“You’re right.” Maggie had been attempting to navigate her mother’s narcissism for as long as she could remember. Developing her life around it was a real challenge because her mom viewed Maggie as an extension of herself. She’d shown interest in her granddaughter only to the extent that she usurped Maggie’s attention. Yet she demanded that Zoey comply with and respect her.
Maggie tried to shield her daughter from her mother as much as possible, but it was hard when they lived in the same town. And truthfully, since Ethan had died, Maggie had let her boundaries slip where her mother was concerned. She hadn’t had the emotional reserves to keep her in her place.
She confided in Erin more than anyone about her mom. Not only because she was her best friend, but because she was great with advice. Maggie set down her phone and attempted to put her anxious thoughts aside. “So how did last night turn out? You seem to have survived what looked like the social event of the season.”
“It was fine, really. It was for a good cause at least.” Erin caught her up on the event, putting a humorous spin on the whole thing until Maggie was laughing so hard that she nearly wet her pants.
By the time the girls were ready to go inside, Maggie was thoroughly glad for the reprieve from her heavy thoughts. As she slipped through the sliding glass door, she checked her phone and saw that her mother hadn’t responded.
They got into dry clothes and had a late lunch. Afterward, the girls watchedMoanawhile Erin and Maggie chatted at the kitchen table. When Erin got up to refill their drinks, Maggie sent another text.Mom? Is everything okay?
She sent another text when the movie ended, and at four thirty, when they headed home, she still hadn’t heard back. Zoey fell asleep on the way home and Maggie carried her inside and laid her on herbed. The sun had worn her daughter out and a nap was probably best since they might be out late at the carnival again.
Maggie headed to the living room where she grabbed her phone and placed a call to her mom. She tried not to worry that something had happened, but she couldn’t seem to help it. It was her mom—the only one she’d ever have. And with Maggie now two hours away, Mom really didn’t have a support system of any kind. The new boyfriend hardly counted.
The call rang through to voice mail. No surprise. A moment later the beep sounded.
“Hi, Mom. Just making sure you’re all right. Give me a call, okay?” She tapped the End button and wished she could quell the useless anxiety fraying her nerves. Maggie had hoped a little distance would provide a reprieve from the emotional exhaustion that came from her relationship with her mom. But she should’ve known her mother would never let that happen.
Chapter 5
The carnival crowd was dwindling, and they’d been here so long that even Zoey was ready to leave. The blaring music, arcade sounds, and giddy squeals were giving Maggie a headache. She gave the boardwalk one last searching glance before heading back to the bumper cars where she was meeting Josh and Zoey.
Hours earlier he’d bought a truckload of tickets, and the two of them had been switching off between riding with Zoey and searching the crowd.
But so far no sign of the man.
Maggie stopped by a couple who were sharing a dish of mint chocolate ice cream. “Excuse me, have you seen this man?” She held up her phone.
The woman shook her head. “Sure haven’t. Sorry.”
“Have you tried the arcade? There’s a ton of people in there.”
She’d been in there at least five times. “Thank you.”
A knot pressed her windpipe as she moved on. The tang of pizza carried from the open-doored shop, turning her stomach. They’d been searching almost six hours and nothing. Not a single sighting. Not even a hint. No one recognized the man who’d been here only the night before.
What if they never found him? How would she ever live with that kind of uncertainty?
The bumper cars were emptying as she approached the ride. As Josh and Zoey skirted the barricades and headed her way, he sent Maggie a questioning look.
She shook her head.
“Uncle Josh hit the blue car, Mommy!” Zoey grabbed Maggie’s hand. “The one with a little boy, and he laughed. He hit us, too, and we banged against the wall, then another car hit us. Uncle Josh said we only have one ticket left and I get to ride the carousel.”
“Is that right? Well, it’s almost closing time. We’d better head that way so you can get your favorite horse.”
“The one with the pink roses!”
“That’s right.”
“Well, there he is, Cupcake,” Josh said as they approached the ride. “There’s no line and your favorite horse is looking for you.”
“It’s ashe, and it’s not a real horse, silly. Only pretend.”
“Oh, I see.” Josh handed over the ticket, and he and Maggie followed Zoey, who stepped onto the carousel base and scurried over to the horse.
Josh lifted her up and secured the belt. “Hold on tight. I hear this one likes to buck pretty little girls.”
