Page 99 of Falling for Keeps

We ride in silence, his hand seeking comfort from mine. “The maze is so close to main street. She could be anywhere.”

Carson has to slow the car for a couple leaf-peepers with cameras, and his hand tightens around mine. It can’t help his mental state that the town is crawling with strangers right now.

“She’s been so weird since Jen called,” he mutters.

If he’s thinking Jen took her, I have a hard time reconciling that. “Did you call Penny’s mom?”

“Yeah. Straight to voicemail.”

I want to distract him. “I heard about one of your dental emergencies today.”

“We didn’t have one.” He shoots me a furrowed-brow look of confusion.

“You didn’t see Heather and her child? She told me she was missing our meeting to see you.”

“I had more patients today, but no kids.”

“Of course not. I should have known.”

“What?”

This is so not important right now, but at least he’s not anxiously squeezing my hand to death. That means it’s doing the job. “Heather tends to bail on our Friends of the Library meetings at the last minute, and she usually blames her kids. I should have known.”

“That’s why you do so much? The Friends aren’t reliable?”

“Not even a little bit.” I feel bad about being blunt, so I hurry to back step. “The board has busy lives, though.”

“Like fake dental emergencies? Get a new board, Emma. You deserve people who will actually help.”

Easier said than done. Someone has to want to volunteer.

Carson parks, and we jog over to the start of the maze where Katie is standing with Molly and another girl, Stephanie. Yes, I am on a first-name basis with every under-twelve in this town who likes to read.

Most of the over-twelves, too.

“We checked the pumpkin patch and the Walkers sent Luke to search the house, too.”

Carson scrubs a hand over his face.

Tom, the Walker patriarch, strides toward us. His hair is white and cleanly cut, with a matching beard that’s well-trimmed. He’s wearing boots and a coat, his steps sure and confident. “Luke just called. Penny isn’t in the house. He’s sending out the drone to look at the area from above.”

“Thanks, Tom.” Carson rubs his eyes, then looks around like he’s the one who’s lost.

Tom claps him on the back, squeezing. “We’ll find her.”

Carson’s nod isn’t convincing.

The hum of a drone flies overhead, and we all turn to watch it make its way around the hay maze. Ann, Tom’s wife, jogs over and puts her arm around Carson. “She’s probably hiding. Kids love to scare their parents, Carson.”

He nods. “Hey Katie, do the girls remember when they got separated from Penny?”

Molly retreats, stepping behind her mom’s legs and dragging Stephanie with her.

“You’re not in trouble, girls,” Katie tells them. “The more information we have, the faster we can find her.”

Carson waits. On the outside, he looks patient, but I can sense his turmoil.

“They had a little disagreement about what to do after the corn pit—you know, the one where they swim through dried kernels?”