19. Jace
Jace
After Harper left, I dashed out the back, waiting out my boner like some teenager after a make out session—it’s bloody embarrassing.
I’m a grown ass man, and Harper isn’t my first, but someone needs to tell that to my dick.
I can hear Blake briefing the crew about today's schedule. Stepping into the room, I wait for him to finish before going over some change orders and discussing delivery timelines. My eyes snag on The Toasted Bean bag on the far table, and Harper’s baseball cap on the floor.
Smiling, I grab both and call out, “Hey, Blake, I’ll be right back.
Harper forgot her hat and breakfast here, just going to run them over to her. ”
“And what was she doing here so early?” Blake asks with dramatic innocence.
“I was showing her the counter and furniture I built.”
“So, which tables need to be cleaned after you ‘showed her’ your woodwork?” He uses air quotes to be obnoxious. I smack the back of his head as I pass, heading out the door.
“Just get to work, punk!”
I make it to the door before a loud crash comes from behind me, followed by a string of cuss words that make even me blush. With a sigh, I tuck Harper's hat into my back pocket and go back inside.
The rest of the day was one catastrophe after the next.
The custom glass display front had shattered, slicing one of the crew's hand open, requiring stitches. To top off that little incident, we found out that Garth, another crew member, can't handle the sight of blood. He vomited on the floor, then passed out, hitting his head. I ran both to urgent care and made calls for our workers’ comp claims, while Blake tackled cleanup and re-ordering the glass front. By the time we made it back from urgent care, there was a message from Jose. The company truck had a flat tire, and he was stranded with our lumber delivery. Now, it’s almost three, and the pastries are long gone.
Not sure if it was Blake or one of the crew that polished them off, but I was too busy to care.
I’m finally pulling into The Driftwood Spa parking lot, after what feels like a week, instead of hours.
Closing the door to my pickup, I glance down at my phone.
Fuck, three texts and two missed calls. I’ll check them in a few.
The thought of seeing my girl is giving me back some of the energy that this day has sucked out of me.
I’m pocketing my phone as I bound up the stairs just as the front door flies open, and a body collides into me.
On instinct, I reach out, grabbing whoever slammed into me, while pivoting from the stairs to avoid us both tumbling down them.
I’m momentarily blinded by chestnut hair in my face as the smell of jasmine and citrus fills my senses, and just like that, I know who I’m holding.
Righting us both, I look down and take in Harper, shaking like a leaf in my hands, tears streaming down her face, her breathing erratic and harsh.
“Harper.” Pulling her into me, wrapping my arms around her, I scan the door, alert for danger, or whatever has upset her like this. She softens for a second, leaning into me, before going stiff and stumbling from my arms.
Fear like I have never known spreads through me. She’s beyond distraught as she stumbles down the steps. Hurtling myself off the porch, I block her way.
“Harper, talk to me. What’s going on?”
“Lizzie is missing. She—I can’t, Jace, I can’t fucking breathe.” Time stands still as her words register. I thought I knew what fear felt like, but now, I know I didn’t. The fear I feel at her words is a punch in the gut. My head is swimming as I try to process.
“What do you mean she’s missing?”
“Her daycare was on a field trip to Palmers Orchard. Her teacher just called, they can’t find her.” Her legs wobble, but she continues toward her car. Realizing she plans to drive to the orchard, I snatch her keys from her hands and follow her to where her car is parked by my truck.
“I’m driving, Harper. You are in no state to be behind the wheel.” Depositing her in the passenger seat of her car, I sprint to the driver’s side, firing up the engine and shifting into drive before buckling my seatbelt or adjusting her seat to accommodate the height difference.
“Do you have the teacher's number?” She nods, her face pale, eyes wide in terror. “Call her back, Harper, and keep her on the line until we get there so we know the second someone sees her.”
She pulls up her contacts, hands shaking so hard she drops the phone, and hits the wrong contact twice before getting who she intended.
“Harper.” The voice on the other end answers on the first ring.
“Put her on speaker phone.” Harper complies, although I’m not sure she was even aware of doing it.
“Hi, this is Jace, a friend of Harper and Lizzie. Any update?”
“No, I’m so sorry. They are searching every car that leaves, and all hands are out looking for her,” her teacher rattles off, tears in her voice, but I don’t care. I need information.
“When was the last time anyone saw her?”
“I don’t know. We all went on a hayrack ride, and there were a few stops along the way, but most of the kids stayed on the ride until the end, never getting up. I know she got on the ride, but when we got back to the main stand, she wasn’t there.”
“How long ago was that?” My mind is racing, working to form a plan, any plan.
“Um, it’s been twenty minutes, no, thirty now, since the tractor came back and we did the final headcount.”
Running a hand through my hair, I piece together the timeline.
Fuck, my thoughts are pinging all over the place.
I can’t imagine the pure terror Harper is experiencing.
On the last pass through my hair, I grip it, tugging hard in an attempt to slow my racing thoughts.
“Okay, stay on the line. We should be there in less than twenty minutes, but Harper needs to be getting instant updates on anything happening.”
“Of course.” The line goes quiet save the ragged breaths of the teacher. An idea starts coming together, and I pull my phone out and dial Blake.
“Hiya, Boss. Two calls in one day. What did I tell ya? You have become a micromanaging busybody on this job—”
“Blake,” my voice rasps and he stops talking instantly.
“Fuck, what is it, Jace?”
“Lizzie, Harper's daughter, went missing at Palmers Orchard.” His muttered curse grips my heart; I can hear the emotion in it.
“What can I do?”
“We need people to help in the search. Tell all the men at the site to load up and get to the orchard as fast as they can. Before you come out, I need you to run by my office, grab Tink and bring her with you.”
“Done.” The line disconnects. I know he will assemble the cavalry and be there in no time.
Harper hasn’t spoken since we got in the car.
Silent tears streak down her face, and somehow, the silence makes it even more soul crushing to watch.
Eyes on the road, trying to stay hyper-focused as I race well over the speed limit toward the orchard, I reach over and clutch her leg, desperately trying to transfer some of my strength into her, lending support in the only way I can in this moment.
A few seconds later, her hand covers mine, and I flip my hand, linking our fingers.
Her grip is shaky, but firm, like I’m the tether that is keeping her grounded as her heart threatens to splinter into a million pieces.
Gravel flies as I take the final corner, and the orchard comes into sight.
Dust clouds billow around the vehicle as we skid to a stop in the parking lot. Reluctantly, I let go of Harper so we can get out of the vehicle. She takes off in a run, spotting a small crowd at the entrance. Sprinting, I catch up, and my heart skips when she grasps my hand in hers.
“Any updates?” The voice that comes out of Harper is brittle and hollow—and I know it will haunt me forever. Her usual cool calm energy is replaced with pain and terror to the point she doesn’t even resemble the gorgeous vibrant woman I was with this morning.
“No, I’m sorry,” the woman in front of us says, and I assume she is the teacher.
I want to yell and rage at her, make sure she knows if anything happens to Lizzie, I will blame her, but at the sight of the teacher's swollen face, tears coming in a constant stream, I reign my temper in. It’s pretty obvious that she already feels terrible.
“I’ve been helping look, but the sheriff will be here soon, and he said I needed to be here to talk to him.
” As she speaks, the sound of sirens in the distance draws everyone's attention.
As much as everything in me is screaming to start searching, to just run through the place, tearing it apart until I find her, I wait. We need to make a plan.
The sheriff pulls right up to us before cutting the siren. I grit my teeth, thinking how that sound probably has Lizzie even more scared. “Harper.” He nods at her as he approaches. “Who can give us an update and timeline of events?”
The teacher and a gentleman in overalls and a John Deere cap start relaying details.
A couple more police show up, along with my work crew and Blake, Tink following behind him.
I wave them over, and they circle around the growing crowd.
Harper stares blankly at the group. I keep a steady rhythm of my thumb rubbing the back of her hand, hoping my touch can convey what my words can’t at this point.
I turn my focus back to the sheriff and the map rolled out on a table.
Tink bounds over to me, sitting at my feet, staring straight ahead like she can sense the seriousness of the moment.
“How many acres are on the farm and orchard?” Sheriff Carl questions, running his finger over the map.
“Nearly sixty, sir,” someone responds.
“And how long is the ride the kids were taken on? How many acres were covered?”
A murmur goes around the space before one man, who I think is the owner, speaks up. “They didn’t take the standard route, opting for a longer one so the kids could rest their legs and see more of the farm. Likely covered ten to twelve acres.”
Harpers gasp beside me tears at my heart, and I work to keep my emotions locked down as panic surges within me. I discreetly look at my watch. It has now been nearly an hour since her absence was noticed. Who knows how long she has actually been alone.
“Did you go by any water on the ride?” Harper’s quiet words startle me.
“Yes, there are two large ponds along the loop.”
“Oh, God!” Harper's knees buckle, and I sink to the ground with her. Pushing her chestnut hair back from her face, I crouch so we are eye to eye.
“What is it, baby?”
“Lizzie can’t swim, but she’s obsessed with water. I have to watch her like a hawk anytime we are near water because she will make a beeline for it. Jace, it’s been too long, what if…” her words trail off as I kiss her forehead, needing to feel the connection.
“Don’t even think like that. Lizzie is fine. Do you hear me, Harper? She’s strong and smart, all the best parts of you. We will find her.”
“Harper.” Sheriff's words cut through the moment just as Shaina and Daniel come running up the path.
“When Lizzie is scared, she hides, so she might not be in plain sight. She also…” Swallowing convulsively, she blinks back tears. “We should start our search around the water. She loves water.”
“Alright, folks. Let’s get this search going.
Come over to the table. My deputy will give you a colored card.
That is the area you will be assigned to search.
Stick to your area and leave nowhere unsearched.
Each group will have a radio to keep everyone in contact.
Let us know if you spot anything.” Everyone moves to the deputy, collecting cards, some setting off on foot, others jumping in golf carts to head further into the land.
With our hands still locked together, I take a radio and card from the deputy.
Shaina is hugging Harper, but Harper keeps a firm grip on me the whole time.
We head out in a cart; I purposefully choose an area not around the water.
As much as I don’t want to even let my mind go there, if there is a chance the worst has happened, I don’t want Harper to witness it, but I keep that to myself.