“Sure…”
Hope focused her attention on him. “You don’t sound it.”
Cade’s face tightened, and Hope knew then something was definitely off.
“My mother showed up at the shop this afternoon.”
So that was it. Making a big deal of it would probably be the wrong thing to do. She remained silent, waiting for him to voluntarily give her the details.
Cade rubbed his hand down his face. “I blew it, Hope.”
Oh dear, this was the last thing she wanted to hear. “How? Tell me what happened.”
He looked down at the carpet where Shadow had curled up and slept. “Mom wanted to talk, and I told her I was working and now wasn’t a good time.”
That wasn’t so bad. “I’m sure she understood.”
“But then I told her, seeing that it’d taken her six years to contact me, that there probably wasn’t a lot she had to say that I wanted to hear.”
“Cade!”
“I know, I know.”
“So what happened?”
“She got all weepy and said both she and my father were available any time I was ready to reconcile. All I needed to do was let them know. Before I could respond, she returned to her car and drove away.”
“Oh Cade.” Hope wasn’t going to berate him, seeing how miserable he was.
“I was embarrassed,” Cade said, as if he needed to defend himself. “Cliff was there, and a couple of the other guys. They could hear every word. I didn’t need them listening in on my business.”
Knowing how hard it was for Cade to open up to others, Hope understood. “The one good thing is that you know the door’s wide open for you whenever you’re ready.”
He shrugged. “After what I said, I doubt Mom will want to hear from me.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. Give it some thought.”
He nodded and then smiled. “I feel better. Thanks for listening.”
Wrapping her arm around his, she smiled up at him. “Come on, soldier boy, we have a football game to attend.” Before she left the cottage, Hope made sure Shadow’s food and water bowls were filled.
Cade parked his truck in the school parking lot. The front door was locked, but the alarm hadn’t been set because the team would be using the facility. Luckily, because as a school counselor she often stayed late, she had been given a key to the building. Cade came inside with her.
“This will only take a minute,” she assured him. They had plenty of time before the game, so there wasn’t any rush.
Cade followed her down the hallway toward the counseling office when the sound of someone pounding against the outside glass door attracted their attention.
“Who’s that?” Cade asked.
“I don’t have any idea.”
The pounding continued, becoming even more frantic. Hope retrieved her phone and then stepped into the hallway to see Spencer and Callie standing outside the main door, both looking excited and more than a little panicky.
Walking toward the school entrance, keeping Hope behind him, Cade opened the door, but not wide enough to allow them inside.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“It’s Ben,” Callie said, her eyes looking past Cade and pleading with Hope. “I got a call from my parents. Mom is freaking out. Ben contacted them and told them everything and now they can’t reach him.”
“What do you mean Ben told your parents everything?” Hope asked.
Both Spencer and Callie started talking at once.
“Stop,” Hope said, holding up both hands to get their attention. “One at a time. I can’t make sense of what you’re saying.”
Breathless, Spencer motioned toward Callie. “You go first.”
Callie drew in a deep breath, and tears filled her eyes. “Ben stayed home from school, but then we heard he showed up and was seen arguing with Scott.”
Spencer interrupted her. “We haven’t been able to find Ben anywhere. He was missing and wasn’t answering his phone or texts. Then Callie remembered the Find My iPhone app.”
Callie cut in next. “Ben must be somewhere in the school. He’s never without his phone, so if it pings here, then this is where he is. We need to find him.” Callie paused and bit into her lip. “I have this feeling something is terribly wrong. I can’t shake it. Please, Ms. Goodwin, let me in so I can find Ben.”
Being a twin herself, Hope didn’t doubt the teenager’s intuition.
Callie hurriedly spoke again when Hope didn’t respond right away. “I know you might find this hard to believe, but there’s this thing between Ben and me. I guess it has something to do with being twins. You have to believe me, Ms. Goodwin.”