The Surprise Holiday Dad (17 page)

Chapter Seventeen

While he drove, Wade called the police watch commander, who remembered him from his stint there. No, they hadn’t found Reggie or anyone who recalled seeing him after he got off the bus. They’d put out a BOLO bulletin—Be On the Lookout—and officers were cruising the school and other spots that might be familiar to him. They’d also requested a bloodhound from another agency but hadn’t secured one yet.

Calls to Peter and Adrienne turned up nothing new. Wade dismissed their apologies. This wasn’t their fault.

Two months ago Wade’s son had been little more than a photograph and a vague idea of a boy. Since then he’d become a unique and unforgettable individual. Wade didn’t love him just because of their connection or because of his paternal instincts. He also loved his son for his own sake, as an incredible person who would grow up to be a wonderful man.

He had to admire Reggie for seizing the initiative. All along, the boy had shown an eagerness to jump into adult responsibilities, along with a tendency to overestimate his readiness. Unfortunately, that attitude had backfired on them all today.

Waiting for a red light, Wade got another call from Adrienne. Hoping for good news, he answered quickly. “Any word?”

“No, but would you mind picking me up at the hospital?” she asked. “I’d like to help search. I mean, if it’s not out of your way.”

“Of course not.” The only other person in the world who loved Reggie as much as he did would understand Wade’s feelings, anchor him and possibly spark ideas about where to search. Besides, he’d prefer not to have Adrienne behind the wheel when she was upset. While Wade might be distressed, too, he had experience driving under difficult circumstances. “Where should I meet you?”

“I’ll be out front.”

“See you in ten minutes.” The hospital was only a couple miles away, but he was driving slowly, scanning sidewalks and passing cars.
Just in case.

He’d barely clicked off when the phone rang again. To his surprise, he saw his father’s name on the readout. “Dad?”

“The old man called me,” Daryl said. “Families have to stick together at times like this.”

It was on the tip of Wade’s tongue to remind his father of his refusal even to meet Reggie. But that would accomplish nothing. “You’re offering to search?”

“When you were nine or ten, you took it into your head to vamoose.” His father spoke clearly, without slurring. “I found you.”

“Where?”

“The shooting range I’d shown you. We gave you a toy gun for your birthday and you were determined to try it out.”

Wade dredged up the incident from among his long-buried memories. Mainly, he recalled his disappointment when the range manager had refused to let him into the building. “Reggie was heading for the Harbor Suites, where I’m staying, but he got off the bus too soon.”

“I presume you’re already searching that area. Where else might he have gone?”

Wade cited a few spots, adding, “I gave that information to the police.”

“Yeah, well, I might have a few brain cells smarter than theirs,” Daryl said.

There was a painful question Wade had to ask, despite his father’s apparent alertness. “Are you sure you’re sober enough to drive?” He braced for an angry response.

There was a beat of silence. Then he heard, “Yes, son, I am.”

“Dad...”

“You’re wondering if I’m lying.” His father stated that as a fact rather than an argument. “I don’t blame you. I’d think the same thing.”

“Maybe you should stay home.” That was hard to say but necessary.

“I downed a couple beers earlier today, but by now my blood alcohol level should be well below the legal minimum,” was the response. “I had some major repairs to do and needed a clear head. Quite honestly, I was about to start the serious drinking when I heard about your boy. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m asking you to trust me, because my grandson’s too important for me to put him in any more danger.”

Wade couldn’t rush over there and physically prevent his father from driving. And Daryl had always taken care to avoid racking up drunk-driving arrests. “In that case, I’m grateful for your help.”

The area around the six-story medical center lay subdued in the growing darkness, Wade noted when he reached it. Few other cars were moving, and in the absence of headlamps, the white lights on bushes and buildings glimmered brightly. As for the curving patient wings, many of the windows were dark. Only the most urgent cases would be in the hospital on Christmas Eve.

In front of the lobby doors, a familiar figure paced, her hair pulled back and her hands shoved into the pockets of her heavy jacket. Adrienne’s face lit up with relief when she saw him.

As she slid into the car, Wade reached for her. Without hesitation her arms encircled him, and they clung to each other like shipwreck victims on a lonely raft.

She belonged with him, Wade thought. Maybe after tonight, she’d see that.

* * *

D
ESPITE
HER
KNOT
of anxiety, Adrienne’s spirits rose as she held on to Wade. She found refuge in his powerful grip, the late-day roughness of his cheek and his heartfelt welcome.

“You okay?” he murmured.

“Better now.” Reluctantly sitting back, she said, “It’s lucky I came out through the lobby. They were about to close the desk and lock the front doors. Just imagine if Reg showed up and there was no one here.”

“He might be there already,” Wade pointed out.

She’d thought of that. “Security searched the place, and I asked them to do it again.” She’d emphasized the places her nephew was most likely to go, including the day-care center, where he’d stayed occasionally.

“Good.” He frowned. “If the front door’s locked, how do patients get in?”

“There’s a separate entrance for labor and delivery patients. Visitors can use it, too, on a night like this.” Adrienne fastened her seat belt as the car edged forward. “The moms-to-be tour the hospital in advance, so they’re informed.”

“What if Reg does show up?” Wade asked.

“The woman at the desk called one of our most dedicated volunteers, and she’s coming in.” A shadow moved to her right, and Adrienne gave a start. It was only a cat.

His gaze continuing to sweep their surroundings, Wade said, “Her name wouldn’t be Renée Green, would it?”

“That’s right.” He must know Renée from working with Lock, Adrienne thought. “She’s a treasure. And she’s bringing her boyfriend. Apparently he has some sort of police background and he’ll search the grounds.”

“It’s my grandfather.”

“What?” Wade had mentioned being on the outs with the man and that he’d founded the detective agency, but nothing about Renée. “How did you know...? I mean, when...?”

“Long story. Let’s save it for another day.” Wade stared ahead. “I want to check Harbor Suites again. Then if Peter will hang in there, we’ll drive the neighborhood in a grid pattern.”

“Good idea.” Thank heaven he knew what to do.
And I know what I have to do.
Steeling herself, Adrienne said, “Wade, he really wants to be with you. I’m sorry if I’ve stood in your way.”

“You’re not in anyone’s way.” He shot her a startled glance. “Reggie wants his family. Both of us. Not just me.”

Tears smarted in her eyes again.
His family. Both of us.
Wade was including her, but she still hadn’t told him the truth.

In the passing glow of streetlamps, his profile had a chiseled strength. Adrienne drew courage from that as they entered the motel parking lot.

* * *

D
ID
A
DRIENNE
SERIOUSLY
believe that Reggie would prefer living alone with him? Wade knew better. But her willingness to sacrifice what she loved most in order to make her nephew happy touched him deeply.

Why did she refuse to see them as a family? Every glance, every touch confirmed his belief that she cared about him as much as he cared about her. Well, maybe not quite. But if she’d give him a chance...

Or are you conning yourself with wishful thinking?
That was, he’d learned, not unusual among people who grew up in alcoholic households.

At the motel, they encountered Peter pacing the walkway outside Wade’s unit. Ushering him in from the cold, Wade assured him that Reggie’s decamping wasn’t his fault. “My son has a mind of his own.”

“We should have watched more closely.” Peter turned to Adrienne. “I heard Stacy went into labor. Is she okay?”

She told him about the successful birth. “Cole’s floating a couple inches off the floor.”

“That’s fantastic.” The teacher, whose muscular build testified to his extracurricular position as a wrestling coach, gave them a wry smile. “Remember my sister Betty from Maryland?”

“She’s due in January,” Adrienne said. How typical of an obstetrician to focus on that fact.

“She delivered a healthy little girl tonight.” Peter shook his head. “I associate babies with New Year’s Eve, not Christmas, but we’re thrilled.”

“Congratulations.” Wade couldn’t spare any further energy on small talk. “If you’ll stand watch here, we’ll cruise the area. Let’s stay off our phones unless there’s news, in case Reggie reaches a phone and tries to contact us.”

“Understood.”

Although Wade’s voice mail showed no messages, he wished he hadn’t had to make so many calls earlier. And he chose not to mention that every passing hour increased the risk. They were all worried enough as it was.

“Thanks, Peter.” In the flat lighting of an overhead fixture, dark circles underscored Adrienne’s eyes.

Wade guided her outside, steadying her with a hand at her waist. They had to find Reggie.
And we will.

As they reached the car, he mentally plotted a route. Having patrolled this area years ago, he pictured the cul-de-sac and twisty streets into which a little boy might stray.

Tonight as he drove, the town seemed slightly distorted, like a warped photograph. What a bizarre contrast between their fears for Reggie and the cheery illuminated lawn decorations. Wade forced himself to screen out the distracting flashes and focus on any dark shape that might be a child.

Adrienne stared out her window with equal intensity. After a few blocks, she said, “Wade, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Although tempted to point out that this was hardly the moment for a heart-to-heart, he checked that impulse. Talking might relieve her tension. And if there was a reason for her behavior toward him, he’d like to hear it.

“What is it?” Wade kept his tone neutral.

“I know how important it is to you to have more kids of your own,” she began.

What did that have to do with anything?
Don’t argue.
“Go on.” He tapped the brake at a stop sign and then rolled forward.

“I can’t have children.”

The terse statement hovered in the air. That was what had been troubling her? Wade wasn’t sure how to react. “Why not?”

She drew in a long breath. “When I was young and stupid, I let my boyfriend drive me home one night even though he’d been drinking. It wasn’t far. Just far enough for him to smash into a tree.”

As Wade studied the shadows of the houses, he sensed other shadows joining them in the car. Dark anguished shadows from Adrienne’s past. “You were badly hurt?”

“He only had a few bruises. But I... The seat belt cut into me.” The words choked out. “I had to have an emergency hysterectomy.”

“That must have been devastating.” Wade glanced at her tear-streaked face, uncertain how to offer comfort.

The enormity of what she’d suffered hit him hard. This woman who spent her days and nights bringing other women’s babies into the world could never have one of her own. That must make Reggie all the more precious to her. Yet she’d offered to give him up.

Still, he couldn’t respond without fully grasping what this meant. To her, to him, to them both. Clearly the loss had influenced her view of herself and of men all these years.

The blocks slipped by with no sign of Reggie. “How did you come to terms with that?”

“I focused on my medical studies and my career.” Adrienne used a tissue from her purse before continuing. “I told myself it was lucky I wasn’t torn between my work and my family like so many women doctors.”

“Still, in all these years, you must have met men who could handle that, men who were worth your time.” She was beautiful, intelligent and caring. Those weren’t qualities Wade often encountered in an available woman.

She plunged ahead. “During my residency, I got engaged to an attending physician who claimed he’d never been interested in kids. In retrospect, I guess that wasn’t an ideal situation, since I hadn’t ruled out adopting, but I felt safe with him. Like we were building a future.”

“I take it that didn’t happen.”

“He cheated on me with a nurse.” A trace of anger edged her words. “She got pregnant and suddenly he couldn’t wait to marry her. He went around bragging about becoming a father.”

“The...” Bypassing a swear word, he settled on, “Jerk.”

“In retrospect, he’d have made a lousy husband.”

“Betrayal hurts, even when you’re better off without the idiot,” Wade said.

“Yes, it does.”

They turned another corner, into another street filled with holiday decorations and Christmas trees visible through front windows. Wade slowed alongside a woman walking a dog. Rolling down his window, he called, “Have you seen a little boy about six years old?”

She regarded them with concern. “No, but I’ll look for him.”

“Tell the police if you spot him. They’re searching, too.”

“I will. I hope he turns up safe.”

“His name’s Reggie. And thanks.” He raised the window.

Beside him Adrienne had fallen silent. She’d shared her most painful secret, and Wade ached to reassure her. But when he did, his response had to be genuine and complete. Before then he needed to deal with this knife-sharp disappointment, selfish but undeniable, that there’d never be a miraculous baby that was part him and part her. That he’d never feel their infant moving inside her.

His phone rang. The name on the readout was Daryl.