CHAPTER 1

Jared Russell sighed and scratched the back of his neck where his dark hair scuffed the collar of his shirt. He sure could do with a haircut. He wondered if he could slink out the back door to get one. Frankly, he didn't know how much more of this he could stand.

Why in the world did Martin Ducane drag him into this? Sure they were friends and business associates. And, yes, Jared had known Martin since the day Jared was born. But this was crossing a line. This was personal, family business.

Jared rubbed his weary eyes.

Bullshit. That's not what bothered him. Their families had always been close…personal didn't matter. It was the fact Jared knew Martin wanted his support and approval, and that wasn't something Jared could give in this situation. Nope, he had to agree with Martin's sister on this one.

He opened his eyes on another sigh. Verna Ducane hovered over her brother, fists on slender hips, neck jerking forward with every word. She looked like a chicken gone haywire. Jared would have laughed if things hadn't been so serious.

"Martin, this is the most absurd idea I've ever heard. Surely you can't be serious?"

Verna tossed her silver-gray, bobbed hair and gave Martin her back. It was an old ploy meant to belittle the wheelchair-bound man. But Martin simply stared up at her calmly through golden brown eyes bracketed by laugh lines.

In fact, if Verna would only turn around, she'd see the amusement flickering there. It was Martin's defense against the fates that had put him in this situation thirty-four years ago. That and his patience were hard won, Jared knew. He admired the man for many things, but mostly for his honesty on this and his triumph over his own demons. His refusal to feel denigrated only made Verna angrier and more frustrated.

She stomped toward Jared, neck working overtime. "You talk to him. Tell him how crazy this is." She jerked her arm at her brother.

Jared stared into space while he pondered a response to diffuse the situation.

"Jared, please." Verna snapped her fists to her sides

He slowly turned Martin's way. He definitely sympathized with the sixty-year-old man. Losing one of his kids would kill him. And, just like Martin, he'd leave no stone unturned until he found that child. But this?

"I understand how much you want to find Jenny, but I think you may be opening yourself up for a lot of crank calls."

Verna knelt before her brother, resting her palms on the stubs of his thighs. Tears puddled in her brown eyes.

"It's been twenty-seven years, Martin. How can you expect to find her after twenty-seven years?"

Martin ignored her and gave Jared a look so filled with pain Jared winced.

"What would you do if one of your kids disappeared? Wouldn't you use every resource available if it were your child? Cody's almost the same age as Jenny was when I lost her. Just how would you feel if he disappeared?"

What could he say when he'd argued those same points with himself just seconds ago?

Verna shoved to her feet. All pretense of sympathy disappeared. "For crying out loud, Martin, you act as though the child was kidnapped. Her mother ran off with her. I told you Audrey was no good before you married her. You should've divorced her the day she ran off. Why have you bothered to continue the marriage? She was only after your money."

Jared stretched himself to his full height and let his six-two intimidate her as she had tried to do with Martin. "If she was after his money, why would she run away?"

Her reply was a flustered stomp of her foot as she turned away to stare out the patio doors. She acted fourteen, not fifty-eight.

"Jared?"

Martin's soft call turned him back to the older man who looked haunted, sad. It took all the willpower Jared possessed not to break eye contact.

"You've got to understand. I've been trying to find Jenny and Audrey ever since they left. I've exhausted every means available to me with no luck. I have to try this. It's my last hope."

From her perch by the patio doors, Verna snorted.

Jared's shoulders sagged. What more could he do? Martin's mind was set. He was going through with this no matter what. The least Jared could do was support him.

"I do understand. Probably more than you realize. And, even though I don't necessarily agree with your decision to have the story told on nationwide TV, I'll support you all I can."

Copyright © 2002 by Catherine Snodgrass