Page 54 of Unexpected Union

“Not today.I’m going to eat lunch soon and then rest.”

Afterlittle sleep last nightand all the exercise she’d had yesterday, Audra was tired. But morethan anything, she wanted some distance from Mitch—before she didsomething stupid, like give away her feelings. The last thing shewanted was for him to suspect the turmoil plaguing her.

ChapterSixteen

Despiteher suggestion, when Mitch took off after lunch Audra feltdeserted. She watched him striding into the woods without a backward glance andinstantly missed him. He could have asked her again to go withhim.

Not thatshe would have gone. Thepath still looked slick after the rain and she was in no mood to bechallenged today. She truly wanted to get some rest.

Going toher room tolie down,she drifted to sleep, but woke when the baby held a dance-a-thon.She read until the baby settled down, her eyes constantly closingdespite her interest in the book.

It wasdark when Audra woke and rain hammered the roof.She looked through theopen doorway and saw the rest of the cabin was in darkness. HadMitch returned and then gone to the lodge for dinner because shewas asleep?

Unlikely. He would have told her if he wasn’t going to bethere for dinner. And wouldn’t he have left a light on?

Unless he’d gonebefore it got dark. He might have left another note.

She gotup and went downstairs.Switching on a lamp in the living room she shivered. It was alreadycool in the cottage. The rain smeared the window, blown against itby the wind.

Shelooked for a note. Foundnone.

A tinge ofworry pricked her. Where was Mitch?

Searching the cottagetook less than two minutes. No sign of him.

Shelooked outside. He couldn’t still be on his walk. It was aftereight and already dark. He’d probably gone to the lodge and lost track oftime.

Audrawent to the phone to call the lodge. She’d have himpaged.

Silencemet her. The phone to the lodge was dead. She tried her cell, buthad no service. The rain beat against the window, adding tothe gloom of the night.Surely he was fine. At the lodge dry and enjoying a hotmeal.

She wentto the window and lookedout. Except for the rain on the window, nothing was visible butswaying trees. There were no stars showing tonight.

By ten,Audra was trulyworried.

Shewent to the door andopened it. Cold damp air swirled around. So much for the balmyweather they had been enjoying. A person could get sick staying outin this kind of weather—especially with no shelter or warmclothes.

Thememory of Mitch stridingaway that afternoon surfaced. He’d been wearing a cotton shirt,jeans and running shoes. And carrying a backpack with some snacksand water. No jacket, no hat, no rain gear. Had he gotten caught inthe storm?

Orworse, become dizzy and fallen, injuring himself further?

Audraslammed the door and looked around. What should she do? Grabbing ajacket, she dashed overto the Carmichaels’s cottage. Maybe their phone was working. Ormaybe they’d seen him come home and then head for thelodge.

Thecabin was dark. Knockingon the door, Audra waited impatiently, hoping for an answer. Noresponse. She tried the handle. The door swung open and she steppedinside. The cottage had the same layout as hers, so she quicklylocated the phone to the front desk. The line was dead.

She almost ranback to her cottage. Closing the door to lean against it, shespotted his laptop, on the floor beside the sofa. He wouldn’t havegone to the lodge without it.

She hadtwo choices: try to find Mitch or drive to the mainlodge to summonhelp.

When the babykicked, she patted her hand gently against her tummy.

“The cavalryto the rescue. It’s up to us, babykins. We’ve got to find yourdaddy.”

In lessthan ten minutes, Audra had stuffed a backpack full of blankets anda change of clothes forMitch, a jacket and a first-aid kit. She prepared hot coffee andput it in a thermos. Grabbing a handful of snacks, she wasready.

Donningher warmest clothes and a heavy jacket, she covered herself with alarge plastic bag and crammed on an old hat. She was as sheltered as she could get. Raingear had not been high on her priority list when she packed for hervacation.

Therewere several flashlights around the cabin. She gathered them all.Leaving a note in case Mitch returned before shedid, she set off.

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