Page 96 of Together Is Where We Belong

“We protect our own,” Sheriff McGee said as he sat at the table and unfolded a map of Haven Valley I hadn’t even noticed he was holding.

Brooks got up from the table and grabbed some coffee mugs from the hook beside the coffee pot and sat them in the four corners of the map so it would lay flat on the table.

“What if he’s already left town with her?” I asked my biggest fear. If he’d already left with her, I didn’t know how we’d find her.

“I don’t think he’d do that. I think he’s waiting to get Luke,” the sheriff spoke, and I stilled.

“Why do you think he wants my son?” I grit out the question, and my teeth cracked with how hard my jaw clenched.

“I went over my notes on the way here. She said that she left town when she found a camera on a bear in Luke’s room. It leads me to believe he wants them both. He was watching them both if he went to those lengths to put that stuffed animal in his room,” he said as he looked at me with a concerned, tight-lipped expression.

I hadn't thought of it that way before.

“What are you thinkin’?” I asked, hoping they had a plan because I didn’t know how long I could sit here and do nothing while she was out there with him, scared and alone.

“I think we should call Ainsleigh and have her look into the guests and see if she spots anything suspicious. Then we split up and start lookin’ here and then fan out,” he said as he pointed to a spot on the map.

I picked up my phone faster than Brooks or Holden and dialed Ainsleigh’s number. It might not lead to anything, but if it did, then we’d be that much closer to finding Carolina.

“Hey, Leo. What’s up?” Ainsleigh said as she answered the phone, baby Olivia cooing in the background.

“I need you to do me a favor. Take Gentry with you. Go to the office and look into the guests at the ranch. Let me know if anything stands out to you,” I rapidly said.

“Why? What’s goin’ on?”

“Carolina’s missing,” I choked out as I brought my fist to my lips and bit down to refrain from losing it.

“What?” she screamed, causing the baby to start crying. She softly spoke to calm her down as she waited for me to respond.

“I don’t have time to explain. I just need you to do this for me,” I pleaded, hoping she refrained from asking more questions that I didn’t have time to answer.

“I’m on it,” she confirmed.

“Thank you. Take Gentry with you,” I reiterated.

“I’ll call you as soon as I’m done,” she promised and ended the call.

“She’s headin’ to the office now. What do we do in the meantime? I can’t just keep sittin’ here while she’s out there,” I said.

The sheriff went over his plans on how we should start the search and which section of the map each of us should start searching.

He pulled out walkie-talkies and handed Brooks, Holden, and me each one, which we graciously accepted.

“What should we do if we find them?” Holden asked.

“You call for backup on the radio and wait until one of us arrives. Do not under any circumstances approach them,” he warned.

I couldn’t promise I would follow those instructions. If I felt her life was in danger, I’d go in there without a second thought.

“Stay on channel three, and give updates every five minutes on your search,” the sheriff said as we all stood.

Just as we were all on the front porch about to fan out to search for Carolina, my phone rang.

I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw Ainsleigh’s name on the screen.

Please have found something. I don’t think my heart could take it if I had to wait much longer without finding her.

“Please tell me you found something,” I pleaded as I answered her call.