“My truck wasn’t what they wanted; it was my tools.”
“Oh no.” Their mother pressed both hands against her lips. “Oh son, I’m so sorry.”
“Did you report it to the police?” Maisy asked, looking to Katie for an answer.
“We did,” Katie said, “but they didn’t give us much hope.”
“That’s not the worst of it,” her brother said as he rubbed his hands down his face. “My boss was there, and he said unless I have my tools, I can’t work, so basically I’m out of a job.”
Maisy felt tears roll down her face. This was too much. First Grams, then the news they would be selling the shop, and now Sean’s only means of transportation and his tools were gone, along with his job.
Maisy wasn’t the only one who looked stricken. Their mothersat at the table, her face white with dismay. Her shoulders hunched as if she carried the weight of the world, and right that minute it seemed that way.
“What are we going to do?” Patrick asked.
He seemed to be the only one capable of speaking.
It took a long while before their mother answered. “I…I don’t know, son. I don’t know.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Chase’s thoughts were deep when he arrived at the office Wednesday morning. For the last two nights he’d been unable to connect with Maisy, which confused and frustrated him. When she arrived back in Seattle, he’d gotten a cryptic text:
I can’t talk tonight; my grandmother is in the hospital.
What happened?He’d texted back.
No reply.
Is there anything I can do?
Of course not.
The abruptness of her text took him aback. Whatever was wrong had upset Maisy deeply. He wanted to help in any way possible and decided it was best to wait for Maisy to tell him on her own.
Tuesday night, Maisy sent a text promising to connect soon.
What’s going on?Chase insisted in reply. Maisy didn’t seem to realize that when she hurt, he hurt, too.
I’ll tell you later. Please be patient. I need time.
Tell me. Please. I hate the thought of you in distress. Is your grandmother okay?
I can’t talk right now…Too much is happening all at once. I’m sorry. Just give me time.
That was the last thing he’d heard, despite his efforts to reach her. He’d called twice and left a voicemail, which Maisy ignored.
Whatever had happened must have been traumatic.
Everything had seemed perfect when Maisy and Patrick left for Seattle. Their time in Chicago had been magical, as far as he was concerned. If anything, he was more in love with Maisy than ever. This lack of communication baffled him.
He needed to know whatever was wrong so he could fix it. And clearly something was amiss.
Maisy had always seemed as eager as he was for their nightly chats. He missed her. He missed hearing about her day and the latest news about Patrick. He enjoyed sharing with her the little things he’d found to encourage others. This had become a habit ever since he’d met Maisy and she’d insisted he pay her favor forward. She seemed to love hearing about his small acts of kindness, and he missed telling her.
This morning, Chase had more than Maisy on his mind. Astrid had returned from the cruise, and they were scheduled to meet for lunch. It was rare for Chase to have lunch out for anything other than business.
He made an exception for Astrid. He felt the need to clear the air between them as quickly as possible. Chase needed Harry Newman to stop spreading the word that Astrid and he wereengaged. The longer he delayed this, the more uncomfortable it would be when the truth came out.
