Chapter 26
twenty-six
Leo
Iraced back to the ranch, not remembering the drive, as I flew down the driveway, dirt flying around my truck. As soon as I pulled up beside the house, I slammed the truck into park and got out, not bothering to make sure the door closed behind me.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I raced into the house.
“Brooks, Holden,” I shouted as I ran into the kitchen to find them sitting at the table. They both turned toward me as I dropped into a chair across from them.
“The sheriff should be here any minute. Mom and Dad took Luke to Carolina’s parents’ house so we could come up with a plan,” Brooks said, and I let out a heavy breath.
I’m glad they thought of something because there was no way I could be in front of Luke without him wondering what was wrong. I didn’t want him to worry.
“I have no clue where to start searching,” I said, my voice clogged with emotion. I didn’t have time to break down now. I had to focus on finding her. I couldn’t lose her to this man. Luke couldn’t lose his mama. I wouldn’t allow it.
“There aren’t many places to hide in Haven Valley. We’ll find her,” Holden said in an attempt to reassure me, but his words did nothing to ease the ache in my chest.
“He’s already had her way too long. What if he’s not in Haven Valley anymore,” I said and as the last word of that sentence left my lips, I balled my fists in frustration.
“We can’t think like that. We have to remain positive if we’re goin’ to find her,” Brooks said calmly.
Just as I was about to respond, there was a knock at the door. I bolted from my chair, the sound of it falling backward echoed in the kitchen as I ran to the door, hopeful that it was her, but in the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t. She wouldn’t have knocked.
I opened the door to find the sheriff and five of his deputies on the other side.
I stepped back and allowed them to enter. “Thank you for coming,” I said as I closed the door behind them and led them into the kitchen.
“We protect our own,” Sheriff McGee said as he sat at the table and unfolded a map of Haven Valley I hadn’t even noticed he was holding.
Brooks got up from the table and grabbed some coffee mugs from the hook beside the coffee pot and sat them in the four corners of the map so it would lay flat on the table.
“What if he’s already left town with her?” I asked my biggest fear. If he’d already left with her, I didn’t know how we’d find her.
“I don’t think he’d do that. I think he’s waiting to get Luke,” the sheriff spoke, and I stilled.
“Why do you think he wants my son?” I grit out the question, and my teeth cracked with how hard my jaw clenched.
“I went over my notes on the way here. She said that she left town when she found a camera on a bear in Luke’s room.
It leads me to believe he wants them both.
He was watching them both if he went to those lengths to put that stuffed animal in his room,” he said as he looked at me with a concerned, tight-lipped expression.
I hadn't thought of it that way before.
“What are you thinkin’?” I asked, hoping they had a plan because I didn’t know how long I could sit here and do nothing while she was out there with him, scared and alone.
“I think we should call Ainsleigh and have her look into the guests and see if she spots anything suspicious. Then we split up and start lookin’ here and then fan out,” he said as he pointed to a spot on the map.
I picked up my phone faster than Brooks or Holden and dialed Ainsleigh’s number. It might not lead to anything, but if it did, then we’d be that much closer to finding Carolina.
“Hey, Leo. What’s up?” Ainsleigh said as she answered the phone, baby Olivia cooing in the background.
“I need you to do me a favor. Take Gentry with you. Go to the office and look into the guests at the ranch. Let me know if anything stands out to you,” I rapidly said.
“Why? What’s goin’ on?”
“Carolina’s missing,” I choked out as I brought my fist to my lips and bit down to refrain from losing it.
“What?” she screamed, causing the baby to start crying. She softly spoke to calm her down as she waited for me to respond.
“I don’t have time to explain. I just need you to do this for me,” I pleaded, hoping she refrained from asking more questions that I didn’t have time to answer.
“I’m on it,” she confirmed.
“Thank you. Take Gentry with you,” I reiterated.
“I’ll call you as soon as I’m done,” she promised and ended the call.
“She’s headin’ to the office now. What do we do in the meantime? I can’t just keep sittin’ here while she’s out there,” I said.
The sheriff went over his plans on how we should start the search and which section of the map each of us should start searching.
He pulled out walkie-talkies and handed Brooks, Holden, and me each one, which we graciously accepted.
“What should we do if we find them?” Holden asked.
“You call for backup on the radio and wait until one of us arrives. Do not under any circumstances approach them,” he warned.
I couldn’t promise I would follow those instructions. If I felt her life was in danger, I’d go in there without a second thought.
“Stay on channel three, and give updates every five minutes on your search,” the sheriff said as we all stood.
Just as we were all on the front porch about to fan out to search for Carolina, my phone rang.
I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw Ainsleigh’s name on the screen.
Please have found something. I don’t think my heart could take it if I had to wait much longer without finding her.
“Please tell me you found something,” I pleaded as I answered her call.
“I may have. Get to the office.”