style="font-size:15px;"> Adelia told herself she only accepted the cup so she could get out of the bakery, but in some part of her brain, she knew they were both right. The tea might help to settle her nerves so she could think straight.
With Gabe watching her closely, she took several sips, then met his gaze. “Satisfied?”
“It’s a start,” he said lightly. “Now let’s go find your daughter.”
Something in the way he said it, with full confidence that they’d be successful, reassured her, even though nothing had really changed in the past few minutes.
“I want to go by the house first. I’ve called and there was no answer, but that doesn’t mean she’s not there.”
“Where’s the house?”
“Swan Point.”
He nodded and turned in that direction. “Just tell me where to turn once we’re there,” he said.
The drive through the neighborhood of fewer than a dozen homes took only minutes, as did the search of the house. There was no sign of Selena, no bookbag tossed on the sofa or remnants of a snack in the kitchen.
“What about her father? Would she go to him?” Gabe asked.
“Not likely,” Adelia said, unable to keep a note of bitterness from her voice. “She’s very angry at him these days.”
“Anybody she’s especially close to?”
Adelia immediately brightened. “Her uncle. Elliott runs that new men’s gym just off Palmetto. You know the place?”
Gabe nodded. “I just joined.”
As they made the drive to Fit for Anything, Adelia’s mind started racing. “What if—?”
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than Gabe cut her off. “No what-ifs,” he declared firmly. “She hasn’t been missing long. If she’s upset, she’ll go someplace where she feels safe.”
“But she might not be thinking clearly,” Adelia protested, her panic returning. “She’s only thirteen, Gabe. I’m afraid I’ve been forgetting that myself. I should have been paying more attention. Instead, I was so worried about my younger kids, I missed all the signs that Selena was in real trouble. I was just grateful that she was no longer rebelling against the world.”
In front of the gym, she bolted from the car practically before it could come to a stop. Inside, she scanned the room until her gaze landed on her brother. He regarded her with alarm, which grew visibly when Gabe came in right on her heels.
Misreading the situation, Elliott stepped between them. “Is this guy bothering you, Adelia?”
She held up a hand. “No, it’s nothing like that. Selena’s missing. Gabe is helping me look for her. I thought maybe she’d come here to see you.”
Elliott shook his head. “I haven’t seen her. Let me check with Karen. She’s not working today. She’s at the house with the baby.”
Adelia felt herself starting to shake as her brother made the call to his wife. Then she felt Gabe’s steadying hand on her shoulder. He didn’t say a word, just kept his hand there until the moment passed.
Elliott listened intently to whatever Karen was saying, his expression brightening. “Thanks, querida. Adelia will be there in a few minutes.” Smiling, he turned to her. “Selena’s at my house playing with the baby. Karen didn’t think to call anyone because Selena told her she only had a half day at school and swore you knew where she was.”
Adelia finally let out the breath she felt like she’d been holding for hours. “Of course Karen believed her,” she said wryly. “Selena’s very convincing when she wants to be.”
“Want me to drive you over there?” Elliott offered. “I can get one of the other trainers to take my next client.”
“I can take her,” Gabe said. He looked at her. “Unless you’d prefer to have your brother go with you.”
Adelia hesitated, then shook her head. “If you don’t mind making the drive, that would be great,” she told him. “Elliott, there’s no reason for you to miss an appointment. I can handle this.”
Elliott looked worried but eventually nodded. “You’ll be there when I get home? I want to have a talk with my niece about skipping school and worrying you.”
She smiled. “Believe me, she’ll get more than enough talking from me tonight. You can save your lecture for another day.”
Elliott nodded with unmistakable reluctance. “Whatever you think, but I will have a word with her. You can be sure of that.”
“Not a doubt in my mind,” she said, then turned to Gabe. “Let’s go. That is, if you’re really sure you have the time.”
“I have the time,” he said without hesitation.
On the way to her brother’s, Gabe called Mitch and told him they’d located Selena and were on the way to get her. After the call ended, he told her, “Mitch will speak to Carter and let him know to call off the search.”
Adelia sighed. “I should have thought to do that.”
“You have plenty of other things on your mind,” he said, excusing her. “I imagine you’re pondering a dozen different things you can say to drive home the point that what your daughter did was wrong.”
Surprised by his understanding, she nodded. “How’d you know?”
“Not because I got my share of lectures, that’s for sure,” he said. “My mom was pretty oblivious to the trouble I was getting into.” He glanced her way. “Word of advice?”
“Sure.”
“Whatever punishment you decide to dole out, and there should be one, be sure you hug the daylights out of her first.”
Adelia felt her heart tumble just a little. “You didn’t get the hugs, either?”
“Nope, which is why I know exactly how important they are,” he said as he pulled to a stop in front of Elliott’s house in a new subdivision outside town.
Adelia turned to him then. “Thank you.”
“For chauffeuring you around town for an hour? Don’t mention it. I’m just glad there’s a happy ending.”
“Not just for that,” she corrected him. “For reminding me that discipline always needs to come with a hug.”
He winked at her. “I saw you with your kids at Rosalina’s, remember? Something tells me you already knew that.”
Adelia stood in the driveway and watched him leave. She’d seen a different side of Gabe Franklin just now, one that was even more appealing than the flirtatious man she’d encountered before. Something told her this thoughtful, more vulnerable side made him even more dangerous.
