“I’m okay,” Glynnis said.

She didn’t look okay. She looked like hell. Tired, pale, and worried. Despite this, she looked younger than she had the day before, beautiful in no makeup, her hair tied back in a ponytail.

“I’m just so scared,” she said.

“I know you are,” Dan said. “That’s one of the reasons I came by—to tell you that it may take a while, but we’ll find your daughter.”

Impulsively he got up and walked over to where she sat. Reaching down, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Then he did something he knew he shouldn’t. He put his arms around Glynnis and held her while she cried.

Holding her trembling body, Dan silently repeated his pledge. He would find this woman’s daughter and bring her safely home…if it was the last thing he ever did.

Dear Reader,

Well, the lazy days of summer are winding to an end, so what better way to celebrate those last long beach afternoons than with a good book? We here at Silhouette Special Edition are always happy to oblige! We begin with Diamonds and Deceptions by Marie Ferrarella, the next in our continuity series, THE PARKS EMPIRE. When a mesmerizing man walks into her father’s bookstore, sheltered Brooke Moss believes he’s her dream come true. But he’s about to challenge everything she thought she knew about her own family.

Victoria Pade continues her NORTHBRIDGE NUPTIALS with Wedding Willies, in which a runaway bride with an aversion to both small towns and matrimony finds herself falling for both, along with Northbridge’s most eligible bachelor! In Patricia Kay’s Man of the Hour, a woman finds her gratitude to the detective who found her missing child turning quickly to…love. In Charlie’s Angels by Cheryl St. John, a single father is stymied when his little girl is convinced that finding a new mommy is as simple as having an angel sprinkle him with her “miracle dust”—until he meets the beautiful blonde who drives a rig called “Silver Angel.” In It Takes Three by Teresa Southwick, a pregnant caterer sets her sights on the handsome single dad who swears his fatherhood days are behind him. Sure they are! And the MEN OF THE CHEROKEE ROSE series by Janis Reams Hudson concludes with The Cowboy on Her Trail, in which one night of passion with the man she’s always wanted results in a baby on the way. Can marriage be far behind?

Enjoy all six of these wonderful novels, and please do come back next month for six more new selections, only from Silhouette Special Edition.

Gail Chasan

Senior Editor

Man of the Hour
Patricia Kay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated, with many thanks, to Colleen Thompson—terrific writer, knowledgeable reader and great friend.

PATRICIA KAY,

formerly writing as Trisha Alexander, is the USA TODAY bestselling author of more that thirty contemporary romances. She lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about her, visit her Web site at www.patriciakay.com.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

“Mommy, I thirsty!”

“Me, too! I wanna go home.”

Glynnis March glanced down at her tired children. Michael, her seven-year-old, and Olivia, her three-year-old, looked mutinous.

“I’m sorry,” she said as patiently as she could, considering the fact her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was to go home, too. “I know you’re both tired. Five more minutes, okay? Mommy just needs to buy one more Christmas present, then we’ll go to the food court.”

“And get french fries?” Michael said.

Normally, Glynnis didn’t allow the children to eat fast food, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Yes, french fries and a soft drink you can take to the car and have while we’re driving home, all right?”

Michael, skeptical, frowned. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

With an expression that pierced her because it was one she’d seen on his father’s face many times, Michael looked down at his sister and said, “Just five minutes, Livvy. Mommy promised.”

“Fibe minutes?” Olivia frowned in concentration, putting out four fingers one by one.

Glynnis couldn’t help it; she chuckled and pulled out Olivia’s thumb. “Five, honey. One, two, three, four, five.”

Olivia counted along with her mother and then grinned, her dimples deep and adorable. “Fibe.”

Michael didn’t smile. He was too old to be distracted. Glynnis knew she was pushing her luck. But Corinne’s Closet had cashmere sweaters at half price—something she hadn’t known until she’d seen the sign in the window—and she knew if she didn’t go in and get one now, they’d be gone by the time she was able to come back to the mall. And a green cashmere sweater would be the perfect gift for her sister-in-law, Sabrina.

Praying the children would last long enough for her to snag the sweater, Glynnis—children in tow—entered the shop. She nearly turned around and walked out when she saw how many women were ahead of her. It was a mob scene. But she wanted that sweater for Sabrina.

Maneuvering through the crowd, she spied the sweater section. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to work her way to the table where the sale sweaters were stacked. Oh, good, she thought, seeing that there were several different shades of green. She especially liked the mossy shade, which would be a perfect complement to Sabrina’s eyes.

“Glynnis! Fancy seeing you here.”

Glynnis whirled at the sound of the Scottish accent. As she’d thought, Isabel McNabb, head of the creative writing program at Ivy Community College, where Glynnis taught art and art history, stood grinning at her. “Hi, Isabel. Yeah, I’m braving the madding crowd.”

“Isn’t it just.” Isabel pushed back a strand of wayward blond hair. “But my mum is coming tomorrow, and I still haven’t bought anything for her. So here I am.”

“Mommy! Come on!” Michael tugged his hand away from Glynnis’s grip.

Glynnis looked down at her unhappy son. His dark eyes, another reminder of his father, were accusatory. “Honey,” she began.

“I wanna go. You promised.”

“You pomised,” Olivia echoed, her tongue not able to navigate her Rs very well. She, too, started trying to release herself.

Glynnis hefted Olivia into her arms. “Isabel, I’m sorry. I can’t talk. I’ve got to get one of those sweaters and get out of here or my kids are going to have a meltdown.”

Isabel nodded. Lowering her voice, she said, “See why I have no desire for the little darlings?”

Glynnis grinned. Isabel’s dry humor and fearlessness about expressing an unpopular opinion never failed to amuse her. “Have a wonderful Christmas,” she said as Isabel waved goodbye.

“You, too.”

Turning to the table with the sweaters, Glynnis began a one-handed search for a mossy-green one in a size small. Olivia, held in the other arm, began sucking her thumb. On another day, Glynnis would have tried to distract her and gently pull the thumb out of her mouth, but right now she was too frazzled. If the thumb gave Livvy some comfort and allowed Glynnis to get her sweater and get out of there quickly, so be it. She’d deal with her daughter’s insecurities some other time.

Just when Glynnis found the size she was looking for, there was a huge crash as one of the nearby circular racks holding leather jackets collapsed onto the floor. Glancing over, she spied the unmistakable red sneakers of her son protruding from underneath the fallen rack.

“Michael!” Putting Olivia down, Glynnis rushed over to help one of the sales clerks right the rack. A dazed-looking Michael stared up at her. There was a bloody cut on his cheek. “Oh, Michael, honey,” Glynnis said, reaching down to help him up. “Are you okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

Glynnis took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. She gathered Michael into a hug. “I’m so sorry,” she said to the clerk.

The sales clerk just rolled her eyes. “Hey, he’s a kid. We’re used to it.”

Glynnis smiled thankfully. Reaching into her pocket, she extracted a tissue and gently wiped away the blood from Michael’s cheek. Grateful to see the injury was only a surface scratch, she mentally dismissed the green sweater and said, “C’mon, honey, let’s go.”

“Okay,” he said.

“Livvy, sweetie, we’re going home.” Glynnis turned, then frowned as she realized Olivia wasn’t behind her. Remembering that she’d put Olivia down when the rack fell, she called out, “Livvy? Livvy, honey, where are you?” She made a quick sweep of the store, but she didn’t see her daughter or the bright yellow jacket she was wearing anywhere. “Livvy!” she called louder, the first small seeds of panic beginning to take hold. “Stop hiding. This isn’t funny.”

“What is it?” the clerk who’d helped her with Michael said.

“My little girl. I can’t see her. She…oh, God.” Fear caused her voice to shake. “I—I had her in my arms, and I put her down when I saw Michael under the rack.” Glynnis was practically crying now. “She’s gone! I don’t see her anywhere.”

Holding on to Michael tightly, Glynnis raced through the store. Livvy had to be here somewhere! Maybe she was hiding under one of the racks. The kids loved to do that. Once, Michael had scared her half to death by hiding and not answering when she called. When she’d finally found him, he giggled, completely unaware of the fact he’d taken a few years off her life expectancy.

By now, many of the customers and all the clerks realized what had happened and they were clustered in worried-looking groups.

“Ma’am, ma’am, slow down. Tell me what your daughter looks like,” the clerk said.

“She…she’s only three. Th-three and a half. She’s small with reddish-gold hair like mine, hazel eyes, dimples, sh-she’s wearing a bright yellow down jacket with a hood. Um, navy blue corduroy pants and white sneakers.” Glynnis fought her fear, telling herself Olivia was tired, and she’d probably just curled up somewhere.

“Anything else, ma’am?”

“Sh-she was sucking her thumb.” The mention of the thumb caused something inside Glynnis to splinter. “She’s probably just hiding somewhere.” Please, God, let her just be playing hide-and-seek.

“I’ll get security,” the clerk said. Calling to a coworker, she added, “Help her look.”

The other clerk organized the staff and remaining customers, all of whom seemed to have stopped whatever they’d been doing to commiserate. Systematically, they began searching under and behind racks and counters.

Soon they’d exhausted all possibilities, and Livvy was nowhere to be seen.

Glynnis, holding on to Michael as if her life depended upon it, raced to the door and out into the mall. Her gaze darted around. Livvy, Livvy, Livvy, where are you? But no matter how hard she looked, she saw no yellow jacket. She saw no Olivia. Biting her lip to keep from crying, Glynnis stood numbly. She had never felt so helpless in her life.

“Mommy? Where’s Livvy?” Michael’s voice trembled.

Looking down into his worried eyes, Glynnis could see he was on the verge of tears. She tried to make her own voice reassuring. “We’ll find her, honey. Don’t worry. We’ll find her. M-maybe she just wanted to get some french fries.” But even as Glynnis said the words, the fear she’d been trying to keep tamped down erupted, threatening to totally overwhelm her.

A few seconds later, two black-uniformed security guards—one an older man, the other, a plump young woman—converged on the store.

The sales clerk who had been so helpful took Glynnis by the arm. “Come back inside,” she said. “We’ve got a security camera. Let’s look at the tape and see if your daughter wandered outside.”

“What happened, ma’am?” the female guard said.

By now, Glynnis was so panicked, she could hardly talk, so the clerk hastily filled in. As soon as the vital information was imparted, the male guard got out his walkie-talkie. Within minutes, the background music that was so much a part of the mall went silent and the public address system blared into life.

“Don’t worry, ma’am,” the male guard said. “We’re closing off every exit. If your little girl wandered off by herself, she won’t be able to get out. We’ll find her.”

“Lucy,” called one of the clerks.

The clerk, who had been so helpful from the beginning, turned.

“We’ve got the security tape rewound.”

“Let’s go look at that tape, ma’am,” the female guard said.

In the store’s office, Glynnis, with Michael, the store manager, the two guards and Lucy, the helpful clerk, stood and watched the security tape.

“Oh, God!” Glynnis gasped. “There! There! That’s her!” She began to cry, for there, on the now-stopped tape, was Olivia. But she wasn’t wandering out the door alone. She was being held in the arms of a young woman, and she was crying. “That woman is taking my baby!”

The male guard grabbed the phone and punched in some numbers. “I’m calling the police,” he said. Inclining his head toward the female guard, he said, “Alert everyone. Be on the lookout for a female, teens or twenties, wearing a short jacket and jeans, spiked hairdo, probably streaked blond, carrying a female youngster. Give them a description of Mrs. March’s little girl. Tell them not to try to apprehend, just to watch and follow. The doors are all locked now, so she can’t leave. Call me the minute you see them.”

His eyes met Glynnis’s and, unknowingly, he parroted almost the exact words she’d used to reassure Michael. “We’ll find her, ma’am. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

Please God, Glynnis prayed, please let him be right. Please let them find her. Don’t let her be hurt. Just bring her back to me, and I’ll never ask you for anything again.

Dan O’Neill’s shift began at three, but he’d been bored at home and decided to come in to the station early. Although you’d think the opposite would be true—that perps would take a break during the Christmas holidays—crime seemed to increase at this time of year.

Even Ivy, Ohio, with its population of less than 35,000, wasn’t immune. Of course, instead of non-stop homicides, drug deals gone bad and armed robbery—which had been the menu in Chicago—the majority of crime in Ivy was confined to domestic disputes and vandalism, with a few drunk drivers thrown in.

Not exactly exciting, he thought wryly.

But then he hadn’t moved to Ivy for excitement. In his years with the Chicago PD, he’d had enough excitement to last him a lifetime.

Remembering Chicago and the reasons behind his leaving, he felt a familiar mantle of depression settling onto his shoulders. Quickly, before it could gain a firm hold, he shook it off. He was tired of feeling bad. Tired of feeling guilty. Tired of the old Dan.

Soon it would be a new year.

A new year.

He repeated the phrase mentally several times. New years meant changes. Resolutions. Getting rid of bad habits and adopting new ones.

“It’s a new life,” he muttered.

“You say something?”

Dan looked up. Romeo Navarro, aptly named because he considered himself God’s gift to women, was looking at him curiously.

“Just talking to myself,” Dan said.

“Gotta watch that. That’s what old people do.”

Dan shrugged.

Romeo started to say something else when the phone rang. Both men turned to look at Elena, the dispatcher. “Oh, that’s awful!” she said, her dark eyes getting big as she listened. “Someone will be right there.” She disconnected the call and then knocked on the glass window of the chief’s office. “Chief Crandall!”

Gabe Crandall—short, bald, paunchy, and counting the months until retirement—looked up.

“A little kid disappeared from one of the stores at the mall,” Elena said.

Dan and Romeo were on their feet before Chief Crandall barked out their names. Dan reached for his suit coat. Putting it on, he checked to make sure it didn’t catch on his .40 caliber Glock, holstered on his belt. The change from a shoulder holster was a welcome one, although he knew some police departments were still debating its merits, mainly because old-timers were resistant to any kind of change, no matter how much proof there was that a cop’s range of motion was too limited with the shoulder holster.

By the time Dan had put on his overcoat, Romeo was ready.

Chief Crandall stood in the doorway of his office. “O’Neill, you’re in charge.”

Dan nodded. He wondered what Romeo was thinking. Until Dan joined the department three months earlier, Romeo had been the senior officer on the force.

“You need more backup, call Elena. She’ll round up everyone she can find,” the chief added.

Elena gave them the particulars and five minutes later they were on their way in a department Malibu, with Romeo driving. As they sped toward the mall, which was located on the west side of town, they went over the meager information they’d been provided.

The victim was a three-year-old girl. She’d been picked up and carried off by an unknown woman. Dan swore under his breath.

Three years old.

Luckily, the snatch had been caught on the store’s security tape. Maybe they’d keep being lucky. Maybe by the time they reached the mall, the little girl would be found, and there’d be nothing for him and Romeo to do but go back to the station. Holding on to that thought, he tried to not to think about the alternative.

When they arrived at the Ivy Mall, Dan was glad to see the outside doors had been secured. He just hoped they’d been secured in time.

He and Romeo showed their badges, and a tall, dark-haired civilian unlocked the doors to let them in.

“I’m Jack Robertson,” he said, “the mall manager.” His gray eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses reflected his concern. “Thanks for getting here so fast.”

Dan and Romeo introduced themselves and then followed Robertson through the crowded mall to a spot near the center, where the mall’s Santa was enthroned. Dan didn’t have to be told that the shop labeled Corinne’s Closet was the scene of the snatch, not just because there were so many people congregated outside the store, but because the air fairly hummed with excitement. The tension was a dead giveaway that here was the unusual, here something had happened that was outside the norm.

Inside, the crowd parted, and he and Romeo were taken to the back of the store where there was a small office. Dan immediately knew the pretty redhead seated in the corner was the mother of the three-year-old. Her haunted eyes and strained, pale face told the whole story. Standing beside her was a small, dark-haired boy who looked tired and frightened. Dan nodded to the woman, and their eyes met briefly. He could feel the weight of her fear. He wished he could tell her there was no reason to worry, but experience had taught him the opposite.

Also crowded into the office was a middle-aged male security guard with a name tag that read Harold Fury, and two women who wore name tags identifying them as store personnel.

Dan held out his hand to the security guard. “Lieutenant Dan O’Neill. Ivy Police Department.”

Romeo stepped forward. “Sergeant Romeo Navarro.”

The security guard introduced himself, then gestured toward the woman. “This here is Mrs. March, the missing child’s mother.”

Dan looked at the mother again. “We’ll talk in a minute.”

She bit her lip and drew the boy—Dan imagined it was her son—closer to her.

Addressing the guard again, Dan said, “I understand there’s a security tape.”

“Yes.”

“May we see it, please?”

When the tape reached the point where it showed the abduction, Dan asked that the tape be stopped so he could study the woman. She was distinctive, even though they couldn’t see her face. That punk hairdo alone would make her stand out in a crowd.

“Did anyone see this woman in the store?” he asked.

“I did,” said the younger-looking clerk, a pretty blonde.

Dan glanced at her name tag. “Tell me what you saw, Lucy.”

“I only saw her briefly. She was at the counter in the front where we have a display of turquoise jewelry. I was going to go ask if I could help her, but another customer asked me a question and I forgot about her.”

“Was there anything unusual about her? Other than her hair?”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t notice anything in particular. She was young, in her teens or early twenties, maybe, that’s about all I remember. And her jacket was black. I did notice that. Black leather. It was nice. Oh, and I think she had on blue jeans.”

Dan smiled. “Good. That’s good. Most people remember more than they think.”

The girl smiled, obviously proud of herself.

“Has the entire mall been secured?” Dan asked the guard.

“Yes. All the outside doors are locked.”

“In all the stores?”

“Yes.”

“You checked them all?” Dan said dubiously.

“No, but the order went out.” For the first time, the guard showed hesitation. “Everyone was told to lock their doors.”

“How many security people do you have on duty?”

“Four, counting me.”

“And how many stores are in this mall?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Including the big anchor stores?”

“Yes.”

Dan realized they would need all the police and security personnel they could round up if they were going to conduct the kind of search that needed to be conducted.

While Romeo and the security guard called for backup, Dan turned his attention to the mother.

“Mrs. March, I want to assure you that we’ll do everything in our power to find your little girl.”

She swallowed. “Thank you.”

“Do you have a picture of her?”

“Yes, yes, I do.” Reaching down, she picked up a handbag from the floor and opened it. A moment later, she held out a photograph. Her hand was trembling.

Dan knew there was no place for emotion during an investigation. The mother’s naked fear and silent plea for him to accomplish a miracle was bad enough. But the sight of the beautiful child in the photo was the ultimate test of his ability to stay objective and professional. She was a real cutie, with a dimpled smile, laughing hazel eyes and curly red-gold hair the same shade as her mother’s.

Although he fought them, he couldn’t stop the memories as the image of another beautiful little girl assaulted him. Pain, as fresh as if the death of his beloved daughter had taken place yesterday instead of nine years ago, punched him in the gut.

For a moment, he stood paralyzed. Then from somewhere he found the strength to push those agonizing memories away so he could concentrate all of his attention and skill on finding this child.

“May I keep this picture?” His voice was more brusque than he’d intended. Softening it, he added, “In case we need it.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“I just have a few more questions.”

“All right.”

“Is there any chance someone you know could be behind this abduction?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Someone I know? No one I know would ever do anything like this.”

“There’s no ex-husband? Nobody who might wish you harm?”

Her look of outrage faded. She shook her head. “No. I—I’m a…widow.”

“I’m sorry. Look, finding your daughter might take a while. Is there anyone you can call to come and be here with you?”

“I…yes. My brother.” The relief on her face was palpable. She dug a cell phone out of her handbag.

While she placed her phone call, Dan walked over to see how Romeo and the security guard had fared.

“Elena rounded up all ten patrolmen,” Romeo said, “as well as DeChurch, Nichols, Richardson and Cavelli.” The last four were the other detectives in the department.

“And I’ve called in as many of our security guards as I could find,” the guard said.

“Which is how many?” Dan asked.

“Six.”

Dan thought fast. “Okay. Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll divide up the anchor stores first. All customers and clerks will be asked to leave by one of the outside doors where one patrolman and one guard will be stationed. Everyone’s ID will be checked before they’re allowed to leave, and everyone will be quizzed about whether they might have seen the woman and child. Anyone with a small child will get extra attention. While this is proceeding, a team will start on the second floor of each store and systematically search each area. After each area is searched, we’ll cordon if off and put a security guard there to make sure no one tries to go back into that particular area to hide.”

“This might take more manpower than we’ve got,” Romeo said in an aside.

Ignoring the remark—which was true, but unproductive—Dan went on to say that all the people in the other stores or in the public areas would be asked to leave from the north entrance, where two police officers would check each person’s identification.

“Sergeant Navarro will be in charge of the north entrance, which is also where we’ll admit anyone who’s coming to help.” Turning to the mall manager, Dan said, “Can we use your office as our command post?”

“Of course.”

“Okay. Romeo, send all additional help there.”

“What do you want me to do?” This question came from Harold Fury.

“Mr. Fury, you round up all your security guards and bring them to the management office, too. I’ll brief them and give them their individual assignments.”

Once Romeo and Fury were dispatched, he looked over at the mother. She was no longer on the phone. “Is someone coming?” he asked her.

She nodded. “My best friend. I—I couldn’t find my brother.”

“Okay, good. I’m glad you’ll have someone to stay with you.” He tried to make his smile reassuring. “I want you to stay here for the time being, okay?”

“All right. You…” She took a deep breath. “You’re going to find her, aren’t you?”

He hesitated, torn between the brutal truth and something else, something that would give this woman the strength to endure. He nodded grimly. “Yes. We’re going to find her.”

Seeing the blind trust in her eyes, he vowed he would keep his promise if it was the last thing he ever did.

Chapter Two

Glynnis sat in stunned silence.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since that detective left, but it seemed like hours. She couldn’t remember his name, either. All she knew was that he had kind eyes, and they made her want to believe him when he said they’d find Olivia.

Please, God, she prayed over and over again. Please let them find her, and let her be okay. Please.

She kept seeing the way Livvy’s face had looked in the video, all crumpled and scared. By now, she must be terrified. Glynnis bit her lip and clenched her hands to keep them from shaking uncontrollably.

My baby.

How could she have put Livvy down without grabbing on to her hand? Making sure something like this couldn’t happen? What kind of mother was she, anyway? All my life I’ve been making terrible choices. What is wrong with me?

Although she knew it did no good to dwell on the past, she couldn’t seem to stop herself today. Was God punishing her for her bad judgment? For all the mistakes she’d made, especially the worst one nineteen years ago? Was he telling her to be more careful in the future?

Glynnis jumped up and began to pace around the store.

Gregg, where are you? I need you…

In all of her life, her brother was the only one she’d ever been able to depend upon. Everyone else had let her down, but Gregg never had.

They’d always been close, and after their parents died when they were sixteen, they’d become even closer.

But she hadn’t been able to find Gregg today. There was no answer at the house, he wasn’t at the restaurant and when she tried his cell phone, she got his voice mail. She’d left a message, then another with Janine, the hostess at Antonelli’s, the restaurant Gregg had owned for the past six years.

Poor Janine. She’d been so upset. She’d kept apologizing and saying she wasn’t sure where Gregg had gone, only that he’d left at noon and said he wouldn’t be back today.

“If he calls, I’ll be sure and tell him what happened. Do you have your cell phone with you? Is there anything anyone else can do? Do you want Steve to come?”

Steve was Glynnis’s and Gregg’s cousin, and for nearly two years he’d been Gregg’s right-hand man at the restaurant.

“No,” Glynnis said, “that’s okay. You need him there.”

“What about Kat? I could call her for you.”

Kat Sherman was Glynnis’s best friend, and everyone at the restaurant knew her.

“Thanks. I—I’ll call her myself.”

Kat hadn’t let her down. “You just hold on,” she said when Glynnis told her what had happened. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

That had been twenty-five minutes ago, so Kat should arrive at any time.

“Mommy?”

Startled, Glynnis blinked.

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” What was wrong with her? She’d almost forgotten her son was there, he’d been so quiet. “There’s a bathroom right there.” She turned and pointed to the door behind them.

“Okay.”

“Do I need to come with you?”

Michael shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”

“Be sure to wash your hands when you’re done.”

“I know.”

She watched him as he walked inside. He was such a good kid. So was Livvy. They were wonderful children. They were the reason she could never regret her relationship with their father, for if she hadn’t married Ben March, she wouldn’t have had Michael and Olivia. They were worth any amount of humiliation she had suffered over her gullibility and misplaced trust in their father.

When Michael came out of the bathroom, he said, “Mom, where did Livvy go?”

The look in his eyes almost broke her heart, and she drew him into a hug. The feel of his warm body, the trusting way he wrapped his arms around her neck, was nearly her undoing. “I don’t know, honey, but I don’t want you to worry. The policemen will find her.”

“But why did she go? She knows she’s not s’posed to go anywhere with strangers!”

“Oh, honey, I—” What could she say that wouldn’t frighten him?

“Glynnis?”

“Aunt Kat!” Forgetting all about his question, Michael broke away from Glynnis and ran to Kat, who stood in the doorway of the small office. The children adored Kat, so much so that Glynnis had deemed her an honorary aunt. Kat bent down and gave Michael a hug. When she straightened, her eyes were suspiciously shiny.

Glynnis had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. She got up, and the two women hugged hard.

“Glynnis, this is just awful. I am so sorry.”

Glynnis swallowed against the lump in her throat. “It’s all my fault.”

“Oh, hon, don’t blame yourself. You can’t watch them every second.”

“Don’t try to make me feel better, Kat. I’m a total screwup. I can’t do anything right.”

Kat took her by the shoulders. “Now you listen to me, Glynnis Antonelli.” Fiercely loyal and outraged by Ben March’s deceit and bigamous marriage to Glynnis, she never used the March name. In fact, Kat had tried to persuade Glynnis to change the children’s names. Glynnis had considered it, but in the end, she’d decided it would only hurt and confuse them, especially Michael, who was old enough to question the reason.

“You are not a screwup,” Kat continued vehemently. You’ve had some rotten breaks, that’s all. None of what’s happened has been your fault.”

“I lost my child, Kat! What kind of mother loses her child? All for a sweater. For a stupid sweater! I knew they were tired and cranky, yet I had to push them. Why couldn’t I have just taken them home when they wanted to go?” She could hear her voice rising and knew she was becoming hysterical, knew she was frightening Michael, yet she couldn’t seem to stop. “Oh, Kat…” she cried.

“Ah, honey…”

This time when Kat put her arms around Glynnis, Glynnis broke down.

“Mommy?”

“Mom’s okay,” Kat assured Michael. Fiercely, she whispered in Glynnis’s ear. “Get ahold of yourself. You’re scaring Michael.”

Drawing on every ounce of strength she possessed, Glynnis got herself under control again.

“Okay, now calmly tell me everything,” Kat said. She put her arm around Michael and drew him close.

When Glynnis finished, Kat wore her determined look, the one that meant she was going to take charge. “What’re the police doing? Besides checking people at the exit? Are they searching all the stores? Did they put out an Amber Alert? Contact the TV stations? Who’s in charge? Do you know? Is my brother here?” The questions tumbled out in a rapid-fire barrage.

“I don’t know who’s in charge,” Glynnis said. “I can’t remember his name. I was in such a fog when he got here, I didn’t hear what he said. He seemed to know what he was doing, though.”

“I hope so. You do know my brother moved back and is now working for the Ivy Police Department, right? I told you, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” But until now, Glynnis had forgotten.

“Well, we need to get him out here if he’s not here already. He’s got all kinds of experience that these small-town cops don’t have.”

“For all I know, he might be here. The two officers who came initially sent for more backup.”

“I’ll call him just to make sure.” Kat whipped out her cell phone and punched in a few numbers. She tapped her small, booted foot impatiently as she waited. “He’s not home. I’ll call the station.”

Glynnis watched her. If she hadn’t been so worried and frightened she might have been amused. Kat was never unsure of herself; she never hesitated. She saw a problem, she decided on a course of action and she jumped in with both feet. Glynnis wished she could be like that. Anytime she’d made a quick decision, it had turned out to be a bad mistake. Now caution was her watchword. Except for today. Today you weren’t cautious at all.

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Oh, really?” Kat grinned at Glynnis and made an O with her thumb and forefinger. A few seconds later, she switched the phone off. “Dan is here. He’s the detective in charge of the case.”

“You’re kidding.” Glynnis pictured the detective who had been so kind—the dark, unruly hair, the world-weary blue eyes, the tall, athletic body. Now that she knew he was Kat’s brother Dan, she immediately saw the resemblance. “He was so nice.”

“Does he know who you are?” Kat asked. “And by the way, where is he?”

“I don’t know. To both questions. He said he was setting up a command post in the management office, so he could be there.”

“Is the management office down by the food court?”

“Yes, I think so. I’m sure I’ve seen a sign when I’ve used those rest rooms down there.”

“Want to walk down and see if we can find him?”

“I don’t think I should. He told me to stay here…just in case.”

“In case what?”

“You know.” Glynnis realized they’d already said too much in front of Michael, but what could she do? He was avidly listening. “In case Livvy should come back here looking for me.”

“But…” Kat stopped at the expression on Glynnis’s face. She glanced down at Michael. “Of course. That was silly of me. All right. I’ll go down and see if Dan’s at the management office and try to find out what I can. Want me to get you guys anything to eat or drink while I’m there?”

Glynnis looked at Michael. “Do you want something to eat from the food court, honey?”

He nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“Yes, please,” Glynnis corrected automatically.

“Yes, please,” he echoed.

“What would you like?” Kat asked.

“Chicken nuggets and a Coke?” he said hopefully, eyeing Glynnis.

“Whatever you want,” she said.

“Some french fries, too?” Kat said.

“Okay. And will you get me lots of ketchup?” He turned to Glynnis. “Mom, can we get some for Livvy, too? ’Cause when she comes back, she’ll be hungry.” The worried look was back in his eyes.

“Livvy will probably want to pick out her own food.” It was all Glynnis could think to say.

“I know what she likes,” he said stubbornly.

“Tell you what,” Kat said. “Why don’t you come with me, Michael? That way you can see everything they have and if you decide you want something else, you can get it. You can also tell Livvy everything they have, since she can’t read yet.”

Glynnis shot Kat a grateful look. “That’s a good idea.” She opened her handbag to get her wallet.

“Put that money away,” Kat said in her I-won’t-tolerate-any-argument voice. “What can I get you, Glynnis? Sandwich? Coffee? A Coke? A bottle of water?”

“Just coffee.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Okay. We’ll be back. See you later.” Kat took Michael’s hand. “Let’s go, slugger.”

Glynnis followed them outside and watched as they walked away. The ache in her chest was so huge that it was hard to breathe. Michael looked so little and so vulnerable. Every instinct told her to run after them and snatch Michael back. She knew that was crazy. Nothing bad would happen to him in Kat’s care. After all, Kat was not a screwup. She’d never lost a child.

Unlike you, who’ve now lost two.

The dark thought, which had been trying to surface for hours, slammed into Glynnis with the force of a hurricane.

Shaking, she stumbled back into the shop.

Dan was halfway back to Corinne’s Closet when he saw his sister Kat and the March woman’s little boy walking toward him.

“What are you doing here?” he said.

“Glynnis called me.”

“Glynnis?”

“Have you met Michael, Dan? Michael, honey, this is my brother, Lieutenant O’Neill. And Dan, this is Michael. His mom is Glynnis Antonelli, my best friend. Michael, why don’t you go look at the puppies?” There was a pet store a few feet away. “I’ll just be a minute.” To Dan she said, “It’s okay if he goes over there, isn’t it?”

If there had been people around, Dan would have said no. He sure didn’t want another kid going missing. But all the pedestrian traffic had been cleared out of the inner part of the mall, so there was no danger to Michael. “Sure, it’s okay.” Dan would keep one eye on him anyway. Once Michael was out of ear-shot, Dan said, “I thought her name was March.”

“She goes by March. See, she married this March guy and it turned out he was already married. A fact he conveniently didn’t tell her. Which means they were never legally married at all.” Kat’s expression left no room for doubt about her feelings.

“Why do you call her Antonelli if she goes by March?”

“Because I refuse to acknowledge that bastard,” Kat said with that look he knew well, the obstinate one that said she’d made up her mind and nothing anyone else said was going to make a bit of difference. Of all his siblings, Kat was the most unbending when she felt she was right.

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

“She’s hanging in there. More important, how are you doing?”

“The investigation’s moving along. We’re searching all the stores. If we find her here, great. In the meantime, we’ll call in an Amber Alert, which will broadcast the details nationwide and alert all appropriate authorities.”

“Do you think there’s any chance the woman is still here somewhere?”

Dan shrugged. “That’s impossible to know. I hope she is, but if she isn’t, it’ll be hours before we know for sure, because it’s going to take time to do a complete search of all the stores. Hell, there are five anchor stores here. That alone is a massive job.”

“Oh, Dan, you’ve got to find Olivia. You’ve just got to. Glynnis has already been through so much. If something has happened to Olivia, it…it would destroy her.”

“Believe me, I want to find that child just as much as you do.”

Just then, the boy walked back to them. “I’m hungry, Aunt Kat.”

“I’m sorry, Michael.” Turning back to Dan, she said, “I promised Michael some food. That’s where we were headed.”

“You go on. And after you get your food, you can take it to the management office. They’ve got a waiting room there that’s a lot more comfortable than the little office at Corinne’s Closet.”

“But Glynnis is waiting for us at the store.”

“I’m going there now. I’ll get her and bring her to where you are.”

“Okay. See you in a little while.”

When Dan got to the store, he saw Glynnis March out front.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t stand sitting back in that office one minute longer.”

Now that Dan knew more about her situation, he felt even worse for her. She was showing the strain of the past hour. It hurt to see the plea in her eyes, because he had no good news for her. “That’s okay. I actually came back to tell you that I thought it would be okay for you to come to the management office now.”

She looked stricken. “Oh.”

“That doesn’t mean you should give up hope. Or that we have. It only means that I don’t think your little girl will be brought back here. Just to be sure, though, that guard—” he inclined his head in the direction of the security guard standing nearby “—will stay here, even after the store is locked up.”

She nodded. “All right. Thank you.”

“Wait for me here. I’ll go in and tell the manager she can lock up.”

When Dan came back outside, she said, “Kat told me you’re her brother. When you introduced yourself, I was so frightened, I don’t think I even heard your name.”

He smiled. “It’s Dan. Dan O’Neill.”

“And I’m Glynnis, but you already knew that.”

“I wish we could have met under happier circumstances.”

“Me, too.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Dan wondered what was going through her mind. He hoped she wasn’t blaming herself, but he was afraid she was. He wanted to tell her that no matter how careful a parent was, things like this happened. He also wanted to tell her he understood how helpless she was feeling. But he knew neither would be a comfort to her, so he said nothing.

When they reached the management office, he ushered her inside, where Kat and the boy were already seated around the coffee table. The smell of french fries made Dan’s stomach grumble, and he realized he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. He glanced at his watch. Almost five-thirty. Soon everyone would be getting hungry and they would have to be fed. Dan had been prepared for this contingency and had asked several of the food venues to stay open for just that purpose. The men could eat in shifts; that way, the search could continue without interruption.

Dan left the women and the boy in the outer waiting area and walked back into the manager’s office, which he’d commandeered for his own. It was time to call each of his men to get a progress report.

After that, he would decide if they needed to call in any neighboring law enforcement personnel to speed things along.

He picked up the phone.

At eight o’clock, when the search for Olivia had been going on for more than four hours with no good news, Gregg and Sabrina finally arrived at the mall.

Glynnis broke down when she saw them. “Thank God you’re here.” She tried not to cry, but one look at her brother’s worried face and she couldn’t hold back the tears.

“I’m sorry, Glynnie. We went to Columbus,” Gregg said, folding her into his arms. “I wanted to meet with this possible new vendor and Sabrina wanted to finish up her shopping there.”

“We were just sick when we heard what happened,” Sabrina said.

“I’m just glad you’re here now.”

When she was calm, she filled them in on everything she hadn’t been able to say in her message. Throughout, Sabrina held her hand.

Glynnis loved Sabrina. Their relationship had been awkward in the beginning, because Sabrina was Ben’s daughter, and Glynnis hadn’t found out about her existence until Ben had died.

In fact, Sabrina was the one who came to Ivy to break the news—something Ben had asked her to do in a letter he’d left with his lawyer. That was tough on her. Her mother, Isabel—Ben’s only legal wife—was hysterical over Ben’s double life and mortified by the scandal it had caused in their little town. She would have felt completely betrayed by Sabrina if she’d known of her daughter’s involvement with her husband’s other family.

Sabrina had been put in a horrible position, which only became more difficult as she got to know Glynnis and the children, whom she’d immediately loved.

And then, complicating matters even further, she fell in love with Gregg. For a while, no one who knew the story thought it could possibly have a happy ending, but it did. In fact, Gregg and Sabrina were one of the happiest couples Glynnis had ever known. And not long ago, their happiness had become complete when, on their daughter Samantha’s christening day, Sabrina’s mother had forgiven Sabrina and the two had reconciled.

Isabel was remarried now, which was a whole other story.

Thinking back over the rocky road they’d all traveled, Glynnis knew they were lucky to have ended up a loving family unit. Glynnis would have loved Sabrina under any circumstances, simply because she made Gregg so happy. It was a bonus that she was such a wonderful person and someone Glynnis would have enjoyed having as a friend even if they hadn’t been related.

When Glynnis finished explaining everything, Gregg said he’d like to talk to the cop in charge.

“That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you,” Glynnis said. “He’s Kat’s brother.”

Gregg turned to Kat. “I didn’t know you had a brother on the police force.”

“Dan’s six years older than me and he’s lived in Chicago since he was twenty. He was with the Chicago PD for more than seventeen years. Three months ago he decided he needed a change, so he moved back to Ivy, and now he’s a lieutenant with the Ivy Police Department.”

“That’s good news,” Gregg said. “He’s probably got a lot more experience than most of the cops on the force.”

“Yes,” Kat said. “He does. And believe me, he’ll do everything possible to find Olivia. Everything.”

“I’d still like to talk to him.”

“Then let’s go see if we can find him,” Kat said.

“I’ll stay here with Glynnis and Michael,” Sabrina said. She smiled down at Michael, who hadn’t left her side since she’d arrived.

After Kat and Gregg left them, Sabrina said, “Are you doing okay? Is there anything I can get you? Something to eat?”

Glynnis shook her head. The thought of food made her feel sick.

“What about you, Michael?” Sabrina said.

“He ate earlier,” Glynnis said.

“A cookie, maybe?”

Glynnis knew Sabrina just needed to feel she was doing something useful, even if it was only feeding them. God knows Glynnis understood. She’d felt totally useless for hours. She looked down at Michael, who gave her a hopeful smile. “Are the shops in the food court still open?”

“Not all of them, but the cookie place was when we came in.”

“I’ll walk out with you,” Glynnis said.

They bought Michael his cookie and then slowly walked back to the management office. Gregg and Kat rejoined them a bit later. Gregg sat next to Glynnis and squeezed her hand. “Lieutenant O’Neill knows what he’s doing, Glynnie. He’ll find her.”

But as the clock moved inexorably forward, Glynnis’s hopes began to fade. If Livvy had been in the mall, surely they would have found her by now.

Finally Sabrina rose. “Glynnis, Gregg is going to stay with you, but I’ve got to go. I told Mrs. Phillips I’d be back for Samantha by ten-thirty, and it’s almost that now.”

Glynnis looked at her sister-in-law. “It’s okay. I understand.”

“How about if I take Michael with me? He can spend the night with us.” Michael, head leaning against Glynnis’s shoulder, had fallen asleep an hour ago. “In fact, you can spend the night with us, too. I don’t think you should be alone if…” Sabrina, looking stricken, let her voice trail off.

“If they don’t find Olivia tonight,” Glynnis finished for her. Her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t think they’re going to.”

“Oh, honey,” Kat said. “They might. They haven’t finished searching everywhere yet. That woman might have found a hiding place.”

Glynnis shook her head. She knew Olivia was not in the mall, because if she had been, that woman—whoever she was—would not have been able to keep her quiet. Livvy was nothing if not vocal. If she was anywhere within hearing distance, the police would have discovered them.

Gregg, who’d been out front talking to the security people, walked back into the office. “You going to leave now?” he said to Sabrina.

“Yes. And if it’s okay with Glynnis, I’ll take Michael home with me.”

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” Glynnis said. “But I won’t be coming. When they finish here, I’m going home.”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Sabrina said. She looked at Kat. “Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But what if Livvy or that woman who took her should call? I have to be there.”

“How could they call? You said you didn’t know the woman. Do you think she knows you?” This question came from Dan O’Neill, who had walked in behind Gregg.

“No, I don’t think she knows me, although I can’t be sure. But Olivia has an ID tag inside her jacket, sewed on to the lining in front. It’s required at her day care center. The tag lists her name and our phone number.”

“You’re right, then. You should be at home,” Kat said. “Don’t worry, Sabrina. I’ll stay with her. In fact, I’ll call Bill right now and tell him.” Out came her cell phone before Glynnis could even think of protesting. Not that she wanted to. She had no desire to be at home alone.

“I just came back to give you a status report,” Lieutenant O’Neill said. “We’ve finished searching all the stores and the areas behind each store, as well as all the places in the inside of the mall. Everything is locked up now, and the mall’s been emptied of all the shoppers and most of the store employees. The only ones left are a few maintenance people, the mall manager and his assistant, and the security personnel.”

Glynnis’s shoulders sagged. Even though she’d been afraid the woman who took Olivia was long gone, it was one thing to fear something and another thing entirely to know it for sure.

“Now that we’re sure your daughter isn’t in the mall,” the lieutenant continued, “I called Chief Crandall, and he’ll take care of issuing an Amber Alert. Do you know what that is?”

“It’s a nationwide alert system, isn’t it?” Gregg asked.

“Yes. A description of Olivia, along with her photo and the photo of the woman from the security tape will be faxed to primary radio stations under the Emergency Alert System. In turn, that information will be sent by them to area TV stations and radio stations. The radio stations will interrupt their programming to broadcast the information and TV and cable stations will run a ‘crawl’ on the screen along with the photos. In some places, the authorities will even incorporate electronic highway billboards. Every possible avenue will be covered. We’re also setting up an 800-number hotline for people to call.”

Glynnis nodded, unable to speak.

“Chief Crandall said to tell you we’ll work on this night and day until we find your daughter.”

“Th-thank you,” Glynnis managed.

“Yes, thank you,” Gregg and Sabrina echoed.

“Now I think you should go home and try to get some sleep,” Dan O’Neill said.

But everyone in the room knew Glynnis wouldn’t sleep tonight.

Not until Olivia was home again and safe in her own bed, would Glynnis be able to sleep again.

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