Jeffrey tried calling the doctor back, but it kept going to voicemail. Maybe taking April out was the right answer. He could find someplace else. Out of the country. Someplace safe. But as soon as the idea popped into his head, it drifted away. It would never work. First of all, April wouldn’t allow it. And finding another doctor like Marnet would take time. Time he didn’t have. Was he going to have to let her go? Everything in him screamed no. He needed Alexander to settle down. Keep the plan going for now. If the doctor wouldn’t listen to him, maybe he’d listen to the man who’d put this plan into place. The man who had as much to lose as he did.

He picked up his phone and clicked on a familiar number.

THE HOUSE WAS EXTREMELY QUIET. Tony was still napping, and Mrs. Weyland had gone to the store. River used the time to call Nathan and check on him. He was home and felt secure with someone there. She and Tony had planned to wait awhile before telling him about the note found in the hotel room, but since they’d shared the information with Jeffrey, it made sense to let Nathan know as well. If Jeffrey told him first, he’d feel betrayed since he was their client.

When she told him, as she’d anticipated, he was excited.

“Nathan, I think we need to tread carefully here,” River said. “So far, there’s no trace of April in that room. Until the police come up with something that makes us certain she was there, we have to wonder if one of her followers is playing a game.”

“Why would anyone do that?” he asked, his voice indignant.

“Attention. Excitement. Even misplaced concern for April. Wanting to make her case public so the police will work harder to find her. We saw this happen several times when we worked for the FBI. I really don’t want to discourage you, but like I said, let’s wait for the police to give us a real reason to hope.”

“I hear you,” Nathan said, “but I believe April wrote that note. She’d definitely think of something like that.”

“I hope you’re right, I really do. We’ll keep you updated. I also wanted to tell you that we’ve been able to use April’s notes to solve several of her cold cases. Your girlfriend is very impressive.”

“Yes, she is.” His voice cracked and he quickly cleared his throat. “I miss her so much.”

“I know you do. I’ll check in with you soon. You be careful and do what the police tell you to do, okay?”

“I will. Jared, the officer who’s staying with me, is really nice. I feel completely safe.”

“I’m glad.”

After River said goodbye, she turned her attention to the dinner that she both anticipated and dreaded. If someone had told her even a year ago that she’d be willing to speak to her father again, she wouldn’t have believed them. Now, here she was, not only facing him, but determined to forgive him. It was only by the grace of God that this meeting was taking place. God’s power to change people was something hard to understand. It was truly miraculous.

“Father,” she whispered. “I need You to help me tonight. Fill me with Your love and Your strength. I pray whatever happens will glorify You. And please, please help my mother. Preserve her dignity. Keep her . . . calm.”

River realized that she was actually more concerned about Rose than she was about herself. Her father’s betrayal had caused so much pain.

JEFFREY WAS PACKING A BAG. He needed to get April out of the small hospital and take her far away. He was sorry he’d ever started down this road. April was in trouble because of him. This was all his fault. He’d been certain he could sacrifice her for his sins, but when it came down to it, he couldn’t. All he could think about was the way she used to look at him. The way she’d adored him and called him Daddy. He’d spent a lot of the trust fund, but there was still enough to get them both out of the country and to keep them safe for quite a while. For now, that would have to be good enough. He’d called the doctor and told him to get her ready. He’d have to keep her drugged at first, but once they were safely away, he’d wean her off the medications. He could only hope that there was a way he could explain everything. If he wasn’t able to . . . well, he couldn’t think about that now. He’d never be able to tell her the truth about her mother. Never. That was a secret that would have to die with him. She’d seen her mother’s body underneath the tree in their backyard before it was moved to another location and the knife wound was replaced by a bullet. Somehow, she’d turned it into a nightmare, her mind not allowing her to remember that it was real. He was grateful for that. If she hadn’t hidden it away in the recesses of her mind, he wasn’t sure what he would have had to do.

He was finally ready. He took the suitcases out to the SUV and was loading them into the back when he felt the first sharp pain in his back. He straightened up to see what was wrong, when he heard the second pop. He was suddenly on his back, looking up at a sky full of dark clouds, when he saw the person standing over him and realized that he was never going to see his stepdaughter again. As he waited for the final bullet that would end his life, all he could think about was her.

IT WAS ALMOST SIX. Tony was up and dressed. He’d helped Mrs. Weyland set the table. River quietly thanked God that he was here with her. She wasn’t confident in herself, but she knew God and Tony would get her through what was one of the most difficult things she’d ever had to do. She’d never hated anyone as much as she’d hated her father. Only God could have orchestrated this moment.

Her mother looked beautiful. She wore a dark blue dress that accented her still-youthful figure, and although she didn’t wear much makeup, River had used just enough to accent her great features. She couldn’t completely push out the thought that she wanted her father to see what he’d thrown away on someone as selfish and cheap as CeCe. However, River knew tonight wasn’t about that. She needed to stay centered on God’s will. His reason for bringing a fractured family together.

She, Tony, and Rose were sitting in the living room, waiting for the doorbell to ring. The tension in the room was palpable. Tony was trying to relax them, but it wasn’t working. Thankfully, her mother seemed to be fully aware of what was going on. River noticed she was twisting her hands in her lap. River got up and sat down next to her on the couch. She took one of Rose’s hands in hers.

“I’m so proud of you, Mama,” she said. “I can only imagine how difficult this is for you.”

Rose’s eyes filled with tears. “For you too, honey. But you need to know that I made mistakes too. It wasn’t all your father’s fault. I didn’t deserve what he did, and neither did you. But God’s love and forgiveness makes this necessary.” She squeezed River’s hand. “Promise me that if I . . . if I get confused, you’ll get me out of the room. Please? I know it sounds vain, but I just can’t look foolish in front of your father. I couldn’t bear it.”

“Oh, Mama,” River said, her voice breaking. “You’re not foolish. What’s happened to you isn’t your fault. Please, please don’t ever think about yourself that way. I love you, Mama.”

“Oh, River.” Rose reached up and patted River’s cheek, the same one she’d slapped the night before. “I love you too. I’m so sorry for not being the kind of mother I should have been. I want you to know how much I regret it.”

“I let you down too. I should have been more understanding about what you were going through. I guess there’s enough blame to go around. To be honest, I even resented Dan for leaving when he was eighteen. I guess we all need a fresh start, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do.” Rose leaned over and whispered in River’s ear. “Please don’t let Tony get away, okay? I don’t want you to live with regret. It’s not the way to live your life.”

River looked into her mother’s eyes and smiled. Then she nodded.

When the doorbell rang, she felt Rose jump. She looked over at Tony. What she saw in his eyes calmed her. Her mother was right. River had just assured her mother that she wouldn’t ever let Tony leave her life. It was a vow she intended to keep.

CHAPTER

FORTY-ONE

Mrs. Weyland had made a wonderful dinner. A prime rib roast, garlic mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, a fruit cup, and a green salad. River was impressed. But the real star of the show was Rose’s famous peach cobbler. She hadn’t made it in a long time. It used to be her father’s favorite dessert. Mrs. Weyland had overseen her efforts, but she hadn’t made any mistakes. As it was being kept warm in the oven, the aroma wafted through the house. The dining room table had been laid out with Rose’s white lace tablecloth and a winter centerpiece with a large glass bowl containing a white candle surrounded by frosted pinecones. Everything was perfect.

River was surprised by her father. He was still handsome. In fact, he looked the same except his brown hair had turned to silver. She’d expected something different after all these years, but except for his hair, he was the same man who’d walked out on them so many years ago. Although it probably wasn’t very Christian of her, she’d kind of hoped her father had aged badly.

So far, their conversation was stilted and formal. At one point, Dan blithered on and on about almost hitting a deer on the way into town. He’d pointed out that even though there were more deer in Colorado, where he lived, he’d never come close to running into one until tonight. His attempt to start a dialogue finally seemed to run out of steam, and he fell silent. Rose hadn’t said much at all. River wondered if she was afraid to speak. Afraid she’d say the wrong thing.

Her father asked River what she was doing now, and she’d spent a few minutes telling him about her former job with the FBI and why they’d decided to open a private investigation firm.

“At the BAU, we spent most of our time writing profiles for law enforcement,” she said. “But now, we can use those skills and do the investigations ourselves. I really enjoy it.”

“She’s really good at it,” Tony said.

“I thought most PIs looked for people who’d skipped out on their debts or cheated on their spouses,” her father said.

“That’s true, but with our training, we’re concentrating on criminal cold cases.”

Her father frowned. “How do you get clients? Do you advertise?”

“No,” River said. “Tony is friends with St. Louis’s chief of police. They were together at the academy. His department has a lot of cold cases, and he wants to send some our way. The police have so much to deal with, they don’t have the manpower to spend time working on all of the cases that weren’t solved. True, we just started, but I think Arnie, the chief, is beginning to put a lot of trust in us. We may have started slowly, but we’re confident things will pick up.”

Her father put his fork down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you’re not successful. I’m sure you will be . . . I mean, you are . . .”

“Please, relax,” River said. “We all know this is rather . . . stressful.”

Joel sighed loudly. “Stressful. Yeah.”

“Dad, it’s okay,” Dan said.

River shot her brother a look. She loved him and was glad to see him, but she still wished he hadn’t forced them into getting together with their father. It would have been better if they’d worked as a team to set something up. Of course, she could have been the first to open the door to reconciliation, and she hadn’t. Still, it felt as if Dan had forcefully kicked it open without her permission.

“No, it’s not okay.” Her father stared down at his plate. “Look, I need to say something. I planned to wait until after dinner, but everyone’s obviously uncomfortable.”

“I wonder why,” River said, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. She looked at Tony and saw caution in his expression. He was right. She needed to keep herself calm. Her mother was fine. She was the one who was struggling. It seemed her feelings were at war with her resolve. She was so thankful that Tony was here. She really did need him. “I’m sorry, D . . . Dad,” she said. It was hard to get the word out. He didn’t feel like her father. Maybe biologically, but not emotionally.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he replied. “I understand. I don’t deserve anything from you, and I’m not asking for anything. I just wanted to tell your mother . . . and you . . . that I’m sorry. So very, very sorry.” He took a deep breath. River could see how hard this was for him. “I had everything, but I didn’t realize it. Didn’t appreciate it. CeCe made me feel younger. Free. A lot of it had to do with the way I saw God. I saw Him as harsh and judgmental. Someone I could never please. I felt so . . . trapped. Leaving with CeCe was my way of running away from God. Running away from the person I didn’t think I could be. After she left me, I needed God more than I ever had before. To my surprise, I found out that He wasn’t who I thought He was. That he still loved me, even after all the awful things I’d done.”

“That’s when he called me, sis,” Dan said. “At first, I didn’t want anything to do with him. But he kept calling. When I finally decided to hear him out, I realized that he’d changed. Really changed. I had to forgive him, River. It was the right thing to do. You know that, right?”