“What areyoudoing here?” I snapped. Although I had to give her props for building the fire outside to stay warm. If she kept the glass door open, some of the heat would still come in, although it was lucky she hadn’t burned the rest of the place down.
“I told you I was sorry. I can’t come back with you.” Tears filled her eyes.
I looked at her. “You’re hungry and wet. You’re cold and exhausted. You think you can take me right now?” Now that I’d found her safely, anger at what she’d put us all through filtered through me. Even so, the concern ran deeper.
“Probably,” she said, her chin lowering.
I grinned. “Okay, I like the spunk. Come on, let’s get in Aiden’s truck and turn the heat on full blast.”
She looked beyond me. “Aiden’s here?” Hope filled her voice.
“Hey, he’s my crush, not yours.” I slung an arm over her shoulders, trying to sound normal and not start bawling since I’d found her safe. I didn’t want to scare her away again. “Come on, you have a million people out looking for you. You’ve even hit the press.”
She winced. “I’m in the paper?”
“Yeah, you’re in the paper. You’ve been missing since Friday night.” I gently pulled her along.
She grabbed her backpack and came with me outside through the snow, wearily climbing into Aiden’s truck.
I started the engine and turned the heat on full blast. “All right, what happened?”
She looked at the vent and held her hands out, moaning. “I can’t tell you.”
“You’re going to have to tell me.”
“No,” she said. “I can’t. I won’t.”
I grabbed my phone and sent out a text to the entire family.I FOUND VIOLET. SHE’S OKAY. I DON’T HAVE ANY DETAILS YET.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I looked over at her. “The entire family is out looking for you in the snow and cold right now. So is Oliver Duck and pretty much everybody we know.”
She hunkered down in her coat. “I didn’t want anybody to look for me. I’m sixteen years old. I’m old enough to live on my own.”
“In the closet in my old, burned-out house?” I asked gently.
A small smile played on her lips. “I didn’t say it was ideal.”
“Violet, come on. You have to tell me what happened.”
She crossed her arms. “No, I’m sorry.”
“Huh.” My text dinged. I looked down to see that it was from Uncle Buddy. He said he would meet us at Aiden’s place.
“All right.” I pulled the truck out. I wasn’t very far away from my new home. “Buddy would like to speak with you.”
“Hell no.” Violet scrambled for the door.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Are you afraid of Buddy?”
She blinked. “Yes.”
My breath caught. How could anybody be afraid of Buddy?
Her chin dropped. “I don’t want him to think badly of me. I like Buddy. He wanted to be my dad.”
“He still wants to be your dad,” I said. “No matter what you’ve done or what has happened, Violet, we’re going to be family. We’re going to help you.”
