Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(32)

“He’s not here, Josie. Let me wake Isaac and see what he knows. I’ll call you back,” Courtney said in Josie’s ear.

“Okay. Thank you so much.” Carson wasn’t at his best friend’s. Stuffing her phone in her jeans pocket, Josie looked around again—and realized Holt had disappeared. He’d probably gone inside. Gone to bed. The unexpected pang of disappointment annoyed her. What had she expected? She didn’t know him and this wasn’t his problem.

Hearing footsteps she spun. “Carson?”

“No, sorry.” Holt walked out of the darkness beside her house, coming into the backyard. He wore only a pair of jeans, his broad chest bare. “What did your friend say?”

“She’s checking with her son.” Josie shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

He put a hand on her shoulder, a firm hand, steadying her. “Breathe, sweetheart. We’ll get this worked out.” His voice was low and soothing. “Come. No need to stand out here.”

With an arm around her, he guided her inside and pointed to her couch. “Sit.”

As she did, he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a Diet Coke. Opening it, he put it into her hand. “Drink that, and let’s think a minute.”

Think? Under his level gaze, she dutifully took a sip. It burned going down, but the act of swallowing forced her to set her fear aside for a whole second.

When she put the can down, he took her hand, engulfing her cold fingers in warmth. “Now, it’s tough to think like a youngster that age, but let’s give it a try. He’s eleven, right?”

“Yes. Just started middle school this fall.”

“Mmm. Probably no girlfriend, then.”

“No.”

“Did you two have a fight about anything in the last couple of days?”

“We did…” But was his anger toward her about his father enough reason to run away?

“That looks promising. What are you thinking?”

Josie looked up into Holt’s blue-gray eyes and drew strength from the steady gaze. “We fought over his father.”

“Ah. You think he’s gone there?”

She shook her head. “Carson’s never met him.” She closed her mouth over the rest. Holt was her neighbor, not a friend. She shouldn’t—

“Because…” he prompted.

The feelings flooded back, and her eyes started to burn. She realized she still held Everett’s note, the one that had made her son hate her. Her hand started to shake as she stared at it.

“Why don’t you show me what you’re holding, pet?” Holt held out his hand.

When she hesitated, his voice lowered. “Josie.”

She set the paper in his hand. “It’s not…”

Ignoring her, he read the contents in a glance, and his mouth tightened. “Pretty fucking cruel. Carson saw this?”

She nodded. “He found it while he was unpacking boxes, and now he blames me that his father didn’t want him. Like I should have forced Everett to see him and…” Tears spilled over. “My baby h-hates me.”

His arms closed around her, pulling her up against a solid, warm body. “Sweetheart, being of the male gender, I can tell you adolescent boys are dumber than rocks and constantly say shit they don’t mean. He’ll figure it out.”

She leaned against him, her cheek pressed to his chest, and his voice was a soft deep rumble. As he ran his hand up and down her back in slow soothing strokes, for a long self-indulgent minute, she took comfort in being held.

When she finally pushed upright, he let her go immediately…and she felt awfully alone without his arms around her. Josie, you idiot, you don’t even know him. Turning her head, she wiped her eyes.

His voice was gentle as he asked, “Do you think Carson ran away or did he go to his father?”

“Carson’s never run away, ever. He sulks for a while, then comes out and battles for what he wants.”

Holt half-smiled. “You’re a good mom.”

“What?”

“To be willing to do battle, a kid needs to feel he has a chance of winning. I’d say that shows he’s not afraid of you and thinks you’re reasonable.”

Oh.

“If he didn’t run, do you think he’s at his father’s?” Holt asked.

“No, he doesn’t know where Everett is.”

Frowning, Holt held the letter to the light again. “This is on office paper. Has a bank address. Is it Everett’s business?”

“Oh, God.”

“Aaaaand, that sounds like a yes.” Holt ran a finger down her cheek, making her want to press her face into his hand.

“Holt, I don’t know if Everett even works there now. That was over a decade ago. And this is Sunday night.”

“Good point. I daresay Carson’s smart enough to know a bank would be closed.”

At a loss, Josie stared at him. What should she do now?

“Easy, pet. If Carson’s trying to—”

Her phone rang right then. Oh please, let it be Carson. But the display showed COURTNEY. Josie swiped the ANSWER with a trembling finger. “Hey, Courtney. What did Isaac say?”

“Oh, wait till you hear what our two young monsters did.” Courtney sounded thoroughly exasperated. “Isaac says Carson wanted to meet his father. So our computer nerds dug up the guy’s home address and phone number. It’s really true—nothing is secret on the internet.”