G RACE DOES HER BEST TO get my mind off things. We dance, but my head spins with how easy it was for me to tell him. And how good it felt to be in his arms. It scares me because it would be effortless to let myself go back there. He’s the boy who taught me to love. He’s the boy I saw myself growing old with, having children with, and yet he destroyed me.

“You having fun?” Grace asks slightly out of breath.

“Tons.” I smile at her. The truth is . . . I want to go crawl in bed and cry. As much as I hate that I told Zach, it hurts more that I said it at all.

“Liar.”

“Little bit.”

She rests her head on my shoulder. “We can go.”

“No, it’s fine. We can stay a bit longer. Besides, your man is heading this way.”

The guy who Grace has been eyeing all night asks her to dance. She’s so funny. I know she doesn’t really like him, but I also know what trying to move on from a Hennington is like. God help her.

I look over at the dance floor where Zach has Felicia in his embrace. I imagine myself as her. The way his body feels, the ridges of his chest, the strength of his arms, and how he can make you forget all your pain. When we were young, he was able to take my worries away. I never felt scared. I loved that so much about him. I think that was the worst part of losing him—the uncertainty. Watching Felicia share that with him is difficult. Does she know the person he is? Does she know how much better he is than her?

My eyes open to see him watching me. My breathing stops as we share something in this stare. All I feel is his regret, and all I give him back is my forgiveness. I turn away, hoping to break the connection, but it feels as if my heart is no longer in my chest.

I can do this.

I’m not falling for him again. Nope. I’m drunk and not thinking straight.

Unable to stop myself, I look back at him. He gives me a smile, then looks at Felicia as she turns and glares at me. I get up and head to the bar. I don’t need to witness their lover’s quarrel.

“Looks like trouble in paradise.” The bartender smirks as he hands me my drink.

“I wouldn’t know.” I refuse to look over, but I’m sure he’s talking about Zach and Felicia.

He laughs. “I could give you the play by play. He doesn’t look happy to see us talking.” Brent grips my hand and leans in. “I’ll give him a little push.” His hand brushes across my lips, and I worry he’s going to kiss me. “Just go with it,” he murmurs.

I close my eyes and slightly turn my head so that he doesn’t actually kiss me. When I open them, Brent whispers, “He just pushed Felicia away.”

“I-I don’t.” There’s nothing that I can say to even express what I’m feeling. So many damn things go through my head. I glance at them and clearly Felicia is pissed.

I quickly turn my head, and Brent smirks. “That one’s on the house.”

Minutes go by, and I force myself not to look. He didn’t come over here, so Brent obviously knows nothing. And why am I even wanting him to come over?

“Pres.” A hand touches my shoulder, and I gasp. My stomach clenches at the feel of his touch.

I turn as Zach is staring at me.

I don’t know what to say.

“Presley, there’s a problem. We have to go.”

Confusion washes over me. “What do you mean?”

“I got a call from Wyatt.”

“Is he okay?” I jump up as panic sets in. “What’s wrong?”

Zach looks away and fear takes hold. “Wyatt’s okay,” he says quickly. “But something’s happened, and we need to get to the ranch.”

“You’re confusing me.”

He lets out a deep breath. “It’s Cayden.”

My mouth falls open as my body goes numb. “What?” I ask breathlessly. “Cayden? What about Cayden?” I practically scream.

I can’t handle anything happening to my sons. I can’t endure another loss. I will die with them. I won’t be able to recover from anything else. I’m already on the fringe of losing it.

“Trent and Cooper were working on the campsite and the boys took off on the horses. They went after them, but they can’t find Cayden. They’ve searched everywhere, and nothing.”

“Oh, my God!” I cry out. “We have to go! Now!” I scream and grab my purse. Here I was out drinking and one of my kids is lost in the woods. I sober up immediately. I can’t think of anything but finding my son. Panic and anger swirl together as my emotions conflict. This can’t be happening.

“Brent, get a bunch of guys together. We need as much help as we can get,” Zach instructs.

It’s one of those moments where it feels like nothing is moving. I’m paralyzed with fear. It’s as if my feet are stuck to the ground. I stand still while people move around me. Zach touches my shoulder and I flinch. “I’m leaving.” I snap out of my trance and blurt out.

“Let’s go. I’m coming with you,” he says as he follows behind me. I rush to get my car.

“Zach!” Felicia calls out. “What the hell are you doing?”

I don’t stop. I don’t have time. I burst through the door and realize I don’t have my car. “Fuck!”

I turn to go get Grace and see Zach pushing Felicia’s arms off him. She’s yelling at him as he tries to move toward me. “God damn it, Felicia!” he shouts. “I’m going. No one knows those woods like me. Get a ride with someone or walk. We’ll finish our conversation later.” He runs toward me and points to his truck. “Get in.”

I don’t hesitate. We both hop in, and Zach throws the truck in reverse. I don’t say anything as we fly down the dirt roads. All I can think is Cayden must be so scared. He’s alone in the dark, out in the woods. There are so many things that can go wrong. He’s never been camping and doesn’t know what to do if you get separated. There’s so much I should’ve told them before I agreed to this.

“I can’t—” My breathing comes rapidly and my heart pounds. “He must be so alone.”

“He’s going to be okay.” Zach tries to reassure me. “We’ll find him.”

“You don’t know that.”

“We’ll find him, Presley.”

I shake my head because he can’t guarantee anything. I know he wants to help, but with my luck . . .”Don’t make me promises, Zachary. You’ve broken them before.”

“I won’t break this one.”

We get to my house faster than I could’ve imagined, or maybe it just feels that way. I jump out of the truck and Zach follows. My father is waiting at the barn.

“Daddy!” I rush toward him.

“It’s going to be okay, sugar.” His strong arms cocoon me.

“What about Logan?” I look around as my breathing turns even more erratic.

Daddy holds my shoulder and touches my cheek with his other hand. “He’s upstairs with your mama. He’s okay, but worried.”

I look and see Mama in the window. I start to head inside, but she shakes her head and puts her finger to her lips.

“Let him sleep,” Daddy says quietly. “We’ll find him, Presley. Cooper, Trent, Wyatt, and all my ranch hands are out looking now.” My father has always been so confident, but even he looks a little shaken.

I can’t stand here any longer. If Logan is safe, then I have to focus on Cayden. I need to go look for him. “We’re heading out too.”

“I figured as much. I had the horses saddled with the gear you need. There’s another group of us going in twenty minutes to take a different route.”

I take off running toward the barn. Zach is on my heels as we both know there’s no time to waste. “Are you okay to ride?” he asks.

I mount the horse and glare at him. “Let’s go.”

“All right.”

We head out toward the area they’re in. It’ll take us about a half hour to get close. My nerves are frayed as I think about the time we’re wasting. But it’s much easier to get through this area on horseback than in a car. I don’t say anything to Zach. A part of me doesn’t even realize he’s with me. I just want to find my son.

Finally, we get into the general area around the falls where we usually camp. “Presley!” Zach calls from behind and comes alongside me.

“What?” I ask as the adrenaline pulses through me. “We don’t have time. We have to find him.” My words come out like bullets as I spur my horse forward, but he grabs the reins.

“Stop.”

“Let go,” I say between gritted teeth. “This is my son!” I don’t care about anything else. Standing here and talking is wasting time. I want to find Cayden. I’m so stupid to have let him go on this trip. I should’ve known that Cooper and fucking Trent couldn’t handle them.

“You need to stop. We need a plan. Think for a second.”

Part of me wants to knee him in the balls, but he’s right. If we start wandering through the woods, we’ll never find him. “I don’t know what to do,” I say feeling more helpless than ever.

“Where would he go? What does he like?”

I try to focus on what he asked. I don’t know what the boys saw during the day. I’m not sure if they went along any special trails, but Cooper and Trent probably checked those first. What else is out here? Logan would follow an animal, but Cayden has always loved the water. “The falls!”

Zach takes off ahead of me, ducking and turning, avoiding the trees and branches. My horse follows him, and I focus on not losing him. My father put lights on the back of our saddles, so I can see a dot. “Cayden!” I call out as I ride. Hoping he hears me.

I can faintly hear Zach doing the same.

We ride for what seems like forever until I can hear the rushing water. I slow down and shine the flashlight, calling out, “Cayden!”

“Go to the right, I’ll take the left,” Zach instructs.

I search all over the falls area. The full moon is bright and helps illuminate the normally dark woods.

“Please, Cayden!” At some point my screaming becomes sobs. I’m tired, weak, and emotionally done. I won’t quit though, not when my baby needs me. But my tears fall as I search for my son. “Cay!” I need him so much. I don’t care that he’s been angry or defiant, I just want him in my arms. “Cayden, please, Cayden.”

Zach trots over and hops off his horse. He holds my waist and helps me down. “Look at me,” he commands. “I’m going to find him.”

“He must be so scared.” I hold on to his arms as I tremble. “This is my fault! I shouldn’t have let him go.”

“This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault.” He grips my face, and I hold his wrists. “You have to be strong. I know you’re scared, but trust me, Presley. I’m not going home until we have him safe, okay?”

I believe him. He says the words with such authority, I know he means it. He presses his lips to my forehead before releasing me. “I can’t lose him, Zach.”

“You’re not going to.”

I pull myself together and muster whatever strength I can. Where else could he have gone? There are so many trails. Zach and I both drink some water, and he calls Wyatt. They talk about the areas they’ve searched and our search party is now the entire town of Bell Buckle. Everyone is out on their horses, four wheelers, and trucks searching for him.

Zach hangs up the phone. “Let’s follow the creek. If he likes the water it would make sense to think he would stay close to the water.”

I’ve lost the ability to make decisions right now, so I nod and pray that Zach will find my baby.