BooksBarbecue
Back Until I Find You
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  57. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  58. Also by Rea Frey
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  60. Newsletter Sign-up

“Oliver.” Her voice hardens around his name. “It’s not the baby’s fault, of course, but I just couldn’t believe that this child I wasn’t related to was alive while the husband and father we needed in our lives was gone.” She drops her head into her hands. “And I kept going over it and over it in my head. If I’d just stopped him from leaving in the middle of the night, maybe he would have stayed. Or left later and missed that drunk driver altogether.”

Despite my anger, a familiar longing spreads through my gut. I know that what if game all too well.

“I just wasn’t ready to be a single mother of two children and a widow. I couldn’t handle it. I wanted to pretend none of it was happening. That’s why Pam was a lifesaver. She took care of the baby while I searched for Evelyn and tried to figure out what to do next.”

“Did you know Evelyn was dead?”

“I didn’t.” Her voice drops. “They just told me.”

“So you just hired Pam and then what? Decided Jackson was a better baby and the poor blind woman wouldn’t notice?” My rage bucks and revs again. “How dare you? How dare you take advantage of me like that?”

“I didn’t take advantage of you.” Crystal’s voice is firm. “That’s not what happened.”

“I’m sure you saw the similarities between them, right? They must look alike. You began hanging around. You even made the comment that you’ve never heard him cry. I get it. Colic sucks. But here’s what I don’t get. When did you do it?”

That’s the piece that nags me. That’s the piece I can’t figure out. Jake has interviewed the women at the park. If Crystal had walked up with a baby, someone would have noticed. Someone would have recognized her. I mull over the possibilities as Crystal lets me work it out for myself.

Jackson gives a sharp kick to my belly, and I gasp. My eyes search hers, a cloudy halo of frosty hair and white-hot skin.

“It wasn’t you,” I finally say.

Her silence confirms the truth.

I sit back, knowing exactly what that means.

48

CRYSTAL

Crystal searches the recognition in Rebecca’s face. She can’t tell her the truth—can’t admit it here, with these men scrutinizing her behind protected glass—but Rebecca is smart enough to figure it out. She realizes she’s ruined their friendship, that these last few days have fractured what they have so carefully built over all these months. Serves her right for not taking care of Oliver in the first place.