“What the hell?” Addison stared after Katie as she stormed away from him. He didn't know what was going on, but the venom in words had made the problem clear enough. He'd been a complete idiot to let Makinsley come to the wedding with him when he'd known that she was angry with him for dumping her.
“Katie, wait!” Addison took two steps after her, only to have his uncle, Sheriff Frank Chasson, catch his sleeve.
“Addison, you got your truck?”
“I can't talk right now, Uncle Frank. Katie-.”
“You can't worry about Katie right this second. She'll get over whatever she's pissed off at you about. She always does. We've got bigger problems on our hands.”
“I don't think so.” Addison had lost track of Katie in the crowd, but he was pretty sure she had been headed towards the doors that lead to the parking lot.
“Addison!” Frank yanked hard on his nephew's arm.
Addy finally looked at Frank. His heavy face was flushed red and his lips were pinched into a tight frown around the toothpick he was chewing on. “If you're wanting to talk about Mom being pregnant, this isn't the best time for me,” Addison said.
Frank choked so hard that he nearly swallowed the toothpick. It took him three minutes to get his coughing under control. “Jane May is pregnant?”
“Yeah. You're going to be an uncle again. Congratulations. Now move and let me go after Katie. She's upset and I think I might have screwed up really badly this time.” Addison was running all the horrible things Makinsley could have told Katie through his mind like a bad movie on replay.
“Sully just called me. He says he thinks Kerry might be dead.”
Addison stopped cold. “What?”
“Sully just called me,” Frank repeated. “He said he was on his way back home after stopping at Kerry's house last night when someone started following him. He says he cut into the trails back behind the golf course thinking he could lose the guy, but it didn't work. He says his Jeep is in the creek.”
“And Kerry's dead?” Addison couldn't wrap his mind around the news.
“Maybe. He doesn't know for sure. He says he was hurt but alive when he left him, but it took him all day to hike out and find someone with a phone. He says he don't know if Kerry's alive or not.”
“Jesus.”
“We've got to go, Addison. You and me have to get to Sully and try to figure out where exactly he left that Jeep. He couldn't give me an exact location to send a rescue vehicle to, and most of them can't get back into the swamp no how.”
“I can't leave,” Addison said. “I'm not on duty. This is one of my vacation days and I took for a reason. Gracie and Cal just got married. I'm their best man. Katie just bolted on me, she's pissed and I don't know why. I can't go.”
“Addy, you don't have a choice. You're the only person who knows those trails well enough to figure out where Kerry's even at. I know this is your sister's wedding, and I'm sorry for asking you to leave it, but we've got to go. You're Kerry's only chance.”
The Sheriff's last sentence had struck a nerve with Addison. “I'm Kerry's only chance?” He repeated.
“Yes, son. No one else knows those trails like you do. Come on.” Frank began tugging Addison towards the doors of the reception hall.
“What if I don't want to save him?” Addison asked as he was forcibly towed out into the grass. The sun was shining high above them in a flawless blue sky that was completely at odds with how Addison was feeling right now.
Frank stopped mid-step. “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that.”
“Kerry's done everything he can to ruin my life and the lives of my friends, why should I walk away from the biggest day of my sister's life to save someone who hates me?” Addison demanded.
“Because that's what heroes do,” Frank said firmly. “Now come on. Tell me where you parked.”
“Back at the church. I rode here in the limo with Gracie and Cal.”
“Damn it, son. Come on. My truck is half a mile up the road. Maybe we can hitchhike to it.” Frank set off walking at a surprisingly brisk pace. After one last moment's hesitation, Addison's conscience kicked in and he followed his uncle, cursing under his breath as he jogged across the parking lot.