Concealed

  “Good, because I missed you.”

  He gently tugged on one of her pigtails. “I missed you too, princess.” When she threw open her arms, he scooped her up and slung her backpack over his shoulder. “Let’s get you home.”

  The sight of them together was too sweet for words. The big, brooding Wade was tamed by the curly-haired little girl. To say she had him wrapped around her finger wasn’t an exaggeration. Sydney followed behind them, entranced. While Faith chatted on and on about school, Wade smiled and nodded asking questions as if it was the most interesting thing he’d heard all day. His kindness overwhelmed Sydney. Even though he was furious with her and she was beyond irritated with him, he still went out of his way to be kind to Faith.

  “Thanks,” Sydney said as she reached past him to buckle her daughter into the backseat. When she stepped back, Wade was still standing there, watching her with a strange look on his face.

  “You don’t have to keep thanking me. I want to help. Why is that so hard for you to believe, Sydney?”

  “I have trouble trusting people.”

  Wade gave a sarcastic laugh. “I never would have guessed.” He opened her door but caught her arm when she tried to slip inside. “We need to talk.”

  “I know.” Sydney didn’t dare look at him, afraid of what he might see in her eyes.

  “Good, because this time you’re not hiding from me. Now let’s get you two home.”

  AT THE HOUSE, FAITH disappeared inside, anxious to get back to her latest building project. Armed with another roll of tape and some construction paper she grabbed an apple and headed upstairs, leaving Sydney alone with Wade. He didn’t waste any time starting the interrogation.

  “I need to know a few things.”

  Sydney steeled herself for the questions, excuses at the ready when it came time to answer. “Like what?”

  “You moved here almost six months ago. And before that you were working for a dry cleaner in Indianapolis and a supermarket outside of Nashville.”

  There was no harm in answering those, so she shrugged. “Yeah, so?”

  “And where did you work before that?”

  Her stomach rolled and turned sour. He knew. The pricey identification she’d paid for hadn’t been good enough to fool Wade. Without giving anything away, she narrowed her gaze. “Why do you want to know?”

  He made himself at home at the kitchen table while she nervously paced back and forth. “Because you don’t seem to have a past beyond eighteen months ago, Sydney. Did you know that?”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Your employment history, rental history, bank statements all end.” When she made no effort to explain, he continued. “I’m guessing that’s when you bought the new social security number? The license is very well done. It must have cost you a pretty penny.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Dammit, Sydney. Why won’t you talk to me?” Now he was the one on his feet and pacing but he looked more like a tiger ready to pounce. Sydney leaned against the counter, watching him. “You can trust me. I could help you. I know you’re running from someone. If you’d just tell me who it is, I could help.” When she didn’t budge, he went in for the kill. “That little girl up there deserves to be safe. If there’s danger…”

  “If there’s any danger, I’ll take care of it just like I’ve been doing since she was a newborn!” Sydney hissed, not wanting to raise her voice and have Faith hear any of this.

  “Let me help you,” he said as he extended his hands out at his sides, offering himself to her. Completely. All she had to do was reach out and accept.

  But she couldn’t.

  “I. Don’t. Need. Help.” Her shoulder bumped against his chest as she pushed her way past him, desperate to put space between them so she could pull off this charade and let him get on with his life. “Faith is my daughter, not yours.” There was such pain in his eyes as she spewed the hateful words at him, probably reminding him of Tara in that moment.

  He folded his arms across his chest but said nothing. His body language screaming with fury, but Sydney didn’t let up. She couldn’t.

  “If she needs anything, I’ll take care of it. We don’t need your help, and I sure don’t remember asking you to play white knight and save us. This whole situation is none of your business.” She jerked her chin toward the door. “I think you need to leave.”

  Wade’s anger hit her like a tidal wave. It poured off him and filled the tiny kitchen. She could see the muscles in his jaw clenching as he struggled to keep his mouth shut. It took everything in her not to cry.

  Just wait a minute, Sydney, she told herself. Give him another minute to let it all sink in and he will leave. It’s better for both of you if you break it off like this. He deserves better and you need to take care of Faith. You can’t do that by staying here.

  Without a word he grabbed his keys and stormed out the door, ripping Sydney’s heart further from her chest with each step he took. What she wouldn’t have given to have tried to make a life here, with him.

  Then the tears started to fall.

  “Where’s Wade going?” Faith popped her head around the corner, with some papers in her hand.

  Sydney quickly ran her fingers under her eyes. “He, um, had to go to work.”

  “He probably had a bad guy to catch.” The little girl held out the papers to Sydney. “Here, these were in my backpack. Miss Anna said the envelope’s for you. Someone left it in the office.” The weekly newsletter and latest fundraiser information she laid on the table, trying to get her mind off of Wade and how angry he must be at her. And in a few more minutes she was going to have Faith furious at her too when she told her they were leaving.

  But it was all for the best, she told herself as she slipped her finger under the flap of the envelope. Inside there was a single piece of paper. Her heart stopped and terror filled her body. She read it twice and felt the bile rise up the back of her throat.

  I’m coming for her.

  The words filled her with terror. He’d been at her school. He was here in Elton and coming for them. There was no time for Sydney to think. Without a working car, she was trapped. Still clutching the note in her hand, she acted on pure instinct and ran out the door as fast as her feet would carry her. She heard a shrill screeching noise and realized it was coming for her but she didn’t stop. There was only one thing she could do to protect herself and Faith.

  She threw herself into the road.

  Right in front of Wade’s moving car.

  He slammed on the brakes, the edge of his bumper brushing against her leg, but she was too terrified to worry about nearly being hit by a car. Faith was in danger and she swore she’d never let that happen.

  He jumped out of the car and ran over to her, demanding to know what she was doing. When he saw the tears pouring down her face he opened his arms to her, and this time she ran to him and held onto him for dear life. She started crying harder when she felt him gently stroking her hair, whispering that he was there and everything would be all right.

  It was time to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may.

  THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT Sydney found extremely soothing about running her hands through soapy water as she washed the dinner dishes. And tonight, she needed all the calm she could get. After her hysterical episode in the middle of the street, Wade had carried her back inside and told Faith she was crying because she saw a spider and got scared. He pretended to smash something in the corner to complete the charade so Faith wouldn’t be upset. Then he proceeded to make himself at home, cooked them dinner, helped Faith with her homework, and was currently reading her a book before bed.

  All of that without asking her a single question.

  He was amazing.

  Sydney tried to enjoy it while she could. She knew when he came downstairs he was going to expect her to start talking and tell him everything, and she was prepared. She only hoped that the kindness he was showing them wo
uld continue once he knew the truth about what a horrible person she was. The plan to leave Elton was temporarily on hold. If this conversation with Wade didn’t go well, Sydney had already gathered up their emergency pack with cash, ID’s, and essential paperwork. Her knife was inside, as well as a gun that she hated carrying but, to protect Faith, she found she’d do anything. Even steal a car if that’s the only way they could get out of town. She was putting away the last of the dishes when she heard his heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “She’s all tucked in,” he said taking two mugs out of the cabinet and pouring coffee into them. He looked relaxed while Sydney felt like she was going to throw up.

  “She adores you.” The words came out as a squeak as she wiped the last of the dishwater from her hands, guilt swamping her. “Listen, I’m so sorry for what I said before about her not being yours, that was awful of me and I didn’t mean to hurt you… like she did.”

  He didn’t acknowledge that she knew about his past, he simply nodded and sat down at the table across from her. “Why did you run into the street to stop me?”

  Was she really going to do this?

  Her heart pounded as she looked into his eyes, eyes that were calm and strong and promised to listen to every word she shared. Unfortunately they gave her no indication as to what his reaction would be, and that was the part that terrified her. So before she shared anything, she needed some guarantees from him. Promises that, once he made, she knew he’d keep. Because that’s the kind of man he was.

  “The things I’m going to tell you aren’t pretty. They’re actually quite ugly. The hardest part in all of this is that they will change the way you look at me. But I can deal with that, if I know Faith is safe. She’s my number one priority. Having said that, I need you to make me a promise.”

  “What?”

  “No matter what I tell you, you have to make sure Faith is protected. If, after you hear everything, you think she shouldn’t be with me, I’m asking you to personally guarantee her safety. She’s not going into the system with Child Protective Services or anything like that. She’s not going to anyone you don’t hand pick. Heavens, she adores you. Keep her, for all I care, just don’t let her get hurt after all of this.” Desperation and fear choked her. She fisted her hands to keep him from seeing how badly they were shaking as she waited for his word.

  “You have my word, I’ll keep her safe.”

  Sydney relaxed and let out the breath that she had been holding. He would keep his word, and she knew he’d never send Faith back to that man. No matter what happened to her, Faith was going to be all right. Knowing that gave her the courage to begin.

  “My senior year of high school, I got pregnant. My boyfriend was a complete jackass and demanded I get an abortion. I refused, so he told everyone in school it wasn’t his and that I was a cheating whore. Because I was nothing more than another pregnant teenager in their eyes, they believed him.” Wade’s jaw ticked, the only tell that he was unhappy with what she was saying.

  “My mother wasn’t a very stable person. She struggled with mental illness and was very religious. A dangerous combination for the mother of an unmarried, pregnant teen. She found out about the baby and threw me out of the house with the clothes on my back and a hundred dollars. I lived in a shelter for a few weeks. I wasn’t going to let anything hurt my baby so I got a job afterschool as a waitress,” she smiled at the irony, “and made whatever money I could. One of the ladies at the shelter noticed how hard I was working and offered to let me have a room in an apartment building her brother owned. It wasn’t great. As a matter of fact it was pretty disgusting, but it was mine.”

  As she went on, Wade sat there silently allowing her to tell her story without interruption. She was sure there would come a point where he would ask questions, but for now, he was content to listen. That helped give her the strength to continue.

  “About a month before I was due, I didn’t feel well and had started to have some contractions. I went to the clinic where I had been getting my prenatal care and they did an ultrasound. They told me,” she covered her face and braced herself to say the words that she’d never had the courage to utter before, “they told me that my baby was dead.”

  A low curse slipped past Wade’s lips and his anger somehow comforted her. “I’m so sorry.”

  There was no way she could pause even long enough to accept his sympathy. She had to press on. “I was devastated, to say the least. They induced my labor and I delivered this perfect, beautiful, tiny baby girl. She had ten fingers and toes, a dusting of blonde hair, but no heartbeat. I was allowed to hold her, and I told her how much I loved her and all the things that I had dreamed for us. It felt like my heart was being shredded with each second that passed because I knew it wouldn’t last. I named her Hope and I remember kissing her tiny head and promising to love her forever.” Wade reached across the table and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

  “Handing her back to the nurses was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When they left, I remember lying in the bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering what I was going to do. My boyfriend wouldn’t care. He’d be happy and tell me it was for the best. My mother would tell me it was a punishment from God for my sins and that I deserved it. I had already pushed aside dreams of college when I found out I was pregnant, but now, I didn’t even have Hope to dedicate my life to. I had nothing. I watched the sun rise out my window and I knew it was time to leave. Not just the hospital, but my life in California as well.”

  His voice was raspy when he spoke. “What did you do?”

  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail then dropped her hands into her lap. “I filled a bag, gassed up my car, and drove. I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was, with every mile farther away I drove, the better I felt. But I was consumed by images of the baby and retracing my actions over the last few days. Did I do something to hurt her? What could I have done differently?”

  At that point he interrupted his voice gentle and words unexpected. “You know it wasn’t your fault, right? The doctors, the nurses, someone had to have told you that.”

  She offered him a weak smile. “I know. I knew it then, but when something like that happens, you can’t help but ask yourself why. I found hours had passed before I would come out of my own thoughts and I’d have to look at the GPS on my phone to see where I was. I barely made it through the mountains before it got dark. I wanted to get off the highway for a while so I started off on some country roads. I was somewhere south of Billings, Montana, when it happened.”

  He could sense her anxiety spike and he froze, sitting very still and giving nothing away with his expression. “What happened?”

  “It was dark, and I was exhausted. I thought about Hope’s tiny face and couldn’t stop crying so I pulled over next to this cornfield. God, it was like I was surrounded by mountains of corn. I don’t know if I was on a highway, the interstate, or Farmer Brown’s road anymore but I remember the stalks were so tall. I just sat in the car and cried until I couldn’t cry anymore.” She wiped her eyes and took a few deep breaths and prepared to lay her sins in front of this man that she cared so much about.

  Trust him, her inner voice whispered. She held onto that thought and continued.

  “I was getting ready to leave when I looked out the windshield and there was this woman. She was disoriented and staggering toward the car, covered in blood. She was in a dirty nightgown with little yellow flowers on it. Don’t ask me why I remember that, but they looked to be the same shade as the corn.” Sydney lost herself in the memory for a second before snapping back to the here and now. “She looked like she had been attacked by an animal or something so I jumped out of the car and tried to help.”

  Wade leaned forward on his elbows, intently listening to her every word. She could see him recreating every nuance of the scene in his mind. She was sure he had a million questions, but he waited and let her tell the story.

  “Right when I got to her, she collapsed and
shoved something at me. At first I thought it was a wad of blankets until I looked closer and I saw there was a newborn baby in them.” Sydney glanced over at the stairs thinking of how much bigger that tiny girl was now, but still in the same danger. Nothing had really changed for either one of them.

  “There was so much blood. She could barely talk. I wanted to call an ambulance but she just kept begging me to take the baby and get her away from him.”

  “Who?” Wade asked, knowing a name would be a solid fact he could use to verify in this insane story.

  “I didn’t know, exactly. The woman said, He’s trying to kill her and I couldn’t let him have her. ”

  “Did you ask her what her name was?”

  “M-Marcy. Her name was Marcy, but there wasn’t time for me to ask her much more. I could hear rustling in the corn and someone coming closer. She panicked, begged me to go and take the baby. I offered to take her to the police but that freaked her out even more. I was about to drag her to my car when I heard him yelling terrible things. He was saying he would kill her when he found her and make her pay.”

  “Jesus, Sydney.”

  “I had blood all over me from trying to help her, but it didn’t do any good. I couldn’t stop the bleeding enough to help her. When I looked over at the baby, I realized there was one thing I could do to help her. The only thing I could. The stalks right next to us started shaking and I could hear him breathing. Watching us. I grabbed the baby and ran for the car as fast as I could.”

  Wade was like a statue beside her. His expression was calm but she could feel his anger vibrating beneath his skin. The silence was slowly killing her but if he interrupted, she didn’t know if she could continue.

  “The keys were still in the ignition, so I started to drive away. He jumped through the corn but I didn’t stop. He watched me drive away, and the last I saw of him, he was standing over Marcy and had raised what looked like a baseball bat over his head. I couldn’t watch anymore so, like a coward, I sped away.” Years had passed but the emotions were still raw as if it all had happened yesterday. She covered her face and tried to stop shaking. Wade settled into the chair beside her and rubbed his hand along her back.