Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set: Through the StormHome for KeepsThe Firefighter's RefrainTo Catch a Wife

by Rula Sinara

  “I’m not getting out.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “I want to go home!” Angela demanded.

  “We’ll go home in the morning. Right now, I’m tired.”

  “Will this thing start in the morning?”

  “Of course it will.”

  “I bet it won’t. You don’t even know if you have enough gas.” Lily had said the gauge was broken.

  “It will start,” said Lily, pushing the keys back in and turning.

  The truck merely groaned once, then became silent.

  “See, I told you it wouldn’t start,” Angela said.

  “Well, let it cool off. We’ll try again tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have nothing else to do, so let’s go inside.”

  Angela needed to stretch her legs so she followed her mother into what seemed to be an old fishing cabin. Lily lit a kerosene lantern, which illuminated the sparse furnishings, a couple of cots, a table and an old rocking chair. Several fishing poles hung on one wall and there was a large glass jar full of hooks on the table.

  “Can I have a drink of water?” Angela asked.

  “Use the pump over there,” Lily told her, nodding to a makeshift sink. “There’s a cistern.”

  There was also an outhouse. The place had no running water.

  The women opened a can of tuna from a box of groceries that Lily had left on an earlier visit and spread it on some crackers.

  After eating, Lily lay back on one of the cots. “I’m tired. Why don’t you go to sleep? There’s nothing else to do until morning.”

  Angela could think of a few things she could do. Even in the dark. First, she went outside to gaze at the stars to get her bearings.

  And then she planned her escape.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  THE NIGHT FLEW by once Caleb talked to Alex Novak, who, in turn, notified the county sheriff and the state police. An Amber Alert went out on Angela’s whereabouts. Despite having been seen in a vehicle, Angela could still be hiding nearby, so police went through the required procedure of searching Caleb’s house, the grounds and the rez. They questioned the friend who’d given Lily shelter, but she didn’t know anything. His mother kept Kiki close and said the girl was helping her. The cops had no time to question what the teenager was doing there but they jotted down the information she gave them. Her description identified a decrepit vehicle that belonged to an elder on the rez. The old woman hadn’t known the pickup was gone until the police came calling.

  By dawn, an electronics expert placed the GPS of Angela’s phone in a location north of Sparrow Lake. But when a state trooper checked on the site, she found only pieces of the device scattered along the interstate.

  Caleb was running on adrenaline and caffeine but he still could not sit at home and wait. “Lily could have taken Angela to the big rez up north,” he told Alex. “The interstate runs by it. I could go up there and check things out.”

  “Not a bad idea,” agreed the police chief. “Keep your phone handy. I’ll advise you of what’s going on.”

  In the parking lot, Caleb checked to make sure he had a flashlight and a jacket and his wallet. The phone charger was plugged into the truck’s lighter outlet. He made a mental note to pick up some bottled water and snacks when he filled the truck up with gas. No telling how long he would be gone.

  Looking for Angela by himself.

  No Grace to keep him sane.

  Nearly ready to leave, Caleb glanced up to see a well-dressed older man approaching him from across the parking lot.

  “Professor Blackthorne?”

  Caleb nodded, thinking the man looked familiar.

  “I’m Henry Huber.” He held out a hand for Caleb to shake.

  “Grace’s father, right?” They had the same bright blue eyes.

  “Correct. Speaking of Grace, have you seen her?”

  Caleb’s gut knotted. “Have you?” knowing the man wouldn’t be asking such a question if he was aware of Grace’s whereabouts.

  “I thought she might have contacted you,” said Huber. “She won’t pick up her phone when she sees it’s me calling.”

  No wonder, after the argument they’d had. “She’s not speaking to me either.”

  Would she ever speak to him again? Or was he destined to make his way through his current mess of a life alone? Without the woman he realized he loved?

  “Hmmph.” Huber stared at the state trooper squad car entering the lot. “Quite a bit of activity. I couldn’t help notice as I was driving down Main Street. Is something the matter?”

  “Nothing is wrong with Grace.” Caleb knew the man would be concerned about his own flesh and blood. “At least I hope not. But my daughter Angela’s likely been kidnapped.”

  Huber seemed taken aback. “Oh? That’s terrible.”

  “Her mother has her but we don’t know where they went. Or whether they intend to come back.”

  “Grace doesn’t know about it?”

  “She left before it happened.” Caleb added, “If she did know, she’d be here. She cares about Angela.” If not about him. In spite of all the grief his daughter had given her, Grace was on Angela’s side. “You raised a very good human being, Mr. Huber. You should be proud of her.”

  Now Huber sighed. “I am proud. I shouldn’t be so hard on her.”

  “Unfortunately dads are not always the best listeners.” Caleb recalled what his mother must have told him a million times. “Kids aren’t clones who should do everything the way we would.”

  “A hard lesson to learn.”

  That remark sounded promising. But Caleb needed to look for Angela, with or without the woman he loved at his side. “Look, I have to go, Mr. Huber. I’m driving up north to see if my daughter might be there.”

  “And I guess Grace will answer her phone when she’s ready.”

  “I guess so,” agreed Caleb. “I had a fight with her, too. Two in one day must have been too much for her.”

  Huber didn’t say anything for a moment, then looked straight at Caleb. “If I can do anything at all, let me know. Walworth Builders has a small plane, you know, if you need it for a search.”

  “Thank you.”

  Caleb climbed in his truck and left. When he stopped to fill up on gas before leaving town, he tried to reach Grace again. And left another message.

  “I think your dad is sorry about the fight, Grace. Me, too...about ours, that is. Still miss you. Please give me a call.”

  * * *

  WHEN GRACE AWAKENED, the sun was already up. She couldn’t believe the light hadn’t jogged her out of sleep earlier. She must have been really tired. She had certainly been stressed. As memories of the horrible day before came back to her, she slid her legs off the chaise and groaned. Having slept in her heels, she noticed her feet were swollen. Gingerly, she pulled the shoes off and padded stocking-footed to the kitchen.

  “Oh, great,” she said, opening the cupboard to find that she hadn’t restocked the coffee. She’d have to pick up a cup at a drive-through.

  Staggering into the bedroom with its attached en suite, she took a shower and changed into a loose shirt, jeans and running shoes. After coffee, maybe she’d go for a stroll in the nearby park. Nature always made her feel better.

  On her way out, she started to grab for her purse, which she usually left on a table in the foyer. It wasn’t there. Oh, right, she’d forgotten it in the car.

  Downstairs, in the garage, she found her purse lying on the seat when she opened the door. She took out the cell and glanced at her messages and calls. Four messages from Caleb, two calls without messages from her father, then two more messages from Caleb. Hesitating, wondering if she wanted to hear what Caleb had to say, she contacted voice mail.

  “Angela’s missing...been kidnapped...miss you...please
call me...” shocked her to attention. Her heart sped up immediately.

  Without thinking, Grace started the car and accelerated out of the garage, intending to return to Sparrow Lake as fast as she could.

  * * *

  THE TRUCK STOP where Caleb agreed to meet Grace was a short turnoff near the interstate. Driving north, she found it easily, a service station with a huge sign advertising diesel fuel and an attached lot where truckers could stop and spend the night. There seemed to be about a hundred semitrucks parked or moving in and out of the establishment.

  She spotted Caleb’s vehicle and pulled in next to it. He was standing near the door of the café a few yards away. Despite their argument of the day before, she immediately gave him a hug. He hugged her back, his touch comforting her. It felt like something she needed. That she couldn’t do without.

  “I’m so sorry, Caleb. Is there any news?” He had told Grace about the official search when she called him that morning.

  “Not yet. While waiting here I remembered an old fishing cabin Lily and I used to go to with other kids back in the day. It was a place where we could escape our elders.”

  “Did you tell the police?”

  “Not yet. I think we ought to go there ourselves. Let them know if we find anyone.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  They got in his truck and left her car to be picked up later. On the road, he asked, “Where have you been anyway?”

  “Milwaukee. At my condo.”

  “Forget your phone?”

  “Actually, I did. I left it in my car all night.”

  They discussed what had happened the previous evening until Alex Novak called to say state troopers had not spotted the vehicle as yet. After telling Alex where they were going, Caleb turned the truck off the highway onto country roads.

  Grace unfolded a map. “Where is this cabin exactly?”

  “I can’t say for certain. I know it’s near a lake. I think Shale Lake.”

  “I don’t see it on the map.”

  “It’s there. It’s just not very big. Don’t worry, I know where I’m going.”

  “You remember after all these years?”

  “Some things stick with you. It was the place where Lily and I...uh, decided we loved each other.”

  He didn’t have to be embarrassed about it, she thought, if that’s why he’d hesitated. Too bad they didn’t have a place to claim as their own in the future. If they even had a future.

  “So you think Lily remembers this place, too?” she asked.

  “Probably. If no one has spotted them on the highways, it’s likely she’s hiding somewhere.”

  In another hour or so, Caleb turned off the bumpy dirt road. He followed tire tracks leading through brush and weeds. Trees grew denser and Grace could see the glimmer of water ahead from time to time.

  “Shale Lake?”

  “Right.”

  Rounding a copse of trees, they came to a weathered cabin with a beat-up blue pickup parked nearby.

  “Bingo!” cried Caleb. “That’s the vehicle.”

  They got out and rushed into the cabin to find Lily nonchalantly sitting in an old rocking chair, acting as if she was waiting for them.

  “Where’s Angela?” Caleb demanded immediately.

  Lily shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “I know you took off with her,” Caleb said.

  Lily remained cool. “I brought her here. She left.”

  Caleb stormed, “You had no right to do that.”

  “I’m her mother.”

  “No excuse,” said Caleb. “You don’t have custody of her.”

  “So you think I was going to demand a ransom or something?”

  “Weren’t you? Which direction did she go?”

  Lily sniffed. “I told you I have no idea. We stopped here overnight. She was gone when I woke up in the morning.”

  “Hiking?” asked Grace.

  “Maybe.” Lily then addressed Caleb. “What’s she doing here?”

  “Grace is helping me,” Caleb said. “She cares about Angela.”

  “Even though Angela hates her,” remarked Lily with a tight smile.

  Grace felt the pang Lily intended.

  “Angela might very well change her mind,” said Caleb. “Now, since you don’t know where my daughter is, we’re going to go looking for her.” He took out his phone. “I’m going to call the police to come pick you up.”

  “Police?” Lily appeared startled.

  “You kidnapped someone,” Caleb said, emphasizing the word. “You’re going to answer for it.”

  Lily rose, obviously beginning to feel upset. “I just wanted to be with my baby. Why is that so awful?”

  Caleb made the call. “Hi, Alex? We found Lily in that old fishing cabin that I was looking for.” He gave the directions.

  Lily glanced around, as if looking for escape. She slid off, heading for the door.

  Caleb caught her by the arm. “No, you don’t.”

  Grace hoped she wasn’t going to have to watch an actual battle between the pair. But Lily settled down as Caleb led her to a post in the middle of the small cabin.

  “Can you look for some rope?” Caleb asked Grace, indicating an old dusty chest in one corner.

  “You’re going to tie me up?” asked Lily.

  “I want to make sure you don’t go anywhere.”

  “The pickup doesn’t start.”

  “That won’t stop you. You’ve got feet.”

  But securing Lily wasn’t necessary since a state trooper arrived a few minutes later. A squad car must have already been in the area. Lily was cuffed, sobbing and sniffling. It almost made Grace feel sorry for her.

  Caleb appeared regretful as well, but he was all business. “Let’s go, Grace. I want to see if there’s still a trail by the side of the lake. Angela would have taken that first.”

  “You two are going alone?” asked the trooper. “There’s some rough country out there. If you wait for a bit, we can organize an official search.”

  “They can catch up with us,” Caleb said. “I don’t like to think of my daughter being by herself.”

  Outside, Grace followed Caleb down a trail by the lake that had pretty much grown over. Some yards on, Caleb found a footprint of Angela’s sneaker. He set off, motioning for Grace to come along.

  “She went this way.”

  Soon they had made their way into the woods surrounding the lake.

  “Who knows where she might be,” said Grace. “Even if we’re going the right direction, she had hours to have gotten way ahead. Why do you think she left anyway?”

  “Why would she stay? She didn’t know what her mother was going to do.”

  “I’m glad I got your message in time to help you,” she said.

  “I appreciate that.”

  Farther on, the trail all but disappeared into a thicket of evergreens. Caleb circled the area and found another footprint. “Lucky it rained a couple of nights ago. Shady areas are still damp.”

  Still. “I bet a police helicopter would help.”

  “Yeah, it would. It takes a while to get a police search organized, though.” He thought a moment. “Walworth Builders has a plane?”

  “Yes, it does. A small one.” But how did he know? “Did I mention that?”

  “I saw your father before I left Sparrow Lake. He told me if he could help, he would.”

  “You looked him up?” That was curious.

  “He found me. He noticed all the activity at the police station and wondered what was going on.”

  “He stayed in town then.” And after the things he’d said to her. “I thought he was going to Chicago.”

  “He’d been trying to get hold of you.”
>
  Having checked her phone, Grace knew that.

  “Did he say we could use the plane to search for Angela?”

  “Something like that.”

  Touched that her father had made the offer when he’d seemed so negative about her and Caleb, she was already calling the Milwaukee office.

  * * *

  CALEB FIGURED HE and Grace had been hiking for several miles when the plane showed up. They could hear the engine overhead before they could see it.

  Grace got a call from the pilot. “Yes, we know she went this way. But it’s hard to see anything, the woods are pretty dense.” She looked at Caleb. “What color clothing was she wearing?”

  “I think she had on a blue hoodie,” he said. “And probably jeans. Sorry, I can’t be more specific.” He’d seen his daughter only briefly, yesterday morning before school. “She had a purple backpack, that I know for sure.”

  Grace relayed the information, then said, “He is? Okay, I’ll talk to him.” There was a pause. “Hello, Dad. I can’t believe you came out here. I really appreciate your helping us.”

  Her father cared enough about her to do it, Caleb thought. “Tell them she’s heading south and east. That way she could orient herself by the sun’s position.”

  Grace passed on the information, then slid the phone back in her pocket.

  “This way.” They came to a creek that appeared too deep for wading but Caleb pointed out a log spanning the water a few yards along. “Looks like we’ve got a bridge.”

  He hopped on the log to test its strength, then took some running steps to reach the other side. Grace was staring at him questioningly.

  He held out his hand. “Get on and hold yourself steady. Then take hold of me and I’ll pull you across.”

  “I can make it.”

  She managed the log quite well.

  “I always forget how accomplished you are,” he said, wondering if he’d gotten too bossy again. “I keep telling you what to do.”

  “Well, you do have more hiking experience than me.”

  “You just don’t like it when I advise you on relationships.”

  “Or push food on me when I don’t want it,” she said with a smile.