Page 28 of One Heated Summer

I looked at him expectantly.

“Harlyn’s truck is gone. Try calling her.”

“Right…” I fumbled the cell from a pocket of my jeans and hit speed dial for Harlyn’s number. It went straight to voicemail. I dialed again…Same result.And again…Still no answer.

“Fuck!” I shouted, dragging fingers through my hair so hard it’s a wonder I didn’t rip half of it out. I turned in circles, trying to think.Where the fuck had she gone…or worse…who had taken her?

“I’m going to look for her,” I started toward the front door.

“Where?”

When I stopped suddenly and turned back to Cash, he almost ran into me. “What?”

“Where are you going to look?”

Cash was right, she could have gone in any direction. “Okay, we’ll go and speak with Gordon.”

I continued outside to where my truck was parked near the barn. Fifteen minutes later, Cash and I were standing in the sheriff’s office, speaking with Sheriff Gordon Hart in Grantin.

The sheriff peered at me over his reading glasses. "How long has Harlyn been missing?"

"We heard gunshots about thirty minutes ago and went up to the stables where she was mucking out. There was blood on some of the straw and no sight of Harlyn up at the house. Her truck was gone," I replied, my voice strained. "I called her multiple times, but it goes straight to voicemail."

The sheriff leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling. "Any idea where she might have gone? Or who she could have gone with?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No idea. If she’d gone somewhere willingly, Harlyn would have called to let me know she was leaving the ranch. She wouldn't just disappear withouttelling anyone. Something feels off…There were gunshots, Gordon."

Sheriff Hart nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, normally I’d wait twenty-four hours but since there were gunshots and blood….We'll start by putting out an alert and checking with her friends and acquaintances. It's important we act fast just in case someone has forced her to go with them. Do you have any clue at all as to who she might have gone with?"

My mind raced. "I have no idea. Her closest friends are those from our two ranches and Cash called around the wives while we were on our way here, none of them have heard from her. I have a gut feeling something's real wrong."

"Okay," the sheriff said, rising from his chair. "Let's get to work…Marv!"

Deputy Marvin Groth stepped through the open door of Gordon’s office. “Boss?”

“Get the call office to put a description out on HarlynJohnson. It’s feared she’s been taken against her will. What was she wearing, Jensen?”

Gordon and Marvin waited for my answer, “Blue jeans, red shirt, brown boots.”

“Ring the posse bell and I’ll be out to speak with the men as soon as they’re gathered,” Gordon instructed before Marvin hightailed it out of the office to follow through on the instructions he’d been given.

On the outside of the sheriff’s office building was a large brass bell that was rung to raise an alarm. Mostly it was used when someone had gone missing and those in town were needed for a search. If any of those from surrounding ranches were needed, the call center in Lannigan usually phoned and we hurried into town to assist.

“What do you want from us?” I asked on behalf of myself and Cash.

“Wait until I get everyone together and we’ll work out a plan.”

Things were taking too long, I couldn’t sit around and wait. “I’m going to head to Lannigan, see if I can sight her truck.”

“If you do, don’t approach in case she has been taken hostage and they have a gun. Speak with Doug and call me straight away.”

I turned toward the door and Cash fell into step with me.

“I’m serious, Jensen, don’t be a hero.”

I waved a hand over my head and kept walking. If I’d been a believer, I would have sent up a prayer. The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on my shoulders as Cash and I headed out to continue the search.

Cash and I moved quickly to my truck, the midday sun casting shadows as we strode across the road. Cash and I buckled into our seats. The tension in the cab was palpable as we both remained silent, the urgency of finding Harlyn driving me forward. As I turned the ignition, the engine roared to life, and I felt a sense of purpose solidify within me. No one, and I meant no one, was going to hurt the woman I loved.

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