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Back Where I Left Her Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  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. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  47. Booklist

But one thing was clear: I would’ve done anything to be close to Millie.

Anything.

8

SATURDAY, 2:00 P.M.
TWENTY-ONE HOURS
AFTER DROP-OFF

“DAN?” WHITNEY WAS grateful when he answered the phone. She’d been worried he might already be in bed, since it was eleven o’clock his time. He’d never been a night owl. Early to bed, early to rise, he used to say. Her fingers ached from the exertion of holding the phone tight to her ear. She perched on the edge of her bed, staring at the blank white wall in front of her.

“Whitney, hi.” He didn’t sound happy to hear from her. He also didn’t sound like he was expecting her call.

But she held on to hope anyway. “Is Amelia there?”

“Of course not,” he said as if it was a ridiculous question.

“Well, have you talked to her? Is she maybe on her way to see you?”

“No. Why would you even ask that?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Dan. I know you had been talking to her about visiting.”

“Yes, but not today. This summer. And it wasn’t a secret. I talked to you about it too.”

“Yeah, and when I said I wasn’t comfortable with it, you told Amelia you were going to your attorney.”

Dan snorted. “Not exactly.”

“Are you saying that Amelia lied to me?”

“No, I just...she was worried you wouldn’t say yes, and I was just explaining to her that there are ways around that.”

“So, is that what you did? You went around it? Helped her get a plane ticket. Told her to come see you, to hell with what I thought?” Her entire body was shaking now.

“No, I didn’t. Geez. Calm down,” Dan said in that patronizing tone Whitney hated. “Last time I talked to her she hadn’t even gotten her passport yet.”

Right. Her passport. Amelia didn’t have one. There was no way she was on her way to Amsterdam. She exhaled, temporarily relieved. Then another thought hit. “What about your parents? Do you know if Amelia’s been in contact with them?”

Amelia had always loved time with her paternal grandparents. They lived in the Santa Cruz area, so not that far. Every year they sent expensive gifts at Christmas and on her birthday. And the times when Amelia visited, they’d make her root beer floats and take her out for fast food.

Dan would sometimes take Amelia to see them in the summertime. She loved the beach. Swimming had been her favorite pastime since she was a toddler. Dan and Whitney used to call her their little fish.

“No, I actually just talked with Mom today. Dad’s been pretty sick.”