The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish

Surprised and touched, Mei cocked her head. “Vivienne?”

“I think so.” Lisette put Albert on a chair and withdrew containers marked Fresh Fruit Salad and Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans from the refrigerator, put them on the counter and opened a bakery box of fragrant croissants.

In a few minutes they were seated at opposite ends of the long oak table in the dining room, with the aroma of peach tea wafting in the air.

Mei glanced around at the ornate oak buffet, the lighted glass china hutch filled with fine crystal, the sparkling chandelier. Soft classical music provided a quiet backdrop, just as it had a lifetime ago, when she and Lucas had sat across from each other and their parents had taken the opposite ends of the table.

It had been a time to discuss the day’s activities. Report cards. Test grades. Lucas had excelled at everything. He was their parents’ biological child, born two years after Mei’s adoption as an infant, and he’d been the golden child, the unexpected gift from above. The perfect one.

Intelligent and charming, he’d always been able to talk himself out of trouble. Even during his wild and rebellious phase, he’d been the one who fit in this world.

She might have been far more jealous, as a child longing for acceptance, had he not been so kind to her.

And now, after delaying the moment as long as she could, she had to deliver bad news about Lucas to her already fragile mother. Mei’s stomach wrenched, her first bite of Arabella’s wonderful chicken salad turning to sawdust in her mouth.

Lisette’s fork clattered against her plate, her eyes fixed on Mei’s face. “I have the most dreadful feeling that you’re going to tell me something I don’t want to hear.”

Mei had practiced this conversation a dozen times on her way to Colorado. But now the words flew from her thoughts and left her fumbling for a gentle way to deliver the message. “It’s about Lucas,” she began, moving to the chair next to her mother’s.

All color drained from Lisette’s face. “Is he …”

“He’s missing.” Mei took her mother’s shaking hands in her own. “But knowing Lucas, he’s probably just fine.”

“Missing?” Lisette echoed faintly, her eyes locked on Mei’s. “That can’t be. He called and said he was on some sort of mission in Florida so he wouldn’t be able to keep in touch. That’s probably it. He’s involved with some kind of church and … he’s just away.”

Mei took a long, steadying breath. “Not a church mission, Mom. Apparently a friend betrayed some drug dealers, so they kidnapped his little boy … trying to force the man’s cooperation. Luke is trying to help.”

Her eyes filled with pain, Lisette clenched her hands in her lap. “I don’t understand. Lucas can’t be involved in some drug crowd.”

“He’s not, Mom. But apparently he rescued the child and then disappeared into the Everglades. The police have no idea where Lucas is, and even a private investigator hasn’t had any luck. Maybe he’s afraid the local cops are dirty and doesn’t know who to trust.”

Lisette’s eyes welled with sudden tears. “Why doesn’t he just come home?”

“I don’t know. I just know that people are looking for him.”

Lisette closed her eyes and folded her hands, her lips moving in silent prayer.

An uncomfortable feeling crawled through Mei. Though often cool and distant, Mom was still a believer, whereas a childhood of weekly church attendance hadn’t instilled strong faith in Mei’s heart.

The pastor had often referred to God as Father and referred to God’s followers as His children. But with her demanding earthly father and the brusque, dismissive attitude of her grandfather, those images couldn’t have been less comforting.

Fathers were loving and kind and patient? Not in her world.

Chapter Four

Jack winced at the sight of his brother as he walked into Cade’s hospital room the next day. “Hey, there, buddy. You look like you were in quite a fight.”

“With a mountain,” Cade grumbled, shifting his weight. He bit back a moan at the painful effort. “But I should be outta here, not laying around like some pansy.”

Against the white sheets and blankets, propped up with a pile of pillows, the bruises and scrapes on Cade’s face and arms were vivid reminders of how close he’d come to being more seriously injured.

“How’s that hard head of yours?” Jack asked.

Cade rolled his eyes. “This is a waste of time. The nurses say they’re watching me for concussion symptoms. I could do that just fine at home. If I could find my clothes and my boots, I’d leave.”

“The doc says you have quite a concussion, bro. That’s nothing to fool around with. Yesterday you weren’t sure what day it was or where you were.” Jack pulled up a chair and straddled it. “And you can’t walk on that ankle for a few days, so you can hardly be working cattle out at the Circle C.”

“Cody needs every ranch hand he’s got. And I need the money. The wedding—”

“I’m sure he won’t let you back on a horse or a four-wheeler until you’re safe. Liability issues.” Jack tipped his head toward the doorway. “Though I expect you’ll be out of here and back in the saddle before you know it.”

Cade mumbled something and pulled the covers up to his chin at the sound of feminine voices coming down the hall.

“See,” Jack teased, angling a glance at the cartoons playing on the TV mounted on the wall. “If you checked yourself out, you’d miss out on all this fine educational TV and all the pretty nurses.”

The voices drifted past.

“Does Dad know I’m in here? Not that it matters.”

He’d known Cade would ask, with his usual bravado firmly in place, because the subject was still touchy after all these years. But there was no way Jack could make things right. Even a brother as loyal as Jack couldn’t replace a father who might not bother to check in on his son.

“You signed the privacy release forms when you were seen in the E.R. The social worker said she called both him and Mom when you were admitted.”

Cade closed his eyes briefly. “Neither one has called. Not that it’s a big surprise. Have you heard from Mom much since she got married again?”

“Just a brief email or two. She said she hated this town and wished she’d left it long ago for the brighter lights of Denver. Of course, when marriage number three ends, she probably won’t like Denver, either.”

“I sent her a message a while back, telling her about my upcoming wedding to Jasmine, and she never even replied.” Cade was now mature in many ways, but the hint of hurt in his voice over his thoughtless parents was unmistakable.

“I’m not sure what’s worse—a mom who’s too busy to be bothered or a dad who’s angry about who I’m marrying and wants me to call it off. He doesn’t care about me being happy.”

“Maybe he’s worried about you.”

“Are you kidding? It’s all about that same old stupid feud, and you know it as well as I do.” Cade scowled. “If Jasmine wasn’t living with one of George Clayton’s granddaughters, I’ll bet Dad wouldn’t say a word. He just flat doesn’t care about either of us.”

“I think he does in his own way. But it’s his loss if he doesn’t make an effort. You’re a good kid, and you deserve much better.”

Cade rolled his eyes. “At least Jasmine thinks so.”

“And you have me—world’s best brother, right?” Jack teased.

Cade barked out a laugh, then moaned and folded his arms over his belly. “Don’t make me laugh, man. These muscles hurt.”

The fact that Charley was such a lackadaisical father to Cade, his own flesh and blood, never failed to set Jack’s temper on edge.

He’d only been a temporary stepson from long ago, barely a blip on the man’s radar, and Jack had never been close to Charley. As a kid without a father figure in his life, he’d started out hoping Charley would be that man for him, but Charley hadn’t treated his mother well and had barely given Jack the time of day.

For Cade’s sake, Jack had always tried to keep his low opinion of Charley to himself. Was hunger for family one of the reasons Cade had chosen to get married so young?