Since the fourth fell on a Thursday this year, at least Cade would only be spending the weekend with his dad and then Thomas had to return to work. Although he still threatened Ellie with his imminent move to Denver, according to the attorney, Thomas wouldn’t be relocating to Colorado anytime soon. Both she and Nick hoped he would follow his past behavior and not follow through with his flagrant promises. They decided to keep having faith that things would work out and vowed to enjoy their lives to the fullest.
On the way to her room to unpack, Ellie passed by one of the pictures of her and Nick that had been used in the magazine to announce their engagement. She paused to study the photograph that had beautifully captured the love they shared reflected in their eyes.
Warmth suffused every part of Ellie, and she couldn’t wait to be Nick’s wife.
Her cell phone buzzed inside her purse. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation as she looked at the screen. “Nick,” she said breathlessly, “I was just thinking about you.”
“Really?” he said in a low voice. “What about?”
She sighed and sat on the edge of the couch. “How much I miss you and can’t wait to be your wife.”
He groaned. “You’re killing me. I just called to tell you I won’t be home until tomorrow night.”
Disappointment shot down the fluttering feeling. “Oh.” She tried to tamp down her frustration at the amount of time he devoted to his charity. He’d promised to hire someone to take over his duties. “Just let me know your flight schedule so I can pick you up at the airport.”
“I’m sorry, Ellie. But things will get better. Part of the reason I’m staying is to interview a woman for the director position, and tomorrow morning is her only free time.”
Instantly her grumpy mood dissipated. “She has my vote.”
He laughed. “You don’t even know her qualifications.”
“Nick,” she whispered into the phone, “unless she has a criminal record or makes a play for you, hire her.”
“Then I think it’s a done deal. She attends the same church as my parents and just sent her last child off to college, Now she is just looking for something to do with her time. Both her law and finance degrees from Harvard make her overqualified, but she loves children more than money.”
“She sounds lovely. I can’t wait to thank her.”
Nick’s soft laughter made her miss him even more. “I love you, Ellie. I’m sorry I won’t be there when Cade leaves. Betsy said she’ll come over while Thomas is there.”
Ellie let her duffle bag drop to the floor, and swallowed back a sob. Nick was doing what he could; she was capable of handling her ex-husband on her own. “Betsy doesn’t need to leave her family. I’ll be fine.”
“Try telling her that.”
Cade came running in and grabbed Ellie by one hand. “My tummy is hungry, Mom.”
Nick must have heard. “Go feed Cade. I’ll call you later on tonight, okay?”
“Okay.”
Nick told her he loved her before they reluctantly ended the call. Three weeks couldn’t come fast enough.
“How about I make us a pizza?” Ellie asked. It was the frozen kind, but at least it was better than a peanut butter sandwich.
Cade wasn’t picky and didn’t protest. While the oven pre-heated, Ellie started a load of wash. A few minutes later, Cade came into the kitchen, wearing the new Optimus Prime helmet Grandpa Frank had purchased. It had a microphone in it and when he pushed the button and talked, it altered the sound of his little voice.
Using the robotic voice, he asked, “Can I go show Betsy my new helmet?”
Ellie smiled at her little boy. “Let me call her to see if that’s all right.”
“Hi, Ellie,” Betsy said in her usual cheerful voice. “So how was California?”
Sliding the frozen pizza in the oven, Ellie told her all about their trip.
“You found a wedding dress?”
Ellie thought about the gorgeous dress she and Carolyn had found and Nick had insisted she buy despite the exorbitant price tag. “Yes. I can’t wait to show you. It’s breathtaking.”
“I can’t wait to see you in it. You’ll look just like a princess marrying her prince charming, and in England, no less!”
Ellie set the timer on the oven for fifteen minutes and sighed dreamily. “I know. I can’t wait. My parents are ecstatic. My sister-in-laws can’t wait to travel, and my brothers can’t wait to claim Nick as their own.”
Cade tugged on her hand. “Mom, ask her if I can come show her my surprise.”
She patted the plastic helmet on Cade’s head. “Betsy, Cade has a surprise and wants to know if he can run over and show you?”
Betsy laughed. “Sure, send him right over.”
Holding open the back door for Cade, Ellie watched him almost trip over the patio step. “Hey, you better take that off. Once you get to Betsy’s, you can put it back on.”
He obeyed her and started for the Stewarts’ back yard. “The pizza’s almost done, so don’t stay very long,” Ellie hollered as he disappeared through the fence.
While she waited for Cade to return, Ellie finished unloading their bags. The timer on the oven beeped indicating the pizza was finished. She pulled it out and placed it on the stove. It didn’t look very appetizing. It was definitely time to start cooking for real again.
Ellie let the pizza cool as she put the wet clothes in the dryer and started another load of wash. When she finished, Cade still hadn’t returned. She withdrew her phone from her pocket and called Betsy. “Hey, can you send Cade home now?”
There was a brief pause before Betsy said, “Ellie, he never came over.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
That sick feeling all mothers get when they aren’t sure where their children are came over Ellie as she rushed to the backyard. Maybe Cade had become sidetracked and was still out back. Panic gripped her when she couldn’t see him. “Betsy, can you check your backyard? He’s not at my house.” Her voice sounded high and stressed.
“I’m looking out back, Ellie. He’s not there. Let me go check out front.”
“Cade!” Ellie yelled. There was no answer. She made her way to the front, all the while continuing to holler for him. A feeling of dread knotted her stomach when neither she nor Betsy could see her son.
“Ellie, check in Nick’s car. I’ll run over and see if the Colemans have seen him.”
She checked the Denali, only to find it empty.
Frantic, Ellie crossed the street, the rocks cutting into her bare feet. She jiggled the doorknob to Nick’s front door. It was locked. Making her way around his property, she continued to shout her son’s name, ignoring the pain as her bare feet trampled over branches and rocks. Please let him be okay.
Betsy met her on the other side of Nick’s house and shook her head. “The Colemans haven’t seen Cade.”
Ellie’s stomach rolled. “I’m going to see if he went on the jogging trail.”
She sprinted toward the jogging trail, mentally praying for his safety. Where could he have gone? The late afternoon heat felt stifling, and the hot pavement scorched the bottom of her feet. Perspiration dripped down her back and around her hairline. Her eyes scanned the area frantically. There was absolutely no one on the path.
She raced back home, her heart pounding with fear. Betsy had called to say Owen was going to drive around to see if he could spot him. So, Ellie went back into her parents’ house, shouting and looking for Cade in every possible hiding place. Still nothing. Deep down, she knew something had happened to him.
When Owen returned empty handed, it was time to call the police. She continued shouting his name until her shouts turned to sobs. By the time the police arrived, Ellie was hysterical. Cade had vanished.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The police officer’s voice sounded tinny and far away as he asked her to go over everything that had happened. He also wanted a description of Cade’s clothing. That was the easy part—he had on a bright yello
w SpongeBob shirt Carolyn had given him yesterday. He also would have the large, blue Optimus Prime helmet with him. It was nowhere to be found.
Rocking back and forth, she held her stomach and answered the questions mechanically. She kept praying over and over for Cade to appear. Her brain seemed foggy, but she heard Betsy tell her that she finally got a hold of Nick. He was taking the next flight he could get on.
The police officer continued to ask her questions and she had to focus on his words. “Ma’am, can you tell me where Cade’s father is?”
“Australia,” she whispered. Thomas would blame her for Cade’s disappearance. But wasn’t it her fault? She should’ve walked him over to Betsy’s instead of letting him go alone.
“Australia?”
“No. No, he’s here in Colorado. I’m not sure where he’s staying yet. Cade is supposed to spend this weekend with him.”
“Ms. Garrett?” the officer said, placing his warm hand on her shoulder. “We need to inform Mr. Garrett. Do you have his number?”
Ellie nodded her head and pulled out her cell phone. Her hands shook so violently, it was difficult to press the right button.
Thomas answered and sounded oddly pleasant. “Hi, El. I was just thinking about you and Cade. Is he excited to see me tomorrow?”
Her voice broke at the sound of her son’s name. “He’s gone, Thomas. Cade is gone.” She couldn’t finish, breaking down and sobbing into her hands.
The police officer took the phone when it became apparent Ellie wasn’t going to be able to talk. She listened to him relay the facts, each word inflicting more pain. Why would someone take her little boy?
The officer returned her phone and crouched down in front of her. “Ms. Garrett, we have officers that are canvassing the neighborhood and surrounding area, asking residents questions and showing them Cade’s picture.”
Ellie nodded her head, but couldn’t speak.
“The FBI is sending an agent over who specializes in missing children.” He made it sound so reassuring like they had it under control. Inside, she felt herself coming apart, and there was nothing she could do.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she felt Nick’s arms around her. It was dark outside, and the thought of her little boy being alone in the dark was more than she could bear. “Please, God, please,” she repeated over and over.
* * *
Nick felt helpless as he watched Ellie rock back and forth, praying out loud. Her beautiful face was devoid of any makeup, her eyes puffy and red from the steady stream of tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. The house was swarming with police officers, their voices loud and chaotic as they devised a plan to find Cade.
Officer Todd, one of the men Nick had hired for off-duty protection, motioned for Nick to come over to him. Nick stood up, hating to leave Ellie. Betsy and Owen moved in and sat by her so Nick could talk to the police officer.
“Mr. Coulter, can I ask you a few questions?”
“Sure.” Nick’s eyes flickered back over to Ellie. She was on the phone, talking with her brothers. Her mother had caught a non-stop flight from London to Denver, but the flight was a little over nine hours. Hopefully her brothers could get here before that. Her father had been with a group of students in Scotland and was frantically trying to get a flight out the following day.
Nick wished his own parents could be here with them, but they had driven to his sister’s house a few hours away to stay with their kids while they vacationed in Hawaii.
“Mr. Coulter?”
Nick snapped his gaze back to the officer. “Sorry, and please call me Nick.”
“Okay, Nick.” The officer pulled out a notepad and pen and looked him in the eye. “In the past few months can you recall if there have ever been any threatening emails sent to you?”
The question hit him hard. Was this his fault? Had some crazy fan took Ellie’s son because of him? “Not that I’m aware of,” he answered honestly. “Most of my fan mail comes through the email, and I have several assistants who read it. If there is anything that seems alarming, my manager has a security team that takes care of it.”
“So there haven’t been any cryptic or hostile messages, especially after you and Ms. Garrett became engaged?”
Nick thought hard and couldn’t come up with anything recent. Over the years, there were always a few fans who took their devotion too far, but nothing lately. “No. From what I can remember, it was more generic stuff like I can’t believe you’re getting married.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “If there had been anything threatening, I would’ve heard about it.”
The officer looked around him and then leaned in, speaking in a low tone. “I want you know that Mr. Garrett is convinced this happened because of you and your notoriety.”
Thomas was true to form by blaming him. Nick met the police officer’s gaze. “I would never intentionally endanger Cade or Ellie, but if it’s related to me in any way, I’ll do what I can to help.”
The rest of the night was a blur. Nick didn’t sleep, and overnight, Ellie’s house became the command post. An Amber Alert had been issued for Cade, and once again, the quiet cul-de-sac swarmed with news reporters, police cars and volunteers.
Thankfully, a few hours ago, Ellie had finally fallen asleep with the help of medication. Betsy convinced her that Cade would need his mother to be healthy when he came home.
Nick paced back and forth, wanting to be out there actively searching for Cade. He paused in front of the window, watching with relief as dawn changed the dark sky to a light pink. He felt better knowing the sun would be shining today. He didn’t like thinking about Cade being lost in the dark.
About the same time the special team with blood hounds arrived from Denver, Ellie’s two brothers and mother arrived. Nick stood back and watched as Betsy and Owen greeted the family. He felt out of place and wondered if they blamed him for Cade’s disappearance as well.
Betsy motioned for Nick to come over. Three sets of eyes were on him as he approached the grim-faced group. Mrs. Ferguson looked like an older version of her daughter with short hair. Despite the situation, she offered him a soft smile and pulled Nick in for a hug. “This is a terrible way to meet my new son-in-law, but I’m grateful Ellie has you.”
Nick’s eyes burned as he wrapped his arms around the petite woman. “Me too. I wish I could do more.”
She stepped back and introduced Nick to her sons. The two men were both nearly as tall as he was. They looked very similar with light brown hair and blue eyes. Weston and Nathan each shook his hand, their expressions solemn. Then Weston put his arm around his mother. “Mom, let’s go in Dad’s office to have a family prayer.”
The three family members started for the office. Nick didn’t know if he was invited or not. Mrs. Ferguson turned around and took him by the hand. “Come on, son. We need everyone to be together.”
Nick’s throat tightened at the invitation. “Thanks,” he said, his voice rough with emotion as he followed her inside the office. Nick knelt down next to Mrs. Ferguson, his knees pressing into the hard floor and his head bent as Nathan offered the first prayer. Then, one by one, they all took turns petitioning the Lord to protect Cade and bring him safely home. Nick was the last one to offer the prayer. As he prayed, a pervasive feeling of warmth and comfort filled his soul. He didn’t know where Cade was, but he did know God was in control and that they needed to trust Him.
* * *
Ellie paused at the bottom of the stairs, clutching the railing as her eyes swept over the active room filled with police officers and a few FBI agents. She swayed slightly as she drew in a stuttering breath. So this nightmare was real. Her little boy had really been taken from her.
She stepped into the family room and saw Nick talking to a woman that looked like… “Mom?” she said softly.
Her mother lifted her eyes and gave her a watery smile. The two of them moved across the room, meeting each other halfway. Ellie starting crying again as she fel
l into her mother’s arms. “Oh, sweetheart,” her mother crooned, holding Ellie close.
“He’s gone, Mom,” Ellie said, her body shaking as the sobs wrenched from her body. “Somebody took my baby.”
Ellie finally pulled back, wiping her hand across her face. That’s when she noticed her brothers standing behind her mother. “Wes? Nate?”
She flew into the middle of them, each of them wrapping an arm around her, holding her close.
“We’re going to find him, Ellie,” Weston said, pressing a kiss into her hair.
She looked up at her brother with hope in her eyes. “Do you promise?”
“Yes,” he and Nathan both said in unison.
The conviction in their voices sparked the first bit of hope she’d felt since Cade had vanished. “Thank you for coming.”
She stepped back and twisted around, looking for Nick. He stood by her mother, looking as terrible as she felt. Needing to be near him, she practically ran him over as she launched herself into his open arms.
“I’m so sorry, Ellie. I should’ve been here.” His voice broke and his chest heaved with grief as he held her in a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry.”
A commotion in the entryway made Ellie’s body go rigid. She stepped out of Nick’s arms to see a group of men circle a police officer who had just come in through the front door. Their voices were low, but she sensed an underlying intensity that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
The agent in charge broke away and walked purposely toward them. Ellie clutched Nick’s hand tighter. What had they found? Nausea gripped her stomach when a horrible thought entered her mind. Had they found Cade’s body?
“What…is it?” She could tell her voice sounded hysterical. “Did you find him?”
“No, ma’am,” Agent Carter said, stopping in front of her. “The special team from Denver with the blood hounds picked up your son’s scent as far as the jogging trail.” He held a plastic baggie containing a white piece of paper and an envelope. “One of the officers found a ransom note tacked to the trunk of the tree next to the parking lot.”
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