Chapter 9

"You survived," Seth announced, when they hit the house.

Jocelyne only chuckled. "I can't say you didn't warn me." She walked to the freezer and pulled out a cold pack. "Sit down with this. I'll take the dogs out." She didn't wait for him to respond, simply dropped the pack into his hands and went to retrieve the leashes.

Mac and Charley, realizing this was their opportunity, came barrelling at her. She was grateful for the distraction as she stepped out of the cabin. Even now, more than twenty minutes later, she was still trying to get over the goodbyes. She'd been hugged by all the men and manhandled by all the women. They had all tried to make future plans and had been all talking at once.

Overwhelmed, she had simply let it all flow over her. If invitations were to come, Seth would have to field them because there was no way she was getting together with any of those women without backup.

Except they had all been very welcoming to her. All had been nice and made sure that she had felt comfortable. She had liked everyone she had met today. Except maybe Roxanne. She had witnessed the spat between mother and daughter with Seth stepping in between the two. No, she told herself, she did not want the obligation of being responsible for someone else's health and well-being.

Yet even as she scooped dog poop, she acknowledged that she loved these two. She had Seth to help of course, but she liked taking care of them. Maybe the maternal gene hadn't completely by-passed her. Maybe hers was a canine maternal gene.

"Okay, guys, let's head back."

Charley trotted ahead, still hobbled by the bad leg, but not letting that deter him in any way. Mac stuck by her side and so she reached out to pet the dog between her ears. "Yeah, you're okay."

By the time they were back at the cabin, Jocelyne was sticky and sweaty again. The temperature was well above thirty and although there were plenty of soaring tree offering shade, there wasn't a breath of wind. Only the ceiling fan in the cabin kept it from being oppressive. As soon as she unhooked the leashes, the dogs went straight for their bowls of water.

Taking her cue from them, she poured her own glass and then shoved her sunglasses up on her head. Her hair was in a ponytail where she'd put it after the refreshing swim.

With a sigh, she headed for the living room.

Seth's feet were propped on the coffee table and the ice pack was against his shoulder. His eyes were closed, his breathing even. Jocelyne was about to back away when he spoke.

"I'm not asleep, Doc, just resting my eyes."

"You should be asleep," she admonished. "I think you got too much sun."

One eye cracked open. "I'm tired of napping. Why don't you just have a seat?"

She didn't like being told what to do, but he had phrased it in the form of a question, so she sat.

"What were you and Vanessa talking about so intently? It looked like you were exchanging state secrets."

"Did you tell her I was a doctor?"

His eyes opened. "Of course not. I don't think Vanessa and I have discussed you at all. And, before you ask, I haven't told anyone you're a doctor. Colton is probably the only one who is sure that he knows. Others might have suspicions, but I haven't said anything to anyone."

Jocelyne considered his statement, searching for the voracity of it. No, he was telling her the truth. Obviously Owen and Marco hadn't spoken to him about her interference on the patient file either.

"It's just that she asked me all these questions about your injuries. I know I am an uneducated in the world of a six-year-old, but the questions were...insightful. She asked about your physical health, mental status, prognosis and rehabilitation plan. Those were her words, Seth, not mine. The kid is six, right? She's not some stunted-growth teenager?"

Jocelyne already knew the answer, but she wanted the confirmation.

"All the testing so far shows that her IQ is going to be off the charts. You'll notice that everyone tries to treat her like a normal kid, but everyone knows she's not. She was probably pouring over anatomy textbooks as soon as she heard you had some medical training and that you were going to be there today. We have to be careful what we say around her, because she's just that smart."

"And she's six."

"And she's six," Seth confirmed. "What were you like at six?"

Well, he had her there, she thought. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Miles is smart," Seth said, "and a bit of a geek, but Vanessa is so much more than that. She's smart like you're smart. I'm just worried she's going to grow up too fast."

Jocelyne broke eye contact, not liking how he was reading her. "Miles and Beverly seem to be handling it quite well. Vanessa told me that although she would rather be reading, she did enjoy swimming and playing with her sister and cousins." She turned back to Seth. "Look, I'm smart, but I would say she's even smarter than I was at that age. I get the feeling she keeps a dictionary beside her bed."

"Yeah, she's like a sponge. It's scary and fascinating at the same time. I just hope it doesn't turn into a train wreck."

"You won't let it. Her parents, your parents, the aunts and uncles, they won't let it." She offered him a smile. "You have a highly functional family unit."

He chuckled. "Yeah, we do indeed." He glanced at his watch. "Why don't we watch the movie? By then we should be hungry enough to have a light dinner."

"Dinner? Are you crazy? They stuffed me with food, you realize. Making me feel guilty if I didn't eat everything they put on my plate."

"They probably think you're a little on the skinny side."

Jocelyne only rolled her eyes.

"They're good people, Doc."

"Of that, Seth, I have no doubt." She stood and made her way to the sofa. "You were saying something about a movie?"

He grinned, retrieving the remote control.

She had loved Beauty and the Beast, had eaten a light dinner, and was now curled up and enjoying The Lion King. She was easy company, Seth thought, for which he was grateful. When the movie ended, he turned off the television and slanted her a gaze. "You cried when Mufasa died."

"I did not," she said diffidently. "I don't cry during movies."

"I thought you said you didn't watch movies," he pointed out.

Jocelyne stood abruptly and whistled. "I'm taking the dogs out." She bypassed the leashes and let them out to the backyard.

Boy, did he ever love yanking her chain. It was so easy to get her riled up or flustered. Unflappable she might be in the face of blood, but give her a long look and she would squirm every time. She didn't like scrutiny. She didn't want him to see what was beneath her mask. The sniffing, however, had been unmistakable. No, the good doctor had a soft spot. He knew this because she had also cried she had thought Beast had died.

Which one next, he wondered. Maybe he should mix it up and show her a romantic comedy. Or a live-action musical. Moulin Rouge? Les Misérables? The Phantom of the Opera? Maybe a documentary. Sicko was the first thing that popped into his head. Probably because it was a discussion about healthcare and she was, after all, a doctor.

He was grinning when she came back in with the dogs. Mac came into the room and flounced on the rug, Charley fast on her heels. Jocelyne came next, saw his smile and her gaze turned wary.

"What?"

"I've decided on the next film."

Her brow furrowed. "Don't you do anything except watch films?"

"Well, yes, but I can't do any of them because of my injuries."

Her face was instantly contrite. "That was ungracious of me. Of course we can watch another film. First, though, I want to re-tape your ribs."

"Sure, I'll just go get into my sweats."

She nodded and he went to his room. At least she hadn't demanded he drop his jeans again. He knew his family had been upset when he'd removed his t-shirt, but they'd recovered themselves quickly. He had acted like it was no big deal so they had as well. He had been sincere when he had told Jocelyne that his family was good people. He'd lucked out on that one. Of all his aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents there had only been two divorces and they had both been amicable. When a Jacobs fell in love, it was a lifetime commitment.

When he came back into the main room, he found Jocelyne on the floor, her head resting on Mac's belly, her hand petting Charley and her eyes closed.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Just give me a minute," she murmured.

"You know we don't have to watch a movie."

One eye cracked open. "It's barely eight o'clock. I'm not going to bed now."

"Maybe you got too much sun," he said, even as she pushed herself up off of Mac. Charley was a little disgruntled, but he would live, Seth knew.

"I'm up," she said. Without preliminaries, she reached for the sling and brought it around his neck. Then she reached for his t-shirt and he let her pull it over his head.

"We're getting good at this," he commented.

She only chuckled, plopping down on the coffee table and reaching for the tape. "I'm seeing improvement," she murmured.

"I have no idea how you can say that," he said. "I look at them in the mirror and they look exactly the same."

"Which is why I went to medical school and you didn't," she teased. Then she began the process of taping his ribs. He did notice that there wasn't as much pain as there had been yesterday. Maybe he was getting better. Slow and steady, she had assured him.

"Okay, I think that's pretty good. Let's get your shirt back on."

She stood, but they were a little too close and they bumped each other.

"I'm-"

"Sorry-"

Their eyes held and time began to spin out. Her little pink tongue darted out to wet her lips. Her eyes were just begging him, but he needed the words and since he knew they weren't coming, he broke the eye contact. He stepped back and snagged his t-shirt. When he looked at her, though, her eyes were still unfocused.

"I, um, have to go to the bathroom."

He watched as she fled.

She ran her hands under the cold water and then splashed it against her heated cheeks. It wasn't just that he disconcerted her, she thought. It was more than that. It went so much deeper than that. In the moment where she had met his eyes, she had wanted...something. She wasn't sure what, but she knew she would have embraced it. Then he had looked away and the chance had slipped through her fingers.

Knowing she had to face him only intensified whatever this was. Still, she wasn't a coward. When someone died under her knife, she was always the one to deliver the bad news. She was willing to accept responsibility for her actions. So she took a deep breath and went back to the living room.

Only to find Seth struggling to get back into his t-shirt.

Damn fool, she thought, as she strode to him.

"Here, let me," she said, holding it out so he could put his arms in and then slipping it over his head. "I also want to get you a hot water bottle. I think that will ease some of your discomfort. It's also time for your pills. I'll get them and some water-"

Her monologue was cut off when he placed his finger against her lips.

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "I'm here when you decide to stop running."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, but with little conviction.

He just gave her a long, level look.

Finally, he spoke. "Can you help me with the sling?"

Boy, was she good at annoying him. Instead of speaking and saying the wrong thing, she reached for the sling. A few deft movements and it was secure. Then she made a rather hasty exit.

First she poured cold water for the drink and then she ran it hot for the hot water bottle. She got his pills and prepared to face him. Seth was on the couch with Charley on his lap when she returned. Wordlessly, he took the pills and water while she positioned the hot water bottle.

"Which movie did you pick?"

"It's called Sicko."

"Sounds interesting," she said, her tone dry.

"It's a documentary about America and their healthcare system. You'll be pleased to know the Canadians fair pretty well in all this."

"Okay," she said grudgingly, "I'm intrigued."

His face broke into a grin. "You won't be disappointed, Doc." He pat the couch. She was about to sit in her corner when she made the decision to sit on the middle cushion. If Seth found it odd, he didn't say anything. Plus, she was only doing it so she could pet Charley, she told herself.

Then Mac, realizing she was being left out, launched herself on the other cushion, jostling Jocelyne even closer to Seth. She turned to Seth. "Is she allowed to do that?"

"Is she bothering you?"

"Of course not. I was just worried about your furniture." Even as she said it, she saw the absurdity of the comment. Seth's furniture was...well-worn. It was the most tactful way of putting it. So instead of saying anything else, she began petting Mac who gave her hand a tongue bath as a way of saying thanks.

Then the movie began and Jocelyne settled in, reaching for Seth's hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and held on tight.

"So you enjoyed it?"

Jocelyne held out her hand horizontally and waved it, thereby giving the movie an acceptable but average rating.

"It made it seem that universal healthcare is a panacea, which it isn't. I see a lot of problems which are acute because the underlying chronic illness wasn't being treated."

"Still, you're not going to lose your house because you can't pay the medical bills."

"Not always true," she argued turning to face him, angling her body so she could meet his gaze head-on. "If you need experimental treatment or have an orphan illness, it can cost a fortune."

"Still, no one runs your credit card at the ER."

There, he had her. All patients were supposed to be treated equally when they walked through the hospital doors. Jocelyne certainly didn't care who was on her table or what their income bracket was.

"Okay, I yield. We have faults, but we're definitely better than the alternative south of the border."

His eyes were alight with mischief. "See? I knew I could convince you."

He was looking just a little too smug, so she nudged him. And he nudged her back. Then he inched forward, his eyes intent on hers.

"Tell me no, Jocelyne. Tell me you don't want it. Tell me to stop."

"I can't," she whispered.

"You have to say it," he said.

She gave him a pleading look.

"You have to say it," he insisted.

Then, in that moment, she got it.

"Will you kiss me?"

His face broke into a big grin. "I thought you would never ask." Then he sobered. "You say stop and it ends. No recriminations, okay? This is your pace."

"Seth, I'm scared." That was probably the hardest admission she'd ever made in her life.

His hand raised to her cheek and he cupped it. "I am too, Jocelyne."

She looked at him as if he were crazy.

"I'm afraid of hurting you."

What had that admission cost him?

Well, the next step had to be up to her. She leaned forward, letting her eyes drift shut.

Just the lightest of touches. Her eyes opened and she pulled back.

"The last time I was rough with you. This time we go slow, we go gentle."

She swallowed, surprised at just how his words stirred her. So she reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks. This time, when she closed the distance, the pressure was greater. His lips felt soft, the heat emanating from him was reassuring.

His lips parted and he ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth.

Now or never, she told herself, as she parted her lips in return. Whereas last time had been rough fumbling, this was a slow and intoxicating seduction. He slid his tongue along hers, asking for a response from her.

What was she supposed to do?

He pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. His breathing was a little ragged, but not like it had been just two nights ago.

"I have to ask you something, but I don't want you to get upset."

Wow, that didn't sound promising. Instead of trusting herself to speak she nodded her head.

"You said you weren't a virgin, right?

She tensed, but he had a grasp on her nape, holding her so their foreheads were still touching.

"Have you ever been kissed?"

She tried to pull away, but his grasp was firm.

"I didn't do it right, did I?"

Now, he let her pull back, but he still had a firm grip on her. "There is no right way and wrong way to kiss, Jocelyne. Every couple does it differently and every kiss is unique."

She met his gaze.

"How am I supposed to know what to do?"

He smiled. A soft, sweet smile. "You do what feels good for you. You explore and then you tell me what you like. Journey," he said, "not the destination."

Whatever that meant, she thought with frustration. She wanted to be suave and sophisticated. She wanted to be like all the other women he had dated. Except she wasn't. She was a thirty-four year old woman who didn't know how to kiss.

"Can you show me?"

"Yeah," he said, chuckling softly. Yeah, I can do that. Close your eyes."

She eyed him warily, but then she obeyed.

He moved in and she held herself steady. He pressed his closed lips to hers.

Once, twice, then a third time. Gentle, soft and sweet.

She could do this, she told herself. So she darted out her tongue to his lips. He opened his mouth on a sigh. Experimentally, she eased her tongue into his mouth. It might have felt odd, but this time she was prepared. This time, she knew what to expect. She parried with him and enjoyed she scrape of his teeth. The gentle nibbles and little bites.

Heat suffused everywhere in her body and she felt herself growing languid. The hand on the back of her neck coaxed her closer and she placed her hands on Seth's chest to balance herself. In the back of mind she was aware he was still injured, but she also knew she wanted what he was offering to her. He could show her what she had never seen. Never known.

Then there was a shrill noise and she reflexively pulled back.

A cellphone.

Not her cellphone, she thought distractedly. Hers had a different ring and she'd left it behind in Montréal.

"My phone, Doc, it's on the table."

She leapt to her feet and ran to the kitchen. She hurried back and he managed to answer it.

"Yes?" His tone was a little sharp, but Jocelyne couldn't fault him that. She would have probably barked at the person on the other end.

Then everything changed.

"When?" There was a pause as the person answered. "Okay, who was she with?" Another pause. "And you're sure?"

Clearly he was sure because he was now on his feet and moving towards the front door. "You're alone with the kids?" Another agonizing wait. "No, Nance, you stay where you are. Tell Blaine to join you at home, I'm on my way. We'll regroup and figure out what to do." He was shoving his feet into his shoes. "You have to hang up in case she's trying to call you. Everything's going to be okay, Nancy, you need to remember that. Look, I don't want you to upset Candy and Dougie, so you need to calm down.

"We'll find her."

Finally, Jocelyne understood. She grabbed the keys and her purse, holding the door open for Seth. They didn't even bother to lock it as they darted out to the truck. She yanked his door open, not waiting for him, and rounded to get in herself. She reached across him to pull the door shut and knew she jostled him, but she also knew that he didn't care. Pulling the seatbelt, it took her two tries to secure the latch.

"Take a breath, Doc, or we'll be in a crash and that won't help anyone." Even as he said the words, though, she could hear the panic in his voice. But she did take a breath as she did up her seatbelt.

"We're going to Nancy's?"

Seth let out a breath of frustration. "Yeah, for now. I need to make some calls."

"You do whatever you have to do," she said, even as she was pulling up the address on the GPS. Had it only been a few hours since they had been there? The clock said that it was almost eleven. She pulled from the driveway as Seth made the first call.

It couldn't have been more than two rings before it was answered. "Dorrie? Yeah, look I'm sorry to call on your off day, but I need a favour. A big one."

There was a silence and Jocelyne suspected Dorrie was assuring Seth it was no big deal.

"You live up near the Eagan place, right?" Another pause. "Yeah, that's them. Can you go by and count the number of cars? I know it sounds strange, but I'll bet old man Eagan is drunk and Lonnie and Lance have the Buick." Another nerve-shattering pause. "Thanks, Dorrie, I owe you on this one." A slight hesitation. "Roxie was supposed to go to the movies with some friends. When she missed curfew, her parents called her cellphone and she didn't answer. Then they called one of the friend's mother who said that the whole thing had been cancelled. Blaine went down to The Junction, but she's not there. The thing is, Dorrie, she's never missed curfew. No one was seen her since six." One more pause. "Yeah, thanks."

With a sigh of relief, Jocelyne pulled onto Nancy's street. She was about to accelerate when Seth pointed to the side of the road, more than ten houses short of his sister's place. Still, she did as she was bade.

He made another call.

"Colton, it's Seth. I don't have time to explain, but my niece Roxie is missing and I think she might be with the Eagan brothers. Dorrie's doing a drive-by of the house." He let out a quick breath. "Can you call around to the hospitals as well as the Abbotsford and Maple Ridge police? Check with the coroner's service as well." Finally, he took a breath. "Yeah, I owe you one." He disconnected the call and took one more breath, then motioned for her to finish the drive. When she pulled into the driveway, she cut the engine.

He looked over at her and her heart stuttered at the despair in his eyes. She reached out to take his hand. "We'll find her, Seth. Everything will be okay."

Seth was barely out of the truck door, which Jocelyne had opened for him, when Nancy flew from the house. She came up to Seth and stood for a moment.

Then she began pounding on his chest.

It hurt like hell, but he didn't bother to try to stop her. He closed his eyes and let her rain down the blows. In this moment, she blamed him. Hell, he blamed himself. He should have let Nancy set out the rules instead of trying to play the cool uncle. Now Roxie was missing and he was partly to blame.

The blows halted and he opened his eyes. They had only stopped because Jocelyne had positioned herself behind Nancy and clamped her arms around the other woman, imprisoning her arms.

Then Nancy's knees buckled, almost toppling them both. Jocelyne eased them down so Nancy was sitting on the asphalt with Jocelyn crouching behind her, arms still holding fast.

Seth crouched down in front of his sister on his haunches and damn nearly passed out from the agony. Fighting pain, nausea and dizziness, he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Have you heard something?"

"No," Nancy wailed, "my baby's gone. She's just gone." Seth watched as Jocelyne's grip tightened. Then Jocelyne began to rock the two of them. On and on, time stretching out.

He heard the car approaching and pivoted when it turned into the driveway. The engine cut and Blaine got out, rushing over to the group. Jocelyne only relinquished her hold of Nancy when it was clear Blaine had her. Then she moved around and crouched next to Seth, placing her hand on his shoulder.

She pressed her mouth to his ear and whispered. "You have to get up now or you won't be able to and I don't need a patient. Take my arm, we'll do it slow and steady. Ready?"

Yet she didn't wait for him and she began to ease him up. Within moments, the pain shot through him and he almost pitched forward. But she was there to lean on and she didn't let him go.

When they were finally as close to upright as they were going to get, Seth reached for her, pulling her towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him. "We'll find her," she whispered, even as Nancy continued to cry softly.

Seth's phone rang and everything stopped for just a moment. He pressed the button and held it to his ear.

"Jacobs."

"Seth, it's Dorrie. Ronald Eagan is dead drunk and the Buick is missing. He has no idea how long it's been. I've already called dispatch and they've put out an APB. I'm going to stay here in case the reprobates show up. I'll call Colton and have him drive the Hills. The little twits have to be here somewhere."

Except they didn't. Five and a half hours? They could be in Kelowna for all anyone knew. Plus, he couldn't swear Roxie was with them, although that was looking like the most likely scenario.

"Yeah, thanks Dorrie. I'll call if anything changes." He disconnected the phone and found himself looking at three expectant pairs of eyes. "We should go inside."

Nancy scrambled to her feet and lunged for him. "No, damn it, tell me."

Blaine managed to corral her, but Seth noted absently that Jocelyne had also put herself between him and his sister.

Holding on to his wife, Blaine gave Seth a level look. "Nancy, there's nothing to be gained by staying out here. We'll go inside and Seth will give us the update. I don't want to leave the kids alone," he added.

That seemed to galvanise Nancy and she let Blaine lead her into the house. Seth followed with Jocelyne trailing behind. They were barely inside when Blaine spoke. "Just give it to us, Seth."

"Lonnie and Lance have taken their father's car for a joyride. What we don't know is whether Roxie is with them."

Nancy shook her hands in front of her. "Roxie has a crush on Lance. I tried to tell her he was bad news and she was too young, but you know how she is..."

Jocelyne stepped forward. "Nancy, I could use a cup of tea."

Nancy looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "My daughter is missing, so I'm sorry if my manners have lapsed-"

"Yes," Seth said, cutting her off. "We'll need a pot of coffee as well. Jocelyne will help you."

This time, Nancy really looked around and her shoulders sagged. "Yes, I'll put on a pot." She offered Jocelyne a small smile. "I'm sorry I snapped."

Jocelyne waved it away, "completely understandable. I'll help you," she said, even as she was leading Nancy towards the kitchen. Belatedly, Seth realized the carpeting and floorboards were missing.

"They're moving fast."

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, Annabeth is good that way. There's a renovation company she always uses although I know Ray's going to be here every day poking his nose into the work."

"That's Ray," Seth said. "I'm amazed he didn't insist on doing it himself."

A ghost of a smile passed Blaine's lips. "Oh, he tried. The insurance company said they wouldn't pay, so we went with Annabeth's recommendation." He looked around at his life which was in such upheaval and sighed. "What happens now?"

"Now we wait. Sooner or later the brothers will turn up. I'm not counting on them bringing Roxie to the door, but I'm sure she'll call."

"Her phone keeps going to voicemail."

"They may be out of range," Seth offered, knowing how lame it sounded. For all her immaturity at times, Roxie would know to call home. She would know she might be punished, but that she was missed. No, his gut told him that something was really wrong.

A knock at the door broke his train of thoughts. Moving as quickly as his body would let him, Seth opened it, finding a grim-faced Colton on the other side. So much conveyed in just one look, he thought. He turned to Blaine. "I need to confer with Colton - cop stuff, you know? We just need to talk this out and then we'll set out a plan. Go to Nancy, I'll be right back."

Blaine wanted to argue, but he saw the set of Seth's jaw and nodded, backing away and leaving the two men alone. Seth stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind him.

A moment passed. Just a moment, but it was enough.

"They found the Buick. It's a guess, but they were going at least one hundred and fifty kilometres on the highway when they hit an abutment. The car was destroyed and the Eagan brothers, not wearing seatbelts, were both thrown clear of the wreck. Both had lethal traumatic injuries, both declared dead at the scene."

Seth knew he had to keep it together, but he'd never felt so sick in his life. "Did they find her?"

Colton shook his head. "They've searched a mile each way. She's not there, Seth."

"Maybe she was thrown as well and they just can't find her..."

Laying a hand on his friend's shoulder, Colton pushed Seth down on the bench. "She's not there, man, but that's a good thing. The first on scene found her purse and cellphone so they called in the dogs. I'm telling you, she's not there."

"What if...what if they killed her and dumped the body?"

"The Eagans are idiots and I'm not all that sorry they're dead, but they're not killers. She's out there and we'll find her."

Seth looked at Colton through bleak eyes. "What am I supposed to tell my sister?"

"Nothing for now. No good will come from them hearing about Lonnie and Lance. If Roxie doesn't turn up by first light then we'll reconsider." Colton glanced at his watch. "I'm going to try to retrace the route they took. Dorrie has done the notification, for all the good that did. She's called victim's services to deal with Ronald and she's going to go out and drive around as well."

"Where was the abutment?"

"Near Hope."

A hundred kilometres. That was over a hundred kilometres from here. Hell of a lot of ground to cover, even if they had taken the direct route. If not, she could be anywhere.

Colton was about to step away when a car pulled on to the side of the road in front of the house. The passenger door opened and Roxie came flying at out. Seth was on his feet and would have toppled over when she launched herself into his arms if not for Colton's hand on his back.

"Oh God, Uncle Seth. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." She was sobbing. "I told them I had to be home at nine, but they just kept driving. They wouldn't turn the car around. Then Lonnie pulled over and Lance pushed me out, calling me a...a fucking bitch. Then they drove off. They have my phone, Uncle Seth. They have my phone and my purse and oh, God, I was so scared and I knew Mom would be so mad."

A man stepped up onto the porch. "I take it you're the cop uncle? I wanted to take her to the police when I picked her up out near Harrison Hot Springs. She begged me to just drive her here. I wasn't real comfortable being alone with a teenage girl, but I wasn't just going to leave her there while I called the cops because I don't have a cellphone. I've got two grown daughters and I would like to think that if they ever needed help that someone would do it."

Colton stepped forward. "You did the right thing, sir. I'm a member of the RCMP. I do need to ask you a few questions about where you found her and how long ago that was. Routine stuff."

The man nodded and let Colton lead him away from the house.

Seth managed to pull back from Roxie and look at her tear-streaked face. "Did that man hurt you? Did anyone hurt you?"

She sucked in a breath and shook her head. "No one hurt me. That man was really nice because I was walking but I didn't know where I was walking. There weren't any houses or streetlamps or anything. I was so scared and I knew you guys were all going to be so mad at me."

"We're not mad, Roxie. But we were so worried about you. You just have to understand how worried we were. Now, we have to go inside and I'm not sure how your mom and dad are going to react. They might yell or they might cry or they might do both. You're going to be punished-"

"I don't care, Uncle Seth. I don't care if they ground me for the rest of my life, I just want Mom."

Seth pressed a kiss to his niece's forehead. "Okay, sweetheart." He looked out at Colton who gave him the thumbs up, saying that he would take care of the Good Samaritan. Seth knew that Nancy and Blaine would later want to thank the man, but it would be too much for them to handle right now.

So he put an arm around Roxie's shoulder and opened the door.

As they stepped into the living room, Seth was glad it was Jocelyne who was carrying the tray of mugs because Nancy would have dropped it for sure. His sister let out a little cry and then grabbed Roxie, holding on for all she was worth. "Oh baby," she just kept repeating, over and over again. Part mantra, Seth thought, and part thanksgiving.

Blaine had stepped forward and wasn't even trying to hide his tears of relief. He mouthed the words 'thank you'. Don't thank me yet, was all Seth could think. He debated leaving things be until the morning, but then Colton stepped into the room and Seth knew what had to be done. There was no good time to break news like this.

So he caught Blaine's eye. "Maybe you guys can sit on the couch." It wasn't phrased as a question and he saw Jocelyne's jolt from the corner of his eye. She was smart and perceptive, clearly ready to step in if needed.

Blaine murmured something into Nancy's ear and led the group to the couch. He and Nancy each took a place on either side of Roxie.

Colton stepped forward and Seth stepped back. He was a coward, he thought, but he didn't want to be the one Roxie associated with the bad news to come. He just didn't want to be the bad guy. So he gave Colton the space.

It was always a question of where to look, Seth thought, as Colton positioned himself. When you were delivering news to multiple family members, it was always a question of who to look at. Colton, he noticed, chose Roxie.

"We found Lonnie and Lance earlier this evening. They crashed their car up near Hope. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but they died on impact."

And there were the three reactions to bad news. Blaine denied, Roxie was catatonic, and Nancy screamed.

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