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She was getting spooky again. But the hair on the back of Ben’s neck was standing up just like heroes’ neck hairs had in millions of books before.
His woman was out there somewhere. Ben was going to go find her.
His phone rang. He grabbed it. “Crazy woman, where are you?”
“Ben, listen.”It wasn’t Dusty.“It’s Hunter. We have a problem.”
“What? Is something wrong with Nik?”
Marin stopped what she was doing that passed for pacing. She just watched him, as the door to the offices behind the desk opened. Meyra was there, sweet little Daisy with her. Those two were best friends as well as cousins—they were always together. Two adorable little sweethearts that were as terrifying as their older sisters.
It wasn’t even eight thirty now. On a Friday night. The dining room rush was about to begin.
“What’s wrong?” Daisy asked. She was the sweetest of the four Talley sisters. Her eyes were big, soft, and worried.
“Hunt? What is it?”
“I just found Dusty’s truck off the side of the road. The engine was running. I can’t find her. There were footprints in the snow. They led to where I think a car was parked. Did someone pick her up that you know of?”
“No. She was out with Matt on a call. I’m on my way.”
“I’m calling the sheriff. I’m going to keep looking until you get here.”
Hunter disconnected. Ben looked at Marin as he dialed Matt Masterson, the vet. What he learned terrified him.
Matt was married to Ben’s cousin Pip. They’d both been with Dusty until an hour ago. When they’d sent her back to the inn so she could shower and help in the dining room. Matt promised to get his brothers Nate and Levi and meet the sheriff—their brother Joel—in town. Because Dusty should be home by now.
And her engine shouldn’t have been leftrunning.That wasn’t something Dusty would do. It just wasn’t.
Ben looked at Marin again. She would be the one to sound the family alarms. “Hunter found Dusty’s truck along the road. The engine was running. She had left Matt an hour ago. And there were signs of another vehicle. Hunter’s calling the sheriff now. I’m going out there.”
“What are you saying?” Daisy asked.
“Dusty’s missing. He’s saying Dusty’s missing.” Marin was already grabbing for her phone. “Meyra, tell them in the dining room. Daisy, go find Grandma and my father. We need to get people out there looking for her right now. As many as we can.”
“Who are you calling?” he heard Meyra ask.
“I’m calling Clint. He can get the Weatherbys here, too. I’m calling everyone we can.” Marin looked toward the big windows that looked out over the back gardens. The snow. They could all see the snow. Building. “Dusty, if she’s out there in this, find her, Ben. Just find her.”
“I’m never going to stop looking. I’ll bring her home, Marin. No matter what.”
His woman was out there. Ben would move heaven and earth to get her back.
Now he knew exactly how he felt about that woman.
Exactly how he felt about her now.
Once he had her back, he was never letting go of her ever again.
39
He’d wantedto see the Talley girl again. Sean wasn’t stupid. She hadn’t just captured him because she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was LaDonna’s daughter.
It was a Friday night. A busy night for any hospitality establishment. There would be more of LaDonna’s daughters around. He was certain of it.
He now knew the Browns’—aka Talleys’—children were all female. Eight daughters. That was surprising. Now he wanted to figure out which were which. To find out what he could about them.
More importantly, it was a part of his job, his duty, to ensure Morris Preston’s perfidy, his base evil, didn’t reach those four young women, either.
