Page 110 of Truly Forever

My hands curl. That kid, attacking his mother and then abandoning her. Yeah, I was as brainless as Jacob once upon a time—but I’m sorry. He has to learn that age is no excuse.

Consumed by my own reverie, I don’t notice Hollie’s withdrawal until she’s almost out of my arms, edging along the front of the sink. She sidesteps the hand I lay on the sleeve of her ratty sweatshirt and flips a switch under the cabinet.

Under the bright globe above the kitchen sink, her features are pale and grim. Purplish stains cup her eyes. She makes her crossed arms into a barrier.

A single step of retreat lands my backside at the cramped breakfast table where the three of us attempted a meal. Sinking my rump onto it, I hope the passive posture eases her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hands curled into the extra-long sleeves, she lifts her chin. “Talk about what?”

I rake my hand through my hair. So this is how she’ll play it.

A generic, carrier ringtone jingles from the living room. Hollie skirts a circle around yours truly and disappears. For her sake, I hope it’s the kid coming to his senses.

My pocket vibrates with a call of my own. I slip the phone out and read Ben’s name. Sighing, I tap the green button. Why not give Hollie a minute away from the big bad wolf.

There’s no friendly greeting, and an underlying urgency in Ben’s voice perks my ears.

“What’s up, man?”

“Do you know where Jacob Carpenter is?”

I rise, one hand lodged at my waist. “No, why?”

“What about his mom? I’ve been trying to reach both of them since noon.”

“Hollie’s right here. I’m at her place…”Crud.

He pauses for all of half a second. “Well, good for you, but she and the kid need to know that the local PD want to bring him in on Friday for another round of questions, and I’ve got a feeling something’s up.”

“Something like what?”

“Good question. I’m working on finding that out. Regardless, it’s imperative Carpenter be there.”

Leaving off the more personal details, I fill Ben in on the situation with Jacob moving to his girlfriend’s. Of course, he’s still got a phone, so there’s no reason for him to be out of touch. Dang, the kid has got to be smart enough to answer his own attorney’s calls.

I knead the back of my neck. “I’ll let Hollie know and personally make sure Jacob gets the message.” Boy, will I.

Still cradling the phone in my palm, I find Hollie with hers glued to an ear and with horror on her face. She hangs up and stares at me. “That was Reagan’s mom. She said she’s been calling for hours. I didn’t recognize the number, so…”

Yeah, I get it. Known numbers faired no better. “What’s up?”

“Apparently, Reagan’s father didn’t know about the pregnancy. When they told him, there was a huge fight and he told Jacob to find somewhere else to stay.”

Probably exactly what I’d do if I had a daughter. “So where did he spend last night?”

Picking at her nails, Hollie shrugs. “I have no idea. And Mrs. Boswell said her husband left for a business trip this morning but that they had planned to sit down and talk about everything tomorrow when he returned.”

A fresh foreboding sets up in my gut. “What else?”

“Reagan didn’t come home from school today.”

My stomach feels like I swallowed a brick.

“Andy, the other brother…he informed them that…that Jacob and Reagan are driving to Las Vegas. They’re going to get married.”

Chapter 25

Hollie

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