Buddy quickly replied, “Why did you leave Milton County without saying anything to me?”

  “Because the situation with my father was so dangerous that I didn’t believe I had a choice. Before Elise was born, I could run to a friend’s house, but that wasn’t an option with a baby. The last night I saw you, there was a terrible fight between my parents. I don’t remember what you saw.”

  “We were in the kitchen,” Buddy said. “I was holding Elise. Your father grabbed her, shoved her at you, and ordered me out of the house.”

  “Yeah,” Amber said with a slight nod. “That’s right. After you left, he started pushing my mother around. When I tried to get him to stop, he punched me. He’d done that before, but this was the worst. I called your house, and your father answered. I blurted out what had happened. He said you were asleep but that he would come get us. Elise and I left the house with nothing except what we were wearing. Your father took me to get something to eat. We talked everything over, and he promised to help me escape.”

  “You could have called the police.”

  Amber shook her head. “I can’t tell you how many times the police came to our house from when I was just a little girl. Sometimes it was because my mom threw something and hit my father. Or it might be when he knocked her around. If the police came and didn’t do anything, what would have happened to Elise and me when they left?”

  “Is that when my father started giving you money?”

  “Yes, although he always said you didn’t know anything about it.”

  “I didn’t. But not long ago I found the canceled checks in the basement at my mother’s house.”

  “Your father was very faithful in supporting us. When I married Charlie, he insisted on continuing the payments as a college fund for Elise. She has enough in her account to attend any school she wants to.”

  Buddy was silent for a few moments. “We could have faced this together,” he said.

  “No.” Amber shook her head emphatically. “This wasn’t something a couple of teenagers could have handled. It was even worse than I’m telling you. I desperately needed to leave town and go where my father couldn’t find me. Please don’t try to make me feel guilty for the choice I believed I had to make.”

  “No, no . . . I’m just trying to understand.”

  Amber spoke rapidly. “Twice my father found out where I was living and showed up. The first time I’d just moved to Savannah. I recognized his truck in the parking lot and didn’t go back into my apartment. A few years later he found out where I worked here in Atlanta and waited for me outside. He tried to run me over in a parking lot, but I jumped out of the way.”

  “Why did he want to hurt you after you were out of the house?”

  “Because he was insane, and what I knew could have sent him to prison for a long time if he’d been prosecuted and convicted. But it would have been hard to prove, and, once again, if I failed, who was going to keep Elise and me safe? He died from a brain tumor five years ago. It was the first time in my life I was able to sleep without fear.”

  “And your mother?” Gracie asked.

  “Living in Los Angeles not far from my brother. She has a lot of emotional and mental issues, but we stay in touch.”

  “After your father died, is that when you went to the family reunion in Soddy-Daisy?” Buddy asked.

  “Yes,” Amber answered, looking at him with surprise. “It was the first contact I’d had with my father’s extended family in years. How do you know about that?”

  Buddy told her about the visit with her great-uncle in Soddy-Daisy and the photos Vick gave him.

  Amber seemed puzzled. “I had no idea you were looking for us,” she said.

  “My father never told you?”

  “No, I thought you’d moved on with your life.”

  “Is that what he said?”

  “Not in those words exactly, but that’s the strong impression I received. I knew you went to college with the intent to go to law school and have a career. Your father and I rarely talked, but he made a few comments that led me to believe things had worked out for the best for you after I left town. I let him know where to send the support for Elise, and he faithfully did so. I used a post office box in Atlanta for years, even when I wasn’t living here.”

  “But you also came to Clarksburg.”

  “Yes. One time I met your father’s bookkeeper. And then I drove to Clarksburg a few months before your father passed away.” Amber paused. “I came to his funeral.”

  “What?” Buddy’s eyes opened wider.

  “Out of respect. I sat at the back of the church, which was packed, and I left early. I thought about saying something to you, but I didn’t. That was a mistake, and I’m sorry.”

  “Why did you continue to hide after your father died?” he asked.

  “Charlie is a computer analyst who works for the government. Even now I don’t know exactly what he does. They have all these guidelines our family has to follow about avoiding social media. We don’t even receive our mail at our house and other stuff like that. Charlie is out of the country now for at least a month. When we met and started dating, I eventually told him about my background. He told me marrying him would help keep us safe.”

  “Does the government know you’re involved in trying to help the women at the clubs?” Gracie asked.

  Amber shook her head. “No, and if his bosses found out, I’m sure we’d have to stop. But when a group at our church started the outreach and intervention, I wanted to help for as long as I could.”

  “What does Elise know about me?” Buddy asked.

  “Nothing beyond the fact that I had a boyfriend in high school, got pregnant, and ran away from home because of the abusive situation with my father. The emphasis was always on avoiding my father, not anything negative about you. I cut off all ties with my family to make it hard for my father to track us down. I didn’t see my mother or brother for over ten years. Even then, it was in Florida while I was living in Atlanta.” Amber paused. “But all this was part of the pressure that brought me to faith.”

  “I’d like to hear more about that,” Gracie said.

  Amber took another sip of coffee. “When Elise was five, I started attending a church so she could go to Sunday school. I’d been a few times as a small child when a neighbor took me, and it was a glimmer of light in the darkness. Elise liked the church, but the big impact was on me. I encountered the Lord’s love and healing, which I desperately needed, and that’s where I met Charlie. After dating for a year, we married. He adopted Elise, and we have a son named Bo. He’s eight.”

  Gracie drew out more details with gentle questions to Amber. As he listened, Buddy realized Amber’s story made much more sense to him now than it would have even a few weeks earlier.

  “Because of what I’ve suffered, I can help others in a way not everyone can,” Amber said.

  “That is beautiful,” Gracie said.

  The coffee in their cups was gone. Buddy had to ask the most important question in his heart. He turned to Amber. “Are you going to let me get to know Elise?”

  “That will be up to her. She considers Charlie her father, but I’ve already told her I’d support her if she wants to spend time with you.”

  “Did you talk about it tonight?” Buddy asked.

  “Yes,” Amber answered. She smiled as she continued, “And if I’d answered all her questions, I wouldn’t have been able to come to the hospital or here. But there are some things I think she should hear from you, not me.”

  They exchanged contact information. That simple act held enormous significance for Buddy. His search was over.

  “I’ll get in touch with you,” Amber said as they stood outside on the sidewalk in front of the shop. “I want to let Charlie know what’s happened first.”

  “Sure.” Then he had to ask: “Do you think Elise is going to say yes to getting to know me?”

  “After what I tell her about you, I think I know what her answer will be.”

  On their way out of the city, Buddy called Mayleah. The detective was going to spend the night in Atlanta after meeting with the APD.

  “What we provided filled in some gaps for an ongoing investigation,” Mayleah said.

  Buddy told her about the encounter with Amber and Elise. He wished he could see the detective’s face. When he finally paused, Mayleah didn’t say anything.

  “Hello?” he asked. “Are you there?”

  “Yes,” Mayleah managed. “But I’m having trouble talking or seeing through my tears.”

  “Thanks for your part in making this happen,” Buddy said.

  “You’re welcome, and I want to hear more when we’re together.”

  Even a late-night cup of coffee wasn’t enough to keep Gracie’s eyes open. By the time they reached the interstate, she was asleep. It was 1:35 a.m. when her eyes opened and she checked the time on her phone. They were in Clarksburg, about to turn into Gracie’s driveway. She ran her fingers through her hair and stretched her arms out in front of her.

  “You’re home,” Buddy said.

  “Did I sleep the whole way?”

  “Except for the time you talked in your sleep. We had an interesting conversation about softball.”

  “I don’t talk in my sleep, but if I did, there’s a good chance I would talk about softball.”

  Still groggy, Gracie opened the car door.

  “What time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?” Buddy asked.

  “Pick me up?” Gracie replied.

  “To take you to church.”

  “Are we really having this conversation?” Gracie asked. “Or am I talking in my sleep?”

  “I’m serious. I thought about it during the lonely drive home.”

  “Sorry I wasn’t good company. We just spent eighteen hours together. Are you sure you want to see me tomorrow?”

  “If you need to sleep in, I’ll understand.”

  “Let’s go to the later service.”

  “What time should I come by?”

  “Ten minutes before eleven.”

  Thirty

  By the time Gracie woke up, the midmorning sun was casting bright streaks through the cracks in her bedroom curtains. Sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee on the table and Opie lying at her feet, Gracie turned on her tablet. If ever there was a day to record answered prayer, this was it. As she wrote, the thankfulness in her heart welled up so strongly that it overflowed. She grabbed some tissues, not to stop the tears, but to make room for more.

  The clothes she’d worn the previous day were on top of the hamper in her closet. Glad she didn’t have to pretend to be fifteen years younger, she put on a light green dress that was one of her favorite summertime outfits. The doorbell rang. It was Buddy. He was wearing a blue sport coat and khakis.

  “You look nice,” he said when she opened the door.

  “Thanks. As soon as I put Opie in the backyard, I’ll be ready to go.”

  Gracie slipped into the front seat of Buddy’s car. “This looks familiar,” she said.

  “I had the same thought,” he replied. “It made me want to trade it in for a new model.”

  “Maybe not for a while,” Gracie said as she patted the leather seat. “You and this car share some important memories.”

  It was only a mile and a half to Gracie’s church. Curious stares followed them as they walked down the aisle to her usual place a third of the way from the front. Shortly before the service started, Gracie received a text message from her mother inviting her to lunch. She entered a quick reply.

  May I bring Buddy Smith?

  While she waited for the answer, Gracie imagined what might be going on between her parents. Her mother would be telling her father about the text and discussing if they needed to modify the menu. As the choir filed in, her mother answered simply:

  Yes

  Gracie leaned over and conveyed the invitation to Buddy.

  “I’d like that,” he replied.

  Gracie was amazed how comfortable she felt with Buddy beside her. She didn’t fidget or worry about what he was thinking. After the service, he greeted several people he knew as they made their way to the vestibule.

  “What did you think?” Gracie asked when they crossed the parking lot.

  “It’s different from my mother’s church, but in a way, everything about faith is new to me.”

  “That makes sense,” Gracie replied. “Would you want to come again?”

  “Only if we can sit together in the same pew.”

  Buddy’s statement was far from the most romantic thing a man could say to a woman, but for Gracie, in that moment, it sent shivers down her spine.

  “Deal,” she said.

  They left the parking lot and headed out of town toward the Blaylock farm.

  “When are you going to tell your mother about finding Elise?” Gracie asked.

  “I haven’t decided. Maybe drive her to Atlanta for a surprise meeting.” Buddy paused. “But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Amber and Elise will decide what they want to do.”

  Buddy parked behind a green pickup truck in the driveway at the Blaylock homestead. Wearing a checked apron, Maxine greeted them in the foyer of the rambling house.

  She hugged Gracie tightly before saying, “Frances Mulhaven was in church this morning. She told me that you and Buddy found Reagan.”

  “Yes. Sammy and Crystal are with her now.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “I can say that she’s safe,” Gracie answered. “Beyond that, I’d better leave it up to her folks to share any news.”

  “That’s fine. I’m just glad she’s been found.” Maxine turned to Buddy. “How’s your mother doing?”

  “Well,” Buddy answered. “She likes it when Gracie stops by for a chat.”

  Gracie followed her mother and Buddy into the dining room where Lauren waited. When Buddy moved on to be with the men, Lauren pounced.

  “Did he go to church with you?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “It was bold of you to invite him.”

  “Actually, he invited himself. We spent all day and most of the night together in Atlanta yesterday, and he brought up going to church when he dropped me off at my house around one thirty this morning.”

  “One thirty in the morning! What were you doing?”

  Gracie leaned in closer. “We went places you’d never guess in a million years and saw God work miracles. It was one of the most amazing days of my life. At one point we were sitting in Buddy’s car, and he listed all the things he likes and admires about me. I wish I’d recorded it.”

  Lauren was shocked speechless. When they were all gathered around the table, Gracie asked Buddy to pray.

  Without hesitation, he bowed his head. “God, bless this family and this food. Thank you for what you are doing in my life, and how you helped Gracie and me yesterday in Atlanta. Amen.”

  Buddy was relaxed and friendly around Gracie’s family. After they finished eating, she helped her mother in the kitchen.

  “I really like Buddy,” Maxine said when they were alone.

  “All he needed was Jesus.”

  It was after 3:00 p.m. when Gracie and Buddy drove back to town.

  “I enjoyed being with your family,” he said.

  “We do this most Sundays.”

  Buddy was silent for a few moments. “We didn’t finish our conversation yesterday in Atlanta,” he said.

  “Which conversation? There were a lot.”

  “The one when I was telling you all the things I admire and like about you,” Buddy said with a smile. “I didn’t get to the part about wanting to spend more time together if you’re open to it.”

  “I am,” Gracie replied and waited.

  Buddy glanced over at her. “And I’m not just talking about going to church.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “You’re being very efficient with your words,” he said.

  “Because my heart is about to pop with joy,” Gracie answered.

  “That’s better,” Buddy replied. “Today was a good start, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Breakfast or lunch at Crossroads? Which would you prefer?”

  “Lunch,” Gracie answered. “It will give me something to look forward to all morning.”

  * * *

  Buddy rarely took naps, but after dropping off Gracie, he stretched out on the sofa in his den. Still sleep-deprived from the previous day in Atlanta, he soon entered a familiar dream in which he was in the midst of a run and suddenly became disoriented. As he retraced a convoluted loop and ended up in the same spot, a figure stepped from the shadows and pointed down a road Buddy hadn’t noticed. Moments later he burst into the sunlight near his car. Buddy lifted his arms in celebration. He woke up, replayed the sequence, then fell back to sleep. When he awakened the second time, his first thought was about Gracie and how natural it felt to be around her. He’d always had a sense of anxiety when entering into a relationship with a woman. This time he felt at peace. His phone that was on the coffee table beside the sofa vibrated. It was a text from Amber.

  Could Elise and I come to Clarksburg on Tuesday around eleven in the morning—and stay until five?

  Buddy sat up and immediately replied:

  Yes. What would you like to do?

  A few seconds later an answer came:

  Elise wants to spend time with you.

  Buddy stared at the seven words until they were permanently etched into his memory. His daughter wanted to spend time with him. And if she spent time with him, that meant he could spend time with her. He picked up his phone.

  May I include my mother at some point in the day?

  He was relieved at the response:

  I’m sure Elise would like that.

  Buddy sent Amber his home address and immediately called his mother. He hadn’t told her about the trip to Atlanta yet.

  “How are you doing?” Beatrice asked.

  “Fine,” Buddy replied. “Are you busy Tuesday? I’m going to take a day off work and want to spend some time with you.”

  “It’s not a holiday.”

  “Right, but I’m in the mood for a break.”