Read Online A Family Forever by Helen Scott Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helen Scott Taylor
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
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went carefully up the drive, peering into the overgrown shrubs.
He parked beside the dry fountain. He and Tim searched the old Victorian house from top to bottom, opening every cupboard door, looking behind every dusty, faded curtain. The contractors had already started work and the hall was a building site with equipment and materials stacked in corners. It was no place for a child to hide out now.
Fifty minutes later, Adam's hopes had dwindled. He stepped outside, a chill of foreboding spreading through him like ice water in his veins. Ten acres of wild grounds filled with trees, overgrown bushes, and tumbledown outbuildings offered numerous hiding places. It would be difficult and time-consuming to search it all.
Tim and Adam started at the house and worked their way towards the boundary fences, calling Harry's name. Adam's throat grew hoarse from shouting so much.
Victoria arrived and joined him, her voice echoing through the undergrowth with his. Still his son didn't show himself.
"Would he come out if he heard you call?" Victoria asked, resting a comforting hand on his back.
"Yesterday I would have said yes, but then I never dreamed he'd run away."
"I know you must feel like he's been missing for ages, but it's still only a few hours, Adam. We'll find him."
Victoria met his gaze, hers steady and sure, giving him strength. He thought of himself as cool and calm. Yet if it wasn't for her right now, he might lose his sanity. He took her hand and squeezed, needing the connection. "You're right. I know you are. We’ll keep searching."
Hand in hand they scoured the grounds of Larchfield Hall, crawling under hedges and bushes, checking inside a hollow tree and in the ancient ruins of stone buildings that had originally been built centuries ago when an abbey stood on the site.
The contractors working on the house arrived, and Adam roped them in to help with the search. By lunchtime they had covered the whole ten acres, and unless Harry was invisible, he was not here.
Adam raised his hands and let them fall, a wash of despair passing through him. "I don't know where else to look."
"What about the field? He's walked through it with Soph."
"The field. Okay." It was his last hope. He sent Tim to the pub so he was there if Harry returned, then he and Victoria walked the footpath across Farmer Andrews's field to the back of Prickly Ball Cottage, all the time scanning the grassy area.
"I'm going to have to call the police," Adam said, his voice laced with despair.
"Before you do, come in for a few minutes. We'll think it through once more."
They climbed over the garden fence and headed to the cottage. Adam glanced in the hedgehog shed as he passed and opened the door to the lean-to that housed the lawn mower. "Nothing." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the splintery door.
Victoria's hand settled warm against his arm. "I checked out here before I came up to Larchfield."
Adam followed Victoria through her back door. He slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs and rested his head in his hands while she made some tea.
Her arm slid around his shoulders as she placed a cup in front of him. "I can imagine how you must feel, Adam. A missing child is a parent's worst nightmare, but he can't have gone far. Hang in there."
"I must call the police. There's nothing else to do." He'd wanted to avoid making it official. It was a scary thing for a kid to be tracked down and brought home by officers of the law. He knew from firsthand experience.
He turned his head towards Victoria and breathed in the soft floral fragrance that was uniquely hers, drawing a measure of comfort from her touch and presence. He'd thought his life was under control, that he had everything worked out. He'd thought he and Harry had a solid foundation of trust and love that nothing could shake. How could it be so fragile and easily shattered?
***
Victoria stood beside Adam's chair, wrapped both arms around him, and pressed her lips to
He parked beside the dry fountain. He and Tim searched the old Victorian house from top to bottom, opening every cupboard door, looking behind every dusty, faded curtain. The contractors had already started work and the hall was a building site with equipment and materials stacked in corners. It was no place for a child to hide out now.
Fifty minutes later, Adam's hopes had dwindled. He stepped outside, a chill of foreboding spreading through him like ice water in his veins. Ten acres of wild grounds filled with trees, overgrown bushes, and tumbledown outbuildings offered numerous hiding places. It would be difficult and time-consuming to search it all.
Tim and Adam started at the house and worked their way towards the boundary fences, calling Harry's name. Adam's throat grew hoarse from shouting so much.
Victoria arrived and joined him, her voice echoing through the undergrowth with his. Still his son didn't show himself.
"Would he come out if he heard you call?" Victoria asked, resting a comforting hand on his back.
"Yesterday I would have said yes, but then I never dreamed he'd run away."
"I know you must feel like he's been missing for ages, but it's still only a few hours, Adam. We'll find him."
Victoria met his gaze, hers steady and sure, giving him strength. He thought of himself as cool and calm. Yet if it wasn't for her right now, he might lose his sanity. He took her hand and squeezed, needing the connection. "You're right. I know you are. We’ll keep searching."
Hand in hand they scoured the grounds of Larchfield Hall, crawling under hedges and bushes, checking inside a hollow tree and in the ancient ruins of stone buildings that had originally been built centuries ago when an abbey stood on the site.
The contractors working on the house arrived, and Adam roped them in to help with the search. By lunchtime they had covered the whole ten acres, and unless Harry was invisible, he was not here.
Adam raised his hands and let them fall, a wash of despair passing through him. "I don't know where else to look."
"What about the field? He's walked through it with Soph."
"The field. Okay." It was his last hope. He sent Tim to the pub so he was there if Harry returned, then he and Victoria walked the footpath across Farmer Andrews's field to the back of Prickly Ball Cottage, all the time scanning the grassy area.
"I'm going to have to call the police," Adam said, his voice laced with despair.
"Before you do, come in for a few minutes. We'll think it through once more."
They climbed over the garden fence and headed to the cottage. Adam glanced in the hedgehog shed as he passed and opened the door to the lean-to that housed the lawn mower. "Nothing." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the splintery door.
Victoria's hand settled warm against his arm. "I checked out here before I came up to Larchfield."
Adam followed Victoria through her back door. He slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs and rested his head in his hands while she made some tea.
Her arm slid around his shoulders as she placed a cup in front of him. "I can imagine how you must feel, Adam. A missing child is a parent's worst nightmare, but he can't have gone far. Hang in there."
"I must call the police. There's nothing else to do." He'd wanted to avoid making it official. It was a scary thing for a kid to be tracked down and brought home by officers of the law. He knew from firsthand experience.
He turned his head towards Victoria and breathed in the soft floral fragrance that was uniquely hers, drawing a measure of comfort from her touch and presence. He'd thought his life was under control, that he had everything worked out. He'd thought he and Harry had a solid foundation of trust and love that nothing could shake. How could it be so fragile and easily shattered?
***
Victoria stood beside Adam's chair, wrapped both arms around him, and pressed her lips to
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