After Sam went to work, Wyatt was left to sip his coffee and wonder if he was OK. It wasn't long before Raquel came out on the back porch, yawning.
"Good morning. Is Sam gone? I looked out the front and his car wasn't there," she said.
"He was up early. He had to go in to work," Wyatt said. As they went inside so she could pour herself some coffee, Wyatt didn't try to hide how gloomy he felt about Sam having to go.
"Is he OK?" Raquel asked. So even she had noticed that Sam seemed off last night.
Wyatt couldn't really say that he was OK, not after that nightmare last night. "A little shaky. Why?" he asked her since she was frowning over her coffee mug.
"Last night he told me he was glad I was here." Seeing the puzzled look Wyatt was giving her, she tried to explain. "It was the way he said it."
"OK," Wyatt said. He mulled over how odd Sam was acting this morning when DJ came into the kitchen while rubbing his eyes. Brownie was trailing after him, which meant Barney was off somewhere with Riley.
"Good morning," Wyatt told him, but DJ only stared up at him.
A mug of coffee in her hand, Raquel went out on the back porch with Brownie, but DJ stayed behind.
"Where's Sam?" DJ asked and gave Wyatt a mournful stare.
"He went to work," Wyatt told him.
"You're supposed to make him stay here all the time, Uncle Wyatt," DJ reminded him.
"He'll be back," Wyatt said but for some reason his voice broke as he said those words.
Why was he doubting the truth of that? Of course Sam would be back. And they were seeing him later today. He would be there for the parade. He had to be.
But as DJ stood there looking like he might cry, Wyatt grew even more uneasy. DJ had sensed something, so had Raquel. Now Wyatt couldn't ignore the sense of dread that filled him.
"It's OK. I'll take care of it," Wyatt told DJ and he got down to give him a hug. He then called out to Raquel. "You're in charge of not burning these buns. Feed the boys for me. I need to talk to Sam."
"OK," Raquel said while Wyatt rushed out the door and to his car. Peeling out of the driveway, he was steering with one hand and texting with the other, but he got no reply. He tried calling and still no answer.
Sam's expression from that morning rolled through his head. Was that look in Sam's eyes his goodbye?
Telling himself everything was fine and he was overreacting, Wyatt reached the edge of town and saw that Main Street was closed for the parade. His car left on the side of the road, Wyatt ran to the café. Sam had to be there.
In front of the café, Wyatt nearly collided with Rico as he was coming out.
"Is Sam here? I need to talk to him. It's kind of urgent," Wyatt said to him breathlessly.
"Damn right it's urgent," Rico snapped back at him. "My grandma just sent me to slash his tires. But maybe you have a better way of stopping him from leaving."
"Leaving? He's leaving?" Wyatt repeated as he realized he had been right.
"He got it into his head that he has to go on the run from that guy, his ex. He just stopped in to say thank you and goodbye. It was real touching and now my grandma is pissed. Go get his ass back here!" Rico practically yelled at him.
"Where is he?" Wyatt asked desperately.
"Probably getting packed and ready to go. I was heading to his place," Rico said, but it was clear he wasn't sure where Sam was now.
Wyatt had to hurry.
Damn. He knew something was off but thought he would get the chance to talk to Sam later. Now if he didn't hurry, there might not be any later.
Sam disappeared once before to get away from Brian. Who knows where he might end up this time. Wyatt might not be able to find him, and that thought horrified him.
Sam's car was still there in the back of the hardware store, but Sam was already behind the wheel starting to drive away.
