Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold #11)

“Carter!” Felicia called as she started to run.

Gideon kept up with her easily. His right hand kept reaching for a nonexistent weapon. The result of training, he thought grimly. No guns today, and no enemies.

“Carter!” Felicia screamed, running ahead.

Gideon kept pace with her. They rounded a bend and stumbled into a large open cave with high ceilings. Carter and Reese were sitting on sleeping bags, playing a game on a laptop, music blasting from speakers. There were lanterns and a cooler.

The teens scrambled to their feet as the adults rushed in. Felicia pulled Carter hard against her.

“What were you thinking?” she demanded as she touched his face, then his shoulders. “Running away? It was horrible. When I read that note—”

Kent muttered something under his breath as he reached for Reese. Father and son embraced.

The rest of the team gathered around. Felicia kept touching Carter, as if reassuring herself. Then she started to cry.

Carter immediately stepped back and looked horrified. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Don’t cry.”

“I was so scared,” she admitted, her voice shaking.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Too bad, because you would have achieved your goal. Oh, Carter.” She hugged him again. “You know you have to be punished, right?”

He nodded.

“Okay, and you have to swear you’ll never do this again.” She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you. You need to get that.”

Tears filled his eyes. “I love you, too, and I’m sorry.”

“Me, too, Dad,” Reese told his father. “It was a stupid trick.”

“More than a trick. You’re grounded, for starters. We’ll take it from there.”

Rafe headed toward the path. “I’ll alert the others that the boys are found.”

Gideon watched it all, physically there, but separate from what was happening. He could see Felicia’s emotion but wasn’t a part of it. Sure, he was glad the boys were fine, but he didn’t have the same connection as the others. It was like being underwater and hearing sound. He knew it was there but couldn’t recognize it.

And then he knew. Whatever had been done to him, whatever had been beaten from him, whatever had allowed him to survive when the others didn’t, wasn’t because he was stronger than them. It was because there was something wrong with him. He wasn’t like other people. They had loved once, and losing all they loved had destroyed them. He’d thought them weak, but he was wrong. They were completely human.

And he wasn’t.

He didn’t have the same emotions, the same needs. Perhaps the flaw had always been there, and the torture had brought it to the surface. Maybe he’d been more whole before, but what had happened to him had caused breaks. He didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. Except he had a child now.

What was he supposed to do about Carter?

It didn’t take them long to get back to the park. Nearly everyone who had turned out to help them with the search wanted to see the boys, as if to be reassured that they really were okay. Carter stayed close to Felicia, and she did the same, as if they both needed reassurance.

Finally the mayor started telling people to head home.

“It’s late,” she reminded them. “Tomorrow’s a workday, everyone.” Then she looked at Carter. “Did you get what you wanted?”

Gideon frowned and Felicia looked confused, but Carter flushed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he began, then shrugged. “I don’t know.” He smiled. “Felicia loves me.”

“Was there any doubt?” the mayor asked.

“Not for a while now.” Unexpectedly, he turned to Gideon. “Dad, were you scared about me being gone?”

Gideon sensed the trap and didn’t know how to avoid it.

“I don’t understand,” Felicia said. “What are you talking about? Of course he was terrified. We all were.”

“That’s not what he means,” Gideon said stiffly, as all the puzzle pieces came together. It shouldn’t have taken him this long, he told himself. It’s not as if the kid was subtle.

“He wants us to get together,” he told Felicia. “He wants us married so he can have a family. That’s what tonight was about. Scaring us into realizing our feelings.”

* * *

FELICIA WOULDN’T HAVE thought she had any emotions left. The ups and downs of the past few hours, not to mention the long weekend of the festival, had drained her. But apparently there was also room for surprise.

“He’s right,” Mayor Marsha said quietly. “That’s exactly what Carter wants. We’ve been talking about it a little. The one thing every child needs is stability.” She smiled. “All right. Two things, because love matters, too. What’s happening now is confusing. Carter needs to know where things stand.”

Get married or split up, Felicia thought, barely able to process the information.

“We’ll talk about it,” she said.

Gideon didn’t say anything.