breakdown. She arrived home from school with a flyer. Father-daughter dance. There’s a fucking father-daughter dance next month and Leo can’t be here to go with her.

“I want my dad back,” she starts crying and my heart breaks for her.

When will the intensity of the pain of his loss diminish a little? At least enough for us to have some kind of happy-normal life. “I’m going to look for Porter. He might want to come with me.” Harper goes to her room and comes back with a backpack and boots. “I’ll talk to Porter. He said he loved me, why can’t he love me enough to be with us?”

“Harp, I know this is hard for you,” I console my kid, hugging her tight. I don’t know what to tell her about Porter, I’m at a loss. “How about if we prepare some dinner and find a solution? This is hard for the three of us, baby. But I believe that someday it won’t feel as painful.”

Harper and I hold onto each other as a second wave of tears hits us, but they wind down by the time I have to serve dinner. Harper falls asleep and I leave her on the couch. Finn stays by the coffee table playing with his blocks. Today feels like one of those take-out kind of days. A day to hide under the blanket and forget the outside world. Instead, I go to the kitchen to cook. Some grilled cheese sandwiches, asparagus soup, and fruit should cheer her up; it’s her favorite meal.

I set the table with the fancy napkins that Porter used to own, then use the formal silverware and china to go with it. I feel like a thief keeping his furniture, but having it here makes me feel safe. Fuck, I sound stupid. Half an hour later, I’m done preparing dinner, dessert, and setting a fancy table.

“Time for dinner,” I whisper in Harper’s ear.

“I don’t want food,” she cleans her eyes.

“I have chocolate chip cookies.” I brush away the hair that got into her face. “Your favorite.”

Mom’s right, everything is better with cookies. No matter what kind, they always make you forget your sorrows.

“Finn,” call for him, but he’s not playing by the table. “Finn, baby, time for dinner.”

I still hold out hope that he’ll answer, but he doesn’t. So I head to search for him. He’s not in the bathroom or his room. I check in the kitchen and then my bedroom and the bathroom inside it. Nothing.

“Harper, have you seen Finn?” I call after her. “He’s nowhere in the house.”

We search up and down, but he’s not turning up. Harper comes down the stairs frowning and shaking her head. “His cow and his guitar are gone.”

“Don’t panic,” I tell her, but I’m speaking to myself. “He’s in the house. There’s no way he can get out without us noticing.”

I walk to the door and notice it’s slightly opened. Opening it all the way, I only see the street and cars passing through. He’s not on the step waiting for anyone the way he used to do in the old house. Shit.

My heart drops as I pull out my phone to call for help.

“Mac?”

“I can’t find Finn.”

“W
hat does that mean?” I bark as I look around the room. I have four teenagers holding their guitars expecting me to continue their lesson. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“I don’t know,” Mac sobs on the other side of the line. “Half an hour ago, maybe more because we’ve been looking for him.”

Fuck. “Call 9–1-1,” I order her. “I should be there soon. Don’t move from there; make sure Harp stays with you. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

I tap the phone, praying that Jacob is still across the street working. “Yeah?”

“Where are you?”

“Home, with the wife and kids. Why?”

“I need to head down to Portland, but I’m teaching a class,” I explain. “Know someone who can cover me?”

“Why the sudden emergency?”

“Mac can’t find Finn.”

“Shit, call Mason. He can help you find him faster,” he orders. “I’ll have someone cover for you soon.”

I call Mason Bradley, who asks me a bunch of questions and leaves me on hold for a long time, or at least that’s how it feels. A few minutes later, the substitute music teacher Jacob sent arrives. As I’m heading out of the school, one of the agents who used to watch me intercepts me. He’s driving me to a building nearby per Mason’s orders.

As we arrive at the building, I find Gabe, AJ, Mason Thea, Matt, and Jacob waiting for me. The other part of the clan stayed behind with the kids. The flight isn’t long and as we’re heading south, Mason explains to me that he already has people combing the area. The police have been called and there’s someone with Mac and Harper.

The helicopter lands by the park close to Mac’s house. There’s a truck already waiting for us to take us to my old place.

“Any news?” Mason asks the man outside the door, and he shakes his head.

“It’s going to be okay,” Gabe says, placing his hand on top of my shoulder. “We’re going to find him.”

We step inside the house. Mac sits on the corner of the couch holding onto Harper, who is crying. It takes me only a couple of strides to reach them; I take my little girl into my arms and hug her tightly. Then sit beside Mac and hold her against me.

“Any ideas of where he could’ve gone?” Mason starts asking questions to Mac. “Favorite places? I say we head out to search for him, Porter. You know him, you know the area, and he trusts you.”

He’s right, and I try to get Harper to sit with her mom again, but she’s clawed onto my body. So far, she hasn’t said a word to me, but she can’t seem to be able to let me go.

“Hi, sweetheart.” Thea squats right in front of me. Gabe sits down right next to me. “Remember me?”

Harper huffs and turns around, holding me tighter.

Thea tilts her head. “Do you remember the last time I was here? You promised to show me your dolls. Why don’t you do that? Porter has to go in search of Finn?”

Harper jumps out of my lap and takes Thea’s hand in hers. I’m glad that Thea knows so much about my girl that she’s able to distract her. Once she’s gone, I hold Mac closer to me. “I’ll bring Finn back in a few; keep your faith.” Mac holds on to me tightly for a few seconds before she lets me go.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her,” Gabe promises.

I didn’t understand why everyone joined the search until I step outside the house. AJ and Gabe are with Mac. Thea is with Harper and Matthew, Jacob, and Mason are with me. They wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. We walk around the neighborhood. Visit the ice cream shop, the convenience store, and finally arrive at the park.

“Porter, they already combed the park,” Mason informs me. “I need you to think of another place. Where did you go with him often?”

Often? We visited the park regularly. The days I had afternoons off we’d come to the park to practice on his bike, or just play on the playground. Sometimes we played hide and seek, but he was the only one hiding, until I’d find him in . . .”The tree house,” I whisper, rushing through the trails toward the house. The place where he always hid and I’d always find him. Reaching the handle, I swing it open and find him squatting in the corner hugging his legs.

“Hey, sport,” I call after him.

Finn lifts his head; his eyes brighten when he finds me. “Porter,” he says, standing up and extending his arms towards me.

Fuck. My entire world comes undone and comes back together in an instant. One word, that’s all I needed to know that this boy is
mine
.

Holding onto him tight, we march back to the house to check on Mac and give her the good news. As she sees us, she rushes towards us with her eyes filled with tears and a gratifying smile lighting up her face.

“You found him!” Her voice wavers, “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” I whisper, trying to hand Finn to her, but he tightens his grasp on my neck.

“Porter,” he repeats, and doesn’t let me go.

Mac gasps, staring at both of us. “He said your name. That’s a miracle!”

“I know.” I pull her into a hug and rub her back as she cries. The emotions, after such a big night, must be running too high for her to keep it together. “He’s going to be okay, everything will be okay.”