Chasing Happy
Prologue
September, 1992
Wind ruffled Reed Prescott’s hair as the cool crisp breeze filtered through the driver’s side window of Mr. Bryant’s new pickup truck. Mr. Bryant and his wife sat up front, Reed chose the back, sitting utterly still, and quietly looking out the window. The night made it impossible to see much, but even at eight years old, he knew these roads reasonably well. Lubbock, Texas, wasn’t known for its interesting scenery.
“The boys are lookin’ forward to you comin’ home tonight,” Linda Bryant said in a thick, Southern country accent. Reed didn’t answer because he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he bit his lip and waited, jostling a little as Mr. Bryant took a turn off the county road, heading down the long driveway to their house.
He’d visited this place many times throughout his short life. Even though it felt like home, he’d learned to hold his excitement. Nothing ever worked out too well for him, and no matter what Mr. and Mrs. Bryant said, Reed wasn’t completely certain that Child Protective Services wouldn’t come for him someday.
Mr. Bryant circled the drive and pulled the truck right up front. Reed saw four boys and one girl standing outside on the porch. He remembered Bray and Candy—they were Mr. and Mrs. Bryant’s children—but he didn’t recognize any of the others who stood there watching him arrive. Mrs. Bryant opened the front passenger-side door while looking back over her shoulder with a gentle smile that reached her voice when she said, “They couldn’t wait for you to get here.”
He was slower to open his door. Reed reached for his backpack before leaving the truck. It wasn’t much, but held everything he owned in the world. He slung it over his shoulder as he used the side rail to climb down from the truck. Bray and Candy were the first ones down the porch steps to greet him. Candy had always been sweet to him. She was littler than Bray, but bounced up to him, giving him a giant hug. Bray came toward him too, but stayed about a foot back, a big toothy grin on his face.
“Daddy says you’re finally our new brother,” Candy said, showing a missing tooth up front. “Momma, says you’re gonna share a room with Bray until you get comfortable enough to move into your room.”
“Baby, let him get inside the house,” Mr. Bryant said, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, and shooed her back toward the house. Reed followed the group up the stairs, and Bray stayed by his side as they walked. He’d always liked Bray a lot. He shared his toys when most kids he knew never would.
“Dad said you could play baseball with us if you want,” Bray said quietly. “Do you like baseball?”
“I guess, I haven’t ever played before,” Reed confessed.
“We could teach you,” one of the boys on the porch said. He stood at the rail watching him closely.
“That’s Cole. He lives on the farm next to ours. That’s Connor and Tyler. They’re in my class. I’ve known them since kindergarten. They said you can be in our group,” Bray offered, pointing to the two other guys.
“We’re the Bandits. We named ourselves after our baseball team because we couldn’t think of anything better,” Cole explained. Reed watched Mr. and Mrs. Bryant disappear behind the screen door. Candy was there too. Mr. Bryant had his hand on her shoulder again, guiding her forward even though her eyes watched them. He could tell she wanted to be out there with them.
“He talks a lot. You gotta ignore him,” Tyler said, hooking a thumb toward Cole.
“Boys, we have cake and ice cream. Let Reed come in and get settled,” Mrs. Bryant said, coming back to the screen door. “Y’all come on in and celebrate!”
“So, are you really their new brother?” Connor asked, trailing behind as they followed Mrs. Bryant.
“I don’t know,” Reed said.
“Yep, he is. Mom and Dad adopted him and the paperwork’s signed. Nobody can come take you again.” Candy had been right by her mother’s side and now stood close to Reed, explaining everything to the guys. Reed hoped with all his heart that her words were true. “And Mom bought you cookies and cream. She said that’s your favorite. It’s mine too.” She squealed with delight. Mr. Bryant waited in the living room and took his backpack. Reed followed the group to the kitchen where there were balloons and a big welcome home sign with Reed’s name on it.
With every eye on him, Reed fought the urge to cry. More than anything, he really wanted this to be true.
Chapter 1
“Seriously gonna be late…”
Yeah, and there was absolutely no surprise in those words. Lara Hunter resisted the urge to give a quick, sharp comeback while the irritation of the morning had her throwing a random high-heeled shoe out of her crime-scene looking bedroom closet. The quickly ignited anger fled, turning to hopelessness as she dropped her arms to her sides. Less than twelve hours ago she’d had her good-luck Jimmy Choo’s right here, waiting to be worn today.
September, 1992
Wind ruffled Reed Prescott’s hair as the cool crisp breeze filtered through the driver’s side window of Mr. Bryant’s new pickup truck. Mr. Bryant and his wife sat up front, Reed chose the back, sitting utterly still, and quietly looking out the window. The night made it impossible to see much, but even at eight years old, he knew these roads reasonably well. Lubbock, Texas, wasn’t known for its interesting scenery.
“The boys are lookin’ forward to you comin’ home tonight,” Linda Bryant said in a thick, Southern country accent. Reed didn’t answer because he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he bit his lip and waited, jostling a little as Mr. Bryant took a turn off the county road, heading down the long driveway to their house.
He’d visited this place many times throughout his short life. Even though it felt like home, he’d learned to hold his excitement. Nothing ever worked out too well for him, and no matter what Mr. and Mrs. Bryant said, Reed wasn’t completely certain that Child Protective Services wouldn’t come for him someday.
Mr. Bryant circled the drive and pulled the truck right up front. Reed saw four boys and one girl standing outside on the porch. He remembered Bray and Candy—they were Mr. and Mrs. Bryant’s children—but he didn’t recognize any of the others who stood there watching him arrive. Mrs. Bryant opened the front passenger-side door while looking back over her shoulder with a gentle smile that reached her voice when she said, “They couldn’t wait for you to get here.”
He was slower to open his door. Reed reached for his backpack before leaving the truck. It wasn’t much, but held everything he owned in the world. He slung it over his shoulder as he used the side rail to climb down from the truck. Bray and Candy were the first ones down the porch steps to greet him. Candy had always been sweet to him. She was littler than Bray, but bounced up to him, giving him a giant hug. Bray came toward him too, but stayed about a foot back, a big toothy grin on his face.
“Daddy says you’re finally our new brother,” Candy said, showing a missing tooth up front. “Momma, says you’re gonna share a room with Bray until you get comfortable enough to move into your room.”
“Baby, let him get inside the house,” Mr. Bryant said, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, and shooed her back toward the house. Reed followed the group up the stairs, and Bray stayed by his side as they walked. He’d always liked Bray a lot. He shared his toys when most kids he knew never would.
“Dad said you could play baseball with us if you want,” Bray said quietly. “Do you like baseball?”
“I guess, I haven’t ever played before,” Reed confessed.
“We could teach you,” one of the boys on the porch said. He stood at the rail watching him closely.
“That’s Cole. He lives on the farm next to ours. That’s Connor and Tyler. They’re in my class. I’ve known them since kindergarten. They said you can be in our group,” Bray offered, pointing to the two other guys.
“We’re the Bandits. We named ourselves after our baseball team because we couldn’t think of anything better,” Cole explained. Reed watched Mr. and Mrs. Bryant disappear behind the screen door. Candy was there too. Mr. Bryant had his hand on her shoulder again, guiding her forward even though her eyes watched them. He could tell she wanted to be out there with them.
“He talks a lot. You gotta ignore him,” Tyler said, hooking a thumb toward Cole.
“Boys, we have cake and ice cream. Let Reed come in and get settled,” Mrs. Bryant said, coming back to the screen door. “Y’all come on in and celebrate!”
“So, are you really their new brother?” Connor asked, trailing behind as they followed Mrs. Bryant.
“I don’t know,” Reed said.
“Yep, he is. Mom and Dad adopted him and the paperwork’s signed. Nobody can come take you again.” Candy had been right by her mother’s side and now stood close to Reed, explaining everything to the guys. Reed hoped with all his heart that her words were true. “And Mom bought you cookies and cream. She said that’s your favorite. It’s mine too.” She squealed with delight. Mr. Bryant waited in the living room and took his backpack. Reed followed the group to the kitchen where there were balloons and a big welcome home sign with Reed’s name on it.
With every eye on him, Reed fought the urge to cry. More than anything, he really wanted this to be true.
Chapter 1
“Seriously gonna be late…”
Yeah, and there was absolutely no surprise in those words. Lara Hunter resisted the urge to give a quick, sharp comeback while the irritation of the morning had her throwing a random high-heeled shoe out of her crime-scene looking bedroom closet. The quickly ignited anger fled, turning to hopelessness as she dropped her arms to her sides. Less than twelve hours ago she’d had her good-luck Jimmy Choo’s right here, waiting to be worn today.