Silent Run
whoever else in the family might need his help. He hadnât thought much about making a life with a woman -- until heâd met Sarah.
âI hope so, Jake, but if not, weâll always have this moment. Sometimes thatâs all you have. I learned that a long time ago.â Sarah put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in for his kiss. Her mouth was warm, soft, inviting, and he couldnât stop kissing her until the sun went down, and she shivered as the cold ocean breezes kicked up off the ocean.
âWeâd better go,â she whispered. She put her finger to his mouth and wiped off her lipstick. âWas it worth it?"
âAbsolutely,â he said.
âJake?"
He blinked, realizing Sarahâs voice no longer had the dreamy quality of the past. He glanced over at her. âWhat?"
âWhere were you?â she asked, her eyes curious.
âIn a dream,â he said. âBut itâs over now. All over.â
Chapter Nine
Dylan pulled up in front of a small clapboard cottage perched on the edge of the sea at Pismo Beach in San Luis Obispo. The house was white with blue shutters and a mix of colorful flowers in two long window boxes. As Dylan got out of his car, a blast of wind blew a chill through him. The sun was out, but the air was cold, and tall waves broke along the beach, the ocean still turbulent from the storm two days earlier.
He had mixed feelings about the sea. Some of his best memories were of his familyâs house on Orcas Island in the San Juan Island chain just off the coast of Washington state. But that house was also the last place heâd been with his mother. When theyâd returned home his father had told him they were getting a divorce. The next day his mother was gone.
It was strange that Jake had once again suffered from a womanâs quick and unexplained departure. Hadnât once been enough?
And Sarah hadnât just left; sheâd taken Caitlyn. That baby was his brotherâs heart and soul. Dylan was going to get Caitlyn back for Jake if it was the last thing he did.
Walking up to the front of the cottage, he rapped sharply on the heavy wood door. He heard some dogs bark in the yard; then a moment later the door opened just a few inches, a gold chain in place. A woman peered out at him, but she remained in the shadows, and he couldnât get a good look at her.
âWhat do you want?â she asked warily.
âA little information. My friend was on the news last night. You called the police to say she looked familiar to you."
âThe woman with amnesia?"
âThatâs right. Weâre trying desperately to figure out who she is."
âThe deputy I spoke to didnât think there was a connection,â the woman replied. âAnd my friendâs name is Jessica. He said this womanâs name is Sarah."
âShe does go by the name Sarah, but itâs possible she used to go by another name. She doesnât remember who she is. She was in a serious car accident. And her baby is missing. Iâd really like to talk to you more about your friend, just in case thereâs a chance theyâre the same person. Can I come in?"
âWho are you exactly? Youâre not a cop."
âNo, Iâm a friend of Sarahâs. Actually, sheâs involved with my brother, and the missing child is my niece. My name is Dylan Sanders."
The woman hesitated, then released the chain and opened the door. Silhouetted by the sunlight, she appeared younger than he had assumed, late twenties, maybe early thirties. She wore light blue capri pants and a long-sleeved button-down manâs shirt that was white but streaked with yellow paint. Her hair was reddish blond and pulled back in a ponytail. Her face was thin, freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were a dark, deep sapphire blue that reminded him of the sea. He swallowed hard, suddenly realizing he was still staring at her. When heâd heard âcrazy psychic lady,â heâd pictured some odd-looking woman with a half dozen cats and maybe a bird on her shoulder, not this surprisingly pretty young woman.
âIâm Catherine Hilliard,â she said in a soft, lyrical voice.
He cleared his throat. âItâs nice to meet you. Do you have a picture of your friend?â Maybe he could clear up the situation with one photograph.
âOf course I do,â she said.
âCould I see it?"
She stepped back and waved him farther into
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