Chapter 10
They didn’t leave until two days later so Hope could attend Maureen’s funeral. Emily was surprised by how many people filled the small church and gave glowing eulogies. The truth about Hope hadn’t leaked and even if it had, Emily wasn’t sure it would’ve made a difference. People here had adored the Lanes.
Luckily, Maureen had made the arrangements for her own funeral, including instructions that she be buried in a plot next to Duke at a cemetery outside of Morton. Emily went with Hope to a florist for flowers to leave at both their gravesites. It was a strange experience, mourning people who had caused her insurmountable pain.
“How are we going to do this?” Drew asked. “We haven’t had time to talk about it but we live more than four hours apart. It’s important for Harper—”
“Stop calling her that.”
“It’s the name she goes by now, Emily.”
Clay had actually agreed with Drew on that point and had told her so. “I know, I know. Can we table this until after Christmas?”
“No. I’d like to be part of my daughter’s first Christmas back. How do you propose we do that?”
He was right of course. One parent shouldn’t get priority over the other.
“There’s plenty of room at the ranch for everyone,” Clay said. “I don’t mean to overstep, I just want to offer it as an option.”
Knowing how Clay felt about Drew, Emily thought he was being incredibly magnanimous. But how would the boys deal with having her ex-husband and his wife move in for the holidays? Not to mention Hope, who understandably had become morose and petulant.
“Thank you, Clay,” Drew said. “It’s generous of you. Let me talk to Kristy.”
By the time they boarded Clay’s plane, it had been decided that Drew would hitch a ride with them to Nugget and Kristy would meet them at the ranch. At some point, they’d have to figure out the custody situation but for the next week they’d share Hope together. The flight home was quiet. Hope slept and Drew made small talk with Clay about his airplane. They’d hired movers to transport her things to Nugget from Idaho. The counselor had told them that it would confuse and hurt her to vilify the people who’d raised her and that she needed pictures, objects, and clothes that felt familiar.
It had been difficult for Emily to pack up a life predicated on a lie. But for Hope’s sake she’d do anything. Thank goodness they’d brought Paige. Hope adored her, although she ignored the rest of them. Emily hoped the boys would help coax her out of her shell. Blending a family was difficult under any circumstance but given Hope’s reticence it would be particularly trying. From everything they’d learned, Maureen and Duke had been loving and attentive parents. Losing both of them within a two-year period had hit Hope hard. Discovering that they’d stolen her from parents who’d never stopped loving and searching for her . . . well to call it overwhelming for a thirteen-year-old girl would be an understatement. And the fact that she and Drew were now divorced and remarried only complicated the situation further. For everyone, including Clay, who unintentionally had become the odd guy out.
Hope or Harper—Emily had to remember to call her that—awoke just before they landed and pressed her face against the glass window.
“This is where we live . . . your new home,” Emily said, and saw Drew scowl. Another obstacle. Shunting her from home to home would just make the transition more difficult. But Emily wouldn’t—couldn’t—deny Drew time with his daughter, nor could she give him the bulk of the custody. Now that she had her daughter back, she wanted to share every second with her and then some.
Hope didn’t respond, just continued to stare out the window.
Clay made an expert landing—smooth and soft—despite the runway being slick from a fresh snow. The mountains and fields were covered in white and it looked glorious, like a Christmas card. Even Hope’s face brightened.
“Bundle up, honey.” She helped with Hope’s coat, hat and gloves. At least Idaho had prepared her for the cold Nugget winters. While packing, Emily had noticed that she had plenty of warm clothes. After Christmas, they’d go to Reno and get some more.
Drew had never been here before and when they got off the plane he took in his surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity. “So this is it, huh?” He ruffled Hope’s hair. “What do you think, Harper?”
She shrugged. Leaving Morton had been difficult. According to everyone they’d met, Hope had a big group of friends, participated in lots of activities, and was a popular student there. Here, she’d have to start over again.
She noticed Clay separated himself from them, busying himself with post-landing procedures. Since Drew had arrived in Morton, Clay had been standoffish. She presumed he was trying to give them space to reunite with Hope but she missed him. She missed their closeness.
“The truck’s in the lot if you want to get in and turn on the heater,” he said, and tossed Drew the keys. “I’ll be along in a few minutes. I have to sign in.”
Drew grabbed a few of Hope’s bags and the two of them walked to the truck. Emily hung back with Paige.
“Everything okay?” she asked Clay.
“Everything’s great.” He winked. “She’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
She nodded. “I meant is everything okay with you . . . with us? You seem quiet.”
He let out a breath. “I’m just trying not to get in the way. Drew’s her father.”
“You’re her stepfather. Just like I’m the boys’ stepmother.”
“This is a little more complicated.” He pulled her in for a hug. “I love you and I love Hope. Loved her the minute I laid eyes on her. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m just trying to give you room to reconnect.”
“I miss you.”
“I’m right here, baby. Right by your side.”
“You think the boys will love her?”
“I know the boys will love her. They’ve got two sisters now.”
“Are you bugged that Drew’s here?” This was the first minute she’d gotten to talk to him alone since they’d left Morton.
“No. I want what’s good for Hope. And right now, she needs the both of you. Truth of it is, I was worried you’d want to have Christmas with just the three of you. This is pretty monumental, Em. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
“Not without you, Justin, Cody and Paige. Never.”
He tugged her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then took the baby carrier from her. “I’ve got Paige. Let’s go home.”
“Sounds good.”
Drew had loaded Hope’s luggage into the bed of Clay’s Ford and had belted her in the back of the dual cab, next to Paige’s car seat. Emily let Drew have the front passenger seat so she could sit with her two girls.
“It’s less than ten minutes to the ranch,” Clay said, and pulled out onto the highway.
From the berms of snow on the side of the road, Emily could tell that a county plow had come through. Hope stared at the scenery from her window. Emily wondered what she was thinking. Drew, too, seemed mesmerized by the view. Rows of big, flocked pines, the rushing Feather River and the majestic Sierra mountains. It was enough to take your breath away.
When they got to the turn off to Nugget, Drew read the sign. “Pride of the West, huh?”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The place still awed her. “What do you think, Harper?”
She didn’t respond, just continued to peer out the window.
“Well, would you look at that?” Clay pointed as they drove through the city limits at a giant red-and-green balloon archway that crossed the road and a sign that said, “Welcome home, Harper.” Crowds of people stood on the side, waving streamers in the air.
Clay tooted his horn and Drew rolled down his window and waved, a big smile on his face. “Quite the welcome party, huh, Harper?”
Even solemn Hope seemed surprised. “They don’t even know me.”
“They know how much you mean to your mom and dad.” Clay winked in his rearview mirror, while Hope watched outside her window.
“There’s Donna and the Baker’s Dozen,” Emily said, and waved.
“Do you know them all?” Hope asked.
“They’re our neighbors and friends. It’s not so different from Morton. Soon you’ll know everyone, too.”
Caught up in the spirit, Hope smiled at the crowd while Clay kept honking his horn. Drew clearly got a kick out of the spectacle. Or perhaps it was seeing how the gesture had warmed Hope. Having their daughter back had mended a gaping hole in their hearts but seeing her light up was like heaven.
“You see the boys out there?” Emily asked Clay, who she suspected had been in on the surprise.
“Nah. Justin texted me. They wanted to be home when Harper got there . . . welcome her in private.”
“Looks like a great town,” Drew said as he watched the Harper celebration grow smaller in the distance.
So far, the media hadn’t descended but Emily knew it was just a matter of time. As long as reporters gave her the holidays with her daughter, Emily would give them a statement. First, to show families of missing children that they should never give up, and second, to thank the press for publicizing her daughter’s kidnapping. Sadly, even with the media’s relentless spotlight on Hope’s disappearance, no one in Morton had been suspicious. She had to hand it to Maureen and Duke, they’d pulled off the crime of the century. Her feelings about them were so mixed that they had her tied up like a pretzel inside. On one hand, she hated them with every fiber of her being and on the other, she was thankful that for all these years they’d kept her daughter safe—and happy. From all outward appearances, Hope had had a very good life with the Lanes.
Oddly, at the tender age of fifteen, Justin had called it. “Maybe someone desperate for a kid took her and is really nice. Well, obviously not that nice, because they stole her from you. But you know what I mean?” he’d said.
At the time, his optimistic theory had given her succor. That day, three years ago, he’d wormed his way into her heart. Both he and his little brother had become her lifeblood, even if they weren’t biologically hers. And now they would be meeting Hope for the first time and she was so worried they wouldn’t like each other.
As they pulled onto McCreedy Road and drove through the ranch, Clay motioned at various points of interest. The land had been in his family since the Gold Rush and he was proud of the cattle operation they’d built. Drew was duly impressed. Either that or he was putting on a good show to be polite. Born and raised in San Francisco, he’d complained that Palo Alto was too suburban. This made the Silicon Valley city seem downright metropolitan.
Clay stopped where two McCreedy horses were grazing near a split-rail fence and turned to Hope, who’d gone back to being withdrawn. “You know how to ride, Harper?”
She glanced at the horses with complete disinterest. “No.”
“We’ll teach you and you can pick out one you want.” It was a working ranch and Clay would want Hope to be involved some way. While Emily had never taken to horseback riding, she often cooked for the ranch hands and had taken over the responsibility of the chickens. At one time, she’d been scared to death of them. “How does that sound?”
Before she could respond Drew said, “Horses aren’t for everyone, right Harper?”
Emily sucked in a breath. Here we go. The first chance she got she’d pull Drew aside and tell him that Clay was just trying to be inclusive.
As they approached the house, Hope actually deigned to look. “It’s big,” was all she said.
Clay parked the truck and the dogs began their ritual of crowding the doors and barking. “They won’t hurt you.”
But Hope’s eyes grew round and terrified. Luckily, the boys came bounding over and shooed them away. Emily was disappointed when Drew got out and came around to Hope’s side. She’d wanted Justin and Cody to escort Hope up the stairs, onto the porch of her new home. Instead, they stood awkwardly to the side, like if they came too close she’d break.
“This is Harper,” Clay said, and made the introductions.
“Nice to meet you.” Cody stiffly stuck his hand out. Hope just looked at it and nodded.
“Welcome, Harper.” Justin, a little less formal, smiled. Hope moved closer to Drew.
“Hi guys, I’m Drew, Harper’s father.”
“Hello, Mr. Mathews,” they said in unison, and Emily felt like she’d just entered Clay’s alma mater, West Point. Someone had replaced her sons with rigid cadets.
“It’s good to be home.” She kissed both boys, hoping to break the ice. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.”
At least the boys had remembered to turn on the Christmas lights. The big white farmhouse looked so bright, cheery, and festive that she prayed it lightened the mood. Justin took Paige’s carrier and bent over it so he could rub the baby’s nose with his. Hope watched but stayed guarded. Cody and Clay grabbed some of the luggage and said they’d come out for the rest.
Emily opened the front door and ushered Hope and Drew in. Either the housekeepers had come early or someone had been there and cleaned. Everything was picked up and the scent of lemon polish filled the air. She’d never seen it this immaculate. Assuming the boys weren’t responsible, she figured Maddy or Donna had done it, bless their hearts.
“Great place,” Drew said, and peeked through the foyer to the living room.
“Go in, make yourself at home. The tree is from our property . . . we cut it down ourselves.” She wanted Hope to see her baby-picture ornaments. Emily had made one every Christmas until Hope went missing. The last one was of Hope in a yellow dress for her sixth birthday. She, Clay and the boys hung them every year.
“That’s some tree.” Drew walked around the large pine, trying to engage Hope. She sat on the couch, staring at her lap.
Justin put Paige in the porta crib and went out to help his father and brother with the rest of the luggage. She had so hoped they would all immediately fall in love with one another and sit in the living room like an instant family. Pretty unrealistic this soon, but she still felt discouraged.
“Would you like to see your bedroom, Harper?” She and Clay had decided to give her the guest room upstairs, next to their bedroom.
“I guess.”
She started to lead Hope to the second story and Drew followed. Wanting time alone with her, Emily would’ve preferred him to stay in the living room. But she supposed he had a right to see where his daughter would sleep.
“After Christmas, we’ll decorate it any way you like,” she told Hope.
“I liked my old room.”
It felt like a knife through her chest but Emily said, “Then we’ll do it just like that.”
“My old furniture is coming, right?”
“Uh-huh. Do you still like yellow? It used to be your favorite color.”
“Really? Because I hate yellow.”
Clay came up behind them with two of Hope’s suitcases and placed them next to the bed. “I’m guessing you’ll want to unpack and make yourself at home.”
“Here”—Emily started to open one of the valises—“let me help you.”
“I can do it.” Hope tugged it away.
The boys came in with the remaining luggage and stood by the door, clearly uncomfortable. Emily didn’t think it could get any worse until Kristy showed up.