“Hmm, that’s good. We should buy some. Hey, I’m going to go check to the snow sculptures.” He kisses me quickly before running off to the other end of the Green. I nod, and turn my attention back to the stall.
“I’ll take a jar.” The lady behind the table isn’t local and has obviously traveled to town to sell her products. “You should ask Laura at the General Store if she’d like to sell this. I’m sure you could work something out. We have other Vermont made products in there.”
“Thanks, I’ll give her a call.” She hands me my bag just as I pay for my purchase. “Thanks, again.”
I wave and start toward the next tent.
“Hello, Penelope.”
I freeze at the sound of my name, a name I haven’t heard roll off anyone’s lips since I left California. I close my eyes and fight the impending tears before turning very slowly.
“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person.” I’m not very convincing with the infliction in my voice, but I do my best to hide anything that might give me away.
“I don’t, and you know it.” She flashes her badge, but it’s so fast I can’t tell who she is. As I look at her face, I find that she looks familiar and it dawns on me that I had seen this very same woman the day before.
“You were in the store yesterday. How do you know who I am?” I try to keep my voice low and not draw any attention to myself.
“We’ve met a few times, a long time ago.”
I quickly glance around to see if anyone is paying attention to us. Thankfully they’re not.
“I’m sorry I don’t remember, but you need to leave.”
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, you know I can’t. Let me show you my badge again.” She does and this time I look at the name. Cara Hughes. I rack my brain, digging up long buried memories.
“Nate’s girlfriend?” She nods as I cover my mouth and feel the first of what’s sure to be many tears falling.
“You need to come with me, Penny.”
“I can’t,” I tell her, shaking my head. “I—”
“Ray is with Claire, they’re watching the contest. You’re going walk with me, side by side, and people will be none the wiser.”
I nod and whisper, “Okay.” If Ray has Cl … Chloe—it feels so good to say her name in my head, and to hear someone else say it—if Ray has her, she’ll be safe.
I follow Cara across the street to where her car is parked. She waits until I’m in the passenger seat before she climbs in. I guess she’s waiting to see if I’m going to run or not. I want to, I want to grab Chloe and run far away from here.
“We aren’t going very far,” she says, starting the car and maneuvering into the road. The last time I saw her was maybe a month or so after the guys deployed. I don’t remember everything correctly, but I think she was still in college and just visiting. It seems like she’s doing pretty well for herself.
Thinking about those days brings my mind to Ryley. Oh how I’ve missed her.
“Ryley, how is she? Do you know if she had her baby boy?”
Cara nods as she turns into the parking lot of a hotel about a half-mile from where the Village Green is.
“His name is EJ.”
Evan Junior. Evan has a namesake and he isn’t even around to see him grow up. I wipe away tears that have been steadily falling down my face since I started walking to the car.
“How much does Ray know about your life?”
“Nothing. He doesn’t know anything. He thinks my name is Amy Jones and Claire’s … I mean Chloe’s dad left us. He doesn’t know about Tucker or anything else.” I trail off, not wanting to bring anything up that happened after Tucker deployed. I realize for the first time in years I’ve used my daughter’s given name and it feels good. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can breath just a little bit.
“We know about Lawson and the police report you filed. The last sighting of Frannie was in New York City yesterday, so she’s getting close.”
“How’d you find me?”
“Your storage unit. Buzz was kind enough to give us your name. You’ve been classified as a missing person by the Feds. I had the case assigned to me because of my relationship with Nate.”
“Are you guys still together?”
“We are, but weren’t for a long time. A lot of things have happened to a lot of people. Come on, let’s go inside.”
I hesitantly get out of the car, still clutching the brown paper bag containing my jar of maple mustard. Cara walks up the stairs and opens the door, allowing me to step in first.
My jar of mustard hits the floor when I see Ryley stand up from the bed. Her lower lip quivers as her arms open for me. I rush to fall into them, letting years of tears out while she holds me.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” I’m blubbering, but Ryley doesn’t seem to care. She holds me against her, stroking my back and hair.
“You should’ve told me.”
“I couldn’t. I had to run to protect Claire. He was going to take her from me.”