The Cinderella Plan. Margaret Daley

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СКАЧАТЬ glanced up and down the hall, wondering where she was. Then he heard a noise and looked back into the room. He saw Anne, on all fours, scooting out from under one of the long art tables.

      He cleared his throat. “Can I help?”

      Anne gasped, lifted up and bumped into the underside of the table. “Ouch!” She managed to stand without injuring herself again, but she rubbed the back of her head. “You’re supposed to warn someone you’re in the room.”

      “Sorry. I did. I cleared my throat. But next time I’ll clap my hands or bang on something so you know I’m coming.” Caleb put his mug down. “May I ask why you were under the table in the first place?”

      “I was putting away my car keys and I dropped my purse.” She gestured toward the floor on the other side of the table, away from the door. “My lipstick rolled there.”

      “You don’t need makeup.”

      With his gaze fixed on her face, she blushed the color of her pink lipstick and busied herself stuffing the contents of her purse back into the black leather bag.

      “You don’t carry much. My two cousins have half their bedroom in their purses.”

      She shrugged, snapping the bag closed with a loud click. “Don’t need it. I don’t wear much makeup. That is, other than lipstick. Personally, I wish I didn’t have to carry a purse at all, but I need something to put my wallet and checkbook in.”

      “Very efficient.”

      Her smile encompassed her whole face, two dimples appearing. “That’s my middle name.”

      “Very or efficient?” he asked, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

      She chuckled. “Efficient and organized.”

      He could listen to her laughter all day. What a beautiful sound! He would have to think of more ways to get her to do it. “I’m glad you’re both because we’ll probably need it when the kids arrive. The last meeting we had ended in chaos. Gina wanted to do things a certain way and Jeremy another way. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with Gina. She’s very aware he’s the oldest by a year.”

      Anne peered at the clock on the wall. “Where are they?”

      “You know, that’s a good question.” Caleb started for the door.

      Jeremy appeared in the entrance into the room, a frown slashing across his face. “I went to pick up Dylan like I promised ya and he’s gone.”

      “What do you mean gone?” Caleb straightened, anxiety taking hold of him.

      “His foster parents went to get him in his room, and he hadn’t slept in his bed. He wasn’t anywhere in the house. They called the police, but I thought ya should know.”

      Chapter Two

      Anne came to stand beside Caleb. “Dylan? Isn’t that the boy the Givens family took in?”

      Caleb nodded, thinking back to his conversation with the child yesterday afternoon—or the lack thereof. Dylan had been unusually quiet when Caleb had seen him at the center, staring at the TV set. He suspected the eleven-year-old hadn’t even known what show had been on. He’d tried to get Dylan to talk to him, but the boy had clamped his mouth shut, crossed his arms and glared at a spot on the floor in front of him.

      Caleb dug into his pocket and retrieved his car keys. “I need to find him.” He started for the door.

      “Do you want me to help?” Anne asked, taking a step forward.

      He pivoted, a frown creasing his forehead. “No.”

      The force behind that one word stiffened her spine.

      “Sorry. That didn’t come out right.” Caleb kneaded the back of his neck. “I need you to stay here and get the kids started on the flyers. I hope I can find Dylan and be back soon.”

      “What if he shows up here? Do you have a cell phone I can call you on?”

      With a quick nod Caleb walked back to the table and scribbled his number down on a pad. “Call if you find out anything that might help.”

      As Caleb left the room, Jeremy stood near the door, looking lost. An uncomfortable silence descended. Anne shifted from one foot to the other, not sure what to do. She knew from the girls who volunteered at the adoption agency that Jeremy was very popular at school, already a star athlete on the football team even though he was only a sophomore. When Gina talked about him, she got all starry-eyed, and Anne thought back to her days in high school and the few crushes she’d developed on unattainable boys. It hadn’t taken long for them to be crushed to the point she didn’t dream about the impossible—until Caleb had come along.

      Anne coughed and swallowed several times to coat her dry throat. “I’m sure that Caleb will find Dylan.”

      Jeremy finally looked at her as though he hadn’t realized she’d even been in the room, which was usually how Anne liked it. But his expression only heightened all the years that she had felt invisible, unimportant.

      The teenager lifted his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so. I should’ve known something was up. The last few days he didn’t dog my every step around here like he usually does.”

      “Oh” was all Anne could think to say. She’d never had very good success talking with the opposite sex and even though she was almost twice Jeremy’s age, she wasn’t doing a good job at the moment.

      Luckily Gina burst into the room, followed by Nikki, Tiffany and Ruth Fraser, the minister’s daughter, all of them talking at the same time. Gina took one look at Jeremy and slowed her pace, her words dying in her throat as she quickly peered away from the young man.

      When Gina saw Anne, the fifteen-year-old said, “I’m glad you could make it.” Then, as though she realized something was wrong, she cocked her head and asked, “What happened?”

      “Dylan ran away,” Jeremy answered before Anne could even open her mouth.

      Gina glanced at Jeremy, her usual bravado subdued. “He did? When?”

      “Last night, I guess.”

      The girls behind Gina began to whisper among themselves. Anne stepped forward. “If you all know anything, please tell me. Caleb is out looking for Dylan right now. Do you know where he would go when he’s upset?”

      Tiffany and Nikki shook their heads. Ruth stared at a spot on the far wall with a blank expression, none of her usual exuberance evident.

      Anne walked to her. “Do you know something, Ruth?”

      The girl’s shoulders drooped, her bright red hair falling forward, almost concealing her face.

      “Please tell me.”

      Ruth looked Anne in the eye. “Dylan wasn’t happy with his foster family. He’s been talking about leaving, but I didn’t think he would do it.”

      “Do you know where he would go?”

      Ruth СКАЧАТЬ