Kaitlin left a message, hoping Lindsay wasn’t holed up somewhere in Dylan’s arms.
Okay, so she really didn’t hope that. If Lindsay truly wanted to fulfill her pirate fantasy, then Kaitlin hoped that was exactly where she was. But she hoped it wasn’t a long fantasy. And she truly wished she’d jotted down Zach’s cell phone number when they’d joked about it this morning. She might not be lost in his castle, but she could certainly use his help.
She glanced around the wind-and rain-swept meadow, the tombstones jutting shadows in the gloom. She told herself there were still a couple of hours until dark, so there was plenty time for Lindsay to get her message. And how long could a person possibly frolic in bed with a pirate?
Okay. Bad question.
Thunder rumbled above Kaitlin, and a burst of wind gusted sideways, splattering the raindrops against her face.
Then again, maybe Ginny would wake up from her nap and tell them Kaitlin had gone to the cemetery. Assuming Ginny remembered that Kaitlin had gone to the cemetery. Would Ginny recall that?
Kaitlin peered once again at the tombstones on the horizon. She wasn’t wild about sitting here in a graveyard in the middle of a thunderstorm. Not that she was afraid of ghosts. And if any of Zach’s ancestors were ghosts, she had a feeling they’d be friendly. Still, there was a horror-movie aspect to the situation that made her jumpy.
The rain beat down harder, gusting in from all sides, and soaking everything inside the cart. Her shorts grew wet. Her bare legs became streaked with rivulets of water through the dust from the meadow. And her socks and running shoes were soaking up raindrops at an alarming rate.
She rubbed the goose bumps on her bare arms, wishing she’d put on something more than a sleeveless blouse. Too bad she hadn’t tossed a sweater in the backseat.
Lightning flashed directly above her, and a clap of thunder rumbled ominously through the dark sky. It occurred to her that the golf cart was made of metal, and that she was sitting on the highest point on the island.
She wasn’t exactly a Boy Scout, but she did know that that particular combination could be dangerous. Fine, she’d walk already.
There was still plenty of light to see the trail. It was all downhill, and it couldn’t be more than forty-five minutes, an hour tops, to get back to Dylan’s house.
“What do you mean, she’s not here?” Zach studied a disheveled Dylan, then Lindsay. He didn’t need to know what they’d been doing. Though it was completely obvious to anyone what they’d been doing. “Where would she be?” he demanded.
He’d checked the rose garden over an hour ago. He’d also combed through the entire castle, including the attic rooms and the staff quarters. And he’d just confirmed that Aunt Ginny was napping in her room. So the two of them weren’t together.
“Maybe she went to the beach?” Lindsay ventured, ineffectually smoothing her messy hair.
“When was the last time you saw her?” asked Zach.
Dylan and Lindsay exchanged guilty looks.
“Never mind.” What they’d been doing for the past three hours was none of his business. And they certainly weren’t Kaitlin’s babysitters.
“She can’t be far,” Dylan said. “We’re on an island.”
Zach agreed. There were only so many places she could be without having flown away on a chopper or taken a boat. And she didn’t do either of those things.
There was the chance that she’d fallen off a cliff.
He instantly shut that thought down. Kaitlin wasn’t foolish. He was sure she was fine. He watched the rain pounding against the dark window. It seemed unlikely she’d stay outside in this. So maybe she was already back at the castle. He could call-
Wait a minute.
“You’ve got her cell number,” he said to Lindsay.
“Right.” Lindsay reached for her pockets. Then she glanced around, looking puzzled.
After a few seconds, Dylan stepped in. “I’ll check the pool house.”
Zach shook his head in disgust. He did not want to know the details of their tryst. He pulled out his own phone. “Just tell me her number.”
Lindsay rattled it off, and Zach programmed it into his phone then dialed.
It rang several times before Kaitlin came on the line. “Hello?” Her voice was shaky, and the wind was obviously blowing across the mouthpiece.
She was still out in the storm.
“You okay?” he found himself shouting, telling himself not to worry.
“Zach?”
“Where are you?”
“Uh…”
“Kaitlin?” Not worrying was going to be a whole lot easier once he figured out what was going on.
“I think I’m about halfway down the cemetery trail,” she said.
“You’re
“Not driving, I’m walking.”
“I think the cart’s battery died,” she explained.
Okay. That made sense. “Are you okay?”
“Mostly. Yeah, I think so. I fell.”
Zach immediately headed for the garage. “I’m on my way.”
Dylan and Lindsay came at his heels.
“Thanks,” said Kaitlin, relief obvious in her voice.
“What were you doing up there?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Where is she?” Lindsay blustered, but Zach ignored the question, keeping his focus on Kaitlin.
“The roses,” said Kaitlin, sounding breathless. “Ginny asked me to put the roses on Sadie’s grave.”
“Are you sure you’re not hurt badly?” Adrenaline was humming through his system, heart rate automatically increasing as he moved into action.
The wind howled across the phone.
“Kaitlin?”
“I might be bleeding a little.”
Zach’s heart sank.
“I tripped,” she continued. “I’m pretty wet, and it’s dark. I can’t exactly see, but my leg stings.”
Zach hit the garage door button, while Dylan pulled the cover off a golf cart.
“I want you to stop walking,” Zach instructed. “Wherever you are, stay put and wait for me. What can you see?”
“Trees.” Was there a trace of laughter in her voice?
“How far do you think you’ve come?” He tried to zero in. “Is the trail rocky or dirt?”
“It’s mud now.”
“Good.” That meant she was past the halfway point. “You want me to stay on the line with you?” he asked as he climbed onto the cart.
“I should save my battery.”
“Makes sense. Give me ten minutes.”
“I’ll be right here.”
Zach signed off and turned on the cart.
“Where is she?” Lindsay repeated.
“She was at the cemetery. Cart battery died. She’s walking back.”
Lindsay asked something else, but Zach was already pulling out of the garage, zipping past the helipad and turning up the mountain road. The mud was slick on the road, and the rain gusted in from all sides.
He knew he shouldn’t worry. She was fine. She’d be wet and cold, but they could fix those problems in no time. But he’d feel a whole lot better once she was safe in his-
