Finding North by Claudia Hall Christian Read Free Book Online Page A

want.”
    Her son laughed at
something Raz had done, and the child in her arms giggled. For all
of the pain, struggle, and sorrow surrounding their mother’s last
days, Máire and Joey were happy babies. They laughed easily and
cried only when provoked. Their delicate build and light-brown skin
made them seem like exotic birds plucked from the desert wilds to
live in the high-altitude mountains of Colorado.
    Quince leaned in and
kissed Máire. She went to Raz and said goodbye to Joey. She gave
Alex a wave and went downstairs to her room. Alex wandered into
their private living room, where Raz was talking to her mother and
cuddling Joey. When Máire saw her brother, she cooed in greeting.
Joey looked up at her voice and laughed.
    “ They are so happy,”
Rebecca said. “I didn’t expect it.”
    “ They are such easy-going
babies,” Alex said. “We’re lucky.”
    Rebecca nodded.
    “ Listen,
Mom . . .” Alex started.
    “ I’m not going anywhere,”
Rebecca said. “I promised Cian I’d help with Sunday dinner,
plus . . .”
    Alex raised her eyebrows
and wondered what Rebecca wanted.
    “ Your nanny is leaving,
and you need your antibiotics.” Rebecca got up and followed Alex
into the hallway. “You need my help.”
    Alex’s head went up and
down to agree with her mother, but, inside, she sneered. She was
definitely going to regret letting her mother in the door. Truth be
told, if she hadn’t had her morning brush with death, her mother
would not be sitting here right now. Rebecca smiled as if she had
heard Alex’s thought.
    “ Where’s Max?” Rebecca
asked.
    “ He and Wyatt went
skiing,” Alex said. “They’ll be here for dinner.”
    “ I’m sure you have some
work . . . or . . .” Rebecca
said.
    A shadow of sadness moved
across Rebecca’s face, and for the first time, Alex realized that
her mother had aged. They had been at odds most of her life.
Whatever semblance of peace and understanding they’d gained in the
last few years had been lost when Alex and Max kicked their parents
out of their lives. While her father was robust enough to get past
it, she’d clearly broken her mother’s heart.
    “ Why don’t you come down?”
Alex asked. Rebecca’s face brightened. “You can play with the twins
in the basement. We’ll be right there if you need help. I mean, if
you don’t mind.”
    “ It sounds fun,” Rebecca
said.
    “ Great,” Alex said. She
turned to head down to the basement.
    “ But
first . . .” Rebecca started.
    Alex turned to look at her
mother.
    “ Patrick told me why you
did what you did last Christmas,” Rebecca said. “And, while I don’t
like what you did or how you did it, I wanted to say thank you.
Those men who broke in a few years ago . . . and I
had to . . .”
    Her mother sucked in her
breath and swallowed hard at the memory of being attacked in her
own home. Alex put her hand on her mother’s arm to steady
her.
    “ They were looking for the
book I gave you,” Rebecca said. “Weren’t they?”
    “ I don’t think we’ll ever
know,” Alex said.
    “ Please don’t do that,”
Rebecca said. “I need to know. Plus, it’s the only thing that makes
any sense. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve party. You went home
with everyone. I talked to Sami before going to bed. She was
laughing and happy. She said you were excited about Christmas, and
then . . . A few hours later,
and . . .”
    “ Mom,” Alex
said.
    “ I wanted to tell you
that . . .” Rebecca nodded. “I don’t care if they
kill me. Being away from you kids and my grandchildren, especially
now that we’re home in Denver . . . Well, I may as
well have been dead.”
    Rebecca nodded.
    “ I say, ‘Let them try,’”
Rebecca said. “Because . . .”
    Rebecca’s large hazel eyes
filled with tears. Seeing Rebecca’s sorrow, Máire put her tiny hand
on Rebecca’s face. Rebecca smiled at the baby.
    “ I understand,” Alex said.
“And I’m sorry. We were really