Written in the Sand (Pacific Shores Book 4) Read online

  She pressed on her screen. “Hi, Kylen, what’s up?” The furrows on her brow deepened as she listened. “I’m at the school picking up Rem from soccer practice, why?” Her hand went to her forehead. “She what?” Her eyes fell closed. “Was anyone hurt?” A breath left her in a long, slow exhale. “Well, thank God for that. I’ll get Rem and…we’ll be down in a few minutes, I guess.” She blinked hard. Then blinked again. “No, don’t be sorry. This is not your fault. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” She hung up and stood staring at her phone for a long moment, as though she wished she could go back a few minutes in time and not answer it.

  He shouldn’t intrude, but he went against his better judgment and asked, “Everything alright?”

  She looked up as though coming back from someplace far away. “Uh…no, but thanks for asking.” She stretched her lips, but it didn’t come across like much of a smile.

  He reached out and squeezed her shoulder before he thought better of it. Then snatched his hand away. He tipped his head toward the boy still practicing shots into the net. “I’ll get him for you.” Turning, he jogged toward Remington, wondering what news Kylen, one of Marinville’s four police officers, would have been calling her about. Jalen knew her father had left the family to move in with his secretary in another city a couple years ago, and her mother hadn’t been doing well even before that. Lord, whatever it is, give her the strength to make it through. Let me help her through it, if I can.

  Chapter 2

  Riley’s hands trembled as she drove toward the police station. Her whole body trembled.

  This would be Mom’s third DUI in the past two years. The third since Dad left. And she likely wasn’t going to get off easy this time.

  So many emotions pressed for preeminence, Riley’s mind couldn’t seem to pick one to settle on. Anger over her mother’s irresponsibility. Sorrow for all Mom would now have to face. Fear for what this was going to do to Rem. But most of all, anxiety over how she was going to take care of him because Mom was surely going to be in jail for awhile.

  Her mind flashed to her father. The last two times Mom had been arrested he’d been out of the country on business, so she’d taken full responsibility for Rem. But this time would be considerably longer, she felt sure.

  Rem was staring into his lap, hands clenched. Her heart went out to her brother. No kid should have to deal with things like this. His palpable silence was telling.

  She pulled into a slot at the police station and shut off the engine.

  Remington didn’t move.

  She didn’t move.

  She closed her eyes. Lord…? Silence was her only answer.

  Rem shuffled around in his seat. “She’s going to be alright, isn’t she?”

  Riley forced herself into action and pulled open her door. “I’m sure she will be, Rem. Let’s just go in and find out what the next steps will be, okay?” How did the lie slip so easily off her tongue? Everything was certainly not going to be alright for a woman who’d been driving under the influence, especially since she wasn’t even supposed to be behind the wheel!

  Officer Kylen Sumner met them at the door as they entered the precinct. He held out his hand with a nod, but didn’t say it was good to see her. His expression showed compassion, but also grim reality. “Right this way.” He ushered them into a quiet room with stark walls and a table in the middle. Plastic chairs encircled the table. “Please have a seat.”

  Riley felt robotic as she sank into the chair and placed her purse on the floor beside her. Remington plopped into the seat next to her, equally quiet.

  Kylen’s brows lifted as he eased into the seat across from them. “First, I want to say as your friend, Riley, I’m really sorry about all this.”

  Don’t be kind, Kylen. Just give it to me. Since he was married to Taysia, one of her best friends, they saw a lot of each other. She bit the inside of her lip. He was only trying to be nice. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  He got right down to business then. “I need to ask you both a few questions, if that’s okay?”

  “Sure.” Riley nodded.

  Kylen’s gaze darted between them, then settled on Remington. “When’s the last time you spoke with your mom?”

  Brushing back his sweat-dampened mop of red hair, Rem shrugged. “Last night at dinner.”

  “You didn’t see her this morning?”

  Rem shook his head. “She was still sleeping when I left to catch the bus for school.”

  Riley swallowed down her resentment toward Mom for leaving Rem to fend for himself so much.

  Kylen jotted a couple notes and then stood holding out a hand to Rem. “Thanks, Rem. I need to talk to your sister for a bit and I need you to wait out in the waiting area. Officer O’Keefe here will show you where to go.”

  Remington stiffened. “I’m not a little kid. I can deal with whatever.”

  Kylen’s gaze swung to her.

  She was torn for only a moment before she decided to let him stay. They both would have to deal with the consequences of Mom’s choices. He might as well not hear the details secondhand.

  She nodded. “I think it’s fine for him to stay.”

  Kylen sighed, waved away the younger officer, and settled back into his seat. He glanced through his notes and then up at her.

  “And you? When was the last time you spoke to her?”

  Riley rubbed her forehead with a sigh. “She called me from Pete’s at about five minutes to five this evening and asked me to pick Rem up from soccer practice. I asked her if she’d taken a cab and she assured me she had. I take it she was driving her car when she crashed?”

  Kylen swallowed. “Yes. And there’s more. She did considerable damage to the front of Thrift and Save.”

  “Thrift and Save?” Riley frowned. “Why was she there?”

  Kylen shook his head. “We don’t know and she didn’t seem to want to say.” He eased back in his chair and folded his arms. “Conjecture is she might have been trying to” —he hesitated, cleared his throat, glanced down, then bounced a compassionate glance between them—”kill herself.”

  “What?!” Riley’s word was barely audible for all the shock it contained.

  Remington slumped back in his seat.

  Riley reached over and grabbed his hand.

  Kylen continued. “She drove full speed across the parking lot and into the brick wall. Wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.”

  Riley planted her forehead into one palm. “Is she hurt?”

  “She’s pretty banged up, but she was checked out by paramedics on the scene and by a doctor as soon as she arrived at the hospital, and she seems to just have surface cuts and abrasions, a broken nose, and a cracked rib.”

  “So she’s at the hospital now?”

  Kylen nodded. “But I’m afraid she’s under arrest and,” his gaze flickered to Rem, “Judge Mason has ruled she can’t have any visitors at this time.”

  Riley wasn’t surprised by that. Remington had smuggled Mom a bottle of whiskey the last time she’d ended up in the hospital with a DUI. “Okay, we understand.” A wave of weariness washed over Riley. How was she going to deal with all this? “Do you need anything else from us?”

  “Not right now.” Kylen stood. “Her hearing will be on Monday at eleven o’clock, but Riley,” he paused with his hand on the door, “it’s not looking good for bail. I don’t think she’s going to get it easy this time.”

  Riley pressed her lips together and retrieved her purse. “Thanks, Kylen.” She squeezed Rem around the shoulders. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

  Riley swung by her house and packed a small bag. She left a note for her roommate, Dakota, that she’d be living with Rem for a while and set it in the middle of the dining room table, and then they were on their way. She tried Dad three times, and finally left him a voice mail.

  The week settled into a routine fairly quickly after that. Lucia was on vacation and wouldn’t be back until the following Monday, so Riley would rise and make breakfast, get Rem o
n the bus to the high school and then quickly finish her own preparations and head off to work. After she got off work she spent the few minutes she had before needing to get Rem from soccer either running to the grocery store or doing a little of the remodeling she still needed to finish to the house on Second. After getting Rem from practice, she took him home and got him settled, then headed back to town to continue the remodeling work. The only incident all week had happened last night when she’d had to take his cell phone away because at midnight he was still up texting his friends. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to fight that battle again after she gave him back his phone tonight.

  Thankfully, it was Friday. And tonight she just needed to finish putting the second coat of paint on the last bedroom and tack up the chair rail she’d already measured and cut. Then tomorrow…blessed sleep.

  Remington hadn’t lingered after practice any more since that first day. He always came straight to the Jeep and so, despite the fact that she’d often wondered how Jalen was settling in, she hadn’t bumped into him again.

  But now as she sat waiting, she realized that all the other kids had cleared out of the parking lot and Remington should have arrived already.

  All week long Rem had spoken nothing but praise for Coach Rivera, and yesterday he’d told her, with a sparkle in his eyes, that he might get to start at right forward if he could improve his shot a little. Rem was probably staying after for a bit today to do some more practice shots on the goal, but they needed to get going. She’d promised her agent the house would be ready to show to a couple tomorrow, and she was anxious to get the finishing touches done.

  She couldn’t see the end of the field from where she was parked because of the maintenance shed. Wearily, she climbed from the Jeep and went in search of Remington.

  But when she rounded the corner of the groundskeeper’s building, Jalen was coming toward her in a T-shirt and soccer shorts. He paused as though surprised to see her, and then a strange look crossed his face.

  “What?” She folded her arms against the betrayal of her heart which leapt in ecstasy at the sight of him.

  “Please don’t tell me Rem is quitting the team?”

  She shook her head and then gestured up toward the field. “I was just going up to get him.”

  Jalen frowned and tugged on the strap of the sports bag slung over one broad shoulder. “He didn’t show up for practice today.”

  “He didn’t?” Riley’s weariness threatened to spill over into tears. She pressed one hand to her forehead and spun away from the man, trying to think where Rem might have gone instead. He loved soccer. She couldn’t imagine him choosing to miss practice. Where should she start looking? The school office would be closed by now, and she didn’t know who any of his close friends were.

  Jalen stepped up beside her, watching her closely with those soft brown eyes of his. “One of the boys, Keith, said he saw him at lunch, but he wasn’t at any of the afternoon classes they shared. I thought he might have gone home sick.”

  “Keith Tuppins?”

  Jalen nodded.

  “Well that’s a place to start, I guess. Thanks. And sorry he wasn’t at practice.” She turned for her Jeep before she did something stupid like throw herself into his arms and ask him to take all her troubles away.

  But he spoke from behind her. “Riley, can you try and call him?”

  She shook her head. “I have his phone.”

  “I see. Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to come along?”

  She hesitated.

  “Might make the guys a little more forthcoming.”

  That was true. And the thought of having someone by her side while she hunted down her wayward brother was more than a little comforting. Might keep her from killing him once she found him, too.

  “Sure.” She motioned him toward the passenger side of her Jeep.

  They rode to Keith’s in silence, but somehow she and Jalen had always had an easy connection between them and the quiet didn’t feel awkward.

  When she knocked on the door at the Tuppins’ place and asked to speak to Keith her stomach was knotted up tighter than a boxer’s fist.

  Keith came to the door looking uncertain, but his eyes brightened when they landed on Jalen. “Oh, hi Coach.”

  Jalen nodded at him but let her do the talking for which she was thankful. “Keith, Jal—uh, Coach Rivera said you mentioned at practice that you saw Rem at lunch but then he didn’t come to any of his afternoon classes? Do you know where he might have gone?”

  The boy’s face lost a shade of color and then another. He glanced back and forth from Jalen to her as if he’d like to slam the door in her face but didn’t want to do it in front of his coach.

  Jalen spoke for the first time. “It’s okay, Keith. Rem was supposed to be at practice and his sister is just worried about him and needs to make sure he’s safe. Please tell us what you know.”

  Keith shuffled his feet. “He went with some of the guys to a party.”

  Riley was at once relieved to know it was just a stupid decision he’d made and horrified that he’d chosen to go to a party instead of school and soccer.

  “Where at?” Even she heard the resigned exhaustion in her tone.

  Keith glanced at the welcome mat beneath her feet. “I don’t know the exact place, but it’s…in Portland.”

  “Portland!? That’s over two hours from here!”

  Keith nodded.

  “Do you know anyone who knows where they were going?”

  Keith shook his head. “Only word I heard was it was going to be fun and anyone who wanted to go should meet Tony Cruz in the parking lot after lunch. He was driving.”

  Tony Cruz. Riley felt the blood retreat from her head. Of course Rem wouldn’t be going to a party in Portland with someone nice. No. He had to run off with a kid who’d been in the local news just last week for spray painting curse words on the back wall of the elementary school. The elementary’s video surveillance had caught him. She herself had spent some time with the other teachers scrubbing it off before the kids arrived for school.

  Her hands clenched and she felt her blood pressure begin to rise.

  Jalen’s hand settled at her back. “Thanks Keith. Good practice today. See you Monday.” Jalen gently propelled her toward her Jeep. “Come on. Want me to drive?”

  She gave him the keys without hesitation. She was so angry right now she would be in danger of getting a speeding ticket or even worse, killing herself and Jalen if she got behind the wheel.

  Jalen backed out of the drive and started down the road, then looked over at her. “Where are we going?”

  She waved a hand. “Back to your car at the school, I guess. There’s no way I can run off to Portland and expect to find him. I’ll just have to wait to kill him till he gets back home.”

  Jalen gave a wry chuckle then tossed her a repentant look. “Sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, but I so know how you are feeling right now.”

  Riley sighed and propped her head against her fist. Yeah, he probably did since he’d spent the last ten years working with troubled boys. “And here I’d thought the week was going so great. This is his payback for me taking his phone last night.”

  Sympathy touched Jalen’s expression. “We could try finding Tony Cruz’s number? Calling him to find out where they are? I’d go with you to Portland, if you want?”

  Riley’s hopes momentarily surged. “That’s a good idea.” She dug for her phone in her purse and dialed 411. But there was no listing for a Tony Cruz, Anthony Cruz, or Antonio Cruz living in Marinville. She dropped her hand back to her lap in defeat. “No luck.”

  “Maybe Rem has Tony’s number in his phone?”

  She shook her head. “I thought of that but Rem has a password on his phone and I don’t know it.” She rubbed at the ache in her forehead. “I guess I’ll just have to pray and trust him to God.”

  “Sometimes entrusting them to God is one of the hardest things we have to do.” Jalen reached over and squeezed
her hand.

  Her heart skipped a beat and she pulled her hand from his on the pretext of putting her phone back in her purse. This man could so easily make her forget all her reasons why it would be best never to get into another relationship again.

  Jalen apparently took the hint because he settled his palm against the stick shift, giving her space. “So when is your mom’s first day in court?”

  She sighed. Yet one more thing to worry about. “Monday. And I don’t think she’ll be getting out on bail.”

  “And custody for Remington? What’s happening with that?”

  Riley squeezed the muscles at the base of her neck. “I’ve left messages for my dad three times this week and he hasn’t returned my calls. So I will have to take custody of him, I guess. Dad pays Mom enough alimony to keep the house going and provide for her and Rem. Hopefully he’ll…I don’t know. I guess if he quits paying it, I’ll just have to let Lucia and Roddy go and have Rem move into the house with Dakota and me.” She could do it. She might have to break down and use some of Dad’s money from her account to support Rem, but that wasn’t the same as using it for herself. Tears threatened and she blinked hard to keep them at bay, turning her face toward her window so Jalen wouldn’t see.

  They drove in silence until her phone rang and she scrambled to snatch it up. It was an unfamiliar number. Please let this be Rem, God. “Hello?”

  “Riley?”

  “Remington Dylan Ross! Where are you?”

  “I know, look, just relax, alright? I’m headed back to Marinville now. I caught a ride with a guy and he let me use his phone.”

  “You caught a ride with someone? Who?”

  “I don’t know.” She could almost hear his signature shrug. “Just some guy who picked me up when I was thumbing for a ride.”

  “Remington Ross! You were hitchhiking?! Do you know how many crazies are out there?”

  “Just chill, Ri. I felt bad that I left without telling you. Now I’m coming home. Just thought you’d like to know.” He ended with a mild curse.