19. Chapter Nineteen Poppy
Chapter Nineteen: Poppy
I pace the length of my kitchen, feeling helplessly frantic.
Joe’s youngest son is missing. Missing .
I’m not even a parent, but it’s the primary thing everyone fears might happen to their children. That, one day, all of the disturbing statistics and terrible possibilities have turned against them. It’s your child missing this time.
But… it can’t be dire, can it? This is Mermaid Shores. I might not have called this town home for very long, but I’ve been here long enough to know that it’s a thousand times safer than Malibu. Even now with the tourists popping up for the start of the season, it’s a haven. Especially for children. Aiden once said that this is the sort of place where some people still leave their front doors unlocked because they trust their neighbors that much.
So, for a child to disappear into thin air… there has to be a reasonable explanation.
At the same time, however, I can’t shake the horrible feeling that this is somehow my fault. If I hadn’t monopolized Joe’s time with all my drama and my problems, maybe he wouldn’t have been distracted enough with me to come over here this afternoon. He would’ve been with his sons, exactly where he belongs, instead of dealing with the disaster zone that this cottage became after Percy barged in.
Instead, Joe’s out there somewhere, desperately searching for his son, and I’m just… in here. Useless.
A sick feeling settles low in my stomach, twisting tighter and tighter with each step that I pace up and down the length of the skeletal first floor. I don’t know how long I’ve been tracing a trail back and forth through the construction site, but it’s long enough for the afternoon light to deepen into a pure gold through the windows.
I can’t stand this. I need air. I need wide open spaces, like the endless sea. I need something to stop the overwhelming guilt that’s closing in on me.
I step out the back door and head toward the path that leads down to the beach. The salty air hits me, sharp and bracing, but it doesn’t do much to ease the knot of worry in my chest. It’s unexpectedly chilly today, unseasonably cool even for the fresh dawning of summer.
My mind keeps looping through the events of last night and this morning, replaying every moment I spent with Joe… and every minute he spent here instead of with his kids.
Obviously, I know he has to do his job. And the boys have to go to school. Naturally, they wouldn’t spend every second together.
But, still. Joe came back to me this morning. I’m the one who was on his mind. I’m the one who let my chaos consume his life.
I wrap my arms around myself as I walk along the sandy path winding down to the frothy, frigid water. The sun is high in the sky, yet simultaneously heavy, as if it’s just as tired as I feel. It casts a soft glow over the ocean, and I’d usually find it breathtaking—calming, even—but right now, all I feel is dread.
I can’t even focus on the good news: the fact that Percy is now in police custody. The fact that I now have substantial reasoning to file a restraining order against him. Not even the fact that I’ll most likely never have to deal with him again can cool the fiery panic singeing the frayed edges of my heart.
Each minute that passes without word from Joe makes me certain that Cody is still nowhere to be found.
Not that I would expect to be the first one he reaches out to once he’s reunited with his son.
I let out a long, loud sigh. I’m just about to turn back toward the cottage when I catch sight of a small figure sitting in the sand just around the sloping edge of a dune, his knees pulled up to his chest as he stares out at the waves.
I blink several times, wondering if the salty air has blurred my vision, even as my heart leaps into my throat.
It’s a little boy. Alone and hunched over, with a forlorn look on his face that makes my chest ache.
“Cody?” I call out.
He lifts his head, his expression instantly lighting up with a hint of recognition. I can tell it’s definitely Cody, even though I’ve only met him once before. He looks just like a tiny Joe with his dark hair and somber eyes.
I don’t waste a second, and pull my phone out and quickly send a text to Joe, my fingers shaking as I type, Cody is here at the cottage. I found him on the beach.
As soon as the message sends, I skirt around the bottom edge of the low dune toward Cody, my heart pounding with a mixture of both relief and concern. He watches me approach, his eyes wide and a little wary. I slow my pace, not wanting to startle him.
“Hey, Cody,” I say softly, kneeling down in the sand beside him. “Are you okay?”
He nods, staring down at his knees, and it’s easy to tell that he’s been crying. My heart breaks a little at the sight.
“I went for a walk,” he says, his voice barely a whisper. “Grandma and Eli were flying the kite, but I was bored, so I thought I’d just go explore a little way down the beach, but then I walked too far and got scared. And the tide came in, so it—it blocked off the path back through the big rocks over there. I didn’t know how to get back.”
I nod as he stumbles through his explanation, giving him a reassuring smile. “That sounds really scary, honey. But you did the right thing, finding a safe place and staying still. Your dad is on his way, okay? He’ll be happy to see you. Everyone is looking for you.”
He shifts, hugging his knees tighter. “I recognized your house. I was too scared to go anywhere else, and I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I just waited here. You’re really nice.”
I swallow the emotions tightening my throat. “Of course I don’t mind, Cody. You’re welcome here anytime.”
I mean it, too. I don’t know what it is about this little boy, but there’s something in his big brown eyes that makes me feel fiercely protective of him. Maybe this is what parenthood feels like. Cody isn’t even my child, and I suddenly feel like I’d burn the entire world down if it ensured his safety.
He gives me a shy, tentative smile, and it’s like a small ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. I can see so much of Joe in him—the same quiet strength and the same hidden gentleness. But there’s something else, too. Something that makes him seem a little older than his years. He’s different than his older brother. Where Eli is boisterous and energetic, Cody is quieter and more pensive.
Cody stares out at the waves for a moment before speaking again. “My dad is really great. He takes really good care of us, and he’s always there for us even when we know that he has a lot of work to do. But…”
I wait, sensing he has more to say, and when he finally looks back at me, I see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. I reach out and place a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“But I wish I had a mom, too,” he whispers at last, so quietly I almost don’t hear him. “It’s just us and Daddy, and sometimes I feel like we’re missing something. I don’t even remember my mom, but I know Dad does. Eli says that he’s probably lonely. It makes me really sad to think that.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I pull him toward me, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. Without hesitation, Cody leans into my side.
“I’m sorry about your mom, Cody,” I say to him.
He glances at me, his expression thoughtful. “I like you, Miss Poppy. You’re really nice.”
He says it with a kind of earnestness that only a child could muster, and it warms my heart in a way I didn’t expect.
“Thank you, honey,” I say, my voice soft. “I think you’re pretty great, too. You and your brother. Without you guys, I wouldn’t know nearly as much as I now do about Kirby.”
He gives me a small smile, and we sit there in comfortable silence, watching the waves roll in. I’m not sure how long we sit like that, but eventually, I hear the sound of footsteps in the sand behind us.
I twist around to find Joe rushing through the sand, his face a mix of relief, worry, and utter exhaustion. He hurries down to us, his gaze locked on Cody, and I can see the fear that’s surely been eating at him for hours now.
“Dad!” Cody jumps up, running to his father.
Joe scoops him up in a hug that’s so fierce and protective that it causes a sharp, visceral pain to blast through my chest. I remember what it was like to be held like that by my own father. To know that, no matter what, and no matter who he was, my dad would always be on my side. He would always be my protector.
I swallow hard, knowing that now is not the time to let old grief take control of my tear ducts.
Joe holds Cody close, his hand cradling the back of his son’s head, and I can see the tension draining from his shoulders as he finally breathes a sigh of relief.
An older woman that I can only assume is the boys’ grandmother approaches, her face equally relieved, and she gently guides Cody back toward the cottage. She offers me a curious glance over her shoulder, then focuses all of her attention on Cody, murmuring to him in a voice that I’m too far away to overhear. Cody nods up at her, looking a little sheepish, but I can see the love in his eyes as he glances back at his dad.
Once they’re gone, Joe walks over to me. I rise from the sand, not bothering to brush it off the backs of my thighs. Out beyond the grassy dunes, the ocean hums its endless rhythm.
For a moment, we just stand there, the weight of everything unsaid and undone hanging in the air between us. A brief flash of that almost-kiss that was interrupted earlier overtakes me. I try to blame the next gust of sea air for my breath being suddenly taken away, but I know better.
“Thank you, Poppy,” Joe says to me. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found him.”
I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “I’m just glad he’s safe. And I’m glad he felt like this was a safe place, even though he barely knows me. He’s a great kid, Joe.”
He nods, his gaze softening as he looks at me. “He is. And I think it says something… that he thought of this cottage as a safe haven. Kids don’t forget those sorts of things. Neither do I.”
I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, but I don’t look away. “I’m glad I could be a good, um, person for him,” I say quietly. “And for you.”
Joe’s eyes lock with mine. The rest of the world fades away. It’s just the two of us, standing on the beach, surrounded by the soft sound of the waves and the golden glow of the afternoon sun. There’s something raw and honest in his gaze, causing my heart to skip a beat.
“I’ve been trying to deny it,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Trying to keep things professional between us. But the truth is, Poppy, that everything keeps leading me back to you. I played along with all of that fake dating stuff not just because I wanted to help you out, but because it felt nice to slip into a sense of normalcy like that with you.”
A breathless laugh escapes me. “ Normal ?”
“As normal as Poppy Minton’s life can be, I guess. I just—it felt good, Poppy. To be with you. Not just to pretend to be with you, but to spend all this time with you.”
His words are like a spark that ignites something deep inside me—something I’ve been trying to keep buried. I want to reach out and touch him, to close the distance between us, but I find myself holding back on the small chance that I’m still not reading his signals right.
He steps closer to me, his gaze flickering down to my lips. For a wondrous moment, I’m certain that he’s about to kiss me, and I’m more than certain that I want him to. My heart races, my entire body tingling with anticipation.
But then he pauses, his hand brushing lightly against mine, and I can feel the hesitation in his touch.
“You don’t owe me anything, Joe,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I try to hide the trickle of disappointment dripping down my spine. “I know my life is complicated, to say the least. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to keep things simple. Or if you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Especially with the stupid photos and… all that.”
He shakes his head, his fingers lacing with mine. A warmth spreads through me at the simple yet tender gesture.
“I’m done pretending, Poppy,” he says, his voice steady. “And I’m done trying to keep things simple. I’m done acting like my life is already complete the way that it is. I’ve been missing something for years. I’ve been missing you .”
The words hang in the air, and I feel a surge of happiness so strong it almost takes my breath away. I don’t know what to say, so I just squeeze his hand, letting my silence speak for itself.
He smiles at my speechlessness; it’s a soft smile that makes my heart melt.
“How about I take you on a real date?” he suggests, his voice light but full of meaning. “Nothing fancy. Because, I’m afraid to say, I’m not much of a fancy guy.”
I laugh. “I’d like that, Joe. I don’t need anything fancy. I like you just the way you are.”
Joe’s eyes gleam with joy as he sweeps me into his arms. The sand slips underfoot, causing me to practically float into his embrace. The earth itself is pushing us together this time, and there’s no part of me that’s tempted to resist as Joe presses his lips to mine and kisses me at last.