Can't Walk Away

by Sandy James

  His next call was to Greg, who answered on the second ring. “How are you this afternoon, Brad?”

  “Have you talked to Savannah today?”

  “I’m quite well, thanks for asking.”

  Not in the mood for another lesson in civility, Brad drummed his fingers on the desk. “I’m freaking out here, Greg. She won’t take any of my calls, and she won’t return my texts.”

  “Might I ask if you two are quarreling?”

  “Why would you think that?” Brad asked.

  Greg let out a sigh. “I could see some…tension between the two of you yesterday.”

  “Tension?” Sure, things were a bit rough at the meeting, but only because that jackass had been terrorizing Savannah. “There wasn’t any tension.”

  “Look, I won’t get involved in your quarrel—”

  “We’re not quarreling!”

  “But…I will try her number again—”

  “Again? She hasn’t returned your calls, either?” The panic that was already flooding Brad’s senses rose a notch higher.

  “I’ve left her two messages,” Greg replied. “Let me try again and call you right back.”

  Although Brad was tempted to give Greg a lesson in putting a call on hold, he let it slide. Teaching older people technology always made him feel as if he were banging his forehead against a wall. He texted Savannah again while he waited.

  No response.

  “Well?” Brad said the moment his phone signaled Greg’s call.

  “She didn’t answer.” The worried tone in Greg’s voice and the fact he hadn’t scolded Brad’s bad manners spoke volumes. He was every bit as worried about her as Brad was. “I left another message to have her call me. I was rather insistent this time. Would you please contact me when you get in touch with her?”

  “Yep. You do the same, okay?” Brad asked.

  “I will. Try to relax. She’s fine.”

  “I sure as hell hope so.” Getting to his feet, he strode to the door and stuck his head into the hallway. “Russ!”

  No one replied.

  With an exasperated growl, he headed out to the restaurant to see if Russ had arrived for his shift. Lately, Brad had turned more of the responsibilities of running Words & Music to Russ so he could spend more time with Savannah and Caroline. Not only did that benefit Brad, but it kept Russ from going overboard on his “bouncer” role. Weekends could get a little crazy, and it seemed more and more that Russ enjoyed getting rough when a patron got out of hand.

  Russ wasn’t in the restaurant, so Brad kept hunting for him, finally finding him having a rather terse conversation with one of the new waitresses. He liked to teasingly complain that Brad had robbed him of one of the best members of the waitstaff when Savannah had become a performer.

  Although he should’ve waited until Russ finished scolding the woman, Brad butted into their exchange. “I need you to take over for a while.” On that, he turned to leave, figuring he’d start getting some of the answers to Savannah’s disappearance at her new house.

  Russ dragged him to a stop after only a few steps. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Brad stared at the restraining hand on his upper arm until Russ released him. “I need to talk to Savannah.”

  A goofy grin filled Russ’s face. “There’s this great new invention. It’s called a cell phone. You can get in touch with people who aren’t with you instead of hunting them down.”

  “Can it, smartass. She won’t pick up.”

  The grin grew. “So what d’ya do to piss her off?”

  Why did everyone seem to think he and Savannah were fighting? “Nothing. Look, I gotta go.” His tone sounded desperate, even to himself.

  Any sign of amusement left Russ’s expression. “What’s wrong? Is our girl in trouble?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her since last night. She won’t answer her phone.”

  “Did you text?” Russ asked.

  While Brad wanted to blister his friend’s ear with a heavy dose of sarcasm, he simply nodded. “I’m heading to her place.”

  “Want me to go with?”

  Brad shook his head. “I need you here.”

  “Fine. Text me when you find her. And give her a bit of a lecture for making us worry.”

  Marching to the parking lot, Brad couldn’t control his fear. Something was wrong, something beyond Savannah just being upset. He hadn’t slept well because he’d been worried about how she would react when she had time to think. That was his mistake. He’d left her alone with her worries, and when she worried, logic escaped her. Now he had no idea what was flying through her busy mind.

  Was she with Geoffrey, working on their strategy to take down Michael? That might explain why he couldn’t get her to answer. She’d silenced her phone to talk to her lawyer.

  A few voice commands completed a call to the law office.

  “Jorgenson, MacKenzie, and Miller.”

  “Penelope?”

  “Yes. May I help you?”

  “It’s Brad Maxwell. From the meeting yester—”

  “I remember you, Mr. Maxwell. Please hold for Mr. Jorgenson.”

  “But—” Why was she having him talk to Geoffrey?

  Unless Savannah’s there…

  “Brad?” Geoffrey’s deep voice rumbled.

  “Yeah, it’s me. May I speak to Savannah? She’s not answering her phone.”

  “She’s not here. I can’t get her to return any of my calls or Penelope’s calls or texts, either. Do you know where she is? We had a meeting planned and—”

  “She’s not there?”

  “I just said she’s not,” Geoffrey snapped. “I was about to call my brother. Frankly, I’m getting worried.”

  “You and me both.”

  “When was the last time you spoke to her?”

  “I left her place at nine last night,” Brad replied. “Nothing since. I’m heading back there now.”

  “Would you please let me know when you find her?” Geoffrey asked.

  “Sure thing.” Brad ended the call and pushed harder on the accelerator, deciding speed limits were more of a suggestion than a rule.

  * * *

  After letting himself into the townhouse, Brad tore through it. His frustration grew when he found no one home. He’d already searched through the new house, but Savannah hadn’t officially moved in yet. Most of her stuff there was still in boxes, and nothing appeared to be at all disturbed. So he’d headed to the town house.

  For a moment, he considered busting the realtor’s lockbox to get the key. What good would that do? She wasn’t there.

  So where the hell was she?

  His chest tightened as he agonized over her safety. Had she and Caroline been in a car accident? Was she too incapacitated to contact him?

  Since when did he become such a basket case?

  Since he fell in love with Savannah. She was his whole world now. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, nothing he wouldn’t give up. No matter what the future brought, he would never leave her.

  Unless she asked him to. He refused to be a weight around her neck.

  But would she leave him?

  God, he had to stop thinking like that.

  His phone signaled a call from Ethan. Once it became apparent that Savannah was missing, Brad had asked Russ to contact everyone he could think of to try to track her down.

  “Did you find her yet?” Ethan asked the moment Brad answered.

  The question made Brad’s stomach knot. He’d hoped a call meant new information. “Not yet. Nothing on your end, I take it?”

  “I’m driving in to the restaurant now. Russ mobilized Leah and Maggie, and with their connections, we’ll find her by suppertime.”

  Yeah, right. Savannah was gone, and it was becoming more and more clear that she didn’t want anyone to know where she was. “I checked both houses. They’re empty.”

  “Did someone talk to Caroline’s school?”

  “They would
n’t give me any information about whether she’s there or not. Privacy bullshit or something. I don’t have the Wolfs’ number, so I’m heading to their place now. Maybe she’s there and just forgot her phone somewhere or something.” That sounded lame even to him.

  “Let me know when you find her,” Ethan said. “Then I can give her a piece of my mind for worrying us.”

  “You’re worried, too?” Ethan’s concern—added to Geoffrey’s and Greg’s—made Brad feel less like a panicky fool. When he tried to apply rationality to the situation, he knew she hadn’t been gone all that long. But his gut told him something was wrong, and he would do what he had to do to find her. If it turned out he’d overreacted, so be it.

  Wouldn’t be the first time.

  * * *

  A sigh of relief escaped when Brad saw the Wolfs’ distinctive car in the driveway. The navy blue PT Cruiser had old-fashioned wood panels along the sides, making him think of the “woody” station wagons his parents had owned when he’d been a child.

  He’d come to care deeply for Mary and Paul Wolf. He hadn’t realized how much until it dawned on him that he was going to have to break the news of Savannah’s disappearance to them. No doubt they’d be devastated.

  The only reason he didn’t hesitate was because he was desperate to get this over and done with so he could glean as much information from them as possible and then get back to the hunt for Savannah. With a hard swallow, he punched the doorbell.

  A few moments later, Mary opened the door, a look of resignation on her face as though he’d been expected. “Please. Come in.” She glanced back at her husband, who was walking into the foyer. “Do you have the letter, Paul?”

  Shifting his gaze between Paul and Mary, Brad frowned. “You’re not surprised I’m here.”

  “We were going to call you,” Mary said, “but Savannah didn’t give us your number before she left. I was going to call the restaurant soon if you didn’t stop by.”

  “She gave us this letter for you before she left,” Paul added, holding out a sealed envelope.

  A little of the tightness in Brad’s chest eased. “So you know where she is now?”

  The Wolfs exchanged a glance that reeked of conspiracy.

  Since they weren’t going to betray whatever secret they were protecting for their daughter, Brad focused on the envelope. He ripped it open and took out a handwritten letter. In Savannah’s distinctive feminine handwriting was the message she’d left for him.

  My dearest Brad,

  By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. Please try to understand why I have to do this. I can’t let Michael ruin Caroline’s life. I just can’t. So I’m taking her away.

  I love you. I will always love you. But you can’t leave the life you’ve made for yourself here in Nashville. Words & Music means everything to you, and you could never leave it behind.

  I’m sorry for all I’ve put you through. I’m sorry if the horrible stories from the press made it hard for you. It seems that the moment your life got tangled up in mine, things went downhill for you. I love you too much to keep ruining your life. It’s hard to love someone so much and know that you’re hurting them. You’re better off without me.

  My life isn’t my own anymore. I don’t want to be someone who spends the rest of her days trying to protect her privacy and hide her child away from prying eyes.

  I can’t let Michael win again.

  My heart is breaking, but I know you will be better off without me.

  Love,

  Savannah

  Brad had to close his eyes for a moment to reclaim some kind of calm. While he was thrilled to know she was safe, he still had no idea where she’d run to. At least he took some solace in the fact she hadn’t left him because of something he’d done. She’d fled to protect her daughter and to escape the press Michael had shoved into her path.

  She was dead wrong to believe she’d ruined his life. Her love for him had saved him.

  So now it was up to him to make this all right again.

  He opened his eyes and stared hard at Mary. “You know where she is. Tell me.”

  Dread was plain in her eyes—blue eyes so like Savannah’s. “Brad…I can’t—”

  “Oh, yes you can.” He clenched the letter, crumpling it in his fist. “I need to find Savannah so I can help her get all this…this…mess straightened out.”

  Paul shook his head. “We’re not letting Michael take Caroline.”

  “That jerk doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of taking Caroline away from her mother,” Brad couldn’t help but point out. “Don’t you see that she has to come back or she’s going to make it worse?”

  “What do you mean?” Mary asked.

  “By running away, she’s playing right into Michael’s hands,” Brad replied. “The moment he finds out she went into hiding with Caroline, he’ll tell reporters that Savannah kidnapped his daughter. The paparazzi will go ape-shit over that kind of story. They’ll crucify her. And worse, it might give Michael ammunition to take custody of Caroline. You don’t want him using our girl like a pawn.”

  With a furtive frown at Paul, Mary said, “But she swore us to secrecy.”

  “Brad’s right, Mary,” Paul said, putting a gentle hand on his wife’s arm. “Savannah didn’t think this through. I told her that. I told her this wasn’t gonna bring her anything but trouble, but…” He shrugged as he caught Brad’s gaze. “You know how she is once she gets something in her head.”

  “Where is she?” Brad asked again, trying not to shout. “I’ll get her back before anyone even knows she’s gone.”

  Unfortunately, Mary didn’t still appear convinced. “I don’t know…Savannah said—”

  “Savannah’s not thinking straight,” Brad insisted. “She’s just upset about Michael’s threats. Please. Just tell me where she is, and I’ll go bring her back.”

  Paul took Mary’s hand. Then he said to Brad, “My sister has a cabin up in the Smokies. It’s really hard to find, and Savannah figured no one would know about it. Come to the kitchen. I’ll draw you a map.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Savannah took a sip of her chamomile tea as she leaned back against the kitchen island. After the long drive, a trip to stock up on food and supplies, and getting Caroline settled in the cabin, she was more than ready to get some sleep.

  It was a chilly night, something she hadn’t truly prepared for. Autumn-like weather had slammed into them the higher they went up the mountain. She’d forgotten how her Aunt Peggy had always warned her to “pack warm” when Savannah had been little and taking the same drive with her parents.

  Had her parents given Brad the letter she’d agonized over? If he’d read it, had he accepted her decision to leave?

  Leave?

  “More like run away,” she muttered to the empty room.

  The trip had given her a lot of time to think. Part of her had wanted to turn around and drive straight home. But whenever she began to feel courageous enough to face Michael, she’d glance in the rearview mirror and see her sleeping daughter. Every ounce of that bravery faded as the terror of losing Caroline smothered it.

  When had she become such a coward?

  I’m not a coward.

  Her actions said otherwise.

  Disgusted with herself and exhausted, she put the stoneware mug in the sink and flipped off the kitchen lights. It was a well after midnight, and she needed to turn off her stupid brain and get some rest. Caroline always rose with the dawn, so Savannah needed to be ready to answer the multitude of questions her daughter would surely toss at her. Savannah had done her best to push them aside on the long drive. That reprieve wouldn’t last through breakfast.

  She knew her way around the cabin well enough to get to the master suite without turning on any lights. The last thing she did before she went to the bed was to check the doors to be sure they were locked. As a child, she’d never realized exactly how isolated being all the way up the mountain could be. There had always bee
n plenty of adults around, which made her feel safe and secure. Now it was only her and Caroline, and Savannah had watched far too many true crime shows. Her imagination was working overtime. Every shadow became sinister, every creak frightening.

  How on earth was she going to stay up here for months on end?

  Would it truly be months? Thank God that Caroline was only missing preschool. Savannah would’ve had a hard time explaining such an extended absence to a school had her daughter started kindergarten. As it was, she’d explained it was a family emergency that was taking her out of town. How long would that excuse hold up?

  She wanted Brad there. Now. Being away from him for a day had been painful, and the future stretched out before her without him in her life, making tears sting her eyes. He’d never forgive her for leaving so abruptly. Even if he did, she wasn’t about to make him commit to a life of running to keep her daughter safe.

  What a nightmare…

  The sudden realization that she’d just made a huge mistake nearly knocked the wind out of her.

  She shouldn’t have left. Not only was it a colossal error to spoil what she’d had with Brad, but she knew that by taking Caroline away, she was letting Michael win. Again.

  Her father had tried to warn her, and now she wished she would have let his cautions sink in at the time. The panic had threatened to swallow her whole. All she could think about then was keeping her daughter safe. What she’d really done was give Michael enough ammunition to mow her down.

  First thing in the morning, she’d gather their things and head straight back to Nashville.

  After crawling into bed, she pulled the covers up and waited for her body heat to warm the freezing sheets. Exhaustion began to overtake her, and the first tendrils of sleep were curling through her mind when the sound of wheels crunching against gravel made her bolt upright.

  Someone was here.

  Trying to calm her racing heart, Savannah scrambled for an explanation as to why a car would be pulling into the cabin’s driveway. Had her parents changed their minds and come to join her?

  No, that couldn’t be right. Her father had an important doctor’s appointment the next day.