Chapter Twelve
Cole took off his hat as he strode through the automatic doors of Crimson Community Hospital an hour later.
He’d been out near the county line when Marlene had radioed him to report that Declan Crenshaw was being rushed to the ER.
Marlene told him Jase was already on his way to the hospital, so Cole tried calling Sienna’s cell but hadn’t been able to reach her. He’d called Paige next, and his gut twisted when she’d explained in a frantic voice that Sienna hadn’t returned after the visit with her father that morning.
He couldn’t imagine a scenario where Sienna might have anything to do with Declan’s condition, but the idea still scared the hell out of him. The last thing she needed was to deal with a health crisis surrounding her dad.
He scanned the waiting room and saw Emily and Noah next to each other on a small leather sofa.
“What happened?” he asked, moving toward them. “Is Declan okay?”
Emily shook her head. “We don’t know. The doctor is with him now. They let Jase go back, but they’re running more tests.” She put a hand on her belly. “It was definitely his heart, but we don’t know how serious it is yet.”
Noah placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “The old man is tough.”
“Not like he used to be,” Emily countered. “He puts on a good front, but all those years of drinking have taken their toll.”
Cole ran a hand through his hair and glanced around the waiting room as if he could produce answers to take away some of Emily’s anxiety. She and Jase had been through enough in the past year. They should be getting ready to come to the hospital for the happiest of reasons, not something like this.
“Has anyone talked to Sienna?”
Noah’s lips pressed into a thin line, and Emily let out a muttered curse. “She was with him at the time,” she said, meeting Cole’s gaze. Her pale blue eyes were icy. “She rode here with him in the ambulance—called Jase on the way. But we haven’t seen her.”
Noah snorted. “At this point, all we know is she took off.”
“You can’t blame her,” Cole said immediately.
“Where is she then?” Noah asked. “As usual, Jase is left to take care of his dad on his own.”
“I’ll find her.” Cole stepped away and punched in Sienna’s cell number again. The call went straight to voice mail so he sent a text. When a response didn’t come immediately, he approached the reception desk.
“Hey, Dixie,” he said with a small smile for the fiftysomething woman behind the computer.
“Howdy, Sheriff.” The woman fluffed her hair as she spoke. “Are you here checking on Declan? I hope it’s not too serious, especially for Jase’s sake. That boy has been through hell and back for his dad.”
“Yeah,” Cole agreed automatically. “I’m hoping you can help me with something. There was a woman who rode in the ambula—”
“The daughter,” Dixie said in a scandalized whisper. “I’d heard she was back in town. Looks exactly like her mother did years ago. I used to see Dana Crenshaw in the grocery—do you remember that she was a checker down at the Shop & Go back in the day?”
“I don’t,” Cole admitted, mentally counting to ten. He’d learned quickly upon his arrival in Crimson that a small town moved at its own pace. Most people in Crimson were friendly to a fault, but they wouldn’t be rushed in how they doled out their help.
“We all knew she’d taken a step back marrying Declan. It was obvious she didn’t belong in that trailer park. Falling in love makes a woman do stupid things. She was half out of her mind most of the time, but sober she handled those groceries like she was the queen of England. People around here didn’t see, but I knew she was destined for better things.”
“You’re a good woman, Dixie. As far as Sienn—”
“Do you think the daughter takes after her mom?” Dixie frowned, tapping a finger on her glossed lips. “It was hard to tell when they came through here. I gave her the paperwork to fill out for Declan, and she didn’t say much. But the poor thing could have been in shock, you know? I remember when—”
“Have you seen her?” Cole interrupted, unable to be patient any longer. “I’m looking for Sienna.”
“Well then.” Dixie studied him for a few moments, her brows raised. “She might have headed for the cafeteria.” She pointed down the hall. “I think I mentioned that Tuesday is tomato soup day, since she was going to be waiting for her dad. People forget to eat in times of stress.”
“Thanks, Dixie.” Cole smiled again. “The hospital is lucky to have you.”
“Of course they are,” the woman agreed with a wink. “See you, Sheriff.”
Cole glanced back to the waiting room, but Emily and Noah hadn’t moved and Jase was still nowhere in sight. He made his way quickly to the cafeteria, scanning the tables until he saw a familiar cascade of blond hair near the far corner.
