“We’ve checked the house and the barn.” Beth turned to Brody. “What should we do next?”
Before he answered, Rafe’s phone rang, and he answered on the first ring. “Boudreau.”
He listened, gave a brief nod to Brody, and hung up. “We’ve got the warrant. Chance made the call to the phone company, and they are pinging cell towers, trying to triangulate a location.” Turning to the assembled crowd, he barked orders, handing out assignments.
“Nica, Camilla, you stay close to the house in case Jamie shows up. Beth, go with them.”
“But—”
“No buts. When Jamie’s found, she’s going to need her mother. Some place where she’ll feel safe.”
“I understand.” She’d do anything Rafe asked, if it meant holding her baby in her arms again.
“Momma, check around your gazebo, see if Jamie found it and she’s playing there.”
Without a word, Ms. Patti disappeared around the side of the house. Beth pictured the magical gazebo Brody had shown her, its fairy tale setting, and hoped Jaime somehow found it and was playing inside, not realizing the worry she’d caused everyone.
“Dane, since you’re already saddled up, ride the tree line behind the house and to the east, see if you spot anything. Brody and I will walk the supply trail behind the barn area. Keep your phones handy. Don’t hesitate to shout out if—when—you find something.”
Beth followed Nica and Camilla into the house, but couldn’t stay still. She paced the living room, wearing a rut in the area rug. Arms wrapped across her middle, she jumped at every noise. Stand in the living room, she looked at everything, yet saw nothing except her baby’s face in her mind. Jamie, when she’d been born, screeching at the top of her lungs, with her squished red face, counting all her tiny fingers and toes. Jamie, smiling at her, as her front teeth came in, drool running down her chin. Jamie, when she’d taken her first steps. She’d barely crawled, simply pulling herself upright and going from standing to racing in no time. Or her second birthday when she’d blown out all the candles, and covered the cake with slobber. Nobody cared, they’d simply scraped off the frosting and celebrated.
Nica knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her gently. She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen to her knees in the middle of the rug until then.
“It’s going to be alright, Beth. We’ll find her. She can’t have gone too far. Bet she’ll come racing in, like nothing even happened. Wait and see.”
“She’s so little, and she’s never wandered off before.” Beth looked into Nica’s eyes, despair crowding out the fear. “He’s got my baby. Somehow, he found out we were here, and he’s taken her.”
“Beth, don’t think like that. You don’t know your ex has her. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a possibility. A slim one, but I’m not going to try and sugarcoat things. You’re a strong woman, and Jamie’s going to need you to be strong, because when she comes home, she is going to need her mother.”
“I swear, if Evan has taken her, I’m going to kill him.”
Nica barked out a broken laugh. “Don’t say that in front of Rafe, because he’s the law, but if Evan took her, I’ll give you the gun.”
Beth wiped at her eyes, determined not to cry. There’d be time for tears later. Right now, she needed to be calm. Be strong. For Jamie.
“I can’t stay here, doing nothing. Where else can we look? I know Rafe said not to leave the house, so let’s look here. Start going room by room.”
Nica stood and extended her hand to Beth. “Let’s start at the top and work our way down. I already checked the attic, but let’s look again.”
Beth took her hand, letting the younger woman help her to her feet. “Let’s find my daughter.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lady Luck was on his side today. First, he’d gotten the info of where Beth was hiding. He wasn’t surprised she was shacking up with one of the lousy Boudreaus, but then again, Beth was an opportunist, and beautiful to boot. She’d managed to twist him around her little finger at the beginning of their relationship too. Why wouldn’t she do it to another man? She’d use him and abuse him, toss him out like yesterday’s trash the minute she found something bigger and better.
His luck continued when he’d found an isolated road, practically depositing him on the Boudreaus’ back doorstep. It looked like something used for loading and hauling ranching stuff. He didn’t care; it worked for his purpose, an unobserved spot to stay out of sight and provide a quick getaway if he was spotted. Dame Fortune continued shining down on him when he’d spotted Jamie from his hiding place, skipping out the back door, headed toward the barn. After that, it had been too easy.
“Daddy, you promised Mommy could come with us to get ice cream.”
Evan rolled his eyes at Jamie’s words. She hadn’t shut up from the minute she gotten in the car. When she’d spotted him in the trees, crouching hidden out of sight from those nosy Boudreaus, she’d raced across the grass, flinging herself into his arms. It was a true miracle nobody spotted her, practically doing cartwheels on her way toward his
