by Cassie Hayes
Teddy passed around maps of the grove to each person as they joined the search party. Rick went on to explain how they’d conduct the search, signs to look for, and what to do if — “Make that when,” he corrected — she was found. By the time he passed out assignments, more than thirty people were ready to go.
“What about us?” Lex asked, squeezing Grayson’s hand tighter.
“As hard as it’s going to be, you two need to stay here. This is where she started, and if she comes back on her own, this is where she’ll head. If one of these teams find her, they’ll bring her straight back here.”
“I can’t just do nothing, Rick,“ Grayson pleaded as he watched the others breaking up into small groups and heading into the woods.
Rick grabbed his shoulder until Grayson reluctantly met his gaze. “Listen. We’re going to find her, got it? When we do, the first person she’s going to want to see is you. If you’re off running around in the woods, it’ll take that much longer before you get to see your little girl, okay? Okay?”
He had to give Grayson a shake, but he finally agreed. “Okay.”
When most everyone had hurried off to their assigned search areas, Lex slumped onto a bench in front of an ancient log cabin. The rough hewn wood dug into her lower back as she buried her head in her hands.
“I’m so sorry, Grayson.” She watched, fascinated, as her tears turned into tiny pools of mud between her hiking boots. The bench bowed as he sat next to her.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Lex.” His voice was tight and tense, but she sensed his sincerity. “You thought she was napping.”
How could he be so kind after she lost his daughter? “No, I should have kept track of time. I let myself wallow in self-pity about losing the inn instead of paying attention to my responsibilities.” She lifted her head, and though it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, she looked up at him. “It’s all my fault.”
His expression was inscrutable. Then he pulled her into a fierce hug, burying his face and hands into her hair. At first, she sat there stunned. Stunned that the father of a little girl she lost would embrace her. Then her emotions kicked in and she clung to him with a desperation she’d never known before.
As much as she’d tried to deny it since stepping foot in Yosemite Flats again, Lex finally admitted to herself that she loved Grayson Conrad. He was the man she’d never known she dreamed of. All the other men she’d dated paled in comparison — even the best of them. He was a devoted father, a loyal friend, a romantic at heart, and let’s not forget, hotter than a Santa Ana wind.
Lex’s love for Grayson was almost surpassed by her love for Sophia. Her friends with kids might have scoffed, but she was sure the affection and all-consuming terror she felt couldn’t have been stronger if she’d given birth to the child.
Grayson’s shoulders shook against hers as they clutched each other for emotional support, and Lex wondered, and not for the first time, if leaving was the right thing to do. Despite what she’d claimed, nothing held her to Los Angeles. She honestly loved the city — its culture, its diversity, its energy — but returning to Yosemite Flats had reminded her exactly who she was. Not who she wished she was. For the first time in a long time, she felt like herself. She felt home.
With a manly throat-clearing, Grayson pulled back and took a couple of deep, calming breaths. When his worried eyes met hers, he tried to smile. It didn’t work, but she appreciated the effort.
“Lex, this is not on you. You didn’t forget about her, or leave her behind, or even lose track of her. For some reason that I can’t wrap my head around, she snuck out all on her own. That’s what I can’t figure out. Why did she come here, of all places?”
It was as big a mystery to her. “After that day we visited“ —the day they almost kissed, she thought but didn’t say— “she never mentioned it. Maybe it’s a Pokémon stop or something.”
This brought a genuine flicker of a smile to his lips. “Maybe. She is obsessed with that game.”
Lex reached over and grabbed his hand. “All that exercise is good for her. She just needs to not be so blasted independent.”
“That’s on me. I’ve spent far too much time working in her young life. She learned very quickly to depend on herself. That’s something I’m trying to change though. She deserves a real childhood. That’s why I took a step back and moved us here. I don’t want her to grow up like I did, barely seeing me and raised by nannies.”
Lex blushed, understanding perfectly now why he didn’t want her raised by inept nannies like her. He nudged her with his shoulder and smiled.
“Present company excluded.”
She couldn’t stop a snort of disbelief. “You mean present company very much included.”
Grayson looked down at their entwined fingers, running the pad of his thumb against one of her ragged, dirty nails. When he looked up, she thought she might never breathe again.
“No, Lex. There’s no one I’d rather—“
The sound of hurrying feet crunching twigs and leaves caught their attention. They both jumped up and looked around for the source of the noise. Nothing moved, only the sound of steps echoed through the forest. From around a huge sequoia stump, Bob Benson Jr. Jr. came into view carrying a small body clad in pink.
Sophia!
When Bender spotted them, he broke into a huge grin.
“Did ya’ll lose somethin’?”
So many emotions ripped through Grayson that he didn’t know which one to focus on. Relief that Sophia had been found. Terror that a strange man was carrying her out of the forest. Worry that she was crying. Rage thinking about what might have caused her crying.
He sprinted to Bender and snatched her from his arms. His heart nearly burst in his chest when she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He shot a suspicious glare at Bender and moved away from him. Lex must have caught his look — or maybe she just wanted to give them a few minutes alone — and stayed with the man.
“Shh, sweets, I’m here. Daddy’s here.”
Her sobs quickly quieted to sniffles and she pulled back to look up at him. He loved the way her tiny hand wiped at her dirty, tear-stained cheeks as if she was too big for such “baby stuff,” but it also broke his heart. She’d always be his little girl.
He turned so Bender was out of her view and made sure to keep his voice low. “Why are you crying, sweets? Are you…hurt?”
His deepest, darkest fears rose like bile in his throat when her brown curls bounced with a nod. He struggled to maintain control, but he had to know what happened out there. And if he needed to murder someone.
“Where? Where are you hurt, Sophia?”
She sniffled loudly again, tears pooling in those gigantic, innocent brown eyes. Then she started pulling up the hem of her now-filthy dress. With each inch it moved, he thought of new ways to inflict the most pain on Bender. Sophia would have to go live with her maternal grandparents while he rotted away in prison. Totally worth it.
“Right here,” she said, glancing down, a single tear spilling down her cheek. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and looked to where she was pointing.
Dirt and pine needles caked a raw spot on her knee.
“Is that it? Just a skinned knee?” He laughed and Sophia pouted like he’d insulted her.
“It hurts!” she whined.
Grayson grinned and hugged her tight, too tight, but he didn’t care. She was safe and back in his arms.
“I’m sorry, sweets. We’ll get you all cleaned up when we get back home, okay?”
She sniffed again and gave him a hard look before nodding. Shifting in his arms, she turned to Bender and Lex and slung an arm around his neck. Smiling, she waved to both of them.
“Thank you for rescuing me, Mr. Bender,” she said when Grayson returned to them.
“Psh! Ain’t nothin’.”
“What happened?” Lex asked. She fussed over Sophia, wiping away dirt and tears while tears of her own stre
amed down her face.
Why did she have to be so amazing? Why did she have to leave?
“I was out, um…hikin’,” Bender said. “Yeah, hikin’. Spotted this little ‘un curled up in the hollow of a tree. Hard to miss in that get-up. Which ain’t good for hikin’, little lady, ya hear? Make sure your daddy gets you proper hikin’ gear, got it?”
“Yes, sir,” Sophia agreed, nodding somberly before turning to Grayson. “Can my boots be pink, Daddy? With sparkles? Please?”
He hugged her again. He’d never get enough. “You bet, sweets.”
“Sophia, honey,” Lex said. “Did you really come here all by yourself?”
Sophia at least had the sense to look abashed as she nodded.
“Why? You know I would have brought you here if you’d asked.”
She gave Lex her patented and highly-effective sad, puppy dog look, and Grayson nearly laughed at Lex’s helpless reaction. He could sympathize. You couldn’t stay upset with that face. He’d fallen under its spell many times, and he was certain he would again, many times to come.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, lower lip pooching just a little. She had this down pat. Too much pooch, and it would look like she was pouting, too little, and she wouldn’t look contrite enough. She must have practiced in the mirror to perfect it. “I didn’t want you to hear.”
He and Lex shared a confused glance.
“Hear what?” Grayson asked.
“My wish.”
More confusion.
“What are you talking about, sweets?”
“My wish! Like Teddy told us about when we came here.”
A vague recollection simmered at the back of Grayson’s brain. Honestly, he’d been paying more attention to the way Lex’s hand felt in his than anything Teddy had said. But now that she mentioned it…
“Oh, you mean that old folktale?” Lex asked. “Something about the sequoias granting wishes?”
Sophia’s curls bobbed. “Mmhmm. I followed the path to Big Buck, just like we did before. But I got lost on my way back. Then I tripped over a stupid-head root and hurt my knee…”
She started sniffling again. Grayson tried to distract her.
“What did you wish for?”
Her eyes grew round with dismay and she shook her head emphatically. “I can’t tell you that, Daddy, or it won’t come true.”
“This isn’t a birthday cake, Sophia,” Lex prompted. “It must be a big wish for you to come out here all alone.”
“It’s this big,” she agreed, stretching out her arms to show just how big it was. “That’s why I had to go all the way to Big Buck, cuz he’s biggest. Well, almost biggest, but I don’t know where that other tree is.”
“Then you should tell us so we can help you make it come true,” Grayson prodded.
She wasn’t having any of it. Her lips pursed and grew thin. She clamped her hand to her mouth and shook her entire body from side to side. “Mmm mmm.”
Lex smiled up at him. “I think that’s a no.”
Grayson didn’t think his heart could be any fuller. Then Sophia reached for Lex, and he knew he was wrong. Watching the two of them cuddle and giggle made him feel whole in a way that surprised him. Not that it should have. He’d suspected he was in love with Lex almost from the minute they’d met. It was admitting it that was hard.
Saying goodbye to her was going to hurt like hell.
Ten minutes later, they were surrounded by happy volunteer searchers saying hello and goodbye, before dashing off to resume their interrupted day. Grayson didn’t know how he could ever thank everyone who had rushed to help, but he’d spend the rest of his life trying.
Teddy tousled Sophia’s curls, and got an adorable scowl in return. Bender gave her another lecture about wandering around the woods alone. For a brief moment, Grayson wondered what Bender himself was doing in the woods alone, but then he became distracted by several more well-wishers, including the new and constantly bickering co-mayors. Even the family from Utah came to see the little scamp that had caused so much fuss.
When the crowd had thinned some, Rick sat down and took Sophia’s statement, which didn’t waver from what she’d told them already. He and Teddy hung around to collect maps and radios as the stragglers came back, but left them alone to sit as a family.
Family. Grayson wished for that — for Lex to stay so they could become a family, or at least give it a shot. How was it possible that someone who’d grown up in Yosemite Flats couldn’t see how amazing it was? All these people, veritable strangers, dropped everything to search for a lost kid. How often did that happen in LA?
He was so proud and relieved and thrilled to call Yosemite Flats home now, but he wouldn’t want her to stay if she didn’t love it as much as he did. That’s how resentments built. Better to end it now, before they were in too deep, than to drag it out until they were both bitter and angry. That would suck for everyone.
“It looks like the entire town turned out,” Lex said, waving at people she’d probably known her entire life. She turned to him, her eyes sparkling like sun glittering off the surface of the ocean. “I forgot about that part of small town life. You may not have anonymity like in a city, but when you need help, the whole town will rally around you.”
Grayson ached to put his arm around her and pull her into him. Instead, he simply smiled. “The people here…” He caught her gaze and held it, trying to convey what he felt in that one look. “They mean the world to me.”
A flush slowly crept up her cheeks, and he knew she understood. It was as far as he’d go. The rest would have to be up to her.
They sat in silence, Sophia resting her head on his shoulder and Lex looking everywhere but at him. Birds sang to each other from the towering heights. That heady scent of pine, something he didn’t think he could ever tire of, soothed his frayed nerves. The rumble of cars and trucks rolling and rocking down the rutted road sounded like music and caring and friendship. Only one thing could make this moment sweeter.
“Lex—“
“Grayson—“
Sophia snickered at them, and they both grinned at each other. They wanted something more, but neither was sure how to get it.
“Me first,” she said, twining her fingers with his. Hope surged like a heavy tide inside him. “I’ve been thinking. What if—“
“Oh, for goodness sake!”
Erin Paulson’s timing was impeccable. She wore black yoga pants, stubby-heeled boots and a flowing peasant blouse. Her hair was fluffed sky high, and her makeup was freshly applied. She must have heard about the search and taken the time to get dolled up before driving out. Nice.
“I just heard what happened,” she cried, running up to them.
Grayson couldn’t stop a sting in his gut when Lex pulled her fingers from his.
“You okay, sweetie?” Erin cooed to Sophia. “How scary to get lost in the woods like that!”
Sophia looked at her coolly. “I wasn’t scared.”
“Of course you were,” Erin said and patted her head dismissively.
No wonder Sophia didn’t like the woman. He hated that it had taken so long for him to see it.
“Grayson, how are you? You must have been absolutely out of your mind! I mean, this is a pretty far cry from standing around an ice cream shop for a few minutes.” Erin opened her red-rimmed lips and laughed, but her calculating eyes never left his face. She wanted to see how he’d react, if he was still angry about what she’d done.
He was, and he opened his mouth to tell her so when she turned to Lex.
“I bet you’re so ready to go back to LA where you belong, aren’t you? Then things can get back to normal for everyone.”
Lex barked out a shocked laugh. “Excuse me?”
“I just mean that, in the long run, it will work out best for all of us”
Grayson frowned. What on earth was she going on about? “How so?”
“Oh!” she said, as if she hadn’t been waiting to say this the entire time. “Well, Lex g
ets to go back home, I get to welcome sweet, adorable Sophia back to my daycare, and you get your parking lot.”
Grayson’s eyes grew wide. How did she know about the parking lot? Right, small town, and Erin seemed to know everything.
“What parking lot?” Lex asked, looking between them.
Grayson stared at her blankly. He didn’t know what to say.
Erin did.
“The parking lot he’s going to build where your dilapidated old hotel currently sits. I imagine he’ll raze it as soon as possible, right, Grayson?”
Lex paled and turned to him, her face seeking answers. Answers he couldn’t give. Or didn’t want to.
“What’s all this about?” she whispered.
“No, I, uh…um…” he stumbled, unable to find any words.
When he’d offered to buy the Alpine Inn from Lex’s family, he knew what it would mean. After all, the insane clerk at the permit office had suggested it.
“The only way I can justify issuing this permit is if you have adequate overflow parking, and I’m afraid the only good place for that is the property directly behind you. I hear they’re not doing so well. Bet you could get a deal on it.”
“You didn’t know, Lex?” Erin seemed very pleased about that. “Did you think he was buying it out of the goodness of his heart? Girl, he’s a businessman!”
Her forced laugh was like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“That’s enough, Erin,” he snapped. “And if you think I’d let Sophia within a hundred yards of your house, you need to find some professional help. In fact, I think you need that regardless.”
Erin pretended to be offended for a moment, but then her expression turned cold and she snarled at him — she actually snarled — and stomped off toward her car. Now that she was gone, maybe he could fix this. He had no idea how, but he had to try.
“Lex, listen—“
“Is it true?” she asked. “Is it?”
Grayson sighed. “Yes, but—“
Lex jumped up and threw her hands in the air. “Wow, what an idiot I’ve been. Here I thought you were this noble guy, but you were just looking out for your best interests this entire time. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”
