Page 61 of Always Be an Us

"Yeah. But I wanted to stop by and let you know Grandpa's surgery went well. He'll be okay."

"That’s wonderful." Rick grins and ruffles my hair.

"Wait, your grandpa had surgery today?" Yule looks a little hurt. "You never said anything."

"I didn't tell anyone except Rick," I say apologetically. "I didn't want it to be a huge thing."

Understanding enters Yule's brown eyes, and he nods.

"So who's gullible?" I ask.

Rick seems reluctant to answer, but Yule leans into the counter and says, "Remember the five-burger guy?"

"Yeah." My heart skips a beat like it does whenever I think about Declan. "Declan, what about him?"

"He came over here looking for you. Apparently, he wanted your help getting a gift for his daughter. Rick told him he could find Rainbow Pearls at the Ashton woods, and the idiot actually believed him."

"What?" Alarm bursts through me as I stare at Rick in disbelief. "You told him to go to Ashton Woods? At this time of the year?"

The Ashton Woods was once one of the more popular hiking trails in town, until a landslide rendered it too steep to hike comfortably. Not to mention the lack of cell service and the confusing terrain. Only seasoned townies go to the Ashton Woods, and never alone.

"It's dangerous Rick. And he's not from here. Plus, it's storm season. What if it rains?"

Rick shrugs unapologetically. "He's a grown man, he can handle himself. Besides, I told him hours ago. He’s probably already given up by now and gone home."

"You don’t know that." Something tells me that Declan wouldn't give up that easily. If he truly went to Ashton Woods to find a Rainbow Pearl for Amelia, he wouldn't stop until he found it.

"I have to go," I say and leave, ignoring Rick’s call at my back. I’m furious at him. I know Declan isn’t the most well-liked man in town right now, but that doesn't warrant a prank like this.

I call Declan as I head to Lou's. The phone rings, but there's no answer. "Damn it."

I swing the doors open, and announce, "Lou. I need to borrow your car again. It's an emergency."

She looks up from her magazine shifting in her seat behind the counter. "You seem to be having a lot of those lately."

"I know. I promise I’ll fill it up when I’m done."

She snorts which I take as assent.

"Thanks," I say, grabbing the keys from the hook and dashing out to the car.

I repeatedly call Declan the whole way, there but there's no answer. Worry clouds my mind as I arrive at the base of the hill.

Making the ascent with Lou's car is rocky, literally. The driving path is slender and rough, and I feel every bit of it under the tires. I go slowly, navigating through the jagged terrain, and making sure to stick to the low-lying parts of the land.

The first hitch arrives about ten minutes later when my car gets stuck in a ditch.

"Oh no," I mutter as I pump the gas to force it out, but each time the car only jerks forward a little and then bounces back into its position. I could probably get it out of the ditch by gassing up even more, but I don't want to burn out Lou's delicate engine. She'll murder me.

Which means I have to make the rest of the journey on foot.

I sigh and get out of the car, the soft ground immediately adhering to my feet. Friction makes it an effortful walk because I have to continuously pull my legs out of the marshy ground. My thighs begin hurting after five minutes of hiking up the hill, and that's when I see it.

Declan's truck.

With no Declan in sight.

Chapter Eighteen

---