“With all my heart.” He was about to say more, but his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and pressed it to his ear. “Hello.”
“Seth, this is Brad. I wanted to call you with some news.”
He pushed to his feet and frowned. “Bad or good?”
“Good news. They were able to uncover Hope’s car and pull it out of the hole where Anthony had buried it. There was a suitcase in the trunk, and it had all her identification in it.”
“That is good news. What is her name?”
“Her name is Valerie Traywick, and she’s from a little town in West Virginia. There were several pictures in the bag of her with a small boy who we think must be her son. We’re hoping the lab can come up with some more DNA from her clothes so it can be entered in the national database. In the meantime, we’ve got people in touch with the West Virginia authorities trying to locate any family she might have.”
Seth closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Dan has searched all these years, and the answers were so close. Keep me posted.”
“Okay.”
Seth disconnected the call and smiled at Callie. “Her name is Valerie Traywick, and she’s from West Virginia.”
Before Callie could answer him, the nurse entered, pushing a wheelchair. “Here we are. Ready to go see your uncle?”
Callie held out her hand, and Seth helped her to her feet. “Thank you for not giving up on Valerie or on me. Uncle Dan is going to be so happy.”
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go tell him together.”
SIXTEEN
Two weeks later Callie spooned the last bite of applesauce into her uncle’s mouth and smiled. “I think your appetite is improving every day. Keep this up, and you’ll be out of here in no time.”
He scowled at her and shook his head. “The next stop after this is the rehab center. It’s going to be weeks before I get to go home.”
Callie laughed. “At least you have a place to stay for a while until we decide where we’re going to live.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean we? You’re going to live with Seth after you’re married, and I’m going to get a small apartment. I don’t need to be taking care of a big house anymore.”
She sighed and put the empty applesauce bowl back on the hospital tray. “We have lots of time to decide all that. Seth wants us to rebuild the house where the other one burned, and the three of us live together. I think that’s a good idea.”
He shook his head. “We can rebuild the house, but you and Seth will live there alone. I’m going to an apartment.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You can sure be stubborn when you try.”
He laughed. “Who’s trying? I’m naturally this way all the time.”
She was about to reply when someone knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Seth stuck his head into the room. “Are you up to some company?”
Her uncle motioned for him to come in. “You’re not company. You’re family.”