Page 39 of Until Easton

"As in pregnant?" my sisters ask.

"No, Em. She hasn't made it in from running errands, and all of us here at the ranch are getting worried."

"Is this out of the norm for her? Maybe she simply stopped at the store or is visiting with friends." Emerson gives valid explanations, but none of them fit the mold.

"Maybe," I reply, but I don't believe that is the case.

"Do you feel differently?

"I have a knot in my stomach that is convincing me otherwise," I admit.

"Then listen to your gut, East. With all this stalker business, you shouldn't risk ignoring anything."

"You're right." I tell her and can hear the smirk on her face when she replies.

"I know. Anyway, keep me updated, and if you need anything—" Emerson pauses for a second, then says, "Love you."

"Same here." And I end the call. Needing fresh air, I step outside and take a deep breath. Relax. Maybe Emerson is right. It's only been two hours. I try my best to push the worry aside, but it's not working. Twenty minutes later, I find myself pacing the front porch.

"Any luck?" Arthur asks. I turn my head to find him taking a seat in his rocking chair. A few feet from him, David and Steve stand, both leaning against pillars, staring into the darkness.

"Straight to her voicemail," I say, then step off the porch.

"She could have broken down. The damn truck has given her fits here lately," Arthur states.

I step off the porch. "I'm going looking for her." I start heading toward my vehicle.

"Hold up," Arthur says, standing. I stop and look back. He walks into the house, only to emerge a minute later, holding a shotgun in his right hand. "I'm coming with you." He looks back at Steve and David. "Keep an eye on things. Let us know if my granddaughter calls."

"You got it." Steve nods.

The two of us climb into my truck. "You think there could be trouble?" I put the key into the ignition.

"Got to be prepared for any situation," Arthur says.

It's pitch black on the twenty mile stretch of two-way road between town and Connelly Ranch. I feel the silence all around me as the humidity in the warm air sticks to my skin. Suddenly, my headlights reflect off the chrome bumper of a vehicle on the opposite side of the road. It's Becca's truck. My gut clenches, and frantic, disjointed thoughts race through my mind. Why wouldn't she have called? Did she get out and start walking home? What if she's hurt? What if…?

No. I stop that last thought before it develops. Don't go there.

I make a quick U-turn in the road, pulling up behind it the entire time, my heart racing. My eyes search for Becca. "I don't see her." My hands get clammy, and the pounding of my heart increases. I rush from my vehicle and fling open the driver's door of Becca's truck. Her purse is on the seat, and the keys are hanging in the ignition.

I should have gone looking for her sooner.

The passenger door flings open, and Arthur shines his flashlight inside the cab. There, on the floorboard, under the gas pedal, lays an envelope.

"What's that?" Arthur asks as I open the flap and pull out the piece of paper.

I FOUND YOU.

She has brainwashed you into believing you love her. It's not true.

YOU LOVE ME.

They are conspiring against us.

SHE WILL PAY.

I will prove my love.