Page 117 of Nothing But It All
“Stay together,” Jack says. “If you don’t have any luck in an hour, come back here, and we’ll regroup, okay?”
They nod.
Jack looks at me. “Your mom and I are going to head out by the iron furnaces, and we’ll check the fields out that way. Again, we’re looking for the truck. If there’s a reason for you to go exploring on foot, stay together. And if you find the truck, Maddie and Michael, you go look for him. You know where he’ll be. Ava, can you drive my truck back here and let us know? The phones probably won’t work that far out.”
“Yes, Mr. Reed.”
“We’ll see you in an hour,” I say. “If we’re not here, we’ve found him. Sit tight until we get back.”
“Keys are in my truck, Michael. We’ll take your mom’s car.”
Michael and Ava head for the door. Maddie turns but pauses. “Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
She smiles. “We’re gonna find him, and he’s gonna be fine. Trust me.”
“I love you, Mads.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.” She grins at me. “You too, Mom.”
“Love you, baby girl.”
She tosses open the door. Snaps bolts down the stairs and stops at the screen. He barks for Maddie to come back, but she doesn’t hear him. Jack’s truck is already headed down the road.
I jog into the bathroom and return with an emergency kit. Jack eyes it nervously.
“It’s just in case,” I say.
He tears his eyes from the white plastic box and brings them to mine. The fear, the anger—the determination in them strengthens me.
“Let’s go find your dad,” I say.
Jack holds the door open for me, and we head for the car.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
JACK
Ikeep thinking his truck is just going to be parked around one of these corners,” I say, slowing Lauren’s car as we round a gravel curve. “He has to be somewhere.”
“We’ll find him.” She touches my forearm gently, causing Snaps to bark from the back seat. “Heck, he might not even be lost. There’s still an off chance that he went to town to get ice cream or something.”
I smile for her benefit. Theoretically, there’s a chance. Realistically, there’s not.
“He’s going to be the death of me,” I say, gripping the steering wheel as a blast of rain pelts the glass.
“At least it’s not me for a change.”
I glance at her over my shoulder.
“He’s going to be fine, Jack. He’s tough. Even if he is out there by himself, he’s walked every bit of this forest a hundred times. He knows it better than anyone. He probably stumbled upon a patch of berries and couldn’t help himself. He’ll be riding your ass about getting everyone riled up as soon as he gets home.”
I sigh.I hope.
“Oh, you know where we should look,” Lauren says, taking her hand away from me. “There’s that waterfall on the side of the hill whereeveryone fills up their jugs. Do you remember what I’m talking about? I don’t know how to get there or where it is for sure, but he swears that water grows the best blackberries around.”
That’s right.“Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. Let’s head out there.” I pull the car onto the shoulder of the road and then do a quick three-point turnaround. “How much time do we have?”
