Page 127 of This Heart Of Mine (Chicago Stars 5)

“Are you eating?”

“I need to keep my strength up for the search.” He waved at Charlotte Long with his beer bottle.

“I’m fairly sure I’m near the creek. At the end of the path that starts right behind Jacob’s Ladder.”

“Creek?”

“The creek, Kevin! The one that runs from the woods across the meadow. The only creek there is!”

She was beginning to sound snappish. He took a sip of beer. “I don’t remember a creek. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!”

“I suppose I’ll recognize it when I see it.” Kids were running around on the Common. He stopped for a moment to enjoy the sight, then returned to his mission. “The wind’s really started to kick up. I can hardly see the path.”

“It’s not that bad here.”

“Then maybe I’m going the wrong way.”

“You took the path behind Jacob’s Ladder, right?”

He tossed the rest of his sandwich into a trash container and stepped onto that exact path. “I think so.”

“You think so? Aren’t you paying attention?”

Definitely snappish.

“Just keep talking. Maybe I’ll be able to tell how close I’m getting by the reception.”

“Can you hear the creek?

”

“Which creek is that again?”

“There’s only one!”

“I hope I can find it. I don’t even want to imagine how terrible it’d be if you had to spend the night in the woods by yourself.”

“I’m sure that won’t happen.”

“I hope not. Whatever you do, don’t start thinking about the Blair Witch.”

“The Blair Witch?”

He managed a choking noise, then a monster moan, and disconnected.

It didn’t take long for his phone to ring again.

“My ribs are aching from laughter,” she said dryly.

“Sorry. It was just a squirrel. But it was huge.”

“If you don’t play right, I’m going home.”

“Okay, but you’d better not be wearing anything more than shoes and a hair ribbon when I find you.”

“I don’t own a hair ribbon.”

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