Love Lost & Found (Surfside Romance Book 2) Read online

  “Sure, any of us could die just like that.” She snapped her fingers as Mrs. McDougall took notes. “I mean an airplane could crash into the school or a lunatic could barge in with an AK-47 and blow us to smithereens.”

  Mrs. McD sighed. Any talk of rifles had to be written up. “It’s perfectly normal to have doom-and-gloom thoughts after a trauma. On the bright side, you have a two-week vacation coming up. Any plans?”

  Hannah stared at the counselor’s dark hair caught up in a pony tail, as if it would make her look younger. “I’ll spend it babysitting.”

  She smiled benignly. “That sounds like fun.”

  “She’s a hundred years old.”

  “Really? Tell me about her.”

  So Hannah told Ms. McDougall how they met Zelda Kendrick on their second day in Florida when the older woman fell and hurt her foot and suffered a concussion. Hannah spent the summer as her aide. She was paid to play cribbage and blackjack and watch Animal Planet and some talk shows. It had been a win-win for both of them. “Besides, where can I go without a Vespa?”

  “Vespas are dangerous.”

  Hannah’s mouth puckered. “That’s what my mother says.”

  “Maybe she’s right.”

  “Mothers are never right.”

  “I think we’ve covered a lot of territory today,” said Mrs. McD. “I’ll see you Thursday.”

  Hannah stood, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and received a hall pass. Talking about her grandparents brought up fond memories of their enormous fir tree decorated top to bottom with delicate crystal ornaments handed down for generations, many originating in France and Germany. The twinkling displays outside their split-level ranch house in Tarrytown on the banks of the Hudson River were worthy of the TV reality series Light Wars. Huge wet flakes drifted down lazily, as though God were shaking powdered sugar through a sieve over their little slice of heaven on earth. But since the kidnapping, the grandparents were off limits.

  Once, when she was ten, there was complete stillness. Not a sound. Not a bird. She wondered if the world had ended, but the plow rumbled through after breakfast. Hannah loved this time of year, not only the presents, but also the mouth-watering aromas of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts.

  Hannah needed a getaway plan. She could walk to the Deerfield Beach train station, hop an Amtrak liner bound for Grand Central and ice skate at Rockefeller Center. They did that once when they were a happy family, or appeared to be.

  No matter what, she was leaving town. Nothing could stop her.

  CHAPTER 4

  ALEXA CHECKED the calendar. Friday was payday. Luke had booked tickets for Saturday. They had three full days and nights in Portland—a quick trip filled with good cheer, at least she hoped so. Her greatest worry was that Hannah would insist on staying in town with her boyfriend Maverick.

  After stowing her tuna salad sandwich in the refrigerator, she returned to her desk and grabbed the phone that was ringing insistently. Mrs. Parry, the boss’s executive secretary, asked her to step into Mr. Frost’s office. Snatching up a pad, she stood up just as Lana vaporized beside her.

  The office manager had outdone herself in an ill-fitting purple taffeta cocktail dress embellished with sequins and bugle beads. The only thing missing was her party hat.

  “Excuse me, I have to see Bryan.”

  “Of course you do.” Lana stood rooted to the spot like an ancient Joshua tree.

  “Can you move?”

  Reluctantly, Lana scooted over an inch, allowing Alexa to squeeze past.

  Mrs. Parry, a petite older woman who happened to be Lana’s paternal aunt, wore an eye-catching electric blue sheath dress accented with a pearl and crystal necklace. Not surprisingly, her short, stylish salt-and-pepper hair was perfection.

  Frost called out, “Come in. I won’t bite.”

  Alexa sidled into the room and perched on the edge of a damask-upholstered cherry wood chair.

  Please wish me happy holidays and hand me a bonus check.

  Bryan Frost was movie-star attractive with dark hair, sapphire eyes and a cleft in his freshly-shaven chin. He wore a mint green shirt and blue tie with a swirl pattern, loosely knotted. He spun his stress-relieving aluminum egg. Thankfully, it stayed in its holder and didn’t pop out and roll across the floor as it did on occasion. At one time Alexa had wild fantasies about him, even imagining them having sex on his paper-strewn desk.

  After learning Frost once practiced law, she had created the fictitious character Attorney Howard Soloway for her first novel. Desiree Lightfoot was a slut and perhaps her alter ego. But she was over Bryan now, and into Luke Prescott. She took a deep cleansing breath. He smiled kindly.

  “I wondered why you didn’t enter your novel One Day My Love into the contest. I thought it was pretty good.”

  “I think I can do better.”

  “You think you can?”

  “I know I can.” She smiled politely, wishing she was back at her desk, even with fire-breathing Lana hovering over her like something out of Game of Thrones.

  “You could be the next breakout star. Any ideas for a new book?”

  “I have a mysterious next door neighbor. A hermit.”

  “A romance about a recluse?”

  “He was jilted at the altar. So he only goes out at night to shop and stroll the beach.”

  “On one of these lonely nocturnal walks he meets someone.”

  She nodded. “They leave notes for each other.”

  “What’s the working title?”

  She hesitated. “The Stranger Beside Me.”

  His brows knitted. “There was a book with that title about the serial killer Ted Bundy. As a former reporter I’d assume you knew that.”

  “How about Love Letters in the Sand?”

  He offered up a genuine smile.

  What a heartthrob, she thought as she rose unsteadily, brushing down her black slacks. “I promise not to disappoint.”

  “You could never disappoint me, Alexa” he said seductively. “You definitely have a shot at winning.”

  Alexa wondered if he meant the contest or his heart.

  CHAPTER 5

  FRIDAY MORNING Alexa awoke with a start. Soon she’d print the boarding passes for their cross-country adventure and she hadn’t yet summoned the courage to tell Hannah. She expected an argument that would rattle the colony of sugar ants nesting in the attic and send them scurrying back down into the kitchen. She brewed coffee, woke Hannah for the last day of the school year, and showered while pushing down thoughts of standing face-to-face with Sari—a mother so distant she could be living on another planet.

  Had she remarried and kept it a secret?

  Was she gay, bi or a tranny?

  Anything was possible.

  Alexa had seen Sari only a handful of times since her wedding fourteen years ago when her dad, Joe Conklin, had walked her down the aisle with a big, sloppy grin plastered on his face. “He’s not smart enough for you, sweetheart,” he said, referring to Mike. Did he expect her to make a U-turn and leave the ceremony like Katharine Ross did in the movie The Graduate?

  “He has no ambition. It’s all going to land on your shoulders sooner rather than later.”

  Of course he was right. She should have hopped on a Greyhound heading for Alaska. But she married Mike and Joe had died soon after her honeymoon. He’d been her rock, her go-to guy during her turbulent teenage years growing up in Portland. It took Alexa a long time to move past the grief. Now she wondered why she felt the all-encompassing need to see a woman who didn’t seem to care about her daughter’s well-being and even worse, about her beautiful granddaughter. Although she’d been avoiding a confrontation for years, this was the time to swim through the sea of questions and find the answers. No time like the present.

  For the last day of work, she picked out a festive red top with gold embellishments. She had one leg in her black trousers, the other in midair when Hannah screamed, “I’m freaking out! I mean, I’m really freaking out!” Al
exa tumbled sideways onto the bed as her daughter appeared in the doorway, her ginger hair a tangled halo, eyes wide with fright.

  “I have my math final today and I don’t know a thing,” she wailed. “If I fail, I’ll never get into college!”

  Alexa pulled her pants up and embraced Hannah fiercely

  “I’m sure you’ll pass.”

  “You don’t think I can ace a test?” Hannah pulled away.

  “I’m sure you could ace it with your eyes closed.”

  “That’s a good trick, Mom.” She paused. “I know you love me, but sometimes you sound awfully negative.”

  “I do?”

  “You do. Just pay more attention to the things you say.”

  Alexa was tempted to ask for particulars, but felt it was counterproductive.

  “Let’s just get through the day,” she said brightly. “Hopefully I’ll get a bonus and Doc will show up. He’s just flying under the radar.”

  She wrapped her arms around Hannah.

  “Ugh, gross. Get your push-up bra out of my face.”

  They drove to Pelican Middle School each lost in her own thoughts. Hannah slid from the car as Alexa called out, “Good luck on the test. I have a big surprise for you later.”

  Hannah was a great kid with a fresh mouth. Hopefully, Sari would welcome her with open arms. Having never known her own grandparents, Alexa felt a huge hole in her life. Everyone she’d ever met had at least one; some had multiple sets because of divorces and second or third marriages. She pulled into the corporate park.

  Today was payday. Beginning next year, she’d be on the direct-deposit payroll. But for now, she was the only employee who still received a paper check. That meant begging Helen Parry like a sad puppy.

  Bryan Frost did not believe in Secret Santa gift exchanges. In lieu of holiday bonuses, he ordered platters from the local deli for lunch. The aroma of corned beef and pastrami, turkey, ham and coleslaw filled the room. On the counter in the break room was an assortment of colorful fruit cubes and mouth-watering pastries. The staff made a line and shuffled forward to the buffet area. Senior editor Zev Humphries eagerly made his way down the treasure trove of delicacies taking one of everything.

  “Eat up,” Cara whispered in her ear. “There won’t be anything left.”

  Like something left over from Halloween, Lana wore an orange blouse, long dark skirt, and green flip-flops as she loaded up with enough food to feed an army and a few dozen cats.

  For the first time since starting at Comet Communications six months earlier, Alexa felt like part of the team, not the boss’s pet project. At the end of the day, she tracked down her paycheck, wished everyone a happy holiday, stopped at the bank’s ATM machine, and headed home anxiously elated to pack and print out the boarding passes. Suddenly, she realized her neighbor, Zelda Kendrick, would be home alone. This was unacceptable. She punched in Luke’s number, waiting impatiently for him to pick up.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, breathlessly, his words coming in quick gasps.

  “I should ask you that. Are you having a heart attack or sex without me?”

  “On the treadmill. What’s up?”

  “We leave first thing in the morning, but what about Zelda? She can’t be alone, can she?”

  Luke’s warm, throaty chuckle surprised her. “What’s so funny?”

  “I knew you’d be worried. She’s staying with a friend.”

  “She has a friend?”

  “She and Ruth had a falling out a few years ago, but they’ve patched things up,” he panted. “Ruth lives in Century Village. An Uber will pick Zelda up tomorrow.”

  “Okay, that’s a relief.”

  “Can you make sure she’s packed her meds, pajamas and a few clothes?”

  “Sure.” The list of things to accomplish in the next few hours was endless. “After all you’ve done, I wish I had a way to repay you.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” He must have set the speed to high as he gasped, “Is Hannah excited?”

  A car beeped. She goosed the accelerator. “She can’t wait.”

  Actually, she hadn’t said a word. Hannah knew squat.

  CHAPTER 6

  AT FORT Lauderdale Airport, Alexa drove into the short-term parking lot and up the ramp scouting for a parking space. Attached to the ceiling of the multi-level garage were red and green lights indicating vacant slots. Red, red, red.

  “There,” shouted Hannah, “three rows over.”

  Another car was heading toward it from the opposite direction. She blasted the horn.

  “Jeepers, Mom, get a grip.”

  Get a grip? She was freaking out.

  Although Hannah had willingly agreed to go, now Alexa felt the whole trip was a colossal mistake. She didn’t want to show up at Sari’s like a contagious virus.

  Hannah produced her laminated school-issued card as the TSA agent in blue-gloved hands compared the face to the credential. They dumped purses, sweaters, keys, belts, and phones into the gray bins, removed their shoes, and walked through the scanners. As Hannah entered the machine, the buzzer sounded.

  “Mom?” she asked in a quivering voice as a stout, middle-aged black woman wearing a too-tight TSA uniform beckoned to her, a metal-detecting wand in her hand.

  “Something set off the scanner,” said Alexa. “Do you have anything metal in your pockets?”

  Hannah nodded and withdrew a coin. “Doc gave it to me after the dust-up with Dad. Said it would keep me safe.”

  “Put it down,” the agent instructed sternly. Hannah set it on a metal table. The wand passed front and back and up between her legs as she flushed cherry red. Satisfied that the teenager wasn’t a terrorist, she let them get their bags.

  At Gate 13, a Delta jumbo jet was being readied for the first leg of their journey to the Pacific Northwest. “I need coffee. Want anything?”

  Hannah looked up from her phone. “How about a new life?”

  “Maybe you can find one in Portland.”

  “I’ll ask Grandma Sari if I can live with her.”

  “I’ll miss you.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  “Okay, I won’t.” Alexa smiled.

  At the overpriced snack bar, Alexa bought a mocha latte and sweet roll for herself. Calories didn’t count at thirty-thousand feet. She handed a bag with juice and buttered bagel to her daughter.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  On the opposite bank of seats, an older woman with tangerine hair and granny glasses angled her cellphone camera at them.

  “Don’t look now, but that lady over there is taking a video. Smile.”

  Hannah looked up. “I’m just bummed about Doc.”

  “I’m sure he’ll call.”

  She blew on the hot coffee as a text chimed into Hannah’s phone and she leaped out of her seat, as though bitten by a rattlesnake.

  “OMG, it’s him, he’s alive, and he’s alive!” The text read: Finished exams. Dad’s unlocking the cage, can’t wait 2 c u.

  Hannah’s fingers danced across the small keyboard, a wide grin splitting her face. Doc was back. Hallelujah. Alexa watched her daughter walk to the window, animated as a cartoon character, as she polished off the roll and finished the coffee, tempted to dig into Hannah’s bagel. When she returned, she said, “Doc was under house arrest with a tutor because his chances for a college scholarship were going down the toilet. Now he wants to party.”

  “That’s great news, sweetie.”

  “I mean tonight.”

  The PA announced that boarding had begun.

  “We should use the ladies room.” Alexa stood up and tossed the empty cup and bag into the trash. But if Maverick Devereaux was calling for a date with Hannah, she absolutely could NOT let her daughter out of her sight.

  As if on cue, Hannah said, “I don’t need the toilet. I’m not going to Portland.”

  “The tickets are bought and paid for.”

  “That’s not my problem, is it?”

  “We’r
e going to see your grandmother.”

  “Why? She never calls. This trip is stupid and I’m opting out.”

  “A minute ago you were talking about living with her.”

  “I was joking. How do you know she’s even your mother?”

  Alexa was shocked. Her knees went weak.

  “Boarding group four.”

  “We’re group five. Please, no scenes!”

  Hannah’s feet were planted apart, backpack slung over her shoulder. “What if you were given away at birth? What if Sari isn’t your mother?”

  “That’s ridiculous! Why would you even say something like that?”

  Passengers skirted around giving hard stares.

  Alexa slid her hand through Hannah’s arm. “It’s only for a few days. I’ll let you stay out late New Year’s Eve.”

  “Until when?”

  “Eleven.”

  “Ha-ha. Two.”

  Her brain was on fire. “Midnight.”

  Hannah smirked. “One o’clock. My final offer, take it or I’m leaving.”

  “Deal. But only if you’re in the plane and buckled up in the next five minutes.”

  “I hope nobody’s smuggling pythons or tarantulas.”

  They pushed their bags into the overhead bins and sat down. “We have a two-hour layover at San Francisco. Then we’ll take a puddle-jumper to Portland.”

  Hannah’s freckles looked like tiny polka dots. “We’re not going to crash, are we?”

  “Pilots are aces,” Alexa patted her hand. “Planes are safe. But you can’t text or call until we land.”

  “Now you tell me.”

  The doors closed and Alexa felt a wave of relief and tranquility and then a sudden gust of fear. What if Sari wasn’t home?

  She sent a quick text: Happy holidays.

  A text immediately pinged back. Driving.

  Wait! It was four in the morning out there. A ringing in her head quickly spread down her spine as she set the phone to airplane mode, sneezed twice, and then three more times. Five sneezes later, a short, thickset flight attendant with thinning blond hair, asked, “Are you sick?”

  “Allergies.”

  He nodded. “Me too, Florida kills me.” He snapped the overhead bin shut. “Let me know if you need extra tissues. I have a secret stash.”