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The disappointment wasn’t for himself, but for Bree. When she found out her hero had fallen off the pedestal she’d placed him on, it was going to crush her. And that was why his chest ached. He didn’t want to be the one to tell her.
But if he found Will first, he wouldn’t have to tell her. She could see the truth for herself. It’d still hurt, but at least he wouldn’t be the one causing her the pain.
“Did Will say why he was going to Nome?” he asked the room.
“Uh-uh,” Josie said. “Not to me.” She looked at Obi, who shook his head, and Gus, who shrugged one shoulder. She turned back to Ellis. “But ya know, he was up here pretty regularly for the last few years. I mean, we’ve known him for at least a decade from the race. He used to volunteer to treat the dogs, but he was only ever here during race time until a few years ago. We started seeing him…what do ya think, Obi? Once a month?”
“Yeah, at least,” Obi said. “Always going to and from Nome. Figured it was some volunteer vet thing up there.”
“You can ask Harold Cooper over at the airport,” Josie added as a dark-haired man with a crooked nose came through the front door, stomping snow off his boots.
“Hey, Josie,” he called and lifted a hand in greeting. “Got coffee on? I sure could use one.”
“Hi there, Larson,” she called back with a smile. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here again so soon. Got a fresh pot on now. Have a seat.” She turned back to Ellis. “Coop runs the airport. If anyone knows anything, he will.”
A lead. Finally. While Bree was out scouring the bush for a plane that may or may not be there, he had something tangible to pursue. Maybe he would find Will first, after all. “Thank you.”
Josie’s brow furrowed. “Why all the questions? Is Will missing?”
“We’re trying to figure that out.” He headed for the door. “Thanks again.”
Nate followed him out. “Think we’ll learn anything new from Harold Cooper?”
“Maybe.”
“You believe Bree.” A statement, not a question.
“About Dad?” Ellis sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. The sun was bright today, and the snow turned the world into a giant reflector. He wished he had sunglasses. “I don’t know. I’d like to think he’s changed, but…” He trailed off, shrugged.
“But that guy in there”— Nate hitched a thumb over his shoulder at the roadhouse— “said he drank with Dad last week.”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t know how to explain it. I believe in Bree, and she thinks something happened. Something bad. I’m doing this for her. Not Dad.”
Damian caught up just as they reached the snowmachines. “Where are you going?”
Ellis grabbed a helmet. “The airport. We need to talk to Harold Cooper.”
“This is ridiculous.” Damian jabbed a finger in Ellis’s direction. “You almost died.”
“I’m fine.”
“You got lucky. Next time, you won’t.”
“Is that a threat?” It sure sounded like one. Awareness tickled the back of his neck and he stepped toward his youngest brother, crowding him. “Do you know something about all of this? About where Dad is?”
“No. Why would I? I haven’t spoken to Dad in years. I never even spoke to him while buying the hospital.”
“You—what?”
“Uh, yeah, meant to tell you about that,” Nate muttered. “Sorry.”
Ellis spun on Damian. “YouboughtNorthern Rescue out from under Dad?”
“It was me or the bank,” Damian snapped. “Dad’s drowning in debt. I was trying to help him. I was trying to save— aw, fuck, you know what? I’m tired of defending myself.” He blew out a breath and took a step back, scrubbing his hands through his dark hair. “Listen, I don’t like you most of the time—”
“You made that plenty obvious. On national TV.”
Damian ignored the jab. “But you’re my brother. I don’t want to see you kill yourself over Dad. We all know where he is and what he’s doing. He’ll eventually sober up and stroll back into our lives like nothing happened. It’s what he does.”
