“Mandy? Mandy, where are you? Has anyone seen my daughter?”
Tessa looked up to see a young woman frantically moving between booths, her expression terrified. People were stopping to help, asking questions and looking around.
“What’s happening?” Tessa asked Annie, who was already stepping out from behind their booth.
“Sounds like someone’s child is missing,” Annie said, her face creased with concern. “That’s Emily Brown. Her daughter Mandy is about four.”
Without hesitation, she followed Annie toward the distraught mother. Years of emergency room training kicked in, focusing her mind and steadying her nerves. This was familiar territory—the ability to stay calm when others couldn’t.
“Emily,” Annie said as they reached the woman. “What happened? When did you last see Mandy?”
Emily’s eyes were wide with fear. “Just a few minutes ago. She was right beside me at the hot chocolate stand, and then I turned to pay, and she was gone. She’s wearing a red coat with a white fur hood. Please, she’s only four. She’s never wandered off before.”
“We’ll find her,” Tessa said firmly, using the same tone she employed with panicking family members in the ER. “She can’t have gotten far, and there are plenty of people to help look.”
Already, word was spreading through the crowd. Nora Cassidy appeared and leaned close. “You’re doing a great job. Go ahead. They’ll listen to you.”
Tessa nodded, efficiently taking charge. “Everyone, stay calm,” she announced in a voice that carried. “We’re looking for four-year-old Mandy Brown. She’s wearing a red coat. Market vendors, please check under your tables and behind your displays. Parents, keep your children close. Let’s spread out and cover the whole square.”
As people began spreading out, she felt a presence beside her and turned to find Beckett. The familiar scent of pine and sawdust that always seemed to surround him was oddly comforting in the midst of the growing chaos. His face was set with worry and determination, and his eyes scanned the crowd with focused intensity.
“I’ll take the north end,” he said quietly, his voice steady and reassuring against the backdrop of worried murmurs and Emily’s barely contained sobs.
She nodded, a wave of relief washing through her at his calm approach. Her heart was pounding with a familiar adrenaline rush, but unlike the panic attacks that had plagued her in Denver, this felt purposeful and controlled. “Look for small spaces a child might squeeze into. And check with the vendors selling toys or candy. She might have been attracted to those.”
He nodded, his gaze meeting hers for a brief moment before he disappeared into the crowd, his tall figure weaving purposefully through the sea of concerned faces and holiday decorations.
Chapter 13
Beckett walked purposefully through the now-anxious crowd. He checked between booths, behind displays, and asked vendors if they’d seen a little girl in a red coat. The minutes ticked by, each one increasing the worry he tried to keep at bay. Children could move quickly, and in a crowded market, there were countless places to hide or become trapped.
He glanced around the crowd and frowned. So many people were searching every inch of the square. What if the girl had wandered off farther? Making an instant decision, he turned and headed between two buildings and out behind them onto the River Walk. There were too many tracks in the snow to know if she’d come this way, but he continued walking along the river.
As he approached a larger area on the River Walk that had a statue of a pony, he heard a small sound, like a hiccup or a stifled sob. He paused, listening intently, then hurried forward, his heart hammering against his ribs.
There, curled into a tight ball under the pony statue, was a tiny figure in a red coat.
“Mandy?” He kept his voice gentle, fighting to keep the tremor of hope from his words. “Is that you, sweetheart?”
The little girl looked up, her face tear-streaked but unharmed. She nodded mutely, her bottom lip quivering.
“Your mom is looking for you,” he said, extending his hand but not moving closer, not wanting to frighten the child further. “She’s very worried. Would you like to come out so we can find her?”
She hesitated, then whispered, “I wanted to see the pony, but then it got dark, and I was scared.”
“It’s okay to be scared. But you’re safe now, and your mom really wants to see you.” His voice caught on the last words, his throat tight with unexpected emotion.
After a moment’s consideration, Mandy crawled forward and took his outstretched hand. He let out a deep breath as his hand closed over hers, warmth flooding through him like sunshine breaking through clouds. The knot in his chest loosened. He scooped the girl into his arms, his muscles relaxing as the weight of worry lifted. Mandy immediately wrapped her small arms around his neck.
“Let’s go find your mom.” Relief swept through him as he carried her back to the market.
When Emily spotted them walking through the crowd, her cry of joy pierced the winter air, drawing every head in their direction. She rushed forward with outstretched arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He carefully transferred Mandy into her mother’s desperate embrace, feeling the weight of responsibility lift from his shoulders as the little girl was reunited with her mom. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the market as word spread that the child was found and unharmed. People smiled and nodded at one another, the holiday spirit returning to the festive gathering.
“Thank you,” Emily sobbed, her voice breaking as she clutched Mandy against her chest, rocking slightly back and forth. Her fingers trembled as they stroked her daughter’s hair. “Thank you so much.”
“She went to find the pony. The one on the River Walk.” His voice was soft, his heart still racing from the mixture of worry and relief.
