Page 19 of Ranger Devotion

Tate smiled warmly. “Should we say grace?”

“Yes, please.” Annie bowed her head.

“Lord, we thank You for the food we are about to eat, and ask You to bless the hands that prepared it. We also pray for Kayla’s family and loved ones, that they may know Your comfort and peace in this difficult time. Protect us and help us find justice and truth. Amen.”

Annie echoed the “Amen” and lifted her head to meet Tate’s eyes. A familiar softness slid through her. This. This was the Tate she’d come to know as a teen. His kindness, his steadiness, and his faith drew her in. It wasn’t a side he showed to everyone, and there’d been a time she’d felt special to be privy to it.

Later, after the prom, she’d wondered if any of it had been real.

Only time would reveal who Tate was now. Somehow, she had to get to know him again without letting her guard down. She’d forgiven him, and yes, she was open to trusting him, but she wouldn’t allow her heart to overrule her head. It would be a delicate balance.

Evan entered the dining room, a worried frown creasing his features. His gaze found her.

She stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

He came to a stop at their table. “Caleb’s missing. I left him in the media room an hour ago, and sometime after that he disappeared. No one has seen him since.”

NINE

Tate was on his feet before he’d decided to stand. “Could he have gone back to his cabin?”

“Possibly.” Evan frowned. The brim of his baseball cap cast his eyes in shadow. “I didn’t look for his coat and boots.”

Tate spared a glance at his still-full plate. Lunch would have to wait.

“Hold on.” Annie snagged a roll off her plate, then one off his, and handed it over. “We’re running on fumes as it is. This is better than nothing.”

The buttery bread melted in his mouth and made Tate’s stomach beg for more. Still, he followed Evan out of the dining room and into the lobby, where jackets crowded a row of hooks. Short benches lined the wall, and boots of all shapes and sizes cluttered the floor.

Evan zeroed in on the hooks farthest from the door and flipped through the coats. “Caleb’s isn’t here.” He checked the floor. “And his boots are gone.”

Brooke joined them. “What’s wrong?”

“Caleb’s missing,” Evan said.

“Chances are he went back to his cabin.” Tate swallowed the last of the roll and then grabbed his jacket before stepping into his boots. “I’ll check.”

“I’ll come with you.” Annie started to remove her jacket from a nearby hook, but Tate stopped her with a gentle hand. The sleeve of her sweater was soft against his fingertips, and his heart irrationally skipped a beat.

“There’s no need for both of us to go back out into the rain.” He lowered his voice to prevent anyone in the seating area from overhearing. “Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on Preston.”

They still weren’t sure if Preston was responsible for Kayla’s death, and if Caleb saw something incriminating, he could be in danger. Evan and Brooke were good people, but they weren’t trained law enforcement officers. Preston could slip away from them as easily as Caleb has. Annie, on the other hand, wouldn’t allow that to happen.

Understanding dawned in her eyes, and then something flared behind them. Irritation at being asked to stay back? Worry for Caleb? Tate couldn’t tell. Normally, he was good at reading people, but Annie was proving to be an exception. Back in the mess hall, he’d thought there was something more developing between them. The way she’d looked at him when he brushed the hair from her forehead, the heat in her gaze before she’d pulled away... but maybe it was just wishful thinking.

One thing was certain though. The romantic feelings he’d held for Annie in high school—the very ones he’d lied about all those years ago—were still there. One-sided, perhaps, but there all the same.

Annie stepped back. His hand fell away.

He needed to stop doing that. Touching her.

“Take a UTV.” She circled the front desk and opened a drawer, unearthing a small set of keys. “They’re under the awning behind the kitchen.”

Evan, who’d been in a whispered conversation with his wife, pulled on his jacket. “I’ll check the rest of the building and the nearby activity center. Maybe he just needed some air and stayed close by.” His nose wrinkled. “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to walk in this weather, but Caleb is used to being outdoors and didn’t appreciate being cooped up in the media room.”

Annie handed each man a portable radio. “Cell service can be spotty here, especially with the storm. Radio when you find him.”

“Will do.” Tate zipped his jacket and shot Annie a reassuring smile before heading to the back entrance. A blast of cold met him the moment he stepped outside. Ice coated everything—the railings, the walkway, the steps. Each breath burned his lungs, and the wind cut through his jacket like it was paper. The storm had worsened in the past hour. Sleet mixed with freezing rain stung any exposed skin.