Page 59 of My Cowboy Temptation

“Thanks, Burke. I’m going to go up and check on her.” Only I end up standing outside the door a few more minutes because I still don’t have a damn key, and she’s not taking my calls. I only get inside when a delivery guy with a pizza is buzzed in.

I don’t understand my urgency as I hustle up the three flights and stride toward her door, I only know I have to see her before anything more can go wrong. I raise my hand and knock on the door, pausing when I see the door gives a bit. I push against it, and it opens.

Shit. She didn’t even bother shutting the door all the way. Distraught or not, doesn’t she know there’s still the possibility of danger out there?

I open the door, peering inside. “Callie? It’s Brody. I’m coming in,” I add when I don’t see her over by the window painting. I walk over, noticing her brushes are out and her station prepped like she’s about to start.

“Cal?” I try again and head to her room.

Empty. A creeping sensation rises up my spine, and I go to the bathroom and look in.

Where the fuck is she? I glance out her window that looks down over the back parking lot, scanning the cars until I spot hers parked in the corner.

I grab my phone and call Burke. “Callie isn’t up here. Have you been watching the door all day? Is it possible she might have gone out for a walk, and you didn’t see her?”

“There hasn’t been a lot of traffic in the time we’ve been back for me not to notice her exit, Brody. I promise, if she left her place, she didn’t come out the front door.”

I stare at the phone again before trying hers one more time. Voicemail.

I’m not one to panic under any situation. Keeping levelheaded and calm is my trademark. But I’d be lying if I wasn’t feeling a sense that something was seriously wrong here.

Which is why I’m ready to make my next call.

“Lucas? I’m here at Cal’s, and she’s not here. Did she come out to the ranch for some reason? Maybe she and Everly are off somewhere?”

Now that I’ve said that out loud, the possibility makes more sense. She was distraught. Of course she would call her best friend for support. Everly might have picked her up, and they’re having lunch as we speak.

“Everly’s right here, Brody. Don’t you have someone watching her?”

“Burke is here. Been parked out front, but he hasn’t seen her since Cal returned from her doctor’s visit. Only, I’m in her place now, and it’s empty, and her car is still parked around back.” There’s a long pause as Lucas processes this, and another possibility occurs to me. Slim, but it’s something. “I’m going to drive over to the gallery. It’s closed today, but maybe she went there to do some work. I’ll keep you updated.”

A few minutes later, I’m convinced the place is empty as I stand and stare into the window, not seeing a ray of light anywhere.

Something is wrong. I know it. Callie wouldn’t just disappear like this.

Her last text message said something about her dad, like something happened, and she was pissed I hadn’t told her myself. But Lucas is fine.

The only reason she would have sent that is if someone told her otherwise. That might explain why she left in such a hurry, not even shutting the door completely—or taking the time to lock it.

Who would she have trusted to have gone off with?

Fuck, I can’t stand here not doing anything. She’s out there somewhere and possibly is with someone who wants to harm her. Not just someone. Zeke Palmer.

Shutting the door behind me, I head out, knowing exactly where I need to go next. Lucas can meet me there.

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