by Sable Hunter
“Good, I have a pickup.”
Presley followed his directions to Tebow Ranch. Along the way, Zane told her a little bit about the family. “I’ve only been their lawyer a little over two years. Kane and I knew Joseph in college, we knew all the boys, but we were closer to Joseph. Before I lost my sight, Kane and I rocked climbed and rode dirt bikes with him. Something most people don’t know about Joseph is that he can sing. He doesn’t do it often, but when he gets a guitar in his hand, I swear the boy can charm the birds from the trees. That’s how he met Willie Nelson. Willie sang at one of the clubs on Sixth Street and Joseph was there. One of his band members recognized him from college and remembered how he used to perform at Austin City Limits with some of the local boys. Willie knew Joseph by reputation and drug him up on stage – and the rest they say, is history. They ended up singing a duet, got drunk and both got arrested. Of course by the time the boys in blue realized who they had, it turned into a celebration that rocked city hall – in a good way.
“I remember seeing Joseph play in college, wasn’t he called ‘The Stallion’ at UT?”
Zane snorted, “Yea, he was. I guess all the girls fell for Joseph. He sure has settled down. Did you know he was paralyzed earlier this year, it’s a miracle that he’s walking today.”
“No, I didn’t know that, I’m glad everything is okay. His fiancé is nice. She said that you knew each other back in New Orleans.” She was holding up her end of the conversation, but the night was dark so Presley was being careful on the unfamiliar stretch of road.
“Yes, I took care of her family’s legal affairs for a while. I’ll have to share with you about them someday. You won’t believe the stories I could tell you.”
She glanced over at his profile in the dark. “They believe in magic, don’t they?” she had picked up on that much from the earlier conversation with the women. With all her heart, Presley longed for a little magic in her life, magic that would make her beautiful enough for a man like Zane.
“Yes, they do.” Zane didn’t elaborate. “I believe the McCoy family is going to need some magic or a miracle or both.” He looked out the window as if watching the countryside go by. “Aron was married before to a woman named Sabrina. It didn’t work out and she has caused problems for the family every way she can since then.”
“That’s awful,” Presley saw the FM sign she had been looking for and turned right. The big pickup was easier to handle than she had anticipated. “How did he meet Libby?
“Bess, their housekeeper had to take care of a sick relative and brought in Libby to pinch-hit for her. It was the damn luckiest day of Aron’s life, I’ll tell you that. He was so hurt by Sabrina’s antics that he had practically given up on women. Aron’s a sculptor; I have several of his pieces in my front lobby. You’ll have to check them out.”
“I’ve seen them, they’re beautiful, but I didn’t know they were Aron’s. I pray that he’s okay,” Presley could see the Tebow sign straight ahead. “I think we’re getting close, Zane.”
“Good, I’m worried. Libby is in remission from leukemia and she deserves happiness in her life, not heartache.”
Presley’s heart ached for Libby and Aron. “We’ll do all we can, Zane. I know she’s pregnant and vulnerable and scared to death. I’ll pray for her.”
“Prayer sure couldn’t hurt.”
As Presley pulled up to the ranch house she saw that all the lights were blazing and cars were parked everywhere. They parked, got out and she and Rex walked with him to the door. “Zane, I’m glad you’re here,” a voice spoke from the shadows on the porch.
*****
“Lance,” Zane recognized the Tebow foreman’s voice. “How are they?”
“It’s bad,” Lance sighed. “I won’t lie to you. But I’m here and I’ll keep everything going. This is a damn shame and a hard shock. I don’t know what we’ll do without Aron.”
Zane stopped near the front door. “Don’t give up on him yet. Aron’s a tough ole’ cuss. Lance, this is Presley Love. Presley, this is Lance Rogers, the foreman of Tebow.”
“Miss Love,” Lance tipped his hat.
“Where’s Jacob?”
“He’s gone,” Lance explained. “As soon as Libby called, he was out of here. He’s probably down there by now.”
The door opened and Cady stood there, her face tear-streaked. “I thought I heard voices. Why don’t the two of you come in? Lance, you too, I’ve made a pot of coffee.”
Presley stepped in behind Zane, but before Lance, and she quickly took in the huge warm room that had surely seen so many family celebrations, but now looked like it housed a wake. The girls who lived at Tebow had made themselves known, fall decorations and wreaths were in abundance. Love was displayed everywhere. One of the focal points of the room was the fireplace, but instead of a painting or a wreath, there were photographs of the family. Presley strained to see, because the room was dim but she could make out all the brothers and their women. A distinct family resemblance prevailed, only one brother stood out with his lighter hair and she wasn’t sure which one he was. And there was a young one too, he looked sweet. But another resemblance was evident; all of them looked happy and loved.
Presley was jealous.
Zane was immediately surrounded by big McCoy men, their faces somber and drawn. “God, we’re glad you’re here.”
All of them started talking at once and Zane held up his hand. “Let’s go to kitchen table and I want you to tell me everything. But first – let me introduce you to Presley.” Zane moved Rex to one side so he could draw her closer. He made her feel so special; it was such an alien feeling.
Graciously, the men turned to her and introduced themselves one by one.
“Hey, Presley, I’m Joseph.”
“Hello, I wish we were meeting under better circumstance.” Now that she had seen his face up close, Presley realized she recognized him from magazine covers. Later she would tell him how much she admired him, but now wasn’t the time.
“Me, too.” He put a hand on each of his brother’s shoulders. “And these are my little brothers, Isaac and Noah.”
So, Noah was the blonde. They both greeted her, but there was only politeness – it was more than obvious they were scared to death for their brother. As they moved through the living room, Presley looked at the others. Jessie smiled at her timidly; she had her arms around a young teenage boy whose head was buried against her baby bump. Avery and Cady were in the kitchen and one solitary man sat at the dining table staring down at a cup of coffee. “Presley, meet Bowie Travis.” The man named Bowie stood up and held out a chair for her.
“Hello, Presley. Jacob and Jessie speak very highly of you.”
“I’m glad,” she met his warm gaze. There was something about his eyes that looked familiar. He was haunted about something; Presley felt he was a kindred spirit.
Cady didn’t even ask but began setting warm muffins and hot coffee on the table. Zane found a chair, released Rex and patted the one next to him. The others joined them; it pained Presley to see the looks of despair on their faces. “Alright, tell me what we know. When’s the last time anyone talked with Libby?”
“We spoke to her the last time about fifteen minutes before you arrived.” It was Isaac speaking. “Hell, Zane,” he ruffled his hair and banged his fist on the table, “when Libby first called it took me five minutes to get her to quit screaming and crying enough to calm down and tell me what was wrong. I have to tell you, that was the most awful thing I had ever heard in my life. Libby’s in agony. We all are.”
Presley knew Zane was here, not only to help, but also to be the voice of reason. “I know you are and we’re going to do everything humanly possible to find Aron and bring him home. Now, tell me what you’ve done as far as making sure the search and rescue operations are in full swing.”
Noah stood up to look out the window, but he proceeded to give details of what had transpired. “Jacob should be there by now; we’re waiting to hear from him. I’
ve already spoken to the Chief Inspector and he assures me that they are doing everything they can to find Aron.”
Zane touched Presley’s arm. “We need to get on top of this.” Facing the brothers, he asked, “Do you have a laptop we could use?” Joseph got up and stepped out of the room as he continued to give her instructions. “Find out what you can about their procedure on how to handle missing person cases and get me contacts for helicopters, boats, k-9 units and any volunteer rescue teams that may be available. I want every bit of manpower we muster on the case.”
Joseph returned and presented her with a computer. Immediately, she logged in and began her search. An undeniable sense of urgency permeated the room.
“Are you going with us?” Joseph asked out of the blue. “I have a plane gassed up and waiting, I want to get in the sky as soon as possible. It just seems like if I could get there, I could do something about this nightmare.”
As Presley located the numbers and information that Zane had requested, she saved them into a file. Glancing around the table, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the family for their loss. Aron McCoy was loved, that much was for certain. Bowie Travis rose and came to kneel at her side. “I do search and rescue. I’m a tracker. Mostly, I work in the high country, but I do have contacts around the world. There’s a group down there that I’m familiar with called Blue Hope. If you’ll call them and mention me, I know they’ll help and I’ll be there to do what I can, too.”
“Thank you,” she smiled at him and turned back to see if she could find Blue Hope. Under the table, Zane cupped her knee. She cut her eyes at him; he was still talking to the McCoy brothers. There was no indication that he had heard Bowie speaking to her, but his act of possessiveness made her feel good.
“I want Presley to go too,” Zane’s mention of her brought her out of the mental fog she had slipped into. We? She had expected to help him prepare, but she had not anticipated going along.
But she did.
Zane had not given her any time to go back to her apartment and pack. He told her that they could find anything they needed at the hotel or the nearby resort. That made Presley nervous because she had very little money. Oh well, she’d just have to rinse her clothes out at night and wear them again. Noah had seen to the reservations and now they were winging their way south in a private plane. Zane was on the phone making arrangements for a suite of rooms to serve as a headquarters for their operation near the area where Aron had last been seen.
“You’re what!?” his voice exploded through the dimly lit cabin of the truck. Others turned around to see what the raucous was all about. “I’ll be there in a little over an hour and I dare you to ask her one more question. Libby Fontaine McCoy worships the ground that man walks on and to treat her any other way is an insult. Have you looked at her? She’s pint-sized and pregnant.” He paused and listened. “I don’t give a damn about protocol. She’s been through enough. I’m her attorney and I said no more questions until I arrive. Is that clear?” He slammed his phone shut and cursed.
Presley laid her hand on his arm. “Is everything alright?” Even Rex moved uneasily in his window seat. No pet carrier or cargo ride for this privileged character.
Zane put his arm around her shoulders. “Come here, I need to hold you.” At the first nudge, she melted into his arms. It was like coming home. “That’s better,” he kissed her temple. “It’s been a wild twenty-four hours, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, it has. I’m so sorry; I know you and Aron are close.”
Zane peppered kisses on the top of her head. “I know you are, and I’ll be honest with you, what’s happened with Aron makes me want to grab onto life with both hands and not let go. You never know if a day will bring sunshine or rain into your life.”
“I want lots of sunshine,” she yawned against his chest.
His chest vibrated with near silent laughter. “Well, we’ll see what we can do about that.” He rubbed her arm, then leaned in to whisper. “Are you on birth control?”
Presley tensed up in his arms which made him hold her tighter. “Yes, but not because I was sleeping around,” the way she had phrased her comment made Presley cringe. She had meant that the pills were to regulate her cycle.
“I didn’t think you had been bed-hopping, Presley,” Zane whispered with a tinge of humor in his voice. In the back of his mind there was a warning bell going off. He couldn’t afford to fall for her, it wouldn’t be fair. There was no way he could ask a woman to tie herself to his imperfect life, not even sweet giving Presley. Still, he couldn’t deprive himself of a few nights in her arms, it was unthinkable. He was torn – she was a heck of an employee. Could their professional life survive an affair?
“I’m not that experienced, though.” She felt guilty for the understatement – okay, okay – outright lie. Having a cleft lip was bad enough, but if he knew she was a virgin, he might not want her at all.
Chapter Five
Sobs could be heard all the way down the hall. “God, just listen to her,” Isaac sighed as he held Avery’s hand. “She’s going to make herself sick.”
“She can’t help it,” Avery shuddered at the thought of being in the same position as Libby. “Put yourself in her place.”
Isaac pulled her close for a kiss. “Perish the thought.”
Joseph opened the door and all of them stepped in. Presley could see a young woman sitting all alone on a large sectional sofa. She was curled into a ball and her hands covered her eyes. Jacob rose from a chair nearby to come greet them. “Damn, I’m glad to see all of you.” At his voice, Libby looked up and sprung to her feet and flew right into Joseph’s arms. He hugged her, whispering words of comfort in her ear. She went to Isaac next, then Noah, working her way down the line.
“It’s my fault,” she wailed. The reality of seeing his brothers and the sadness in their eyes was almost more than she could bear. “It’s all my fault!”
“Nonsense,” Jacob interjected as he stood up and walked toward his family. “You’ve got to stop saying that.”
“It’s true,” she was hugging Avery now and together they walked back to the couch. Sitting down, Avery held Libby’s hand as she explained. “He did it for me. He always did things for me. I was so stupid and so selfish. It was like the time I had to go to the bar or ride the motorcycle; he let me do it because he knew it would make me happy.”
“He loves you, Libby.” Noah spoke with a shaky voice.
“Yes, he does,” Libby said almost defiantly, “and I pushed him to do something he didn’t really want to do. Aron didn’t care a thing about going in the water, but I just kept on about it – and now he’s gone!” Despair rung out loudly with every syllable.
Isaac went to her and knelt down at her feet. “Libby, Aron is strong. Don’t you dare give up. He’ll come back to you.”
Libby set up, her eyes wide and her body tense. “I didn’t say he was dead. He’s not dead. I’d know it if he was. Something’s happened to him, but he’s not dead.”
All in the room were quiet, no one was unaffected. Joseph eased over to Presley and Zane where they were setting up at a conference table. “We need to get a physician to see Libby; she needs something to help her relax. This can’t be good for the baby.”
“I’ll go speak to the concierge,” Presley rose to take care of the matter.
“I asked the Chief Inspector to meet with us. He should be here any moment,” Jacob pulled out a chair by Zane. “The police questioned her,” Jacob murmured close to Zane’s shoulder. “But they agreed with me that she had nothing to do with whatever happened.”
“Of course not.” Zane moved over slightly when someone bumped him on the shoulder. A waiter excused himself and explained that he had placed a tray of water and coffee in front of him. Carefully, he located a bottle of water and a cup and poured it for his dog, holding it down and letting him drink. “What has the Inspector told you?”
As Jacob updated Zane on what he knew, Presley returned with the hotel docto
r in tow. He took Libby into an adjoining room to check her out. When she returned to where her boss sat she heard them discussing how many search and rescue boats had been deployed and the range that the helicopters would search. As soon as Zane had called from Texas, things had been put into motion. Presley sat down and contacted Blue Hope via email and left her cell phone number. Soon she and Zane and the McCoys had contacted every avenue of aid that was at their disposal. If Aron McCoy could be found, they would find him.
After several hours, Presley was beginning to feel in need of freshening up. They had been without sleep, food and the last shower she enjoyed hadn’t been exactly geared toward getting clean. Thoughts of that amazing erotic event made her turn to gaze upon the object of her desire. As always, watching Zane was a pleasure. He was so invested in helping Aron that he had rolled up his sleeves, undone the top three buttons of his shirt and beads of perspiration had formed over his upper lip. Presley wanted to kiss him so bad she ached. Land-sakes! She needed a break, just for a few minutes. Not knowing where she could go, or what room they had put her in, she leaned forward to ask. “Zane, would it be possible if I went up to my room for just a minute. I need to splash some water on my face.”
“Damn, Baby,” he almost looked guilty. “I’m sorry. Of course, let me get you a key. Noah!”
“Yea, Zane.”
“Could you give Presley a key to our room?”
Our room? Oh my goodness! For a second, all eyes in the room were on her, but there wasn’t a condemning look among them, they were just seeing what Zane was carrying on about. “Sure, here you go, Presley.”
“You go up and rest. We’re going to have to break here soon; we all need to catch our breath. Why don’t we make a schedule and take turns checking on all of the different efforts? Dividing our responsibilities might be more efficient and productive. Some of us need to be down at the beach.”