Emma's Secret: A Novel

friendship.
    “Honestly, I wouldn’t either.” Megan smiled at the thought. “You always had a way with the guys, though, even in school. Kris never stood a chance; the poor guy was lost the moment he saw you. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She squeezed Laurie’s shoulder.
    “Kris would be okay with this, wouldn’t he?” Laurie’s voice broke.
    Megan sank down to her knees and grabbed hold of Laurie’s hands.
    “Of course he would. He never wanted you to be alone; you know that. And Riley has such a big heart…Kris would like him.” She chuckled quietly. “No doubt they would have been best friends if they’d ever met. This is exactly what he would want for you. To live life. To be happy.”
    Megan thought about her own marriage and the sacrifice Peter had made for her. It couldn’t have been easy for him to ask Sam to sell her shares.
    “Can I just ask for a small favor?” Megan leaned back and rested her hands on the railing behind her. “Put a sock on the door if he’s there next time?” She winked.
    Laurie’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. “How about you just text me if you’re coming by?”
    Megan laughed. “I think I can do that.” She reached for the ignored bag of goodies on the table, peered inside the bag, and almost groaned. She pulled out a chocolate croissant, inhaled its delectable sweet aroma, and blew a kiss at her friend.
    “If this is your idea of a peace offering, we need to fight more often.” Megan reached for the second croissant and handed it to Laurie. “So are you gonna tell me what happened, or should I get Jan to spill the beans? You know she was dying to when we were last there.”
    “Oh, I know. Trust me.” Laurie groaned. “We happened to be at the shooting range together and struck up a conversation afterward. We talked a bit about Emma and how well she’s been adjusting and then”—she shrugged—“the conversation just took off from there, and the next thing you know, we realized we had a lot in common.”
    Megan nodded. It figured Laurie would have met someone on the shooting range. That was where she’d had her first date with Kris.
    “So what?” Megan found herself asking. “One thing led to another and…”
    Laurie nodded. “Honestly, that’s what happened. We met for coffee another time and talked a bit, but that’s it. Nothing else. It was too awkward. Too…personal. I mean, he was such an important person in your…our lives when Emma first went missing,and it just seemed too…weird. But there was a connection there, and we both knew it. I’ve been so afraid to tell you. I wanted to see if anything was going to happen first.”
    Megan took in a deep breath. She could hear the concern in Laurie’s voice. It bothered her that Laurie would have been so worried, when she shouldn’t have been. And it hurt to know that Laurie’s concerns were valid.
    “Oh, honey. No man will come between us, remember?”
    Megan swallowed hard and then laughed when she caught Laurie doing the same. Megan rose from her chair and went to hug Laurie. She smiled at Hannah, who stood at the patio door.
    “Mom?”
    It was the tone in Hannah’s voice that wiped the smile from her face.
    “What’s wrong, Hannah?” Megan unwrapped her arms from around Laurie.
    “Where’s Emma?”
    A cold, slithering sensation worked its way down Megan’s spine at her daughter’s words.
    “She should be up in her room, honey. She was playing with her ponies last I checked.”
    Megan’s heart stopped as Hannah gave a tight shake to her head.
    Laurie laid a hand on Megan’s arm. “What do you mean, Hannah?” she asked.
    “I just went to check on her, but she’s not there. I looked all over too.”
    Megan brushed past Laurie and raced into the house. “Emma?” she called out as she searched the downstairs rooms one by one.
    “Did you lock the front door behind you?” Megan yelled over her shoulder to Laurie before she saw the answer for herself. The front door was slightly ajar.
    Laurie nodded. “Of course I did.”
    “Then why is it open?” Flustered, Megan waved her hand in the air before gripping the staircase rail. “And why wasn’t the alarm on? Hannah, did you open the front door?”
    Hannah followed close behind. “No, Mom. I promise. It was like that before I went upstairs. Mom, where is she?”
    Megan raced up the stairs, her heart pounding with each step she took. Emma’s room was empty, her blankets a mess on her bed. The dress