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"Why were you in Oklahoma?" Holly asked.
"To write an article about tornado prep in case one happens while you were on vacation."
Both women gaped at her, and Robin clutched her belly. "Girl, did you chase that tornado?"
"Or did you just stay there for the whole tornado season, hoping to get hit with one?" Holly added.
Grace chuckled, sufficiently distracted now. "Neither. I was hoping there wouldn't be one while I was there. I just wanted to get some tips and stories from the locals, not live through it myself. But... yeah. Oops."
Holly and Robin wore matching expressions of amusement mixed with awe. Holly shook her head, her hands braced on her hips. "I haven't had time to read much of your blog—sorry, don't kill me, I'm constantly running around like a chicken without a head on like two hours of sleep. But anyway, I'm definitely going to find that post."
"Are you going to write one about this?"
Grace opened her mouth to answer, but then Joan walks up, her voice wavering as she spoke to Holly. "Sweetheart, where's Noelle?"
"I thought she was with you," Holly replied.
Joan's hands twisted in front of her as she shook her head. "I can't find her anywhere."
"Maybe she's with Abby?" Grace tried, her heart hammering in her chest as her long list of concerns got even longer.
Robin lifted a hand, pointing to Abby. The rest of them turned, and they all reacted with similar amounts of dashed hope when they spotted her sitting with Ida, Noelle noticeably absent.
Holly's brow furrowed, the lines on her face deepening. "I'm sure she's somewhere. Have you checked the pantry? Maybe she's on a snack-stealing mission."
Joan nodded solemnly. "First place I checked. I know our girl."
"Okay," Holly said, nodding once. "She's fine. Probably just hiding from the storm. Let's go find her.
Grace swallowed as they parted ways to search the inn, mounting dread gnawing at her insides. Each of the women scoured the inn's cozy nooks and crannies, their eyes darting from corner to corner as they whispered Noelle's name.
Each time they turned up empty-handed, Grace could feel the weight of unease grow heavier on her chest, not unlike the mounds of snow accumulating around the house, trapping them inside.
"Where could she be hiding?" Holly muttered when they met up in the hallway, her hands trembling slightly at her sides as she bunched the fabric of her skirt.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Grace replied, doing her best to reassure her friend. "Maybe she's just playing a game of hide-and-seek with us."
"Maybe," Holly agreed, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her uncertainty.
But then the longer they continued their search, the more people joined in. Grace turned a corner, gasping when she found herself suddenly face-to-face with Lena.
She nearly groaned out loud. The tenacious travel blogger had a knack for getting under her skin, but her vibe had nothing on how much it bothered Grace that Lena was back in town because of some kind of crush on Tommy.
She hadn't spoken with him about it, so she wasn't sure if he knew that, but she'd heard it through the rumor mill while helping Holly in the kitchen earlier.
"Grace," Lena said breathlessly, her eyes filled with concern. "I just heard about Noelle. What can I do to help?"
Forcing a smile, Grace allowed gratitude to replace her selfish feelings. "Thank you, um, I guess just check any spots you think someone that small might be hiding. We're hoping she was just playing a game and fell asleep or something."
"Of course," Lena responded, rushing off immediately.
Grace's heart rate increased as she checked the usual spots where Noelle played, asking guests if they’d seen her. Each apologetic shake of the head only fueled her growing anxiety. The warmth of the inn contrasted sharply with the cold dread settling in Grace's stomach.
Just as she was beginning to feel truly panicked, the front door creaked open, and Tommy and the men returned from investigating the noise outside. They looked disheveled and cold, shaking snow off their coats as they stomped their boots on the doormat. Grace raced over to Tommy as Holly made a beeline for Nick.
"Everything okay outside?" she asked.
"Yeah, it was probably just a branch falling or something. There were a few of them scattered around the house, so maybe one of them hit the side on the way down." He paused, apparently noticing the distress in Grace's eyes. "What's wrong?"
