by Jennie Marts
“And you just let him go? Without asking me?”
“I didn’t let him do anything. All I did was agree to watch for the delivery. I didn’t know he was doing anything wrong. But my guess is that he must have snuck off with Haylee while her parents were out with you. He said he’d be back in an hour, though, so I’m sure they’ll be back any minute.”
“When was he here?”
Adam shrugged. “I’m not sure, exactly. I didn’t look at the clock. But it wasn’t that long after you left, so it must have been around two.”
Her face paled. “Adam, it’s almost five. Are you telling me he’s been gone this whole time?”
He looked at his watch, shocked to see that close to three hours had gone by since he’d opened his laptop. “I had no idea it was so late.”
She pulled her radio from her pocket. “Cody Hawkins, where are you?”
No answer.
She depressed the mic button again, offering him a steely glare. “Come in, Cody.”
Still no answer.
“Shit.” She shook her head, then pressed the mic again. “Anybody seen Cody?”
The radio squawked as Cal replied, “Not this afternoon. Do you need something?”
“He apparently took the Henderson girl on a hike and said he’d be back in an hour. It’s been close to…” She looked up at Adam for confirmation. “You’re sure?” she mouthed.
He winced as he nodded and cautiously held up three fingers. Her eyes narrowed, and she spoke through gritted teeth. “…going on three hours now. And he’s not answering his radio.”
“I’ll take a look around for him. They should be getting back soon, though. Looks like there’s a pretty good thunderstorm coming over the mountain.”
“I’m sorry, Skye, I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know that two kids shouldn’t be going on a hike by themselves? Or you didn’t know that you probably should have alerted someone when they didn’t come back for three hours.” Her eyes flashed with anger as she marched across the room and yanked a raincoat off a hook by the door.
“Either. I’ll admit I wasn’t paying attention to the time, but he told me he was going to be with her parents.”
“And you believed him?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re not a parent.”
Ouch. Her words stung, and not just because of the venomous way they were slung at him. It was the added meaning behind them.
He wasn’t a parent. He didn’t know anything about kids. Except for his memories of being one.
She blew out a breath and dragged her hands through her hair. “I can’t do this. There are too many crazy things happening in my life right now, and I’m at my wits’ end. Ruined groceries might not be a big deal to you, and maybe they wouldn’t be to me on a normal day. But today is not normal. This week, this last month, too many things have been going on. I can’t keep everything straight, and I’m afraid I’m going to completely lose it. I just need things to slow down and give me a chance to breathe. I can’t take one more bad thing happening.”
The tremble in her voice tore at his heart. “Everything’s going to be okay. I’m sure Cody’s fine. Any minute, he’s going to walk in the door. You’ll see.” He took a cautious step toward her, but she held up her hand.
“Don’t. I know you’re trying to help, but if you take another step closer, I might break. I’ve only been thinking of myself the last few days, and I need to focus on my son right now. I just need to know he’s okay.”
He backed off, trying to give her the space she needed, understanding that her emotions were not all aimed at him but at the mounting stress she’d recently been under. She was obviously at her breaking point, and he didn’t want to make things worse.
But he hated doing nothing, hated just standing there watching her try to hold it together. Her hands shook as she tightly clutched the radio. He had to look away.
Her radio beeped, and Cal’s voice filled the room. “I just made the rounds, and the kids haven’t made it back yet. Somebody saw them heading toward the west ridge. I’ll get the horses ready so we can head up there to look for them.”
Skye’s eyes widened. “Oh God. What if they’re lost up there? Or worse, what if one of them is hurt?”
“Don’t think like that.” He couldn’t do it, couldn’t just stand here. He crossed the room, opening his arms to offer her support, but she shook her head and took a step back.
“Of course, I think like that. I’m a mother.”
His arms dropped to his sides. “I want to help.”
Her voice held no emotion as she shoved her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. “I think you’ve done enough already.”
The radio beeped again, but this time the voice wasn’t Cal’s. “Hey, Skye. I heard about Cody. I’m heading over. Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
Oh great. Cowboy Clint to the rescue.
He fucked up by letting the kid go off into the mountains by himself, and then Clint gets to come in and be the hero by finding them.
“There has to be a way I can help,” Adam tried again.
She sighed. “You can’t. The trail up to the ridge is too steep to drive up, so we’re going to have to ride. You’d only slow us down.”
“Maybe he has his cell phone.”
“The reception’s terrible, especially on the mountain. But he usually carries it around, so it’s worth try.” She grabbed the wall phone and punched in a number, then slammed it down. “It went straight to voicemail. The only thing to do is ride up and try to find them.”
“Give me his number. I can keep trying. And I can radio you if I hear from them.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, as if determining if he could be trusted with the task, then gave him a quick nod and scribbled a number down on the back of an envelope sitting on the counter. “Fine. There’s another radio in the office. It works like a walkie-talkie. We use channel nine.”
“Skye—” he started to say, but she didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence.
Instead, she turned and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her.
He racked his brain, trying to think of some way to help. Should he call the police? Skye hadn’t suggested that, so maybe not.
What would the police do anyway? Set up a search and rescue team?
That’s it. An idea popped into his head, and he raced to his laptop to open a chat box and send an urgent message to a few of his employees.
He might not be able to ride a horse, but he had a whole team of brilliant computer minds on his staff. And some of the best hackers.
It took one of his guys about four minutes to hack into Cody’s phone and pinpoint the coordinates of where he was. Or at least, where the phone was. Another one had found the spot on Google maps and emailed him a photo that showed a clear picture of the section of mountains behind the ranch, with a pin in the most likely spot that the phone could be found.
Adam quickly printed out the picture and raced out of the lodge and toward the barn.
Skye was nowhere to be seen, but Clint and another cowboy were just about to ride out. Adam waved him down. “Where’s Skye?”
“She’s gone. She and Cal already headed up the trail.”
Shit. He gritted his teeth. He had no choice but to trust Cowboy Clint.
He passed him the paper. “Do you see that red balloon in the middle of the page? Do you know where that is?”
Clint offered him a snide sneer. “Red balloon? I don’t have time to look at this crap. I need to help Skye find her kid.”
This guy really did not like him. He’d never seen him act like this around other people. It had to be jealousy over his relationship with Skye. But they had to put that aside now, had to focus on finding Cody.
Adam held the paper higher. “That’s what I’m trying to do, too. I had my guys hack into his cell phone, and this map pinpoints pretty close to where he is.”
The cowboy scoffed but snat
ched the paper from his hands and studied the map. “Yeah, I know where this is. It’s the outcropping of boulders by Elephant Rock.”
Adam lifted the radio to his lips, but Clint beat him to it. “Skye, come in. Ride toward the outcropping of boulders by Elephant Rock. I think that’s where he is.”
The radio crackled, and Adam held his breath, praying that she heard the message.
He let out a sigh of relief as her voice came through the speaker. “Got it. We’ll head that way.”
Clint answered before Adam had a chance to say anything. “I’m right behind you. Buck and I will meet you there.” He crammed the paper inside his jacket and gestured to the other cowboy to follow him. Giving his horse a good kick to the side, he galloped out of the yard and into the trees, leaving Adam standing in the dust.
Feeling sick to his stomach, he glanced at the dark clouds that were moving swiftly across the sky and sent up a silent prayer that the rain would hold off.
But the first drop had already fallen, and with a roll of thunder, the sky opened up. Adam was soaked by the time he got back to the lodge.
Josh was standing on the porch when he ran up the steps. “Hey, dude. Do you think Skye has any shaving cream in the gift shop? Apparently Brit’s been using mine, and I’m out.” He must have noticed the stress on Adam’s face, because his easy smile fell. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Adam yanked open the door of the lodge and stomped in, running his hands through his wet hair.
Think. Think.
What could he do to help Skye? To help Cody? He was sure the kid was fine. They probably lost track of time. But what the hell did he know?
Something felt off about this whole afternoon. And now, with the storm setting in, he was getting a bad feeling.
“I screwed up.” He sighed and filled Josh in on what had happened.
“I’m sure they’re okay,” Josh reassured him. “They probably started making out and lost track of time.”
“You’re probably right. But I couldn’t say that to Skye. And I have this bad feeling in my gut that something’s wrong. But I can’t do a damn thing about it. I just want to do something, anything, to help.”
Josh pointed to the bags of groceries still on the table in the dining hall. “Let’s start with cleaning up that mess.”
“Yeah, good plan.”
They salvaged what they could and trashed what had already melted or was ruined. Adam grabbed a new T-shirt from the gift shop and some shaving cream for Josh, and pushed a fifty-dollar bill through the slot of the cash register.
After changing into the dry shirt, he called the number on the side of one of the grocery bags, told them what happened, and arranged for them to deliver a duplicate order within the next hour. He gave them his credit card to cover the cost of both orders and offered to pay extra for the inconvenience of driving it up, but the woman on the phone said it wasn’t necessary. She’d known Skye since she was a little girl and just hoped that Cody was okay.
She assured him that they’d have the food there as soon as they could.
Adam shook his head, not used to seeing such concern and caring in a community. Small towns. Crazy.
He couldn’t think of a single place in his city that would offer to make a special delivery, after five, and required a drive up the mountains in the rain. Especially not one that didn’t cost a fortune in “convenience fees.”
He’d make sure he tipped the guy making the drive well.
Skye had a small kitchen staff, and they were already working on the evening meal.
Brittany had come down to the lodge, looking for Josh, and between the two of them, they worked with the staff to figure out what needed to be done to prepare the dining hall for that night’s dinner.
The young couple worked tirelessly, and Brittany ran a hand encouragingly over Adam’s arm as she passed him. “It’s going to be fine. They’ll find them.”
Setting out forks and napkins wasn’t much, but it gave him something to do, something to occupy his racing mind while they waited.
They’d just finished the last table when the doors to the lodge burst open, and the Hendersons came rushing in.
Mrs. Henderson’s hair plastered to her worried face. “We just heard that Haylee was missing. We thought she was here watching movies with Cody.”
“They aren’t missing,” Adam assured them. We just don’t know exactly where they are right now. “Skye and Cal are headed up to get them.”
“What kind of place are they running here?” Mr. Henderson’s voice boomed through the dining hall.
“Now, honey, I’m sure everything’s going to be fine,” Mrs. Henderson assured him, but the tremble in her voice gave away her concern. She brushed her wet bangs from her creased forehead. “Can you tell us what you know so far?”
Adam held out a chair for her to sit in, trying to keep his own voice steady and not betray his anxiousness. The last thing Skye needed was to have irate guests who would complain about the ranch, or worse, request their money back.
He filled them in, giving them as much information as he knew.
“I knew something was up this afternoon,” Mrs. Henderson said. “She was acting funny, and it didn’t seem like she even had a headache. I just thought she was trying to get out of going on a hike.”
The radio in Adam’s pocket squawked, and Skye’s voice broke into the room. “We’ve got ’em. We found the kids. They were right by Elephant Rock.”
“Are they okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. Cody fell, but he’s okay. We think he’s sprained his ankle. Haylee’s fine. Just a little scared. And they’re both cold and wet.”
“Do you need me to call a doctor?”
“No, not yet. We’re almost down. Can you call the Hendersons and let them know Haylee’s okay?”
“They’re here with me now. We’re at the lodge.”
“Okay, we’ll be there soon.”
Mrs. Henderson broke into tears as she wrapped her arms around her husband. “She’s okay.”
Fifteen minutes later, a cold draft swept into the lodge as the front doors opened and the bedraggled group stepped inside.
Clint and Skye strode in first, with the kids nestled between them. Skye had her arm around Cody’s shoulders as he limped beside her. Rain dripped from Haylee’s hair as she shivered, looking small and young as she huddled inside of Clint’s jacket.
The other cowboys followed in their wake, knocking mud from their boots as they crossed the front porch mat, and shaking the rain off of them like a pack of dogs.
Mrs. Henderson rushed forward, her arms open, and Haylee collapsed into them, breaking into tears and sobbing her apologies. Her mother patted her wet hair. “Shh. It’s all right, now. We’re just glad you’re okay.”
Adam had a feeling the yelling would probably happen later. From all of the parents. But for now, everyone was just happy to have the kids back home and safe.
Including him.
Cody offered him a wry grin. He shrugged as he mouthed the word, “Sorry.”
Adam shrugged back.
Clint strode into the dining hall as if he owned the place, setting his hat on the table and using a folded napkin to wipe the water from his hair. Adam hated to admit that he looked like some kind of Western superhero with his shirt wet and stuck to his muscled chest.
The problem was that he was acting that way, too, basking in the glory of saving the day.
Mr. Henderson grabbed his hand, pumping it in appreciation. “We can’t thank you enough for finding them.” He turned to Skye. “You, too. We’re so grateful.”
“It wasn’t me. Clint was the real hero,” she said, as she helped Cody ease into the dining room chair. “I still don’t know how he knew to look up by Elephant Rock, but I’m glad he did. We’d already set out to search in an entirely different area.”
Buck, the other cowboy that had ridden with Clint, raised his head and looked at Adam. “Actually, it was—”
“
It was the least I could do,” Clint said, stepping in front of the cowboy and cutting off what he was going to say.
Nice. Real nice.
He was the one who found them, but Clint got to take all of the credit. And got to relish in the adoring look that Skye was giving him for finding her lost kid.
But what was he supposed to do? He’d look like an asshole if he stepped up now and tried to set the record straight. Hell, he couldn’t even blame the other cowboy for not saying anything. Clint was his boss.
Besides, what did it really matter who found them? As long as they were safe.
The staff came out of the kitchen, carrying trays of hot tea, and Brittany passed around the steaming mugs to the kids and the grateful rescue team.
Adam made his way over to Cody as Skye talked to the Hendersons.
“Hey, kid. Glad you’re okay.” He nudged his elbow against Cody’s arm.
The preteen winced. Not able to look Adam in the eye, he kept his gaze focused on the cup of tea he held in his hands. “Sorry I lied to you. But Haylee said she liked to rock climb, and I knew this great place. I just really wanted to impress her, you know.”
The boy’s voice was soft, and Adam knelt next to his chair. “I totally get it, dude. I just wish you hadn’t lied to me.”
“I know. Me, too. I really am sorry. For everything.”
Adam lowered his voice even more, and added a conspiratorial tone. “Was it worth it?”
Cody’s head jerked up, and he narrowed his eyes at Adam.
Adam winked, and the boy’s lips curled into a grin. He nodded. “Yeah, it was worth it.”
“Why don’t you leave the kid alone?” Clint’s voice was hard as steel as he stepped up to Cody’s chair. “Haven’t you done enough already?”
Heat burned Adam’s neck, and he curled his hands into fists. Not like he would really go through with punching the other guy, though he was really tempted. Then again, Clint looked like he’d have no trouble handling himself in a bar room brawl. Even if Adam decided to throw a punch, he doubted he’d come out on the winning end of that fight.
No, it was easier to walk away—to go back to his cabin—than to stand around and watch Clint soak up the accolades for finding the kids.