Baby, Come Home (19 page)

Amy’s skin prickled from the attention—and the applause. What was this all about?

She walked up, feeling self-conscious, and Rachel appeared, holding a slim package.

“I’ll keep this short,” Rachel said. “We wanted to give Amy something to remember us by, a little piece of Sweetness to take home with her.” She tore off the brown paper wrapping.

It was a framed photograph of the original Evermore Bridge, caught in the full glory of a fall day. How many times had she seen it just this way? So many that even with the new bridge in front of her, Amy would always remember it like this. She was touched.

“Thank you,” she said to Rachel, remorseful for the way she’d treated the woman, suddenly struck by the realization that she’d come back to this place with a chip on her shoulder, expecting to be treated like trashy little Amy Bradshaw. But instead, she’d received nothing but fairness and tolerance.

She looked out over the audience at the rapt faces of the men, women and children. She’d bet her last dollar that every single person who lived in the town was at this gathering, communing with friends and expressing their sense of pride in the endeavor they’d all undertaken…together. She felt humbled. And unworthy.

Amy blinked back tears and looked to Kendall for help, to save her from losing it in front of everyone.

He must have understood because he stepped back to the microphone. “And while we have Amy up here, we’d like to ask her to do the honors of cutting the ribbon.”

Another surprise, but this one she could do because it kept her moving. Marcus handed her a large pair of ceremonial scissors and, on cue, she sliced the ribbon across the portal. Cameras flashed and clicked by the dozens. Cheers went up and the tiny band from the school started playing something lively but unrecognizable. It was, Amy realized, small-town America at its best.

She stood aside as residents flooded the bridge, all of them eager for a glimpse inside. The dining tents were instantly filled, too. At Marcus’s request, she did a brief interview with the news crew to talk about the project. Then she tried to make her way toward where Tony and Emily were eating, but kept getting waylaid by well-wishers.

An hour passed, then another, and dusk began to fall, as well as the temperatures. The crowd began to wane, and Amy found herself alone. She scanned the dissipating crowd for Tony, but she didn’t see him.

“He’s with Mom,” Kendall said behind her, answering her unspoken question.

There went her heart again. Amy turned. “She’s good with him.”

“Lots of practice,” he said.

“You were good up there tonight,” she said. “Impressive.”

“Porter’s better at speaking to a crowd, but I wanted to be the one to talk about you.”

“It was all nice,” she said, then held up the picture. “Your idea?”

“No. Rachel wanted to do something special.”

She was probably eager to get Amy out of town, Amy thought wryly. But if Rachel had a thing for Kendall, she couldn’t blame her.

“I have a favor to ask,” Amy said.

“Name it.”

“I ordered a headstone for my aunt Heddy’s grave. When it arrives at the General Store, will you see that it gets set?”

“No problem.”

“Thank you.” She saw Tony and Emily nearby. “I guess I’d better get Tony and head back. We still have to pack.”

“Why don’t we take a walk and let them have a little more time together?” He nodded toward the covered bridge. “For old times’ sake?”

Amy wavered, then nodded. “For old times’ sake.”

32

K
endall reached for the framed picture Amy was holding. “Let me carry that.” He needed to fill his hands with something so he didn’t reach for her.

She let him take it and pushed her hands into her jacket pockets against the cold air. “The camera crew from Atlanta was a nice touch.”

“We’re hoping it’ll bring visitors up here to see the bridge.”

They walked under the eastern portal and slowly made their way across the wooden floor treads, now dusty from hundreds of pairs of feet traveling back and forth to explore the solemn structure. The quiet coziness of it was churchlike, almost spiritual. The clean scents of wood and paint enveloped them. Small lights in the ceiling illuminated the intricate truss design and cast a warm glow below. Sprinkled throughout the structure were the unpainted and aged timbers of the original bridge. They were alone, their footsteps echoing as they walked. It was warmer inside because the massive pieces of wood retained the heat they’d absorbed during the day.

He glanced at Amy’s lovely profile, wondering what she was thinking. He could tell earlier that the events of the day had gotten to her. He could always tell when she was on the verge of tears. Her bottom lip trembled and her nose twitched. But were they happy tears or sad tears? He’d been away from her too long to read her that well.

“So what do
you
think of the bridge?” he asked.

She smiled. “Is that a trick question? I wouldn’t be much of a designer if I said I wasn’t pleased with my own design.”

“Okay, what do you think of this bridge compared to the old one?”

“I don’t think anything is ever as good as the original.”

He got the distinct feeling she wasn’t talking about bridges anymore. “How can you say that? This bridge is more beautiful than the original and it’s stronger.”

“Aesthetically and logically, I see that,” she said. “I guess I mean a new version is never as grand as the
idea
of the original. I have the old covered bridge so romanticized in my head, I don’t think anything could come close to it.”

“I know what you mean,” he said. “But you can’t let the fantasy of the original overshadow the beauty of what’s right in front of you.”

She stopped and moved to the side under the guise of examining something on the wall. But he knew that she was aware of every knothole in this structure. She was withdrawing. He leaned the picture against the wall and moved behind her.

“Amy, I know I hurt you all those years ago, and I’m sorry.”

Her shoulders started to shake and he realized she was crying.

He touched her arm gingerly. When she didn’t pull away, he turned her in his arms, lifted her face to the golden light and caressed away the tears with his thumbs. Then he kissed her. He was always so much better at showing Amy how he felt about her rather than telling her.

He foraged her mouth hungrily, desperate to express how much he needed her. The thought that she could be gone tomorrow increased his intensity. He crushed her body to his, molding her soft curves to his hard frame. Desire whipped through him like an electric current. He pressed her back, into the wall, remembering all the times they’d made love like this in the old bridge. They would tuck into the hidden corners and get as naked as they dared, then slide over each other, timing their release for when an unsuspecting farmer would come lumbering through with a harvest loaded on the back of his truck, sending a vibration through the bridge and their bodies that left them gasping for breath.

He broke the kiss, then drove his hands into her hair. “Do you remember, baby? Do you remember how good it was? God, I just look at you and want you.”

She moaned and undulated into him. “Mmm.” Then she froze. “Stop. We can’t do this.”

He released her, then pulled a hand down his face. His heart and his body were raging. “Amy, I wish I could go back in time and do things differently.”

She shook her head. “We can’t go back, Kendall.”

“But we can start from
this
. We have Tony now, and—”

“I can’t, Kendall.” Her voice was choked. “I can’t let you hurt me anymore. I’m going back home—”

“
This
is your home!”

“No,” she said through her tears. “Home is more than the place where you’re born, Kendall. I’m going back to my home to forget about you…again.”

Hurt reeled through his chest. “You’re going to have to deal with me, Amy, because I intend to be a part of Tony’s life.”

“We’ll see,” she said.

“No, that’s a fact,” he said, barely managing to keep his voice level. “I will be with my son!”

Amy hugged herself and started to walk away.

Kendall felt helpless watching her go. Then he spotted the framed photograph. “Wait!” he called. “Your picture.”

Amy turned back, but kept walking. “You keep it. I don’t want it.”

Then she turned and walked out of the bridge and out of his life.

Again.

Amy had managed to dry her tears by the time she reached Tony and Emily, who were walking along the ridge of the creek, looking at rocks.

“Mom, look, Grandma found a real fossil!” He ran over and showed her a red rock with the shell of some ancient (or not so ancient) animal imprinted in it.

“Wow, that’s exciting stuff. I’d forgotten that the clay around here is good for forming fossils.”

“Grandma said I could come visit her in Calhoun, Georgia.”

“Yes, we’ll talk about that,” Amy said. “Meanwhile, you should go say goodbye to your father.”

He frowned. “I don’t want to.”

Amy tamped down a spike of irritation. “We’re leaving early in the morning, and you won’t have time to say goodbye then.”

“I said I don’t want to!” He turned to Emily and gave her a brief hug. “Goodbye, Grandma.” Then he took off running down the road toward where their SUV was parked.

Amy looked at Emily and lifted her hands.

“We could hear you arguing,” Emily said.

Amy closed her eyes. “Oh. Okay, will you tell Kendall that we’re leaving in the morning at seven. If he’s in front of the boardinghouse, I’ll make sure he gets to say goodbye to Tony.”

“I will,” Emily said. “Goodbye, Amy. And good luck.”

Amy accepted her warm hug. “When are you going back to Calhoun?”

“Tonight. Marcus is coming by in a few minutes to pick me up.”

“I’ll make sure Tony calls you often, Emily.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Amy hurried to the SUV where Tony was waiting, his face sullen. When she climbed in, she said, “Are you sure you don’t want to say goodbye to your father?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay. Maybe you’ll feel differently in the morning.”

33

B
etween thinking about Kendall and worrying about the trip home, Amy didn’t sleep a wink. When daylight began to bleed through the window, she gave up all pretense of trying and got up to take a cold shower to get her awake enough to drive.

Her stomach muscles and her chest ached from crying. All night she’d replayed everything that Kendall had ever said to her…
I need you…I want you…I admire you…we have Tony
.

Not once had he ever told her that he loved her, or made her feel as if she had input into their future plans. Or heaven forbid, suggest that they mold their life around her career or her needs. She realized Kendall’s seeming fixation on Sweetness was a big reason she had developed such an aversion to the place. It wasn’t so much the town as much as what it represented.

Dominance. Power. Control.

She’d fought hard to be independent, to show her son that with hard work, anything was possible. She wasn’t going to be absorbed into Kendall’s life, not now. It was his strength that had drawn her to Kendall, but now his strength was driving her away.

She toweled off and dressed in comfortable driving clothes, then packed her toiletries and tucked her robe and gown into her suitcase. She glanced at her watch. They still had a few minutes. She glanced around the room thinking she would miss some aspects of being here.

Kendall
.

From the dresser her cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, surprised to see Michael Thoms calling so early on a weekend. She connected the call. “This is Amy.”

“Amy, hi, it’s Michael Thoms. Sorry to call so early, I thought I’d get your voice mail. I’m going to be out most of this week, so I just wanted to leave a couple of admin items for you to take care of when you get in the office.”

She wrote down the names of the people in Human Resources she needed to report to, and where to call to get the copies of the files she needed to bring her up to speed on the project.

“That’s it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Same here. I really appreciate the opportunity to show you what I can do.”

“Hey, with the glowing report your last employer gave you I was almost afraid not to hire you. The guy told me I’d be an idiot if I didn’t snap you up.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah. I normally don’t tell applicants about their reference comments, but this guy was adamant that I hire you. Armstrong, I think was his name, Kendall Armstrong.”

Kendall?
“Oh…okay, good to know.”

“I’ll see you later in the week.”

Amy disconnected the call, and sat holding the phone, not sure what to make of Kendall’s aggressive recommendation. Maybe it was his way of saving face. He’d asked her to stay in Sweetness but was he secretly hoping she’d leave? Because he realized he didn’t want to have a life with her, or because being a father to a belligerent boy was too daunting?

Or both?

Amy puffed out her cheeks. At least she could feel good about her decision to go. When tears threatened, she sniffed them back. There would be plenty of time for crying later. She’d been through this before.

She walked to the window and looked down to find Kendall’s black extended-cab pickup sitting there, waiting. Emily had given him the message. Now Amy wished she hadn’t offered because no matter what, it meant she had to talk to him again.

She wheeled her suitcases to the door, hoping she’d catch Nikki downstairs to say goodbye. She left her room and quietly made her way down the hall to Tony’s. She hoped he’d gotten more sleep than she had, or he’d be cranky all the way home.

She knocked on his door lightly, waited a few seconds and knocked again. When he didn’t answer, she made a rueful noise. He’d probably overslept. She tamped down irritation. If they got started a little late, it wasn’t the end of the world. It was just that right now, she felt like she couldn’t get out of Sweetness fast enough.

She tried the knob and realized it wasn’t locked. Chiding his carelessness, she opened the door, knocking again.

“Tony?” she whispered. His room was dark. “Time to get up.”

She felt for the light switch and turned it on. He was buried under the covers. “Hey, get up sleepy-head,” she said, giving him a poke.

But she didn’t hit flesh—only fluff. She flung back the covers to discover his bed had been stuffed with pillows. “Tony?”

She ran for the bathroom. It was empty. She yanked open the closet door to look for his backpack, but his closet was empty, and his backpack was gone.

Tony
was gone.

Frantic, she ran back to the door, then saw the note taped to it.

Mom, don’t worry about me. I know you don’t want to be around Dad and if I’m not around, you won’t have to. I’ll be okay. Love, Tony

Amy closed her eyes. Dear God, where had he gone this time? And how much of a head start had he gotten? Her mind spun and her stomach rolled. She ran back to her room and grabbed up her cell phone, then dialed his number. He didn’t answer.

“This is Tony. At the beep, well, you know what to do.”

“Tony,” she said, not bothering to keep the panic out of her voice, “wherever you are, stop, get to a safe place and call me.” She disconnected the call and sent him a text, which he didn’t answer.

She needed help. She needed Kendall. Amy tore out of the room and down the stairs, heedless of the noise she made. She ran down the hallway, through the great room and burst out the front door.

Kendall spotted her and got out, then ran to her, cupping her face. “What’s wrong?”

She was crying. “Tony’s gone! He ran away again.”

He looked anguished. “Do you know when?”

“No. I just found this,” she said, extending the note.

Kendall scanned the note, then he crushed it into a ball. “Get in. Did you try calling him?”

“And texting him,” she said, climbing in, then closing the door. “It rolled to voice mail and he didn’t respond.”

“Can you think of where he’d go?”

“Back to Broadway, maybe. What if he made it out to the highway and he’s hitchhiking again?”

“Do you think he would’ve stolen a car?”

“No, he doesn’t know how to drive yet. But what if he took off on a four-wheeler?”

Kendall put the truck back in Park, then jumped out and sprinted down the side path where the ATVs were usually parked.

He came running back. “One’s missing—he could’ve taken it… I didn’t see anyone else take it out while I was sitting outside. If he’s heading for the interstate, maybe he was planning to ditch it there and hitchhike.”

“Hitchhike where?” she shrieked. “From the note, it sounds like he’s not going home.”

Then they looked at each other.

“Mom’s,” he said.

“Your mother’s,” she said at the same time.

Kendall pulled out his phone. “I’ll call Mom to alert her. You call 911 and let the state police know to be looking for a hitchhiker on Interstate 75 Southbound between the exit for Route 7 and Calhoun, Georgia.”

While she recited details about Tony’s age and description over the phone to the 911 operator, Kendall snapped his phone closed.

“He’s not there,” he said quietly, “but Mom is calling the local police and they’ll be on the lookout.”

As he steered the pickup out of town and toward the interstate, Amy kept her eyes peeled for any sight of Tony on a four-wheeler. Her heart was pounding. She couldn’t keep the tears at bay.

Kendall reached over to squeeze her knee. “We’ll find him. This is all my fault. He did this to protect you from me.”

“He’s confused,” she said.

“If I hadn’t been such an ass about everything, he wouldn’t feel like he needed to do this. I’ve been angry and bitter, and it stops now. I’m so sorry. I love you, Amy, but if you or Tony don’t want anything to do with me, then I’ll just back away and leave you alone.”

Amy blinked. “What did you say?”

“I said I’ll just back away if that’s what you want.”

“Before that.”

He frowned. “I love you?”

Her eyebrows when up. “Is that a question?”

“No…I love you.”

Amy lifted her hands. “When did you decide that you loved me?’

He frowned. “Is this a joke? I’ve always loved you.”

She was incredulous. “You’ve never said those words.”

“But…you knew. Didn’t you?”

“How would I know, Kendall, if you didn’t tell me?”

“By the way I kissed you? Held you? Made love to you?”

“No, I never knew, not for sure. You said everything but I love you, so I just thought that meant you didn’t. And when you didn’t come after me—”

“You told me not to. I found out what city you lived in, but that’s as far as I dug.”

“You knew where I lived, but you didn’t try to contact me?”

“Not directly, but why do you think I posted that ad in your paper?”

She frowned. “You posted it? I thought Marcus did.”

“No. He told me to handle the ad. I put it in the Broadway newspaper because…I was hoping to lure you back home.”

“You did?” Amy could scarcely believe her ears.

“But now I know that home is wherever you and Tony are. I told Marcus and Porter last night that I’m pulling out of the Sweetness partnership. I’ll move anywhere to be close to you.”

Amy’s mind reeled. It was too much to process. She couldn’t think straight until they found Tony.

“There’s the four-wheeler,” Kendall said, pointing to the right and slowing down.

Her heart skipped a beat. “He’s not on it?”

“Probably ran out of gas. He’s on foot.” He looked over to her. “Let’s hope no one’s picked him up yet.”

She scanned both sides of the road, terrified now that she knew he intended to hitchhike again. She looked over at Kendall, so grateful he was with her.

“Look, over there. There’s something,” he said, pointing and leaning forward. “Yes, that’s him. That’s Tony.”