Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
C helsea sat at the kitchen table, laptop open to check her email. Ernest strutted past the window, pausing to eye the scene with his usual literary scrutiny, as if sensing the drama about to unfold.
Gretchen filled her suitcase with a few souvenirs from her stay in Key West as she continued packing for her trip back to Captiva. She sorted through the clothes she'd brought to Key West, when her phone rang.
The name on the screen made Gretchen's heart stop: Jeffrey.
"Jeffrey?" Her voice came out steadier than she felt. Chelsea's head snapped up at the name.
"Gretchen." His voice was tight with panic. "Sarah's gone. She left a note—she's driving to Key West to meet Kaitlyn."
"What do you mean she's gone?" Gretchen gripped the phone tighter, sinking into a kitchen chair. "How could you let this happen?"
"Let this happen? She snuck out, Gretchen! She left a note and took off in her car."
"This is exactly what I warned you about!" Gretchen's voice rose. "When she first asked to come meet Kaitlyn, I told you how much it meant to both Sarah and Kaitlyn. But no—your wife decided it wasn't a good idea, and you, as usual, went along with whatever she wanted!"
"Don't bring Joanna into this?—"
"Why not? She's the one who convinced you to say no. Sarah's sixteen, Jeffrey. Did you really think she'd just accept being told she couldn't meet her own sister? After everything that's happened? After all these years of lies?"
Chelsea moved closer, her face tight with concern. She could hear Jeffrey's agitated voice through the phone.
"She's not answering our calls. I have to assume she is somewhere between here and Key West." His voice cracked slightly. "Can we please focus on finding her instead of arguing about whose fault this is?"
Gretchen sighed. She had so much to say to him, but he was right. The most important thing right now was making sure Sarah was safe.
"When did she leave?"
"Must have been early this morning. We just found the note. Joanna's hysterical, and I'm leaving for Key West now. Sarah’s driving her blue Toyota Corolla." He rattled off the license plate number. "Gretchen, she's only sixteen. She's never driven this far alone."
After hanging up, Gretchen looked at Chelsea, her hands shaking. “Sarah ran away early this morning. Jeffrey said she left a note that she was coming here to see Kaitlyn.”
"Does she even have her address? Does she know where Kaitlyn is?”
“I have to assume the only thing she knows is Paradise Harbor House from all the things Kaitlyn puts online. Other than that, I have no idea.”
“We need to tell everyone. You’re probably right, she’d most likely go there, but just in case, we should make people aware of the situation," Chelsea said, already grabbing her purse. "Let's go to Max's first. Tess and Leah need to know what's happening."
The bar was quiet this time of day, with only a few regular customers eating lunch. Several regulars nodded when they arrived. The mystery novelist who always sat in the corner looked up from her notebook as they burst in.
Connie's friend Rick the retired fisherman who'd helped them source seafood for the fundraiser, set down his coffee. They'd all been part of last night's success at Paradise Harbor, and now they could sense something was wrong.
"What happened?" Leah asked the moment she saw their faces, abandoning the glasses she was sorting. "I thought you two were heading back to Captiva."
"Sarah's run away," Gretchen burst out. "She's driving here. Jeffrey just called—she left a note saying she's coming to meet Kaitlyn."
"Oh my, does Kaitlyn know?” Tess asked.
"Not yet. I’m going over to Paradise Harbor House to tell her, but I’m worried,” Gretchen said.
“She's sixteen," Leah said, her voice rising. "Driving alone from Fort Lauderdale? All because Jeffrey wouldn't stand up to Joanna?" She braced her hands on the bar. "First he abandons Kaitlyn, and now he can't even handle this right?"
"I might as well tell you. Jeffrey is on his way too. I haven’t seen him in years,” she added, her heart racing. “That man will be the death of me. He had the nerve to act like none of this is his fault,” Gretchen said.
"Well, isn't that just like him," Leah muttered. "Finally showing up when everything's falling apart."
“This isn't the time," Chelsea cut in, but the regulars were already murmuring, piecing together the family drama they'd glimpsed over the past months. “I know you’d like to wring his neck, but we need to focus on the girls. Before this day is over, there will be two young women dealing with something beyond their years. We all need to keep a level head.”
Connie appeared from the back, taking in the scene. Tess's pale face, Leah's white-knuckled grip on the bar. "Go," she said to Tess and Leah. "This is family."
"No," Chelsea insisted. "We need people in different locations. You two stay here—Sarah might come looking for Kaitlyn on Fleming Street first. Gretchen and I will go tell Kaitlyn."
"I'll alert the other businesses," Connie said, already pulling out her phone. "Everyone knows Kaitlyn from the fundraiser. We'll keep an eye out for Sarah's car. Give me the plate number and details and I’ll let Jamie and Jack know."
Mike stood up. "I'll walk down to the marina, let the charter captains know. She might head there looking for her sister."
The mystery novelist closed her notebook. "I'll post something in the neighborhood watch group. Quietly," she added at Chelsea's worried look. "Just asking people to watch for the car."
"Jamie's doing deliveries today," Tess said suddenly. "I'll call him, have him watch the roads coming into town." She caught Chelsea's knowing look. "He knows every delivery driver and restaurant worker in the Keys. Word will spread fast."
As they left Max's, they could hear Connie already making calls, her voice carrying the authority of someone used to handling crises. The mystery novelist was typing rapidly on her phone, while Mike headed toward the marina, moving with surprising speed for his age.
Gretchen took comfort in the way the community quickly came together to help. It was the same feeling she had about Captiva Island. Locals banding together to deal with whatever life threw in their path. Knowing this made leaving Key West easier. To have people watching out for Kaitlyn gave her a sense of peace.
At Paradise Harbor House, they found Kaitlyn reviewing paperwork with Elena while Will and a little boy played catch. The normality of the scene—Kaitlyn in her element, discussing shelter business—made what they had to say even harder.
One look at Gretchen's face told Kaitlyn something was wrong. "What happened?" She stood, her heart racing.
"Sarah's coming here," Gretchen said, still breathless. "She ran away from home. Left a note for Jeffrey and Joanna. She's driving to Key West, alone. I guess she didn’t like her parents keeping the two of you apart.”
Kaitlyn felt the room spin slightly. Will was instantly at her side, steadying her.
"She's sixteen," Kaitlyn managed. "She's driving by herself? What were they thinking telling her she couldn't come? Dad just let Joanna make that decision? I knew she wanted to meet me, but I didn’t realize how much. We should have seen this coming."
Elena stepped forward, already in crisis management mode. "Has Sarah’s father contacted the police?”
Gretchen shook her head. “I don’t think so. Honestly, I didn’t think to ask him.”
“I'll contact the Key West police. They’ll need to know. Will, can you reach out to your contacts at the local news stations? Just in case we need them."
"Your father's on his way too," Gretchen added, pacing now. "She's not answering anyone's calls."
Through the window, they could see Carla gathering her children from the playground, sensing the tension in the air.
Other residents moved quietly through the house. Kaitlyn assumed their own experiences with family crises made them particularly attuned to the weight of the moment.
"I'll call Jack," Will said softly to Kaitlyn. "He knows everyone at the local papers. We can put out alerts without causing panic."
“I think Connie was going to do that,”
“Wait!” Kaitlyn yelled. “Someone needs to get me her cellphone number. I can text her mine. I bet she’ll talk to me.”
“That’s a great idea,” Gretchen said. “Let me call Jeffrey back and get it.”
Gretchen walked to the corner of the room to call Jeffrey.
Kaitlyn sank into a chair, Will's hand steady on her shoulder. Frustration over the choices the adults in her life had made on their behalf had come to this. Sarah was driving toward her, alone on the highway, because of what? Because her father had been a selfish and weak man.
Kaitlyn felt sick to her stomach.
"She's out there somewhere," Kaitlyn whispered. "My little sister. Just…driving toward a stranger because she needs to know the truth so badly, and no one is being straight with her."
"She's driving toward family," Chelsea corrected gently. "And we're going to make sure she arrives safely. As a matter of fact, I’m going to call The Gardens Hotel like I was planning before. You’ll need a quiet place out of the way to talk, and they’re going to need a place to stay."
“Thanks, Aunt Chelsea,” Kaitlyn said.
Elena was already coordinating with local authorities, her calm efficiency a counterpoint to the emotional storm brewing. “They'll keep an eye out for her car without making her feel hunted. It’s not the first time I’ve had to call them for something similar."
"Jack's on it," Will reported, hanging up his phone. "He's spreading the word through his network. Someone will spot her."
Gretchen hung up the phone and forwarded Jeffrey’s text to her. “Here’s Sarah’s cellphone number.”
Kaitlyn looked at the number and then Will. She took a deep breath. “Wish me luck.”
He hugged her and whispered, “You’re going to be a fantastic older sister. Sarah is a lucky young woman.”
Kaitlyn could feel tears building, but she fought to keep them at bay; instead, as she pulled away from Will, her shoulders back, she stood tall as she walked to the corner of the room for privacy.
Gretchen’s heart broke for what her daughter was going through but she was incredibly proud of how she was taking control of the situation.
Looking at Kaitlyn, she saw not just her daughter but a woman who'd found her strength, her purpose. Who was about to face one of the biggest moments of her life.
Through the windows of Paradise Harbor House, Gretchen imagined the Key West community mobilizing on her family’s behalf. Word spreading from business to business, eyes watching the roads, a network of people who'd come to care about Kaitlyn now extending their protection to her sister.
All they could do now was wait, and hope Sarah made it safely to the family she'd never known, but who would welcome her with open arms.