“No.” Nick’s hands tighten around the tablet. “We have to find her, Worley.”
“We will,” I assure him as I nudge him into Church and lock the doors behind us. I only hope and pray we find Harley before something bad happens to her.
Chapter 5
Nina
This is a sight I never thought I’d see. The inside of Church is kind of like a big living room. There’s a raised section at the front of the room. It’s only one step high, not like a stage. A long row of tables with chairs facing this direction sits on the edge. A huge wooden oval table sits further back. I don’t understand what it all means. This side of the room has couches and chairs along the walls. There are a couple of rows of chairs down front. Lauren and I sit on one of the couches near the back. She feels as out of place as I do.
Mack tries his best to settle his wife, mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law. Well, Lily is his son’s ole’ lady. She’s still his daughter-in-law even though they aren’t legally married yet. All four ladies are in the front row. Surprisingly, Lil Mama is here, too. She’s helping with Nanny. They’ve been best friends since elementary school. You can’t separate those two women.
The doors burst open. Thankfully, Jack and Granddad rush in. Mack really needs the help. Nick and Darin aren’t far behind. Nick hurries to the table off to the side, just below the raised section. I hadn’t noticed it until now. He gets busy setting up aTV monitor. Darin waits by the door. He locks it after Jay enters. The rest of the room fades into the background as Jay hurries to Lauren and me.
“Mom.” Jay wraps his arms around Lauren. “I didn’t know you were here.” He holds her at arm’s length. “You okay?”
“I’ll be okay.” She looks over her shoulder to the front of the room. “But they aren’t.” She gives him her best fake smile and reaches for my hand. “I have Nina. They need you.”
Jay turns to me and wraps me in a one-arm hug, not letting go of his mother. “Aunt Nina. It’s good to see you out.”
“I wish it were a better night.” I lean into his side.
“Yeah, me too.” He kisses the top of my head and his mom’s. “But you two can’t sit here.”
“But I’m not family,” I whisper.
Jay looks down at me. “Blood doesn’t make you family. Love and loyalty do.” He nods firmly once. “You’re family to every McLeod. Now, come on, ladies. Looks like Nick’s got things set up.”
He ushers us to the second row. We sit directly behind Nana and Nanny. Granddad has his arm around Nana. She sobs against his shoulder. Lauren reaches over and rubs her hand over Nana’s shoulder. This is her mother-in-law. Losing her husband, Jason, didn’t change my sister’s status within the McLeod family. Regardless of what half of this town says about them, the McLeods are good people.
Lil Mama takes over comforting Nanny so Mack can turn his attention to the monitor. Jack presses his lips to Lily’s and kisses his little sister’s forehead. Lily and Maci cling to each other while Jack joins his dad. Jay moves to Mack’s other side. Darin stands behind Mack and crosses his arms. My eyes linger on him for a moment. He’s a towering pillar of strength behind his best friend. From where he’s standing, he can monitor his friend, the TV screen, and, from the corner of his eye, the rest of the room.
Mack nods to Nick. He presses the button on his tablet, and the TV screen blinks to life. A man in a suit sits at a desk with two others standing behind him. They look young, perhaps right out of medical school. Both fidget and won’t look directly into the camera. The doctor at the desk sits too straight. He knows this meeting won’t go well.
“Mr. McLeod…”
“Nope. Drop the pleasant act.” Mack cuts the doctor off. “What happened, and what are you doing to find her?”
“Well.” The doctor sits up even straighter and folds his hands together on the desk. “As I told Mr. Watson…”
“No.” Mack pokes his thumb into his chest. “You’re talking to me, not Nick.” He drops his hand and takes a step toward the screen. “What happened to my daughter?”
“Um.” The doctor swallows hard and glances away for a moment. “Harley worked hard this past week so she could be on the crew for the community Valentine’s Day party. She offered to take out the trash and said she was going to the restroom. She didn’t return to the kitchen.”
“How long was she gone before you noticed?” Jack asks.
“We’re not exactly sure.”
“Well, guess,” Mack snaps.
“Maybe an hour,” the doctor’s voice drops.
“My daughter was missing for an hour, and no one noticed? How’s that even possible?” Mack is about to lose it.
The two doctors in the back look at each other before snapping their gaze back to the screen. This doesn’t feel right. Something is off. The main doctor isn’t being totally honest. We all feel it.
Jay steps forward. “Just how long ago was that?”
“The party started around five. Harley took the trash out just after six.” The doctor presses his lips together.
