Sara would pick up on it.
She never wanted her daughter to know the truth about her father.
Voices carried in the wind, and she spotted Caleb walking toward her. Her lungs squeezed for air at his bleak expression. A bird chirped from a tree nearby, and leaves fluttered down into the fountain. One landed on the wings of the angel, another at her feet.
She gripped her hands together, waiting, watching for the small casket to appear.
“Madelyn,” he said in a gruff voice. “I’m sorry.”
She lunged to her feet. “What’s wrong?” Her voice cracked, and for the first time, she realized that she’d actually held out hope that Sara might be right. That Cissy was alive.
Suddenly oblivious to her surroundings, she vaulted down the hill, stumbling blindly. Whatever he had seen, she had to know.
“Madelyn, wait!”
Her boots pounded the ground as she ran down the hill. All she could think of was seeing that tiny casket, knowing whether her daughter was in there…
Her pulse pounded, sweat slid down her temple, and she stumbled over a loose rock and felt herself flailing to remain on two feet.
Caleb caught her arm and righted her, then helped her to the tent. Her heart pounded as she stepped beneath the tarp.
Dear God…
She gaped at Caleb. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.
A muscle ticked in Caleb’s jaw. “Someone lied to you, Madelyn. Dr. Emery, the funeral director maybe. But you didn’t bury your daughter five years ago. You buried an empty casket.”
Anger, shock and betrayal slammed into her along with a million questions. But the one fact that she latched onto was the one she wanted to believe more than anything.
The casket was empty because Sara was right.
Cissy was alive.
CISSY RAN AND HID BEHIND the door between the den and the kitchen clutching her dolly to her chest. They were screaming again. They’d been at it for a long time now.
“How could you do this?” her mama shouted. “Why?”
“Because you wanted a kid, you were grieving over losing Doug.”
“I know, but you lied to me.”
“Just keep your mouth shut!” the big man yelled.
Cissy peered around the corner and saw her mama reach for the phone. “It’s not right,” her mama cried. “What you’ve done… It’s not right. No wonder Cissy has bad dreams.”
“That kid is crazy. She always has been.” He grabbed her mama’s shoulders and shook her. “Listen to me. You call, you’ll lose her, and I’ll go to jail. You wouldn’t do that to your own family, would you?”
“But Cissy has a right to know the truth,” her mama argued. “And I won’t go to jail because I’ll tell the truth.”
“The truth. Hell, you don’t even know the truth, you stupid bitch.” He slapped her mother across the face. “You’re up to your damn eyeballs in this. The kid is evidence, and we can’t leave evidence behind.”
“What are you talking about?” Cissy’s mama looked terrified as she leaned against the sink.
Terror streaked through Cissy, and she backed into the hallway, but she tripped over a pair of work boots and yelped. He heard the noise and swung around. His face was red, his nostrils wide. His eyes bulged like a madman’s.
He was going to kill her.
“Damn kid,” he mumbled then turned and stomped toward Cissy, his big footsteps pounding the floor like a giant’s.
“No, I won’t let you hurt my baby.” Her mama grabbed his arm to stop him, but he swung his arm back with such force that he slung her to the floor. Her mama hit her head on the table with a whack and blood spurted and ran down her face.
Cissy bit back a scream. Tears blurred her vision.
His growl dragged her from her stupor though, and she turned and darted out the back door. The porch door slammed behind her. His loud bellow followed.
“Get back here, kid. Come on, we’ll play a little game.”
He didn’t want to play games, Cissy thought, as she barreled down the steps. He’d hurt her mama and now he was gonna hurt her.
She had to get away.
She dashed down the steps as quick as she could and ran toward the greenhouse and the sunflowers. It was the only place she’d be safe.
Sweat streamed down her face, and she heaved for a breath as she shoved open the heavy door and sneaked inside. She tucked her doll beneath her arm, then pushed with all her might to shut the door, pulling the metal latch. Then she ducked between the rows of sunflowers, weaving her way until she was hidden deep within the rows.
Crouching as low as she could, she hugged her dolly to her, closed her eyes and felt the tears flow.
“Please, Sara, help me,” she whispered. “I don’t know how much longer I can hide.”
The door rattled as he shook it. “Get out here right now, kid!”
Cissy rocked herself back and forth and rolled into a tiny ball. She could see her sister in her mind. She wasn’t crazy like the big meanie said.
“Sara, please come and get me,” she whispered. “I’m scared. I don’t wanna die.”
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