“Holy shit.”
“Yeah. I don’t know who was more shocked, them or us.”
“That bitch.”
“Yeah, but the worst part was the conceited little smirk she gave Reagan.”
“Man, I don’t…”
“Me either. At least I found out before I married the faithless bitch. Reagan’s married to that asshole.”
“I guess the wedding’s off?”
“Damn right. There’s no way in hell I’m tying myself to her.”
“Okay, I’ll call Mom and Dad. Get the ball rolling. What do you want to do?”
“I think our family needs to have a party to celebrate that I didn’t just fuck up the rest of my life.” He gives me a small half smile. “Have you seen Reagan?”
“Dani was looking for her.”
“Good. I’m probably the last person she wants to see.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because it was my girl fucking her husband.”
“It’s not your fault, Wesley, any more than it is mine. It was their choice,” comes a watery voice from the doorway. Reagan stands in the doorway, mascara tracked down her face.
“I’m so sorry, Reagan.”
“I’ve had my suspicions for a while he was having an affair. Not that I thought it was with Melanie.” She shakes her head. Dani looks down guiltily and I wonder what she knows.
“What’s the plan now?”
“Obviously the wedding is off. I think we need to have a party that I dodged one helluva bullet,” he laughs mirthlessly. He looks over at Reagan with her downcast eyes. “Sorry, Reagan.”
“Don’t, Wes,” she looks up and squares her shoulders. “I think a party sounds like a lovely idea. No sense in letting all the food and cake go to waste. I’ll start making phone calls.” She turns and walks away with Dani hot on her heels.
“I didn’t mean to make her more upset.” He watches their backs as they walk away.
“I don’t think you can.”
“Okay, call Mom and Dad. Let them know that the wedding’s off. Don’t go into details yet. I don’t think I can stand the ‘I told you so’ yet.”
“Someone said that she would cheat on you?”
“No, Mom told me it was a mistake to marry her, but it was my mistake to make.”
“Yeah, you will never hear the end of it.”
“She’ll be insufferable.” He chuckles.
“Okay let’s get the hell out of here.”
As we walk out the front door, heading for his truck, Melanie comes barreling down the walkway.
“Wesley, you can’t do this too me!” she shrieks.
“I didn’t do a damn thing to you, darlin’. You brought all this on yourself.”
“You will marry me today!” She stomps her foot.
“No, I’m not. Phone calls are already being made to cancel everything. I think you might want to call your parents, so they don’t waste a trip.”
“You are not doing this to me. You will be here on time to say I do in front of the minister,” she hisses.
“No, Melanie, I won’t.” He brushes past her on his way to the truck.
“I’m pregnant!”
“Whose is it?” he asks lazily.
“Yourrrs of cccourse!” she stutters.
“Huh, that might take a little convincing since we haven’t had sex in three months. You might need to look elsewhere for a daddy.”
“No, you will take care of me and this baby,” she wails.
“Sorry, sweetheart. We’re done.” He climbs into the trucks and gives me a little salute before backing up.
“Looks like your game is up. I suggest you get the hell out of here before they throw you off the property.”
“Brad would never let that happen,” she sniffs.
“But his wife would and since my brother works for the sheriff’s department, I think they’ll haul your ass outta here in handcuffs.” I chuckle before walking back inside.
Damn what a way to start the day.
Later that afternoon, the band is playing as couples two-step around the floor. Someone had removed the chairs for the ceremony opening up the space and all of Melanie’s tacky ass flowers are now thrown in the garbage can outside. Those who aren’t dancing are eating at the buffet and milling around the room. We never announced why the wedding was called off, but the rumors are flying around the room.
The next afternoon, Dani, Lila and I return from taking a trip to Langston from watching a movie. Dani and I get out of the car. A pounding sound rushes up the sidewalk as Dani gets Lila out of the car seat.
“Zach! Zach! Are the rumors true?” The reporters yell out questions over and over, surrounding the three of us. Dani is holding Lila’s hand, a scared look in her eye. They shove microphones in our faces as the nearly continuous clicks of the camera are increasingly louder. Lila whimpers as they press closer separating us. “Are they? Is she pregnant? Are you the father?”
“Back off! Back off now!” I reach for Dani as she looks frantic.
“Lila! Where are you? Lila!” Dani screams and my world is rocked.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Danielle
“Lila? Lila Grace, you better answer me!” I scream, desperation making my voice waiver. The only response is the wind whipping through the trees. Where is she? God, please let her be okay.
“She will be, Dani,” Zach answers the prayer I’d unknowingly spoken out loud. “We’ll find her.” In the distance, I can hear others yelling out her name as they scour the woods for any sign of my little girl.
Two hours ago, I realized that my daughter had slipped away from us. Two hours of panic and increasing dread. Where is my baby? Zach, Lila and I were bombarded by the paparazzi when we left the ice cream shop and, in the rush, Lila was separated from us. The press didn’t care as I called frantically out for my daughter, trying to wade my way through the mob to find her. The first place I looked was in the bakery since it was only a few doors down, but Callie said that she hadn’t seen her enter. She took off to look out back while I ran up to our apartment praying she had just slipped by her and up the stairs. Our door was locked, but I quickly unlocked it yelling her name. Not finding her there I ran next door, banging on Jessa’s door but there wasn’t any answer. Callie met me halfway down the stairs saying she saw no sign of Lila out back. By now, terror is coursing through my veins along with adrenaline. Every parent’s worst fear is something happening to their child and there are so many sickos in the world. My breathing becomes ragged and I bend over at the waist as black spots cloud my vision. My knees buckle sending me careening to the stairs, the only thing keeping me from tumbling to the bottom is Callie’s hands on my shoulders.
“Breathe, Dani! Please! You’re scaring me!” Her voice squeaks as she’s on the verge of tears. Everything fades to the background as all I can see is my daughter’s smiling face. Voices surround me but I can’t seem to make sense of them.
“Dani, look at me!” Rough hands palm my cheeks forcing my head up. Zach’s steely gray eyes meet mine. “We will find her.”
Sheriff Dalton James squats down in front of me. “Danielle, I have the whole force looking for her right now. The whole town is on alert. We’ll find her. I’m sure she just holed up somewhere she’s used to.” His navy eyes are hard and determined. “Why don’t you head to the bakery? I think some sugar and caffeine will do you some good. Zach, why don’t you take her and make sure she eats.” With a nod, he replaces the tan cowboy hat back on his salt and pepper hair before standing to an imposing height. At his nod, he turns his boots the only sound as he exits out the back door into the parking lot.
“Come on, Dani. Let’s get you a cookie and some coffee. I’m sure she’ll turn up in a minute,” Callie encourages as Zach helps me stand. “My dad will find her.” I forgot that her dad is the sheriff.
Thirty minutes later the radio signals that someone reported that they had seen a little blonde girl in a pink Tutu at the ed
ge of the national park heading into the trees. How in the world she had gotten that far out of town is a mystery, but we loaded up into the truck and head in that direction.
The area is crowded with the sheriff department vehicle alongside the game warden’s trucks. A line of citizens were keeping the paparazzi at bay as they shouted their questions at the law enforcement officers. As we exit the truck, we are spotted quickly by the mob as they surround us. The state troopers that had arrived push them back as we walk across the gravel-strewn parking lot, Zach keeping me tucked into his side protectively.
“Dani, do you have anything that might have Lila’s scent on it?” Sheriff James asks as he meets us.
“Not on me,” I begin, panic welling.
“Wait, I do,” Zach rummages in his pocket and pulls out the doll shirt that Lila had asked him to hold for her. He extends the pink fabric. “Will this work?”
“Has she touched it recently?”
“She gave it to me this morning, and it’s been in my pocket ever since.”
“It should work great then. Oh, he’s here now,” Dalton looks over my shoulder as another truck pulls up.
A big bearded man exits the truck before walking to the back and raising the camper window. He spends minutes hidden behind the truck before coming toward us leading a beautiful black and tan dog.
“Mac, thanks for coming so quickly,” Dalton greets the man. “And who do we have here?”
“Lucy,” the behemoth grumbles, the deep timber matching the size of the man.
“Zach, Dani this is Jack MacPherson. He trains dogs for various agencies to help track.”
“Thank you for coming,” I mumble.
“Do we have anything with the scent?” Dalton hands over the doll shirt and MacPherson squats in front of the dog speaking gently and the dog buries her long snout in the pink fabric. As his hands run over her back, I notice a transmitter attached to her sky blue collar. He releases the leash from her collar and stands. Lucy sticks her nose the ground and sniffs delicately. “Is your daughter scared of dogs?”
“No, she loves them,” I sniffle.
“If anyone can find her out there, Lucy can,” Mac states as he turns and looks at us. “We’ll find your little girl. I promise.” His deep voice is filled with such conviction, I have no doubt he will. Lucy bays from behind him and he spins around. “She’s picked up the scent. Lucy, find.” The dog takes off.
I don’t know whether to stand still or take off after her myself. We all walk sedately toward the edge of the towering pine trees. Zach’s body is tight with tension as he draws me closer. His lips brush the top of my head in reassurance.
After walking for miles, Mac’s steps pick up when Lucy bays but it’s different from before. His quickly looks at the GPS device clutched in his hand and turns in a more northerly direction.
I spot Lucy directly ahead standing beside something on the ground. She quiets at our approach. My heart stops beating when I see Lila’s pink tutu lying on the ground next to a fallen tree.
“Oh God,” I collapse into Zach.
Mac picks up the garment and examines it with a trained eye, turning the delicate material over in his huge hands.
“Looks like she snagged it on a limb. Tried to climb over the log I’d wager.” He hands me the torn tulle. “Lucy, find.” The dog’s nose returns to the ground as she rounds the tree. Once on the other side, she heads toward the woods and takes off once again.
Minute after minute we walk, my voice hoarse after screaming. Zach walks beside me scanning the landscape, his eyes looking for any sign of Lila as I lean into him. The numerous townsfolk who have joined us are spread out in a line as we advance through the trees. The underbrush becomes denser as we proceed further into the woods. Mac stays slightly ahead of the group, occasionally cocking his head to the side, listening for any sound from Lucy, periodically checking the GPS in his hand as she has long moved out of our line of sight.
Suddenly Lucy’s bark changes to something menacing; the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Mac freezes before motioning to a tall, dark-haired man in a khaki shirt with a patch on the sleeve toward him. The man has a rifle slung across his shoulders but as Mac speaks to him, he slowly removes it. My anxiety jumps up as the tension rises.
“Y’all stay here,” Sheriff James orders, his voice ringing with authority. He lets off a loud whistle as everyone comes to stop. He uses his radio telling the other deputies to hold tight.
“What is it, Mac?”
“There’s a predator in the area. Not sure how close but Lucy found its trail. It may just cross where the little girl went…” he trails off casting a side eye at me.
“Or?” I bark out.
“Or it is tracking her.”
“Oh, God,” I whisper, my knees giving way. The only thing that keeps me from dropping to the camp forest floor is Zach’s strong arms.
“No way to tell for sure. Lucy has stopped until we catch up to her. I don’t want the animal startled. They’ve reintroduced black bears into the area but there are also mountain lions and feral hogs living here.” Mac turns back to Sheriff James. “I think from here on out, the civilians need to stay here. Walker, Creed and I will go scout ahead and see what the deal is. Less chance of someone getting hurt that way.”
“No, I want to go.” I try to get out from under Zach’s arm that’s draped over my shoulder.
“No offense, ma’am, but you’ll just slow us down. Time is of the essence.”
“Babe, let them do what they do best. They’ll find Lila,” Zach says, his arms around me from the back and I melt into him, drawing his strength. I watch as the three men stride into the thickening woods, the sky darkening as the sunlight is filtered through the tree branches. After a minute, they’re no longer visible no matter how hard I strain to see them.
“Let’s sit over there on that downed tree,” Zach encourages leading me away from where the men disappeared. I glance over my shoulder, still trying to see, and trip over a root sticking out of the ground. My body lurches forward hitting Zach in the back.
“Still as graceful as ever I see,” Zach teases me trying to lighten the mood.
“At least it wasn’t air,” I confess dryly, trying not to cry as the fear for my daughter consumes me. The damp moss covering the tree seeps into the backside of my shorts, but a wet ass is the least of my worries as the minutes tick away. My eyes dart toward every little sound that emanates from the surrounding forest praying for a glimpse of my baby girl.
As the hours pass, one by one the people from the town leave after offering prayers for Lila’s safe return. Others still mill around the area speaking in hushed tones.
A lone bark jerks my attention up. From the dark, Lucy runs toward us. The determination from earlier replaced with a care free pup. Behind her, three figures appear like something from a movie. Large and imposing, they would strike fear into the heart of their opponents but it’s the little girl held tightly by one of the giants that captures my attention. Her curly blonde hair a tangled mess as her head rests against Mac’s broad chest. Choking back a cry, I stumble getting off the log and racing to them, stopping short of just barreling into them. I’m almost scared to touch her for fear she’ll disappear like a puff of smoke.
“She’s fine, ma’am. Not a scratch on her,” Mac’s deep voice grumbles out. “Okay, maybe a scratch or two but nothing a Band-Aid and a kiss won’t fix. She passed out about a mile back. Didn’t want to wake her up, so we took a little longer than I thought to get back.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” I look at Mac and then the others. “I’ll never be able to repay for this.”
“No need, ma’am. Just doing our jobs,” one of the Game Wardens says before the two of them walk toward Sheriff James.
“Momma,” the sleepy voice is music to my ears. “Can we go home now?” Her arms reach toward me as Mac hands her over. Her weight settles against me and I weep in relief.
“Yeah, baby we can go ho
me now,” I murmur against her hair.
“Zach come too?”
My eyes lift to his. “Zach can come too if that’s what you want.” The tension I see in Zach eases as his shoulders sag. He walks over to us; his hand runs up and down Lila’s back. He leans over and kisses my forehead before resting his against mine.
“Let’s get y’all home.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Zach
The area is clear of the group of paparazzi that were surrounding Dani’s bakery earlier. I hustle the girls up the stairs just in case some may linger in the bushes like the snakes they are. We reach the top of the stairs as the door swings open. Dani’s mom stands there and when she sees that it's us, she sags against the door in obvious relief.
“Thank you, God,” she whispers reverently. “Is she okay? Do we need to take her to the hospital?”
“No, Mom. She’s okay. Worn out and probably a little dehydrated but otherwise just a scratch or two.” Dani’s weak smile is of exhaustion. “I’m going to get her a quick bath and lay her down. Make sure I’m not missing anything.”
“How about I make her one of those smoothies she likes so much?” She wrings her hands, eager to do something since Dani isn’t relinquishing her hold on Lila anytime soon.
“That’s a good idea, Mom.” She walks down the hall leaving her mother and I standing in the living room.
“What the hell happened, Zachary?”
“We came home and got out of the truck. I don’t know where the hell they all came from.”
“They? Who the hell are they?!”
“The media. My manager has been trying to keep them off my trail but, apparently, they found out. I thought they’d have new stories by now to focus on.”
“Good gravy,” she mutters, plopping onto the couch. “Is this what her life will be like if she’s with you?”
“Until the new wears off, yeah. I wasn’t exactly a choir boy in these past years and the media loves a good story,” I rub my hand over my face at the admission. What the hell was I thinking? “But if Danielle and I are together, things will change. I can lie low and keep us protected wherever we live but out in public we’re fair game.”
Pieces of a Broken Heart: Whiskey Bend Series Book One Page 17
