Daisy grabbed the cardboard box and began loading takeout boxes inside. Things had slowed down after the morning breakfast rush, and she’d asked Ike to make up some hot meals for the folks down at the sheriff’s office. She’d talked to Dusty when he’d stopped by hours ago, and he’d mentioned Rafe and Derrick had worked through the night, coordinating and overseeing the search for the Boatwrights’ missing niece.
Piling containers filled with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, a tray full of biscuits, and a big leakproof container of sausage gravy into the box, she added plates, napkins, and silverware. A couple of cartons of orange juice and apple juice joined the mix.
She glanced around the kitchen, looking to see if she’d forgotten anything. It might not be much, but making sure the people looking for Jennifer had a hot meal in their bellies made her feel like she was at least doing her part.
Hefting the large box in her harms, she walked out of the kitchen and ran smack into Derrick. She gave a little oomph sound, juggling her precarious load, and he quickly lifted it from her arms.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Where do you need this?”
She smiled ruefully. “Actually, that food is headed your way. I thought y’all might like a hot meal after working all night.”
“That’s very thoughtful. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.” He placed the box on the counter and turned back toward Daisy. “I wanted to thank you again for looking after Ian.”
“It wasn’t a problem. I didn’t have any plans, and Uncle Joe wasn’t going to be home. I’d probably have vegged in front of the TV anyway, so why not have company?”
At his long, slow smile, the butterflies in her stomach started doing the cha-cha, and she placed her hand against it, trying to quell the riotous feeling coursing through her. It wasn’t fair. He had the sexiest smile she’d ever seen, and when he turned it on her, she wanted to melt into a big puddle. But not here. Not now. This was her place of business. She needed to remain cool, calm, and collected, not act like a besotted teenager with her first crush.
“I’m sure he’ll thank you. He fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow, out like a light.” He drew in a deep breath, and she watched his shoulders and chest move with the action. Her fingers itched to explore all the muscles beneath his button-front shirt.
“I didn’t mind. What’s he doing today, while you’re here—I mean at the sheriff’s station—not here here.”
“Probably glued to one of his video games. I’ve been trying to call and he’s not answering, which is a huge problem I’ll be addressing with him when I get back to the B&B. It’s one of our no-exception rules. He always answers when I call. But he’s pissed at me right now. Probably sulking in our room.”
“I’m here for several more hours, but I can drop in a check on him when I leave if you’d like.”
“That’s not necessary. I’m trying to get hold of Ian because Douglas Boudreau thinks he should go out to the ranch this afternoon. Probably wouldn’t hurt Ian to be around the animals, plus Ms. Patti and Dane will be there, so he won’t be alone. Except he’s not answering his phone. If I can’t get hold of him, I’ll have to go and check on him.”
“Derrick, you’ve got enough on your plate right now. And it’s on my way home, so it’s not like I’m going out of my way. Tell you what, if you hear from him in the next couple hours, call me. Otherwise, I’m going to worry. Besides, I have to drop off food for Miss Edna.”
Derrick’s hand raised to cup her cheek, and Daisy closed her eyes, soaking in the feel of his slightly callused hands against her face. It had been a long time since anybody had touched her with tenderness, and she wanted to remember this moment. It probably didn’t mean anything to him, but to her it was everything.
“You are a special woman, Daisy Parker. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody with a heart as big as yours.”
“I—you’d better get this stuff to the sheriff’s office, or it’s going to get cold. Tell Rafe I’ll pick up the dishes and stuff later.”
“See you soon, Daisy.”
Derrick lifted the heavy box like it weighed nothing and headed for the front door. If only he realized he carried far more than food with him. He carried her heart. And didn’t that thought scare her half to death?
Ian trailed behind the black dog, following as he darted and weaved through the tall trees. It was darker here, the branches over his head filled with bright green leaves and thick limbs. He didn’t want to get too far away from the B&B or get lost. A tinge of anger speared him when he thought about how mad his dad would get because Ian disobeyed the rules.
You know what? I don’t care. He doesn’t care anyway, or he wouldn’t have gone to work. He doesn’t even want to be with me anyway. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m not.
The dog suddenly raced ahead, almost a blur of motion, and Ian stumbled over a large branch, falling to his knees. He grimaced when stood, and noticed a muddy patch on the knee, along with a jagged tear in the denim.
“Dang it. Dad’s gonna kill me.”
A sharp yip sounded ahead and him, and he gamboled toward the sound, gangly legs racing to catch up. Everything around him was different than anything he’d ever seen. The closest he’d ever gotten to real woods had been on television. He was a city kid, and Shiloh Springs seemed like a whole different world to what he was used to.
“Come on, dog. Where are you?”
He glanced to the left and right, not spotting the blur of blackness he’d been following. Slowly spinning in a circle, he scanned his surroundings again, a tingle of fear racing down his spine.
“Dog?”
The only sound greeting him was silence. Shoot, he’d been stupid, he realized. He’d gone farther than he’d thought. There was no path leading him back to the B&B.
Think. It can’t be that far, right? You can do this, find your way back.
His heart beat within his chest so hard it almost hurt, and he swallowed past the giant lump in his throat. Everything looked the same. All the trees loomed over him like giants, branches reaching toward him like arms, ready to snatch him away.
The stupid dog was nowhere to be seen. Oh, man, he wished he’d never followed him. This was all his fault. Well, mostly, because Ian admitted he was partially to blame because he’d followed along behind the dog like a dummy.
The sounds around him sounded like somebody had turned the radio up too high. Loud and, if he was honest, scary. Drawing in a shaky breath, he took several steps forward, figuring he’d eventually come out of the woods, either back at the B&B or maybe onto a road. Might run into the creek Miss Edna talked about, and he could follow it until he found somebody.
A loud crack off to the side sounded like a gunshot, and forgetting everything he’d just decided, Ian took off running, dodging around trees and fallen branches, racing forward. All he could think about was getting away from whatever made the noises.
He ran until he got a stitch in his side, finally slowing from the pain. His breaths dragged through his lungs, panting through his mouth to breathe. Finally stopping, he sucked in air, bent over at the waist. After catching his breath, he straightened, listening to the sounds around him. The birds chirped, a sound he was familiar with.
That’s not scary. Birds won’t hurt me.
Taking a tentative step forward, he glanced toward the ground and froze. Just feet from him, almost invisible against the leaves and dirt on the forest floor, he saw movement. It almost looked like a shadow at first, but his gut knew different.
All the spit in his mouth dried up, and he swayed where he stood. A snake? It was the first one he’d ever seen in real life. Seeing them in the zoo didn’t count, because they were behind big, thick glass and couldn’t hurt him. But this one wasn’t behind glass. It wasn’t a picture in a book. It was real and it was moving—and it was coming at him!
Ian turned and ran, not sure where he was going, only that he needed to get away from the snake. He hadn’t heard any rattling noise. Those were poisonous, he knew, but he wasn’t sticking around to try and see if there were any beads on its tail.
Never stopping to look back, he ran. Ran until his legs felt like they would collapse beneath him, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. One thing was certain. He hated the woods. He hated Shiloh Springs. And he wanted to go home.
Plunging forward, tears ran down his face, and he wiped at them. Inside, fear ruled everything, overriding everything. All he could think about was finding his dad. He’d take him back to Austin, and they’d never have to come back to Shiloh Springs again.
A sob caught in his throat when his foot tangled on a large root sticking out of the ground. He sprawled face-first onto the ground, and a primal scream broke free. The urge to curl up into a ball and rock back and forth was strong, but if he stayed on the ground, Ian knew something even worse than a snake would get him. He’d watched enough nature shows on TV, there were dangerous animals who could maul him, tear him to bits.
He grabbed onto the tree closest to him and pulled himself up. Everything sounded eerily quiet, not even a breeze rustling the leaves. And it seemed darker. Why was it getting dark? It wasn’t late enough to be getting dark.
Ian bit back a sob and scrubbed away his tears. He wanted his dad to come and find him. He was dirty and scared and he wanted to go home right now.
I’ll call him. He’ll come and get me. I don’t like it here anymore.
Reaching into his pocket, he patted it. It was empty. Nearly frantic, he dug through all his pockets before remembering he’d set down his phone in the sunroom before he’d spotted the dog.
Oh, man, he was in so much trouble. It was the one rule his dad insisted on—always have his phone. Hanging his head, he almost gave in to the urge to cry. He was such a screwup. Nothing but a waste of space. Mom had left him behind. He was nothing but a responsibility to his dad. Now he’d messed up and done not one, but two, of the things his dad told him not to do. Not to leave the B&B and to always have his phone.
A roll of thunder rumbled in the distance, the ground vibrating beneath his feet. Ian felt a drop of water ping against his face and looked up. The sky had darkened more, and he realized what he saw between the branches overhead were fat, dark clouds.
Great, just what I need. Stuck in the woods with a disappearing dog, a snake, and now rain. Can this day get any worse?