Page 67 of All Autumn
“We don’t know that. I mean, it feels like maybe he is, but Savannah’s stronger than that. I can’t see her allowing a man to control her like that.”
Jenn shook her head. “I don’t think she is. Think about it. What’s the real reason she left for New York to pursue a modeling career?”
“That’s all she ever talked about from the time we met her. From first grade on, she never wavered from that, while you and I wanted to be ballerinas one day and airplane pilots the next. It’s what she’s always wanted.”
“I’m not so sure.” Jenn opened a cabinet door. “Where does Connor keep his coffee?”
“He has those K-Cup ones. They’re in the cabinet right above the coffee maker. I’ll have one, too.”
She pulled down a box and peered inside. “There are all kinds of flavors here. I think I’ll have an amaretto-flavored one. What’s your pick?”
“Is there a chocolate? If not, then hazelnut.”
“Mocha swirl work?”
“Yep.” After we made our coffees, we settled on the sofa in Connor’s living room. “So what are you saying? That Savannah didn’t want to be a model?”
“Think about it, Autumn. Who told Savannah she wanted to be a famous model, probably from the day she was born?”
“I know it’s what her mother wanted, but I just thought Savannah was on board, too. I never saw any indication that she wasn’t.”
“Me either, until Adam. I thought at the time, and I still do, that she didn’t want to leave him. Did you know her mother went to Adam and told him that he was standing between Savannah and her dream?”
Surprised, I shook my head. “No! She did? How do you know that?”
“I stopped by the twins’ house one night to drop off some CDs I’d borrowed. Mrs. Graham was leaving as I drove up. When I went inside, it was obvious Adam was upset. Their parents were out to dinner, and Connor was out on a date. I didn’t want to leave Adam alone.”
She glanced down at Beau, sleeping at our feet. “I’m breaking that confidence now because I think Savannah’s in trouble. Adam finally told me that Savannah’s mother had said, among other things, that Savannah would end up hating him if Adam kept her from going to New York to pursue her dream. The next day he broke up with her.”
Tears were burning my eyes by the time she finished. “I never knew. I always thought she’d broken up with him, but now that I think about it, neither one said exactly what had happened.”
“I know. Everyone, including Connor, thinks that Savannah was the one who broke up with Adam. The real truth is that her mother made that happen. He swore me to secrecy, said he didn’t want anyone to know, including Connor. He said his brother would ask a thousand questions he didn’t want to answer.”
“As sad as all that is, her mother might have been right. Savannah could have ended up resenting Adam if she’d stayed here with him.”
“I guess we’ll never know, but it should have been left to them to decide their future. I think the reason Mrs. Graham paid that visit to Adam was because Savannah was having second thoughts about leaving him. When he told Mrs. Graham that he would go to New York with Savannah if she asked, she laughed, telling him that he was just a small-town mountain boy and that he would be both an embarrassment and a hindrance to her career.”
“That’s awful. Adam would have never stood in Savannah’s way or been an embarrassment to her. I mean, just look at him. He’s drop-dead gorgeous. She’d have been the envy of any woman who laid eyes on him.”
“Yeah, well, it’s all spilt milk now. The question is, what are we going to do about Savannah? If she’s in trouble, then she needs us.”
“And if she’s not and is perfectly happy with the way things are?” I thought about it for a moment. “There’s only one way to find out. We pay her a surprise visit.”
“My thoughts exactly. Either she needs us or she’s putting her past life, including her childhood friends, behind her. If she’s moving on and we don’t matter to her anymore, then I want to know so I can stop worrying about her.”
I nodded my agreement. “Talk to Angelo, see when you can get a few days off, and then I’ll rearrange my schedule.” Thunder boomed, shaking the house and startling me.
Jenn and I both looked out the window when lightning flashed. “I hate that the guys are out in this storm,” I said, hoping they’d find the boy soon.
36
~ Connor ~
The weather was miserable. It was pouring rain and cold. Any tracks the dogs might have been able to follow had been lost in the deluge. But there was a lost boy out here somewhere, and he didn’t have warm clothes and rain gear on like the searchers, so we’d keep looking until we found him. It was unfortunate that the much needed rain had decided to make an appearance tonight.
“Rusty,” I called, then listened. Nothing. We’d called out his name until we were almost hoarse.
The father had been located an hour ago and reunited with his wife, so at least we were only searching for the kid. I couldn’t imagine how scared he must be, and I hoped we found him soon. The temperature had dropped considerably, and in this weather hypothermia could happen fast, especially for a child. Would a five-year-old be able to find ways to stay warm and dry? Probably not, which only increased the urgency to find him.
