Page 59 of Love and Other Trials
Asked and answered. Ariel’s stomach sank. That was really bad. Drinking and drama was a terrible combination, even more so with a vehicle in the mix. “All right. Have you talked to Rob?”
Terry and Tricia exchanged a look before glancing back at Alison and Presley.
“Let me guess,” Dax broke in. “He’s passed out. He was pretty stressed today with Tiffany being so upset earlier.”
They all reluctantly nodded, clustered together like wilted cheerleaders after a kegger.
“It’s fine,” Ariel told them even as her mind raced—her goal of getting Tiffany’s wedding to come off was getting further away again. “We’ll find Tiffany. Okay, let’s think about this. It’s eleven-ish on a Tuesday night. Where would she go?”
“Anywhere,” Terry said unhelpfully.
She gritted her teeth. “Where would she feel comforted? Safe?”
“Grandma’s house maybe,” Tricia offered brightly as she twirled her strawberry blond hair around her finger.
“Good.” Ariel tried to give a reassuring smile. “Dax and I will start there.”
He squeezed her waist and headed back inside, likely for his keys.
“What can we do?” Terry asked in a strangled voice.
“Yeah, Ariel, we want to help.” Tricia’s lip wobbled. “She’s our sister.”
Sending them off in their cars was impossible. “I know you want to help, but the last thing any of us need is for y’all to drive right now. Besides, with my search and rescue background, I’m the ideal person to look for her.”
Giant tears started to roll down all four women’s faces like condensation on a glass of iced tea. “We’d never have drunkanythingif we’d known this would happen,” Terry nearly wailed, throwing her arms around Ariel. “I’m so sorry.”
She was too. Tiffany could be anywhere and the more people out looking for her, the better. Thank God she had a plan.
“Youcanhelp.” She wiped Terry’s tears and gently pushed her blond hair back behind her ears. “All of you can keep your phones on. If she comes back, you text me right away. Okay? Now, I need something from Tiffany. Something she just wore or touched.”
Tricia gasped, her hand going to her mouth. “You’re going to use Sherlock? Oh, Ariel, you’ve always been the smart one.”
She repressed a wince. “Yes, I’m going to use Sherlock. Now, can you get me something she wore recently?”
They all nodded, and then there was a flash of rumpled sundresses rushing off the porch. Dax came out with his keys, two water bottles, and a sweatshirt for her. He’d already put one on that said Navy. All business. The bag he held up was the one the resort had put in their room for laundry. “I also brought a flashlight and a blanket and more water. What else do you want me to bring?”
She stared into the bag. My God! She went to a dark place, thinking about them needing a flashlight and blanket. Tiffany liked the ocean…
“You don’t think something serious has happened to her?”
He shook his head crisply. “Let’s not go there. No, I think she was really overwrought and needed a break. But I’m a prepared kind of guy. She’s probably wearing either shorts and a tank top or a sundress. It’s not cold per se, but when a person’s in distress, their body temperature drops. I’m just being overly cautious. Ariel, take a breath.”
She took a few cleansing breaths and then went inside. “I need to gather a few things for Sherlock. Come on, buddy, we’re about to go to work. You know Tiffany, right? Well, she needs us to find her.” Taking out her phone, she crouched next to him. Most people would think she was woo-woo for doing this, but she knew dogs were smarter than most people, so she showed him a recent photo of Tiffany. “The scent will be his guide,” she told Dax, “but I truly believe a photo can help establish an incentive. A stake, you might say.”
“I would believe that. I think dogs are awesome. Planning on getting one when I settle down.”
“You’ll be so good with one.” She pulled up a video Tiffany had sent of her and Marshall sending a birthday greeting. “Bloodhounds are known for their sense of smell, but with their large ears, they also have good hearing. I’m giving him all the input I have to help find her.”
Dax’s hand landed on her shoulder and massaged it. “Ariel, we’re going to find her.”
She walked to Sherlock’s dog bowl, indicating she wanted him to drink. When they worked, she didn’t usually let him stop until they had an official break. He knew the drill. She gathered a few more treats and packed up his bag.
Noise sounded on the porch. She opened the door before Terry could knock. “We found the yoga clothes she was wearing before she tried on her wedding dress.”
Which meant she was probably in the sundress she’d worn to the seamstresses. Ariel took the pile her sister thrust toward her. “Thanks. This is great. Was she still wearing that sundress?”
“Yes.” Tricia worried her earring. “I hope it wasn’t weird we were in there when Rob was snoring.”
