Chapter Seventeen
Brian couldn’t stop grinningas he jogged up the steps to his front door. He couldn’t wait to see Cait’s face when he brought in the flowers. He was itching to check Glen’s message in the game world, but first, he had to make sure Cait felt loved and appreciated.
Her family was gathered around the dining table, getting ready for Sunday dinner. Ever since her parents’ house burned down, his house had become grand central station, or in this case, Hart central station.
“Brian, what are you doing back?” Connor clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Are those for Melisa?” Jenna eyed the flowers as Brian set the arrangement smack dab on the center of the table.
“Where’s Cait?” Brian asked when his wife, who was usually in the middle of all family gatherings, didn’t emerge from the kitchen or come down the stairs.
“She’s not here.” Connor said. “You mean you didn’t find her at the cabin?”
“I found her there, but we traded cars.” Brian peeled off his raincoat and hung it on a hook. “Must have taken her longer to get the dogs settled.”
“Dog? What dogs?” Cait’s mother, Kimberly, set a casserole on the table.
“Cait found two dogs, and we’re going to find their owner. But she’s boarding them with a rescue shelter back at Colson’s Corner.” With all pairs of eyes staring at him as if he were an alien, he couldn’t collect his thoughts fast enough. “She should be back by now.”
“She’s not. Let me text her,” Connor said, shooting him a glower. “I can’t believe you drove off without her. The weather’s horrible, and there are reports of black ice.”
“It was raining pretty hard. We traded cars. She has my all-wheel drive.” Brian’s chest tightened, and he felt defensive. It hadn’t occurred to him that he should have waited for her, and this again, meant he was a failure. Not normal. Without human affection.
“I’m sure she’s fine.” Nadine placed a comforting hand on Brian’s arm. “She probably went back to the cabin to wait out the storm.”
“She’s not answering the phone,” Connor said. “Not surprising if she’s at the cabin.”
“Maybe she texted you,” Nadine said to Brian. “To let you know she went back.”
Brian nodded mutely, not wanting to admit Cait never texted him. Cait’s family knew, but Nadine, being newly married into the family, was out of the loop. She was also Cait’s best friend.
“I thought she’d get here before me,” Brian said, pulling out his phone and making a show of looking at the text messages. There were none from Cait.
Meanwhile, all the Harts and their significant others erupted into speculation about what had happened to Cait. They spoke at the same time, a cacophony of voices that made Brian’s head ache and spin at the same time.
What if something had happened to Cait? What if Linx couldn’t accommodate the dogs? What if Cait got lost on the way to town? Or she decided to go back to the cabin?
He should never have let her go alone. He should have brought the dogs back here, and they could have stayed in the garage. If Cait was up at the cabin, she would be without gas, since he’d shut off the propane tank, and she didn’t know how to turn it back on.
“I better go back to the cabin and look for her.” Brian grabbed his coat and stumbled toward the door. He had to get away from the accusing looks and fingers pointed at him. If he were a better husband, he would have made sure Cait was safe.
The house phone rang on his way out, and Brian grabbed the extension near.
“This is the Sheriff Todd Colson,” a male voice said. “Are you Brian Wonder?”
“Yes, speaking.” Brian’s heart froze. Nothing good ever happened when a peace officer called on a Sunday evening.
“Your wife was in a single car accident and is in stable condition at the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital.”
“Is she okay? Can I speak to her?” Brian’s voice choked in his throat as his chest tightened. “What happened?”
“She’s under observation, but should be released tomorrow morning. I, however, have questions for you. I need you to come to the station and give a statement.”
“What about the dogs, are they okay?”
“There were no dogs in the car as far as we could tell,” Sheriff Colson said. “I can’t give you any more information until you come to the station for questioning.”
Brian’s heart dropped to his gut, and chills pinched his scalp. Cait was hurt because he’d left her with the dogs. Maybe they distracted her, or she wasn’t used to driving his car—didn’t know where the controls were for the wipers or the defroster. He should never have left her alone.
