[A/N. I can't believe that I am already up to this chapter, and that means there is only a few left. This was only going to be a short chapter, but it turned out to be a lot longer than I was planning. Anyway, enjoy.]

SEVENTEEN:

"Don't forget she likes that pink teddy when she's sleeping, and if she cries about going to-" I began.

"Melody, I've raised three children, I know how to look after a baby." Aunt Sara interrupted me.

"Sorry, it's just the first time she's been left without both her parents for a few days." I said with a quick laugh. For some reason I couldn't shake off my worried feelings even though I knew Lara was going to be perfectly fine and perfectly happy with Aunt Sara and May.

May signed to us that she was going to look after Lara well, and pretend she was her own baby.

Cary frowned slightly and signed back to her "Have you still been seeing that Tommy?"

May shrugged and signed back "None of your business."

Cary's frown deepened and I pulled him towards the car before he could begin to act all big brother on her. May was certainly old enough to make up her own mind about things now.

"Have a good holiday!" Aunt Sara called as she held Lara's hand up to wave as we got in the car. "And don't worry about anything. Lara's in perfectly safe hands."

Even as we drove away I was turning around in my seat looking back towards Lara. Cary had noticed this, as well as my fussing about the whole thing.

"What's the deal? Are you worried about leaving Lara with Ma and May?" He asked me.

"I'm not worried about leaving her with them specifically, just worried about leaving her. I know this is going to sound really stupid Cary but I've got a bad feeling about this." I tried to explain. But Cary was a typical person from the Cape- down to earth and practical, and he couldn't understand my concerns.

"If you're going to worry about her the whole weekend it's not going to be much of a holiday is it?" He asked me. "Should we just go back?"

"No!" I hastened to assure him. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I hope so." Cary replied. "You're going to love the hotel I've found."

I smiled. He'd been the one to plan the entire trip, refusing to give me even a slight clue about it, and now seeing the happy and excited look in his eyes I knew there was no way I could ruin things for him. I was going to have to put my silly thoughts out of my head for the duration of the trip. As we drove along we talked about the factory, and Cary was very enthusiastic in his plans.

"When it's built and ready to go we're going to have to recruit some of the more talented carpenters and builders from all over the place, offer them attractive rates and packages so they can't refuse. We need the best if we're going to train younger people to be the best too." Cary explained. "And it's going to be called Logan's boats. And every boat we make is going to have that written on the back of it so that if it goes to say California people there will see the name."

I smiled again. "I don't think I've ever seen you so excited." I said.

"I don't know," Cary said slowly. "I can think of two distinct times where I was pretty excited and happy."

"You can?" I was confused.

"The day we got married, and the day Lara was born." Cary replied and I laughed and agreed they were two pretty good days for me too.

We'd been driving for about two hours up the coast before Cary stopped. And when he did stop it was in front of a charming house on the beach which had the sign "Betty's Bed and Breakfast" on it. He hurried to open my door for me and collect the bags and then we walked up the steps to the front door. Cary explained that in some ways it was just like Provincetown, but in others it wasn't- like the fact that nobody knew us up here and we were alone. Betty, the woman who ran the place, was English and lovely. She explained, as she showed us to our rooms that she used to run a B&B in England before she and her late husband moved out here and so after he died she decided to do so again because it would help with money and she knew the job. And know the job she did- our room was charming and cozy. There was a fire laid, but not set, and the room was decorated in whites and blues which made it look perfect for the seaside. I complimented Betty on the room and she smiled. "Thanks dear." She said. "Tea will be served at six thirty."

I walked over to the window as Betty left and looked outside. The view was similar to being back home, but like Cary said the big difference was that we were alone.

"Well?" Cary asked, a note of anxiety in his voice.

"I think it's great, and we're going to have a great time." I replied, turning back to face him.

He smiled and held out his arms to me and I hurried into them. He lowered his face and kissed me softly.

*****

"How was your day dears?" Betty asked the next afternoon as we arrived home just before dinnertime. In the morning we'd spent some time in town, and then we'd taken a picnic lunch and borrowed the house's boat. We'd found a secluded beach and had a nice meal and relaxed.

"It was wonderful." I told her. "And that picnic lunch was even better. You're a great cook Betty. I wish I could cook half as well."

"You cook great." Cary protested, putting an arm around me. "Except for that lasagna the other night-"

"I got distracted by Lara." I argued. "Speaking of Lara, should I perhaps phone Aunt Sara before dinner and see how she's going?"

"And let her think you're checking up on her?" Cary asked.

"I can't help but worry." I said, and then I explained to Betty that it was the first time we'd left her alone and she was only a few months old.

"I know the feeling dear, but it's good for children to spend time with other people." Betty replied.

"Do you have children?" I asked.

"Two. My son is still in England, and my daughter lives in California." Betty replied. "We write and we phone, but I sometimes wish they were a lot closer so I could see them more often. And Sandy, my girl, has recently had another child so that makes it even harder. She could probably do with her mother's help now, as you no doubt know."

I smiled slightly and nodded, not about to tell her I wasn't speaking to my mother, and in fact, had no idea where she was at that moment.

"Anyway dears, you go and freshen up before tea. I've made my famous pasta." Betty said.

Cary and I went upstairs and I jumped quickly in the shower since I had sand in my clothes. As I was getting changed for dinner Cary was lying on the bed. "Are you sure we shouldn't call Aunt Sara?" I asked.

Cary sighed and sat up. "Melody, why are you worried about Lara?"

"I'm not." I said as casually as I could.

"I know you said you wouldn't worry about her before we left, and you haven't exactly said you're worried, but I've had the impression that she's been on your mind the whole time we've been here. I'm telling you Melody, she'll be fine." Cary said.

I hurried over to sit next to him. "I'm sorry sweetie, I've tried to keep her out of my mind, but I've got a feeling something terrible is going to happen to her." I tried to explain again.

"Like what?" Cary demanded.

"I don't know." I admitted. "It's just been bugging me."

"You sound like Holly with her psychic premonitions- only they never come true, and nor is this." Cary said, with a slight smile on his face.

"I haven't ruined the trip have I?" I asked anxiously.

"No." Cary assured me, putting his arms around me and drawing me closer to him. "You haven't. Stop worrying about her though. Ma and May are probably spoiling her rotten right now."

I laughed. "That's for sure. May looked like all her Christmases had come at once when we asked her about babysitting."

"I don't like that Tommy guy. Did you see the way she changed the subject when I asked her about him?" Cary said, frowning.

I rolled my eyes as I stood up and tied my hair back in a simple ponytail. "You know the deal Cary- May's almost an adult, and what she does is her business. In a year or two she'll be able to go to college for heavens sake."

Cary stood up too. "Sometimes it seems hard to believe that she's grown up so much."

"I know. I remember her when I first came to the Cape, she was just a kid then." I said as we went downstairs for dinner.

"So were you." Cary teased me and I hit him.

****

The next morning we were woken by a frantic knocking on our bedroom door. I sat up groggily and called "Who is it?"

"It's me Betty, Mrs. Logan." Betty called. "I'm sorry to wake you before breakfast but there's a telephone call for you and it sounds important."

I was wide awake in an instant, and I uncurled myself from Cary's arms as he woke up. "What's going on?"

"Telephone. Betty thinks it's important." I said as I pulled on my dressing gown.

Cary jumped up too and pulled on jeans and he and I hurried downstairs to the phone. Betty was waiting for us and she shot us worried looks as I picked up the receiver. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her discretely leave the room.

"Melody?" Aunt Sara was asking.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my heart in my chest. Beside me Cary gripped my hand tightly.

"It's Lara." Aunt Sara said, and I felt as though the air had left my lungs as I croaked out a question as to what was wrong with her?

"She's gone." Aunt Sara said, her voice hoarse. "I woke up this morning and she was gone."

I couldn't speak anymore so I handed the phone over to Cary. "Ma? What's wrong with Lara?"

Aunt Sara must have repeated what she'd said to me because Cary frowned. "What do you mean gone?"

I didn't hear Aunt Sara's response but I heard Cary's. "Have you been searching for her Ma? Have you called the police?"

Again I didn't hear Aunt Sara's response, but Cary told her to call them and report Lara missing since babies who can't even crawl properly don't just disappear. And then, he added, call Kenneth and Holly and get them to help.

"Tell her we're coming home right away." I said, tugging on Cary's arm. He nodded at me and repeated the words to Aunt Sara.

I turned and went to tell Betty what had happened. My voice broke as I explained that Lara was missing. Someone must have taken her as she couldn't have left by herself. She was shocked and upset to hear the news. "I suppose you'll be starting back for home?"

"Right away. We'll go and pack and then we'll pay you for everything." I explained.

"You can't start without having something to eat. You need to keep your strength up." Betty said.

"I don't think I'll be able to eat." I argued but Betty wasn't having any of it.

"I'll make you some coffee and even if you just have a piece of toast." She said. "I'll make it while you pack so it will only take you a few extra moments to eat."

True enough twenty minutes later we were on the road.

"There's got to be some simple explanation." Cary said, pounding the steering wheel as we sped along.

"Like what?" I asked.

"I don't know." He admitted.

I was silent thinking about my fears for Lara before we'd even left for our holiday. And then I remembered what Holly had said when she was reading my cards what seemed like a lifetime ago: that I had fears about Lara, and that there was lies and mistrust and I might have to deal with a difficult opponent, but I needed to fight for what I believed in. Did that have anything to do with Lara's disappearance?