Hometown Star - By Joleen James Page 0,54
Star smiled.
“Hmmm.” Trudy pursed her lips, as if she were trying to figure Star out.
“Where’s Finn?” Star asked, realizing the little boy was no longer in the room.
Trudy glanced around. “I don’t know. He was here a minute ago. Maybe he took off after Ron and headed down to the cafeteria.”
“Here, Em,” Star said. “Let me give Daniel back to Trudy for a minute. I’ve got to go and get Finn.”
Emma offered Star the baby and she moved him to his mother’s waiting arms. “Stay here,” she said to Emma.
In the hall, Star called, “Finn?”
She didn’t see the boy anywhere. She remembered a candy machine near the elevators. Maybe he’d gone there. At the machine, no Finn. Panic fluttered in her chest. A woman in lavender scrubs passed by.
“Excuse me,” Star said, no mistaking the urgency in her tone. “I’m looking for a little boy. He has black hair and blue eyes.”
“I haven’t seen him,” the woman said. “Sorry.”
Star went back the way she’d come. At the nurses’ station, she gave the woman there Finn’s description, but the woman had no memory of Finn.
Star’s heart banged in her chest as she took the elevator to the floor where the cafeteria was. In the cafeteria, she quickly located Ron.
“Where’s Finn?” she asked.
Ron snapped the lid onto his coffee. “He was with you last time I saw him. Why?”
“I can’t find him.” Her heart racing, Star whirled away, running for the front desk.
“Did you see a little boy come by here?” she asked the receptionist.
“Sweetie, I’ve seen a lot of people,” the woman replied. “This is a busy place.”
Ron joined her. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t find Finn,” Star said, panic thick in her chest. “I lost him. I can’t believe I lost him.”
“Get a grip.” Ron took her arm. “He’s here somewhere.”
“He wouldn’t leave the hospital, would he?” Star asked.
“Let’s check the car, just to be sure.” Ron propelled her to the doors. Together they exited the hospital.
Star ran out to the parking lot, looking around wildly. Ron came to a stop beside her.
And then she saw him—them. Finn and Cade. They came around the side of Cade’s truck toward her.
Relief hit Star, nearly bringing her to her knees. She paused, her hand going to her heart. “Finn,” she cried, unable to keep the panic from her tone, “I’ve been looking for you.”
Cade glanced down at Finn. “You came out here without telling anyone?”
Finn shrugged. “I saw you out the window. They were busy with the baby.”
“Star,” Cade said, his expression contrite. “I’m sorry.”
Star squatted down in front of Finn. “I was so worried.” She crushed the little boy to her, her heart filled with fear, relief, and something else, love. Love for Finn left her gasping for air. “I didn’t know where you were.”
“You’re hugging me too tight,” Finn said, wiggling.
Star let go. She felt tricked. How had she fallen in love with Cade’s kids? Had Cade used them as bait to reel her in?
Cade offered her a hand up.
She ignored his hand and stood on her own. “What are you doing here, anyway? You’re supposed to be on the boat.”
“We limited. The Texans wanted to go hiking on their own, so I came see my new nephew.”
Star looked down and realized her hands were shaking.
“Finn, you need to think, little man,” Ron said with a shake of his head. “You can’t take off like that.”
“Sorry,” Finn said, looking at Star. His lower lip trembled.
Cade took Star’s arm. “Come on.” He leveled a stern look at Finn. “We’ll talk about this more when we get home.” Cade’s arm moved to Star’s shoulders. “Relax. This isn’t your fault. Finn runs off all the time. No one can keep track of him, not even me, you know that.”
Cade’s words, while soothing, didn’t change anything. She was growing too attached to Cade and his kids. She didn’t want to care that much. Caring hurt.
They all filed inside and took the elevator up. Back in Trudy’s room, Star just wanted to escape. From all of them. She didn’t want to be responsible for Finn, or for anyone. She needed a valium and a strong martini. No wonder her mother drank.
Losing Finn was Star’s cue to get the heck out of Seward. The sooner, the better.
* * *
Cade breathed a sigh of relief when Star’s car came into view. His hands gripped the steering wheel. She was here, not headed back for Seattle as he’d feared. Losing Finn had done something to Star, awakened all her