“No—” Josh grabbed her arm, jerking her so hard she spun and had to scramble to keep from dropping the child.
I read him wrong. He wasn’t worried about me. What was that look of confusion then? What has he gotten into his head?
“Josh—”
“Don’t walk away from me. What is going on?”
Kim scanned the area, worried the neighbors would call the cops over their arguing. They’d done it before.
“Nothing, I—”
Josh’s fists clenched. “You’ve been acting weird for weeks. Something is going on. Are you cheating on me?”
“What?”
Kim wasn’t sure where the laughter came from, but she couldn’t stop. Mouth wide, she doubled over, her whole body shaking. Josh’s eyes flashed with ire, and still she couldn’t stop. Her brain felt like a runaway train. She could feel the wind and lights whipping by her.
He thinks I’m cheating on him?
The truth was so much worse it was funny.
Through her swollen, squinted eyes she glanced at Josh where he stood, seemingly dumfounded, gaping back at her. Still, she couldn’t stop laughing.
Something in my head broke.
Josh took a step forward. “Are you laughing at me?”
That’s when she spotted a flash of white behind Josh and beyond the scrub pines.
Is that a car?
Did that Volvo follow me here?
Panic hit her like a wall and stopped her maniacal giggling the way Josh liked to use his licked fingertips to snuff the candles she lit at Christmas time. Her laughter pinched off, just like those darkened, glowing embers.
She spun away from her husband and ran for the back door of their home. She heard him pursue, yelling something, but she kept moving, baby Mason pressed against her chest.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The door gave way and Kim stumbled into the house, catching herself with one hand on the stairs leading to the landing, the other hand gripping the baby tightly. She kept him pinned against her chest with his feet dangling.
When she felt a twinge in her wrist, she cried out, her arm giving way and her knee hitting the edge of the linoleum-covered step. She caught a flash of the child’s legs banging against the edge of a higher step and he screamed louder. The crack of her own knee gave her enough support for her to scramble to her feet and make it into the kitchen. Arm bouncing off the handle of the refrigerator, she spun and saw Josh behind her.
Her gaze moved to the kitchen table at the same moment his hand headed in that direction. His pistol was sitting there. He’d been cleaning his gun.
A strange wet noise burbled from her lips. Not laughter this time.
What are the chances?
Nothing felt real anymore.
This can’t be my life.
Two months ago, she’d been sitting at that table, nursing Josh Jr. when Josh had come in and rubbed her shoulders.
I was so happy then.
Josh grabbed the gun and pointed it at her feet.
She realized he didn’t want to point the weapon at his son.
If he knew what she’d done, that she was holding Mason Bennett, where would the gun point?
“Come here.”
A jolt shot through her body.
No. Don’t stop running.
The house wouldn’t provide her with any shelter. She needed to get away. At least if she was outside there’d be a chance a neighbor might call 911. Now wasn’t the time to be embarrassed.
Kim bolted from the kitchen, through their crumbling lanai and burst through the wobbling screen door into the back yard.
Panting, she stopped in the center of their small fenced yard and whirled as Josh appeared at the back door.
“Are you cheating on me?” he roared striding down the steps they’d built together out of stray bricks, during happier times. The gun hung in his hand.
“No!” she shrieked. “You’re so stupid.”
Josh jerked back his head as if she’d slapped him. “What did you say to me?”
“You know I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
For a moment, his chin worked without a sound, as if he were too angry to speak. Finally, he spat out the words. “Where were you then?”
“I—” She squeezed the baby and he cried so hard she worried he couldn’t breathe.
“Answer me!”
Kim held the baby out in front of her, chubby legs dangling like fish bait.
“It’s him.”
Josh scowled. “What the hell, Kim? What’s him?”
“It’s not him.”
“What? You’re not making any sense. Have you been drinking?”
She laughed again, but not the uncontrollable giggles from earlier. She barked one, sharp, snort of bitter amusement and lowered herself to her knees, exhausted, the child still held out in front of her. All her energy left her. She couldn’t remain standing.
She wanted to sleep.
“Kim, you’re scaring me,” said Josh.
Head hanging, she smiled. “That’s funny.”
“It isn’t funny. What’s going on?”
The truth flowed out of her as fast as her strength did.
“It isn’t Josh Jr. I swapped him.”
“You what?”
“I swapped him with this baby.” Arms aching, she lowered Mason to the ground in front of her and sat him on his diaper-padded butt. “Josh was blind.”
“What? What do you mean he was blind?”
“He is blind. I didn’t think you’d want a blind baby. You and your sports… I thought—”
Kim looked up as Josh raised the gun again. The look on his face was one she’d never seen before. He looked like a trapped animal, his eyes wide and wild. The gun shook in his hand.
A strange calm came over Kim.
It’s done. I told him. This isn’t all mine now.
She felt lighter. She almost felt happy.
Now we’ll go get Josh Jr. back. It’s over.
“That baby in the news? You’re that baby in the news?” Her husband’s voice shook.
Kim
