The farther up the sidewalk they walked, the more congested it became. People closed in on them, trapping Eve between Reid and a wall of bodies. She tightened her grip on Reid’s hand, terrified of severing the connection and being swept away in a sea of people.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded, gaze fixed straight ahead. She used her free hand to wave at friendly faces and flashed what she hoped looked like genuine smiles to people she’d known most her life. But unease skittered around her skin in angry circles, refusing to leave.
“There’s Madden.” Reid wove through the crowd, keeping her close.
When Madden noticed their approach, he leaned to whisper in Lily’s ear. Tara stood with her back to them, unaware of what was happening.
“Here we go,” Reid whispered under his breath.
His nerves were as loud to Eve’s ear as the pack of giggling children darting around with sticks of cotton candy. “You’ve got this.”
They stopped right behind Tara, and Reid cleared his throat.
Tara glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes widened for a beat before her mouth settled into a tight line. “What are you doing here?”
Eve winced at Tara’s harsh tone.
“I just want to talk to you for a minute,” Reid said.
“You mean you want to tell me what to do. That my choices are stupid,” she snapped.
“Tara,” Eve said, slipping her hand from Reid’s and placing it on his sister’s arm. “Please. He’s here because he loves you. All he wants you to do is listen. To have a conversation.”
Lily snaked an arm around Madden’s waist. “Why don’t we give them some privacy? Besides, honey, you’re supposed to be working. Not standing around chatting with friends.”
Tara waited for Madden and Lily to disappear down the sidewalk before facing Eve and Reid with arms crossed over her chest. “They shouldn’t have called you. I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions.”
“I know that,” Reid said. “I don’t want to tell you what to do. I really don’t.”
Tara snorted. “You’ve been telling me what to do my whole life. Why stop now?”
“Damn it, Tara.” Reid rubbed the back of his neck. “Can’t we just talk? Like two adults?”
Not wanting to intrude on their personal conversation, Eve took a tiny step away. She shifted to the side, her focus on the people trudging along with grins and laughter because their lives weren’t filled with alcoholic fathers or dangerous stalkers. She wished she could be one of them. No troubles, no worries, just a sunny day of fun with friends and family.
A subtle bump against her shoulder moved her another step away from Reid. She braced herself against the impact.
A hand gripped her bicep, steadying her. A clean-shaven man wearing a crisp white button-down shirt and dark jeans stared at her from under the bill of a baseball hat. Shadows hid his eyes, but nervous energy poured off him in waves. He moved so he stood between her and Reid. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to knock into you. I’m just… I’m a little frantic. My daughter wandered away. My wife is on the other side of the street looking for her. She’s so small, only three years old. She’s probably scared and lonely. Have you seen her?”
“Do you have a picture of her? Have you called the police?”
“My wife spoke to a deputy, who’s helping. But I can’t sit still and just wait. I have to find her. There are so many people here.” He fished his phone from the front pocket of his jeans. “This is her.”
Eve glanced at the screen, and terror squeezed her lungs until it stole every breath from her body.
“She’s a real pretty little girl,” the man said, his voice becoming hard and cold. “I’d hate to see anything bad happen to her. Don’t you agree?”
A picture of Suzy dominated the screen. Her nose was tilted up and her smile wide as she stared up at a police horse wearing a cowboy hat.
Eve’s gaze flew up and connected with the man’s. The hard glint shining through his green eyes sent a wave of nausea crashing against her abdomen.
He lifted his finger to his lips. “Quiet. Don’t do or say anything you’ll regret and the girl won’t get hurt. If you want to keep her safe, come with me now and don’t make a scene.”
Chapter 24
Reid clenched his jaw to keep from losing his cool. Tara’s annoyance wasn’t surprising, but he’d hoped she’d be open to a calm and rational conversation. If that was his goal, he couldn’t misstep and raise his voice.
