Rugged Cowboy - Elana Johnson Page 0,57

eyes Dallas saw whenever he looked in the mirror. He had most of Dallas’s facial features, but his hair was dark like Martha’s.

“Can we get breakfast and bring it back?” Thomas asked.

“The pancakes will be soggy,” Ted said. “And the eggs cold.”

“We could call for delivery,” Dallas said. “They have apps for that these days.”

“Sold,” Ted said, groaning as he sat at the table.

“You literally just ate half a box of cereal,” Dallas said, grinning at Ted.

“Yes, and in another hour, I’ll need a stack of pancakes with blueberry syrup.” He grinned back at Dallas, who shook his head.

Ted’s phone rang, and he checked it. “Oh, this is my old boss.” He jumped up and walked away, saying, “Counselor,” in a booming voice.

Remmy came skipping down the hall. “Ready, Daddy.”

“All right.” Dallas also groaned as he stood up, his back still twitchy from yesterday. “Let’s go guys.” He nodded to Ted, who was on the phone in the living room. The three of them were quiet on the way to school, and Dallas got out and opened the back door for Remmy, giving her a tight hug with the words, “I love you, Rems. Have a good day. I can’t wait to hear about the magician.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

He marveled at the resiliency of six-year-olds, and he cast a long look to Thomas, still sitting in the front seat of the SUV. He sighed, wishing his son could shrug off last night as easily as his sister had.

“All right,” Dallas said on the way back. “The Last Airbender and pancakes?”

“Yes,” Thomas said, finally cracking a smile.

Dallas returned it and swallowed. “Are you okay, Tommy?” he asked. “I was thinking maybe you’d like to go see someone. Talk about Mom, and Aunt Amy, and what happened yesterday. You know? Just someone who won’t judge you, or give you any suggestions, or anything. They could help you and help you make sense of your life now.”

Thomas nodded, but he didn’t say anything.

“Think about it,” Dallas said. “It might be good for you.” Dallas thought it might be good for him to talk to someone too. He could get some help for his current problems. He reminded himself that he had Nate and Ted, and they had a solution they were working toward.

His conversation with Jesus had been great, and the man said he’d been living in Miami. He had a lot of contacts down there, and he said he’d be back in touch with Dallas once he had more information.

They returned to the rental, and Dallas sat on the couch with Ted while Thomas got the movie set up. He ordered the breakfast foods they all wanted, and with the movie going and Thomas all curled up in the recliner, he looked at Ted.

“What did your friend have to say?”

“He’s got a PI in Florida who says he’s seen Martha down there.”

“Really?” Dallas asked, shocked by that news. He supposed her mother lived in Florida, and it felt like someone had flipped a switch and flooded his mind with light. She was probably living with her mother. Using her mother.

Instant anger flowed through Dallas again, and he set his jaw. “Once we find her, then what?” he asked.

“Then we get her out,” Ted said. “Pay off the debt. Be free.”

“Free,” Dallas echoed, wanting that so badly. He remembered every single day of the thirty months he’d spent in prison, and he’d yearned to be free then too. This wasn’t nearly as confining as River Bay, but he still felt trapped.

“Once we find her, we’ll go,” Ted said. “Okay, Dallas? Don’t think about it too hard. We’ll all go, and we’ll get her out.”

“I don’t think she wants to get out,” Dallas said. “That’s the problem.”

“Yeah,” Ted said. “But you need her to get out, so we’ll do what we can.”

“Okay.” He focused on the movie, hoping Ted would get the message that he didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

Several minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Ted got up with the words, “That should be the food.” He stepped over to the door and just stood there.

Dallas stood too, watching as Ted moved out of the way to reveal a gorgeous brunette standing on his front porch. “Jess,” he said, casting a glance to Thomas. “I’ve got to talk to Jess for a minute, okay, bud? Ted’s going to sit here with you.”

“Okay, Dad.”

He met his friend’s eye and went past him to join Jess on the porch. “Hey.” He gathered her into his