Page 34 of Your Fan Forever
Eleven
Noah
We finishedthe bottle by the time we made it to the eighteenth hole. We each won a round. We both slid in the back of the SUV waiting to take us back to thecabin.
I rested my head on the back of the seat and watched the countryside as we drove through the winding narrow streets back to thecabin.
“The girls made it back.” Preston waved hisphone.
“They must be relaxed and buzzed they spent four hoursin—”
“Uh-oh.” Prestonsaid.
“What?” I raised myhead.
“So, you remember Brenda, the wedding coordinator?” Prestonasked.
I nodded, not liking where this wasgoing.
“She’s in town doing a wedding and she bumped into them at lunch and apparently Callie freakedout.”
What does he mean freakedout?
I satup.
Preston tapped his phone and Kate answered on the first ring. “What do you mean she freakedout?”
“She’s fine. But when we asked her about her plans for the wedding she didn’t have any answers and then her face got all red and splotchy and I didn’t want to make a scene in front of Brenda so I changed the subject, but …” her voice trailedoff.
“She was really quiet on the ride home and when we got back I tried to talk about it with her, but she blew me off, grabbed Nip and tookoff.”
“Took off.” Isaid.
“No. I mean. She went for awalk.”
I looked outside and the sun was below the mountains. The temperature had dropped and my girl was out wandering a freaking mountain,upset.
“We’re pulling into the driveway rightnow.”
I jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. Kate stood in the foyer with the phone in herhand.
“She hasn’t been gone that long,” shesaid.
“It’s getting cold out there,” Preston said as he ran his hand down her back and pulled her intohim.
“I know.” She groans. “I should have gone with her or made her stay to talk tome.”
“Is everything okay?” Jerry joined us in thefoyer.
“Callie went for a walk and isn’t back yet.” Preston said. “Did anyone see where shewent?”
“I saw her go up toward Timberland.” Randa pointed across thedriveway.
I had forgotten about the little trail. It came to a deck that looked out into the valley. I had planned to show Callie. I headed in that direction. It was only a ten-minute walk from the house. I jogged over to the entrance; Preston was in step next to me by the time we made it to the trail at the top of the littlestairway.
“Gentleman.” We stopped and waited for Jerry. He had grabbed a couple of flashlights. I took one, and turned it on. I headed up the trail. It soon flattened out and I saw the deck in the distance but it was empty. I jogged the rest of the way and noticed the impression of someone sitting on the edge. I leaned over, but it was dark down in thevalley.
“Noah.”
