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Trapped behind the boulder and sitting in rising flood waters, Tildy reached absently for her medal and remembered the chain snapping. “Isa,” she whispered, but the sound of the storm drowned out her words. Though she tried, she couldn’t feel the comfort that had always been there when she needed it. No one knew where she was. If Isa was watching her, she could do nothing to help. Tildy didn’t bother to stop the tears that came, lost amidst the rain streaming down her face. Now, she was totally alone.
Chapter 35
Hawk lay awake on the couch, when he heard the sound of tires in his driveway. In fact, he hadn’t slept all night. He hated this feeling of helplessness. In the Army, there was always an objective and a way to accomplish it. Now, there was nothing to do but hope and wait to hear something, and that just wasn’t something he could handle well. He strode to the front door and threw it open. His heart sunk when he saw it was just Garrett pulling into his driveway. He sighed and rubbed his temples. The headache he’d been working on all night was now in full force.
Garrett hopped out of his truck and came around the front. Hawk frowned as he spotted the cracked headlight. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Garrett’s personal shit right now, and he did not have time to fix his cousin’s truck at a discount.
“Listen, Garrett,” Hawk called out as the other man headed toward the front porch. “I’m in the middle of something. I can’t… I can’t hang out right now.”
The corners of Garrett’s mouth turned down. He slowed his pace a little but didn’t stop. “In the middle of something?” He eyed Hawk’s rumpled clothes and unshaven face. “Yeah, you look it,” he said darkly.
“I am,” Hawk insisted. “My… my friend Tildy is missing.”
Garrett scowled at him. “Your friend who?”
“Tildy. The girl I was with at Maria’s the time you came in. Remember? She’s had some… trouble… lately. And I went to pick her up yesterday, but she wasn’t waiting for me. Her parents haven’t heard from her or anyone else. She’s gone.”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “You mean your north side princess took off for a few days and didn’t leave you a forwarding address? What a shame.”
Hawk bristled. “She’s not like that! And she’s in trouble!”
“Oh, like I’ve been in trouble? ‘Cause you sure as shit don’t bother to help me out, Cuz.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Relax. She’ll show up in a few days. Probably partying with her friends.”
Hawk shook his head. “It’s serious, Garrett.”
Garrett glared at him. “It’s always serious when it’s someone else,” he muttered and turned to go.
Hawk felt a pang of guilt. He was intent on finding Tildy; that was his priority. But would he do it at the expense of everything- or anyone- else? Right at this very moment, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do find Tildy anyway.
“I’m sorry,” he told Garrett and the other man stopped for a moment. “She’s not partying. She’s really missing. I’m… I have no idea what to do. I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
Garrett sighed. “S’ fine, I guess. I understand.”
Hawk stepped back toward his front door. “Come on in for a cup of coffee at least.”
Garrett nodded and turned to face him fully. As he headed up the porch step, Hawk said, “So, what happened to your truck?”
Garrett grunted. “Fucking deer.”
Hawk made a face and headed inside. “I can help you out with it,” he told Garrett. “Later,” he amended.
Garrett nodded.
In his kitchen, Hawk measured the grounds for the coffeemaker and fired it up.
“What do you say we grab some gear and head to the lake?” Garrett asked as Hawk raided his cabinet for two mugs.
Hawk shook his head. “I can’t. I have to stay in town. In case anyone hears anything.”
Garrett frowned in disapproval. “So, what is it with you and this girl?”
“She’s my friend. Someone’s been hassling her lately. I was looking out for her.” Hawk frowned, thinking about what a fabulous job he’d done of that.
“Friend,” Garrett grunted. “Friends with a white girl,” he muttered.
Hawk sighed, not wanting to go through this again. “She is just a friend. And who cares if she’s white, Garrett? She’s a nice girl.”
Garrett smirked. “Yeah? Why? Teaching border jumpers at the Community Center doesn’t mean shit, Hawk. Doesn’t automatically make her a good person.”
Hawk’s hand gripped one of the mugs reflexively. He took a deep breath to still the flood of anger that rushed through him. “You don’t know her,” he told Garrett quietly.
Garrett must have sensed he was on dangerous ground with respect to Tildy, so he just shrugged. “Maybe not.”
Hawk watched the coffee brew and fought the onslaught of emotions roiling in his gut. As the filtered water filled the pot, he decided rage would not help Tildy. He had to keep himself in check for the time being, if he was going to be of use to anyone. He set a steaming mug down in front of Garrett and leaned a bit closer.
