They left forty minutes later, after Ronald Harris got home.
They’d found Jeannette Evans. She couldn’t have been responsible for her son’s abduction, Leary was quite certain. She would’ve had to be an Oscar-worthy actress to fake the amnesia and the reaction to discovering who she was.
They were back to square one.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ON THEIR RETURN from Arizona, Special Agents Leary and Wilson went directly to Sawyer’s home to advise him that they’d found Jeannette. He was thankful Shannon had prepared him for the possibility that Jeannette was alive. The fact that she had no recollection of their life together was another shock he had to absorb. They assured him they didn’t consider her a suspect, but asked him not to contact her yet, because of the ongoing investigation.
As far as investigations went, the SDPD and FBI were again actively pursuing the case of Jeannette Evans’s disappearance, but now as a result of abduction.
Despite having to grapple with the bombshell that Jeannette was alive, Sawyer was gradually easing back into a normal life. He returned to work and Dylan was back in day care during the mornings. Sawyer’s mother was again watching him in the afternoons. Sawyer was also encouraged by the reports he was receiving from Dylan’s therapist about the progress his son was making with his recovery.
As he began to come to terms with the fact that Jeannette was alive, he thought more and more about the discussion he’d had with Meghan the day he’d found out. He had to acknowledge that he was falling in love with Shannon.
He’d have to tell her at some point, but he wanted his life to be a little more normal before he told her how he felt. He couldn’t blame her if she was skeptical about it. He wanted to make sure that when he told her, she understood he meant it. That it wasn’t just an aberration caused by the trauma they’d experienced.
Although he was glad to be back at work, he was still playing catch-up. The downside of being back was that he missed spending time with Dylan. He welcomed the occasional day off without lectures, and took those opportunities, when he could, to stay home with his son.
They’d gone to the zoo that morning and Dylan had had a great time. Now Sawyer was having a coffee in the backyard, watching Dylan play with Rufus. His son’s giggles as he rolled over the big dog made Sawyer grin. Dylan’s therapist agreed that Rufus was having a huge positive impact on Dylan’s recovery.
Something else he owed thanks to Shannon for.
When Sawyer’s cell phone rang, he glanced at the display. His assistant’s name and number appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Miranda. What’s up?”
“Sawyer, I’m sorry to bother you, but with all the adjustments we’ve had to make to your schedule, I’m afraid I messed up. I forgot to let you know about a meeting.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s been a lot going on. We’ll work it out.”
“Except the meeting is this afternoon. In just under two hours.”
Sawyer wanted to groan. The last thing he felt like doing was going to work today. “Can you reschedule?”
“I tried, but no. The meeting’s with the new lawyer in the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.”
“Who?” Sawyer drew a blank.
“Alex Boyden. You told the district attorney when you last spoke to him that you’d be happy to mentor Alex.”
“Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me. And why can’t you reschedule?”
“I called the DA’s office as soon as I noticed my mistake. Apparently Alex is out of the office at a meeting and would leave right from there. When I asked for her cell number, they said Alex’s phone had died and a new one was on order. They tried calling the office where the meeting was. The meeting ended early and Alex had already left. Look, I’m sorry and it’s my fault. I’ll apologize profusely to Alex and reschedule the meeting for some time next week. How does that sound?”
Sawyer couldn’t help smiling again as he watched Rufus roll onto his back, paws flailing in the air, inviting Dylan to rub his belly. He remembered what the DA had said about the new hotshot assistant DA, and why he wanted Sawyer to mentor her. Missing their first meeting would not be a good example. “My parents left for La Jolla this morning for a long weekend and Meg’s at work. Let me see if I can get someone to watch Dylan. If so, I’ll head right in. I might be late but that’s better than being a no-show.” He remembered it was Shannon’s day off and she was running errands for her mother. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back.”
* * *
SEEING SAWYER’S NAME and number on the display screen of her phone, Shannon felt a little flutter in her heart as she answered and they exchanged greetings. They had plans to spend the evening together with Dylan, and she was looking forward to seeing them both.
“Shannon, since you’re not working today, would you be able to help me out this afternoon?” Sawyer asked.
“Sure, if I can.”
“Miranda, my assistant, just called. She mixed up some dates in my schedule. I have to get to work for a meeting. I tried Meghan, but she can’t leave the lab and my parents are gone for a few days. If you’re free, would you mind watching Dylan for me?”
“I’d be happy to. When do you need me?”
“As soon as you can get over here.”
She glanced at her watch. “I’m not far from your house right now. I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Great! That’s great. I’m going to take a quick shower to wash off any residual animal scents I might’ve picked up while we were at the zoo this morning. I’ll leave a key for you under the flowerpot. Come on in when you get here. Dylan’s excited about spending the afternoon with you. Hey,” he said as she was about to hang up. “Thanks, Shannon. This is a huge help. I’ll make dinner for us when I get back.”
“Sounds good.”
Shannon was glad she’d left Darwin at home. She didn’t want any problems arising between Rufus and Darwin while she was alone with Dylan. Once Sawyer returned, she’d drive back home to feed and walk Darwin before dinner.
She pulled into Sawyer’s driveway in under fifteen minutes, found the key and let herself into his house.
* * *
SAWYER WAS RUBBING his wet hair with a towel when he walked out of his bedroom, wearing dress pants, a white shirt and a sports jacket. He strode down the hall toward the living room—and stopped dead in his tracks.
Dylan was kneeling by the coffee table, a coloring book open in front of him. He had a crayon in his hand. The tip of his tongue was caught between his teeth, a sure sign that he was concentrating. Shannon sat cross-legged at the end of the table, her back to him. Her shorts were hiked up and her slim legs glowed with her light tan. She was leaning toward Dylan and his drawing. Rufus lay stretched out on the carpet next to them, snoring softly.
When Dylan finished what he was doing and looked up at Shannon expectantly, she gave him an encouraging rub on the back.
“That’s terrific!” she told him, and Sawyer was ecstatic seeing the genuine, carefree smile that spread across his son’s face. He would’ve fallen in love with Shannon for that alone. For the way she’d made Dylan smile, when these days those smiles were still few and far between.
“What about the pony’s mane? What color are you going to use?” she asked him.
Dylan pulled at his lower lip contemplatively, as he surveyed his collection of crayons. “This one!” He picked up a yellow one and held it out to show her.
“Perfect! Do you know what color mane he’ll have if you use that crayon?”
Dylan thought about it for a moment. “He’ll have a blond mane.”
“That’s right. Just a little darker than the color of your hair,” she said and gave a strand of his hair a light tug. “And he’ll look very handsome.”
Dylan
concentrated on his coloring again, and Shannon gave him her undivided attention.
When he declared that he was finished, Shannon clapped her hands. “You did such a nice job. Wait until your dad sees it.”
“Thanks for helping me,” Dylan said, hugging Shannon. As she turned to wrap her arms around Dylan, her gaze met Sawyer’s over the top of his son’s head.
Not wanting to say anything to break the magic of the moment, he smiled at her, passed the towel from his right hand to his left and tapped his hand over his heart, trying to convey how much what she was doing meant to him.
When Dylan pulled back, Shannon pointed to Sawyer. “There’s your dad now. Why don’t you show him your picture?”
“What have you got there?” Sawyer asked, as he strolled over to them.
Dylan excitedly showed Sawyer not only the picture he’d just finished coloring but a couple of others, too.
“Shannon helped me,” he said and reached for her hand.
Sawyer couldn’t deny it anymore. He knew he’d been falling in love with Shannon. But now? It was a done deal.
Sawyer cleared his throat. “I’d better get going.”
He said goodbye to Dylan and they left him coloring while Shannon walked him to his Range Rover.
“Thanks again for doing this,” he said, and gave her a quick kiss before he climbed into the SUV.
* * *
SMILING, SHANNON WAVED as she watched Sawyer back out of his driveway. When she turned to the house, her smile widened. Dylan was standing in the doorway, his arm slung around Rufus.
“Hey, Dylan,” she said as she walked up the steps to the front door. “I brought you guys something.” She reached into her handbag, which she’d left in the hall.
“What is it?” Dylan asked, bouncing on the toes of his sneakers.
Shannon handed him the red, jumbo-size Kong. Rufus immediately leaned closer to sniff it. Dylan stuck a finger in the opening at one end. “It has a hole in the middle.”
“Yes. You can slide a rope through there,” she said, pointing to the hole. “And if you tie it, you can throw it farther. Or, you can put treats in it. We use these to train police dogs.”
Dylan looked up at her with wide eyes. “This is what you used to train Darwin?”
“Yup! But it’s a toy, too. That’s why the dogs do what we ask, because they know they’ll get to play later. Why don’t we go to the backyard and you can try it with Rufus?”
“’Kay!”
She locked the front door and they walked through the house, Rufus scampering along beside them. She didn’t know if she’d fallen more in love with the little boy or his father, but there was no question that her heart was invested in both. It wasn’t a hardship to spend time with Dylan. Not in the least.
“Dylan, would you like some apple juice?” she asked when they got to the kitchen.
“Yes, please.”
Shannon filled his sippy cup and gave it to him. He took a drink and handed it back to her. “Thanks. Can I play with Rufus now?”
“Sure.” She opened the door to the backyard and Rufus darted out.
She called Rufus back and gestured for him to sit. “Throw the Kong for him and let’s see if he’ll fetch it and bring it back to you.”
She stood back to watch. Dylan’s first attempt didn’t go more than a couple of feet, but Rufus was a good sport about it. He retrieved the Kong and dropped it at Dylan’s feet. Assuming a sitting position, the dog waited patiently, tongue lolling, until Dylan threw the Kong again. This time, Dylan sent it flying. The kid had a good arm, especially for his age. With a happy woof, Rufus tore after it, trotted back to Dylan and spat the toy at his feet.
“Look at that!” Dylan squealed. “I taught Rufus how to fetch.”
“You sure did!”
Shannon sat on a deck chair and watched the boy play with the dog. She couldn’t imagine a kid not having a dog. The joy Rufus brought Dylan was worth more than all the kibble the dog would eat in his lifetime.
She smirked a little, remembering Sawyer hadn’t been all that keen on getting a dog at first. But when he’d realized how much it meant to Dylan, there’d been no hesitation. He did what he considered best for his son. And they’d ended up with a big dog, not the small one Sawyer had been determined to get.
Yes, he was a good father. A good person.
And he’d stolen her heart.
She sat forward in her deck chair, narrowing her eyes. Dylan had thrown the Kong into the sandbox, and Rufus dived in after it.
She sensed what was going to happen before it did. At the sound of Rufus’s high-pitched screams, she shot out of the chair and ran over to where the dog had skidded in Dylan’s sandbox. Sand coated Rufus’s face and had obviously gotten in his eyes. He was squealing and pawing at them.
Seeing the dog in distress, Dylan burst into tears. “Fix him. Fix Rufus!” he wailed.
“I will. I just need to take him into the kitchen and flush out his eyes with water.”
“Is Rufus going to be okay?”
Dylan’s hysterics were agitating Rufus even further. “Dylan, calm down please. Let’s get Rufus inside and I’ll take care of him.”
She grabbed the whining dog by his collar and had to nearly drag him up the four steps to the deck and in through the kitchen door. Time was critical because she didn’t want the particles of sand to scratch his cornea, nor did she want him to harm himself with his insistent attempts to scratch at his eyes.
Shannon fought the eighty-pound dog, who didn’t want to budge.
She got the dog in and let the water run to warm it up before she started to flush his eyes. It must have helped, because his whining turned into quiet whimpers, and even those gradually subsided.
“Okay. You’re okay. You’re going to be just fine,” she told the dog, in soothing tones. His face was sopping wet, but she was fairly confident that disaster had been averted. She turned the water off so Dylan could hear her. “Dylan, would you please get me...” Her voice trailed off as she looked around the kitchen, empty except for her and Rufus.
The patio door was still open, but she no longer heard Dylan crying.
“Wait,” she instructed Rufus, reinforcing her command with a hand signal as she rushed to the doorway.
The backyard was empty, too, the wooden gate swinging on its hinges.
The adrenaline surge nearly brought her to her knees. The back gate had definitely been latched when they’d first come out.
And the latch was too high for Dylan to reach.
“Dylan?” she shouted, as she ran to the gate and through it. Scanning the street in both directions, she saw no sign of the boy.
She berated herself for having left Darwin at home. The dog would’ve been able to locate Dylan in no time, since he’d been gone for only a couple of minutes at most.
She dashed back into the kitchen and got her cell phone from her handbag. “Wait, Rufus. Wait,” she said, and closed the door behind her as she hurried out to the patio.
She ran down the stairs and sprinted to the gate. Looking frantically up and down the street but there was no Dylan anywhere. She stepped out onto the sidewalk. She shouted for Dylan again, as loudly as she could.
She paused, listened and tried again. When Sawyer’s neighbor came out of her house, Shannon quickly explained what had happened, and the neighbor thankfully offered to drive up and down the street on the off chance that Dylan had simply wandered away.
Shannon took another frantic look around the backyard, hoping that maybe Dylan had hidden somewhere, afraid he’d get into trouble because Rufus was hurt.
No. The backyard was empty and silent. Dylan’s toys were right where they’d been, but the little boy was not.
Damn, damn, damn.
She had to call Sawye
r.
First, she’d call Logan. What were the odds of Dylan having been abducted again? But then, what were the odds of him being able to unlatch the gate and getting out? She was tempted to go back into the house and search it, but that made no sense. The open latch on the gate told her Dylan had exited that way. Plus, she’d been in the kitchen and would’ve seen him if he’d gone inside, despite her preoccupation with Rufus.
Logan assured her that Cal would be there with Scout in half an hour.
Half an hour?
How far could a little boy get in half an hour, even if he was wandering around on his own? And this time he had shoes on.
What about Joey?
She remembered that Joey the kangaroo had been with Dylan when he was abducted. Shannon wasn’t sure why, but she needed to know if Joey was with him now.
The cold dread intensified when she found Joey perched in the middle of Dylan’s bed. Was that good news or bad?
Would Dylan have wandered off on his own without his beloved Joey?
Without Darwin, there wasn’t much she could do but wait for Cal and pray that Dylan would come back on his own, as unlikely as she considered that to be.
She’d procrastinated enough.
She had to call Sawyer.
* * *
SAWYER MADE GOOD time and arrived at Thomas Jefferson School of Law before Alex Boyden did. It gave him a chance to review Alex’s resume. He remembered the brief discussion he’d had with the DA about the new hire. Top marks, brilliant, articulate, driven. He remembered that the DA had said that if there was a negative, it was that she was too self-assured. Alex’s heart was in the right place as she could’ve gotten a job with any of the top law firms, but she’d chosen the DA’s office. She obviously wanted to make a difference. Sawyer had to applaud that. After all, that was what had motivated him to work for the DA’s office, too.
Alex’s résumé was impressive, both professionally and as far as volunteer work went.
Miranda tapped on his doorframe and he glanced up.
“Alex Boyden is here to see you. Are you all set?”