His body tightened each time he thought of her. The kind of connection they shared took a certain level of trust. There was definitely something happening between them.
For a decade he had focused completely on his family’s needs, the needs of the business. He had ignored his personal life. Had resented it to some degree. But he’d understood his responsibilities and had never allowed anyone or anything to get in his way. He’d dated, but never anyone looking for a husband.
He’d watched most of his Youngstown High School graduating class go off to make their marks in the world. And he had stayed behind. Being the good son, the good brother. Not until Sarah Newton arrived had he stopped to think just how much he’d given up.
She’d made him see what he’d denied all those years.
He could never go back. His life needed to be his own once more. His brother had one more year of college and then he would be finished.Jamison could take over the business for a few years. Kale was going to take his turn at life. He hadn’t made the announcement to the family yet. But he would.
He owed this new clarity to Sarah.
And he wanted her to be a part of his reclaimed future. Maybe that was too much to expect, but he could dream. For the first time in ten years, he could dream.
He parked in front of his house and considered that he’d been neglecting Angie. Maybe he’d take her for a run tonight. With all that had happened, food and water and a quick trip to the yard was all the attention she’d gotten lately.
He climbed the steps fumbling for the keys to his door. Leaving the light on would have been a good thing. But that had been the least of his worries recently. At the door he shoved the key into the lock and would have turned it had he not noticed something out of place a few feet away. Leaning against the wall was a rectangular white box with a silver ribbon wrapped around it. He picked it up, confusion nagging at his brow. Had to be a mistake.
No card.
He pulled the ribbon loose and opened the box.
A single, long-stemmed red rose lay amid the white tissue paper.
A small white card was tucked next to the rose. He picked it up.
Deepest regrets . . .
He dropped the box. Stared at the card.
The card fluttered from his trembling fingers. He’d just left his parents’ house, and Polly was fine. He called to check just in case. Then he called Sarah’s cell again. No answer. He called the inn. No answer in her room.
Fear knotted deep in his gut.
He ran back to his Jeep and drove as fast as he dared to the inn.
He banged on the door. No answer.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he rushed back to his Jeep. Raced down that winding road. Slammed on the brakes at the stop sign and sat there for a minute.
Where the hell would she go?
The Popes.
He headed for Calderwood Lane.
If something had happened to her, it was his fault. He shouldn’t have let her out of his sight. He’d known she wouldn’t just turn off the need to find the truth until tomorrow.
His heart was in his throat by the time he reached Chapel Trail. A mile past the chapel turnoff, he found her car. He climbed out, checked the vehicle. Empty. The hood was cold. It had been parked for some time. It was too dark to figure out which way she had gone from here.
But the Pope home was just on the other side of the woods, and his money was on that direction.
This was something he knew better than to try and do alone.
He pulled out his cell and put in a call to the chief.
“Chief, we have a situation.”
By the time Kale finished explaining, the chief was already in his truck headed that way.
