Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (130 page)

“Um…”
Her
mind
seemed
foggy.
She
stammered,
searching
for
a
coherent
thought.

William’s
hands
cupped
her
face
and
forced
her
to
meet
his
gaze.
“Slow
down.
Breathe.
Did
you
look
in
his
room?”

“Yes.”

“What
about
Ellie’s
room?”

“Yes.
I
looked
in
every
bedroom—mine
included.
I
was
looking
for
Luke
before
I
knew
he
was
missing.
I
looked
in
the
guest
room,
all
over
the
downstairs,
and
in
the
basement.”

Her
friend’s
hands
dropped
as
he
rested
them
on
his
hips
in
his
usual
“I’m
the
lawman
and
I’m
thinking
right
now”
stance.
His
head
dropped
as
if
his
shoes
were
of
vital
import
to
finding
Tavish
and
then
snapped
up
again.
“The
closet
under
the
stairs.
Did
you
—”

She
never
knew
if
he’d
finished
asking
or
not.
She
ran
into
the
house,
slipping
on
ice
on
the
porch
steps
,
but
it
hardly
slowed
her
race
to
the
closet.
Aggie
flung
open
the
door,
but
Luke
caught
her
in
time
to
keep
her
from
shaking
the
boy
awake.
“Shh…
let
him
sleep.”

“But
he—”

Luke
pulled
her
away
from
the
door,
closing
it
gently,
and
led
her
down
the
hall
to
the
laundry
room.
Once
inside,
he
shut
the
door
and
pulled
her
into
his
arms.
“Cry
it
out,
Aggie.”

“I’m
too
angry
to
cry,”
she
argued.
Despite
her
protest,
Aggie
rested
her
head
under
his
chin
and
then
sighed
as
a
few
rogue
tears
made
a
liar
out
of
her.
“I’m
now relieved
I
don’t
have
time
for
things
like
mascara.”

“And
why
is
that?”

“I
hear
the
laughter
that
you’re
trying
to
stifle.
You’
re
failing.”
She
sounded
confused
as
she
muttered,
“What
was
I—oh,
right.
Mascara.
Can
you
picture
me
with
black
streaks
down
my
face
right
about
now?”

“You’d
just
look
like
one
of
those
French
clowns
with
the
long
black
tears.”
Her
pain
prompted
another
attempt
at
encouragement.
“It’s
going
to
be
ok.
It
is.
God
knows
what
He’s
doing
even
when
we
don’t
understand
it.”

“God
may
know
what
He’s
doing,
but
that
doesn’t
mean
I
happen
to
agree
with
Him.”

“I
thought
you
were
going
to
say
you
didn’t
have
to
agree.
I
was
going
to
argue,”
Luke
said,
attempting
a
smile.

She
closed
her
eyes
and
ignored
the
prick
in
her
spirit
that
told
her
she
had
the
wrong
attitude.
“
I
have
to
go
to
Rockland.
The
restraining
order.”

“Do
you
want
me
to
take
you?”
Luke
sounded
anxious.

“Would
you?
I’d
rather
not
have
to
do
this,
but
William—”

Luke
stepped
back,
turning
the
knob
behind
him.
“I’ll
shower
and
be
ready
in
a
few
minutes.
She
stared
at
the
empty
doorway
for
several
seconds
as
she
wondered
how
she
would
have
gotten
through
this
without
her
friends,
without
Luke.
His
face
appeared
in
her
vision
seemingly
out
of
nowhere.
“Oh,
I
forgot
to
tell
you.”